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New Volvo V40 Cross Country

Volvo India, the Indian subsidiary of the Swedish car maker, has finally launched the much awaited V40 Cross Country in India. The new Volvo V40 Cross Country will battle it out against not just the new Mercedes A Class and the upcoming BMW 1 Series but also with the BMW X1 and the Audi Q3.

The new Volvo V40 Cross Country has been priced at INR 28.5 lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi) in rapidly developing Indian car market. The V40 goes on sale in only one variant, which comes filled to the brim with features and equipment.

Powering the new Volvo V40 Cross Country is a 2.0 litre five cylinder D3 diesel engine that has a max power output of 150bhp and a peak torque figure of 350 Nm. The engine comes mated to a 6 speed automatic transmission. The car is capable of hitting the 100kmph figure from standstill in 9.3 seconds and has a claimed fuel economy of 16.8 kmpl.
Priced at Rs. 28.5 Lakhs (Ex-showroom, Delhi) the Volvo V40 Cross Country will be retailed through Volvo’s dealerships across the country starting June 2013.

The all-new Volvo V40 has received the top rating of five stars in the Euro NCAP collision test. The overall result is the best ever recorded by the institute.

Following is a list of some interesting features/creatures comforts that the V40 comes equipped with-

• TFT Crystal Display – Thin Film Transistor (TFT) is the latest technology user in monitors and televisions. You can choose from 3 graphic display themes “Elegance (Amberish), ECO (Greenish), and Performance (Sporty Reddish)”. The driving modes transform the interactive dashboard, monitor your driving, and assist you in maintaining optimization and not to mention the mood.

• Electronic Climate Control with (ECC) with clear air filter technology

• Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) – Personalisable levels of steering assist

• Park Assist Pilot (PAP) – The parking manoeuvre is based on front, rear and side-facing ultrasonic sensors. When the driver activates the Park Assist Pilot the sensors start to scan the side of the car. When a parking slot measuring a minimum of 1.2 times the car’s length is detected, the driver is notified by an audible signal and advised to use the pedals to stop via a message in the instrument cluster. This is a Semi-automatic park assist for parallel parking.

• Park Assist Camera- Rear – Camera uses electronics to reduce “Fish Eye “effect. Image seen in screen is as natural as possible (with guiding lines)

• Theatre/Mood lighting – Light (Violet purple, Glacier Blue, Red Sunset, Ember Gold, Toscana White, Frosty White and Rain Forest) is produced from overhead console and rear seat light console

• Engine Brake Energy Regeneration – Transferring energy smartly. Whenever the accelerator or brake is released while a gear is engaged, the braking energy is fed back to the battery. It reduces load of the alternator, saves fuel and lowers emission.

• Lock and Alarm – Personal Car Communicator with Keyless Drive. Has an operational range of 100 metres for functions controlled by remote and up to 20 metres for remote lock functions.

• Talking about the audio system, the car has a High Performance 4x45W amplifier with 8 loudspeakers. With a single DVD player and MP3 decoder one can also control the audio system from their steering wheels.

Very much like almost all the Volvo cars to have ever kissed the tarmac, the V40 comes “over-loaded” with safety features. The long list of safety features includes-

• Laser Assisted Automatic Braking – City Safety up to 50 km/hr – When the city throws its chaotic face, you’d be a step ahead and a lot safer. The latest version of City Safety prevents collisions up to 50 km/h. This laser based feature senses emergency situations beforehand and pre-charges the brakes to increase the impact of braking or even deploys the brakes if in case they aren’t timely applied.

• Dynamic Stability & Traction Control (DSTC) – Control has been one of the most sensitive areas of driving. Building on this core truth, DSTC acts as a vital safety development. It helps the driver to keep the car under control by averting scenarios such as spinouts, fishtails and roll overs. DSTC enabled with a gyroscope, senses a potential skid and counters this by reducing the engine’s power output or braking on one or more wheels.

• Intelligent Driver Information System (IDIS) – On road distractions are omnipresent and can easily turn a normal situation into a critical one. IDIS constantly monitors your driving and delays secondary information from the car or one of its onboard systems – such as the GSM phone- when it detects intense steering, braking or acceleration. Once it senses a return to normalcy, it displays the withheld information.

• Turn-with Steering Lights (ABL) – Now for every curve see what lies ahead. The Active Bending headlights with Dual Xenon technology expand your vision range by about 230% that gives you 150 feet more for braking. And using motorized lamps that turn up to 15 degrees in either direction, your vision gets a 90% boost around bends at night. A daytime sensor disengages the adaptive function during daytime to extend its lifespan.

• Side Impact Protection System – SIPS rapidly swings into action in the event of a side impact. It reduces the effect of the crash by taking away the impact from the occupants and distributing it to the body of the car. Also, the dual chamber side airbags spring up instantly to cocoon the occupant’s chest and hip, while the discharged inflatable curtain (IC) protects the heads of both front and rear outboard occupants.

• Whiplash Protection – In case of a rear impact, WHIPS operates by cradling the front occupant to severely reduce neck injuries. The WHIPS equipped seat is outfitted with a metal piece that absorbs the energy from the collision and moves together with the occupant, while the headrest reclines to further lessen the effect of the crash.

• Driver Knee Airbag – When it comes to safety we have all angles covered. The driver knee airbag is a newly fitted safety feature that immediately swings into action in the event of a collision. This protects the knee and also acts as a considerable cushioning system to the upper shin of the leg. It is installed in the dashboard above the pedals and deployed together with the other airbags in the event of a frontal collision.

During the launch, Tomas Ernberg, Managing Director, Volvo Auto India said, “The Volvo V40 has received the top rating of five stars in the Euro NCAP collision test. The overall result is the best ever recorded by the institute. Volvo V40 Cross Country which is a variant of the V40 represents a model which is Premium in Design, Features, Technology and Safety. We offer a complete package with no hidden costs. The V40 Cross Country is an excellent example of how Volvo is taking Safety into the future. We believe that the most premium thing in life is life itself. With TFT instrumentation clusters (no needles); integrated panoramic glass roof and a host of other features as standard, it redefines the compact luxury offering. It is miles ahead of the competition when it comes to intelligent accident prevention and mitigation. The car will bring in new impetus to our growth strategy in India.”

source

Feel the Vibe as Mahindra reinvents the Verito

The interior
Beyond the rump, the rest of the car is bog-standard Verito, with a few subtle changes here and there. The front grille, for example, is finished in a sporty carbon fibre look compared with the chrome of the normal Verito. Blacked out headlamps and sporty roof rails complete the picture. There are some last-mile issues in terms of fit and finish and the quality of interiors is ordinary. One strange sight was the centre console – it’s not fit dead centre, it’s skewed more to the left. Seems like a casting error in the die that moulds the dash -- and needs to be taken care of.

Normally, due to the length restrictions, interior space is compromised in a lot of the cars in this segment, but the Verito Vibe will have none of that. While still maintaining a 330-litre boot, albeit with an awkward, slit-like opening, there’s absolutely no reduction in interior space compared with the Verito. This, we think, will be the Vibe’s USP. Front seat space is great as usual, but the best part is rear seat space.

You can actually seat three people comfortably back there and won’t hear many complaints. There are also three proper headrests for the rear seat passengers for added safety and comfort. Interior quality could definitely see a lot of improvements, but at least with the recent upgrade to the Verito, ergonomic nightmares like the moulded door handles and power window switches are taken care of. The faux carbon fibre theme continues in the interior as well, with the dash and glove box accents adorned in the stuff.
Thankfully, they leave it at that and don’t go overboard. Overall, it may be a little on the bland side, but it’s very spacious.

The heart
Under the hood of the Vibe is the very familiar 1.5-litre dCi Renault diesel engine, the same one that powers the Renault Duster and Nissan Sunny diesels. In this state of tune, it produces 65 bhp of peak power and 160 nm of torque. In this conversion into a shorter sedan, the Verito doesn’t lose much weight over its predecessor though, in fact, it ends up gaining some weight, ending up with a kerb weight of 1155 kg.

Despite that, the Verito still jumps off the line eagerly and pulls strongly through the revs. The best part about this powertrain is that even though it’s a little low on power, it’s got no noticeable turbo lag, so you don’t have to work the gearbox to get going, it’ll pull strongly within the gear. It won’t be setting any performance benchmarks any time soon, but on the fuel efficiency front, the car will easily return 15 kpl in a mixed city and highway cycle. On the highway, the engine is a little stressed out, so you won’t see the fuel economy improve too much over that figure.

Ride & handling
The Verito and the Logan before it were known to have great ride quality, and this variant does not disappoint. It takes both slow speed and high speed bumps with authority, never once losing composure, and surprisingly, even steering feel and feedback is more than adequate. It definitely inspires confidence with the way it changes direction. Again, it’s not at all sporty, but it lets you know exactly what the front wheels are doing and a pretty good indication of what your inputs will get them to do. Overall, we come away impressed with both the ride quality and handling of the Vibe.

The verdict
That leaves us with only one question. Is it worth buying? With prices starting at Rs 5.68 lakh going up to Rs 6.55 lakh, ex-Delhi, it sounds like a no-brainer, really. All that space, a tried and tested powertrain and decent looks. The downsides? Having to load luggage into that slit-like boot is not easy. Yes, it would have been better if it were a hatchback, but at this price, we’re willing to compromise.

Mahindra Verito Vibe
Price: (ex-Delhi) Rs 5.68-6.55 Lakh

Kitna deti hai? 15 kmpl in our test

Fuel tank: 50 litres

Full tank good for: Over 700 km

Engine: 1461cc, i-4, turbodiesel

Max power: 65 bhp@4000 rpm

Max torque: 160 nm@2000 rpm

Good for family of 5: Yes

Dimensions in feet: L/W/H 13.09/5.7/5.05

iPhone 5 vs. 4S battery life with iOS 7 beta

Apple iPhone 5 battery life with iOS 7 beta 1 – the iPhone 5 lost 3% of its battery after the first 3 hours, although this had been without any use and only on standby. 12 hours later and overnight after a sleep, we noticed the iPhone 5 at 86% battery and again this was mainly on standby. Now let us take a look at the iPhone 4S over the same period and again being on standby.


Apple iPhone 4S battery life also with iOS 7 beta installed – within just 3 hours the iPhone 4S running iOS 7 beta lost 15% of its total battery life, and this is a much faster drain than experienced with iOS 6 or on an iPhone 5 with iOS 7 beta. 12 hours later and under the same circumstances as with the iPhone 5, the 4S battery hit 1% left and this is with the device being on standby overnight.
It is also worth noting that we fully charged both iPhones again and after using the iPhone 4S for just web browsing, the battery drained 5% in only 10 minutes. This certainly highlights major problems with iOS 7 beta on the iPhone 4S, but it could just be a bad install and this has happened before with iOS 6.


We have two usage screenshots below taken from the iPhone 5 and 4S running iOS 7 beta 1. These were taken before the above test and give a little insight into the differences between the two generations of iPhone running the same software. The first is the iPhone 5 and the battery percentage can be seen at the top right, and the second screenshot shows the iPhone 4S again with iOS 7 beta and with only 1% battery life left.








Finding out if this is an iOS 7 beta 1 bug or a bad install – following the above tests we have wiped the iPhone 4S and installed iOS 7 beta 1 from scratch to see if battery life improves after a fresh install. We will update this article with our findings after the next test and this will reveal if restoring the iPhone 4S content and settings on iOS 7 beta caused the battery problems, or if in fact it’s an issue with iOS 7 beta 1 even on a fresh install.

It is clear that the iPhone 5 vs. 4S battery life is far from equal in our initial tests, but keep connected to Phones Review as we update you within the next 24 hours with more details from our review. We want to find out if this is just a bad iPhone 4S install and how to fix the battery drain on iOS 7 beta 1.

Update: After a fresh install of iOS 7 beta 1 on the iPhone 4S, we used the phone for just web browsing for an hour and noticed a dramatic improvement on a clean install. This isn’t ideal for most users, so we will now restore the old backup and see if things are better after restoring from a fresh install. Again, bookmark this page and keep connected with Phones Review and our review of the first beta.

iPhone 5 with iOS 7 vs. HTC One, Sony Xperia Z

Amazon to launch Kindle range of products in India by the end of this month

MUMBAI: Online retailer Amazon, which recently announced its foray into India, said today it will introduce its Kindle range of products, including Fire and Paperwhite in the country by the end of this month.

World's best-selling e-readers Kindle Fire and Kindle Paperwhite are coming to Amazon.in, making it easier than ever for readers in India to discover Kindle, Amazon said in a statement.

Kindle Fire HD (7-inch and 8.9-inch variants) will be available starting June 27 for customers in India, giving them access to over 1.9 million apps and games and more than 3.25 lakh books that are exclusive to the Kindle Store, it added.

The 7-inch version will be available for Rs 15,999, while the 8.9-inch variant will cost Rs 21,999.

The Kindle Fire range will also be available at over 100 retail outlets including Croma, Reliance Digital, E-Zone and Vijay Sales.

"Not only does Kindle Fire feature advanced hardware, it also offers a range of services. It has the combination of apps, the largest book selection, great e-mail service, browsing and top-rated customer service. We hope our customers in India will agree that Kindle Fire HD is the best tablet for a great price,"Amazon Kindle Vice President Dave Limp said.

With custom Dolby audio and front-facing HD camera, Kindle Fire HD is based on Android operating system.

Paperweight, which is the fifth generation Kindle, is the smallest and lightest compared to its predecessors. It is available on Amazon.in starting today for Rs 5,999.

Kindle Paperwhite will be available only in Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi-plus-3G models priced at Rs 10,999 and Rs 13,999, respectively

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga Green CNG variant launched @ INR 6.52 lakhs

The Ertiga MPV has to be among the best things to have happened to Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL), the nation’s largest selling car maker in recent times. The Ertiga is on sale in the Indian market with two engine variants- a1.4 litre K series petrol and a 1.3 litre Fiat sourced Multijet diesel engine. Maruti has now also added a CNG variant to its best selling MPV’s line up.

Dubbed as the Ertiga Green, the new CNG variant will be available in LXi and VXi variants. With the launch of the ‘Green’ variant, the Ertiga becomes the only factory fitted CNG vehicle in its segment. Ertiga’s CNG system is fitted on the conventional assembly line. Ertiga Green will offer a mileage of a 22.80 Km/Kg.

On the occasion, Mr Manohar Bhat, Vice President (Marketing), Maruti Suzuki said: “As a market leader we are concerned about the environment. We continuously work to offer products that are high on fuel efficiency and low on overall cost of ownership. Ertiga Green, with a factory fitted CNG system, is another step of Maruti Suzuki to meet today’s need of our customers. With the Ertiga Green our customers will be able to enjoy lower running costs and also take advantage of Maruti Suzuki’s vast service network across the country.”

The factory-fitted CNG Ertiga benefits from the new i-GPI (intelligent-Gas Port Injection) technology. Thei-GPI technology uses a Dual Engine Control Unit that delivers calibrated quantity of fuel to the engine, leading to more efficient fuel usage and consistent high performance.

‘Ertiga Green’ is the sixth vehicle from Maruti Suzuki with factory fitted CNG segment. Alto, Wagon R, Eeco, SX4 and Estilo are already offered with factory fitted CNG option.

Ertiga Green will be available in states with CNG infrastructure including Delhi NCR, Gujarat, Mumbai, Pune, and parts of Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

Ex showroom prices for Ertiga Green in Delhi are :

	Ex showroom Delhi
Ertiga Green LXi CNG	6.52 lakh
Ertiga Green VXi CNG	7.30 lakh

Google pledges to donate 5 million dollars to charities to rid web of child porn

Executive of conveyances and open undertakings at Google Scott Rubin said that Google has a zero-tolerance state of mind to kid sexual misuse symbolism on the web, and trusted that the measures taken will assist in making the fight a victory.

For representational reason just. -Dna

Innovation goliath Google has allegedly pledged to use a whopping five million dollars to uproot youngster smut and misuse from the web through "hashing" innovation delineating every picture with a web "unique finger impression" that could be recognized and disposed of.

Google's financing incorporates a week ago one million pounds gave to the British philanthropy firm The Internet Watch Foundation (Iwf), 1 million dollars to The Us National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, and a different 2 million dollars to Google's Child Protection Technology Fund and comparable figures in different nations, The Independent reports.

Chief of conveyances and open issues at Google Scott Rubin said that Google has a zero-tolerance demeanor to kid sexual misuse symbolism on the web, and trusted that the measures taken will assist in making the fight a victory.

The report said that the Hashing innovation will tag known youngster sexual misuse pictures and permit Google to distinguish double pictures existing somewhere else so every picture might be marked with an one of a kind "finger impression" to be distinguished without anybody needing to view them once more.

The head of the Internet Watch Foundation Susie Hargreaves said that the most ideal path to handle hostile substance online is by working together to battle youngster porn on a worldwide stage and the universal financing will permit masters over the globe to target pictures and motion pictures of kids being sexually misused with the best conceivable innovation. 

Apple's future iPhone may cost less then $99

Fruit has plans to discharge a more level expense iphone that will pitch for 99 dollars. 

The following variant of the programming for the iphone will be extraordinarily unique in relation to past renditions. Fruit is allegedly taking a gander at iphones with greater screens and will be discharging the minimal effort telephone in 

an extent of colors when not long from now, the Abc News reports.according to the report, Apple declined to remark on the bits of gossip, however Ceo Tim Cook tended to the inquiry of bigger screens a month ago at the All Things D meeting. 

Cook likewise said the iphone doesn't have a bigger screen at this moment for a couple of explanations. 

He said that a substantial screen today accompanies a mess of tradeoffs, including that individuals do take a gander at the size, yet they likewise take a gander at things like if the photographs show the correct color, the white equalization, reflectivity, electric cell life, spendor, the life span of the presentation. 

The telephone is made of a plastic packaging and will come in five or six diverse shades. 

Other than discharging a shabbier model of the telephone, Apple will discharge the iphone 5s later not long from now. 

It will be an overhaul with some minor augmentations and tweaks. Fruit discharged the iphone 5 in September. 

Micromax Canvas 4 Leaks : Top 5 Features

There was a time when Indian buyers were aloof towards mechanical developments. Presently things have adapted a ton. Today clients particularly youthful detachment might want to recognize what their most beloved mark is heading up sometime to come. Furthermore generally essentially tech sources need their costumers to know most cutting edge happenings through different Social media channels. After the accomplishment of Micromax Canvas Hd, the creators are presently accompanying its successor. The Canvas Hd not just adapted portable handset market, yet it additionally advertised mark all around. Initially the mechanism was started at Rs. 13,999, however soon its cost was expanded to Rs.14,999. In this way it made part of buildup because of inaccessibility of Canvas Hd in the business sector. Presently Micromax is teasing Canvas 4, which is said to be Samsung Galaxy S4 crusher. It might be association's afterward lead apparatus, if promos are to be accepted. The advert offering Canvas 4 was initially spotted throughout India vs. Pakistan Icc Champions Trophy match held on Saturday. At that point, the two teaser promos were uncovered through association's official Youtube channel. Assuming that you are looking to purchase this gadget in the nearing days then be ready to prebook it in the first place, as Micromax will begin taking preorders from June 28. The road is buzzing with different concocted stories around Canvas 4. Some accept that the unit will land with an octa-center processor comparable to what Samsung tried to depict throughout the time of Galaxy S4. Industry insiders accept that Canvas 4 could be loaded down with quad-center processor just. Passing by the films, the handset accompanies a 13-mega pixel back confronting Polaroid. The metal case is yet an additional purpose of talk. It is to be seen what Micromax has in stores for us and in addition for purchasers 

Blackberry 10.2 to support Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean apps

Blackberry will upgrade the ability of their BB 10 OS by enabling support for Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean apps with the upcoming Blackberry 10.2 update.

Blackberry’s newest BB 10 OS boasts of the ability to run Android apps, but the initial release of the OS only supported apps compiled for Android 2.3 (and older). Now, with the next big update to the BB 10 platform (namely Blackberry 10.2), Smartphones based on the troubled Canadian company’s OS will gain the ability to run apps compiled for Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.

Although a beta of the Blackberry 10.2 Runtime (for Android apps) has already been released, the new OS update will begin seeding to all BB 10 Smartphones only towards the end of the year, possibly early Q4 2013. As announced earlier, Blackberry 10.2 will bring a slew of new features like multiple alarms, level 1 notifications, standard Unicode emojis support, etc.

Source: Blackberry

Microsoft Gives Away 10,000 Surface RT Tablets to Educators

Microsoft will give attendees at the International Society for Technology in Education Conference a free Surface RT as part of an effort to push technology use in the classroom.

As part of the ITSE event, attendees will be provided with a Microsoft Surface RT for use at their local schools. According to theorganization, that means a gift of around 10,000 Surface RT tablets heading to local schools across the country.

Though there’s no doubt that the company wants to do its part to continue to modernize education, it also helps the company get their consumer and lifestyle oriented products in front of more users, both young and old.

According to Microsoft’s Vice President of United States Education, Margo Day, “Educators using Surface RT have the best of both worlds: the wonderful experience of a tablet combined with a no-compromise experience of a full-functioning laptop that includes Office and allows for creation and collaboration, and not just consumption.

Putting Office and Surface RT in front of tomorrow’s buying public and today’s technology users is key if Microsoft wants to be seen as a company that does more than just create Windows. After all, it’s through the education market that products like Apple’s iBook and iMac line of computers began to build brand loyalty and garner attention from users. Even the company’s popular iPad tablet is building a loyal following from teachers looking to introduce more interactivity without the complexity of typical machines to their students.

Day also took the opportunity to push the reasons why Microsoft believes its Surface RT product trumps the iPad for user in education saying, “Educators already using Windows 8 tell us they are able to get grading and planning done more quickly because they can multi-task and they can imagine new and personalized learning experiences for their student.”

Though not entirely education related, it’s worth noting that the offer of free Surface RT tablets comes on the heels of more than a few promotions for Surface RT tablets, including slightly reduced pricing inside Staples locations, free Touch Keyboards and Type Keyboards for Surface purchasers and offers for a $99 Surface RT for attendees of the company’s TechEd North America and Europe events. These would all be effective methods of clearing the channel of excess inventory if the company was planning to launch an updated Surface RT.

The company announced the Surface RT and Surface Pro at an event in Los Angeles one year ago next Tuesday. It’s rumored to be working on a 7-inch Surface device for launch sometime this year.

Micromax Canvas 4 appears in a duo of teaser videos

The soon to be revealed Micromax Canvas 4 made an appearance in a duo of teasers. Both video clips for the handset sport the tagline "Can life be endless?"

The short videos reveal the upcoming smartphone's sleek-looking body, as well as a 13MP camera with LED flash on its back. See them below.

According to the manufacturer's official YouTube channel, pre-orders for the Micromax Canvas 4 will kick off in less than two weeks time, on June 28. We'll keep you posted as soon as we get the full scoop on the device.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

Source

Power Planner, the most popular homework planner, comes to Windows 8!

Lumia 900 template credit: Livven

Power Planner is the highest rated and most popular homework planner on Windows Phone. After 700+ reviews, a 4.5 star average, and 50,000+ downloads, the ultimate homework planner has arrived on Windows 8!

Now you can manage your homework assignments whether you’re on your computer or phone. The online sync system keeps all your devices up-to-date.

Plus, Power Planner for Windows Phone received some new fancy features, including a grade history mode where you can see how your grade changed throughout a class, semester, year, or your entire school career. Simply open the bottom menu while viewing a class, year, or semester to view your grade history!

The Windows 8 version currently only supports managing homework, exams, and classes. The ability to add and manage grades, like the Windows Phone app, will be added in the future.

(This post is independent of WMPU. Power Planner is written by Andrew Bares)

Downloads

Windows Phone: http://www.windowsphone.com/s?appid=46a9c430-f253-4043-99c6-bc600335e9de

Windows 8: http://apps.microsoft.com/webpdp/app/7bb00b6b-7332-42e5-82a8-61da90418594

Latest Windows Phone Facebook beta update adds support for new languages

Plaffo.com reports that new Facebook beta app has seen a minor update to version 5.0.1.5.

The update has added support for new languages, including German and Italian.

The app now supports English, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish.

The app can be found in the Windows Phone Store here , and so far remains Windows Phone 8 only.

Via Plaffo.com

Nokia Lumia 925 compared to the Samsung Galaxy S4 (video)

Pocketnow have posted this brief comparison video of the Nokia Lumia 925 versus the Samsung Galaxy S4.

The video looks at the Hardware, Software and User Experience, and the Camera.

The two devices are in many ways very different, with different design philosophies, with the Nokia Lumia 925 deliberately designed for a smooth, unobtrusive user experience, while the Samsung Galaxy S4 is designed to draw users in to playing with the various gadgets and features of the handset.

In the end however it comes down to the choice of operating system, and I think Nokia may have scored a significant win in using Windows Phone, which allows a significantly lower-specced device to be placed head to head both on store shelves and in such videos, with the specs and feature monster that is the SGS4, something they would not have been able to achieve if their phones were running Android.

Bode Diagram App aviable for Windows Phone 8

This app let the user plots Bode Diagram.
It’s a must have app for all the engineers, technicians and students working with Bode plots.

Features:

Free Version: Link to the Store	Paid Version: Link to the Store
Magnitude and Phase plots. Auto detect of the min/max breakpoints: rapid elaboration.	Magnitude and Phase plots. Auto detect of the min/max breakpoints: rapid elaboration. Save transfer function: so you can easily see a diagram everytime you want.

HTC applies for “Fetch” trademark in Taiwan, perhaps a new tracking and locator technology

Filed with Taiwan’s NCC, HTC is may be preparing its own branded device locator and recovery tool called “Fetch.” Based on the summary which lacks significant detail, it may also be something which allows people to find each other as well.

It is meant to track and assist in “locating mobile phones, smartphones, …and personal digital assistants…for communicating, recording, organizing, transmitting…for assisting users in tracking and locating people and objects.”

So this could be a part “find my phone” and a part “airdrop” type of idea in development. Beyond that though there is no detail to indicate what HTC might have in mind with HTC Fetch. A bunch of city attorneys and law enforcement representatives met this past week with manufacturers to discuss (demand) what OEMs might do to assist with abating the surge in thefts of smartphones in cities across the US.

There could also be a social component to this idea as well, or it could be a fancy way to dress up collection of information to be gathered for surveillance purposes (we kid, we kid). As it is, we will just have to wait and see what HTC has up its sleeve. Hopefully the company has some new found rigor given the success of the HTC One and we will be wowed.

sources: Justia Trademarks via Engadget

Watch the Android 4.2.2 update for the Sony Xperia Z

The high-end Sony Xperia Z has not yet received the Android 4.2.2 update, but that hasn't stopped some owners of the phone from installing a leaked version of the OS build. A couple of videos show just what we can expect the update to look like once installed on the Japanese OEM's flagship Android model. Another video shows the widgets and lockscreen following the same update.

Considering that a leaked version of the update has already been spread, it means that we shouldn't be that far away from an official release of the update forSony Xperia Z owners. The phone came to market with Android 4.1.2 pre-installed.

The tone for the Sony Xperia Z was set early in the year at CES 2013 where it was one of the best received smartphones at the show. Sony even arranged to have it dunked constantly to show off the water resistant feature of the model.





source: YouTube (1), (2) via AndroidAuthority

Leaked Aluminum Variant Of Nokia Lumia ‘EOS’ Already In Mass Production

In the last few days, we saw various photos on aluminum variant of Nokia Lumia ‘EOS’ device. While we thought it must be an early prototype before Nokia later settled down with polycarbonate for EOS or it must be a prototype for future version of Lumia ‘EOS’, a new image leaked today shows a mass production of Lumia ‘EOS’ aluminum version.

Now that we know this aluminum version is in later stages of design and production, could this be released after few months of polycarbonate ‘EOS’ release? Just like we had Nokia Lumia 920/928 followed by Nokia Lumia 925.

What do you think?

Thanks to hengxiang32401 for the heads up.

Google’s Project Loon uses giant balloons to bring affordable Internet

On May 24, we reported on a tip that Google plans to launch wireless Internet service in emerging markets that have little or no access to the Internet. While the leaked details were extensive, one bit stuck out among the rest: the use of balloons to transmit signals over long distances. At least that aspect of the rumor has turned out to be true, with Google announcing the method as Project Loon

According to Google, two of every three individuals on Earth either do not have access to the Internet, or don’t have access to a connection that is both fast and within their financial means – in some areas, individuals are faced with prices equal to more than a month’s paycheck. This issue isn’t going to resolve itself without thinking outside of the box, according to the company, and that is where the balloons come in.

These balloon systems would be sent up into the sky at a height double that of your average commercial airplane, and from such a position would rain upon those below a fast Internet connection that would otherwise be unattainable or expensive due to being in a remote location or other factors. The system is still in the very early stages, Google advises, but it has already built a system.

The balloons would form a ring, according to the announcement, and would be moved around via the stratospheric winds that far up. From the balloons’ high standpoint, they would serve the location below with a wireless Internet connection that provides speeds equal to 3G mobile connections at a minimum. Interestingly enough, this would also help to provide Internet connections in locations where the land has been harmed by a natural disaster.

The balloons wouldn’t be tied down, which is obvious from the height at which Google plans to release them. Instead, they’ll be equipped with systems that allows Google to control them remotely, moving them up or down as necessary to the winds that will take them to their desired location. This, says the Internet giant, is currently being worked out via “complex algorithms and lots of computing power.”

Sound a bit loony? Google says that is why they named it Project Loon.

SOURCE: Google Official Blog

HP Slate 7 Review

HP’s first go-around with a tablet didn’t actually go so well. The webOS-based TouchPad didn’t last long and was quickly discontinued. However, the company is back with another slate, only this time it’s running the more widely-adopted Android operating system, and it seems as though HP wants to give tablets another whack with its first-ever Android tablet, the Slate 7. We took a peek at it during CES 2013 back in January, and it’s a metal-infested 7-incher that looks to take on Google’s Nexus 7 with a relatively stock user interface in a clean and simple package. Let’s see how it fares.

Hardware & Design

Unlike the company’s previous TouchPad, the HP Slate 7 is lined with aluminum for a solid build. Of course, that makes it a bit heavier to hold, but with the added weight, it makes it feel more rugged and solid in our hands. Other than that, one of the biggest things you’ll notice is the bright red backing that gives the tablet a unique look (it also comes in gray if the red hurts your eyes). Plus, it has a soft-touch grippy texture that feels good in the hand and makes it easy to hold.

As for ports, the Slate 7 has the usual buffet available: power button on the top; volume rocker on the right side; microUSB jack and speakers on the bottom; and the headphone jack, microphone, and microSD card slot packed in tightly on the top opposite the power button. The positioning of the microSD card is a unique one. Rather than being situated on the side covered by a flap, it sits on the top edge like a slot-load optical disc drive. It’s odd at first, but we rather like the design of it.

On the inside, the Slate 7 runs on an ARM Cortex-A9 dual-core processor clocked at 1.6GHz paired with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. As for radios, you have a WiFi chip and Bluetooth 2.1, which means there’s no GPS and not even Bluetooth 4.0, let alone 3.0. Running the show, however, is a fresh version of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean (more on that later), and it’s all covered with a 7-inch HFFS LCD display that has a resolution of 1024×600. Yes, the display is rather underwhelming, and the low resolution leaves a lot to be desired, but viewing angles were decent, and I think a lot of casual users won’t mind the lower-quality display in the long run.

Software

As previously mentioned, The Slate 7 comes out-of-the-box with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, so users will get all the bells and whistles in this almost-latest version, including improved notifications, Project Butter performance enhancements, Google Now, and an improved keyboard. The best part is that this tablet is running a rather stock version of Android, so for those who aren’t into the custom skins that other Android device makers put on and want more of a Nexus experience, we would suggest at least checking out the Slate 7 while you’re dabbling with the Nexus 7.

The only bloatware that you’ll find on the Slate 7 is an HP ePrint app that you can use to wirelessly print documents from the tablet. However, you have to have an HP printer that supports the ePrint app, so it’s not exactly useful in all situations, but it’s there for your convenience if you’re deep into HP’s ecosystem.

Other than that, the Slate 7 comes with Beats Audio, of course, so there’s a dedicated Beats Audio control panel in the settings pane, but at this point, Beats Audio integration mostly just feels like a marketing gimmick rather than a real feature that significantly boosts audio quality. There’s also custom sounds for the keyboard that HP dubbed over the default ones, which I kind of like, but they can easily be disabled in the settings as well.

Camera

The Slate 7 has a rear camera with a 3MP sensor, as well as front-facing shooter that shoots VGA-quality selfies. Both cameras are fairly poor quality, with the rear camera not having adequate autofocus and extremely bad low-light capabilities. Most of the photos I was able to take lacked any kind of contrast or saturation, and ISO noise was always a big issue. Of course, it works in a pinch if you only have your tablet on hand and need to get a snapshot of something, but don’t expect anything great out of the Slate 7’s camera. Video quality was the same, as you can see. Although, the more light that you have at your disposal, the less noise you’ll get, but we still ended up getting a lot of fogging in photos from the bright sunlight.

Performance & Battery

The HP Slate 7 doesn’t rock the fastest internals for a 7-inch tablet, but it at least holds its own against similar slates, most notably the Nexus 7, which the Slate 7 scored almost near to what the Nexus 7 could earn, with an 11,800, compared to the Nexus 7’s 12,700 in AnTuTu. However, that’s mostly where the surprising figures end.

Day-to-day performance of the tablet is pretty sluggish, and I noticed a lot of stuttering on tasks that should be fairly easy to perform, like exiting apps back to the home screen and even rotating the screen to either vertical or horizontal stance. Games are another story entirely. You won’t be able to play most of the graphic-intensive titles without a lot of lag and stuttering, and even casual games like Fruit Ninja or Angry Birds had the tendency to show a little bit of slow down.

HP says that the battery in the Slate 7 can last for up to five hours, which is pretty disappointing, but we were actually able to get six hours out of it before it hit 15%. This was when we repeatedly playing Netflix television shows on 50% brightness, so we’d reckon if you’re just a casual user, you’d get a few more hours out of the battery before it begged for more juice.

Wrap-Up

In the end, the HP Slate 7 is just an OK tablet, and it would be a good option for casual users who don’t need the greatest device, but want something just to play around on. It’s low $169 price tag is definitely something to keep in mind, but we’d really just recommend saving up only $30 more to buy the Nexus 7. It comes with all-around better performance, a better-looking display, and the latest version of Jelly Bean. If the price of the Slate 7 was lowered to around $149, we’d maybe consider it ($99 would be a deal), but the Nexus 7’s extremely-attractive $199 price tag is just simply hard to beat at this point.

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