Meanwhile The Galaxy S4 Active and Galaxy S4 Zoom Leaks Alongside The Galaxy Mini

Specs for Samsung‘s two upcoming Galaxy S4 variants leaked online today. The waterproof Active and the Zoom, which features a 10x optical zoom, are both expected to debut on June 20th at a special event in London alongside the Galaxy S4 Mini.

Below is a list of various specs;

Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom will come equipped with:

4.3” 540x960px Super AMOLED display
1.6 GHz dual-core CPU, no LTE support
Android Jelly Bean OS
8 GB of built-in memory, micro-SD support
1.9mpx fron facing camera
16 megapixel main camera, with 10x Optical Zoom
Bluetooth 4.0LE, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n, A-GPS
1900 mAh battery

Whiles


Galaxy S4 Active is a water and dust resistant version of the main Samsung flagship, with following specs:

5” Super AMOLED Full HD display
Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 CPU
Adreno 320 GPU
2GB of RAM
Android 4.2 Jelly Bean OS
LTE support
16GB of built-in memory, microSD support
Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, NFC, IR blaster
2600 mAh battery

The invitation to it also said that there will be something Ativ there, as well. So we can expect at least one more Windows, or, most likely, Windows Phone device, too.

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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