Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini Specs Leaks Online

Samsung is expected to lift the lid on the Galaxy S4 Mini at June 20, but as for the specifics inside, most of it has been a lot of guess work until now.

Sources claim the Galaxy S4 Mini will be powered by a 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor. The device will also have 1.5GB of RAM with a 8-megapixel rear camera, 2.1-megapixel snapper on the front, and a 540 x 960p qHD resolution display with Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.

The 4.3-inch phone appeared on Samsung's official apps page a few days ago, pretty much confirming its existence.

"Alongside the Mini, we're also expecting Samsung to drop a larger handset, with a leaked render appearing to show the whole family side by side" - Samsung.

Source

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Foxconn and Mozilla prepares to launch a Firefox OS device next month.

Foxconn and Mozilla have plans to launch a device based on the new mobile operating system Firefox OS. Both firms have partnered for this purpose, although they have not revealed details of the product.

The Taiwanese manufacturer Foxconn is known for making devices for brands such as Apple, essentially making the assembly of products with different components from various sources. Although the Asian firm revenues are insured by the growing demand for mobile iPhone and tablet iPad, the fact is that the company seeks to diversify its activities.

In addition to manufacturing also Android OS devices, Foxconn now also manufacture products for Firefox OS.

The details of the agreement between Foxconn and Mozilla were not disclosed, nor the references to the device presented in early June, although some industry sources cited by Taiwan media suggest that it will be a tablet. In any case, with this announcement extends the range of devices that will be present Firefox OS, the mobile operating system introduced by the Mozilla Foundation in the last Mobile World Congress and whose first handsets were announced by ZTE.

Later the Spanish firm GeeksPhone was responsible for launching the smartphone OS Keon yPeak with Mozilla Firefox. It was last April, and the high demand for terminals available units sold out within hours of its release . Mozilla's effort to boost the system has moved the company to give developers terminals to promote the creation of applications and increase its attractiveness to users.

Source

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Jolla unveils first Sailfish OS smartphone

Finnish startup Jolla has announced its first smartphone, which shows off its Sailfish OS on a 4.5-inch screen. The device integrates the company's unique back covers with the software, allowing the look to change and new features to be added.

Jolla, which was founded by a former Nokia employees who wanted to continue the development work the Finnish phone maker had done on the MeeGo OS, is with the introduction one big step closer to entering the ultra-competitive smartphone market.

The LTE-smartphone—which is just called Jolla, for now—is powered by a dual-core processor and has an 8-megapixel camera. It also has 16GB of integrated storage which can be expanded using an SD card.

The smartphone has been designed to look like two thin slabs that have been bonded together, and users can change the color of the back one with different snap-on covers. The back cover isn't just about the hardware design. It is integrated with the OS and can be used to add features and change the look, a concept Jolla calls "the other half."

The company's core offering is the Sailfish operating system, which Jolla hopes will lure users away from competing platforms. To help boost the availability of apps, the OS will be able to run Android applications.

The heart of the OS consists of thumbnails of opened applications on the home screen from which users also can access multiple features directly by scrolling from side-to-side or just clicking on them to access the main feature.

The Jolla will start shipping during the fourth quarter and cost €399 ($510) including taxes in the EU. It can be preordered on Jolla's website.

The market for smartphone operating systems will get a lot more crowded this year, as the respective backers of Firefox OS, Ubuntu and Tizen are also expected to launch their first phones. The only thing Jolla has got going for it is its small size, which means it doesn't have to sell many devices to survive, according to Francisco Jeronimo, research director at IDC.

All of the new operating systems will have a very hard time even making a dent in Android and iOS' dominance. Firefox OS and Tizen are expected to have a share of less than 5 percent in five years, according to IDC, which isn't even tracking Ubuntu and Sailfish.

Source

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Windows Blue Is Now Officially Called Windows 8.1 & Free

The head of the Windows division at Microsoft officially confirmed that Windows Blue will be a free update to Windows 8 that will be available for download from the Windows Store. This should be music to the ears of many who feared that this may be a paid upgrade.

And not just that, Windows Blue is now officially known as Windows 8.1.

Tami Reller also confirmed that the update will also arrive for the company’s Windows RT platform.

There was more than a fair chance that this upgrade would indeed be free, but there were some voices that suggested Microsoft may charge additional money for existing Windows 8 customers. Nevertheless, it is nice to see this rumor quashed into oblivion.

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Blackberry Messenger coming to Android and iOS this summer for Free.

BlackBerry has just announced that its hugely popular BBM messaging service is going multi-platform: it will be released for Android and iOS this summer. BBM will support iOS hardware running iOS 6 and above; the Android version will be compatible with version 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and above as a free app in the App Store and Google Play. "It's time to bring BBM to a greater audience," CEO Thorsten Heins said in announcing the expansion, "no matter what mobile device they carry."

The company said that it would be bringing messaging and groups functionality to new platforms first but also has plans to introduce voice features, screen sharing, and its just announced ”social engagement platform” dubbed ‘Channels’ in future releases. BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins said the company is “committed to making the BBM experience on other platforms as fully featured” as possible.

The app will be fully featured, with key ingredients like group messaging and screen sharing all coming to the rival platforms.

Android and iOS user what do you think? Let me know your mind in the comments below.

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Google+ Hangouts updated with live rewind and instant replay

Google+ Hangouts are getting a little more convenient for viewers with a new update. The video chat service will now let users rewind live broadcasts, allowing those who came late to an event to catch up on the full chat. Recordings of the Hangouts will now be immediately accessible on YouTube as well.

Previously, the chats wouldn't be viewable until a short while after they concluded, but Google says that it's removed this delay and that users will be able to play back their video as soon as the recording is through. A few other small tweaks should enhance the viewing experience for Hangouts as well, including improved video quality on mobile and a quicker time between loading a chat and when it begins to play.

The company notes that the only downside to the series of changes will be for hosts, who may notice that initiating Hangouts takes slightly longer than it used to.

Major Updates Include

Rewind live broadcasts. Regardless when you start watching, you can always go back to the beginning.


Access recordings immediately after your broadcast. Once you're no longer On Air, your recording will be waiting for you on YouTube.

Watch higher quality Hangouts On Air on the go. If you're tuning in from your mobile device, you'll notice better-looking video.

Start live broadcasts without having to refresh. When you visit a page with a Hangout On Air (like Events or YouTube), the video will begin playing as soon as the show starts -- no refresh required.

Source: TheVerge
Via: Google

Microsoft confirms Windows 8.1 public preview next month

Microsoft is to release a public preview of Windows 8.1 for anyone who has Windows 8 during BUILD 2013 in June. Head of Windows Engineering at Microsoft, Julie-Larson Green confirmed this today during the Wired Business Conference.


According to previous tips and leaks, Microsoft is close to completing what's believed to be the second internal milestone build, known as the Milestone Preview, of Windows Blue. Shortly after that, Microsoft is expected to make its one-and-only Windows Blue public preview available to consumers.

Earlier this week, Microsoft officials said to expect the company to make Windows Blue available by holiday 2013. I am still continuing to hear Microsoft is on track to release to manufacturing (RTM) Windows Blue by August 2013 or so.

Larson-Green emphasized -- like her Chief Financial Officer counterpart Tami Reller -- that Microsoft plans to be "principled but not stubborn" with coming modifications to the Blue update. Neither Larson-Green nor Reller promised that Microsoft would add back the Start Button to Windows Blue, but neither of them ruled out this possibility.


"The Start Button might be helpful," Larson-Green acknowledged during her remarks at the conference, and provide users with more of a "comfort level." She did note that the team has had "meaningful discussions" about bringing back the Start Button, but users shouldn't interpret that as meaning the old Start Menu would be coming back.

She noted that the Start Button today is basically hidden. "Some would like it showing up on the screen all the time," she said.

Source: ZDNet

Viber Messaging App Arrives on the Desktop

Viber today made the leap from smartphone to desktop. The free messaging/phone service is now available on PC and Mac computers, allowing seamless integration between mobile and desktop users. The move comes alongside news that Viber has more than 200 million users across various platforms, including Android, iOS, Windows Phone, and BlackBerry.

Viber Desktop runs in harmony with mobile versions, completing the setup process using your existing phone number as your ID. "With Viber Desktop you always get to use the most convenient device. You can seamlessly switch devices while messaging and even transfer calls between your mobile and desktop." - Viber CEO Talmon Marco.

The computer-based version was built from the ground up, but keeps in line with some of its mobile counterpart's features, including easy activation — enter your cell phone number and the confirmation code sent by Viber via SMS, then access all of your contacts, which are synced between devices.


Viber Desktop is Viber's first application to offer video calls," the company's release said. "With this new beta feature, users can now make desktop-to-desktop video calls to other Viber users."

Viber's desktop release is part of the roll out of Viber 3.0, which includes major updates to the Android and iOS apps, as well as a new version for BlackBerry, all of which connect easily with the desktop platform. Users will find new video message capabilities, last-online status, new stickers, an enhanced photo experience, performance improvements, and a new voice engine. Viber also now speaks eight new languages, including Dutch, Korean, Swedish, and Turkish.

Check out the Viber Desktop service in action in the video below.

Download Viber Desktop for Windows and Mac via the links below or visit viber.com 

Download Viber for Windows

Download Viber for Mac

Viber is now availble on our desktop, what do you think is the future of skype. Let me know in the comments field.

Apple releases iOS 6.1.4 for iPhone 5

Apple has released a software update for the iPhone 5 that features only one noted change. iOS 6.1.4 isn’t available for any other iPhone models and states that it includes and ‘updated audio profile for speakerphone’.

So it’s probably worth updating just because you’re going to want to keep your device up to date, but don’t expect anything major.

You can download the update directly here or use the Settings>General>Software Update tool on your device. The last update that Apple released was iOS 6.1.3 in March, which fixed a lock screen bypass bug and some of the vulnerabilities that were being used for the Evasi0n jailbreak.

Microsoft Releases ‘Switch to Windows Phone’ Android App

One of the ongoing criticisms of Windows Phone 8 or specifically, the Windows Phone Store, is that it lacks apps. Aside from the gaping gap where many feel Instagram should reside, the platform is still without basic necessities like banking apps, and considering more and more mobile device owners use their gadgets to move money between accounts and whatnot, Windows Phone simply doesn’t cut the mustard for some.

Microsoft cannot pull these missing apps out of thin air, but at least, with the Switch to Windows Phone app, it can present its platform as a welcoming, accommodating, and (aside from the gaps) very capable one.

Having used Windows Phone 8 quite a bit over the past few months via the Lumia 820, I have been impressed with how it runs, the intuitive interface, and seamless customization. But as a daily runner, it’s not viable until the aforementioned issue is addressed, and as beautiful as it may be, its shortcomings make it feel like a promising work in progress at times.

But hey, those are just my opinions, and if you’re somewhat enticed by the whole Windows Phone 8 vibe, the Switch to Windows Phone app will certainly be of assistance. It provides an apps search engine which, powered by Quixey, looks to source alternatives for Windows Phone to the ones you currently use on Android. If the corresponding version of the app is available already (i.e. Facebook), then it selects that, but if not, it will instead index something similar.

The Switch to Windows Phone app is highly recommended to those users who are willing to make the jump to Windows Phone 8, otherwise you can take it for a spin, it’s free, anyways.

The App is available on the Google Play Store 

Go check it Out if you are planning to switch from Android to Windows Phone

Twitter Launches Twitter Music

Twitter has launched a service that lets people find music they like and tweet songs from iTunes, Spotify and Rdio. The app is available for download from Apple's online store and online via Web.

The service uses information from Twitter chatter to detect popular tracks as well as new artists. Users who follow musicians can see other artists those musicians follow and can listen to 30-second clips of songs by them.

While users can tweet what they're listening to and add a few characters of comment, they have to go back to the regular Twitter app for normal Twitter functions. However, the people you're following and who's following you are integrated across both apps.

The service is only available in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

You can download Twitter #music from the App Store today, or enjoy the web version, here music.twitter.com

A Prototype of Microsoft Smartwatch

A source familiar with the development of Microsoft’s Xbox has spoken with The Verge this week, noting that development of a smartwatch is indeed in the works right now. Sources note that a wrist-worn device has been in development by Microsoft for just over a year, and that this machine wont just be a companion for the gaming console.

Stacking up the tips and suggestions made throughout this month thus far, you’ll find this smartwatch to be working with a 1.5-inch touchscreen display, the possibility of gesture/motion control, and a re-use of the same connectors used for the Microsoft Surface tablets. With these connectors you’ll be able to pick your watch face up, place it down in a special tray, and let it charge all night long.


This connectivity might not make it past the prototype stage and, based on what we understand thus far, the entire watch might stay a prototype into the future as well. Have a peek at the timeline below to see additional clues, bits, and pieces leading to the final product sooner than later.

Source: slashgear

Google's Motorolla Unit Reported On Working On A New Superphone

Google’s Motorola Mobility unit is reportedly working on a new superphone dubbed the “Motorola X.” It might be delayed until August, but Google’s Eric Schmidt said the company has plenty of other compelling products to wow consumers.

Motorola Mobility has a new set of products, which are phenomenal”, Schmidt said during Mobile conference on Tuesday. “Very, very impressive.” What exactly can consumers expect? Schmidt said we can “think of it has phones plus,” which suggests that we’re looking at either multiple products, such as phones, tablets and maybe a smartwatch, or a phone that adds features no other smartphone has offered before.

Google and Motorola will likely unveil the new set of products during the Google I/O developer conference next month.

Source: AllThingsD 

Google Glass Specs Announced

Google has finally published the full technical specifications of Glass, alongside Mirror API for apps, and MyGlass companion app for Android on the Google Play Store.

According to the official specs, Google Glass features a 640 x 360 display which is equivalent to that of a 25-inch high definition screen from around eight feet away. It sports a 5 megapixel camera which can record videos in 720p HD. It also houses 16GB of flash storage, which is synced with Google cloud storage, although only 12GB of useable memory will be available on board for actual use.

Interestingly enough, the battery life on Glass will last you “one full day of typical use” but doing things such as recording videos and Google Hangouts will drain it faster. It supports connectivity via 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth interface, and will be compatible to work with any Bluetooth capable phone.

List of the full specs are listed below;

Fit

• Adjustable nosepads and durable frame fits any face.
• Extra nosepads in two sizes.

Display

High resolution display is the equivalent of a 25 inch high definition screen from eight feet away.

Camera

• Photos – 5 MP
• Videos – 720p

Audio

• Bone Conduction Transducer

Connectivity

• Wifi – 802.11b/g
• Bluetooth

Storage

• 12 GB of usable memory, synced with Google cloud storage. 16 GB Flash total.

Battery

One full day of typical use. Some features, like Hangouts and video recording, are more battery intensive.

Charger

• Included Micro USB cable and charger.

While there are thousands of Micro USB chargers out there, Glass is designed and tested with the included charger in mind. Use it and preserve long and prosperous Glass use.

Compatibility

• Any Bluetooth-capable phone.
• The MyGlass companion app requires Android 4.0.3 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or higher. MyGlass enables GPS and SMS messaging.

Also available today on the Play Store is the MyGlass companion app for Android which requires devices running Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich and above. This app basically allows you to manage and configure your futuristic Glass frames right from your Android phone. Google also cheekily reminds us that the app does nothing if you don’t have a Glass unit. MyGlass companion app for Android can be downloaded now from Play Store.

What do you think about it? Are you getting the Glass? Let me know your mind below.

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Apple's iPhone 5S reportedly to come with 12-megapixel camera

Reports states that Apple’s next-generation iPhone (assumed to be dubbed the iPhone 5S) is to come with an all new 12-megapixel camera as well as an improved night shooting mode. According to the site, the rumor comes from a source at Wonderful Saigon Electrics in Binh Duong, which specializes in providing camera modules for the iPhone.

This report doesn’t necessarily come as a surprise, considering that Apple typically features camera improvements in “S” models of the iPhone and included an improved 8 megapixel camera in its iPhone 4S (the 5 did get an improved Saphire lens and other minor improvements).

Apple has also been dedicated to enhancing the camera quality of the iPhone with each iteration as it has become a popular photography device, adding features like panoramas and a volume shutter control. The iPhone has long been the most popular camera on photo sharing site Flickr.

Source
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YouTube For iOS Updated With Live Streaming Support

Google, the search giants has been spending a lot of time on its YouTube app for iOS. It isn’t too surprising, as the search giant was more or less forced to release their own when Apple dropped it from iOS 6. This time around, the app comes with the ability to access live streams right from the iOS app, letting you tune into live events while on the go.

Aside from the live streaming, there’s a new My Subscriptions feed, which gives you quick access to new uploads, as well as support for video queuing for TV playback.

Beyond that, there are a couple of minor additions along with a new performance and stability improvements. 

Why don't you heard over to the app store and download the new and updated version of Youtube for iOS.

Source

Skype Updated to v2.5 for Windows Phone 8

Microsoft has rolled out an update to its Skype app for Windows Phone 8 users. Microsoft recently added HD video support to Skype 2.4 for Windows Phone 8, and now the company has rolled out several fixes to the app and bumping the version to 2.5.

The only new feature in Skype 2.5 for Windows Phone 8 is the default enabling of Message notifications for Messenger buddies. Other than that, we see a lot of general improvements. Skype no longer crashes on startup for some users who signed in via a Microsoft Account. Contact names in Messages are no longer separated with 20% rather than space.

The Video call button is no longer disabled after accepting incoming contact request. The occasional stretching of full screen local video preview has been resolved. And finally, the update features a fix to the occasional zooming in of incoming 720p video on portrait mode.

It also seems that Skype 2.5 for Windows Phone 8 is no longer considered a preview or beta version, as the "preview" tag has been dropped.

If you already have skype installed, update it via the device update else you might want to download via the link below.
Download Skype 2.5
Enjoy.

Source

Microsoft reported working on the touched-enabled watch device

Microsoft is reportedly exploring the idea of joining what promises to be a crowded smartwatch market.

The tech titan has asked suppliers in Asia to ship components for a potential touch-enabled watch device, executives at the suppliers told The Wall Street Journal. One executive told the Journal that he had met with Microsoft's research and development team in Redmond, Wash., but it's unclear whether Microsoft will commit to producing such a device.


Microsoft has requested these components to potentially create a touch-enabled watch device, featuring a 1.5 inch display. Microsoft requested displays from component makers for that specific size. No word on exactly if Microsoft will follow through with a touch-enabled watch, but this report gives us a positive outlook on its chances.

Back in 2008, we saw the sales of Microsoft's Smart Watch disappear. Smart Watch was Microsoft's first interest in a wearable gadget, which provided news headlines, sports scores, and instant messages via a FM radio and a subscription fee.

Source:WJS
Via:WinBeta

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Ubuntu Warns Windows 8 Users

A week after it was announced that WUBI, the Windows-side installer for Ubuntu, is likely to be dropped from Ubuntu 13.04. The Ubuntu website is now also warning users not to use WUBI to try Ubuntu 12.10.


When clicking the ”Install from Windows’ link on the Ubuntu download page the following banner appears, advising against using the WUBI tool with Windows 8 or UEFI hardware.

Instead, Ubuntu recommends installing Ubuntu 12.10 64bit on its own dedicated partition – a task that is made easy with Ubuntu’s installer, but not entirely without risk.

The warning appears following reports of stability and potential data-loss encountered by WUBI users on Windows 8.

Canonical’s Robert Bruce Park recently said of WUBI:

“It needs to die a quick and painless death so we can get on with providing positive experiences to new users of Ubuntu.”

You can see the new WUBI warning by visiting the Ubuntu page.

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WhatsApp: We’re Not Selling to Google

Popular messaging app WhatsApp says it is not in discussions to sell the company to Google.
Neeraj Arora, WhatsApp’s business development head, said the company is not holding sales talks with Google.

Earlier this week, reports from most sources stated that the company was contemplating a $1 billion sale to the search giant Google.

WhatsApp has been the subject of similar rumors before, but with Facebook as the rumored buyer in December. At the time, the company said the reports were “not factually accurate.”

Source

Google Play Store Updated to Version 4.0.25

Google Play Store app for Android has just been updated and features a brighter, card-based interface from which users can more easily source new content. For a long time, the Play Store has presented Droidsters with a decidedly dark look, but the lighter aesthetic really helps accentuate the card-based theme, and the official rollout is now underway.

Google has placed a great deal of emphasis on improving the design of its products across the board, and the revamped Play Store app certainly falls in line. In fact, the card-based look borrows heavily from the rather pretty Google Now, and although there’s no mention of improved performance therein, the new look will certainly make the process of finding new and exciting apps just that little bit more pleasurable.

Google Play’s update is unfortunately not one that you can download, so if you’re eager to try out the new look, you will be required to play the waiting game for the time being. But thanks to the good folks over at XDA, you can grab the APK right now and install it on your device, provided that you have Unknown sources checked under the Security menu in Settings. However, if you want the Play Store update to tickle to on to your device on its own, then be ready to play the waiting game.

As well as showcasing Google’s desires to up the ante in the field of design, the revised look of the Play Store app is being marketed as a win for those in favor of simple, uncluttered user interfaces. As big fans of minimalism here at Redmond Pie, we’d say the Big G has done a pretty good job, and we cannot wait until our own fleet of Android devices has been treated to this new look.

You can update Google play store app on your Android device or visit the link below to download.
Download Google Play Store

Source: XDA developers
Via: RedmondPie

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Google Reported to Acquire WhatsApp For $1 Billion

WhatsApp Messenger, the cross-platform instant messaging app serving iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, Symbian and Windows Phone, is a life-saver to those looking for a hassle-free mode of communication, and according to a new report, the search giant is very interested in buying it.

According to the report from Gizmodo, WhatsApp founded by former Yahoo pioneers Brian Acton and Jan Koum, is said to be holding out for the $1 billion.

The news, if true, would be pretty significant, but also rather surprising. Google’s mobile messaging department could certainly do with bolstering, and drafting in WhatsApp would certainly be an easy way for the Mountain View-based company to achieve this. However, it has long since been reckoned that Google’s ‘Babel’ chat will be an all-encompassing communications service, and with GTalk already being a popular, strong feature of the GApps (at least, on Android), the immediate benefit would seem to be in the user base WhatsApp has amassed in its four years of existence.

Google has, on numerous occasions, acknowledged that the quality of its messaging services have fallen below par, and buying WhatsApp would be a big statement of intent. It would also, as many perceived as motive to Facebook’s Instagram purchase, eliminate one of the main competitors in this field, helping Google quickly place itself among the likes of Facebook Messenger and Apple iMessage.

Unless Google Babel is, contrary to reports, not culminating into the great service Google needs to make its presence known in the IM market, then this could also go a way to explaining why the company is rumored to be considering WhatsApp. After all, the service, which was founded only in 2009, handles tens of billions of messages a day, and if it were to provide the engine for the upcoming Babel service, Google would have one hell of a beast to unleash.

Via: RedmondPie

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Nokia Releases Nokia Music for Windows 8 and RT!

Nokia has just released their music streaming service app Nokia Music for Windows 8 and Windows RT devices. The app features hundreds of hand-crafted playlists across every genre, offline mixes, and if you got a Nokia Music+ subscription, you can enjoy higher quality audio, unlimited track skips, unlimited offline mixes and lyrics.

Nokia Music is a complete playback and discovery experience for your computer. Play one of our hand-crafted Mixes from genres you’ll love. Play and queue your own music, discovery rich artist information.

If you already have a Nokia Music+ subscription on your Nokia phone, just sign in to get all the great features from your phone directly on your computer.

If you have never had the pleasure of using a Nokia phone, you are still invited to the party! Try completely free trial and have a listen. It gives you recommendations of mixes you could listen to based on your own music.

Nokia Music also creates a Mix for you, featuring songs from those artists expertly weaved with suggestions from our 20 million track catalog.

It also allows you to find new artists and get under their skin with bio’s, image galleries, what they’re tweeting and where they’re gigging.

Nokia Music is available on the Windows Store
Download Nokia Music Now and Experience Great Musics on the go.

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Ubuntu 13.04 Beta Released

The final beta of Ubuntu 13.04 has been made available for download.

Also shipping alongside it are betas for all of the official Ubuntu spins, including the newly anointed Ubuntu GNOME and Ubuntu Kylin projects.

Key features new to Ubuntu 13.04, and available in this beta, include:

New shutdown and session exit dialogs
A new sync menu for Ubuntu One
Faster, more performant Unity
New interface animations, including window snap
Scroll-switching of open windows from Unity Launcher
For details of precisely what has changed between Ubuntu 12.10 and 13.04 you can view our development coverage by using the Raring Ringtail tag.

Getting Ubuntu 13.04 Beta

If you’re running daily builds of Ubuntu 13.04 you don’t need to do anything special to get the beta – as long as you’re up-to-date, you’re using it.

Ubuntu 13.04 is scheduled for release on April 25th. It will come with a reduced support cycle of only 9 months. Support for it will end in January 2014

A release candidate of Ubuntu 13.04 is due for release on April 18th.

Download Ubuntu 13.04 Beta 2

Source

Ubuntu To Become The Official OS Of China

Canonical, the makers of Ubuntu have announced that they will be officially affiliated with the Chinese government to bring a new Ubuntu based OS to the Chinese population.

In a recent blog post on the Canonical blog, they went on to explain that Ubuntu Kylin (the official name of the new OS) will go way beyond just a version of Ubuntu with Chinese language packs installed. The blog post went on to say:
“Ubuntu Kylin goes beyond language localisation and includes features and applications that cater for the Chinese market. In the 13.04 release, Chinese input methods and Chinese calendars are supported, there is a new weather indicator, and users can quickly search across the most popular Chinese music services from the Dash.”


This isn’t just a one off release, it’s going to be a completely separate version of Ubuntu that is designed specifically for the Chinese market. Much like Kubuntu, or Xubuntu, Ubuntu Kylin will have on going development separate from the core Ubuntu build. The blog post goes on to say…
“Future releases will include integration with Baidu maps and leading shopping service Taobao, payment processing for Chinese banks, and real-time train and flight information.
The Ubuntu Kylin team is cooperating with WPS, the most popular office suite in China, and is creating photo editing and system management tools which could be incorporated into other flavours of Ubuntu worldwide.”

This is a very big move for Canonical and Ubuntu as a whole. We all know how huge China are, and for the Chinese government to push an official Ubuntu build onto the population can be nothing less than an amazing bonus for the Linux world.

Source

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LG Reported to be Working on its own smartwatch and a Google Glass-like Project

Apple, Google, and Samsung are all rumored to be building their own smartwatches, LG becomes the latest manufacturer to reportedly join the fray. According The Korea Times.

LG is currently developing both a smartwatch and another wearable computing device described as something similar to Google Glass. It wouldn't be the first time that LG developed such a product — back in 2009, the company showed off a "watch phone," which came with a full GSM radio built-in for voice calls. This rumored new product would be more along the lines of the Pebble and other speculated smartwatches, with the ability to sync with your smartphone and check messages or other notifications.

The watch is reported to run on Android, which fits considering the company's heavy focus on Google's OS — but there's also a chance it'll run the new Firefox OS that was shown off in detail at MWC last month. While it would certainly make sense for LG to be exploring wearable computing options, the timing of this rumor helps put LG in the conversation alongside consumer technology's giants — smartwatches from Samsung, Google, and Apple are probably the biggest rumor in technology right now.

Source

Google reported working on its own smartwatch!

Reports claimed that Google's Android unit is working on a smart watch. With Samsung confirming that it is working on a smart watch and rumors about Apple's "iWatch" continuing to circulate, it appears that the three companies are set to battle in a new mobile device segment.

The report unsurprisingly suggests that Google views the smart watch as a more mainstream wearable accessory than the Google Glass project that has garnered significant attention in recent months.

While Glass is being created in its X Lab, home to experimental “moonshot” projects such as the self-driving car, Google’s smart watch is being developed by its Android unit, according to a person briefed on the project, to act as an extension to the smartphones using that operating system. The project is separate from Samsung’s efforts, the source said, although there is no indication of when it might launch.

Source
Via

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Google Anounces Google Keep a new Cloud Service

Google Keep, the newly announced service from Google which allows users to quickly jot down notes, voice memos with transcription support, reminders, checklists, ideas or anything else including photos to keep track of important things that matter.

Your notes and data are safely stored on Google Drive and synced to all devices for anywhere access.

 

Google Keep allow the user to
Keep track of your thoughts via notes, lists and photos
• Have voice notes transcribed automatically
• Use home-screen widgets to capture thoughts quickly
• Color-code your notes to help find them later
• Swipe to archive things you no longer need
• Turn a note into a checklist by adding check-boxes
• Use your notes from anywhere - they are safely stored in the cloud and available on the web

Source
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Google Babble: The Next Big Thing

Google's messaging platforms might all be rolled into one new platform, according to a recent report.
The search giant is planning to combine its many messaging platforms, including Google Talk, Hangout, Voice, and Messenger, into one service it'll call Babble, Geek.com is reporting, citing "multiple sources" who claim to have knowledge of its plans. The move is designed to make it easier for Google's users to communicate and also reduce the sheer number of places the search giant needs to work to keep communication going.

Google has long suffered from a communication issue. There are currently several ways for its users to communicate with others, but actually getting them to work across its many services hasn't proven so easy. Getting Babble into the mix will make that much easier and allow for more flexibility, Geek.com's sources say.
Once Babble launches, users will be able to share photos and chat. The same chat window can be used across all of Google's products, according to Geek.com.
Geek.com's sources didn't say when Babble might launch, but said the feature should be shown off at Google I/O in May.

Source

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Samsung Galaxy S 4 Announced

Samsung has finally announced the most anticipated handset The Galaxy S4 handset, Most of the features we suspected prior to the announcement eventually materialized, including the 1080p 5-inch display, 2GB of RAM and quad-core processor, but there were also one or two surprises in store.

The device is “slimmer, lighter and more solid” than any other Galaxy ever released. Measuring at 69.8mm x 136.6mm x 7.9mm, and weighs 130g. Coming with an 5 inches “Full HD Super AMOLED display” offering a whooping 441 dpi. There’s a 1.9 GHz Quad-Core Processor / 1.6 GHz Octa-Core Processor all of 2GB of LP DDR3 RAM and there are 8 sensors altogether, including the all-new infrared gesture, temperature, and humidity and with some amazing features like Screen Mirroring, Samsung Smart Pause and Smart Scroll.  it comes in “White Frost” and “Black Mist” colours.The Galaxy S4 ships with 16, 32 and 64GB of storage, all of which are expandable by means of microSD which supports upto 64GB.

The device comes in 3G and 4G LTE models from the get-go as you would expect, with global LTE roaming also a pretty standard feature. Wi-Fi support, with the new 802.11ac standard supported. We've seen this networking standard deliver speeds well over 200Mbit/s, so using super-fast broadband speeds on your phone at home is going to easy. Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, GPS are also present under the hood.

The Galaxy S4 features a 13-megapixel rear camera and a front-facing camera of 2-megapixel, both the front and rear snappers can be used at the same time. The Galaxy S4’s battery features an impressive 2,600 mAh battery.

Other features include S Translator which lets you translate different languages on the fly, the S4 also doubles up as an optical reader, which also translates text on the fly to any other language. Group Play is another feature which really caught our attention. Adapt Sound, which, just like its display counterpart, adjusts the volume and tone to an optimum level for the user’s comfort. Samsung Hub is still there in the S4, which lets you download the latest content to your smartphone in a breeze. Games, movies, music etc. are on offer, nothing new. ChatON, as you’d expect is ticking under the hood to keep those IMs flowing through, with support for voice and video calls, screen sharing, and support for 3-way calling. Amazing stuff.

Another cool feature is Samsung WatchON, which transforms your smartphone into an intelligent IR remote, through which you can control your TV, set-top box, DVD player, and if you’re so lucky; an air conditioner.
Screen Mirroring, Google services and apps, S Travel, S Voice Drive are also there.


The Samsung Galaxy S4 will roll out with a staggering 327 operators across 155 countries, and the Galaxy S4 release date is April 26. Want to know where to pick one up in the U.K.? Check out this list of retailers that will be selling the Galaxy S4. Additionally, here are the full details on the Samsung Galaxy S4 U.S. carriers. For those in Australia, here's a full list of carriers selling the S4. We expect the Samsung Galaxy S4 price to be about £480(US$725/AUD$695) SIM-free, although the Galaxy SIV price is yet to be confirmed.


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Google Nexus 5 Prototype Leaks

An image and specifications of a Nexus 5 prototype have been leaked online, according to Android and Me.

The source claims to be a Google employee and says the prototype is for real, but the site hasn't been able to confirm if it's genuine or not. "There is a good chance that some basement dweller is trolling us hard, but this person has an interesting story so we thought it needed to be shared." - Android and Me.


The Nexus 5 will be released in October and could be made by LG. Google is apparently considering prototypes from other phone manufacturing companies. If LG is selected it would be the first time that Google has partnered with the same manufacturer consecutively.

The Nexus 5 should bring with it a new version of Android, codenamed Key Lime Pie.

Check out full details of the specs below;

Google Nexus 5 specs

5.2″ OLED Display with 1920×1080 resolution

Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 @ 2.3 GHz

3GB LPDDR3 RAM

16/32/64GB of internal storage

16MP rear camera by OmniVision (4k video recording @30FPS, 1080p video recording @60FPS, Real Time HDR & HDR video recording, optical image stabilization, BSI 2.0)

2.1MP front camera (1080p video recording @30FPS)

3300 mAh Lithium Polymer battery

Front positioned stereo speakers

Qualcomm RF360 (LTE 150 Mbps & HSPA+)

Integrated DVB-T / ATSC-antenna

Gesture like controls (navigation, zoom, etc)

Source
Via

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Motorola X Phone Specs Revealed [Rumored]

Motorola, the company owned by Google continues to work on the new X-Phone, which has diverted the attention of the people from the creation of another product, the new Samsung Galaxy S4 that soon it will be presented in New York.

The new Motorola X-Phone has some unique features:
The device is said to be running on Quad-Core processor;
A 4.7-inches display;
16 MP rear camera;
5 MP camera with light sensors and optical character recognition and eye scrolling technology;
131.2 x 66.7 x 7, 9 mm:
Android operating system Key Lime Pie 5.0;

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Unlocking to be Legalized in the USA!

A bipartisan coalition of senators this week introduced legislation that would lift the current ban on consumers unlocking their cellphones without permission from their carriers.

The bill, which was proposed by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and cosponsored by Sens. Al Franken (D-Minn.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Mike Lee (R-Utah), would let users unlock their cellphones after completing all service agreements with their wireless carrier.

The proposed legislation comes less than two weeks after the White House signaled its support for an online petition urging the government to reverse a decision made by the Librarian of Congress last fall to deny consumers the right to unlock their phones and bring them to different carriers.


***Unlocking is the removal of SIM restrictions on the modem, allowing the use of the Phone on any carrier. The main reason to unlock your iPhone is if you want to use it with a different service provider.***

Source: BRG

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Samsung's Galaxy S IV Specs

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is attracting a lot of attention right now. 

There has already been leaked screenshots of its new TouchWiz interface and a new automatic eye-scrolling feature.

Here are the reported Samsung Galaxy S4 specs.


Newtork: 2G/3G/4G
Screen: 4.99-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 1080 x 1920 pixels (441 ppi)
Screen material: Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Storage: 16GB/32GB/64GB, microSD up to 64GB
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, microUSB;
rear Camera: 13MP with LED flash, and 1080 video @ 30fps;
front Camera: 2.1MP, and 1080 video @ 30fps;
OS: Android Jellybean 4.2
RAM: 2GB
CPU: Exynos 5410 1.8GHz
CPU cores: Exynos 4+4
GPU: ARM PowerVR SGX 544MP
Battery: Li-Ion 2600 mAh battery

These specs are from screenshots that have been leaked online that claim to be taken from a benchmarking app used on a Samsung Galaxy S4.

Stay Tuned for the official launch of the Galaxy S IV on March 14th.

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iPhone 5S in Production [Report]

Reports from the popular Japanese blog Macotakara state that the iPhone 5S are in production by Foxconn.

According to the site, the new smartphone is being produced on the same line as the iPhone 5 which suggests minimal changes to the device.

In the last day two separate rumors have surfaced in regards to the release date of the iPhone 5S. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple will unveil the new iPhone 5S, a lower cost iPhone, and iOS 7 in June with devices set for release in July. iMore predicts that Apple will release the iPhone 5S in August and new iPads as soon as April.

Macotakara also reports that Japan's largest cellular provider NTT DoCoMo is reducing orders for Android devices which hints that they might finally carry the iPhone.

The iPhone 5S is expected to feature a faster processor, improved camera, and a fingerprint scanner.

More Soon Stay Tuned!

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HTG Explains How to Perform Date Calculations with Windows Calculator

Would you like to know how many days old are you today? 

Can you tell what will be the date 78 days from now? 

How many days are left till Christmas? 

How many days have passed since your last birthday? 

All these questions have their answers hidden within Windows!!! Curious? 

Keep reading to see how you can answer these questions in an instant using Windows’ built-in utility called ‘Calculator’.

To start, open Calculator by pressing the winkey, and type calculator.

Open it. *this date calculation function works in both Windows 7 and 8*.

Click View, and select Date Calculation (or press Ctrl+E).

Ah! there you are...

You can perform two types of calculations here:

- Calculating the difference between two dates

- Adding or subtracting a number (days) to a date

Click the Calendar button in the From field to select your birth date. 

It will be showing the current date. Navigating through the calendar is easy. 

Click the title (Month), and it zooms back to show all the months of the year and the title is changed from Month to Year. 

Click it again to see a list of years in the current decade, and the title changes to the decade it is showing (alternatively, click the buttons on the left and right to move between years). Click the title again to show several decades.

Now that you can navigate through the calendar, select your desire date and click Calculate.

Interesting isnt it...?

Now you can work out with your date functions with ease.

Feel free to comment and let me know what you think.

Source: HTG

Via: Geek

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Twitter Announces Official App for Firefox OS

Twitter has announced that Twitter for Firefox OS will be available in the Firefox Marketplace when devices powered by Mozilla’s new operating system start to ship.

Twitter for Firefox OS will be similar to its other mobile apps, with the same Home, Connect, Discover, and Me tabs, as well as search and compose Tweet icons. One feature that is unique to the Firefox OS Twitter app is Web Activities, which will let users tweet photos directly out of any app that also supports Web activity, including Firefox OS’ built-in photos app.

Twitter has also implemented support for a feature unique to Firefox OS: Web Activities. This lets you tweet photos directly out of any app that also supports web activities such as the built-in photos app.

Source: Blog
Via: Techcrunch

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OUYA is coming; On March 28

OUYA announced that its Android-powered game console is shipping to Kickstarter backers starting on March 28th. The company took to its kickstarter page to announce the news, which says, "Parts are in the factory and assembly lines are buzzing." When the console starts arriving to folks who supported the Kickstarter campaign which finished in August 2012-- wherein the company raised just over $8.6 million dollars -- That extra money has gone into luring game developers to the platform, and at last count the console was going to launch with somewhere around 500 games. Alongside news of the console's launch date for backers comes word that Portal creator Kim Swift is developing a "brand new, exclusive title" for the console, and Papo & Yo dev studio Minority Media is also stepping up with a new game. Both Tripwire Interactive and nWay are also bringing games to the OUYA, with the former working on two games and the latter working on one (action-RPG ChronoBlade).

The trouble is that a lot of the premiere games don't seem to be launch titles. Square Enix is on board with Final Fantasy III for the OUYA launch, but a lot of the games mentioned in today's announcement won't be there for launch. The developer of Papo & Yo has an adventure puzzler due this fall, and Kim Swift of Airtight Games (as well as Portal and Left 4 Dead fame) said the team is developing a game for OUYA, but hasn't even announced when it will come out.

Still, there should be a solid selection, and a lot more games coming. And, it's only a month away from the start of the consoles shipping.

Source: OUYA
Via: PhoneArena

***OUYA is an upcoming video game console running its own version of the Android operating system which runs on a Tegra 3 processor, 1GB of RAM, and 8GB of flash storage. it has Bluetooth 4.0 and WiFi 802.11 b/g/n protocols. It has an 1080p output for maximum resolution on the big screen***

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