AbpMon: Dockable Toolbar Which Displays System Stats [Windows]

As an avid Windows user (or computer user in general), your system’s status is very important to you. You’ll want to know exactly why your system may be running slow, whether it be a fully utilized CPU, not enough free RAM, or if you have enough resources to open up a certain program. If there’s a process which didn’t close completely or if Windows is just being a downright hog, you should be able to see it.

AbpMon is a resizable, dockable toolbar for your Windows desktop which displays all of your system’s vital stats in real time. Among many other features, it allows you to check things such as CPU utilization, RAM usage, network traffic speeds, disk I/O rates, and total number of processor handles.

While it doesn’t seem to be as configurable where it can look as beautiful as Conky for Linux, it definitely gets the job done by running on Windows versions as old as NT 4.0.

Features:

• Allows you to check your system’s vital stats.
• Resizeable and dockable.
• Runs on NT 4.0, 2000, XP, Server 2003, Vista, Server 2008, 7, and Server 2008 R2.

Check it out @ http://www.iarsn.com/abpmon.html

Direct YouTube Downloader: Download Entire Channels & Playlists From YouTube [Windows]

YouTube downloaders are great tools if you want to view YouTube content offline, but most of them offer barebones features that just get the job done. But Direct YouTube Downloader is a different beast. This Windows-only app lets you download all your favorites and videos of selected channels.

Direct YouTube Downloader also works well for individual downloads. But the power features of this app takes the cake. It can download entire channels and playlists where you can also set the resolution of the downloaded video, or choose a preset for your device. It can download videos up to ULTRA HD 4K and convert the video for your exact device.

The app auto-installs a search toolbar for your browser, so if you don’t want it, make sure to uncheck the options before clicking install. Direct YouTube Downloader is a great app for binge YouTube fans, or for those who want to download multi-part videos for offline viewing.

Features:

• Download YouTube videos from one whole channel or playlist.
• Works only for Windows.
• Set resolution to match your device.
• Download up to ULTRA HD 4K.

Check out Direct YouTube Downloader @ http://www.majorshare.com/direct-youtube-downloader

Infinite Social Wall: Turn Your Social Feeds In A Pinterest-Like Feed On Your Site

Do you own a website? Are you looking for a way to display feeds in an elegant, beautiful way? If you use PHP and MySQL to mange your website, Infinite Social Wall is the perfect tool to make this happen. It allows you to create a stunning page that looks and functions beautifully. The design is reminiscent of a mosaic, which makes it easy for your visitors to navigate and see what you are up to. It is perfect for a personal blog.

Infinite Social Wall uses the Isotope plugin. It features an infinite scrolling feature, so users can scroll through your social feeds endlessly. If you are interesting, this should help keep them on your site for longer.

Infinite Social Wall supports Google Plus, Github, Pinterest, Twitter, Stackoverflow, Reddit, and Instagram. It can also use RSS feeds to work with any other website. You can edit the CSS to give it the look and feel you need for your website. This is a very well done tool for your website, and it is definitely worth adding to your personal blog to allow your readers a glimpse into your life.

Features:

• PHP and MySQL code available for websites.
• Handy guide on setting it up on your site.
• Beautiful and functional Pinterest-like social feeds.
• Supports many popular networks.
• Supports RSS feeds.

Find Infinite Social Wall on GitHub

Spectacle: Easily Organize Windows Without Using Your Mouse [Mac]

Do you use your Mac to work on multiple things at once? If you find yourself switching back and forth between multiple documents all the time, doing it manually can be a pain. You have to constantly switch back and forth or manually drag the windows so they fit comfortably on the screen. Or, you can simply install Spectacle and use it to organize your windows with just a couple of button presses on your keyboard.

Spectacle allows you to quickly arrange your windows in a variety of ways. You can have them go in the center, top, bottom, sides and in the corners. You can also use a keyboard shortcut to have an open window pop over to a second display.

It will take a little while to learn the shortcuts, but once you do it will become second nature. This awesome app makes managing all of your open stuff much quicker and easier.

Features:

• Easily organize open windows on your Mac.
• Move windows to the top, bottom, center,  sides and in corners.
• Move windows to second display.
• Runs in the background.
• Simple keyboard shortcuts to move windows.

Find Spectacle on the Mac App Store

Awesome Note for Android APK extracted from leaked Note 8.0 ROM

Waiting to get your hands on Awesome Note app for Android, well the APK is now available for download at XDA. Forum member jujuburi has extracted the installable APK from a leaked Note 8.0 ROM, and it is reportedly working fine on Samsung Galaxy Note II, and Galaxy Note 10.1 devices.

Awesome Note is pretty popular note taking app on iOS platform. It is supposed to make exclusive debut for Android on Galaxy Note 8.0, but thanks to a leaked ROM of this upcoming tablet, we already have access to this app. There is no word right now on Google Play release of the app.

Awesome Note comes with S-Pen compatibility, so it would work flawlessly with Note-series devices, but you can always try on more devices and see if it works, drop a comment you are successful.

Here are some of the features of Awesome Note:

Sliding interface
Folders with drag & drop
Coloured themes
Calendar view, quick-add, search/ sort
Various note types
Cloud support for backup

Download from here Dropbox or  Hotfile or  Google Drive

Google gets patent for new power-saving technique on computing devices

Google has been awarded a new patent for technology to save power on a smartphone (or any computing device) by changing its display qualities depending on battery-level. It shows a pretty interesting way to save power on devices and we would love to see them integrated in Android.

As per the patent description, the patented technique works with OLED displays and begins with determining the battery-level of the device. It presents three power-saving modes, which can be defined based three remaining power ranges in the battery. The first range can be greater than the second range and the second range can be greater than the third range.

Now, using this patented technique, the device will trigger these power-saving modes as soon as the remaining power on the battery reaches a defined range.  Here is a patent diagram that explains it pretty well. You can read more about nitty-gritties of the patent at this link. (http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect2=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=/netahtml/PTO/search-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&d=PALL&RefSrch=yes&Query=PN/8407502)

It is pretty common for companies to file numerous patents and not all of them are used in actual products, so just the existence of this patent does not necessarily means that we are going to see this technology in action, but it will surely be good for Android and its battery woes.

LG Optimus G2 appears online; packs Snapdragon 800, full HD display

Given the fact that LG’s current flagship Optimus G falls behind flagships from other manufacturers, company is already working to introduce its successor in the form of Optimus G2. Now, this upcoming smartphone from LG has appeared on a benchmarking site, in turn revealing the key specs of the phone.

According to listing on GLbenchmark, LG Optimus G2 D801 will come with 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974)  processor, Adreno 330 GPU, full HD 1920x1080p display of unknown size, and Android 4.2.2.

As you can see in the fingerprint or product details, the phone is at-least headed to T-Mobile USA. Also, considering the display resolution mentioned in the listing, the Optimus G2 seems to be sporting on-screen navigation buttons.

Other details are currently unknown, but we can expect to see at-least 2GB RAM, 13MP or more camera, front camera, and a big battery in the phone.

Previous rumours had put the release around IFA trade fair later this year, but considering the phone is already popping up in benchmarks, it might be announced before that. We are digging for more information and will update the story in case of more details.

Sony to launch 5-inch Cybershot, Walkman phones in Q3 [Rumour]

Sony is reportedly planning to capitalize on its Cybershot and Walkman brands by launching two new 5-inch smartphones in Q3 of this year.  According to a report in Phone Arena, Sony CEO Kaz Hirai has this dream pet project to show off their camera and sound tech in new smartphones that will be released in time for holiday shopping.

This might not be the first time we will see Walkman branded smartphones from Sony Mobile, which has earlier launched two phones “Live with Walkman & W8, when it was still Sony Ericsson. However, if this rumour is indeed true, we will for the first time see a Cybershot branded smartphone in company’s Xperia series.

These smartphones are going to be dubbed as Sony Xperia Walkman and Sony Xperia Cybershot. Apart from these two phones, Sony is also working on another phone that will provide top of the line specs with comparably smaller display size.

Here are the rumoured details about these smartphones:

Sony Xperia Walkman: Integrated amplifier chip, high-end  specs, Walkman series goodies
Sony Xperia Cybershot: Best possible camera, Sensor size almost equal to Nokia Pureview 808, Carl Zeiss optics, and top of line specs as well
Unnamed Sony phone: Small form factor, small display, top of the line specs
There is no way to authenticate these rumours, so until we see some credible proof, these are mere speculations from a creative tipster.

Google starts shipping Nexus 7 ahead of schedule in India

Looks like Google has started shipping the newly released Nexus 7 tablets from Google Play ahead of the expected April 5 schedule. The tablet was recently launched in India via Google Play for INR 15,999.

The initial orders have already started reaching the consumers, like the following.

As earlier expected, Google is shipping these Nexus 7 tablets from Singapore, and has already included both custom duty and shipping in the pricing, so consumers don’t have to worry about anything.

Google Nexus 7 might seem like an old tablet, but it is still one of the best tablets, you can buy in this pricing.  With the recent launch of Google Play Movies, already available Google Play Books, consumers also get access to a content ecosystem, which is likely to expand in the coming weeks with the launch of Play Music and Magazines.

To remind you, Google Nexus 7 has been manufactured by Asus and comes with features like 7-inch 1280x800p display, 1GB RAM, Android 4.1 (Android 4.2.2 OTA update available), 1.2GHz quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor and 1.2MP front camera.

Google’s unified messaging service to be called ‘Babel’ not ‘Babble’: Report

We have been hearing about Google’s rumoured unified communications service “Babble” for quite some time now, but a new report is suggesting the actual name of the service might be ‘Babel’ not ‘Babble.’

The service is rumoured to combine Google services like Voice, Talk, and Google+ Messenger into one cross-platform chat solution that will bring in a host of new capabilities.

According to Droid-Life, Google Babel will bring seamless messenger experience across platforms like Android, iOS, Chrome, Google+ and Gmail. Here is a list of feature that we might see in Google Babel:

Access the same conversation list from anywhere
A new, conversation-based UI
Advanced group conversations
Ability to send pictures
Improved notifications across devices
Why Babel?

Droid-Life speculates that it might have something to do with the Biblical reference of “Tower of Babel,” or even the Brad Pitt movie – Babel.

There is still no word on when can we see the actual launch of this service, but given the sudden influx of rumours and leaks, the release of Google Babel might be nearer than expected, else we can obviously see it at Google I/O.

Samsung to launch full HD 8-inch tablet to take on iPad mini 2: Report

Samsung is reportedly building another 8-inch tablet after Galaxy Note 8.0 that will be directly competing with Apple iPad Mini 2.  The rumoured iPad mini 2 is expected to come with Retina display, so Samsung is putting an AMOLED full HD display panel in the upcoming 8-inch Galaxy tablet, reports SamMobile.

This 8-inch tablet will reportedly be announced at IFA trade fair.  There is no word on other features of the tablet, but we can expect to see at least quad-core processor, 2GB RAM and Android 4.2.2.

The publication also notes that Samsung has delayed the earlier rumoured 10.1-inch AMOLED full HD tablet, but it will still be bringing a high-resolution tablet at the IFA trade fair.

In related news, Samsung is all set to announce its next Note series smartphone at IFA, which is rumoured to come with a 5.9-inch flexible unbreakable display.  Company’s Galaxy S 4 mini smartphone is also seemingly confirmed and will be coming soon after Galaxy S 4 market debut in April-end.

Facebook to hold Android event on April 4, phone launch?

Facebook has started sending out invites to the tech press for an event on April 4, where the company promises to show something related to Android.

The invite states ‘come see out new home on Android,’ which could many things including new app, or a home-screen replacement that integrates Facebook or even an Android powered phone with Facebook specific customizations.

TechCrunch is betting its money on the phone launch, the tech blog wrote that the phone is going to be the much rumoured HTC device with modified Android operating system.  TechCrunch added that that customisations won’t be something like what Amazon does with Android, but will just have an extra flavour over Android that will bring all sorts of extra Facebook functionality.

“We’ve also heard it referred to as an “application layer”. Imagine Facebook’s integration with iOS 6, but on steroids, and built by Facebook itself. It could have a heavy reliance on Facebook’s native apps like Messenger, easy social sharing from anywhere on the phone, and more,” noted TechCrunch in a post.

In a separate report, 9To5Google adds that Facebook and HTC are currently working on join ad campaign, which gives credence to the reports of HTC made Facebook phone, else why would HTC be advertising with Facebook.

9To5Google writes:

“According to people familiar with the development of the marketing campaign for the Facebook/HTC phone, the advertisements are designed to focus on the potential user of the device, not on the hardware or software. As a nod to this phone being a much expanded version of the Facebook application found on iOS and standard Android devices, one of the tag-lines for the device is “more than just an app.”
The report also notes quoting a source, who has seen this alleged Facebook phone hardware, that this phone remind of an iPhone and packs a display bigger than 4-inch. Some previous reports had pegged the Facebook phone to feature a 4.3-inch display, which sounds similar to more than 4-inch display that 9to5Google source is talking about.

There is no way to authenticate these reports, but at least we will be seeing something related to Android on April 4, so take all this with a pinch of salt and wait for the actual announcement.

Nexus 4 now shipping with updated design: Report

Google and LG have apparently decided to tweak the design of Nexus 4 smartphone for good. It is not a major design revamp, but two small tweaks. The latest batch of Nexus 4 smartphones, shipping at least in Germany and United States, seems to feature these changes. We think these design changes will soon start reaching other countries too.

The first tweak is the presence of two new small nubs just above the screw holes. This change is certainly going to be a big positive for new buyers; it will lift the phone slightly, thus helping with speaker sound. Without these numbs, the sound usually gets mushed when the phone is placed on the rear. The rear speaker issue is not just a problem with Nexus 4, almost every other smartphone comes with speakers on the back, and HTC has solved it in HTC One by putting the speakers on the front.

The other tweak is in the rear camera housing, which seems to have been made smaller, but we don’t see any positives coming out of it. Android Central speculates that it might help with light leakage.

Have you recently bought a new Nexus 4 smartphone and found these changes, do let us know in comment.

Sony to launch entry-level 5-inch smartphone with quad-core CPU: Report

Remember, we recently told you about the reports of MediaTek quad-core processor powered Sony smartphone; well, new details have emerged for the same. According to a report in Digitimes, this Sony smartphone will come with 5-inch display and will be launched in the third quarter of 2013.

Given the recent launches of Xperia SP and Xperia L smartphones, the third-quarter release of this unnamed Sony smartphone seems about right.

Digitimes wrote:

Sony plans to roll out a 5-inch entry-level model in the third quarter, which is likely to be powered by a MediaTek quad-core processor and manufactured by Arima, indicated the industry sources.
A recent report had suggested that Sony has ordered MediaTek’s quad-core MT6589 chip solutions and the same are expected to be used in this Sony phone.

The entry-level and mid-range phablet market is turning out to be quite lucrative in the emerging markets like India and Samsung has already realised that and launched Galaxy Grand in mid-range. So, it seems right for Sony to also jump in the segment.

The rumoured Sony smartphone is reportedly being made by Taiwanese OEM Arima Communications, which has also reportedly manufactured Sony’s Xperia E smartphone.

Apart from the 5-inch display, no other details about this Sony phablet are known right now, but we expect to hear more in the coming days.

No real Facebook phone launch on April 4, says WSJ

Facebook is merely developing home-screen replacement software for Android devices that integrates Facebook functionality and HTC is the first manufacturer to integrate it in a phone.

WSJ adds:

“The social network has been developing new software for mobile devices powered by Google’s Android operating system that displays content from users’ Facebook accounts on a smartphone’s home screen–the first screen visible when they turn on the device, people familiar with the situation said.”
HTC might be the first smartphone manufacturer to integrate this FB made software in a phone, but the social giant is reportedly working to reach similar arrangements with other companies too.

Facebook already has two consumer centric-apps for Android platform, but the company wants to put it in front of the consumers’ eyes when they turn on the device, thus an Android home-screen replacement app.

Such customisations are not possible with iOS, so Facebook has chosen Android, noted WSJ in the report.

“While Apple’s tightly controlled ecosystem offers little room for customization, Google’s Android software is far more malleable, providing more latitude for Facebook and handset makers to shape the user experience,” added Wall Street Journal.

A home-screen app like HTC One’s Blinkfeed certainly seem plausible than an entire hardware from Facebook. Whatever the case might be, we will soon know everything.

Lenovo S920 quad core smartphone with Jelly Bean launched

The quad core Mediatek chipset based device will be made available in April carrying an affordable price tag as well.

Computer and mobile device major, Lenovo has announced yet another Android smartphone, called as the Lenovo S920. The handset has been announced for the China market as of now but it is expected to make its way to the India market in the following months.

The Lenovo S920 runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean with Lenovo's custom user interface layered on top of it, making it the first handset of Lenovo to have the latest Android OS. The Lenovo S920 offers a 5.3 inch LCD display with an HD 1280 x 720 pixel resolution. The device is powered with Mediatek's MT6589 quad-core processor running at 1.2 GHz and 1 GB RAM.

Though not confirmed by the company, the smartphone is reported to have 8 GB of internal storage along with a micro SD card slot for expandable storage as well. The Lenovo S920 features an 8 megapixel rear camera and a 2 megapixel front-facing camera for imagery and video calling respectively. With 7.9mm thickness, it surely beats most other devices out there in the market. The device also features a 2,250 mAh battery.

The Lenovo S920 smartphone is expected to be priced anywhere between Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000 but a confirmation of the same is still awaited from Lenovo.

Humble mobile bundle now available for android devices

The pay as much as you want bundle is back for Android with some awesome collection of games to offer.

Humble Bundle has announced a new offer for mobile game enthusiasts. Called Humble Mobile Bundle, it offers up to six different Android games for just $5.51 (Rs 300).

If you pay anything below that you can get a set of four games including the popular sequel of Anomaly Warzone Earth, and the Anomaly Korea which is priced at Rs 210 alone. Also, you will get physics puzzle games Contre Jour, the defense action game Plants vs. Zombies, and third person action brawler Bladeslinger.

If you have paid above the average price ($5.51), you can also get two additional games that include side-scrolling shooter game called Metal Slug 3 and the mysterious and intriguing puzzler called The Room which is available on Android for the first time ever.

All the games are full version games without any form of advertisements and annoying bits. The Humble Bundle allows users to pay as much as they want and get all the games included in the bundle for fraction of the cost. The Humble Bundle distributes money directly to developers, gives some to charity and keeps a bit for itself to keep thing in motion.

Users paying and purchasing the Humble Mobile Bundle will also get access to DRM-free direct downloads for sound files as well from the games.

Micromax A116 Canvas HD finally available at major retailers

Soon after getting the second batch of A116 Canvas HD smartphones, Micromax has ended the exclusivity agreement with Snapdeal. This popular budget smartphone is now available at online retailers like Infibeam (http://www.infibeam.com/Mobiles/i-Micromax-A116-Canvas-HD-Smartphone/P-E-M-Micromax-A116.html), UniverCell (http://www.univercell.in/buy/MicroMax/A116_Canvas_HD) and should reach brick and mortar stores too over the weekend.

Micromax A116 originally went on sale on February 14, but was soon sold out and several consumers were forced to wait for weeks due to the lack stocks. The company was finally able to get its hands on more stock of the phone recently, and then shipped it to the waiting customers.

Micromax A116 Canvas HD smartphone packs specifications like 5-inch 720p display, 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 1GB RAM, 8MP rear camera, front camera and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Soon after the release of A116, several other manufacturers like XOLO and Karbonn have also launched competing devices.

Micromax has seen a lot of success with its Canvas series smartphones and the rumours of a new version are already circulating in the wild, but we are yet to hear about any confirmations.

Micromax A116 Canvas HD key features

5 inch IPS HD Screen with the resolution of 1280×720 pixels
1.2 GHz Quad Core processor
8MP Auto Focus Camera with LED Flash
Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean OS
Wi-Fi, 3G and GPS
1GB RAM
2000 mAh battery

Micromax Canvas 2 now available for Rs 10,499

The phone disappeared from the market sometime back but it is now available again in the market for its original price.

Micromax Canvas 2, which had earlier disappeared from the market, is now available again that too for Rs 10,499.

Canvas 2 is one of the most popular phones of Micromax. Such was its demand that its price rose from Rs 9999 to Rs 10,500 and later to even around Rs 12,000. Infact, most online retailers are still selling it for Rs 11,500 or more.

The dual SIM handset comes with Android ICS operating system but as we reported earlier, Micromax has released the Jelly Bean update for the phone. It has a dual core 1 GHz processor, 5 inch screen, 8 megapixel rear camera, VGA front camera, 2000 mAh battery, 2 GB internal memory and 32 GB of external memory slot.

Though the phone was once popular in India but in recent times many other smartphones have been launched in the market as well which looks even better. For instance, there is Xolo Q800, Karbonn Titanium S5, UMI X2 etc which are priced around Rs 12,000and comes with quad core processors and 1 GB RAM.

Aircel offering 40 MB data for free to Nimbuzz adopters in J&K

Aircel would send SMS to its subscriber base for downloading Nimbuzz from a fixed URL and 40 MB free data would be given to the users.

Aircel, in collaboration with Nimbuzz, has announced a new offer for its prepaid subscribers in Jammu and Kashmir. Under this scheme, Aircel prepaid subscribers will be given an option to download and use Nimbuzz, a cross platform messaging and chat client for free.

To help them use the service of Nimbuzz Aircel will be offering one time 40 MB of free GPRS data which the customers would be free to use all over the country if they wish to travel as well.

Aircel would send SMS to its subscriber base for downloading Nimbuzz from a fixed URL and 40 MB data would be transferred to the users who would download the app and sign in within 24 hours of activation. The free data will be valid for a period of 30 days and users would be free to use it with the Nimbuzz application or to explore other things on the internet as well.

Nimbuzz is available on most mobile devices across all major platforms such as BlackBerry 7/10, Android, iOS, Symbian, Windows Phone, and Java (feature phones). This offer is open to each and every prepaid subscriber residing and registered out of Jammu and Kashmir.

Google Translate app: Click text in English and translate it in Hindi

You will be not able to translate to Hindi language in offline mode but you can translate you SMSes to Hindi in offline mode

Google has updated its Translate app for Android. The new update will allow you to use your camera, to capture text and then translate in any of the 50 languages supported by the app including Hindi.

You will be not able to translate to Hindi language in offline mode but you can translate you SMSes to Hindi in offline mode.

To get the Hindi language support in the offline mode, you must first download the Google Translate app and then go to menu and select Offline languages. Then choose Hindi from 50 available language packs. You'll then be prompted to choose whether to download the files over your mobile data network or over WiFi.

Google Glass to be ‘made in USA’: Report

After the home streaming device Nexus Q, Google has now decided to manufacturer its second hardware product in the United States. According to a report by Financial Times, Google will manufacture Glass in Silicon Valley.

Google is reportedly working with Hon Hai, the company behind iPhone/ iPad assembler Foxconn, to assemble this futuristic AR eyegear at Santa Clara in California.

“The small scale, high cost and complexity of the project’s initial run makes it practical to base manufacturing operations near the search company’s Silicon Valley headquarters, according to people briefed on the plans,” FT noted in the report.

Traditionally, top US electronics companies have outsourced the assembling of products to China and other cheap labour countries.

It is not sure whether Google wants to manufacture all Google Glass devices at this US factory or will shift the base to China after the initial run, which is currently scheduled to be made here and consists of a few thousand Google Glass devices.

Company has just finalized the second list of 8,000 early adopters, which will get access to this wearable computing device before public. It had earlier allowed, developers at Google I/O 2012 to order the Glass for $1500 to test drive it before anyone else outside Google.

It is likely that Google is only making these 8,000 Google Glass products at this California factory, but a lot will depend on the company’s experience with this “made in USA” manufacturing process and if everything goes better than expected Google might decide to keep the Google Glass manufacturing in US. But, these are lot of ‘if’s and we would rather wait and see the next course of action then speculate more.

Google Glass is an ambitious project from the search giant, which is aiming to take it to the mass market by the end of 2013.

Samsung Galaxy S 4 first smartphone to come with HEVC (H.265) support

Similar to other Galaxy S series smartphones, Samsung Galaxy S 4 also comes with a pretty impressive feature-set, but it comes with something that is yet to become a common-sighting in the smartphone arena – High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) support.

HEVC aka H.265 is the is the next-generation video coding standard and a successor to H.264/MPEG-4 AVC (Advanced Video Coding), which is currently used by all the video streaming sites, HDTVs and smartphones.

HEVC has just started to become visible on the scene and we saw many companies showing implementations of H.265 at CES and MWC 2013, but its support in a popular and mainstream smartphone like Galaxy S 4 takes it to the whole new level and is likely to have a huge impact on video streaming services and video downloads.

What does HEVC mean for me?

The current state of HD video streaming is crippled because of the inefficiencies of H.264. Where current streaming services using H.264 standard need a minimum internet speed of 5Mbps to stream full HD, with the use of H.265, there won’t needing so much of bandwidth, in fact the full HD video streaming will be possible with just 2-2.5Mbps internet speeds. With HEVC support, the streaming services will also be able to stream Ultra HD videos without the need of truckload bandwidth.

Even if you are not concerned about streaming, even for movie file sizes, with the use of H.265, the full HD movie could now be fit in half the size of current standard.

So, as soon as the video content using H.265 starts to appear in the coming days, Galaxy S 4 will be ready to consume it without any issue unlike any of the current crop of smartphones.

Google’s #ifihadglass results are in; invites already rolling-out

Google has announced that it has selected the lucky “Glass Explorers”, who will be getting access to Google Glass ahead of public.  Company started inviting these lucky few via Google+ and Twitter yesterday and at the time of writing this post; we could see at least 68 invitees on Twitter. The number is expected to be even higher on Google+.

Google had earlier invited “creative” people to apply to become Glass Explorers – the individuals with early access to Google Glass and using it for creative purposes.

Google Glass team wrote on Google+:

A few weeks ago we revealed that we were seeking Explorers to help us shape the future of Glass. To do that, we asked people across Google+ and Twitter to tell us what they would do #ifihadglass . We could never have imagined such an enthusiastic response! There were so many creative, diverse, and (sometimes) crazy applications. We’ve certainly learned a lot through this whole process and it’s inspiring to hear how much passion there is for Glass.
Now for the really exciting bit… we know you’ve all been waiting patiently, which is why we’re pleased to announce that the results are in. Over the next few days we’ll be sending out invitations to our Explorer Program through Google+ and Twitter. So, keep a lookout for tweets and G+ posts from @projectglass and +Project Glass to see if you’ve been invited.
If you are one of the lucky ones and haven’t already received the invite, it will be coming to you on Twitter or Google+ in the coming days.

To remind you, Google had earlier revealed to The Verge that it is planning to make Google Mass available in mass market by the year-end. Company also noted on Google+ last month that this retail version of Google Glass with come with support for prescription lenses.

Google Play Movies finally available in India

After the books, Google now has the movie buffs sorted too. Google Play Movies is finally here in India. It's a new section on the Play Store that could well turn out to be your newest movie shopping destination.

Google Play Movies lets you buy or rent movies for as little as Rs 80. You can pick from a range of titles that are sorted into various sections like Staff Picks and New Releases. By the looks of it, the new releases are up for rent only, while you can buy the older titles. Those looking to buy or rent movies can choose from the HD or the SD versions of films; upon renting a movie, you can start watching within 30 days of purchase and continue to watch for up to 48 hours. Once a movie is purchased, it will be available in the library.

The Google Play Movies and TV app can be used to watch movies and TV shows purchased on Google Play. TV shows are currently available in the US only. Using the app, Indian users can stream movies instantly on their devices or download them. Head over to the Play store to download the Google Play Movies and TV app.

The iTunes store started allowing Indian users to purchase books, music and rent movies in December last year. Non-HD movies are available for as low as Rs 190 for purchase and Rs 80 to rent.

Earlier this month, Google Play Books was finally made available in India. Google Play Books has a wide variety of books you can buy or download for free. Like the rest of Google Play, Books too has been arranged in various sections, including Top Selling, Top Free, New Arrivals in Fiction and New Arrivals in Non-Fiction. You can also browse through categories such as Biographies, Children's Books, Cooking, Fiction & Literature, History and Romance.

The same day, the Play Books app was also updated for performance and UI improvements. There is a drop-down menu in the library that allows you to filter books by type.

In December last year, the Google Play Books app was updated to include a slew of interesting new features. Users can now listen to most flowing text books thanks to the 'Read Aloud' feature, and pinch or double-tap within books to zoom-in or out.

The Google Play Books app allows users to read their favourite books and authors on the go. Users can choose from millions of titles on Google Play including new releases, New York Times best sellers, up-and-coming authors and free books. The app offers users a range of genres to pick from. Users can even personalise their reading experience and start from where they left on their phone, tablet or computer.

Amazon Phone to come with 4.7-inch display: Report

After the reports of delay in the production of Amazon’s rumoured smartphone, we are now hearing that Amazon is using a 4.7-inch display in the smartphone.

Digitimes is reporting that the retail giant Amazon first considered using a 4.3-inch display but later dropped the plans in favour of 4.7-inch, given the recent popularity of large-screened phones.

Amazon is aiming for a second quarter release, but sources point out that that the company might not be able to stick to the schedule as the production hasn’t been all smooth at Foxconn, which is making the Amazon smartphone.

The report also added that Amazon might be enhancing other specifications on the phone too.

Digitimes adds:

Amazon has also reportedly been working on enhancing other specifications of the smartphone. However, the sources did not reveal if Amazon’s recent changes to the device were the reason for rumors in the market stating that mass production of the device may be delayed until later in the second quarter of the year or possibly later.
There are no other details available right now, but given the hardware history of Amazon, we would expect the company to price the phone aggressively.

Samsung Galaxy S 4 wallpapers, ringtones, S-Voice APK, full dump leaked [Download]

The Samsung Galaxy S 4 official availability might still be a month away but if you want to get your hands on some of the Galaxy S 4 goodies now – you are in luck. Folks at SamMobile got their hands on a leaked system image of Galaxy S 4 and have extracted stuff like wallpapers and ringtones for public sharing.

They have also taken the out the APK for S-Voice version coming in S 4 for mass consumption. S- Voice latest version seems to be working fine on Galaxy Note II, Galaxy S III, while it had some issues with AOSP based firmwares.

The site has also published the full system dump from which they have taken out the wallpapers and stuff. You can download it right now for your tinkering and extracting any cool stuff that you can find.


Download S-Voice APK, Wallpapers, Ringtones, Full System Dump.

Pac Man goes available on Google Play Store for free

Popular mobile and console game now goes absolutely free for Android devices globally.

Global video games brand Namco has made its most popular game Pac Man available on Google Play Store for free.

In addition to a faithful reproduction of the arcade classic, this app includes a brand new Tournament mode featuring constantly updated mazes, performance based score multipliers that will help bring a new level of challenge and excitement for the players. The game brings along a variety of new mazes and new items for the Pac man to gobble up for some additional scores as well.

The game includes the main character that has to escape the guards while gobbling up all the elements (yellow dots) forms the mazes. Now this can done by tricking them or outsmarting them as there is no fighting involved in this classic game.

Earlier the game was priced at $5 or Rs 250 on Play Store.

Micromax handsets prices to go up?

Micromax will have to pay between 1.25 per cent to 2 per cent on the retail value of the phone to Ericsson for using patents related to GSM, EDGE and 3G technology.

Prices of Micromax's handsets may soon go up as Delhi High Court has directed the company to pay royalty on each handset to Ericsson in a patent case.

Ericsson had sued Micromax for infringing on its patent related to GSM, EDGE and 3G technology and has now secured an interim order from Delhi High Court, which has directed Micromax to pay royalty on each handset that uses these technologies. This means that Micromax has to pay royalty on most of its handsets. The royalty will be between 1.25 to 2 per cent of the retail value of the phone depending on whether the phone supports 3G or not.

This means that either Micromax will have to raise the prices of its handsets or absorb the cost by reducing their margin. This case also marks the entry of patent war in India, which has till now only involved big players like Samsung, Apple, Motorola, RIM, and Nokia and the likes.

However, Micromax will not have to pay royalty on some of its tablets which support only WiFi. The court has also ordered that Ericsson will be allowed to inspect each consignment (import) of Micromax and only then will Micromax be allowed to sell them, this means that it will take longer for Micromax to import its phones which could lead to delays in phone launch.
Ericsson holds patents for 2G, EDGE and 3G technologies and has said that it was trying to sign an agreement with Micromax for past three years which would have allowed Micromax to use these technologies on payment of small royalty amount. However after it failed it has approached the court for Rs 100 crore damage. Delhi High court has asked the two companies to sign the agreement by 9th of April 2013.

It has also been reported that Ericsson is contemplating a similar case against other Indian brands, like Karbonn, Lava, and Spice. These patent cases will essentially make the cost of handsets to go up, as till now these companies have avoided royalty payments and has never been on the radar of patent holders as they were too small, but now with their growing business, it makes sense for patent holding companies to pursue the case.

Aakash tablet maker launches calling tablet, priced at Rs 5,999

Known as Datawind Ubislate 7C+ Edge, it comes with 7 inch display, Android 4.0 and SIM support with calling.

Datawind, the makers of Aakash tablet, has launched a tablet with SIM calling facility- Ubislate 7C+ Edge. The 7 inch tablet is priced at Rs 5,999 and supports WiFi and EDGE (2G) for connectivity, however 3G support is possible only through a dongle.

Datawind Ubislate 7C+ Edge is currently only available on Snapdeal.com. This tablet is probably the one that will going forward be called Aakash 3, as there has been talks about Aakash 3 supporting SIM calling feature.

The tablet's display has WVGA (800x480) resolution. It has Android 4.0 operating system, Cortex A8 1 GHz processor, 512 MB RAM and 4 GB ROM, there is also a 3200 mAh battery with claimed backup time of 4 hours over WiFi.

The Ubislate 7C+ Edge also has a front facing VGA camera and supports up to 32 GB external storage.

Microsoft Windows Phone platform to get new exciting funs app

Microsoft's Windows Phone Division head teases about the exciting fun apps set to release later this week.

Microsoft is working on a new exclusive application and is expected to release it sometime this week. Joe Belfiore, Corporate Vice President, Windows Phone Program Management & Design, Microsoft, shared a teaser update on popular social networking website Twitter. Later he shared that the next fun app release has been delayed by couple of days. However it is for sure that the company is set to release more than one app for the Windows Phone devices.

Microsoft may not have been able to pull a lot of popular app developers on the board for the Windows Phone 7 but the company has big plans for Windows Phone 8. Microsoft seems to be actively in talks with several popular app developers to bring their app on the new mobile platform.

Joe Belfiore shared an update via Twitter that the other app developing companies are expected to release interesting apps for the Windows Phone platforms. Interesting bit he shared was that those apps would be available across all Windows Phone Store regions and was not US-only.

We believe that the popular image sharing service Molome's official app for Windows Phone platform can be expected to be release. The Molome's official app is already available on Symbian, BlackBerry, Android and iOS platforms.

Recently the end of support date for the Windows Phone 8 platform has already been reported. But from the company's strategies about the Windows Phone apps, it seems that the company might give an extension to that date.

Nexus 7 in Google Play India: Everything that you need to know

Earlier today, Google finally started selling Nexus 7 tablet in India via Google Play store. It is the first Android and Nexus device to ever become available directly from the search giant in the country

Pricing/ Availability:

Google is currently selling the 16GB Wi-Fi only version of Nexus 7 tablet in the country via Google Play. This is the most basic model available globally since Google stopped selling the 8GB Wi-Fi-only version. The 16GB version is being sold for INR 15,999.

The Indian pricing is around INR 2-2.5K more than what you will pay if you get Nexus 7 directly from US online ($199 (INR 10,777) (product price) + INR 1000 (shipping) + INR 1885 (duty) = INR 13,662 (approx.)). If you get it from a relative in US, the pricing is going to be much cheaper.

Payment/ Shipping:

As Google currently only accepts Credit Card payments in Google Play, so you will have to pay INR 15,999 using a credit card. There seems to be no shipping charge, or may be Google has already included that in the final pricing, so all you are going to pay Google for Nexus 7 is INR 15,999.

The tablet will be shipping using FedEx or Aramax, which service most of the areas in the country, but still there will be places where these two courier companies don’t operate. If that is the case with your location, you are better off getting your tablet at a friend or relative’s place.

As per Google support site, all shipments take around 3-7 days to deliver, so the first Nexus 7 shipments in India should begin reaching customers beginning April 8, 2013, as the shipments will start from Google’s end on April 5.

How to order:

Go to Play.Google.com, if you don’t directly see Nexus 7 on the homepage; choose “Devices” section or “Shop Devices” from the drop-down. More on the same in the following flow-chart.

About the tablet:

Nexus 7 was originally introduced at Google I/O dev conference in June 2012. The tablet began shipping in select countries in mid-July with 8GB Wi-Fi only version being the basic one.  Google later expanded the Nexus 7 line-up by introducing 32GB Wi-Fi only version as well as 32GB HSPA+ version in October 2012. Company also stopped selling 8GB version at the same time and reduced the price of 16Gb Wi-Fi only version to $199, which was earlier the price of 8GB variant.

Made in partnership with Asus, Google Nexus 7 is termed a commercial success and the companies had sold around 4.5 million units of the tablet in 2012. The numbers would have gone up since then.

The Nexus 7 tablet features 1.2GHz quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor, 1GB RAM and 7-inch 1280x800p resolution backlit IPS display with Corning Glass. Full specifications below:

Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean)
Lithium-ion polymer 4,325 mAh battery
1.2 GHz (1.3 GHz in single-core mode) quad-core Cortex-A9 NVIDIA Tegra 3 T30L
16, or 32 GB flash memory
1 GB RAM DDR3L
7-inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen with 1280×800 WXGA pixels resolution (216 ppi)
Scratch-resistant Corning Fit Glass
416 MHz twelve-core Nvidia GeForce ULP GPU
Accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, GPS, magnetometer, microphone
1.2 MP front-facing camera
3.5 mm headphone jack, Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n @ 2.4 GHz), NFC, Micro USB 2.0, docking pins
Dimensions: 198.5×120×10.56 mm (7.81×4.7×0.416 in)
Weight: 340 g

After delay, Micromax Canvas HD A116 makes way to retail stores

Micromax claims to have cleared 95 per cent of preorders and has also started to deliver the phone to retailers.

After a lot of uncertainty and delay, Micromax has finally started delivering its Canvas HD A116, which happens to be the first quad core smartphone from an Indian brand, in physical retail stores and to those who pre-booked it on online shopping stores.

Micromax has claimed to have dispatched 95 per cent of the pre booking orders and is going to send the rest in a day or two.

A leading e-retailer has also told The Mobile Indian that Micromax has promised to send the consignment of Canvas HD A116 today itself or soon after Holi to ecom sites and physical stores.

Micromax started the pre-booking of Canvas HD A116 on February 14 this year and promised to deliver the same by March 15 but it failed to do so. Micromax then cited the change in custom duty structure due to the proposals in the Union Budget 2013 for the delay which it said resulted in the consignment getting stuck at customs. Micromax had also revised the price of the phone upwards to Rs 14,499 from its original price of Rs 13,999, citing changes in the custom duty.

Micromax Canvas HD A116 comes with a 5 inch display with HD resolution, 1.2 GHz quad core processor, 1 GB RAM, Android Jelly Bean operating system etc. we have also reviewed the device.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 to feature ‘unbreakable display’: Report

With Samsung Galaxy S 4 already out in the open, the industry insiders have now started to focus on Samsung’s next big launch – Galaxy Note 3. According to inside sources in Korea, Samsung is expected to use an unbreakable display in Note 3.

A report in asiae.co.kr has revealed that Samsung will be using some kind plastic OLED display in the Note II successor, or at least what I could understand from the Google translated version of the site.

The report further added that the unbreakable nature of the Note 3 display will be its most important feature. The Korean manufacturer is likely to showcase the new display at IFA Trade fair later this year and the company will begin the mass production of this display in fourth quarter (most prob. October). The Galaxy Note 3 is also expected to be announced around the same time.

The Korean publication has also noted that LG is ready with its version of plastic OLED unbreakable display and we might see it in Optimus G2 smartphone.

This is not the first time we are hearing about the presence of flexible or unbreakable display in a Samsung Android phone. Similar rumours came out before the launch of Note II and even Galaxy S 4, so I am a little sceptical to believe this year.

If true, this will certainly be the USP of the next Note series phablet.

Update: Another report originating from Korea has mentioned the Note 3 display size to be 5.9-inch instead of earlier rumoured 6.3-inch. The report also adds that Samsung will be showing the Note 3 prototype to AT&T in the United States.

Samsung devices used by most early-adopters on Android: Opera

Opera has come out with an interesting list of devices reflecting the early adopters on Android platform and it has revealed that Samsung is the most popular manufacturer among the early-adopters.

Opera measured the Android devices installations of its recently released beta version of webkit-based browser.

“The Opera for Android beta has been in the Google Play app store since early March and the download statistics offer some interesting insights as to what devices early adopters on Android like to use,” Opera noted in a press release.

Among the top ten devices, on which Opera Beta was downloaded, Samsung made devices are present five spots (six, if you include Galaxy Nexus too).  Here is the full list.

Samsung Galaxy S2
Samsung Galaxy S3
Samsung Galaxy Nexus
Asus Nexus 7
Samsung Galaxy Y
HTC Desire HD
HTC Sensation 4G
Samsung Galaxy Note
Samsung Galaxy Ace
Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman
“As the list shows, the browser does well within the premium segment of Android devices. Some older devices are also represented, reflecting the variety of users in different countries testing out the Opera for Android beta,” Opera added.

Given the market share taken by Samsung in Android world, it is not really surprising that Samsung devices are so popular, but the fledging Android developer community for Samsung devices has really  helped it in being a favourite among early-adopters.

Motorola's X Phone may launch in November, have a 4.8-inch screen

A lot of people are waiting for Google and Motorola’s first collaborative outing—the X Phone. According to PhoneArena, the Motorola X Phone is set to come out in November, as opposed to earlier rumours about a launch date in July. The phone will reportedly sport a 4.8-inch display made of sapphire glass, which is said to be three times harder to crack than Gorilla Glass.

The corners of the smartphone will supposedly be made with rubber bumpers to make the phone sturdier, and the back will be carbon fibre. It is said to be powered by a quad-core 2GHz Snapdragon 800 processor, and will have a 4,000 mAh battery, staying in line with Motorola’s affinity for high-capacity batteries. As an added bonus, the device will also supposedly be water-resistant. To be fair, these rumours sound too good to be true.

We've had rumours suggesting the phone will have an edge-to-edge Full HD display, a rugged or unbreakable casing and a long-lasting battery, something that Google feels has often been ignored by other manufacturers. It is also said to feature the Sony Exmor RS sensor, which is used in the Sony Xperia Z.

It's rumoured the X Phone will also give you the liberty to pick the device and then choose which carrier you want to go with. Similar to how Dell changed the PC game in the 1990s, Google wants to build phones to order and then sell them at a very affordable price tag, which won’t be bound to a contract.

Reportedly, the back of the X Phone is no ordinary panel—Google is said to have implemented a touch-sensitive button in the Motorola logo back there. Motorola had included a similar feature in its Backflip phone. This rumour is in line with a patent application from Google covering backside device touch controls. There’s no word on what exactly the rear touch panel's functions are, but it's rumoured it could be used to scroll through webpages and for launching voice commands.

Huawei working on Galaxy S 4 challenger with 4.9-inch 1080p display

Many were disappointed when Huawei introduced Ascend P2 at Mobile World Congress and it turned out to be a mid-range smartphone. Now, rumours circulating in Chinese tech media indicate that the telecom giant is already working on a Galaxy S 4 competitor, which could be announced as earlier as next month.

As per the rumours, this Huawei flagship model will feature 4.9-inch 1080p display, 1.8 GHz K3V3 quad-core Cortex-A15 processor, 2GB RAM, Mali T604 GPU, 16/ 32 GB of internal storage and 13MP rear camera. The phone will also pack 2600 mAh battery and would just be 6.3mm thick.

The sources claim that phone will be targeting not only Galaxy S 4 but also Apple’s upcoming next-generation iPhone.

This Huawei smartphone will be running on Android 4.2 and will go on sale in June, following the rumoured April announcement.

If these rumours are indeed true, the phone is very likely to mar the sales of Ascend D2 and Ascend P2 smartphones from the company.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini coming in 4 variants: Report

Reportedly, the miniature version of the Galaxy S4 has exciting features.

Like the Galaxy SIII Mini, Samsung will set to release a miniature version of its latest Galaxy S4 smartphone, according to a Twitter user known as st7761.

The Twitter user also claimed that the Galaxy S4 Mini will have four different versions, including the Galaxy S4 Mini I9190, I9192, I9195, and I9198.

Meanwhile, Sammobile has claimed to have got information about the hardware specifications and some pictures of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini I9190. As per its report, the Galaxy S4 Mini will have a 4.3 inch Super AMOLED display against 5 inch display of the Galaxy S4. Also as per the report, the Galaxy S4 Mini's display has qHD 540 x 960 pixel resolution, i.e. a pixel density of 256ppi, against 1080 x 1920 pixels resolution of the Galaxy S4.

The Galaxy S4 Mini is said to have a 1.6 GHz dual core processor, Android 4.2.2 operating system and the Nature 2.0 user interface. The report also claimed that the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini I9190 will be made available both in single SIM and dual SIM variants.

Considering the difference between Galaxy SIII Mini (5 megapixel) and Galaxy SIII's (8 megapixel) rear camera, we think that the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini will have an 8 megapixel rear camera and a 1.3 megapixel front camera as the Galaxy S4 has a 13 megapixel camera in the rear and a 2 megapixel front camera.