Samsung unveils Samsung KNOX system to make BYOD more secure

By: iPadfanzz staff on February 26, 2013

In hopes to attract more enterprise customers, Samsung has unveiled a new containerised security system called Knox for some of its Android-powered Galaxy smartphones.

Samsung Knox is a new end-to-end secure solution made to provide security “hardening from the hardware through to the application layer.”

Knox allows IT admins to keep staff’s personal and work data separate by operating at the application layer level. This, the company said, will help mitigate the threat of data leakage, viruses and malware attacks.

The system, which incorporates an enhanced security version of Android developed by the National Security Agency (NSA), also supports integrity management services on a hardware and Android OS level. It will also play nicely with existing MDM, VPN and directory services, Samsung added.

"Easily accessible via an icon on the home screen, the Knox container offers a variety of enterprise applications in a secure environment, including email, browser, contacts, calendars, file sharing, collaboration, CRM and business intelligence applications," Samsung said in a statement.

Knox will be available on selected Samsung Galaxy devices in the UK "later this year", according to the company.

StickNFind Bluetooth tracking stickers to begin shipping

By: iPadfanzz staff on February 26, 2013

The StickNFind Bluetooth tracking stickers are probably one of the best things you may have come across recently. After successfully raising $930,000 in less than six weeks via the indiegogo crowd funding website, the stikers will begin shipping next week.

In case you don’t know about them, just attach these stickers to your belongings and the Stick-N-Find’s patent-pending algorithms will help you then locate it within two inches of its location, when lost or misplaced.

“We have been working day and night to make the SticknFind Stickers amazing. Our focus has been on reliability and easy of use. Our goal was the ability to pinpoint the sticker in a large house, without the necessity of the buzzer feature. Our radar resolution now is so high, the App will guide any user within inches from the sticker,” said Jimmy Buchheim, CEO of Stick-N-Find Technologies.

He said the company has already produced 20,000 stickers in the US to fulfill the promise of shipping on date. The company also announced that the miniature homing tags have received redesign companion application, with an extended range of 150 feet.

Stick-N-Find works with iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, New Ipad, iPad mini, New iPod touch. It also works on Android devices supporting Bluetooth Low Energy, running Android 4.1 and newer. The company also said for the system to work nothing special is required as Sticknfind will communicate directly with your Smartphone via Bluetooth Low Energy.

For more information on the new StickNFind Bluetooth tracking system go to the StickNFind website for details.

LG introduces the world’s smallest wireless charger at Mobile World Congress

By: iPadfanzz staff on February 26, 2013

With portability has main focus on mind, LG Electronics has launched the world's smallest wireless charger at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona.

LG says the WCP-300 has only 6.9cm in diameter and provides a charge area 1.7 times wider than the company’s previous generation wireless charger. The charger is Qi certified and is compatible with any smartphone with the same certification as well as any charger that uses a 5-pin micro-USB.

The charger is based on electromagnetic induction technology that produces a magnetic field which in turn generates an electric current to charge the batteries in devices placed on the charging pad.

The WCP-300 will support Nexus 4, LG Spectrum 2, Optimus G Pro, Vu II and LTE II smartphones among others. At first the charger will be available in South Korea and then in other countries.

Sony launches 10.1” Xperia Z: A thin, lightweight and waterproof tablet

By: iPadfanzz staff on February 25, 2013


Sony has announced its Xperia Tablet Z – the slimmest and lightest 10.1 water resistant tablet at the Mobile World Congress. The tablet will launch globally in Q2 calendar 2013.

 The design of Xperia Z fits with that of the Xperia Z smartphone. It uses the same high-quality finish and materials, fusing everything together in a glassfibre frame. Xperia Tablet Z is incredibly slim and lightweight at 6.9mm and 495g and is available in black or white and in LTE and WiFi versions. The tablet is a powerhouse featuring Qualcomm(R) Snapdragon(TM) S4 Pro asynchronous quad core processor and has the highest levels of water resistance (IP55 & IP57) ever delivered in a tablet, making it immune to accidental spills and splashes.

The tablet has a screen size of 10.1” and packs in 1,920 x 1,200 resolution (highest in its category). It also shows 20 per cent more color than the latest iPad, according to Sony. There’s an eight-megapixel camera on back, and a front-facing two-megapixel camera. The Xperia Tablet Z will ship running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, but will be updated to Android 4.2 shortly after launch.

As with the Xperia Tablet S, the tablet is meant to be used as a companion device for the living room. It has an infrared port, which enabled you to use it as a remote control. A new app called TV SideView also gives you the ability to access program guides, search for content by voice, and share what you’re watching via social networks.

The tab promises to deliver great performance, as there’s no problem swapping between the homescreens and app drawer and even loads up selected applications with a snap.

There'll be 16, 32 and 64GB models available with the 32GB version offering LTE/4G and there's also a micro SD slot on board for boosting the storage. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC and DLNA.

The tablet Z also includes Battery Stamina Mode to boost the existing capacity (of around 8 hours).

Sony expects the Tablet Z to launch this Spring, at $499 for the base 16GB model and $599 for the 32GB model.

Nokia launches Lumia 720 and 520 with Windows 8 to woo budget-conscious users

By: iPadfanzz staff on February 25, 2013

Betting big on budget smartphone market, Nokia unveiled two new Windows Phone 8 handsets, the Nokia Lumia 520 and Nokia Lumia 720 at the at the Mobile World Congress, upping its ante against global rivals – Apple and Samsung – in the smartphone category.

The Nokia 720, considered to be at the higher-end of the lineup, is a mid-range device and offers some impressive specifications. Nokia Lumia 720 features a 4.3-inch LCD touchscreen with ClearBlack Display technology. It comes with extremely touch-sensitive display and can be operated even while wearing gloves. It has 8GB internal memory, 7GB free SkyDrive storage and microSD support up to 64GB. The 720 comes loaded with a 6.7 MP Carl Zeiss camera with LED flash on the back, and a 1.3 MP unit in the front. It has a unibody design, 2,000mAh battery, wireless charging and NFC.

Build-wise, the handset resembles the Lumia 820 more than the 920, with the rear reminding you of HTC's Windows Phone 8X. We didn't like the glossy white version. But the matte black model gives a very nice feel. Nokia Lumia 720 will be launched in India in the second quarter of this year and will cost 249 euros worldwide.

The other new launch is Lumia 520, which Nokia says delivers the best overall experiences of any smartphone in its range. Nokia adds that the phone is good for people looking to upgrade to Lumia and to Windows Phone and wanting a taste of some of that high-end innovation. Nokia 520 has got a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor at 1GHz, a 5 megapixel camera on its back, and a 4-inch IPS LCD display up front. This device is 119.9 x 64 x 9.9 mm large, works with 512 MB RAM inside, and has 8 GB built-in storage. The display offers 800 x 480 pixel resolution, Super Sensitive Touch – for use with gloves, your fingernails and is available in yellow, blue, white, and red.

The two smartphones come with imaging features like Cinemagraph, Panorama, PhotShoot and PhotoBeamer. The Cinemagraph feature brings pictures to life with animation and allows you to easily share the fun with friends on Facebook, Twitter or via email. While Smart Shoot takes multiple group pictures with a single click allowing you to choose the best expression for the perfect shot or even remove people altogether. The Panorama lens provides an easy way to capture super-wide-angled photos of any beautiful scene. The phone also comes with Nokia Music, which means free unlimited streaming of playlists chosen by our local teams of expert musicologists, or you can make your own. There’s no registration and no advertisements – just great music playing instantly, and if you are worried about data charges – Nokia Music even lets you download up to four playlists for free.

"The momentum behind Nokia is gathering pace. The launches today reflect our commitment to broadening our devices and services portfolio to meet the demands of people and businesses around the globe," Nokia President and CEO Stephen Elop said.

The 520 and 720 will be hitting numerous countries this quarter and then others, including China, in the second quarter of 2013. Nokia isn’t providing details on when they will hit U.S. carriers.

Technical profile: Lumia 720

Networks:

GSM/EDGE: 850 (5)/900 (8)/1800 (3)/1900 (2) MHz
WCDMA: 850 (5)/900 (8)/1900 (2)/2100 (1) MHz
HSPA+: 21 Mbps, (Cat 14)

OS:  Windows Phone 8, GDR1

CPU: MSM8227, 1.0 GHz

RAM: 512 MB

Storage: 8 GB + microSD Card Slot

Display: 4.3” ClearBlack WVGA LCD, 2.25 D Glass, Super Sensitive Touch

Camera:

Back: 6.7 MPIX, BSI, Auto-Focus, Carl Zeiss, LED flash, HD 720p @ at 30 fps
Front: Skype HD wide angle (1.3Mpix)

Connectivity: NFC, A-GPS+GLONASS, WLAN (2.4/5Ghz) a/b/g/n, µUSB, BT 3.0, 3D Accelerometer, Proximity, Magnetometer, Automatic Light Sensor. (No Gyroscope).

Battery: 2000 mAh battery + Wireless Charging Cover Accessory; standby 520hrs, talk time 13.5hrs

Audio: 2 HAAC (high-amplitude audio capture) mics, HD Voice (wideband audio, noise cancellation)

Size: 127.9 x 67.5 x 9mm

Weight: 128g

Colours:

Gloss: White
Matte: Red, Yellow, Cyan & Black

Technical profile: Lumia 520

Operating System: Windows Phone 8

Networks: WCDMA 900/2100, 850/1900/2100, GSM/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900

Speed: 3G HSPA+ (21Mbps)

Memory: 512 MB RAM, 8 GB mass memory, support for microSD cards up to 64GB, 7GB free SkyDrive storage

Display: 4” IPS LCD WVGA (800 x 480 pixels) 16M colors,
2D hardened glass, super sensitive touch for fingernail and glove use

Processor: 1 GHz Dual Core Snapdragon™

Camera: 5Mpix autofocus, video recording HD 720p 30fps

Size: 119.9 x 64 x 9.9 mm* (*volume thickness)

Weight: 124g

Connectivity: WLAN IEEE802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, Integrated A-GPS, 3.5 mm audio connector, Micro
USB with charging, USB 2.0 High Speed

Battery: 1430mAh

Audio: single digital microphone, 3.5mm AV connector, MP3 player

Colours: Yellow, red, cyan, white and black

Operating times

Talk time: up to 9.6 hours (on 3G)
Standby time: up to 360 hours

BlackBerry launches Z10 in India, at a higher price band of Rs 43,490

By: iPadfanzz staff on February 25, 2013

BlackBerry has officially launched its latest smartphone Z10 in the Indian market for a price tag of Rs 43,490. The phone will be available in the retail market one week after the announcement.

It is a 4.2” LCD touchscreen phone that offers resolution of 1280x768 pixels (offering 356 pixels per inch pixel density and the up to 4 points of multi-touch). The phone is powered by a 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8960 mobile processor, and has 2GB RAM. It comes with 16GB onboard memory which can be expanded up to 64GB using a microSD card.

The Z10 has an 8 megapixel rear camera with LED flash and a 2MP HD camera in front. Its connectivity options include Wi-Fi, 2G, 3G, 4G, Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB 2.0 and NFC. The Z10 has a 1,800mAh battery.

The handset is available in black and while colours and competes against the likes of Nokia Lumia 920, Samsung Galaxy S3 and iPhone 5.

The Canada-based BlackBerry has high hopes from Z10 smartphone since for two years the company has been on rocks and felt left behind market leaders Apple and Samsung. What could work for BlackBerry with this new handset is the company’s popularity among the working professionals and a cool, feature-rich smartphone that promises to give strong competition to other market players.

Samsung Galaxy S IV unveil confirmed for March 14 in NYC

By: iPadfanzz staff on February 25, 2013

In a move that is sure to heat up the US smartphone market, Samsung Electronics said it will launch its new smartphone under the Galaxy S series on March 14 in New York. In comparison, the Galaxy S III was announced last year at an event in London.

It will be the first US launch of Samsung's flagship Galaxy smartphone in three years, company spokeswoman Chenny Kim has said. It is one of this year’s most hotly-anticipated smartphone and will include improvements in quad-core processor, camera and display. Rumours suggest that the company will launch a handset with a 5-inch 1080pf display, with a 1.8GHz 8-core Exynos 5 Octa processor. Other rumoured specs include 2 GB of RAM, ARM's Mali-T658 GPU, and a 13-megapixel rear camera.

The Galaxy S series has been received well by consumers across the world. In January, the company announced that Galaxy S shipments had topped 100 million, with the Galaxy S III alone contributing 41 million units.

All eyes are now on for the next big release by Samsung. Stay tunes to iPadfanzz.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 hands-on: An 8" tablet and yet a phone

By: iPadfanzz staff on February 24, 2013

Samsung has officially launches its Galaxy Note 8 in mid-size tablet market. Strongly feeling the need of a tablet between 7″ and 10″ tablets, the company launched is noticeably wider (8”) tablet which still feel comfortable in your hands. The tablet sports a simple and elegant design that has smooth edges and corners. The Note 8 is made of the same stuff that the Note 10.1 is made of but with more metal thrown to enhance durability.

The slate has been cleverly pitched against the same sized Apple’s iPad Mini, with the addition of S Pen and supporting software. The idea may be to why just touch and type when you can draw, too? In terms of size, Galaxy Note 8.0 is slightly larger than iPad mini -- 210.8 X 135.9mm, 338g vs 200 x 134.7mm, and weighs 312g, which is slightly heavier than the iPad Mini, The Note 8.0 offers 1280 x 800 resolution and 189 ppi pixel density, marginally better than the iPad Mini’s 1024 x 768 resolution and 163 ppi pixel density.

From left to right are three bottom bezel buttons: menu, home button, and the back button and Samsung has added the ability to use the S-Pen with the three buttons. This was not there with the Note II. On the right edge sits a SIM card slot and with a microSD card slot. under it. On the left edge is an IR blaster, supporting Peel's Smart Remote software, along with a volume rocker and power/sleep button.

Depending on the region where you buy, the tablet will be available in Wi-Fi only, 3G or 4G LTE versions. The Note 8.0 will let you make voice calls if you buy the 3G or 4G versions. The device also supports Bluetooth 4.0 and infrared transmission via its IR Blaster.

The device has a has a 1.6GHz quad-core A9 processor for all your next-generation processing action, and packs in 5 megapixel camera on the back, 1.3 megapixel on the front. The processor is ably backed with 2 GB of RAM, either 16 or 32GB of built-in storage, and a microSD card slot able to work with up to 64GB cards.

The tablet will run on latest Android v4.1.2(with Samsung touchwiz UI) which features the company's latest TouchWiz user interface. Samsung has also introduced ChatOn 2.0, which enables voice messages, animated messages.

Like the other Galaxy Note devices, the Galaxy Note 8 comes with Samsung’s S-Pen, the the same stylus or digital pen that it began shipping with its other Galaxy Note 10.1 and Galaxy Note 2 products, and S Note – the note-taking software, S Planner pen-friendly organizer and Paper Artist for drawing. Besides, the device also comes with Awesome Note, a popular iOS note-taking and personal organizer app that’s making its first appearance on Android and will be available exclusively on Samsung’s Android products.

Noticeably, the S-Note software has a particularly compelling new feature called Idea Sketch, which finds clip art for you after you scribble down what object you’re looking for. For instance, when you scribble down the word “lion,” a result screen with a thumbnail of a clip art picture of a lion appear and, when we selected the thumbnail, the image will appear in the middle of you note.

Another interesting feature is Air View that lets you hover the pen over specific Samsung apps so you can see previews of videos, emails or photos without actually launching the apps.

The Jelly Bean software has also added some multitasking features on top. Like, a multi-window option allows you to put apps side by side. For example, you can have a website or book on the left side of the screen and then take notes in the S Note application on the right. Other prominent software features include Smart Stay, which will keep the screen on automatically when you are looking at it and a Reader's Mode, which alters the screen brightness for reading.

An important feature to mention here is that table has an IR blaster and its Smart Remote app, which allows the tablet to function as a universal remote control. There will be a TV-guide like interface which will allow you to tap on images to change the channel.

Also, as a first for Android and Samsung, the tablet has integrated the Awesome Note (a cloud-based annotation app previously available only on iOS) as a free service, exclusive to the OEM for one year.

The Note 8.0's back is non-removable and houses a sealed 4,600mAh battery.

In terms of connectivity, the tablet also packs HSPA+ 21 connectivity (850/900/1900/2100MHz). So, yes, you will be able to hold it up to your head and make voice calls however silly that may look.

Samsung plans to launch the Note 8.0 around the world sometime in the second quarter of this year. The company is planning on Wi-Fi, HSPA+ and LTE models, but has not yet announced US carrier availability. Overall, it is the best Galaxy Note yet, due to its note taking ability, light weight feel factor, the S-Pen and some other great softwares.

A comparison of Micromax Canvas HD A116 vs Canvas A110

By: iPadfanzz staff on February 24, 2013

At first instance, it is hard to tell any difference between Micromax Canvas HD A116 and Micromax Canvas A110 smartphones by India based MicroMax Mobiles. But a closer look at the usage and specifications of both these mobiles tells you all. The Canvas HD, the successor of already a big hit Canvas A110, is the best in its class smartphone with quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7, 8MP + 0.3 MP cameras, dual SIM support, 1 GB RAM, Android Jelly bean 4.1.2 operating system, and an affordable price tag of Rs 13,990, and a host of other features makes it a very desirable phone that is well suited for India’s fast paced youth.

Here are some noticeable differences that the company is offering as compared to its predecessor:

1) Canvas HD has 4.1 (jellybean) which is an upgraded version as compared to Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich).

2) The Canvas HD is much faster than Canvas 2 because of the presence of Quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7 and also due to the presence of 1 GB RAM.

3) The display pixel rate of Canvas HD is 1280 x 720 which is almost triple of Canvas 2, thus the former smartphone offers clear pictures and high quality videos.

4) Canvas 2 needs Mini SIM cards to operate which we need to buy as an accessory while as Micromax A116 Canvas HD works with the normal sized SIM cards.

5. Canvas HD also scored high in terms of featured offered compared to price point and design.

Comparison of specifications:

Canvas HD A116 ==== Micromax Canvas A110

Screen Size: 12.7 cms ===== 12.7 cms

OS Name: Jelly bean 4.1.2 ==== Android Ice Cream Sandwich

Processor: 1.2Ghz, Quad core ==== 1 GHz Dual Core

Camera Resolution: 8 MP ==== 8 MP

Battery Capacity: 2000 mAh ==== 2000 mAh

Connectivity Options: 3G , Bluetooth 4.0 , Wi-Fi , USB 2.0 ====3G , Bluetooth 3.0 , wifi , USB 2.0

Screen Size : 12.7 cms 12.7 cms

Screen Resolution : 1280*720(HD) 480*854

Screen Type : IPS IPS

Colour Depth : True color(16.7 M) 262K

Multimedia:

Video Resolution : 1280*720 ==== 480*854

Audio Formats Supported : MP3,AAC,AAC+, e AAC+, AMR, WB-AMR, MIDI, Ogg, PCM  ==== MP3,AAC,AAC+, e AAC+, AMR, WB-AMR, MIDI, Ogg Vorbis, PCM

Video Formats Supported : "H.264 encoder: baseline HVGA @15fps MPEG-4 Simple / H.263 encoder: 720p@ 30fps/12.5Mbps." ==== H.264 encoder: baseline HVGA @15fps MPEG-4 Simple / H.263 encoder: 720p@ 30fps/12.5Mbps

Video Frame Rate : 30 fps ==== 30 fps

FM : Yes ==== Yes

Battery:

Standby Time : 174hrs ==== 225 hrs

Battery Capacity : 2000 mAh ==== 2000 mAh

Talktime : 5hrs ==== 6 hrs

ChipSet

Processor : 1.2Ghz, Quad core ==== 1 GHz Dual Core

Type: MT6589 ==== MT6577

Camera

Camera Resolution : 8 MP ==== 8 MP

Front Camera: 2 MP === 0.3

Flash : Yes === Yes

Autofocus : Yes ==== Yes

Resolution, Recording & Playback : 1280*720,.3gp(HD) ==== 3gp,640*480

Connectivity

Wi-Fi : Yes ==== Yes

Bluetooth : V4.0 ==== V3.0

Location : GPS : yes ==== Yes

Connectivity Options : 3G , Bluetooth 4.0 , Wi-Fi , USB 2.0 ==== 3G , Bluetooth 3.0 , wifi , USB 2.0

Frequency Band : 1.2 Ghz ==== GSM/GPRS/EDGE 900/1800 MHz HSPA 2100 MHz

Frequency Band : GSM/GPRS/EDGE 900/1800 HSPA 2100 MHz  ==== GSM/GPRS/EDGE 900/1800 MHz HSPA 2100 MHz

Network : 3G ==== 3G

HSPA: HSPA+ (DL-21Mbps, UL-11Mbps) depends upon network ==== Yes

Storage

ROM : 4GB Nand ==== 4GB

Sensors: Proximity sensor, Motion sensor, Gravity sensor, Light sensor ==== Proximity sensor , Motion sensor ,Gravity sensor

RAM: 1 GB ==== 512MB

Internal Memory: 1.77GB ==== 2GB

Expandable Memory : 32 GB ==== 32GB

Connectors

USB V: Micro USB (5 pin) , USB 2.0 ==== Micro USB (5 pin) , USB 2.0

Dual SIM Support: Yes ==== Yes

Ear Jack: 3.5 mm jack ==== 3.5 mm

Applications

Hookup , M! Zone+, M! Store , Mi Live ===== Hookup , Mizone , Mistore , Mi buddy , Google play store.

Apple iPhone 5, iPhone 4S outsold Samsung Galaxy SIII in 2012 Q4: Report

By: iPadfanzz staff on February 23, 2013


Adding light to the world of intensely competitive smartphones, a new report by research Strategy Analytics reveals iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S took the top two spots in sales list, while Galaxy S III grabbed the third place.

Launched in October 2011, around 17.4 million units of iPhone 4S were sold in October 2011, whereas Galaxy SIII, launched in May 2012 clocked sales of 15.4 million. In terms of market share, iPhone 4S grabbed 8 per cent share while the latter accounted for 7.1 per cent. At the same time, the iPhone 5, launched in September 2012, reported sales of 27.4 million units in the last quarter of 2012, that comes out to 12.6 per cent market share.

In all, these three smartphone captured 22.7 per cent of the overall market share in the last quarter, significantly up from 23.3 per cent in the preceeding quarter.

Besides, all other smartphones reported sales of 156.8 million units during the same period, considerably up from 132.6 million units in the July to September quarter.

What these results indicate that Apple has been able to maintain its charm as compared to the growing breed of Android smartphones and especially the Galaxy range. The iPhone 5 was well received by users for its high-quality built, its composition of aluminium and glass, the new A6 processor chip that is ultra-fast, weight, camera, image quality, iOS 6, battery life, and many other features. Also, Apple was able to deliver OS updates over the air, bypassing carrier testing requirements, which frequently impede Android updates — meaning some Android fans may choose to opt for a newer model of smartphone in order to get the latest version of the OS.

Pentagon grounds entire Joint Strike Fighter fleet

By: iPadfanzz staff on February 23, 2013

In a surprising move, the U.S. Department of Defense has suspended airborne testing of its Joint Strike Fighter after a routine inspection revealed a crack in an engine turbine blade.

In a statement the Pentagon said it was too early to assess the impact on the fleet of jets designed for use by the Navy, Air Force and Marines.

The grounding includes every one of the three versions of the F-35 involved in the $396 billion program. The fighter jets included in the program have been described as "the most affordable, lethal, supportable, and survivable aircraft ever to be used" and is one of Pentagon's most expensive weapons system yet.

The Pentagon said the blade has been sent to Pratt & Whitney’s Engine Facility in Connecticut for further tests, but until the process is finished, all F-35s will remain grounded to determine the exact cause of crack.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said in December that the Joint Strike Fighter will see its first overseas deployment in 2017, to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Japan.

NYPD creates ‘itheft’ unit to recover stolen iPhones or iPads

By: iPadfanzz staff on February 23, 2013


Around 113 smartphones are stolen or lost each minute in the US, and since the iPhone or an iPad are much desired Apple devices, they are quite preferred by thieves. Now the New York Police Department has created a team dedicated to recovering stolen iDevices, the New York Post said.

The team of cops will track down the stolen goods through ID numbers -- known as International Mobile Station Equipment Identity numbers. One of the major reasons of NYPD creating such a team is the reported rise of 40 per cent of iPhone and iPad during a period of last eight months. As of September, 11,447 cases were reported.

Although, identifying stolen phones by their unique identifiers, has been done for several years. But this is the first time a dedicated law enforcement squad has teamed up with a tech giant like Apple to do it.

Reports say the ‘iTheft’ unit has achieving sufficient success in tracking the devices and recovering it. In one case, one iPad was tracked all the way down to Dominican Republic. And in another, they busted a man suspected of selling stolen iPads.

HoverBar floats your iPad anywhere

By: iPadfanzz staff on February 23, 2013


South Carolina based Twelve South is well known for making items for Apple products. HoverBar connects you iPad to your Mac, Apple or any other display, thus creating a dynamic duo.

The HoverBar has a sleek black, flexible a two-way mounting clamp with an adjustable screw. Inside the clamp there’s silicon lined metal surface that ensures none of your belongings get scratched when the HoverBar is attached. HoverBar has enough muscle to position iPad above or beside any size Mac.

You can flex the bar and tilt the iPad in any direction to view the slate in your favourite viewing position. The metal arm is 22” in size and extends from a bi-directional assembley that screws into the clamp. The iPad display clip easily attaches through a ball-and-socket fixture at the end of the arm and is compatible with iPad 2 and iPad 3rd generation models.

One of the great uses of HoverBar is that is can be a great comparison when you are in kitchen or some outdoor place. For instance, you can cook recipes that you find interesting on Pinterest or watch some video by elevating the iPad above the cooking surface. Another testing site for the HoverBar could be an information fair where the passersby can tilte the iPad to view the slidshow.

The metal arm of Hoverbar offers good strength and flexibility to the iPad so that you don’t have to worry about the device falling. The device will cost you $79.99 but before you buy this device keep in mind the utility factor. Remember it is not going to twist into any shape imaginable.

Visit the site for more information.

Samsung cuts price of Galaxy camera in India

By: iPadfanzz staff on February 23, 2013

Samsung has cut the price of its Galaxy camera by Rs 3,880 to Rs 26,520. The company is also offering a free battery charging kit with the device in the country. It is a Android based Wi-Fi+3G enabled camera which the company launched in November last year. The Samsung Galaxy camera's Wi-Fi-only competitor Nikon S800c is priced at Rs 20,950.

The camera sports 4.8-inch touchscreen, is powered by a 1.4GHz quad-core processor, has 1GB RAM, a 1,650mAh battery and supports sim-card for 3G connectivity. The gadget supports sim-card for 3G connectivity and can also access the internet over Wi-Fi.

Samsung Galaxy Camera has digital and optical zoom of 21x each along with a BSI CMOS sensor. Some of the prominent features of the camera include optical image stabilization, auto-focus (centre, multi and Face Detection) along with Instagram, Paper Artist, Dropbox, Photo Wizard, Video Editor, AllShare Play, S-Suggest and S-Voice. The Wi-Fi version of the camera was recently introduced by the company which is said is more affordable than the 3G version.

Ten amazing facts about the iPad Mini

By: iPadfanzz staff on February 22,  2013

The iPad Mini has been with us for months now and although it is small, but it’s an iPad. This is evident from the first time you hold the device in your hand. It fits snuggly and is so light that you feel like carrying a hard paper in your hand. And once you start using it, you’ll forget that you are holding a mini version of the iPad.

The tablet is extremely powerful and responsive and looks so beautiful. The 7.9-inch iPad Mini is slightly larger than competitors like the Kindle Fire and Nexus 7, a little over half the size of the iPad 4, and yet, it seems just right. While the full size iPad required you to carry with both hands, it will feel natural to hold the Mini in one hand. The iPad Mini costs $329 for the 16GB Wi-Fi model in the US. In India, iPad mini, it starts at Rs 21,900 for the 16GB Wi-Fi-only version. The 32 and 64GB Wi-Fi-only versions of the device cost Rs 27,900 and 33,900 in the country, respectively. The 16, 32 and 64GB Wi-Fi+4G iterations of Apple's mini-tablet have been priced at Rs 29,900, 35,500 and 41,900, respectively.

Let’s take a look at ten amazing facts about the iPad Mini.

Powered by dual core A5 processors, which is similar to the iPad. The mini uses the same dual-core A5 processor, at the same clock speed, as the iPad 2; includes the same 512MB of RAM. This means the Mini offers the matching performance with that of the iPad 2 in terms of processor, graphics capabilities, and screen resolution.

At 7.9 inches tall and 5.3 inches wide, the iPad mini is just 60 per cent of the footprint of the fourth-generation iPad. Due to its 0.28-inch thickness it is even thinner than the iPhone 5.

At 308-gram (11-ounce) weight, the iPad mini is just 46 percent of the volume of the standard iPad and 47 percent of the weight. Yet the mini offers a 7.9-inch (diagonal) display that’s a full 66 per cent of the screen area of a full-size iPad. The bezel framing the display is much narrower along the longer edges than on a full-size iPad, allowing Apple to squeeze as much screen area as possible into the iPad mini’s smaller package. Like the iPhone 5, the iPad mini has polished, chamfered edges between its body and the glass front.

Thanks to its iPad 2-matching processor, graphics capabilities, and screen resolution, the iPad mini should offer performance on par with that of the iPad 2.

The Mini is able to access 4G LTE mobile networks, while the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HD are currently Wi-Fi-only. The iPad mini uses the same LTE chip found in the fourth-generation iPad, so it’s compatible with more carriers compared to the third-generation iPad.

The Mini is great in multimedia performance. You can watch amazing videos on Crackle, listen to music on Pandora Radio and play fun games like Temple Run. And you aren't limited to casual games, with the more hardcore variety like Dungeon Hunter 3 or Infinity Blade looking and playing great on the 7.9-inch display.

The Mini is good in terms of opening websites. The 0.9 inch factor offers the tablet 35 per cent more screen estate than a 7-inch tablet. Most websites are easy to navigate in portrait mode, and while the text is very tiny, it can still be read. Of course, it is easy to zoom into the page, or simply flip the tablet over into landscape mode, which makes the page much easier to read.

The iPad Mini has the same dual-facing cameras as the iPad 4, which includes a 5 MP back-facing camera that is capable of taking 1080p video in addition to the 720p front-facing "FaceTime" camera.

It also has good stereo speakers located on the bottom of the device. They aren't great for listening to music but they do outperform the iPhone 5's speakers.

The table grants access to the App Store ecosystem. Of the 700,000 apps in the App Store, over 250,000 are designed specifically for the iPad. And the iPad Mini should be able to handle every single one of them.

Brand new channel Sky Movies Disney to air latest movies by Sky

By: iPadfanzz staff on February 21, 2013


Sky and Disney have concluded a new multi-year film output deal which will see Disney classics like Bambi and Pinocchio coming to UK screens on a new Sky Movies Disney channel.

Sky Movies Disney will be a new addition to Sky's pay-TV film channels lineup, by replacing Disney Cinemagic. Parents across the UK will breathe a collective sigh of relief as the channel will launch during the time of the Easter Holidays - March 28, 2013.

Other animated titles from Disney and Pixar, including Tinker Bell: Secrets of the Wings and upcoming releases Oz: The Great and Powerful, Monsters University and The Lone Ranger, will also have their first UK TV showing on Sky Movies Disney.

The deal also gives Sky access to Disney films for its video on demand services Sky Go, Now TV and On Demand. Thus, Sky TV customers will be able to watch movies on the move on their smartphone, tablet, laptop or MacBook.

“The launch of Sky Movies Disney builds on Sky and Disney's 24-year relationship in the UK and forms part of a new wide-ranging agreement between the two companies, covering further movies, and Disney Channels, across multiple platforms and devices,” the company said in a statement.

Ian Lewis, Director of Sky Movies, said, “Disney's movies are loved by all ages and generations, so we're delighted to be bringing this new channel to millions of families at no extra cost. Sky Movies Disney will be the home of new and classic Disney and Disney/Pixar movies and will offer all new titles at least a year before other TV channels or subscription services. The combination of Disney's fantastic movies and Sky's award-winning innovation means that customers will have the chance to enjoy the very best of Disney on their own terms, whether that's watching on demand, on the move or in 3D."

Future releases include Oz: The Great and Powerful, Monsters University and The Lone Ranger. The new movies will be available on Sky Movies Disney from around six months after they have ended their run in cinemas and will be exclusive to Sky Movies for at least a year.

The Disney TV channels – Disney Channel, DisneyX and Disney Junior will also continue to be broadcast by Sky and made available through Sky Go.

Plants vs Zombies free on iTunes App Store for iPhone and iPad

By: iPadfanzz staff on February 21, 2013


The popular tower defense game Plants vs. Zombies has become free iPhone and iPad.

The game’s developers’ said the second version of the game will be launched in late Spring 2013. The sequel will feature new zombie-defense tactics and new settings.

First released for Windows PC in 2009, Plants Vs Zombies has seen releases across all major platforms, such as iOS, Android, Xbox Live Arcade, PS3, Nintendo DS, Windows PC, BlackBerry 10 and Facebook.

Facebook, Google announce ‘new Nobel prize’ for science worth $15million

By: iPadfanzz staff on February 21, 2013

Google and Facebook founders and their spouses have announced a new multi-million-dollar prize for scientists who are working to cure the world's most devastating diseases. The prize money would be $15 million which would be double than the value of the Noble prize.

Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, and Google co-founder Sergey Brin and his wife Anne Wojcicki were asked to create the award by venture capitalist Yuri Milner, who modelled the prize on a physics award he set up last year.

As per the reports, five scientists will be given three million dollars for 'recognizing excellence in research aimed at curing intractable diseases and extending human life."

Notwithstanding the long standing rivalry between Google and Facebook, the board of directors will be made up of Zuckerberg and Chan, Brin and Wojcicki.

Zuckerberg said the new prize platform will be has the potential to provide a platform for other models and that will also promote a better future by curing diseases like cancer.

The board for the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences will be headed by Apple chairman Art Levinson.

Milner said the names of first thirteen people for the year 2013 have already bee announced and hopefully, it will convey the right message to the people.

In future there will be an annual amount of $15million set aside for winners of the prize, which seeks to reward research aimed at extending human life.

The 2013 winners are:

Eric S Lander: His creation of maps of the human genome earned him one of the first ever prizes.

Lewis C Cantley: He discovered the PI 3-Kinase and its role in cancer metabolism.

Shinya Yamanaka: He performed important research into adult stem cells.

Robert A Weinberg: His work on the characterisation of cancer genes was honoured.

Cornelia I Bargmann: Her reserach on genetics of neural circuits and behaviour, and synaptic guidepost molecules.

Titia de Lange: Her research on the role of telomeres in genome instability in cancer won her the award.

Charles S Sawyers: He was praised for his work on cancer genes and targeted therapy.

Hans Clevers: He was honoured for describing the role of Wnt signalling in tissue stem cells and cancer.

Napoleone Ferrara: Honoured for discoveries of mechanisms of angiogenesis that led to therapies for cancer and eye diseases.

Bert Vogelstein: He was praised for his work on cancer genomics and tumor surpressor genes.

New ‘Harlem Shake’ video goes viral on YouTube

By: iPadfanzz staff on February 21, 2013

It's called the Harlem Shake. The video, named after a popular dance that gained widespread popularity more than a decade ago, has gone viral on YouTube.

The video, which involves the shaking of upper torso and shoulders, has inspired tens of thousands of Internet copycat clips. The fivesome, from Australia’s Sunshine Coast, rose to popularity with their 31-second clip “The Harlem Shake v1 (TSCS original),” which has been viewed more than 12 million times since being uploaded to YouTube on February 2.

The Harlem Shake viral-video dance meme has racked over 170 million views across 40,000 different Youtube uploads from around the world.

The Harlem Shake is a style of dance introduced in 1981 by a Harlem, New York City resident named “Al Bm.” Earlier it was called “albee” but later became known as the Harlem Shake as its prominence grew beyond the neighborhood. The popularity of the dance reached its peak around 2001, when it was featured or referenced in songs by several New York-based hip hop artists such as Jadakiss, Cam’ron and P. Diddy.

Usually the videos begin with a shot of a single person, sometimes wearing a helmet, mildly grooving/gyrating to the sound of Harlem Shake in a room or a space full of people going about their business. But then cuts to the entire room or group flailing around after the song’s bass drop, with everyone acting crazy and/or wearing costumes.

On February 2, 2013, several parodies of DizastaMusic’s video were uploaded by TheSunnyCoastSkate and PHL_On_NAN, which went viral, amassing 300,000 views within 24 hours and prompting further parodies from other YouTubers shortly after.

The trend has been copied by athletes, TV news anchors and even animals.

Walter Steele had some suggestions for a new name: “Call it the ‘Get Crazy’ or the ‘Act Stupid.’”

“We didn’t start the dance... But we put our own input into it which is why I think it went viral,” TheSunnyCoastSkate said on their Facebook page.

Some of the prominent names joining the Harlem Shake craze include Jimmy Fallon, Anderson Cooper and Usain Bolt.

Twitter will shorten some tweets to only 117 characters!

By: iPadfanzz staff on February 21, 2013

Now the next time you tweet you need to use fewer characters. Micro blogging platform Twitter has announced that it will make some changes in their t.co link wrapper which means that the 140 character per tweet will be reduced to 117 or 118 characters to some of your tweets.

"We'd like to share some upcoming changes to our t.co link wrapper with the ecosystem. We're going to be extending the maximum length of t.co wrapped links from 20 to 22 characters for non-https URLs, and 21 to 23 characters for https URLs," the company said.

This means if you are tweeting a lot using Twitter’s t.co, then you will have less remaining characters. However if you are using bit.ly or TinyUrl, you don’t have to worry about t.co.

It is also believed that t.co protects its users from 'malicious sites that engage in spreading malware' and allows the number of clicks (hence relevance) to be easily calculated.

Sony unveils new PlayStation 4 console

By: iPadfanzz staff on February 21, 2013

Sony has released a latest generation of console by the name of PlayStation 4. The company said the PlayStation 4 would go on sale this Christmas, but refused to divulge the price or even show the console itself. It is unlikely to cost much less than £300.

The PS4 will be based on a "supercharged PC architecture," with an X86 processor, enhanced PC-style GPU, and 8GB of GDDR5 unified high-speed memory. The controller is called the DualShock 4, and features the Vita-style touchpad and a light bar on the back to identify players. The PS4 is Sony’s first major game machine since the PlayStation 3 went on sale in 2006.

Further, the PS4 will sports a 3D camera to track the various controllers using the bar. Since it will contain 8 CPU cores, it will be able to provide almost 2 teraflops of computational performance.

Additional specs include 8GB of unified GDDR5 RAM along with 802.11n WiFi capability, USB 3.0 ports, Bluetooth 2.1 and ports for optical audio, HDMI and even legacy analog AV hook-ups. Though the console will have internal storage, Sony did not detail its size.

Lead system architect on the PlayStation 4, Mark Cerny, said "the development of a next-gen platform started about five years ago" and that it's goal is "freeing developers from technological barriers."

The PS4 will support suspending and reloading play sessions. The console has a secondary chip for uploading and downloading in the background. Digital games can be played as they are being downloaded. The system supports seamless uploads of gameplay, spectating friends' gameplay sessions in real time as well as integrated chat. Gamers will have to hit the "SHARE button" on the controller, scan through the last few minutes of gameplay, tag it and return to the game. Gamers can share their images and videos to their friends on social networking services such as Facebook.

Apple TV now available in India @ Rs 8,295

By: iPadfanzz staff on February 20, 2013

Following iTunes, Apple has quietly rolled out its media streaming device Apple TV in India, at Rs 8,295. It is a digital box that brings iTunes store content to a user’s television and also helps connect iDevices to the bigger display with the help of AirPlay.

With the device users can duplicate your iOS device's screen on the TV for internet surfing or gaming on a big screen. On the back, this device has HDMI, optical audio, power, microUSB and Ethernet ports. You can control the device remotely using iPhone, iPod touch and iPad via the Remote app. Inside, there is Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for wireless connectivity.

The device is powered by a single core Apple A5 processor and comes with an Apple remote for control and navigation.

The present launch indicates Apple is aggressive about the Indian market. First it launched the iPad Mini, and iPhone 5 soon after the global rollout and then it launched iTunes store in December. The new Apple iTunes Store offers individual songs priced at between Rs 7-15 and whole albums from Rs 70.

Nokia's Music+ premium subscription service now available in US

By: iPadfanzz staff on February 20, 2013

Nokia has begun its Music+ subscription service for its Windows Phone 8 Lumia handsets in the US, which was earlier released in the UK. At $3.99 per-month, the service offers a similar feature set to Xbox Music or Spotify Premium, with offline playback, higher-quality downloads, and unlimited skips when in radio mode. The services allows you to view lyrics scroll in time with the music on selected handsets.

For comparison, Spotify's subscriptions range from $4.99 to $9.99.

iPad Mini no longer in short supply

By: iPadfanzz staff on February 20, 2013

Apple has made sure that you get the iPad Mini as and when you require. There will be no longer delays for order booking.

The Cupertino based Apple said its online stores for the U.S., U.K., Canada and other countries has “in stock” and ready for shipment all models — including both black and white colors, as well as the Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi plus cellular options.

However, there will be waiting period of three business days for European customer for new business
orders.

Last fall, the company released its 7-inc tablet, the iPad Mini, which is said was thin and light as compared to the larger iPad, but gives full iPad experience in terms of cameras, storage capacities, and optional LTE antenna. Apple's pint-sized tablet measures 7.9 inches diagonally, and starts at $329 for 16GB, Wi-Fi-only version.

Ever since the tablet was launched the company was struggling to match the demand with supply. But we hope the problem is over now for some more period.

Study of 10 million tweets reveals Hawaii is the happiest state and Louisiana the saddest

By: iPadfanzz staff on February 20, 2013

If you know a guy who’s really cheerful and happy then it is likely that he is coming from Napa, California or Hawaii. A new study conducted by scientists at the University of Vermont has used Twitter to establish that Hawaii is the happiest state in the union and Louisiana the saddest.

Vermont Complex Systems Center posted their new analysis of 10 million geotagged tweets to to arXiv.org and they call their creation a "hedonometer." The locations are ranked based on the frequency of positive and negative words using the Mechanical Turk Language Assessment word list.

The tweets were rated in a scale 1 to 10 according to how “happy” they are and on the lower side, with the use of negative words. The list placed Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Utah and Vermont as the top five happiest states, while Louisiana, followed by Mississippi, Maryland, Michigan and Delaware, were found out to be saddest states. One reason for Louisiana’s low cheeriness ranking is its inhabitants fondness for profanity.

The study also looked at the happiest cities, which showed Napa, California as the happiest city, followed by Longmont, Colorado; San Clemente, California; Santa Fe, New Mexico; Santa Cruz, California; Green Bay, Wisconsin; Santa Rosa, California, Simi Valley, California, and Lafayette, Colorado.

The five most bummed-out cities according to word choices were Beaumont, Texas; Albany, Georgia; Texas City, Texas; Shreveport, Louisiana; and Monroe, Louisiana.

It was further found that coastal areas were livelier as compared to landlocked areas, and cities with a higher density of tweets tended to be less happy. The cities with high technology adoption, as compared to cities with less technology adoption, were likely to be less happy, the study said.

In addition, it was also revealed that wealthy areas tend to be happier as compared to location where people are more obese has lower happiness levels.

'The purpose to use web-scale text analysis was to remotely sense societal-scale levels of happiness using the singular source of the micro-blog and social networking service Twitter,' the study's introduction says according to The Atlantic.

For instance, the word ‘shit” and “ass” were used less in Napa as compared to Beaumont. In contrast, “lol”, “haha,” “nice” and “good” were most used in the city.

At the same time, the University of Vermont scientists identified people with Norwegian ancestry to be happier than African Americans, which could simply mean that Norwegian Americans use breezier language.

What was noticeable is that the data correlates with other existing measures of happiness, primarily surveys conducted by Gallup. They also show that their happiness data correlates with income and the prevalence of obesity in an area.

Overall, the data throws up interesting results, but do you agree with the results?

Hotmail retires as Microsoft opens Outlook.com to public

By: iPadfanzz staff on February 19, 2013


Microsoft has made it official that it is winding down its venerable Hotmail. Instead it announced that the company’s new twist of email, Outlook.com, is coming out of preview mode and is now officially available worldwide. It said the process has begun to start moving more than 300 million Hotmail users to Outlook.com. The company especially mentioned that the users will be able to keep their Hotmail.com e-mail addresses — or Live.com or MSN.com, but the Hotmail service and brand is going away.

Microsoft has the process of transferring Hotmail users to Outlook.com will be gradual and the faithful Hotmail users will keep on getting e-mails and other alerts asking them to switch over. It said the decision to switch over depends on them. The company believes that it should be a good thing for most of the people.

What’s so unusual about Outlook.com is its uncluttered interface which is far better than Hotmail. The mail organization tools are simpler and have an interface that resembles the Windows 8 which was formerly known as Metro. In order to garner maximum attention from users, Microsoft has loaded with lots in interesting features. Outlook.com connects tightly with social networks, integrates with Microsoft’s SkyDrive storage service, and offers a set of tools to fight inbox clutter.

Microsoft has introduced some really interesting features in Outlook.com that include the ability to send massive files, including hundred of photos at a time, in a single eamila; address books that automatically update new contact information that connections post on their social media account like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn; and will have 60 per cent lesser ads than Hotmail. However, not one can call them as revolutionary, as Google has started giving the option to users to switch to a new version of Gmail that also offers the option of sending large files in a single email. Also one need to remember that address book in Gmail fetches new contact information based on updates made on Google Plus. So it would be welcome move for users who want something new and interesting – all in one package.

With the new Outlook.com the company is looking to make use of the change of showcasing the outside world about its Microsoft’s consumer email service which is designed to work closely with modern world of tablets and smartphones.

Now it comes to usage. One good thing about Outlook is that it offers lots of screen space in terms of composing message as compared to Gmail. Outlook shows tabs on the top, ads on the right side, and chat/gadgets panel on the left hand corner of a page. In terms of composing a message, it easier in Outlook as compared to Gmail: you enter the recipient’s address in the lef pane, and subject line a large text at the top of the window, and the actual message at the straightforward formatting toolbar.

Microsoft said the new version has already garnered nearly 60 million users during its six-month preview, which makes it the fastest growing email services in the market, Nearly 1/3 of its active users during the preview were active Gmail users.

However, to Microsoft’s surprise, the users of Gmail, the closest competitor of Outlook, grew from 252 million unique visitors in December 2011 to 306 million in December 2012, which is a rise of 21 per cent and puts Google ahead of Microsoft’s combined share for Outlook.com and Hotmail for the same month.

However, it must be said it is a competitive market and aggressive marketing could easily turn into big results. And this time the Redmond-based company doesn’t want to leave any chance for the future. Although webmail services are largely free, they’re important to the companies as gateways to related services and advertising revenue.

In order to promote Outlook.com the company is looking spend big time on advertising campaigns telling about the good users of Outlook.com. The Outlook ads will overlap with comprise of anti-Gmail marketing campaign launched earlier this month. The Gmail ads are meant to be educational while the Outlook campaign is motivational, said Dharmesh Mehta, Outlook.com's senior director.

The evolution of cell phone [Infographic]

By: iPadfanzz staff on February 19, 2013

Mobile phones are one of the great gifts to the mankind. They can immediately connect you with the other person through voice and internet, are portable, and keep you engaged through its loads of features that are now ubiquitous in every other smartphone. However, in yesteryears, owning a mobile phone was considered to be toy of rich and affluent. Significant changes in mobile technology and rapid advancement in size of the device has made it easy for a vast ocean of people to afford it. 

At the time of its inception, the mobile phones were long and heavy, and it was a burden to carry them from one place to another. But subsequent improvement in technology transformed the huge brick-like mobile phones of 1983 to sleek and stylish smartphones that we carry now. 

In 1983, the first cell phone, the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X, is released. It took almost a decade for DynaTAC 8000X, to hit stores. The device retailed for $3,995. However, subsequent models gave more emphasis on portability as the Motorola released the first pocket size cell phone in 1989 for $2,995. Despite all such advancements, it was in 1994, that the first smartphone was released. It was IBM Simon Personal Communicator and it retailed for $1,100 bucks without a contract. But from the period afterwards things started to improve with improved technology and device quality. In this inforgraphic we take a look at how the device has evolved from 1983 and 2013.

Samsung launches cheaper, WiFi-only Android Galaxy Camera

By: iPadfanzz staff on February 19, 2013

Samsung has launched the Wi-Fi only version of its popular Galaxy Camera. The new camera runs on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) operating system and comes with dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity.

The Galaxy Camera (Wi-Fi) offers all the features of the original Galaxy Camera offers but without a 3G/4G connection.

The camera has a large 4.8-inch (121.2mm) HD Super Clear Touch Display and comes loaded with photo and video editing tools – Photo Wizard and Video Editor. This makes it a good choice for both new learners and professionals alike. The Samsung Galaxy Camera Is fuelled by a 1650 mAh battery.

It has a 21x Super Long Zoom lens and a 16M BSI CMOS, and comes with 19 different integrated smart modes, namely Beauty face, Best photo, Continuous shot, and Best face.

You can use the wi-fi camera to share photos with family and friends through email, social networks, right from the device. They can also back-up pictures instantly to cloud services when connected.

Specifications:

Image Sensor: 16.3 effective megapixel 1/2.3" BSI CMOS

Lens: 21x Optical Zoom Lens, 23 mm Wide Angle, F2.8 (W) ~ 5.9(T)

Display: 121.2 mm (4.8"), 308 ppi, HD Super Clear Touch Display

ISO: Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200

Processor: 1.4GHz Quad-Core processor

OS: Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)

Memory: 8GB (including read-only sections such as Android operating system) ＋ memory slot : micro SDSC, micro SDHC, micro SDXC

Image: JPEG format 16M, 14M, 12M Wide, 10M, 5M, 3M, 2M Wide, 1M

Video: MP4 (Video: MPEG4, AVC/H.264, Audio: AAC)
Full HD 1920x1080 30fps
Slow motion Movie 768x512 120fps

Video Output: HDMI 1.4

Value-added features: Smart Mode : 19 modes (Beauty face, Best photo, Continuous shot, Best face,
Landscape, Dawn, Snow, Macro, Food, Party Indoor, Action freeze, Rich tone,
Panorama, Waterfall, Silhouette, Sunset, Night, Fireworks, Light Trace)
Share shot, Auto Upload, Remote Viewfinder
Smart Content Manager, Paper Artist, Photo Wizard, Video Editor
Voice Control, Slow Motion Video, S Planner, S Suggest
AllShare Play, Dropbox

Google Mobile Services: Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail, Google Latitude
 Google Play Store, Google Plus, YouTube, Google Talk,
 Google Places, Google Navigation, Google Downloads, Google Chrome browser,
 Google Play Books, Google Play Movies

GPS: GPS, GLONASS

Connectivity: WiFi a/b/g/n, WiFi HT40
GPS/GLONASS
Bluetooth® 4.0

Battery: 1,650 mAh

Dimension: 128.7 x 70.8 x 19.1 mm

Weight: 300g.

Is Burger King's Twitter account hack = new users?

By: iPadfanzz staff on February 19, 2013

Recently, the twitter account of food giant Burger King was anonymously hacked, changing the profile picture of the corporation to a McDonald's logo and posting offensive tweets.

Although the hacking came as a surprise to many, it in turn proved to be beneficial for gaining new followers. Burger King's followers, which numbered around 50,000 as of Monday evening, shot up to more than 110,000, according to a report published on a tech website.

At one point, Burger King's profile message read that the company was just sold to McDonald's because the Whopper flopped, referring to Burger King's flagship sandwich.

It is not surprise that hacking of Twitter account could be of extreme embarrassment to the company which is trying too hard to gain new customers.

Samsung releases Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean update for the Galaxy Note

By: iPadfanzz staff on February 19, 2013

Samsung has begun the promised rollout of Android 4.1 to the original Galaxy Note, originally teased back in December.

The update brings much of the software functionality of the Note II, including multi-window mode, pop up video, and of course the many changes associated with Android 4.1 at large.

Users in the far East and Germany said they saw an OTA to 4.1.2, namely the same JZO54K build that leaked out last November.

Android 4.1.2 – Build JZO54K

Project Butter
Multi-View (can also be disabled)
Page Buddy
Notification Panel can now be customized
New Additions in Notification Panel
Smart Rotation
New Samsung Keyboard
Samsung’s Cloud services
Direct Call, Smart Stay and Pop-up Play Features
New Widgets From the Galaxy S III
2 Home screen modes
New Notifications bar
Google Now

It must be remembered that while it's not pleasant, there is a lengthy process an Android update has to go through before it can reach a handset when carriers are involved.

Mapping Apple’s supply chain

By: iPadfanzz staff on February 18, 2013


Did you know Apple has 82 suppliers based in the United States? ChinaFile’s David Barreda has created an interactive visualization of Apple’s supply chain using Google Maps and other tools.

The visualization puts things in context so that you can understand how the company is spread across continents. You can view the map here. 

Four Android smartphones lead the iPhone 5 in customer satisfaction ratings in US

By: iPadfanzz staff on February 18, 2013

You may be accustomed to see Apple being ranked top in satisfaction surveys due to the simplistic nature of its products. But you may be surprised to know that a latest survey by OnDevice Research, four Android smartphones, has given higher customer satisfaction ratings than the iPhone 5 in the United States.

The survey revealed that consumers were happiest with Motorola’s Atrix HD and DROID Razr M, followed by HTC’s (2498) Rezound 4G, and Samsung’s (005930) Galaxy Note 2. The iPhone 5 came at fifth position with a rating of 8.23.

However, in UK, Apple did better, with the iPhone 5 achieving a score of 8.21, falling only behind HTC’s One X smartphone with a score of 8.47. Samsung occupied the next three spots with its Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy S III mini and Galaxy S III.

Company-wise, Apple was ranked top in overall mobile device satisfaction. The company was placed ahead of Google, Motorola, HTC, Nokia (NOK), and Sony (SNE). Strangely, Samsung was ranked at the very bottom of the chart.