Microsoft takes on Google with antitrust complaint

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 31, 2011 (New Delhi)

Microsoft has filed a formal complaint with the EU Commission, which announced a formal investigation into Google in November, over what it sees as anti-competitive tactics used by Internet giant Google.

It is the first time Microsoft has gone public with submissions to European Union inspectors probing the online search giant.

The move heightens the intensity of the probe against Google launched by EU regulators end November, amid accusations it rigged the search market for consumers.

Until now most of complaints against Google have come from small Internet companies saying that Google’s search engine unfairly promotes its own products, like Google Product Search, a price comparison site, over rival offerings.

The US technology firm’s complaint with European Union regulators also assumes significance as Google is already under increased scrutiny back in the US — from the Justice Department, the Federal Trade Commission and among state attorneys general.

In its complaint, Microsoft had about a half dozen concerns, including anticompetitive practices by Google in search, online advertising, and smartphone software. It says Google unfairly hinders the ability of search competitors from examining and indexing information that Google controls, like YouTube.

Microsoft says such restraints undermine competition and in turn prevents consumers from wider choice and better prices for online advertisers.

In a blog post, Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith outlined the following:

Google is “walling off” access to content and data that competitors need.

Google has about 95 percent of the search market in Europe.

Google is restricting the indexing of YouTube for rival search results.

Google blocked Windows Phones from operating properly with YouTube by restricting data.

Google allows Android and Apple phones to access data for rating, favorites and categories.

The search giant is blocking access to content owned by book publishers.

Google is making it more expensive to run campaigns on competitive search tools.

Google is even restricting its customers’—namely, advertisers’—access to their own data.

SmithBucklin to incentivize employees by giving Apple iPad 2

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 31, 2011 (New Delhi)

SmithBucklin, the world’s largest association management and professional services company, is giving its employees an Apple iPad 2 as a way to reward excellent staff performance, improve productivity and enhance the company’s social media capabilities.

SmithBucklin employees will receive a 32GB Apple iPad 2 with Wi-Fi. For a nominal fee, they can upgrade to a 64GB version or one that offers Wi-Fi and 3G service through Verizon or AT&T.

“Many associations were impacted by the recession and that certainly affected our company. Now that our company is entering a new growth phase, we wanted to do something special for our employees to thank them for staying the course as well as help them continue to embrace social networking. The iPad 2 will make it even easier for our employees to access social media channels and new media. SmithBucklin already is a technology-savvy company and we are confident the iPad 2 will improve the ability of our employees to help client organizations engage current constituencies and attract new ones,” said SmithBucklin President and CEO Henry S. Givray.

Vimeo launches app to create, edit, share videos

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 30, 2011 (New Delhi)

Popular video enthusiast site Vimeo.com has released a free iPhone app that allows you to access your Vimeo account, browse videos, and edit and share videos created on your mobile device.

Vimeo.com is available for the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4. The app allows you to shoot video, and then edit and trim it while adding title, description, music, effects, tags, credits, and other recordings.

The edited videos (in both high-resolution as well as a lower resolution format) can be uploaded straight to Vimeo’s website. Users can even share the videos on social-networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, WordPress and Tumblr. Videos can also be shared through MMS and e-mail.

Vimeo comes with user-requested features like the Inbox, the ability to Watch Later, and Vimeo's selection of Channels.

The difference between Vimeo and more popular video site YouTube is that the former encourages a creative community of original work and bans commercial content.

Overall, Vimeo for iPhone is an excellent way to check out the popular video Web site's content with many of the features Vimeo users love and adore.

Apple iPad will lose to Android, Windows tablets: Dell

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 30, 2011 (New Delhi)

Executives from rival technology companies Dell and HP have lashed out against Apple Inc saying days of the king of computer tablet industry are numbered.

While congratulating Apple for fast pacing the computer tablet market, Dell's global head of marketing, Andy Lark, said it's already doomed to fail in enterprise adoption.

He is of the view that: “Apple is great if you’ve got a lot of money and live on an island. It’s not so great if you have to exist in a diverse, open, connected enterprise; simple things become quite complex.”

According to him, the biggest hindrance comes from high cost of additional accessories making the tablet inaccessible. “An iPad with a keyboard, a mouse and a case [means] you’ll be at $1500 or $1600; that’s double of what you’re paying," he said. "That’s not feasible.”

Well, Lark is not completely wrong – Android is moving at a fast pace than Apple. A study by Nielsen said that Android sales pulled ahead of Apple and Blackberry in the US between November and January, slicing out 29 per cent of total market share compared with Apple and RIM's 27 per cent each.

Well, we are not sure that what Lark means by those figures. But one thing is sure that iPad 2’s runaway success is making rivals reworking their strategy both on the technology and the market front. Dell recently announced a 10 inch Windows 7 tablet aimed at business users last month, featuring a hybrid design with a swiveling screen so it can also be used as a laptop.

Barack Obama proudly admits of owning an iPad

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 30, 2011 (New Delhi)

The gadget loving US president, Barack Obama, has joined the legion of iPad users. Well, he hasn't thrown away his BlackBerry aside for Apple products.

Obama detailed that fact during a town hall meeting in Washington with Spanish-language network Univision.

During an interview with Univision anchor Jorge Ramos, he was asked: “Do you have an iPad?”

“I do have an iPad,” Obama replied, joking later about also having his own computer.

“I took my BlackBerry off for this show, because I didn’t want it going off, and that would be really embarrassing,” Obama said.

Surprisingly the US president is not alone in owning an Apple iPad. Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and several Japanese ministers were also seen using the Apple’s highly popular gadget device.

Apple founder Steve Jobs says the company has sold more than 15 million of the devices. Apple’s second-generation iPad 2 starts at $499. But the president didn’t mention which version he owns — or what he uses it for.

iPad 2 completely sold out in many locations worldwide

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 29, 2011 (New Delhi)

You heard it right. Apple’s highly coveted tablet, the iPad 2, which went on sale in 25 countries on March 25 appears to be selling faster than freshly baked pancakes. Adding to the news that iPad 2 was quickly gone out of stock in London, now there are reports that the tablet is already sold out in countries like Germany, France, Canada and Spain.

In London, supplies were all sold out on March 26 at the Apple stores in Regent Street and Covent Garden, just one day after it went on sale.

Though there was no confirmation from Apple, but the company recently said: "The demand for the next generation iPad 2 has been amazing. We are working hard to get iPad 2 into the hands of every customer who wants one as quickly as possible."

A report published in the Telegraph UK said they were not able to find a retail location with an iPad 2 in stock.

On the other hand, many shoppers blame Apple for not anticipating the demand and thus turning away many fans empty handed – some who had queued for over 50 hours to get the device.

But then there is some sound piece of advice from retail store employees who recommend that iPad fans reserve the device online so they can pick it up in-store when it becomes available.

As the recent quake in Japan begins to affect Apple’s supply of components, the supply shortages of iPad 2 devices are expected to deepen further.

"While competitors are still struggling to catch up with our first iPad, we've changed the game again with iPad 2," Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO, has earlier said. "We're experiencing amazing demand for iPad 2 in the U.S., and customers around the world have told us they can't wait to get their hands on it. We appreciate everyone's patience and we are working hard to build enough iPads for everyone."

The massive success of iPad 2 has prompted many rival manufacturers to capitalize on the growing demand for computer tablets by offering their own. Samsung Electronics Corp. launched the Galaxy Tab in Canada last November, Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. will bring its Xoom tablet to Canadians in early April and Canada’s own Research In Motion Ltd. will begin selling its BlackBerry PlayBook tablet to Canadians on April 19. There will be more than 50 iPad rivals expected to hit store shelves this year.

In Asia, the iPad 2 will be officially available in Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore and many other countries in April, with sales delayed in Japan.

Nokia files second patent violation complaint against Apple

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 29, 2011 (New Delhi)

The world's leading mobile phone maker Nokia has filed another complaint in the US alleging that Apple infringes Nokia patents in "virtually all" of Apple's devices.

The finnish mobilemaker said the new complaint relate to its "pioneering innovations" that Apple is using "to create key features in its products, including in multitasking operating systems, data synchronization, positioning, call quality and the use of Bluetooth accessories."

Earlier during the month a US judge with the ITC had rejected Nokia's claim that Apple had violated patents in its mobile phone, portable music players and computers. He denied Nokia's claim that Apple had violated five patents held by Nokia.

Both Nokia and Apple have been embroiled in litigation since October 2009 when the former filed a lawsuit accusing Apple of infringing 10 patents and demanding royalties on the millions of iPhones sold since the device’s introduction in 2007.

Texas-based RadioShack starts selling Apple's iPad 2

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 29, 2011 (New Delhi)

Texas-based gadget retailer RadioShack will begin selling Apple's iPad 2 at 500 of its stores beginning March 29, becoming the latest retailer to offer Apple’s hottest device.

With this RadioShack would join the league of Best Buy Co. Inc. (BBY), Target Corp. (TGT) and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT), as well as Verizon Wireless and AT&T (T) outlets who are already selling the device since its release more than two weeks ago.

The deal comes as a big boost for RadioShack, which has transformed its operations from an all-purpose tech store to a more narrowly focused mobile-device retailer.

A RadioShack employee said: "We are thrilled that iPad 2 will be available at 500 RadioShack locations across the country starting March 29."

At the moment, RadioShack sells some Apple products, including the iPod and AT&T-powered iPhone, in its flagship stores. It also sells both the AT&T and Verizon iPhones in its Target Mobile kiosks.

Thousands go iMad for Apple's iPad2: What consumers have to say

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 28, 2011 (New Delhi)

Apple's iPad 2 has had a blockbuster launch across the world last week, with the flagship stores running out of the next generation iPad within 24 hours. Hundreds were queuing through the night to get their hands on Apple's 'Jesus tablet' - the iPad 2. Lines had formed in cities including London, Toronto and Luxembourg.

iPadfanzz looks at what end-users are saying about their wait and finally owning an iPad 2.

Finance executive Jewels Lewis based in West London, who waited for 33 hours, said: "There's no medal for fourth. This year I got the gold."

Geoff Goddard said he drove past the store on March 25 and decided against waiting in line, but read on a blog about shorter waits Saturday and decided it was worth it.

“I was looking forward to using the device. A short wait was worth it for a "very good" product,” said Ying Wong.

"If it wasn't for the iPad, I wouldn't be in Australia right now," said Lee, who had already bought an iPad 2 in the US. "It's like a habit. I've also lined up on Regent Street in London for the iPhone."

Canadian backpacker Alex Lee, a veteran of Apple product launches, was the first to claim his iPad 2 at the Apple store in Sydney, where he had been in line for two nights.

So were you one of the lucky few to pick up your iPad 2 before stocks depleted? If so let us know.

iPad 2 most expensive in Denmark, cheapest in US‎

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 28, 2011 (New Delhi)

Apple Inc on March 25 lunched its newer version of iPad across 25 countries. Eager fans arrived in their droves and queued for hours through the sun. And the first lucky few have emerged from high-street stores clutching their prized versions of enormously successful iPad 2.

But with six different models, it can be hard to keep track of what's available with the iPad 2 and what it costs around the world. To solve this problem, iPadfanzz gives you a comparative analysis of prices of iPad across various countries.

But first doing a comparative analyst let’s take a look at the prices of the six versions of the iPad 2 in the US. They are $499, $599, $699 (Wi-Fi Only) and $629, $729, $829 (3G version). In the US, the $499 iPad with tax has a maximum price of $567 and an average price of $547.

Not surprisingly, it is cheaper in Britain than in continental Europe, selling for 399 pounds ($642). Throughout Europe, the iPad 2 costs 479 euros, or $678 in most countries. It's slightly more expensive in France, where it costs at 489 euros, while residents of Luxembourg get a discount with 455 euros.

While the 16GB entry-level iPad 2 costs $499 in the US, that translates to $702 in Denmark.

Apple estimates to sell more than 40 million iPads this year.

iPad 2 goes out of stock in London

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 27, 2011 (New Delhi)

The Apple iPad 2 was launched in London last week on March 25, 2011 and just within two days it is reportedly completely sold out across London. The waiting time for online orders has already gone up from the initial estimate of between two and three weeks to as much as four weeks.

Immense craze was seen among tablet addicts as hundreds lined up in bright sunshine outside Apple's London flagship store on Regent's Street. Those at the extreme front had been waiting for more than 33 hours by the time they got their hands on the device. Few spent the night in sleeping bags on the street. Among the throng, the mood was generally festive.

But as it was expected, stock of the iPad 2 at launch was limited. Prominent retailers in London were quite unsure about when they would next get stock in.

The second generation of the iPad is lighter and thinner than the original, with two cameras and a faster processor. It went on sale on Friday in 21 European countries plus Australia, Canada, Mexico and New Zealand.

Yahoo! announces Search Direct, as it competes with Google Instant

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 27, 2011 (New Delhi)

Yahoo Inc has started Search Direct – a feature that displays answers to queries as the user is typing it and long before he had pressed the “Enter key.”

The feature is many ways is quite similar to Google's Instant tool, predicting what users are searching for based on the characters entered thus far.

But unlike Google, Yahoo’s Direct Search suggestions will open in a pop-up toward the top of Yahoo's search results page. The company is planning to sell advertisements specifically for the new feature.

Blake Irving, Yahoo's chief product officer says, "Search is incredibly important. Search matters to customers and it matters to us."

Shashi Seth, Yahoo's SVP of search and marketplaces said the company as of now has rolled out this feature for 15 categories of queries (like sports, shopping and news) but soon it will expand to all other categories.

Seth says the feature has been developed with advertisers firmly in mind. “We've been thinking deeply about how we can engage with advertisers in this environment....These products don't exist as we speak but we've been testing with brands and agencies to figure out how to best implement them,” he said.

Presently, the feature is available on Yahoo site in the US but soon it will appear on the popular Yahoo.com homepage. However, users in other countries may have to wait for its launch.

Yahoo believes that Search Direct will attract the attention of users and boost usage of its search engine.

Bill Nguyen launches 'Color', a new cellphone-based social network

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 26, 2011 (New Delhi)

There is a new buzz in the tech blogsphere and it is called "Color" which is a new cellphone-based social network. The app is brainchild of a well-known Silicon Valley entrepreneur Bill Nguyen.

Color mobile app enables mobile users to “to capture photos, videos and conversations into a group album." This innovative app allows users to share photos with other users (single or multiple) within close vicinity (around 150 feet). The mobile app has already got its share of popularity in the quake-hit Japan where people are using the app to share photos of the devastated areas with rescue workers.

The app is available for both iPhones and Androirds.

Color, a free service which doesn’t involve the usage of any user names or passwords, is extremely useful especially if you’re attending some sporting event, some marriage function or any such event that involves a large gathering of people.

Mobile consumers can use this app to create a big catalog of photos as a number of people would be involved in taking photos, making videos and sending text messages. Moreover, two different and unknown users in a restaurant/bar can start sharing photos with each other; an idea that could spark a friendship with one commenting on or liking the other’s photo.

According to Color founder Bill Nguyen, the app is not just about photo sharing but it is a new way to create spontaneous social networks. He says the potential in such an application is immense as it allows user to share their activities, without gathering any personal information such as name, password and address.

“The simple idea behind it to let people to know other people around them,” he says.

Bill Nguyen is a well known entrepreneur who sold streaming music firm Lala to Apple in 2009 for cool $80 million.

Nguyen is looking at creating a Post-PC experience like never before. Given that widely popular social networks like Facebook are letting most of the people hooked to the PC and spending great amount of time, it will be interesting to see how the popularity of Color rises with time.

iPad 2: Top 5 problems that users are facing

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 25, 2011 (New Delhi)

The iPad 2 has an incremental upgrade over its extremely popular predecessor. It's a little thinner, a little lighter, has got powerful processor along with two cameras. These are all notable improvements, but if you haven’t still bought an iPad and want to look at all aspects of the Apple’s latest computer tablet before making a purchase decision, then read on!

Wi-Fi issues

Some users have complained about the iPad 2's Wi-Fi radio. Just like the original iPad, the newer version seems to have trouble staying connected on wireless networks. Some users claim that they have to stand close to a router to obtain a signal.

Backlight 'bleeding'

Some early iPad 2 customers have noticed that the blacklight "bleeds" from behind the LCD panel. The problem has been reported by some users who say while viewing dark images, the light leaks alongside the edges of the screen.

Yellow tint on screen

Some users have voiced their concerns over a yellow tint on the iPad 2's display. Experts say the yellow discoloration on the screen is likely temporary and is expected to disappear after some days of usage, as was evident in the case of iPhone 4 when it was first released.

Microphone distortion (with 3G models)

It appears to be that a WiFi-only unit recorded better-quality sound than a unit with WiFi and 3G. Further the GSM 3G model's audio to be slightly preferable to that of the CDMA model.

FaceTime freezing

As iPadfanzz reported in its earlier posts, users sometime face FaceTime video chat freeze problem. Users wrote that FaceTime sometime show a frozen image from a previous video chat session – even after restarting the app. According to them the problem rectifies itself when switching the device off and then back on.

Apple wins American Brand Excellence award

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 26, 2011 (New Delhi)

Apple Inc. was named winner of the eighth annual American Brand Excellence Awards which recognize brands that best meet the needs of small- to mid-sized businesses.

Over 2,000 small to mid-sized business owners rated more than 250 brands. The criteria for selection included “forward thinking,” “behaves ethically,” and “has a good price for what you get.”

Every year the awards are presented by The Business Journals, a division of Wichita Business Journal parent company American City Business Journals.

"Apple has become the premier business brand, and as the leader of the tablet category with the iPad, Apple is redefining how we work," said Godfrey Phillips, VP of Research for The Business Journals. "Our study found that nine percent of business owners currently use an iPad for business."

Verizon Stores selling original iPads at $200 discounts

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 25, 2011 (New Delhi)

Verizon’s corporate owned stores are selling the first-generation iPad at a very heavy discount – on all the WiFi models. The 16GB model is now retailing for $299.99 (a full $200 off from its pre-iPad 2 launch price).

Verizon is also offering the 32GB and 64GB models at $399.99 and $499.99 respectively. The idea behind giving such huge discounts is to clear out remaining stocks of iPad.

Consumers can avail these deals at Verizon’s corporate-owned retail stores (as opposed to the franchised locations) for as long as stock holds out.

The deals are for the devices alone, and don’t require any kind of contract or data plan purchase, says reports.

I must say that though you may get the latest version of iPad but at these reduced prices, these are not at all bad bargains. So if you really looking out to own a great piece of technology then it may be just the right time for.

Buying an iPad 2? Check out this cool wooden cover

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 25, 2011 (New Delhi)

Holland-based company Miniot has designed a cool and attractive iPad 2 cover that also poses as a kickstand in either portrait or landscape mode.

It is completely made out of single piece of wood and has been carefully lined with magnets that enables it to completely cover the iPad’s screen.

When ordered from Miniot’s official site it comes with a free personal engraving. The covers cost €50 (about $76).

So, if you are an iPad fan and also want to put some cool accessories to your new earned gizmo Miniot can give you some great choices with beautiful iPad cases made from real maple, walnut and cherry wood.

iPad 2 Gold History Edition now available for $8 million

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 24, 2011 (New Delhi)

If you have $8 million and want to spend on one of the most expensive and exclusive gadgets in the world, then iPad 2 Gold History Edition is just for you.

Designer Stuart Hughes has come out with a special edition iPad 2 model made from gold, diamonds, dinosaur bone and pieces of Ammolite, costing a whooping £5 million (or $8 million).

The iPad 2 Gold History Edition comes with 53 individual 12.5 carat diamonds formed in an Apple logo which are encrusted in a 24 carat gold rear. Stuart Hughes used 2 kilograms of 24 carat gold to build iPad 2.

Another very interesting feature that has gone into the making of this device is that the designer has used 750 grams of Ammolite stone sourced from Canada. The rock was used to form the front of the iPAd. The rare rock has been mixed with 57 grams of shaved 65 million year old T-REX Dinosaur thigh bone.

The home button of the ultra-luxurious iPad 2 has been fashioned out of a single cut 8.5ct flawless diamond which is surrounded by 12 outer flawless diamonds. Luxury goods fanatics will be saddened to hear that only two models of the device are available.

Apple iPad 2 users facing FaceTime video chat freeze problem

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 24, 2011 (New Delhi)

There are some reports on technology sites which suggest that FaceTime video feature on Apple’s iPad 2 may not be working as expected. The issue is more prevalant while using the front facing camera.

The users experience this problem when they make video calls using Apple’s FaceTime, which some say could be a bug in the iOS 4.3 that's not limited to just iPad 2 owners. A lot of iPad 2 users are experiencing this problem are taking to Apple’s support forums to voice their concerns. According to them the problem rectifies itself when switching the device off and then back on.

“I had this problem on my iPad 2 as well. I restored the iPad and it was fixed, but during a FaceTime call I switched to the back camera and it froze the video on both ends of the call (but NOT the local video / video of me on my end and video of them on their end),” wrote ASD forum user chucknelson.

FaceTime is not a new concept for Apple enthusiasts as it has been included on the iPhone 4 for some time. The features enables users to interact with others through video conferencing, and with the front and rear cameras on the iPad 2 you can see who’s in front and behind the device.

However, this is not the first time that users are reporting these freezing problems, recently the new MacBook Pro 15 and 17-inch models were suffering from overheating and freezing problems due to multiple programmes being run at the same time.

The solution to this problem is same just like other iOS devices. As an initial step try resetting your iPad 2. Hold the top Sleep/Wake button and the Home button until the screen goes black and the Apple logo appears. If the problem still recurs then restore from your iPad's backup. But if both these steps don’t work then try restoring to the factory settings.

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Facebook bans 20,000 underage users every day

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 24, 2011 (New Delhi)

Social networking giant facebook says it removes about 20,000 profiles from the site per day for various infractions, including users who are underage.

In a statement it said those 20,000 removals cover a variety of policy violations, including spam, inappropriate content, and underage use. Facebook's privacy policy states that users must be at least 13 years old to create an account.

"At Facebook, we take safety very seriously and we were pleased to participate in a hearing in Australia to talk about our safety policies, practices and systems," the company said. "As we explained in the hearing, these efforts include removing numerous accounts everyday for activities including spamming, posting inappropriate content, and violating age restrictions."

Though the social networking giant does not have a sureshot system to check against children who list false ages or visit the site's public pages, the network's policy is to remove children or information about children from the site as swiftly as possible.

smsBlocker: An ‘intelligent’ software to block Junk SMSes

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 24, 2011 (New Delhi)

Most of us are pretty much annoyed by a series of Junk SMSes that we receive everyday on our mobile phone. That’s too during the odd hours of the day. Now you have an instant solution to this nuisance of unsolicited marketing SMS on your cellphone.

Pune-based mobile application firm Optinno Mobitech has unveiled its SMS blocker application (available on www.smsblocker.in) costing jsut Rs 199.

You can install the software on your Symbian Series 60 or Symbian^3 phone. The software runs silently in the background and blocks all the SMSes, well magically!

The software also keep you updated about the number of messages blocked during the day and moreover, you can also set your own block/allow list.

Free Studio: One multi-purpose converter to rule them all

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 24, 2011 (New Delhi)

Everyday we feel the need to convert media types from one format to another. Whether it be transfer of songs from portable media player, uploading a video on YouYuebe, image resizing, we use the format conversion process.

However we use separate programs for media conversions like one for video format conversions and one for audio format conversions. But iPadfanzz advise you to use DVDVideoSoft’s Free Studio application which you can use as a single program for all your media type conversions.

This single application is a freeware for Windows and supports an impressive range of video formats as well as audio and image formats.

Free Studio runs on Windows XP, Vista, and 7. To get Free studio, download its setup file which is in the EXE format and about 60MB large. That seemingly large setup size completely justifies itself once the program’s features are explored and understood. The program supports a total of 12 languages are supported including Dutch, English, Spanish, French, and Italian.

Download it from: http://www.dvdvideosoft.com

HTC unveils Evo 3D: The ultimate super-smartphone

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 23, 2011 (New Delhi)

The HTC EVO 3D super-smartphone is arriving on Sprint Wireless Services this summer, sporting a high-resolution, glasses-free 3D screen. It is the first smartphone in the US to offer a quarter HD resolution with touchscreen display at 4.3-inches in size.

The EVO 3D sports a dual-core 1.2GHz processor which the company claims makes it the fastest smartphone on the market.

The biggest feature of HTC EVO 3D will be its stereoscopic 3D capability without wearing glasses, which makes it a never-before user experience.

The Android 2.3 smartphone also features dual 5-megapixel cameras, which you can use to capture both high-quality conventional and 3D images and videos and send it to YouTube or Facebook, or share moments in real time via Qik. Moreover, consumers can also send their content from the phone to a 3D-capable TV through an HDMI port.

Another big advantage that consumers get with HTC EVO 3D is that the phone will be pre-loaded with the Blockbuster On Demand mobile application that has access to one of the largest catalogs of movies, including 3D titles. So expect to experience a whole new world of movies on your 3D capable smartphone.

The smartphone also comes with Wi-Fi Wireless-N with DLNA support and HDMI output for streaming to HDTVs. User-created 3D video content can be streamed to a 3D TV via an HDMI cable (sold separately).

Steve Elfman, president - Network Operations, Product and Wholesale, Sprint, said: “Sprint is taking wireless innovation to the next level once again as we bring our customers the ability to experience 3D on their phone without glasses." The smartphone takes full advantage of Sprint's powerful 4G network and offers the next-level innovation.

HTC Evo 3D Smartphone Features

4.3-inch qHD 3D display with resolution of 960 x 540 pixel

Dual 5 megapixel cameras

1.3 megapixel front-facing camera

Supports Sprint’s WiMAX network

Powered by a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-core processor

Runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system

3G/4G Mobile Hotspot capability

Offers Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n & Bluetooth connectivity options

Google Mobile Services integration

Internal memory of 4GB & 1GB RAM

Supports up to 32GB micro SD memory card slot

Included 8GB memory card

Provides instant messaging, Corporate email & personal email facility

Integrated GPS

Brings 1730 mAh Lithium-ion battery.

Battery maintenance tips for iPad 2

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 23, 2011 (New Delhi)

First, congratulations on being the proud owner of iPad 2. Now that you have an iPad 2, so you may be wondering how you can best utilize the battery life of your latest gizmo, for which you have become the envy of your friends and neighbours. I give you few tips over how to maximize the batter life of iPad 2.

Apple’s iPad 2 has a built-in 25-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery, with up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music. Its battery can last up to 9 hours of surfing the web using 3G data network as well.

Well, the battery life of iPad 2 depends actually on the way you use it. Like if you play videos most of the time then it will go off quickly. But rather than using heavy stuff if you use it only for ebooks then probably you’ll have more life.

The recharging method means a lot. Use the USB cable adapter that can be plugged in electric outlets. Also make sure that you use a high power USB outlet that lets you charge your iPad. Furthermore, once your iPad gets fully charged through the PC or through the adapter; do not leave it on charge, as it is a negative your battery.

RIM's PlayBook to take on iPad 2 from April 19

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 23, 2011 (New Delhi)

Analysts are predicting that Apple’s second-generation tablet, the iPad 2, will keep on dominating the market, thanks to its attracting price tag, countless apps and striking hardware specifications, but the competition is about to get stiffer.

Research In Motion (RIM), the maker of the popular Blackberry line of smartphones, has said its long-awaited BlackBerry PlayBook tablet will go on sale from April 19 at 20,000 retail outlets in the US and Canada at a starting price of $499.

RIM's PlayBook will be available in all Best Buy stores and Best Buy Mobile stores in the US and at Best Buy and Future Shop stores in Canada. RIM said it would let customers place orders for the new tablet immediately.

The BlackBerry PlayBook with Wi-Fi will come in 16 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB versions, which will be $499, $599, and $699, respectively. Notably, this mirrors the iPad 2's pricing exactly, at least for the Wi-Fi-only models.

As per the specifications, the PlayBook runs on the QNX platform, which allows for robust multitasking. It also has a 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, Micro-HDMI output, 1080p video playback, a 5-megapixel camera on the back, and a 3-megapixel camera on the front. The display measures only 7 inches diagonally.

Many of the features provides in Playbook gives it parity with the iPad 2, and in some cases put it slightly ahead, but it would be interesting to see how things play up for RIM’s new tablet as with more new launches the competition is sure to get hot up.

Specifications of PlayBook:

• 7" 1024x600 WSVGA capacitive LCD touch screen

• 0.9 lbs (425g) and 5.1" x 7.6" x 0.4" (130mm x 194mm x 10mm)

• 1 GHz dual-core processor

• BlackBerry Tablet OS with support for symmetric multiprocessing

• MP3, AAC and WMA audio playback

• Support for high resolution video playback (H.264, MPEG4, WMV)

• 1080p HDMI output

• Dual 1080p HD cameras for video conferencing and video capture (3MP front and 5MP rear)

• 1 GB RAM memory

• Up to 64 GB internal storage (16, 32 and 64 GB models)

• GPS, Orientation Sensor (Accelerometer), 6-Axis Motion Sensor (Gyroscope), Digital Compass (Magnetometer)

• Stereo speakers and stereo microphones

• Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n) connectivity

• Bluetooth 2.1+EDR support.

Motorola Xoom vs Apple iPad 2: A comparison!

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 17, 2011 (New Delhi)

The computer tablet market is on fire. Apple Inc’s latest version of iPad has already created so much excitement and hysteria around gadgets and gizmo buffs that other companies too are keenly eying a large pie of the growing tablet market.

In a latest development, Motorola Mobility says it will start selling a Wi-Fi-only version of its Xoom tablet computer at a price tag of $599 from March 27 across the United States. The Xoom tablet will come with WiFi connectivity, no monthly wireless contract, and 32 GB of storage, just like the $599 version of the iPad 2.

The Xoom will ship with the Android 3.0 Honeycomb operating system, 32GB of memory, and a 1GHz processor. The device will be available at Amazon.com, Best Buy, Costco, RadioShack, Sam’s Club, Staples, and Walmart.

The arrival of Xoom becomes especially important given that Apple has not been able to fulfill early supply of iPad 2. Estimates put iPad 2 sales at anywhere from 1 million to 1.2 million. An expert said: “Apple left a lot of money on the table when it could not deliver sufficient launch volumes for its new tablet.” The wait time for an iPad 2 is up to five weeks at Apple.com. So many see it as a good chance for Motorola to putting Apple off balance.

One of the drags that Motorola may face is that it hasn’t still fixed some of the issues prevailing with the Xoom, and moreover, the 3G version still costs more than the equivalent iPad. Though Xoom does have better cameras and more RAM memory than the iPad 2, but Apple's tablet is much thinner and lighter.

The Xoom is a prominent competitor to Apple Inc.'s iPad. A version with cellular broadband access went on sale through Verizon Wireless last month for $800, or $600 with a two-year contract.

The iPad 2 and Xoom both have fast dual-core processors and two cameras. But the Motorola Mobility Inc.'s tablet runs Google Inc.'s Android software, while the iPad runs a version of the iPhone's software.

Android browser faster than iPhone's?

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 20, 2011 (New Delhi)

A study conducted by mobile-website–optimization company Blaze.io, involving over 40000 downloads of web pages belonging to the Fortune 1000 companies recently revealed that Android browsers are 52 per cent faster than iPhone’s.

The company tested the Samsung Nexus S (Android 2.3), Samsung Galaxy S (Android 2.2), the iPhone 4.3 and iPhone 4.2 by downloading more than 40,000 Fortune 1000 company websites using a Wi-Fi connection. The phones loaded each Fortune 1000 website three times.

On average, Android phones took 2.1 seconds to render non–mobile-optimized web pages, while the iPhone took 3.2 seconds.

The study also found that the much-touted JavaScript improvements in the latest versions of Android and the iPhone had little real-world effect on these web pages. Howeve, when it came to loading mobile web sites, the two platforms performed the same with download speeds averaging around 2 seconds.

Apple, however, called independent tests by Blaze Software to be "flawed." It said that speed enhancements introduced for Safari do not include the embedded version of the browser, therefore the results are biased towards Android.

“The sluggish iPhone took about 52 percent longer than the Android to load new web pages. Another important study finding: JavaScript improvements in the newest iPhone and Android don't have significant effects on page-load time. (JavaScript is the Web's native programming language that governs functionality on many sites.) Though the findings might be dispiriting for iPhone fanatics, all hope isn't lost: the Android only beat Apple in 84 percent of the trials. And both operating systems had almost the same load time – two seconds – for web pages designed specifically for mobile browsing,” Blaze.io said in a statement.

The Mobile Web browser usage is exploding with estimates suggesting that 44.1 per cent of US citizens will leverage mobile Internet by 2014.

Apple set to release iPad 2 in 25 more countries

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 22, 2011

Apple Inc would roll out the newer version of iPad to 25 more markets, including France and the United Kingdom.

Apple said the new iPad 2 will be available in the UK on March 25, and also has dropped the price of the 16GB WiFi only model by £40.

The iPad 2 was released in the US on March the 11, unveiled amid much hoopla, and it was no surprise that Apple’s initial iPad 2 shipment quickly sold out, despite long queues outside Apple stores. Some estimates suggested that nearly 1 million iPad 2s in first weekend were sold beating the original iPad’s launch weekend sales of 300,000.

“iPad 2 with Wi-Fi will be available in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK on March 25″ said Apple.

Apple has still not released figures of its sales in the US, but its chief executive Steve Jobs made clear in a statement on Tuesday that the thinner, faster iPad has been heavily in demand.

"We're experiencing amazing demand for iPad 2 in the US, and customers around the world have told us they can't wait to get their hands on it," he said. "We appreciate everyone's patience and we are working hard to build enough iPads for everyone."

iPad 2 with Wi-Fi will be available for a suggested retail price of £399.00 inc VAT (£332.50 ex VAT) for the 16GB model, £479.00 inc VAT (£399.17 ex VAT) for the 32GB model,£559.00 inc VAT (£465.83 ex VAT) for the 64GB model. iPad 2 with Wi-Fi + 3G will be available for a suggested retail price of £499.00 inc VAT (£415.83 ex VAT) for the 16GB model, £579.00 inc VAT (£482.50 ex VAT) for the 32GB model and £659.00 inc VAT (£549.17 ex VAT) for the 64GB model. iPad 2 will be available in Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and additional countries in April, and in many more countries around the world in the coming months. Further international availability and pricing will be announced at a later date.

Five things you won’t get in the new iPad 2

By: Aseem Gaurav, March 5, 2011 (New Delhi)

Apple Inc has not disappointed with the launch of its next generation iPad. The verdict by the army of bloggers and technology addicts is out and the iPad 2, which was unveiled by Apple founder and CEO Steve Jobs, has managed to draw enough admiration that is sure to keep it ahead of its competitors. I must mention here that the iPad 2 is evolutionary, not as revolutionary as the first iPad. The cosmetic makeover done by the company to its best selling computer tablet is a next step forward as it tries to catch up with what other competitors have been already offering for some time now.

With much better hardware yet keeping the same prices as the last generation iPad, I think Apple should continue to dominate the tablet space.

iPad 2 is thinner, lighter, faster and incorporates a lot of new features. In terms of looks, the iPad 2 is almost similar to its predecessor, with a few important tweaks, like front- and rear-facing cameras. It measures 9.5 x 7.31 x 0.34 inches in dimension and weighs 1.33-1.35 pounds and runs with the new A5 processor, powered by Qualcomm dual-mode GSM/CDMA chip. It is armed with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth connectivity, equipped with Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor, 3-axis gyro Sensors with a battery life of Up to 10 hours.

Despite all such additions, I think Apple could have gone a little step further and should have added, features meant to improve the user experience. Here is a list of five such important features that are missing in the Apple iPad2.

Retina Display:

Apple’s “Retina Display” technology first appeared on the iPhone 4 and later made it into the latest version of the iPod Touch. But that’s missing in the new iPad2. Retina Display is essentially a high-end screen with four times as many pixels in the same screen real estate. Earlier it was rumoured that the Apple was planning to add a Retina Display to the tablet, but the company has later said that Apple was saving it for the third generation of the device.

No USB port, No SD card slot:

This was one such upgrade that everyone was looking forward to which was rumoured earlier also. The reason behind this is Apple’s former resistance to anything that could enable the transfer of non-Apple content.

Thunderbolt connectivity:

Thunderbolt is Intel’s super fast port and so far, it’s only available on Apple’s MacBook Pro line. Thunderbolt supports high-resolution displays and high-speed data transfer in an all-in one port. Its use promises to bring speeds in excess of USB 3.0, meaning the iPad sync go faster when plugging in the device to a computer. Thunderbolt would have been a welcome addition to the iPad 2, as would a USB port for connecting external storage.

Near Field Communications technology:

Predictably, there were plenty of consumer comments on the iPad 2 having Near Field Communications technology. So far, Google is the only player with a NFC-enabled device with its Android 2.3-powered Nexus S. NFC refers to a short-range high frequency wireless communication technology. It is used in payment systems such as London Transport’s Oyster card.

NFC (Near Field Communications) is completely absent from the iPad Version 2.0.

4G:

Last but not the least, the one of the major things that could have made it to the iPad 2 is the 4g technology, the latest version of the 3G. The device not supporting 4G network speeds has drawn criticism from everyone as Motorola’s Zoom tablet will soon have their Xoom tablet fully equipped with 4G LTE support.

Apple sold over 15 million iPads in 9 months in 2010 and claims 2011 is “clearly the year of iPad 2.″