Mercedes Benz to launch 'Young Star Driving Programme' in India for aspiring race-drivers

Under increasing pressure from rivals BMW and Audi, both of which are ahead of it in India in terms of marketshare, Mercedes Benz is launching a series of experiential programmes, branded "Mercedes Benz Performance Drive", for different consumer segments.

For racing enthusiasts who'd like to learn the ropes, the German luxury carmaker is launching the first Indian chapter of its " Young Star Driving Programme". Aspiring race-drivers aged between 15 and 25 years can enroll for one or two-year courses and train with racing professionals on test tracks.

This programme - which aims to spot young stars for the formula 1 and DTM circuits - will be conducted in association with the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India, and is based on a nationwide evaluation process.

The top 12 drivers will be invited for a 2-day program at the Buddh International Circuit where their skill behind the wheel will be tested. Three out of these 12 candidates will then be selected for advanced training in Germany - which could be followed by professional training and finally the masters SLS AMG GT3 training.

"Each of the three levels builds up on the other and would be a door opener to get into professional racing," said Eberhard Kern, MD & CEO of Mercedes Benz India. The programme is free for selected stars as Mercedes is building a pool of young race drivers for the future, said Kern.

For regular-speed drivers - and those above 25 years of age - there's still a host of Mercedes experiences to choose from. Most of these are aimed at giving participants a better understanding of their SUVs.

For Rs 20,000 there's a one-day "Star off road SUV experience" at the Mercedes Benz plant in India. On a specially created off road test-track, participants will test off-roading skills and learn how to get the most out of their SUVs.

In the "Star Track experience" programme for two days, owners will get an opportunity to burn rubber on the Buddh international Circuit on a range of high performance AMG Cars. It's even structured like an F1 event, with a first day of qualifying rounds, followed by the opportunity for drivers to get trained on cornering, braking slalom and taxi rides.

For real enthusiasts - and the highest-end customers, Mercedes offers international events as well. There's a chance to drive the iconic G wagon over natural terrain and obstacles - including down a mountainside. A winter driving experience near the arctic circle in Arjeplog, Sweden is a training programme that uses various AMG models for a four-day event.

Micromax to launch A89 Ninja with 1GHz dual-core processor, Android 4.0

Micromax seems to be on a launching spree of sorts. The Indian handset maker is all set to launch another dual-SIM Android smartphone Micromax A89 Ninja. The smartphone has been listed on Micromax's website under the coming soon section with no price tag.

Micromax A89 Ninja will come with 1GHz dual-core Mediatek MT6577 processor accompanied by 512MB of RAM. It sports a 4-inch screen with WVGA display. The smartphone comes with 2GB of internal storage, which can be expanded to up to 32GB through a microSD card. It runs on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich).

It packs in 1450 mAh battery, which Micromax claims will deliver four hours of talktime and 170 hours of standby time. For camera, it has a 3-megapixel rear camera but sans flash.

Just like most other Micromax smartphones, it comes pre-loaded with apps such as Hook up,M! live,M! store,M! Zone+,Fruit devil and Darkman.

Micromax had launched A87 Ninja 4 last year and Micromax A89 Ninja seems to be the upgraded version of the same. Micromax A87 Ninja 4 too comes with a 4-inch screen with WVGA display but runs on the dated Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), while and Micromax A89 Ninja runs on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). Also the A87 Ninja 4 had a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, while this one has a 1GHz dual-core Mediatek processor on board. At 3-megapixel, Micromax A89 Ninja even has a better camera than A87 Ninja 4, which had a 2-megapixel one.

We expect that this device to make an appearance on one of the retail website really soon.

Micromax has recently announced a quad-core smartphone - Micromax A116 Canvas HD. The other features of this smartphone include Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean), 2100mAh battery, 5-inch HD IPS screen, 8-megapixel rear camera, VGA front camera, 1GB RAM and 4GB of internal storage.

This smartphone is expected to be available from the second week of February for under Rs. 15,000.

Facebook moving fast on mobile, and spending tons on everything

 

Risk. What risk? Facebook's ballooning mobile audience is proving to be anything but a bubble-bursting group. Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg today told analysts that the social network's laser-focus on mobile is paying off handsomely -- the result, in part, of accidental good fortune.

"There's no argument, Facebook is a mobile company," Zuckerberg told investors after the company reported fourth-quarter adjusted earnings per share of 17 cents and revenue of $1.59 billion, which was slightly ahead of what Wall Street had expected.

Yes, there's apparently no place like mobile for Facebook. The company said it saw monthly active mobile users jump 57 percent year-over-year to 680 million people in the fourth quarter. And its daily active users on mobile eclipsed desktop users for the first time in the company's history.

Facebook also said it generated 23 percent of its fourth-quarter advertising revenue -- or $306 million -- from mobile. That's double what the company made from mobile last quarter and an impressive percentage considering that Facebook's mobile ad units rolled out just this past June.

 

Canon India aims to triple sales in 3 years

 

Imaging major Canon India expects to triple its turnover to Rs.7,000 crore by 2015 on the back of promising growth prospects from its product expansion strategy.

“This year we are targeting revenue of R2,350 crore. However, we aim to triple our turnover by 2015,” said Kazutada
Kobayashi, president and CEO, Canon India.

Last year, the company posted a 23% growth in turnover, highest among countries across Asia. However, India contributes just 1% to the turnover.

“The contribution is quite low but growing, we see India contributing over 5% in next 2 years.”

Canon is planning to expand its product portfolio with focus on the commercial segment. Some new domains include commercial printing machines, EOS professional video camera and medical digital imaging solutions.

“We will intensify our presence in the commercial segment since there is huge potential to grow,” says Kobayashi. Consumer and commercial segments currently contribute equally to Canon India’s Rs.1, 850 crore revenue in 2012.

Canon Image Square, the retail venture from Canon India will also play an important role in driving turnover.

Canon has planned to penetrate into tier 2 and tier 3 markets while adding 70 exclusive outlets by year end.

“We have established 93 shops in 48 cities while our target is to establish 160 shops this year.”

Canon plans to hire 150 people across segments. Currently, it has 1,000 employees.

Surface Pro to launch at Best Buy in NYC on February 8

Following the pattern it set with its Surface RT launch in October 2012, Microsoft is planning to launch its Surface Pro devices just before midnight the day before they'll be commercially available.

On Friday, February 8, Microsoft is holding a private evening reception for select guests before the event, and then holding the formal launch just before midnight, February 9, at the Best Buy in Union Square in New York City. The invited guests will be among the first people eligible to buy the new Surface Pros -- or, as Microsoft calls them officially, the "Surface Windows 8 Pros."

Microsoft's general manager of the Surface team, Panos Panay, will be on hand, as will members of the Windows team, according to a copy of the invitation that I saw. (I am not invited to the reception, myself, as it is not for press, I was told.)

Microsoft held its Surface RT launch at the now-shuttered Times Square Microsoft pop-up store.

Microsoft officials said earlier this month that the Surface Pro would be commercially available starting February 9. I've asked the company if and when pre-orders will begin for Surface Pros and have received no response to my query.

The Surface Pro is an Intel-based hybrid PC/tablet that Microsoft is positioning more as an ultrabook than a tablet. It will have half the battery life of the Surface RT, owing to its use of an Intel Core i5 chip. But it will be more powerful and have a better display than its Surface RT sibling. Prices for the Surface Pro start at $899.

The Surface Pros will be sold in the U.S. and Canada through all Microsoft retail stores, microsoftstore.com, and at Staples and Best Buy in the U.S., as well as from "a number of locations in Canada," according to the company.

Splittable laptop-tablets: The U1 Hybrid had it right all along

Three years ago, the Lenovo IdeaPad U1 Hybrid caught my eye -- and many others -- at CES in Las Vegas. The idea -- a laptop that had its own detachable tablet -- seemed revolutionary, and at the time it was an idea ahead of even the iPad, which debuted just months later.

The IdeaPad U1 Hybrid was a great idea, with one problem: it never arrived. After surfacing again in 2011 as a Windows/Android detachable hybrid, it again disappeared from view.

That was 2010. Now it's 2013, and laptops with detachable-tablet screens are everywhere.

Two recent examples reviewed at CNET are the HP Envy x2 and Acer Iconia W510. They're ultraportables leaning on Windows 8's touch-friendly advantages, creating exactly the product I dreamed about back in 2010.

The IdeaPad U1 Hybrid was, in theory, a Windows 7 laptop running off an Intel Core 2 Duo processor in its base, with a separate Qualcomm Snapdragon processor in its tablet-screen. The U1 would switch over to a custom-made Linux-based "Skylight" OS with its own apps in tablet mode.

The HP Envy x2 and Acer Iconia W510 are far simpler in design: both run off Clover Trail Intel Atom processors and use Windows 8, which has both traditional and "app-style" view modes. They have 2GB of RAM and 64GB solid-state drive (SSD) storage. Both have exceptional battery life in tablet mode, and even more with the battery-boosted keyboard base attached. Lenovo makes one, too, but it's now called the ThinkPad Tablet 2.

These laptop-tablet hybrids are part of an ever-evolving hothouse of Windows 8 devices. The day is young for these ultraportables. More are bound to come soon enough with better processors, slimmer designs, and improved battery life.

Both of these hybrids work as advertised, albeit with the horsepower normally expected of a high-end budget Netbook while having the price tags of more powerful ultrabooks.

With the Microsoft Surface Pro around the corner and its clever detachable keyboard cover, not to mention the ease with which you can outfit an iPad or Android tablet with a keyboard (in the case of the Asus Transformer, with its own included keyboard/touch-pad base), maybe the concept of a laptop-style device with clear, distinct detachable parts is the destiny for all tablets and tiny computers. In that case, maybe tablets and laptops are finally beginning to blur together permanently.

Huawei eyes Nigerian smartphone’s market share

 

ONE of the international leading smartphone manufacturers, Huawel Incor., has announced strategic plans to dominate Nigeria’s highly competitive market in 2013, with the introduction of some of its reputable products, a new range of Android powered smartphones.

Specifically, in a statement over the weekend, the company, reputed as a leading telecomm solution provider with over two billion consumers in more than 140 countries across the globe and revenue base of over $32 billion (as of 2011), is out with its flagship top-end smartphones and tablets in the Nigerian market.

As part of plans to announce its full entry into the Nigeria’s market, Huawel’s local subsidiary, Huawei Technologies Nigeria, is launching the Ascend D Quad XL as its flagship smartphone, with the assurance of a powerful quad-core internal processor, which is exceptional for any device in its class with a processing speed of 1.5GHz.

The smartphone is equipped with a 4.5-inch display with a 1280 x 720 pixel resolution and a pixel density of approximately 326 pixels-per-inch, matching Apple’s favorable Retina display. The IPS+ screen is highly irresistible and in some cases beats its Android competition such as the HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S III.

Some basic facilities of the phone includes 1GB of RAM, a microSD slot, MHL connectivity, DLNA support, a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, an 8-megapixel rear shooter and a 2,600 mAh battery. It doesn’t have a cheap feel thanks to the textured back plates, giving it a sleek feel.

Huawei smartphone is unique because the software, the Ascend D Quad XL, runs on the latest Android 4 operating system and additional benefit is that Huawei gives users a choice between a nearly non-skinned version of Android, known as the 2D Home, and a heavily customised and clunky 3D interface.

“Android is all about choices and freedom and that is exactly what Huawei has done with its software.  Other feature, which stands the Ascend out from devices in its class, is the battery life, which is the longest in the market.

“The Ascend D Quad XL’s irremovable battery is able to deliver enough juice for a full day’s use under normal circumstances like checking emails, updating status, sending text messages and making the occasional phone call. However, when pushing the device to the limits with high-intensity games and frequent usage, the Ascend D Quad XL was still able to deliver impressive results of more than 10 hours of battery life,” the company explained.

Meanwhile, the Ascend D Quad XL is not the only phone in the offing for Huawei. The global brand is also coming out with two powerful Android based smartphones namely, Honor & Mediapad 7 Lite devices. Also, Huawei is introducing mid-range devices like G6153 with a full ‘QWERTY’ keypad and social media capabilities to go with it, for those who may not be able to afford the high-end devices.

Huawei added that it was also introducing low-end devices for the market, which would include the G3620, G5520 and the G6006 phones.

Microsoft retools Office for touch screen, Web use

 

Microsoft is aiming its redesigned Office software at the growing number of people who expect their favorite applications to be at their fingertips, wherever there's an Internet connection.

In an attempt to extend a lucrative franchise beyond personal computers, the world's biggest software maker is selling a retooled version of Office as an online subscription service to consumers for the first time. It's a departure from Microsoft's traditional approach of granting permission to install Office on solitary machines for a one-time fee.

Tuesday's release comes six months after Microsoft previewed the new-look Office, which includes popular word processing, spreadsheets and email programs.

"This is a fundamental shift in our business that began a several years ago," Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer wrote in a blog post.

The revamped Office boasts touch controls, just like the redesigned version of the Windows operating system that Microsoft released three months ago. The company, which is based in Redmond, is trying to ensure that its products retain their appeal at a time when people increasingly rely on mobile devices instead of personal computers.

To tap into that trend, Microsoft is promoting Office 2013 as a program tailored for use over the Internet. All information is automatically stored in Microsoft's data centers, allowing for access to the same material on multiple devices. The content also can be stored on the hard drives of devices.

But Microsoft still isn't trying to get Office on the largest number of devices possible. Office 2013 doesn't include an option that works on Apple Inc.'s iPhone and iPad or smartphones and tablet computers running the Android software made by Google Inc. That leaves out the majority of smartphones and tablets sold in the past two years.

Microsoft is offering Office 2013 in a $100 annual subscription package, called 365 Home Premium, which includes online access on up to five Windows devices or Apple's Mac computers.

Hands On: HTC Butterfly

 

HTC has launched the costliest Android phone in the country, and here is our first impression of the phone.

HTC has brought many super smartphones with high end technologies to the market. For example, it was the first handset maker to bring the Beats Audio technology with its smartphones. This time around it has launched a phone which is loaded with best of features that the industry currently offers. The phone, named as HTC Butterfly, though is priced at Rs 45,990, making it the costliest Android smartphone of the Indian market.

The HTC Butterfly comes with a 5-inch Super LCD 3 display with Corning Gorilla Glass 2 and a pixel density of 441 pixels-per-inch which is highest in the industry. It has a 1.5 GHz Qualcomm S4 Pro quad-core processor along with 2 GB RAM, which again is the best combination found in smartphones so far.

RIM’s big event: BlackBerry 10 OS and two new smartphones

The smartphone-maker is expected to launch the the new OS and two new handsets. Here’s a quick look at what to expect from the event today.

The BlackBerry 10 OS: RIM had revealed the new OS in its BlackBerry Jam conference in September last year, touchscreen is what we are likely to see. The new predictive text is quite fast and accurate but whether it will be a valuable replacement for the physical QWERTY keyboard remains to be seen.

BlackBerry has also gone for a new user-interface design, with large icons which might very similar to the Android experience. RIM also promises jazzy new apps for Facebook, Twitter, etc for BlackBerry 10 OS.

BlackBerry World: This is BlackBerry’s new app store and RIM is promising that it has gathered a number of big-name music and video partners ranging from Walt Disney Studios and Sony Pictures to Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group.

According to RIM, BlackBerry World content store would include an extensive catalog of songs, movies and television shows. Most movies will be available the same day they are released on DVD, with next-day availability for many TV series.

YouTube to offer paid channel subscriptions: Report

Google has been exploring options to generate more revenue from its services, YouTube in particular. More ads (skippable and non-skippable) are definitely noticeable on YouTube. And now reports suggest the largest video sharing site will be soon introducing new paid subscription-only channels.

Citing multiple people familiar with the plans, AdAge claims YouTube team is already in talks with several video producers to come up with channels that would require a fee for viewing. First producers that are supposed to come with paid channels are Machinima, Maker Studios, and Fullscreen while Google is looking for more partners.

The paid channels would priced between $1 and $5 a month. Google is also planning to charge for other features on the site such as libraries of videos, financial advice shows, self-help and live events.

Google is likely to begin with about 25 such paid channels, which are expected to be launched by the second quarter of this year.

"We have long maintained that different content requires different types of payment models," a Google spokesman said in a statement to AdAge. "The important thing is that, regardless of the model, our creators succeed on the platform. There are a lot of our content creators that think they would benefit from subscriptions, so we're looking at that."

Paid video on YouTube has been often rumoured, especially after the company hinted it was considering paid services for its users. At the AllThingsD media conference last year, YouTube CEO Salar Kamangar revealed plans to poaching second or third-tier cable networks

HTC Windows Phone 8S Price: Approx. Rs 20,000

HTC Windows Phone 8S
Street Price: Approx. Rs 20,000

While HTC's flagship Windows Phone 8X was good, it got overshadowed by the Nokia Lumia 920. But the the 8S is on another turf altogether — it fills a void between the Lumia 820 and 620. By that reasoning, this phone doesn't have any direct competitor, at least for now. The The bold design of the HTC Windows Phone 8S is rare for this price tag, so that's another plus. This WP8 phone packs in a dual-core CPU and a 4" screen; just like its Android counterparts. 

Design And Build Quality
The HTC 8S looks much like its older sibling — save for the dual-tone design at the back. Apart from the orange handset that we received for review, the 8S is available in blue, black, and gray. At 10.3 mm the phone isn't very thin, but the tapering edges make it look slim.

  The microSD and micro-SIM slots are secured under a removable cap. Opening this cover is quite a tricky affair, and once inserted, it's very cumbersome to remove the SIM card. On the bright side though, the handset is quite sturdy and lightweight. The phone features a polycarbonate unibody design, with soft rubberized finish at the back, which helps with the grip. Undoubtedly, the 8S is one of the most beautiful sub-20,000 handset available in the market. However, it could have looked even better without the dual-tone colour scheme (but then, looks are subjective). One gripe I've here is the placement of the Lock button, which is quite inaccessible (at the top). Leaving that annoyance aside though, this handset is perfect for single handed operation. Overall, the design and build quality is very good.


  Display And Specs
The 8S features a 4" S-LCD screen with 800x480 pixels, protected by Corning Gorilla Glass. Although not pixel-packed, the display is sharp. But the screen looks washed out, and its colour reproduction is anything but accurate. Similar to the 8X, this phone displays dark grey instead of blacks. All these petty issues spoil the WP8 experience, since Windows Phone platform is all about bold colours and dominant black. Another let down is the screen's lower-than-average refresh rate, which makes text blurry when scrolling.

This phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 chipset with a 1 GHz dual-core CPU and Adreno 305 GPU. Other bells and whistles include a 5 mp camera, 4 GB internal storage, and Beats Audio integration. Full specifications are at the end of this review.


UI And Applications
Let's quickly run through the most important WP8 features. For starters, you can now customise Live Tiles with three sizes. The OS now offers mass storage mode and Bluetooth FTP for easy file transfer (these are standard WP8 features).

As mentioned in earlier WP handset reviews, the Children's Corner lets you create a separate homescreen for your kids. Only selected content will appear in this section — think of it as a guest account for your phone. Other changes include an improved lock screen that can display updates from apps, and pull background images from Bing and Facebook feeds. As you may already know, the social networking experience is top-notch with WP8, and this mobile phone is no exception.

 

A lot has been said about Google blocking some of its services on the Windows Phone platform. During my testing though, Gmail, YouTube, and even calendar sync worked without a hassle. So either the search giant has caved in to increasing criticism, or Microsoft has found a way around the restrictions.

Since WP8 Maps are now being powered by Nokia's map data, you can access maps offline. The Finnish company has opened up its Drive software to non-Lumia handsets in the US, Canada, and Europe; and HTC hasn't developed any navigation app to put this data to good use. So in India, the Nokia's satellite navigation app is still exclusive to the Lumia series - a pity.

The Office Suite is excellent and no matter how many alternatives the rival platforms have, nothing comes close to Microsoft's offering. The mobile version of IE10 is blazing-fast at page rendering, and is fully compatible with HTML5. Microsoft's Store has over lakh apps, which should be enough for most (all ?) users. True, many popular games haven't made it to WP, but it houses enough unique titles to keep you occupied anyway.


Multimedia
With the arrival of mass storage mode, desktop Zune client is no longer needed to manage media on WP devices. The default music player's offers a neat and clutter-free interface. HTC has duly added their signature Beats audio sound enhancement, but there are no equalizer settings as seen on Nokia's WP8 handsets. That being said, the phone delivers great sound quality.
The phone's Snapdragon S4 takes care of MP4 videos up to 720p. However, AVI and MKV videos are a no-go on the in-built media player.

The 5 mp autofocus has an LED flash to keep it company. It offers many settings such as face detection, white balance, exposure, contrast, ISO, saturation, contrast, and a couple of effects. The phone also comes pre-installed with HTC's Photo Enhancer app that offers Instagram-like filters. On the lenses applications front though, the HTC doesn't have anything exclusive up its sleeve.

The images produced by the camera are disappointing - seems mostly due to HTC's aggressive sharpening algorithm. The camera tends to overexpose, so the brighter parts of the scene get washed out. Click here, to check out the untouched sample. The device is capable of recording 720p video at 30 fps in the MP4 format. Playback is smooth and the clips contain decent amount of detail.


Telephony And Messaging
People Hub as usual wins you over with its deep social networking integration. The WP8 on-screen keyboard is extremely responsive and thoughtfully designed. The handset's call quality and network reception were good during our tests. Other connectivity features such as Wi-Fi and 3G also worked fine.

  Battery
With its 1700 mAh Li-Po battery the 8S easily lasts for a normal work day. In our 720p video loop test, it lasted around 5 hours, which is just about average for a dual-core phone.


Verdict
The 8S is a beautiful handset with good build quality. The WP8 OS and the handset's sound quality are impressive. On the flipside, the camera is disappointing and the phone lacks a proper sat-nav app. The biggest downer, however, is its mediocre screen. Overall, if you're ready to make a switch from Android, the 8S is a good deal at the 20k mark. On the other hand, if you're not a fan of Microsoft's mobile platform, or you just are too committed to Android, you are better off with the Samsung GALAXY S Advance.

Features: 3.5/5
Design And Build Quality: 4/5
Performance: 3.5/5
Value For Money: 3/5
Mojo: 3/5
Overall Rating: 3.5/5


Specifications:

• 4" super LCD touch screen with WVGA resolution and Gorilla Glass protection.
• 1 GHz dual-core Qualcomm S4 processor with 512 MB of RAM.
• 5 mp rear camera with autofocus LED flash, F2.8 aperture and 35mm lens capable of 720p video recording; lacks front camera.
• 3.5 mm stereo audio jack, Bluetooth 2.1 - EDR, Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11 b/g/n.
• 16 GB internal storage with expansion microSD card slot for additional storage.
• GPS with GLONASS.
• G-Sensor, Proximity sensor and Ambient light sensor.
• Embedded 1700mAh rechargeable Li-ion Polymer battery.
• Measures 4.7" (l) x 2.5"(w) x 0.4" (10.28 mm) (d); weighs 113 grams.

2012 BMW 3-series by Kelleners Sport

With a history stretching back over more than 25 years, Kelleners Sport has great experience in modifying BMW automobiles.

The company created an extensive range of tuning products for the first 3-Series. Hence, it is both an obligation and an ambition to develop a comprehensive Sports Package for the new model (F30). 

Isuzu Motors planning big for the Indian auto market

Isuzu Motors, a globally renowned multinational Japanese utility vehicle manufacturer, is planning to establish its first manufacturing facility in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh, for which the company has set aside an investment of Rs. 1,000 crore.

Isuzu Motors' upcoming Greenfield unit will produce close to 50,000 vehicles per year and is expected to begin commercial production by the end of 2015. Further, it has been revealed that the Japanese auto major will utilise manufacturing units of Hindustan Motors in Chennai and General Motors India, till its own unit undergoes construction.

As per reports, Isuzu Motors is developing its MU7 Choiz Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) and V Cross pick-up truck, as its initial models targeting specifically the Indian auto market. The Japanese auto major is famous for its leadership in diesel technology and its global product line-up, consists of buses, heavy-duty, medium-duty and light-duty trucks, passenger vehicle engines, along with industrial-use diesel engines.



The Isuzu MU7 Choiz SUV comes fitted with a 3.0 litre engine, whereas the Isuzu V Cross pick-up truck is powered with a 2.5 litre power-mill. Accordingly, the Isuzu MU7 Choiz looks like a possible new segment contender to premium SUVs, such as Mahindra SsangYong Rexton, Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour and Hyundai Santa Fe amongst others.



It would be premature to compare the Isuzu MU7 Choiz with Rexton and Fortuner, but considering present SUV landscape of Indian auto market, the prospects of a new competition looks promising. Further, the Isuzu 2.5 pick-up truck could compete against Mahindra Bolero pick-up truck in the domestic market.

Google unveils detailed map of North Korea

SEOUL: Weeks after its chairman Eric Schmidt's secretive visit to North Korea, Google has rolled out a detailed map of the isolated state that even labels some of its remote and infamous gulags.

Until now North Korea was pretty much a blank canvas to users of Google's "Map Maker", which creates maps from data that is provided by the public and fact-checked in a similar process to that used by Wikipedia.

"For a long time, one of the largest places with limited map data has been North Korea. But today we are changing that," Jayanth Mysore, a senior product manager at Google Map Maker said in blog posting on Monday.

Mysore said the North Korea section had been completed with the help of a "community of citizen cartographers" working over a period of several years.

"While many people around the globe are fascinated with North Korea, these maps are especially important for the citizens of South Korea who have ancestral connections or still have family living there," he added.

With the two countries still technically at war, decent maps of the North are almost impossible to come by in South Korea.

Ironically, the people least able to benefit from the Google publication are the North Koreans themselves, who live in one of the most isolated and highly censored societies on the planet.

The North has a domestic intranet, but it is cut off from the rest of the world, allowing its very limited number of users to exchange state-approved information and little more.

Access to the full-blown internet is for the super-elite only, meaning a few hundred people or maybe 1,000 at most, experts estimate.

The Google version offers a detailed map of the capital Pyongyang, showing hospitals, subway stops and schools.

Outside the capital, the detail is sketchier, but noticeable on an overview of the country are a series of city-sized, grey-coloured areas which, when zoomed in on, are identified as sprawling re-education camps.

As many as 200,000 people are estimated to be detained in the North's vast gulag system, many under a guilt-by-association system that punishes those related to someone perceived as an enemy of the state.

The release of Google's new North Korea map came just weeks after Schmidt returned from a controversial trip to Pyongyang as part of a US "humanitarian" mission.

On his return, Schmidt said he had told officials in the North that the country would never develop unless it embraces Internet freedom.

Karbonn opens bookings for quad core Smart Titanium 1 at Rs 10,990

 

New Delhi: Karbonn Mobiles late Monday announced the launch of bookings for its Karbonn Smart Titanium 1 – India’s first quad-core CPU smartphone powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, across the country. The smartphone, which will be priced at Rs. 10,990 has a power efficient quad core processor, a 4.5” IPS qHD display, and runs on Android Jelly Bean.

The Karbonn Smart S1 Titanium is powered by the 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core CPU processor, which delivers a superior mobile experience for voice, web browsing, games, user interfaces while its in-built Adreno™ 203 GPU supports higher HD resolution display and other graphics applications. It has a 4.5 inch multi touch screen display, dual SIM capability, digital front camera and 5 MP rear camera with flash. It also has a memory expandable to 32 GB.

“We are extremely proud to be the first brand to bring smartphones enabled by the powerful and power efficient Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core CPU processor into the country. This move reiterates our commitment to enable cutting-edge technological innovations to our consumers and is an endeavour towards providing the best in mobile technology to them,” Shashin Devsare, Executive Director, Karbonn Mobiles said.

“Available across the country, the Karbonn Smart Titanium 1 opens up a new dimension in the Indian mobile market and enables a pioneering stride towards ‘Massifying Technology’ for the consumers”, he added.

The Karbonn Smart Titanium is built to support heavy duty multi-tasking by offering a potent combination of 1GB RAM and a 4GB ROM supported by a 1600mAh battery.

The phone carries a digital front camera for video calling and supports 3G connectivity. Pre-embedded Google apps and access to the ‘Google Play’ store are also available.

Thank Lenovo, world’s smallest desktop is here

 

Electronics major Lenovo today said it has launched the world’s smallest enterprise computers, continuing its efforts to strengthen the product portfolio for this segment.

The products ThinkCentre M72e and ThinkCentre M92p Tiny desktop PCs are priced at Rs 23,500 and above (excluding taxes and without operating system).

Being the industry’s first enterprise 1L PCs, the M72e and M92p offer superior performance and high reliability, the Chinese company said in a statement.

Trends in the enterprise PC industry suggest that an increasing number of organisations now prefer PCs that occupy less space and consume less energy yet perform at optimal levels, it added.

Acer launches the TravelMate P243 Laptop for Small-Medium Businesses

Acer has launched a new laptop in the Indian market under its TravelMate series and is known as the Acer TravelMate P243. This Acer notebook comes pre-loaded with a unique suite of security and task managing solutions. It offers users with advanced data protection using Acer ProShield Security, Acer Office Manager (AOM) and eRecovery Manager.

This Acer notebook will be available with Intel’s 3rd generation Core i-series processors with Turbo Boost technology. The pricing for the Acer TravelMate P243 starts from Rs 36,000 and it mainly focused towards small to medium business segment.

The TravelMate P243 is equipped with a 14-inch high-definition backlit LED display and it also includes Acer’s FineTouch keyboard which is designed for accurate and comfortable typing. Acer has mentioned in the press release that the laptop is built for long lasting use as the TravelMate series goes through various reliability tests. It is enclosed in a generic casing however it features steel hinges that offer 20,000 integrations of hinge cycling, making it more sturdy and durable than most other laptops in the market.

It also sports a NVIDIA GeForce GT 630M graphics processor for improved multimedia capabilities. It has a USB 3.0 port, HDMI port, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0+HS connectivity.

Crucial, long-overdue BlackBerry makeover arrives

The maker of the BlackBerry smartphone is promising a speedier device, a superb typing experience and the ability to keep work and personal identities separate on the same phone. It's the fruit of a crucial, long-overdue makeover for the Canadian company.Thorsten Heins, chief executive of Research In Motion Ltd., will show off the first phone with the new BlackBerry 10 system in New York on Wednesday. A marketing campaign that includes a Super Bowl ad will accompany the long-anticipated debut. Repeated delays have left the once-pioneering BlackBerry an afterthought in the shadow of Apple's trend-setting iPhone and Google's Android-driven devices.

Now, there's some optimism. Previews of the software have gotten favorable reviews on blogs. Financial analysts are starting to see some slight room for a comeback. RIM's stock has nearly tripled to $16.18 from a nine-year low in September, though it's still nearly 90 percent below its 2008 peak of $147. Most analysts consider a BlackBerry 10 success to be crucial for the company's long-term viability. "The old models are becoming obsolete quickly," BGC Financial analyst Colin Gillis said. "There is still a big user base but it's going to rotate off. The question is: Where do they rotate to?"
The BlackBerry, pioneered in 1999, has been the dominant smartphone for on-the-go business people. Corporate information-technology managers like the phones because they're relatively secure and easy to manage. Many employees loved them because of physical keyboards that were easier to type on than the touch-screen iPhone. President Barack Obama couldn't bear to part with it when he took office. Oprah Winfrey declared it one of her "favorite things." People got so addicted that the device was nicknamed "the CrackBerry." The BlackBerry began to cross over to consumers. But when the iPhone came out in 2007, it showed that phones can do much more than email and phone calls.

2012 BMW 3-series by Kelleners Sport

With a history stretching back over more than 25 years, Kelleners Sport has great experience in modifying BMW automobiles.

The company created an extensive range of tuning products for the first 3-Series. Hence, it is both an obligation and an ambition to develop a comprehensive Sports Package for the new model (F30). 

Samsung leads smartphone market with 63 mn shipments in Q4 2012: IDC

Samsung continued to be the leader in the smartphone market for Q4 2012, according to the latest report from research firm International Data Corporation (IDC) that reports the South Korean firm shipping nearly 63.7 million smartphones. This is nearly double, the 36.2 million shipments number of Q4 2011. Samsung’s overall market share stood at 29 percent which is a significant increase when compared to the Q4 2011 market share which was at 22.5 percent.

Cupertino-based tech giant, Apple was at number two with 47.8 million shipments and has a market share of 21.8 percent for Q4 2012. Apple did sell more smartphones in Q4 2012  but its market share dropped from Q4 2011 when it had 23 percent market control.

But the surprise was what is number three on the list. China based Huawei saw nearly 10.8 million shipments for Q4 in 2012 with a market share of 4.9 percent. The shipments for Huawei doubled, compared to Q4 2011 when it had sold some 5.7 million smartphones at a market share of 3.5 percent.

Sony was at number four with nearly 9.8 million shipments and a market share of 4.5 percent, again a significant increase from the 6.3 million smartphones it shipped in Q4 2011 when it had 3.9 percent market share.

China’s ZTE was close on the heels of Sony with nearly 9.5 million devices shipped and a market share of 4.3 percent. The company had shipped some 6.4 million devices in Q4 2011 with a 4 percent market share.

Commenting on Huawei and ZTE’s growth, Ramon Llamas, research manager with IDC’s Mobile Phone team, said “Both companies have grown volumes by focusing on the mass market, but in recent quarters they have turned their attention toward higher-end devices. In addition, both companies have pushed the envelope in terms of industrial design with larger displays and smaller form factors, as well as innovative applications and experiences.”

LG, RIM and Nokia did not make it to the list of the top vendors for Q4 2012 and it’s clear that the mass market strategy of Huawei and ZTE worked to their advantage. At the recently concluded Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Huawei also launched Ascend Mate, the first smartphone with a 6.1-inch display which will compete with other phablets like Samsung Galaxy Note II and the recently launched Sony Xperia Z.

Lamborghini launches Aventador Roadster at Rs. 4.77 crore

Mumbai: Super sports car maker Lamborghini, which today rolled out the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Roadster, said it expects a higher growth for its super luxury cars in the domestic market.

The Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Roadster is priced at Rs. 4.77 crore, ex-showroom Delhi.

"Last year we achieved 21 per cent growth here. This year, we expect a higher growth," Automobili Lamborghini sales manager for Southeast Asia and Pacific, Andrea Baldi, told reporters without disclosing a target.

Lamborghini is a company of German auto major Volkswagen Group. The new Roadster will go on sale from mid-2013 at its two dealers, he added.

Stating that the domestic market has good potential for the super luxury cars, Mr Baldi said, "This market will see steady and continuous growth in the years to come."

India will grow faster than some of the current markets in the next five years, he said. On the new car, he said the Aventador Roadster is the most exciting supercar that embodies performance, design, technology and engineering excellence. I am sure it will further develop our presence in this market."

The super luxury car maker had entered the country in 2005 and today it operates two outlets- one each in Delhi and Mumbai.

"We are considering other cities also, mainly Chennai and Bangalore. But there are some challenges like finding the right dealer and infrastructure," he said.

Stating that India is slowly accepting the super cars as a means to realise aspirations, he said, "We are hopeful of the success we can achieve here."

Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2 official with Android 4.1, 1GHz dual-core CPU

 

After hearing about the Galaxy Xcover 2 for quite sometime now, the smartphone has finally been announced by Samsung. The pricing and availability details are yet to be made official by the company. But a previous roadmap leak suggested that the XCover 2 will be available in February 2013.

Let's run you by the specs once again. Measuring 130.5x67.7x12 mm and weighing 148.5 grams, the Xcover 2 runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean sporting a 4-inch WVGA TFT LCD display with the company's TouchWiz UI atop. The device comes with a 5-megapixel rear camera and a VGA front camera as well.

The rugged smartphone is dust and sand proof and even water resistant to a depth of one meter for up to 30 minutes (IP67 Certified). Users can take under water pictures with the help of a dedicated camera button. There's a strap holder as well that helps you avoid dropping the phone along with a battery cover lock as well.

Underneath its shell, the smartphone packs in a 1GHz dual-core processor with 1GB RAM and comes with 4GB of on-board storage with external expansion support up to 32GB. The smartphone has a standard Li-ion 1,700mAh battery.

Connectivity wise, the Xcover 2 boasts WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0, A-GPS and Glonass. The device also features the intuitive Motion UI that enables users to shake and update or turn over the device to mute.

The Korean manufacturer claims that the Galaxy Xcover 2 is "the ideal smartphone for active explorers who are enjoying outdoor lifestyles and seeking a durable mobile device with essential smartphone capabilities."

The smartphone also comes pre-installed with various proprietary apps like ChatON messenger, S-Cloud, S Voice, Best Shot, Smart Stay and apps from the Samsung Hub like Readers Hub, Video Hub, Game Hub and Music Hub.

The company has also added the Cardio Trainer Pro workout app to help users achieve their fitness goals by creating a personalised training program, checking their progress and recording their track and speed.

Thank Lenovo, world’s smallest desktop is here

 

Electronics major Lenovo today said it has launched the world’s smallest enterprise computers, continuing its efforts to strengthen the product portfolio for this segment.

The products ThinkCentre M72e and ThinkCentre M92p Tiny desktop PCs are priced at Rs 23,500 and above (excluding taxes and without operating system).

Being the industry’s first enterprise 1L PCs, the M72e and M92p offer superior performance and high reliability, the Chinese company said in a statement.

Trends in the enterprise PC industry suggest that an increasing number of organisations now prefer PCs that occupy less space and consume less energy yet perform at optimal levels, it added.

FaceWash helps clean up your Facebook profile

 

Here’s one for all you perverts that swarm Facebook. Researchers from Kent State University have developed an app for Facebook that will help you clean up the potentially embarrassing “stuff” off your Facebook Profile.

Aptly titled “FaceWash,” the app scans through one’s profile for any mention of questionable content such as photos, posts, status updates, ‘liked’ pages etc. The app was developed by Daniel Gur, Camden Fullmer and David Steinberg when they realized that people might need a way to clean up their extensive Facebook activity in order maintain good chances of future employment.

In order to cleanse your dirty wall, all you have to do is browse over to facewa.sh followed by going to the app and giving it access to all your dirty laundry. Once all necessary permissions have been granted, just click on the Start icon and the app will start scanning for questionable content. You can also define custom search words to look for, which is pretty good for looking up posts that contain dirty slang. The app will conclude the search with clearly marked results and show links to each of the post to make their removal a breeze.

The FaceWash app, currently in Beta, is going to be saving many people a whole lot of embarrassment (and jobs!) given how effective it is. FaceWash is still in beta, but if you’re about to go for an interview and don’t want your future employer coming up on your drunken shenanigans, we recommend giving this app a spin.

 

Lava Xolo X500 price and release date details narrowed down, encases Intel Atom SOC

The Lava Xolo X500 price and release date have been declared as the manufacturer announces the existence of its first dual SIM smartphone fitted with an Intel processor. The handset isn’t up for purchase as of now, but the company duly states that it should be heading towards stores 2 to 3 days from today.
From the interior, the Xolo X500 driven by an Intel Atom Lexington Z2420 processor with a clock speed of up to 1.2GHz and the CPU employs Hyper Threading technology in order to enable concurrent functioning of multiple processes. The SoC will be packing a 400MHz GPU and it will be assisted by 512MB of RAM. The device bears a 3.5-inch TFT touchscreen on its front panel, while a 5MP camera takes refuge on the flip side. Users will be able to view content at a resolution of 320 x 480 pixels and they could also take pleasure in 1080p video playback. The main snapper comes with the burst mode feature which permits clicking 7 images almost instantaneously.

To store content, 4GB of internal memory has been provided. There is also an expansion slot that supports a microSD card of up to 32GB in case users’ hoarding needs surpass the embedded flash storage capacity. The phone offers 3G connectivity and comes bundled with a 1,500mAh battery. It will be rocking Android Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box and there is no information regarding a possible upgrade at present.

Sony released an alpha Jelly Bean ROM for the Xperia T

Similar to what we saw Sony do with Ice Cream Sandwich, the company has recently released an alpha phase Jelly Bean ROM. At the moment the ROM is only available for one device, the Xperia T. We should also point out that this ROM comes with some serious limitations in terms of use and is truly aimed at the more advanced user.

 That being said, as mentioned the ROM is available for the Xperia T. The limitations include some that are minor and some that are major. For example, on the minor side, this ROM does not have the final UI look and feel. Then again, for some that may be a perk. On the major side, this ROM will now allow you to make any calls. Sony is describing this release as having a limited set of working features and not being ready for ordinary everyday usage.

According to Sony, the limited set of features is due to them not having passed all the necessary approvals. Aside from not being able to make calls, some of the other “turned off or not yet working” features include the FM Radio, NFC, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. This ROM is also missing the Google apps which means you are not going to have any of the Google goodies such as Gmail or the Play Store.

Bottom line here, if you are a developer with an Xperia T this may be an option to consider. If nothing else, you will likely be able to provide Sony some feedback and help speed things up in terms of a final release. Otherwise, while Sony has yet to say when a beta or final ROM release is expected, we can look at the timeline from last year. Looking back, Sony released an alpha ICS ROM in December 2011 and followed that up with a beta ICS ROM in February 2012.

Acer announces Liquid E1 with 4.5-inch display and Android 4.1

Acer continues to expand its mid-range smartphone portfolio with the addition of the Liquid E1. The smartphone has a 4.5-inch screen with a resolution of 540 x 960 pixels. Acer Liquid E1is powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor with 1GB RAM and 4GB of internal storage with microSD expansion options. It runs on Android 4.1.1 (Jelly Bean) and has a 1,760 mAh battery.

Acer Liquid E1 comes with 5-megapixel auto-focus rear camera with LED flash and a VGA front camera. For connectivity, it supports 4G LTE, GPS, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 3.0. This smartphone weighs 130 grams and measures 132 x 68.5 x 9.9 mm.

It comes pre-loaded with Acer's own DTS-ready video and music apps. There are no details available on pricing and availability as of now. For consumers who still like to listen to the radio on-the-go, there is an FM receiver as well.

Acer as a brand is still associated more with laptops and netbooks and quite rightly so as the company has launched only a handful of smartphones till date. The company had first introduced a smartphone dubbed Acer Liquid way back in 2010. It's a bit of a surprise that Acer is continuing to adopt the same naming series for the Liquid E1 when most companies are looking at offering something fresh.

With the Mobile World Congress (MWC) just a month away, it is likely that we may spot this device at the event along with some new contenders from Acer.

Apple sells 47.8M iPhones in Q1

Apple closed out 2012 on a high note with its iPhone sales, but many fear its momentum is already beginning to peter out.

The Cupertino, Calif., company said today that it sold 47.8 million iPhones in the fiscal first quarter (or the last quarter of the calendar year). The results were above analysts' average projected sales of 46 million to 47 million units, although many analysts had higher estimates, and were left disappointed. It sold 37 million units a year ago.

What remains to be seen is whether the iPhone 5 can keep up with the pace of sales amid increasing competition from the likes of Samsung Electronics and its Galaxy S line. The iPhone franchise has long been the driver of revenue and earnings growth for Apple and is among the most crucial parts of its business.

 Apple executives didn't directly address the issue, but noted that supplies were constrained. In addition to a shortage of iPhone 5 units in the early part of the corner, supplies of iPhone 4 were also constrained, CEO Tim Cook said during a conference call with analysts. He did say that he expects iPhone sales to grow over a year ago.

Cook also seemingly dashed any hopes of a larger display for the iPhone by touting the iPhone 5's larger 4-inch Retina Display screen. He reiterated the screen's ability to work with one hand.

"We put a lot of thinking into screen size," he said.

Apple had cut the component orders for iPhone displays, suggesting a letdown in demand, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Cook addressed that rumor directly, saying he would question the accuracy of any rumor, and noting that the single data point couldn't accurately reflect the larger picture of Apple's business.

"It would be impossible to accurately interpret what it meant for the entire business," Cook said.

The past few weeks have seen a back-and-forth on Wall Street on whether the iPhone really is starting to see eroding sales, all while the company's shares slumped. At least one analyst said the company would lose share in the March quarter, while Kantar Worldcom ComTech said the iPhone still took the crown in the U.S. during the final quarter of the year.

Verizon, meanwhile, posted its fourth-quarter results yesterday, reporting sales of 6.2 million iPhones. The bad news: Half of those sales were made up of the older iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 models, indicating that consumers are starting to pause when considering the latest and greatest from Apple, instead settling for a lower-cost alternative.

Microsoft shares slip as profits dip despite record revenues

The company reported that its profit dipped slightly in the final three months of last year despite revenues boosted by the release of new-generation Windows software tailored for the world of smartphones and tablet computers.

Profit was down 3.7pc from the same quarter a year earlier to $6.38bn (£4bn), better than most forecasts, while revenues rose 2.7pc to $21.5bn, a record for the US tech giant.

Microsoft said the boost in revenues came from pre-sales and upgrades of Windows 8, recognized in the quarter, and gains in business software and other segments.

Shares in the technology firm were down more than 1pc at $27.25 in after-market trading that followed release of the earnings figures for its second fiscal quarter.

Microsoft did not provide specific sales data for the Surface tablet launched late last year or its new Windows Phone 8 system, two keys to the company's future.

Chief executive Steve Ballmer said the company's "big, bold ambition to reimagine Windows as well as launch Surface and Windows Phone 8," had sparked "unprecedented opportunity and creativity with our partners and developers."

The profit amounted to 76 cents per share - one cent better than the Wall Street consensus.

Citi analyst Walter Pritchard said Microsoft was on target. "This was the first time in memory we haven't seen disappointment in the Windows line," he said in a research note, maintaining a buy rating.

Raimo Lenschow at Barclays said the results were "essentially in line with investors' low expectations".

The Windows division saw revenues jump 24pc to $5.88bn, while revenue was up 11pc to $869m at Microsoft's online services division. To date, more than 60 million Windows 8 licenses have been sold.

The growth in Windows sales was driven by operating system upgrades, sales of Surface tablets, and businesses licensing Windows 8, Microsoft chief financial officer Peter Klein said in a conference call with analysts.

"We learned a lot this quarter; we saw some really great demand for some of the touch devices we brought to market," Mr Klein said.

Microsoft is working with device and chip makers to field a variety of Windows 8 touch-screen devices "at the right price points," he noted.

Microsoft is also beginning to see a pay-off from years spent working to "finely tune" its search engine that powers queries at Yahoo! websites.

Gains in online services, server and enterprise software helped offset a decline in the entertainment division which produces the Xbox console and games.

China's mobile users crosses 1.11 billion in 2012

 

China, with a population of over 1.3 billion now has 1.11 billion mobile phone users.  

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said in a statement that mobile phone users represent 80 per cent of all phones users in the country.

Social networking websites like Twitter and Facebook are banned in China but the number of Chinese microbloggers, akin to Twitter this year crossed 274 million mark, the largest in the world as internet medium has emerged as the main stay of public expression in a tightly controlled official media set up in China.

As per recent released data, China's population stood at 1.354 billion at the end of 2012, 6.69 million more than that at the end of 2011.

The number of mobile phones owned by every 100 people reached 82.6 by the end of 2012, state-run Xinhua news agency
reported.

Last year China crossed a billion mark and recorded 125.9 million new mobile phone users, among whom 104.38 million were 3G mobile phone users, bringing the total number of 3G users to 232.8 million, the MIIT said.

The ministry said the number of Internet users rose by 51 million to 564 million people, among whom 74.5 per cent, or 420 million people, surf the Internet with their mobile phones.

The Internet penetration rate reached 42.1 per cent by the end of last year, up 3.8 percentage points from a year earlier.

Whereas, the mobile internet boom continues in the country and it is also fast emerging as new medium posing a major challenge to the official media's monopoly in the country.

According to data released by China Internet Network Information Centre, (CINIC) last month  274 million Chinese had microblog accounts as of June last year most of them were operated through mobile phones.

A sneak peek into the tablets of the future

 

San Francsico: Tablets with paper-thin screens that can be folded and tucked into your back pocket, artificial intelligence and augmented reality - the stuff of science fiction may be coming to a store near you.

It's been two years since Apple launched the iPad and spawned rival tablets from the likes of Samsung Electronics, Amazon.com, Sony, and now Google and Microsoft.

Much of the competition so far has centered on making smartphone and tablets lighter, slimmer, faster and longer-running than their predecessors, and the trend shows no signs of slowing. The increasingly crowded marketplace is also galvanizing hardware designers and software engineers to explore new technologies that may revolutionize the look and feel of mobile devices in coming years.

"We should think beyond just the touch-screen device," said Lin Zhong, a professor at Rice University who does research on mobile systems. "Why do we have to hold tablets, carry many displays? We should think about wearable computers."

Some researchers are experimenting with wearable devices, such as Google Glass, a stamp-sized electronic screen mounted on eyeglass frames to record video, access email and surf the Web. Others, like Microsoft, are investigating the use of 3D cameras to create images that pop up when a person calls. Samsung has a concept video that shows a bendable, transparent 3D smartphone-hybrid tablet that can also be used as a real-time interpreter.

Few of these new technologies will hit store shelves any time soon - companies and researchers are more actively working on touchscreen innovations in the near term.

In particular, organic-light-emitting diodes, or OLED, is widely touted as the successor to liquid crystal displays. OLED displays, such as in Samsung's Galaxy Note smartphone, are lighter, thinner and tougher than current displays.

The main attraction of OLED at first are their ruggedness, but the technology could one day allow tablets to be folded or rolled up like a newspaper. Reaching that point poses challenges like making the delicate chips and components inside them more flexible and resistant to damage.

Twitter launches Vine, a six-second iPhone video app

Popular microblogging website Twitter launched Vine, a service that lets users upload videos. Just as Twitter limits posts to 140 characters, Vine limits videos to six seconds.

A post on the Twitter blog says, "We're introducing Vine: a mobile service that lets you capture and share short looping videos. Like Tweets, the brevity of videos on Vine (6 seconds or less) inspires creativity. Now that you can easily capture motion and sound, we look forward to seeing what you create."

As of now, the app is available on the iOS App Store, for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Don't be disappointed if you don't own one of the two devices as the company promised to take the service to other platforms.

Vine is being touted as Instagram for video and the app clearly has potential.

Nokia to launch flagship smartphone on Verizon this year-report

Nokia is readying a flagship smartphone for Verizon Wireless, a new report claims.
Verizon is planning to carry the Lumia handset later this year, The Verge is reporting today, citing people who claim to have knowledge of the company's plans. That device, codenamed Laser, will "be a variant" of Nokia's Lumia 920, but it's not clear what sort of features that handset will have.

According to The Verge, Nokia's device will be put on the same playing field as Verizon's other flagship devices, including the iPhone. The addition of a flagship Nokia device on Verizon's network will complement the Lumia 822 currently running on the service. The Lumia 822 is free with a two-year contract.
In other Nokia news, the company's Lumia 900 will be getting an upgrade to Windows Phone 7.8 next week, according to a new report.

Windows Phone fan site WP Central yesterday reported that the operating system update will be coming to AT&T Lumia 900 owners on January 30. The blog is basing its claim on an internal AT&T e-mail it claims to have obtained detailing the update.

Windows Phone 7.8 was announced last year alongside Windows Phone 8. Products running Windows Phone 7, like the Lumia 900, were unable to be updated to Windows Phone 8, leaving Microsoft to build an upgrade for customers who would have been left out in the cold. Windows Phone 7.8 includes a host of improvements, including a new Start screen, new theme colors, and an improved lock screen. The update will be made available free of charge to Lumia 900 owners.
CNET has contacted Nokia for comment on both reports. We will update this story when we have more information.

Mobile Goolgle maps with now street view

Just as Google promised, except the update comes a day early from the promised Thursday release date. If you head on over to the Play Store and go to your Apps, you should see Street View ready to be updated to bring Street View to the native mobile Google Maps. I went ahead and updated and gave it a spin. Works great, really like that you now can see what is around before heading out without having to load up Google Navigation. This makes it easy for a quick view of the street.

With the launch of Street View, iOS users will be happy to hear that they also will be able to join on in the party as they will be able to use Street View using the mobile browser. It wont be the same as using Street View in the native application, but it is better than not having it at all.

You will be able to click and hold the location that you would like to be able to use the Street View. This will bring the tab that will allow you to click on and brings the option to go to Street View. With this update it also brings a icon to go directly to navigate and use Google’s Navigation application, down at the bottom which you also see, you get the Search, Navigation, locations to see what’s around you and layers.
I use Google maps quite a bit and really like what Google has been doing to update the Maps, which is often bringing some great features that are easy to use.

 

The Acer W510 tablet is a great Windows 8 option when traveling

If you are looking for a full Windows 8 tablet and need it to be light weight and have great battery life, a good choice to look for is the Acer W510. The Acer W510 runs the new Atom Z2760 dual-core processor. This is much better than the previous Atom processor that was in what we all new from the Netbook era.

Every year I head out to CES in Las Vegas, I try to lighting my load and this year was no exception. As you can see I decided to bring along my Galaxy Note II best 5.5-inch phone in my opinion, the Samsung Smart PC ATIV 700T for heavy video editing and the Acer W510. Yes the Acer W510.

The Samsung Smart PC ATIV 700T stayed at the hotel room as I wouldn't be using it during the day because my plan was to use and carry the Acer W510 to have the ability to connect back to the office, run full Office for work related Word documents and a few Excel worksheets that just don't work with iOS or Android tablets well. The advantage of the new Atom processor also known as the Clover Trail is the great battery life and the ability to have always on connection. Once you have used a Atom Clover Trail Hybrid Tablet and get the feel for always on and instant on, you want your current PC to have that great ability as well. All email and any calendar items show up as soon as they are pushed on the welcome screen. If you use Skype it can run in the background with the screen off and get your messages with very low power drain. Then you can press the "On" button to quickly glance at any notifications you might have. Sure your mobile phone is the same, but just having the ability on the computer is a plus.

The Atom Clover Trail processor is capable of editing quick videos you might have, normally anything that I at least I have experience is, anything like 4 to 5 minutes video would give you decent rendering time. Here I used the Acer W510 to video record the Galaxy Note II and the Galaxy SIII. The Acer W510 8MP video camera was able to capture decent video quality.

On the show floor I could carry the Acer W510 in my hand when I was replying to emails, had to log in remotely a few times and the 10.1-inch display was a prefect size to achieve this type of work on the go. Acer was one of the first to release a full Windows 8 10.1-inch tablet and is one of the lightest full Windows 8 tablet as well. This made it much easier to read or catch up on what was happening at CES Show as well. I could instantly turn on the Acer W510 and read my RSS feeds using Nextgen Reader, this has become my favorite and excellent reader. If you are running Windows 8, you might want to try it for yourself.

Normally I would always worried about bringing a charger when using my laptop. Well with the new Atom Clover Trail processor I have learned that I don't even think about the charger. That's how well and efficient the new Atom Clover Trail processor is. Sure your not going to be able to run latest games, 2,000 page word document or that very complex Excel worksheet. The point is you can run full Windows 8 with ability to run Winodws applications along with the new metro apps. With the Acer W510 I went through the whole day at CES Show using it constantly and still would have 55% battery life, enough to do some work after dinner at the restaurant. If you manage to purchase the keyboard dock which has a built-battery, you can get up too 19 hours of on the go mobile computing. Now that's some serious battery life! This is a reason I didn't really mind just to carry my Stoweaway Bluetooth keyboard and a very light weight stand to prop the Acer W510 to punch out my work stuff after dinner.

I have been averaging around 8 to 10 hours of battery life with just the Acer W510 tablet. This is pretty much a few hours less or at times depending what applications I am running on my Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet that I get.

On the show floor the on screen keyboard worked great. In portrait with the 10.1-inch display, the on screen keyboard was excellent to use, even in landscape mode it worked better than the Samsung Smart PC Pro 700T and Samsung Smart PC 500T because these are 11.6-inch display and much wider. Not that it is bad on these 11.6-inch device but you can see that it is easier to reach across with the smaller screen.

As you can see the Acer W510 is more than capable to be your next portable tablet and give you the opportunity to run your Windows application with outstanding battery life and great performance with the Atom Clover Trail processor. Everything is very snappy, sure if you want to run Photoshop or edit a video with lots of transition you wouldn't want to be doing this on a Atom processor anyways.

Speakers are load enough to be able to hear music or watch movies on the Acer W510. The speakers are located on the side of the tablet so the sound really sounds pretty good for such a small device. Don't expect to hear the sound in a very noisy room, I did turn up the sound while at the CES Show and was able to lightly hear some music.

For price value, you can basically pickup a Acer W510 Atom Clover Trail tablet for about $399 with a 32GB SSD, or $599 with a 64GB SSD. This might sway some tablet shoppers if the word gets out, but then if your needs are more iOS or Android app geared then this might not look so appealing.

Specs you find in these new Atom Clover Trail tablets are pretty much the same so it will be a matter of what tablet design you like, or in some cases like the Samsung Smart PC, Asus VivoTab TF810C and the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2, it comes with a Wacom digitizer for ability to use a stylus to take notes.

• 10.1-inch display
• 1366 x 768 pixels 155 ppi
• Capacitive 5 point mult-touch
• Atom Dual-core 1.5MHz / 1.8MHz max
• SGX545 VR @ 533MHz
• 2GB RAM Dual-channel 800MHz LPDDR2
• 32GB or 64GB SSD eMMC Storage
• MicroSD up to 64GB
• 8MP Rear camera Auto focus
• 1920 x 1080p HD
• 2MP front facing camera
• Stereo speakers
• Bluetooth
• NFC
• 802.11 a/b/g/n
• Micro USB
• Micro HDMI
• Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass
• 10.18 x 6.60 x 0.35
• 1.27 lbs

I see by the time CES 2014 rolls around, we should see the new higher performance from Haswell processors that will give us better battery life and the always on connection that we are seeing with Atom processors. With that in mind, it seems that every year I reduce my load by one computer, so here is hoping that I will just need to carry one hybrid tablet and maybe my iPad Mini or Galaxy Note 8 to the next CES Show.

Google shares climb as stems ad price decline

Google shares jumped more than 4pc in extended trading after its latest results showed an improvement in the amount advertisers pay for each user's click.

Tata starts making Jaguars in Pune

To make its cars more affordable for Indian buyers, Mumbai-based Tata Motors has started assembling the Jaguar XF at its new facility in Chakan near Pune.

This has allowed the company to offer the luxury saloon at Rs 44.5 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai), pitting it directly against the BMW 5 series and the Mercedes Benz E Class.

So far, the Jaguar XF was imported from the UK as a fully-built unit. The car was launched in the country in 2010 for Rs 48.37 lakh. However, subsequent increases in import charges led to a rise in its prices.

The Jaguar XF is Jaguar Land Rover’s second model to be assembled in India.

In May 2011, the company started manufacturing the Land Rover Freelander 2 at the Chakan assembly plant. Jaguar XF models manufactured at Chakan would have the 2.2-litre diesel engine; this is the first time such engines would be available in the Indian market.

Rohit Suri, vice-president, Jaguar Land Rover India, said, “Our best-selling models in India are the Land Rover Freelander 2 and the Jaguar XF, and this has driven the move to build these products locally. We are delighted to offer this car as a locally-built product with a new engine for this market. This would enable us to provide our customers with a wider choice of competitively priced models.”

A company statement said the Jaguar XF also had other variants---with a three-litre V6 turbocharged engine (peak power of 275 hp) and a five-litre supercharged V8 engine (peak power of 375 hp).

The car features an array of upgrades available as standard features such as rear view camera, TV tuner, navigation system, optimised audio and navigation controls, front passenger seat away, touch screen, gear-shifting paddles, full-size spare wheel, electric sunroof and rear screen electric blind.

Google sees Q4 revenue rise to $14.4 bn despite Motorola losses

 

Google eked out slightly higher earnings in the fourth quarter, despite a financial drag caused by the Internet search leader’s expansion into device manufacturing and a decline in digital ad prices as more people gaze into the smaller screens of smartphones.

The results announced Tuesday pleased investors, helping to lift Google’s stock by nearly 5 percent in extended trading.

More advertising poured into Google during the holiday shopping season, fueling a moneymaking machine that has steadily churned out higher profits since the company went public in 2004. Google’s fourth-quarter ad revenue totaled $12.1 billion, a 19 percent increase from the previous year.

Some of that money, though, has been shifting away from personal computers as advertisers try to connect with an expanding audience that relies on smartphones and tablet computers to reach Google’s search engine, email and other online services. By some estimates, about one-fourth of Google’s search requests are now coming from mobile devices.

So far, advertisers have been unwilling to pay much money to market their wares on mobile devices, largely because the smaller screens leave less room for commercial links and other marketing messages. The trend is one of the reasons that the average price for the ads that Google shows next to its search results has fallen from the previous year in five consecutive quarters —including during the final three months of last year.

In a positive sign, though, Google’s average ad prices in the most recent quarter dropped by just 6 percent from the same period in 2011. That’s the smallest decline during the economic downturn.

Airtel opens dynamic mobile exchange to support Bring Your Own Device trend

 

Bharti Airtel has launched Airtel Dynamic Mobile Exchange (DME) for corporates. The solution allows the workforce to access enterprise data from anywhere on a device of their choice, in a secure manner- thus enhancing the business productivity while meeting mobile data security requirements of the enterprise.

With ever changing business environment and with more demanding customers - ubiquitous mobile is emerging as an alternative that helps in maintaining better work-life balance. From field-force to in-house executives, employees prefer to use personal smart phones and tablet for official work. Keeping pace with this demand, the concept of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is gaining momentum and therefore security of data sitting on these devices are paramount for every organization. Airtel DME ensures seamless implementation of the Enterprise BYOD concept without compromising on corporate data security.

 As a unique feature, Airtel DME allows employees to segregate official & personal data on the same device by containerizing the information such as emails, data applications, documents etc. The solution empowers IT administrators to remotely manage and control the device basis individual company policy. In case of loss of the mobile device, the corporate container can be remotely locked and data can be wiped off, thereby protecting sensitive corporate information.

"With changing business environment, youth driven trends like BYOD is gaining ground in India. According to industry estimates, approximately 70% of all smart phone-owning professionals are now using their personal devices to access corporate data, but almost 80% of today's BYOD activity remains inadequately managed because of various security concerns. This calls for businesses to implement innovative solutions that allow them to take control and benefit from BYOD phenomenon - without losing corporate data. AirtelDME provides a secure mobile solution to our corporate customers, allowing their workforce to access company information - anytime, anywhere,'' said Drew Kelton, president, Airtel Business, Bharti Airtel.

Canada may have to review future Research In Motion handset unit sale

 

The Canadian government might have to review any sale of BlackBerry maker Research in Motion Ltd's handset business to a foreign buyer, Industry Minister Christian Paradis told Reuters on Tuesday.

Asked if he would allow such a sale to a foreign company, Paradis said "It's speculation and each decision on each case is based on its own merit, so it would premature for me to speculate on any of these kinds of cases.

"So if something was going to occur, then we would have to determine if it was reviewable or not, depending on the threshold (of the value of the transaction), and then we go with the net-benefit test."

He was referring to a provision in the Investment Canada Act that requires the government to determine whether certain foreign investments in Canada are of net benefit to the country.

The markets have gained renewed excitement over RIM because of its new BlackBerry 10 operating system and because Chief Executive Thorsten Heins said its strategic review could potentially lead to the sale of its handset business.

"We hope to see RIM remain a global leader and player, and make sure it can grow organically," Paradis said by phone from Germany, where he is meeting with industrial leaders to promote Canada as a place to invest and to learn how they innovate.

Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper told Reuters last February that he wanted to see RIM grow "as a Canadian company." He singled out hostile takeovers and bids for what he described as "critical technology" companies as ones that Ottawa might block.

On a separate topic, Paradis said the government did not intend at present to lift foreign ownership restrictions on Canada's large telephone companies.

In March it eliminated foreign ownership restrictions on telecommunications carriers with a market share of 10 percent or less. But the rules remained for large companies including BCE Inc, Rogers Communications Inc, Telus Corp and Shaw Communications Inc.

For such companies, foreign ownership is limited to 20 percent of voting shares and indirect control to 46.7 percent.

He said if Canada were to change rules for the large telecom carriers, it would get tangled up with separate rules on broadcasting companies, which are required to have a minimum of Canadian broadcasting content.

"This is not in the cards of our government to go further down this road as we speak," he said.