Intel is the new company to join the Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP). The A4WP technology uses near-field magnetic resonance technology to wirelessly charge devices. Intel joins several giants including Samsung, Qualcomm, LG and HTC as a board member of the group. The group has a total of 40 global, technology industry leaders. The aim of A4Wp is to create a wireless power transfer (WPT) ecosystem that delivers spatial freedom in the user experience and industrial design of wireless battery charging of portable consumer electronics device.
Regarding the new alliance, Navin Shenoy, vice president, PC client group and general manager, mobile client platform division at Intel said
Intel believes the A4WP specification, particularly the use of near-field magnetic resonance technology, can provide a compelling consumer experience and enable new usage models that make device charging almost automatic. In joining A4WP, we look forward to working alongside other member companies and contributing to standards that help fuel an ecosystem of innovative solutions capable of simultaneously charging a range of devices, from low-power accessories to smartphones, tablets and Ultrabooks.
Qualcomm introduced WiPower Technology that was approved in January, 2013, by the Alliance for Wireless Power. It wirelessly powers mobile phones, tablets, and more devices using inductive wireless energy transfer that doesn't require you to precisely position ...
Intel is the new company to join the Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP). The A4WP technology uses near-field magnetic resonance technology to wirelessly charge devices. Intel joins several giants including Samsung, Qualcomm, LG and HTC as a board member of the group. The group has a total of 40 global, technology industry leaders. The aim of A4Wp is to create a wireless power transfer (WPT) ecosystem that delivers spatial freedom in the user experience and industrial design of wireless battery charging of portable consumer electronics device.
Regarding the new alliance, Navin Shenoy, vice president, PC client group and general manager, mobile client platform division at Intel said
Intel believes the A4WP specification, particularly the use of near-field magnetic resonance technology, can provide a compelling consumer experience and enable new usage models that make device charging almost automatic. In joining A4WP, we look forward to working alongside other member companies and contributing to standards that help fuel an ecosystem of innovative solutions capable of simultaneously charging a range of devices, from low-power accessories to smartphones, tablets and Ultrabooks.
Qualcomm introduced WiPower Technology that was approved in January, 2013, by the Alliance for Wireless Power. It wirelessly powers mobile phones, tablets, and more devices using inductive wireless energy transfer that doesn't require you to precisely position ...
Nokia Asha 501 that was unveiled last month in India is now available for pre-order from the official Nokia Shop in India. The Asha 501 has a 3.0-inch QVGA 320 x 240 pixels display with hardened glass and is based on the latest Nokia Asha software platform with Swipe UI. It has a 3.2 MP rear camera, Nokia Fast lane multi-tasking screen that brings all the recent activities together. It has Dual SIM (with one slot capable of hot swap), 2G, WiFi, Bluetooth and FM Radio.
It comes with lot of pre-loaded applications inlcuding Facebook, Foursquare, LinkedIn, Nimbuzz, Twitter and more. You can download 40 Electronic Arts games and games from Gameloft, Indiagames, Namco-Bandai, Reliance Games and more from the Nokia Store. The device has 128 MB of internal memory and comes with a 4GB micro SD card out of the box. It packs a 1200 mAh battery with up to 17 hours of talk time and up to 26 days of standby.
The Nokia Asha 501 is priced at Rs. 5,199 and comes in Bright Red, Cyan, Yellow, White and Black. The phone is also listed on Flipkart for a slightly higher price. It is expected to go on sale in the first week of July. Check out the Nokia ...
Tweets from the official Sony Xperia hints at the successor of the Sony SmartWatch that is expected to be unveiled at the Mobile Asia Expo 2013 in Shanghai next week. Sony unveiled the first SmartWatch back in January 2012 with a 1.3” (128×128 pixels) OLED touch display that can wirelessly and discreetly access calls, messages and applications. It uses Bluetooth to communicate with the phone, and its dust and splash proof.
Sony Xperia tweeted
One in three smartphone users want smart wrist wear. #itstime #MAE13
— Sony Xperia (@sonyxperia) June 21, 2013
Another tweet had the image of SmartWatch with #itstime and #MAE13 hashtags
Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock #itstime #MAE13 pic.twitter.com/FdHi4nBjNj
— Sony Xperia (@sonyxperia) June 21, 2013
Another tweet said
Pocket watch / wristwatch / digital watch / LiveView / SmartWatch / ? #itstime #MAE13
— Sony Xperia (@sonyxperia) June 21, 2013
Sony Mobile scheduled press event in Germany and Shanghai on 25 June. The 6.4-inch phablet that was leaked several times is also expected to be announced at these events. So, what kind of watch will Sony unveil next week ?
Source: Sony Xperia Twitter | Via: Xperia Blog
Twitter released the Vine video sharing app for Android earlier this month. The app has been updated to version 1.1 that brings option to search for people and hashtags and ability to share to Facebook . This also improves the capture speed, quality and better audio/video sync. It also has several bug fixes and UI improvements, says the changelog. Option to use the phone's font-facing camera and option to tag people in your post are not available yet. Vine 1.1 for iPhone got an update last month that brought option to use the front-facing camera to record videos and tagging function.
New features in Vine for Android version 1.1
Search for users and hashtags
Share to Facebook
Improvements to capture speed, quality, and audio/video synchronization
Clear cache option available in Settings
Other bug fixes and UI improvements
Download Vine for Android (4.0 or later) from the Google Play for free, if you don't have it yet.
Using a Samsung Galaxy S3, S4 or Note II ? A fan of Jay Z ? Then you're in luck as Samsung is just about to give away 1 million copies of the rap artist's new album for free. Not only will users get the album for free but will also get their hands on the album called "Magna Carta Holy Grail” 72 hours before it is available anywhere else
Samsung has detailed the process to get hold of the album and it is fairly straightforward. Download the "Magna Carta Holy Grail” application from the Google Play Store starting 24th June. Starting 4th July, 1 million users will get a notification informing them of a free album download available. Users can then go ahead and download the album for free ahead of the official launch. Check out the video embedded below that shows Jay Z talking about his upcoming album.
httpv://youtu.be/B--ZARCwSIE
Last year Samsung started a new trend by announcing a mini version of their Galaxy S III flagship and shortly after the launch of this year's Galaxy S4 flagship, they continued the trend by announcing the Galaxy S4 Mini. As the name suggests, the handset is a smaller version of the flagship but although it's smaller and comes with a smaller price tag, it still packs a punch and will appeal to many users who found the original Galaxy S4 too big.
The front of the Galaxy S4 Mini features a 4.3 inch qHD Super AMOLED display that offers adequate brightness and vibrancy but the resolution may be lower than some people's expectations, especially as the Galaxy S4 has a Full HD display.
Above the screen is the 1.9MP front-facing camera and an array of sensors.
Beneath the screen are the two touch-keys and Samsung's trademark home button.
The Galaxy S4 Mini also sees a drop in the camera - whilst the flagship packs the same 13 megapixel camera found in the Xperia T, the Galaxy S4 Mini drops this to an 8MP sensor with single LED flash and Full HD 1080p video recording. Despite this, camera features such as best photo, dual camera and ...
Pegatron's CEO recently revealed to shareholders that the widely rumored budget iPhone won't be cheap. The company has been charged with production responsibilities for the handset if rumors are to be believed and will be manufacturing the lower cost phone in a myriad of colors.
The CEO however revealed that while it will be cheaper than the current iPhone, it won't compete with bargain basement Android devices. Expect to see a strategy similar to the iPad Mini where the company cut down specifications and kept its design standards high. Previous rumors and leaks suggest that the handset will have a polycarbonate back like that of the iPhone 3G. It is also believed that Apple will finally introduce the iPhone in a range of colors to make it appealing to a younger demographic. The budget iPhone will hence end up being a premium mid range handset. In contract subsidized markets like North America, expect to see the phone sell for $99.
[Via - China Times] 
HTC Desire XC, dual SIM smartphone is now available in India from online retailer Snapdeal. The Desire XC was announced in China last year as T329D. The HTC Desire XDS, dual SIM variant of the Desire X went on sale in India recently. This has exactly same specs as the XDS including a 4.0-inch (800 x 480 pixels) capacitive touch screen display, 1 GHz Dual-core processor and Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). It has a 5MP auto focus rear camera with LED Flash. In packs a 1800 mAh battery and has built-in Beats Audio support. It is Dual SIM (CDMA EV-DO and GSM) phone similar to the Desire VC that was launched last year.
HTC Desire XC specifications
4.0-inch (800 x 480 pixels) capacitive touch screen display
1 GHz dual-core processor
Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) with HTC Sense 4
Dual SIM (GSM + CDMA) with dual standby
5MP auto focus camera with LED Flash
3.5mm audio Jack, FM Radio, Beats Audio
768MB RAM, 4GB of internal memory, expandable memory up to 32GB with microSD
3G (GPRS on GSM and 3G 3.1 Mbps EVDO Rev.A on CDMA), WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS / aGPS
1800 mAh battery
The HTC Desire XC comes at a price of Rs. 16,249. The official announcement is expected soon.
Source: Snapdeal
Samsung Galaxy Core (GT-I8262) that was spotted on the official Samsung India website is now available in India from online retailer Infibeam. It has a 4.3-inch (800 x 480 Pixels) LCD capacitive touch screen display, powered by a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor and runs on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). It has Dual SIM support with Smart dual SIM feature and packs a 5-megapixel Auto Focus rear Camera with LED Flash and a 0.3-megapixel (VGA) front-facing camera.
Samsung Galaxy Core specifications
4.3-inch (800 x 480 Pixels) LCD capacitive touch screen display
1.2 GHz dual-core processor
Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) OS
Dual SIM with Smart Dual SIM
8.95 mm thick and weighs 124 grams
5MP Auto Focus Camera with LED Flash
0.3MP (VGA)front-facing camera
3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio with RDS
1GB RAM, 8 GB internal memory, expandable up to 64GB with microSD
3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth v 3.0, GPS
1800 mAh battery
The Samsung Galaxy Core is priced at Rs.15199 and is available for purchase from the online retailer. It comes in White and Blue colors.
Source: Infibeam
The Zen Ultrafone 701 HD is one of the many mid range 5 inch devices that have been flooding the Indian smartphone scene. If you take a look at some of our recent reviews, you'll know what we are talking about. With almost identical specs, it is pretty hard even for the manufacturers to differentiate within their ecosystem. So, they try to differentiate with price or with features. In this case it's the price and some more. At Rs. 11,999 is the cheapest 5 inch 720p device really worth its dough? Lets find out.
Box contents
We unboxed the device sometime back and found the box contents to be quite surprising. The long box was stuffed with whatever you'd want with a device and more. You get all the usual accessories like the poorly built charger, headphones and a micro USB cable and additionally, you get a scratch guard, extra cases and more importantly a service centre list. You can watch our unboxing video and read more about it here.
Hardware Walkthrough
The design comes off as something very familiar. With rounded corners and a curved back you could mistake it for any device. Simply said, there s nothing unique to make it stand ...
Huawei launched the Ascend Mate (MT1-U06) in India earlier this week at a price tag of Rs. 24,900, and we brought you the review of the device recently. We found the Ascend Mate as one of the best phablets under Rs. 25,000. Samsung launched Galaxy Note 2 in India last year, which is still one of the popular phablet in the India market. The company is also promoting the phone through EMI offers and Smart upgrade offers. The Huawei Ascend Mate would give a tough competition to the Note 2 mainly due the large screen and the price tag. We managed to compare both these devices.
The Ascend Mate has a huge 6.1-inch IPS+ display at a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels at a pixel density of 240 PPI, while the Galaxy Note 2 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED display at a resolution of 1,280 x 720 pixels at a pixel density of 267 PPI. Both the screens are bright, but the Super AMOLED display in the Galaxy Note 2 has better color calibration. The Ascend Mate has a super sensitive screen that lets you operate the phone even with a thick gloves once you enable the glove mode in the settings, but the Note 2 lacks this feature. ...
Sony has just released a new 'Illumination API' for developers to allow them to tweak and create innovative uses for the embedded notification light bars seen in many Sony devices.
Sony has released this as an experimental API with little information in terms of documentation. Developers shouldn't expect much if any support from Sony for the new Illumination API. It allows for controls like LED color, pulsation, time between pulses. On certain models it is also possible to control the fading patterns. The Xperia SP gets added support for sound reactive lighting. The list of compatible devices is fairly large and includes popular devices like the Xperia SP, ZL, ZR, UL, A, U, L, SP, SL, P, Sola, Ion, Acro HD, Go, M and M Dual. We've always liked the addition of the illumination bar on Sony's devices but felt that they were under used. With this move, developers should be able to plug the gap and make the devices that much more appealing.
[Via - Sony Developer Blog]
Cygnett is an Australia-based company that makes a variety of smartphone accessories, and recently they have released a Bluetooth speaker. Bluetooth speakers can range quite wildly in variety, especially those aimed at smartphone users - listening too long to stock earbuds tends to lower one’s perception of quality in audio. Let’s see how these fare.
Specifications
Connection Options: Bluetooth, Aux-in 3.5mm jack
Dimensions: Approximately 30.5cm x 13.5cm x 8.8cm (length x width x height) at thickest places.
Weight:
Package Contents
Opening up the box reveals the speaker unit, an AC adapter, the stand, and the manual. The latter is a thin affair, and does not describe how to use the Bluetooth multipoint feature; the header for that is there, but the text underneath that talks about something else entirely. Hopefully that omission is only from the review unit. There is also no 3.5mm audio cable to use with the aux-in jack.
Design/Hardware
The design of the unit is a simple one, with an all-black or all-white colour scheme, with the volume controls, Bluetooth button and an LED indicator on top. It’s a simple design, but one can’t really fault it. While not tiny, the Soundwave Bluetooth Speaker is smaller than many similar products, like the Creative D100.
The dedicated ...
First press images of the Micromax Canvas 4 has surfaced online. The phone was first teased by Micromax on their Facebook page. Later videos of the phone appeared on the official Micromax YouTube channel that revealed the design of the phone. It also revealed that the phone would feature a 13-megapixel camera. We had seen the phone in Black, these new images show the phone in White color.
Back shot of the White Canvas 4 leaked recently to the website gizchai by mmx_insider. We still don't have the specifications of the device yet, but the 5-inch HD display, 1.2 GHz quad-core processor, 1GB RAM and 16GB of internal memory. Micromax is also teasing the Canvas 4's software feature including a new unlock feature for the device.
Micromax has set the pre-booking date as June 28th for the device. We will definitely let you know once it goes for pre-order. We should know the complete specs of the device by then. So, what do you think? Are you waiting for the Canvas 4?
Via: MMXNewscaster
"Too fat and heavy" some shouted, and Nokia listened. The Nokia Lumia 925 fixes the two biggest complaints of then prospective Lumia 920 buyers, its thickness and weight. While the 925 does have some more features(or lack thereof) for differentiation, it was mostly like a hotfix patch for the Lumia 920. We had checked out the device earlier at the launch event in London. It looked a lot different and shied away from the colourful Lumia legacy with a more conservative look with Nokia having brought back aluminium into its fold again. But personally, not having had a personal hands on experience with the Lumia 925(unlike Varun) made me skeptical of the design, until now. Yes, the ritualistic unboxing shattered some pre-conceived notions of mine. We have thus documented the box contents and my initial impressions of the device in this video, watch -
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AS4HJHri7b0
Box Contents
Pretty standard packaging from Nokia here, nothing special. Since we had the white version, the headphones alone in the package were white, we did wish the charger and the micro USB cable were white too, but hey, the Lumia 920 was similar, so they probably used the same. And here goes our detailed initial impressions of ...
Airtel has introduced new plans for their 4G customers that now starts at Rs. 450. Airtel introduced 4G TD-LTE services last year, first in Kolkata with plans starting from Rs. 999 with 6GB of free monthly data. Now the new Rs. 450, Rs. Rs. 650 and Rs. 750 plans come with 2GB, 3GB and 4GB of free monthly data, respectively. Airtel has also increased the data limit for the plans starting from Rs. 999 which would come with 10GB of free monthly data limit.
The company has also partnered with BigFlix and Indiagames to offer free access to a library of 1,000 movies and 100 games for the plans starting from Rs. 999.
New Airtel 4G plans
MRP (in Rs)
Bundled GBs
Entertainment Library
450
2
NA
650
3
750
4
999
10
Free access to Movies-on-Demand and Games-on-Demandlibrary
1299
12
1449
15
2049
25
2999
45
4799
80
Airtel 4G services are available in Kolkata, Bengaluru, Pune and Chandigarh. Airtel offers dongle for the laptop and Airtel 4G CPE router offers a home WiFi solution.
Gionee has launched the CTRL V4, successor of the CTRL V3 in India. It has a 4.5-inch (854 ×480 pixels) FWVGA capacitive touch screen display, powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor and runs on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean). It has a 5-megapixel auto focus rear camera with LED flash and a 0.3MP (VGA) front-facing camera. It comes with YAMAHA 168 music system for enhanced audio experience, inbuilt Protection Software and has dual SIM support with dual standby.
Gionee CTRL V4 Specificaions
4.5-inch (854 ×480 pixels) FWVGA capacitive touch screen display
Dual SIM (GSM + GSM) with Dual Standby
Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) OS
1.2 GHz quad-core processor
5MP Auto Focus Camera with LED flash
0.3 MP front-facing camera
9.7 mm thick
3.5mm audio jack, Yamaha PA 168, FM Radio
3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 and GPS
512MB RAM, 4GB of internal memory, Expandable memory up to 32GB with micro SD
1800 mAh battery
The Gionee CTRL V4 comes in Black and White colors and is priced at Rs. 9,999 (MOP) . It comes bundled with 8GB memory card and a phone case.
Gionee has started teasing their upcoming Elife E6, successor of the Elife E3 on their Facebook page. The company's flagship smartphone in the Elife series would feature a 5-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) display, powered by a 1.5 GHz quad-core processor and come with a 13-megapixel rear camera. According to the website mtksj, the phone has a Mediatek MT6589T processor with 357 MHz PowerVR SGX544 GPU and 2GB of RAM.
The website has also leaked the image of the phone and says that the phone would be thinner than 8mm, similar to the Elife E3.
Gionee Elife E6 rumored specifications
5.0-inch HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) display
1.5 GHz quad-core Mediatek MT6589T processor
Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean)
13MP auto focus camera with BSI Sensor, LED flash
3.5mm audio jack
2 GB RAM, expandable memory with micro SD
3G HSPA+ 21Mbps, HSUPA up to 11Mbps, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS
No word on the battery capacity yet. Gionee India has also teased on their Facebook with the image of the Elife E6 saying that "3 New Products From Gionee India coming up in coming weeks" One of them is the Gionee CTRL V4 that was launched today. The Gionee Elife E6 would launch in Beijing on 10th July 2013. Hope we can expect it to launch in India soon.
Source: ...
MTS has launched Always Talk, a new plan for their pre-paid customers that would let them enjoy unlimited on-net (MTS to MTS) locals calls. Additionally, customers will also get up to 1000 minutes of free local calls on other networks. Leonid Musatov, Chief Marketing & Sales Officer - MTS India, said
At MTS, we are always on the lookout for opportunities to engage and excite our customers. The launch of MTS Always Talk is a part of the same effort. The ‘Always Talk’ plan comes at an affordable price and provides customers with the flexibility of staying connected with their friends and family. The core idea behind the Always Talk initiative is to strengthen the “Best Value Promise” being offered to MTS customers. The same has been creatively brought out through an integrated communication campaign featuring our brand ambassador Imran Khan
The Always Talk plan costs Rs. 199 and is available for all the MTS pre-paid customers across 9 circles, Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Kolkata, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh (West) and West Bengal. You can check out some of the commercials based on the Always Talk theme below. The tagline reads "The phone lines will always be busy, because the world is talking on the ...
Idea Cellular has partnered with Facebook to offer free access to Facebook Messenger for prepaid users for a period of 3 months. Earlier this year Airtel offered free Facebook access for their prepaid customers for 1 month. This would let the customers enjoy Facebook Messenger access with up to 200MB of free monthly usage. This offer is available for all the Idea prepaid users on Android and iOS devices.
Idea customers can dial *800*88# from your phone to activate the free Facebook Messenger offer. After activation the free service can be used by downloading the application from Play store on Android and iTunes app store on iOS devices.
Announcing the launch of the new service, Sashi Shankar, Chief Marketing Officer – Idea Cellular said,
With the increasing mobile broadband penetration in India, the mobile phone is becoming the most important device for accessing Internet and social networking platforms. Nearly 50% of data users on the Idea network access Facebook on their mobile phones. The free Facebook Messenger service will enhance their social networking experience and enable Facebook users to chat with their contacts while on the move.
Kevin D’souza, Country Growth Manager, Facebook said,
Messaging is a fun and useful way to share privately and connect with friends in smaller personal ...
