XPERIA Z ULTRA LAUNCHED INDIA FOR RS 46,990

Sony India on Tuesday launched its latest premium large-screen Android smartphone – Sony Xperia Z Ultra - in India, priced at Rs 46,990 and will hit the stores on August 2.

The online retailers are taking pre-orders for the device at Rs 44,990. Sony has partnered with Vodafone India to offer 8GB of free data download for a period of two months with this device.
Sony Xperia Z Ultra phablet has display resolution of 1920x1080p and 344ppi pixel density. Under the hood runs the quad-core Snapdragon 800 CPU, Qualcomm's latest and powerful processor, clocked at 2.2GHz, backed by 2GB RAM. This device has the same design language as Xperia Z smartphone and features on-screen keys as well as scratch-resistant and shatterproof glass.

Powered by a 3,050mAh battery, Xperia Z Ultra packs 16GB internal storage and supports microSD card expansion up to 64GB. Connectivity suite of Sony's latest gadget consists of 2G, 3G, 4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC and microUSB 2.0. On the back is an 8MP camera, while a 2MP unit is placed in the front.

LUMIA 1020 VS S4 VS HTC ONE

The smartphone world is becoming extremely crowded with hardware being released all the time with the various manufacturers trying harder to make their devices standout more from rival offerings. Today we are looking at the Nokia Lumia 1020 vs. Galaxy S4 vs. HTC One with the three handsets compared.
We have already compared the new kid on the block the Nokia Lumia 1020 with the Apple iPhone 5, but we thought we would see how the device stacks up with the market leading Android smartphones.

Display
The Nokia Lumia 1020 features a 4.5-inch capacitive display at a resolution of 768 x 1280 with a 334ppi pixel density, while the HTC One uses a 4.7-inch Full HD Super LCD3 display with a pixel density of 469ppi. The Samsung Galaxy S4 has the biggest display at 5-inches that is a Super AMOLED screen at a Full HD resolution with 441ppi
Processor
Nokia has fitted a dual core 1.5GHz processor to the Lumia 1020 which compares to the Galaxy S4 that either uses a 1.9GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor or the 1.6GHz Exynos 5 Octa unit, while the HTC One uses the Qualcomm quad core Snapdragon 600 clocked at 1.7GHz.

NEW GOOGLE TABLET SOON.

Google Inc. on Wednesday is expected to unveil a new tablet powered by its Android operating system as it looks to boost Android’s lead over Apple Inc.’s iPad in terms of market share for tablets.
Several retailers that are expected to carry the Android tablet, the second generation of the 7-inch Nexus 7, released details about its components and specifications before Wednesday’s expected announcement in San Francisco.
The Nexus device, designed by Google in partnership with an Asian hardware manufacturer, is powered by an updated version of Android, which also is the No. 1 software for smartphones.
The company is currently at work on a major update of Android software that is expected to be unveiled sometime later this year. Nearly a billion Android devices have been activated since 2008, the company has said, allowing Google to ensure that its revenue-generating services such as Google Search have a guaranteed spot on people’s mobile devices.
The new tablet, which is expected to be available for sale at Best Buy Co., Wal-Mart Inc.’s Sam’s Club, and PC Connection Inc. next week, costs $229 with 16 gigabytes of storage and $269 for 32 gigabytes, according to information on Best Buy’s website that was later removed.
That compares to $329 for the 16-gigabyte iPad mini, an 8-inch tablet, and $429 for the 32-gigabyte version.

SONY XPERIA Z ULTRA COMING TO INDIA ON JULY 31

Sony unveiled its latest flagship Android smartphone, the Xperia Z Ultra, last month and recently made it available for pre-order in Hong Kong as well. Now, the smartphone has made an appearance on online shopping portal Saholic as well. Though the availability details have not been revealed yet, reports point out to a possible availability date of July 31 in India.

The price at which the handset will be made available in the sub-continent has not been revealed either, but going by the current pre-booking price of HK$ 6,198 (or Rs 50,000) in Hong Kong, it can be assumed that that the Xperia Z Ultra will be priced around the same in India as well.

Looking at the specifications of the phone, the Xperia Z Ultra comes with a 6.4-inch display that packs full HD Triluminos technology for providing better visuals, according to the company. The smartphone sports Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean operating system running the show. Internally, the smartphone is powered by a 2.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor.

Sony may be launching its flagship Xperia Z Ultra in India on July 31...

GOOGLE REVAMPS PLAY STORE WEB

One of the announcements which didn’t get much attention at this year’s I/O, was about Play Store web getting redesigned. It’s kind of hilarious but Google took this much time to release the redesigned Play Store (almost two months).  The Android Play Store app too got redesigned a month back.
To sum up the design of the new Play Store web in one sentence – it’s like Android, on the Web.

As you open the website, you’ll see a clean header image notifying you about the redesign. The icons have all the attention, in the new design. This is not expected, because generally app icons in Android are very inconsistent in size and never have a harmony between them.
The colors will look amazing. It’s the same ones you see on the Google’s new Android apps like Play Books, Movies and so on.

GOOGLE ANDROID 4.3 LEAKS AHEAD OF LAUNCH

Google is hosting an event on the 24th to reveal a few things, but one of the key components, Android 4.3, had already leaked online.

We reported yesterday that Google is planning an event on the 24th of July where Sundar Pichai will possibly be unveiling the next Nexus 7 and Android 4.3, but today we’ve got word that Android 4.3 for the Nexus has already been leaked.

The leak comes courtesy of The Verge who managed to get their hands on a Nexus running the Android 4.3 operating system. They are reporting that the changes in Android 4.3 are minor, but definitely noticeable and worthy. For starters, the camera app has received some minjor updates and now resembles that found in the Google Play editions of Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One.

THE NEW NEXUS 7

It’s now been more than a year since the Nexus 7 was launched on the market and some are already looking to get their hands on the next model. We don’t yet how it will be called, but Nexus 7 2 sounds really bad, so maybe Google will use Apple’s tactic here and just call it “the new Nexus 7“. Whatever the name will be, we seem to have some leaked pictures and a video of what appears to be the new Nexus 7.

The leaks also involve the pricing of the new Nexus 7 and given the fact that we’re nearing Google’s event on July 24, this makes the new information seem pretty legit. Google didn’t announce the successor to the Nexus 7 at its annual I/O conference, therefore we have all the reasons to assume they will do so on the upcoming event, called ”breakfast with Sundar Pichai“. If you don’t know, Sundar Pichai now oversees Android’s development after Andy Rubin’s leave. A new Android version might be unveiled, as well; and, who knows, maybe the Moto X?

 

Possible pricing and specs for the new Nexus 7

HP LAUNCHES NEW TOUCH-ENABLED NOTEBOOKS

Hewlett-Packard India today announced the launch of six new touch-enabled consumer personal systems products, including notebooks, detachables and all-in-one PCs.
HP SlateBook x2 and HP Split x2 offer the full functionality of a notebook with a removable screen that transform into a tablet. The tablet part is powered by the Android, while the notebook is powered by Microsoft Windows 8 operating systems.

HP SlateBook x2
The HP SlateBook x2 has an advanced magnetic hinge design and dual battery system, one battery in the base and one in the tablet, which helps users to switch from notebook to tablet and back, even while on the go.
The SlateBook x2 features Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2. Equipped with an NVIDIA Tegra 4 mobile processor, the SlateBook x2 enables people to access the TegraZone app and experience Tegra 4-optimized games. The 10.1-inch HD touchscreen device also includes up to 64 GB of storage. The HP SlateBook x2 is available in India at a price point of Rs 39,990

SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 MINI

Key Features of Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini I9192 (White)

• 4.27-inch Super AMOLED Capacitive Touchscreen
• Android v4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) OS
• 1.7 GHz Dual Core Application Processor
• Wi-Fi Enabled
• 8 MP CMOS Primary Camera
• 1.9 MP CMOS Secondary Camera
• Expandable Storage Capacity of 64 GB
• Full HD Recording

GENERAL FEATURES

Form	Bar
SIM Type	Dual SIM, GSM + GSM
Touch Screen	Yes, Capacitive
Business Features	Document Viewer, Pushmail
Call Features	Loudspeaker
Handset Color	White

NOKIA LUMIA 1020 VS 925 VS 920 VS 808 PUREVIEW

Nokia's sure taken its time, but its 41-megapixel Windows Phone beast is now finally out of the bag. Naturally, we have to compare this Lumia 1020 with its recent siblings: externally it's closer to the 920 than the slimmer 925 or 928, except for its earpiece and, well, the camera. That said, the 1020 is somehow a lot lighter and a little thinner than the bulky 920, while packing the same 2,000mAh battery. Clearly, the lack of built-in Qi wireless charging and perhaps that Gorilla Glass 3 screen are responsible for this weight loss.
And needless to say, the Symbian-powered 808 PureView didn't come with as many goodies compared to its Windows Phone cousin -- even the newer lens is faster with six elements instead of five. Feel free to check out our detailed comparison table after the break.

GOOGLE MAP V7.0.0 FOR ANDROID

After launching the revamped web version of Google Maps at the I/O 2013 event, Google has ported the same to Android now. The new Google Maps v7.0.0 available for Android 4.0.3+ devices. The update will be available on the Google Play store.
This new version of Google Maps brings a completely new interface. This new version also comes with updated navigational features like live traffic updates, dynamic re-routing and incident updates. These ensure to make your navigation quick and easy.

Google has taken steps to make this new version more useful with a Foursquare-like Explore feature. The Explore section of this updated app shows some interesting places nearby to dine, drink, sleep or play. It seems like Google brought the Google Now cards-like interface to Google Maps. The sections in Explore and Navigation will show information to you in the form of Cards.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 MINI AND S4 ZOOM LAUNCHED

Samsung Electronics on Tuesday launched a compact Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini and Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom in the Indian market, priced at Rs 27,900 and Rs 29,900 respectively.
The new Galaxy S4 mini has a 4.27" qHD Super AMOLED display and weighs 108g. With a compact design, the smartphone is equipped with a 1.7GHz dual core processor and an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and 1.9-megapixel HD front-facing camera. The Galaxy S4 mini supports many features and services provided by the Galaxy S4.

Special features such as Sound & Shot, which uniquely stores sound and voice together as pictures are taken, and Panorama Shot, which allows users to photograph the full view of their surroundings, ensure no memory is lost. Photos taken by Galaxy S4 mini are automatically gathered and saved according to the user's timeline, geo-tagging information, or a specific event to create a photo album.
The Galaxy S4 mini makes international travel easy with S Translator, which provides instant text or voice translation at email, text message or ChatON.

10 ANDROID SPY APPS

Before we look at spying apps for Android, we must take a look at some spying services that serious customers would want to use. These are a good choice for business owners that want to monitor how their employees are using the phones, or for overprotective parents that want to know every step their child makes and whoever he calls.
As mentioned before, be sure to check your local laws before you commit to using these services, as it might be illegal in some parts to spy on others. These services are professional and they offer users a great deal of features for smartphone monitoring. Also, most of them are undetectable, so the targeted phone will show no signs of being spied upon.
If you want to invest your money into such a service, and you have a valid reason to spy on another Android device, then here’s a list of features that these services will provide:

• GPS location tracking
• Voice calls and call log monitoring (some actually pick up the conversation and you can listen to it live)
• SMS monitoring
• Browsing History
• Installed apps
• View multimedia files on the targeted phone
• Mobile data usage
• Remote voice recording

ASUS TRANSFORMER BOOK TX300

Taiwanese firm Asus has launched its Windows 8-powered Transformer Book TX300 in the Indian market. This notebook, priced at Rs 91,999, comes with a detachable screen that allows it to be used as a tablet. The company claims that its new product is the thinnest Windows 8 tablet in the world.

The new Transformer TX300 features a 13.3-inch full HD IPS display and runs on Intel Core i5 processor. It has 128GB SSD storage (for tablet mode) and 500GB hard disk (for ultrabook mode) and comes with 4GB RAM. Apart from the HD front camera, it sports a 5MP unit on the back.
Other features of Asus ATransformer TX300 are microHDMI, Wi-Fi, magnetic DC connector and microSD card reader in tablet mode. In the full ultrabook version, it also features gigabyte Ethernet, two USB 3.0 ports, a mini DisplayPort and SD card reader.

SPOTIFY ADDS DISCOVER TO IPHONE

Spotify has a lot of things going for it, but the experience of using it isn’t necessarily among them. On Tuesday, the company moved to address some of those shortcomings with an update that primarily affects iPhone and iPod touch users. Oh, and there’s a new icon to go along with it.

The road to discovery is paved with Discover.

First is the Discover feature, which suggests artists and albums you might enjoy based your previous listening habits. It also shows new releases from bands you enjoy. You can save any suggested album as a new playlist to listen to later, or select Play Next under a suggested artist to start playing a mix of tracks. Discover (which is also available on the desktop/Web app and is coming soon to other mobile devices) replaces Spotify’s What’s New? section, and there doesn’t seem to be a way to get it back if you so desire. Unlike on the desktop, the iPhone app shows Discovery items in one long, ever-scrolling list, which makes it slightly less useful and harder to navigate.Another cool addition is the ability to edit playlists directly on your iPhone. When viewing a playlist, tap the three dots in the upper right corner and you’ll see a green Edit button, followed by gray Share, Start Radio, and Make Collaborative options as well. Tap Edit and you can rearrange or delete tracks on the fly.

NOKIA LUMIA 1020 COMING SOON

Nokia is hosting a press event on July 11,2013, where it is rumoured to unveil a Windows-based smartphone with 41-megaxpiel camera sensor. This smartphone carries the code name EOS and has been spotted in various leaks over the past few months.

A couple of weeks ago Twitter user @evelaks had said that this smartphone will be officially called the Nokia Lumia 1020. Now, he has shared an alleged press render of this smartphone. From this image, it appears that the Nokia Lumia 1020 will be available through AT&T.
This seems to be in line with the earlier rumours that indicated that Nokia's flagship camera smartphone will be making its way to AT&T in the United States.

ANDROID 4.3 RUNNING IN SAMUSNG S4

--> The Samsung Galaxy S4 has been spotted running Android 4.3 Samsung's Galaxy S4 has been spotted running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.
The update was spotted by SamMobile running on the Google Edition of the Samsung Galaxy S4, which is currently only available in the US.
The test build is flagged as version JWR66N.S005.130625. The JWR66N part of the build name refers to the Android version, while S005.130625 is Samsung's own build tracking code.

The screenshots show Android 4.3 will feature a new camera interface with a circular navigation control. The new camera interface is already available on the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One Google Editions, so we assume it will be coming to all stock Android handsets too when the update starts to roll out.
Android 4.3 has been spotted running on the HTC One and Nexus 4 so far, but it may not be too long until the update is rolled out officially.