HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014

Lighten up your Home

with your sweet smile

and make way for happiness

with your good deeds this New Year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Merry Christmas to YOU!

May the magic of Christmas
brings you Happiness, Joy, Cheers, love and fun
into your life
Merry Christmas to you and your family!

Hewlett-Packard HP New Smartphone

Hewlett-Packard (HP) entry to the smartphone market failed now a report says that they will try again with a smartphone. HP CEO Meg Whitman will try to turn around the company by entering another product in a crowded mobile-phone industry.

The new HP device is rumored to have a 6 inch and 7 inch slates and will cater to India and China market, and the price will not exceed $250 off-contract.

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check out: http://crsacoletras.blogspot.com/

LG Announces the LG Gx

LG don't have time to rest after releasing their flagship smartphone LG G2, they now Officially launched the LG Gx complete With Hardware Navigation Buttons.

The smartphone have a clear 5.5 inch 1080p full-HD IPS LCD display. It is powered by a quad core Snapdragon 600 processor with 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of Hard Disk. The battery is 3,140 mAh and is removable. The primary camera is 13 megapixel, while the front camera is 2.1 megapixel.

The handset will run on Android Jelly Bean but did not disclosed what version. It is also equipped with Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0 and NFC.

The phone support the standard 2G and HSPA (3G+). LG announced its G series at an event in Korea and also confirmed that the phablet will be initially available in Korea only and is expected to cost at around 860,000 Korean Won ($817 USD).

The LG Gx will have preloaded apps similar to the LG Optimus G Pro and the flagship, the G2. Some of the preloaded apps includes KnockON, Pause and Resume Recording, QRemote, QSlide, QuickMemo and QTranslator.

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Checkout 

Lenovo Yoga laptops

Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga laptop offers power and flexibility to its users. It's a high-end Ultrabook that's easy on the wallet. It offers performance, customization, security and productivity.

You can also flip, fold, twist, and turn your Yoga laptops to adapt the users preference. It also has a compact design and it weighs about a third of a pound less than last year's model.

The ThinkPad Yoga is a sign that Lenovo is changing their ways from from the traditional black boring models. It is powered by an Intel 4th generation Core i7 processors and 1 terabyte of storage. It runs through Windows 8.1. It is also equipped with the ThinkPad keyboard with optional backlit models and models with Near Field Communications (NFC) for easier sharing of data among users.

The device is powered by Lithium-ion 6 cell 72Wh battery.

For more tech news and updates check out Favosa Technologies

Black Friday

It's shopping season again get the best deal on Black Friday. Here are the sweet deal that you can take advantage of this Black Friday:

TV sets -

Target: 50" Element-brand HDTV for $229 on Thursday at 6 p.m.
Best Buy: VIZIO M-Series 50" HDTV is only $599.99
Walmart: VIZIO 60" Class Smart LED HDTV for only $688

If you prefer smaller TV then Walmart got you covered they are offering a 32" HDTV for $98.

Here are other deals that you might be interested in:

Target:
- Nikon L320 camera 26x zoom for $99
- Sony Blu-ray player, $54.99
- 10" portable DVD player, $59
- 16GB iPad mini with Wi-Fi, $299 with $75 gift card
- Beats by Dre HD headphones, over ear, $119
- Halo 4 (Xbox 360) $29.99
- Samsung Galaxy Tab® 3 10.1 (Wi-Fi) $359.99
- Samsung Galaxy Tab® 3 7.0 (Wi-Fi) Sale Price $179.99

Walmart:

- HP Pavilion TouchSmart 14-B109WM Laptop $278
- iPad mini $299 + $100 Gift Card
- Beats by Dr. Dre Solo Headphones $114.95
- Xbox One System $499
- Playstation 4 System $399
- Samsung Galaxy 3 10.1" Tablet $299
- iPhone 5C $45 + $75 Gift Card
- iPhone 5S $189 + $75 Gift Card
- Samsung Galaxy S4 $99

Amazon:

- Vizio 55-inch smart HDTV $479.99
- Google Chromecast for $29.99

Sony Sold 1 million PS4s

The PlayStation 4 console had a strong first day sale. One million units of PS4 was sold withing the first 24 hours of its launch in North America last Friday. They are aiming to sell about 3 million units around the world before the end of the calendar year. The console will be launch in Europe on November 29 while in Asia it will be released in December.

“You distribute your console as widely as possible to create a user platform, so you can start making more money with software,” Mr. Sakai said.

PS4 console have received a lot of praises from bloggers but they are still dissappointed with game titles in which Sony promised that they will release more games in the next few months.

Sony’s shares in Tokyo were up 0.7% at 1,859 yen ($18.53) in the early afternoon Monday, slightly outperforming the Nikkei 225 stock index, which was up 0.3%.

Google Drive Commands: Keyboard Shortcut

Google Drive commands can be frustrating however if you know the short cut it will be easier to use its functions. Here is one shortcut that is really helpful: Alt-/ and search.  

This will give you a search box that you can use to look for any command hidden in any of Google Drive's menus. If that command has its own, faster shortcut, you can see it listed there as well.

Motorola To Enter Cheap Smartphone Market with Moto G

Motorola is set to announce their new Smartphone Moto G on on November 13, 2013. The teaser is on Motorola’s website, moto-g.com. On the page you'll see a cool spinning globe that changes location, even the date of the set announcement date change to differnet languages. It seems that they are targeting travelers and overseas market with this new smarphone moto-g (#MotoG).

There are rumors that Moto G will have a 4.5 inch 720p screen, 8 GB storage, 8 megapixels camera, and will cost $215 and will have a no contract plan. 

The company will announce the Moto G online live on November 13, be sure to watch it.

Happy Halloween 2013

To friends, fellow bloggers, and readers Best wishes on Halloween!

LG New Curved Smartphone

Samsung Galaxy Round

LG G flex

LG Electronics reveal on Monday their new Curved screen smartphone, hoping to rival Samsung's "The Galaxy Round" in the newest niche market of curved displays and flexible screens smartphones. Both Samsung and LG's curved phones are only available in the South Korea.

LG called their newes arrival the "G-Flex". It uses flexible OLED (organic light-emitting diode) to
produce a curved six-inch display.

Experts said that curved smartphones has a more comfortable grip than flat-screen models, but manufacturing costs remain relatively high which means they are unlikely to be big a hit with consumers.

The Galaxy Round which is available only in South Korea cost $1,000.

LG said the G-Flex will be available in South Korean in November, the price is not yet determined.

New Redesigned Gmail login

If you are a regular Gmail user you've probably seen the new Gmail log in. A Google spokesperson said that Google has been rolling out a new design for its Gmail login page.

The new design moved the login box on the middle of the page instead on the right side. "One account. All of Google," message in on the top of the log in box.

"In response to feedback from our users, we’ve simplified the sign-in process, and the screen has slowly been rolling out over the past few months."

The new page also saves your account history to make it easier to sign back in.

Nexus 5 Specs Leaked

 
The new Nexus 5 LG-D821 smartphone specifications have been leaked. The manual and images of the Nexus 5 was posted on "Android Police" but was later removed. LG requested for it to be removed.

Here are the leaked specifications:
- 4.95 inch 1080p display full HD screen
- 2.3Ghz Snapdragon 800 chip
- 2GBs of RAM
- 32GBs internal storage
- 8mp rear camera with optical image stabilizer
- 1.3MP front camera
- 2300mAh battery
- Micro SIM slot
- Wireless charging
- Sensors: Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Proximity/Ambient Light, Pressure
- Slimport compatibility

Apple iOS 7.0.2 update to fix lock screen passcode bypass

Apple released a new update for its iOS 7 operating system that is intended to fix the issue that allows users to make a call by bypassing the passcode screen.

In my last post it shows how Daoud were able to replicate that flaw. The iOS 7.0.2 update is now being rolled out (13.6MB.)

Check out Apple’s website for details here.

A bug on iOS 7 allows anyone to make calls from locked iPhone

More iOS 7 security problems are coming to light, after the discovery of a Control Center vulnerability that allowed intruders to gain access, to the Photos app and to the user's Messages, Mail, Twitter, Facebook and Flickr accounts via the sharing menu, bypassing the passcode completely, another new security hole that allows anyone to make calls even through a passcode locked iPhone has been discovered by Karam Daoud.

Daoud posted a video with him trying to dial a number through a passcode locked iPhone's Emergency number dialler screen. The screen allows users to dial select emergency service numbers and rejects other unassigned numbers. But, after many failed attempts, Daoud was able to make a call to the number though the screen went black and displayed an Apple logo.

Daoud said that he already reported the bug to Apple's security team and briefed them on the security flaw. He said Apple requested more information and a video, and then thanked him and mentioned that the bug would be fixed in an upcoming software update.

iOS 7 install errors for iPhone and iPad

It seems that the servers of Apple were not able to handle the overwhelming number of requests from people updating to iOS 7 that caused users around the world to experience problems installing it.

Those who encountered errors were unable to activate the update and therefore rendered their iPhones useless, stuck in the installation process.

New iPhone Won't Store Fingerprints. I doubt it

The latest iPhone 5S which comes with a fingerprint scanner, won’t store actual images of users’ fingerprints on the device, an Apple spokesman confirmed. This could ease concerns from privacy hawks. However, with the current technoly the NSA has and their blatant disregard on privacy laws, I really doubt they are not collecting fingerprints from this latest technology.

Apple said that the new Touch ID system only stores “fingerprint data,” which remains encrypted within the iPhone’s processor, a company representative said Wednesday. The phone then uses the digital signature to unlock itself or make purchases in Apple’s iTunes, iBooks or App stores.

In practice, this means that even if someone cracked an iPhone’s encrypted chip, they likely wouldn’t be able to reverse engineer someone’s fingerprint.

The iPhone maker has pitched the addition of a fingerprint sensor to its flagship smartphone as a security boost for consumers. But the company also appears conscious of privacy concerns that could arise from storing biometric data on everyday electronics. Fingerprint technology is not new, but still exotic for most customers. Apple appears to want to nip some concerns in the bud.

Samsung to launch Galaxy Note 3 in the US in October

Samsung the largest smartphone maker in the world said Friday that the new Galaxy Note 3 smartphone and tablet, along with its new smartwatch, will be released in the U.S. next month.

AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and U.S. Cellular will all carry the Galaxy Note 3 smartphone. Some of the cellular carriers will also sell the Galaxy Gear smartwatch. Major retailers like Amazon.com, Best Buy, Wal-Mart and RadioShack will sell both the smartphone and smartwatch.

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Note 3 smartphone and Galaxy Gear smartwatch on Wednesday. The smartwatch let users check messages with a glance at their wrists or have a conversation through a speaker phone.

The watch must be linked wirelessly with a smartphone to perform its full range of functions. It acts as an extension to the phone by discreetly alerting users to incoming messages and calls on its screen, which measures 1.63 inches diagonally.

AT&T said it will sell the phone for $299.99 with a new two-year agreement, or for $35 a month under its AT&T Next installment plan. It will begin shipping orders on Oct. 1.

T-Mobile said it plans to sell the smartphone for $199.99 down with 24 monthly payments of $21. It's also selling the smartwatch for $299.99. U.S. Cellular confirmed that it will start selling the phone next month, but didn't announce pricing.

The smartwatch will be available in jet black, oatmeal beige, rose gold, wild orange, lime green and mocha gray. The phone and the tablet will be available in jet black and classic white. Colors will vary by seller, Samsung said.

Apple launched iPhone trade-in program in US stores

Apple has launched their trade-in program in U.S. retail stores. You can now trade-in your older iPhone models for the latest model. They are gearing up for the launch of a new version of the smartphone, it said on Friday.

Apple store will give customers a credit for their old phones to be used toward the purchase of a new model, Apple said.

A thriving industry exists for older versions of smartphones, especially the iPhone, on websites such as eBay and Gazelle. Even broken iPhones can fetch as much as $125 from vendors, who resell them in the United States and internationally.

Gazelle Chief Executive Israel Ganot estimated the used smartphone and tablet market in the United States will reach $14 billion by 2015.

"So there's obviously a huge opportunity here for multiple players," he said.

Apple shares dipped nearly 1 percent to $487.46.

iPhone 5S are rumored to be 31 percent faster with new A7 chip

iPhone 5S and new budget version is expected to come out in September and the new iPhone is rumored to be 31 percent faster.

Fox anchor Clayton Morris said on Twitter: "Sources are telling me the new iPhone's A7 chip is running at about 31% faster than A6. I’m hearing it’s very fast."

9to5Mac website posted on their site claims that iPhone 5S include 64-bit processors.


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Check out my friend's blog  if you have time http://the-infinite-dive.blogspot.com/ he has some interesting post about life in general.

If you are into computer programming or development check out Jacob's blog here http://jacobsiwiti.blogspot.com/

Samsung to unveil their "Smartwatch" on September

Biggest smartphone maker Samsung Electronics will unveil their new Galaxy Gear "smartwatch" early next month, ahead of Apple's iWatch, a report from Bloomberg news and sammobile.com said Saturday.

The Galaxy Gear, which will allow users to make calls, access email and even surf the Internet, will launch on September 4, according to sammobile.com site.

The world's top handset maker will also launch its new Galaxy Note 3 on that day, the site reported.

Bloomberg said the first version of the smart watch would not have a flexible screen.

Wearable computing, including Google's Glass eyewear, is considered as the next frontier in consumer electronics following smartphones.

In June, Sony unveiled the latest version of its SmartWatch, which links with smartphones to receive alerts about phone calls, emails and updates from social networks and also includes a music function.

Samsung's US rival Apple has long been rumoured to be working on introducing an "iWatch", which would represent the biggest gadget launch by the firm since the iPad mini last year.

Samsung GALAXY S4 Active

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, introduced the new GALAXY S4 Active in UAE. The phone is designed to withstand the great outdoors. From rolling sand dunes to rocky wadis, this life companion is engineered to keep you connected whilst exploring the world around you.

Mr. Hayssam Yassine, Head of Telecommunications Group at Samsung Gulf Electronics commented “The Gulf region is a playground for adventurers and those looking to explore the great outdoors and so we are very excited to launch the GALAXY S4 Active; the newest addition to the GALAXY series. Samsung has taken the innovative features of the GALAXY S4 and added breakthrough protective design elements, making it the perfect companion for a lifestyle of travel and exploration.”

The GALAXY S4 Active has qualified protection from dust and water (IP67*), so you never have to leave the device at home during a long day at the beach or dusty hike. The fully sealed design keeps dust particles out and protects against water damage for up to 30 minutes of submergence at a depth of one meter. Equipped with a water-resistant earphone jack, the GALAXY S4 Active frees you to use earphones in more adventurous conditions, in the same way you’ve used them in normal ones.  Whether capturing every moment of a wild rafting trip or taking a great underwater photo in the pool, the device’s unique construction lets users capture amazing moments previously impossible using a normal smartphone.

An active lifestyle requires plenty of energy, and the GALAXY S4 Active offers a long-lasting and powerful user experience.

Featuring a 1.9 GHZ Quad-Core processorand 2,600mAh battery, the GALAXY S4 Active can handle the most intensive tasks with ease and precision. Striking color and stunning resolution on the device’s beautiful 5.0’’ Full HD TFT LCD screen (443 PPI) makes playing the newest games or watching hours of video easy on the eyes. And with ‘Glove Touch’, cold weather is no longer a problem since the touchscreen can be fully operated while wearing gloves.

With an 8-megapixel rear camera, users can easily share their vivid experiences while on the go. Unique to the GALAXY S4 Active camera, ‘Aqua Mode’can be used to increase visual quality and clarity for enhanced underwater images and video. The volume key located on the side of the device can be used as a camera key, allowing users to easily and quickly open the camera application to capture photo and video the moment it happens. Additionally, the camera transforms into a powerful LED flash light to assist in low-light and nighttime activities with a simple long press of the volume key.

The GALAXY S4 Active is designed with a seamless interface that incorporates popular features of the GALAXY S4.

‘S Travel (Trip Advisor)’ offers travel assistance, local information, and recommendations to provide a more seamless experience in an unfamiliar environment. ‘S Translator’makes international travel easy by providing instant text or voice translation for emails and text messages.

The camera interface is designed to make capturing and sharing meaningful moments intuitive and more engaging with multiple shooting modes including ‘Drama Shot,’ which allows users to see all the action in one continuous time-lapse, and ‘Sound & Shot,’ which uniquely stores sound and voice together with the image to capture the moment in an immersive visual/audio format. With ‘Story Album’, photos taken with the GALAXY S4 Active are collected and sorted according to a user’s timeline, geo-tagging information or a specific event to instantly create an organized photo album. To help facilitate sharing, users can also use the ‘Group Play’ function to enjoy music, photos, documents and games together and across various devices including GALAXY S4, GALAXY S4 mini, GALAXY Mega 6.3 and GALAXY Mega 5.8.

‘Samsung Smart Pause’ enables users to control of the screen using optical cues. While watching a video, the video pauses when you look away and starts right up again when returning to view, saving vital battery life and time spent rewinding. ‘Air View’ lets you preview the content of an email by simply hovering your fingers over the screen, which saves time and data. With ‘Air Gesture’,you can change the music track, scroll up and down on a web page, or accept a call with a simple wave of the hand. Additionally, ‘S Health’ helps you keep track of your personal health statistics. When paired with the S Health Accessory, you can monitor your heart rate, weight, sleep pattern and other personal measurements to assist in a healthy lifestyle.

The GALAXY S4 Active also offers competitive content and services to provide a seamless mobile experience anytime and anywhere.

Using the ‘Samsung Hub,’ users can access music, videos, books, games and engaging educational content. With a beautiful magazine-style interface, users can browse a variety of content across services, as well as purchase and manage their content easily with a single Samsung Account. Users can also control their TV through Samsung WatchON’s IR remote, which transforms the GALAXY S4 Active into a remote control for TVs, set-top boxes, and DVD players. Through ‘WatchON’, the GALAXY S4 Active also offers a broad selection of entertainment content including live TV, cable TV and video on demand, facilitated by the rich digital context provided by Samsung’s EPG (Electronic Program Guide) system. ‘ChatON’, another unique feature, connects and facilitates group chats, media sharing and interacting in creative new ways using pictures, hand drawings or figures across mobile devices. Further enhancing the device’s sharing capabilities, users can use ‘Samsung Link’ to share and sync content across multiple Samsung digital devices.

The GALAXY S4 Active is available at all major retail stores with a data plan from Etisalat. Consumers will be able to pre-order the device on pre-paid and post paid data plans for AED 2299. By subscribing to the pre-paid plan users will receive 1GB of data free for the first three months, which will follow with a monthly rental of AED 99. Post-paid customers with no contracts will enjoy 10GB data, 800 local minutes or 200 international minutes and 200 SMS’s for a monthly rental of AED 225 as part of Etisalat’s ‘Smartest Deal’ offer launched recently. Also, Post-paid customers with contracts will enjoy free device with zero upfront, with 2GB Data for 18 months with monthly rental of AED 249.

Apple iPhone 6 and 5s rumors

iPhone fans are anticipating the new phone release and some say that instead of iPhone 6 Apple will release an S model for iPhone. The release date is rumored to be a few months from now.

The phone is expected to have an upgrade in the camera department to compete with some of the other offerings including Samsung’s Galaxy. Experts predict a 13 megpixel sensor plus Apple Insider uncovered an Apple patent which could turn the phone into something like a pro photo studio with a system to remotely control flashes and other devices.

A move onto 1os 7 is expected with the new release. Developer logs obtained by The Next Web suggested back at the start of the year that members of Apple’s software development and app teams are compatibility testing some of the more popular or well-known applications already on the App Store with this new system.

A higher resolution retina display for the iPhone 6 has been hinted at but Apple CEO Tim Cook has been widely reported in a call to investors saying the iPhone 5S is likely to featured the same retina display as the iPhone 5. That hasn’t stopped other screen speculation though - the Emirates 24/4 website claims Sharp has developed an ultra-sensitive transparent touchscreen has been developed for the new phone.

NFC, a wireless communicaton technology could become an integral part of the new phone and  help with a payments solution called iWallet which could potentially mean the new iPhone could be used to deposit money into bank accounts by taking pictures of cheques and instantly sending codes to the banks.

The new phone is also expected to have a better battery power compared to iPhone 5 which is a common complaint by current owners of iPhone 5.

Twitter updates security and search function app

Twitter updated its Android and iOS apps with new features that enhance security and photo function. The updates are now available on Google Play Store and iTunes Store.

The updates let you enroll in login verification and approve login requests directly from your mobile app. Now, in addition to the SMS-based login verification that was released in May, you can use login verification without relying on text messages.

Twitter’s two-step verification is similar to others offered by Google and LinkedIn. Verification codes are stored online and available if a phone is lost or broken; the code is the "second step" in making sure someone unwanted can't log in to your account, with the first step being your password.

Updates also includes a “View more photos” link that leads to a photo gallery of related images and is present in search results. Before, you need to swipe through thumbnails one by one.

For iOS app in addition to display on search, photo galleries will appear on user profiles, so you can view all of someone’s photos in one place. Apple users can also create, edit and organize their Twitter lists and witness a faster launch when the app is launched.

Xbox One controllers are now ready for pre-orders

You can now pre-order your Xbox One controller and Microsoft headset. The price for Xbox One controller in the US is US$59.99, if you will bundle it with "Play and Charge" rechargeable battery pack you will pay $74.99.

The controller is not yet available on Microsoft's UK website.

The Xbox One Chat Headset is priced at US$24.99. Microsoft's next generation console will launch this November, though no specific date has been announced. The November 27 Xbox One release date rumor is not true as stated by Microsoft.

Retail prices for the console are £425 / $499 / AU$599.

Nokia Lumia 625

Nokia unveiled the latest addition to its Lumia smartphone range the Lumia 625 at an event in London today. The smartphone has a 4.7-inch screen which is the largest Nokia has released. The phone has 4G connectivity, a 4.7in LCD display with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels, a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 512MB of RAM, 8GB of on-board storage and a 2,000mAh battery.

It also has 5-megapixel primary camera as well as a VGA (480p) front-facing shooter. The device features key measurements of 133.25 x 72.25 x 9.15mm and weighs 159g.

It also have microSD card slot for more storage and the Lumia 625 will, of course, run Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 mobile OS.

IdeaPad Yoga 11s Lenovo world’s first 360-degree convertible laptop

IdeaPad Yoga 11s is Lenovo's world's first 360-degree convertible laptop which is similar to an Ultrabook with regards to power and productivity and mobile like a tablet.

The IdeaPad Yoga 11s turns into four special modes-laptop, tablet, stand and tent-to fit the changing ways people are using technology.  It enables users to make the gadget adapt to their environment wherever they go like parks, shops, mall, in a car, at home or in the office.

IdeaPad Yoga 11s allows users to watch movies in a space-saving way through its tent mode. It is equipped with Intel integrated high-definition graphics with Dolby Home Theater audio system.

It has a 11.6-inch high definition in-plane switching (IPS) screen’s 10-finger multi-touch support. It has motion control, that allows hand gestures in front of the webcam. The IdeaPad Yoga 11s tablet mode is ideal for exploring Windows 8 apps.

It has a slim 0.68-inch frame and powered by a third-generation Intel Core i3 processor and run by Windows 8 for smooth multitasking and productivity to use Office applications.

It has 4GB DDR3 memory,  a 128GB SSD storage, and a six-hour battery life.

The IdeaPad Yoga 11s is coated with rubber painting to give the exterior a soft finishing.

App Store's 5th anniversary: FREE 10 apps

Apple celebrated on Monday the fifth anniversary of its App Store launch by giving FREE app which includes some of its most popular iOS games.

"To celebrate we're giving everyone five landmark games and five groundbreaking apps for a limited time," a message on the App Store.

Throughout the week, users can download five apps and five games for free. The free apps: "Barefoot World Atlas" interactive globe app, "Day One" journal app, "How to Cook Everything", "Over", and "Traktor DJ for iPhone". The games: "Badland," "Infinity Blade II," "Superbrothers: Sword & Sorcery EP," "Tiny Wings" and "Where's My Water?"

All but one have been rated at 4 stars or higher (out of a possible five).

Apple's App Store launched July 10, 2008, the day before the debut of the iPhone 3G.

Firefox OS Devices are out in the market in Spain

Smartphones that uses Firefox OS go on sale Tuesday in Spain. The system is an open source alternative that network operators hope will challenge the  Apple's iOS and Google Android.

Telefónica a Spanish telecoms company said that the ZTE Corp. “Open” will be available at Movistar stores priced at €69 ($90), including €30 for prepaid customers.

In Poland Deutsche Telekom AG has worked with Alcatel-Lucent and will be launching the One Touch Fire shortly. Prices and dates were not available.

The devices are designed for first-time smartphone owners and run an open-source operating system produced by a consortium headed by the Mozilla Foundation, the body behind the Firefox web browser.

The operating system is built using HTML5, the same language in which websites are built, which, Mozilla says, should make it much easier to develop apps.

source WSJ

Sony launches 6.4-inch phablet waterproof Xperia Z Ultra phone

Sony has been boasting that the Xperia Z Ultra is the slimmest large-screened handset on the market. The new Sony phablet is bigger than Samsung's Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3. The Z Ultra weighed in at 212g, while the Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 weighs 198g, but its chassis is mostly made of plastic materials, which somehow doesn't quite have the same build quality as the Z Ultra.

As for the thinnest, it is still Huawei's Ascend P6 which is at 6.18mm. Xperia Z is at 6.5mm.

Features:

Sony Xperia Z Ultra phablet has an IP58 rating, which means it is water and dust-proof. It has full HD display (1920x1080p resolution) with 344ppi pixel density. The quad-core CPU of the handset is clocked at 2.2GHz and is supported by 2GB RAM.

It has the same design language as Xperia Z smartphone and features on-screen keys. It boast a scratch-resistant and shatterproof glass.

It runs on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) with a customized UI to make better use of the extra screen size. Sony's custom UI keeps most of the default stock Android features.

It has LTE connectivity, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, 2G, 3G, 4G, Wi-Fi, microUSB 2.0, and screen mirroring. It comes with 2GB RAM, 16GB of onboard storage, and has a microSD card slot for expandability up to 64GB. A large embedded 3,000mAh battery completes the package.

The back has 8MP camera with LED flash, while the front camera is 2MP. It is expected to be available in Q3 2013 in black, white and purple colours.

Convert Battery Powered Electronics to Use AC Adapter

Using disposable batteries are not only harmful to the environment but also an inconvenience. Imagine losing power when you are in the middle of using the battery powered electronic and you don't have any extra batteries in your tool kit. Charging or plug-in power for electronics is easier and more convenient.

If you want to know how to convert those battery powered electronics to run on AC check out DIYHacksAndHowTos Instructions below.

The instructioins may appear a little complicated, but once you are doing it you may find it easy to do. It use a a voltage regulator circuit, a switch, and a dummy battery system to fill the space. The dummy battery also makes the whole thing removable in case you want to revert back to the batteries.

Just a precaution, always be careful when working with electricity.

Here is the full guide:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Convert-Battery-Powered-Electronics-to-Run-on-AC/?ALLSTEPS


Blog to check out:

Xbox One and PS4 prices

Here are the announced prices for the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4.

The release date of Xbox One will be in November 2013 and it will be priced $499.00 per unit. In UK it will be priced at £429.99 and in outher European countries the price will be €499.99 euros.

You can pre-order the units through Amazon.com.

While, the Playstation 4 is priced at $399 and will go on sale this Christmas. So, you need to start saving now!

My Coke Rewards

My Coke Rewards is a promotion by Coca-Cola that rewards you for buying and consuming their products. Once you bought a Coca-Cola product you need to get the codes and enter the codes on your account to earn points.

Then once you accumulate a lot of points you get to spend your points on something fun, like a cap, a shirt, your favorite magazine and more...

My Coke Rewards is open only to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are at least 13 years old. Rewards can only be delivered to U.S. street addresses.

Oh don't have enough codes to get your desired item? don't fret check out this blog "Free MyCokeRewards Points" (http://freemyccokerewardspoints.blogspot.com/) the very generous blogger is giving away free codes to be redeemed on MyCokeRewards.com.

Acer Liquid S1 7-inch Android phablet

Acer has announced the new Android phablet the Liquid S1 at the Computex 2013 in Taipei, Taiwan.

The Acer Liquid S1 will have a powerful 1.5GHz Mediatek quad-core processor and will carry a 7-inch 1280x720 pixels display. The memory will be 1GB of RAM and has a dual-SIM capability.

The OS of Liquid S1 is Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. The storage of the phone is 8GB internal memory expandable up to 32GB via microSD card.

It will be powered by a 2,400mAh replaceable battery. It also has a front and back cameras as well.

Acer boast that the phablet has the ability to multitask without having to back out of one app to work on the other task. Float apps such as Notes, Maps, Calculator and Camera are also available.

The Acer Liquid is expected to be released in third quarter of 2013 in Belgium, France, Ukraine, Russia, Germany and UK. The price will start at 349 Euros.

Blog to check out : http://nokiaflashlab.blogspot.com/ - a blog providing support, help and custom firmwares to flash a Nokia phone successfully.

Samsung accidentally leaked new mini version of Galaxy S4 handset on their website

Galaxy S4 mini (right) next to the full size S4

Samsung accidentally leaked details of the new 'mini' version of its Galaxy S4 handset. They have posted it on their own website showing the unannounced handset as an option in an online app store.

The handset is expected to be announced in July, and have a 4.3 inch screen. Galaxy S4, which has a 5 inch screen, is too big. It is also expected to have 8MP camera

The leak was spotted by tgspot an Israeli site.

Xbox One Reveal

Microsoft reveal the Xbox One last May 21 on their Xbox Reveal event in Redmond, Washington. They show footage of FIFA 14, Call of Duty Ghosts, UFC, NBA Live 14, Madden 25, and Forza Motorsport 5 truly an eyecandy.

What great about this console is it offers Instant Switching, it let you record and interact with live TV, browse the internet using IE and video chat through Skype all at the same time. You can switch from one task to another using a voice command like "Game" or "TV."

It has online connectivity you can watch tv shows and online videos while playing your favorite games. Users will be able call friends using Skype on other devices like smartphones, tablets, or PCs.

Through Xbox Live online service you can also instantly record and upload video footage of your game achievements.

Try this online resource:

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Sony Xperia SP

Also called Sony Xperia SP HSPA C5302, Sony Xperia SP LTE C5303, and Sony Xperia SP LTE C5306.  

The Sony Xperia SP has one-touch functions. This NFC Android smartphone lets you share photos, films and games on your HDTV with One-touch mirroring. No cords needed, thanks to NFC and screen mirroring.

Weight:

155 grams
5.47 oz

Dimensions:
130.6 x 67.1 x 9.98 mm
5.14 x 2.64 x 0.39 inches

Battery:

Talk time (up to): 18 hours and 53 mins
Standby time (up to): 734 hours
Music listening time (up to): 39 hours
Video playback time (up to): 7 hours and 36 mins

Display:

4.6" touchscreen - scratch-resistant TFT
16,777,216 colours, 1280x720 pixels

Operating system:
Google Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)

CPU:
1.7 GHz Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ S4 MSM8960Pro Dual Core

Camera:
8 megapixel camera with auto focus
16x digital zoom, pulsed LED flash

Screen size    4.6 inches
Screen resolution    1,280 x 720 (319 ppi)
Screen type    TFT LCD, Reality Display, Glove mode
Internal storage    8GB
External storage    microSD (up to 32GB)
Rear camera    8MP, BSI, f/2.4
Front-facing cam    VGA (0.3MP)
Video capture    1080p 30fps
NFC    Yes
Bluetooth    v4.0 with A2DP, LE profiles
SoC    Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro (MSM8960)
CPU    1.7GHz dual-core
GPU    Adreno 320
RAM    1GB
WiFi    Dual-band, 802.11a/b/g/n
Wireless Charging    No

For a comprehensive Review of Sony Xperia SP please check out Seedsoc blog.

Sony Xperia ZR 13 megapixel Shoot Full HD underwater

Sony Xperia ZR, is Sony's brandnew Android smartphone. It's not your ordinary smartphone, it can submerged underwater and still shoot crystal clear Full HD. Xperia ZR is designed to be water resistant, dust resistant and durable.

It has a high IP55 & IP58 rating that only mean you can spill on it, or use it outside in the the rain, and take photos underwater (Fresh water not sea water) and clean it easily afterwards.

Sony Xperia ZR comes with a 4.6-inch screen full HD Reality Display, 13 megapixel camera with Exmor RS™, 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 4G LTE, 8GB storage, microSD expansion slot up to 32GB and 2GB of RAM. 

Xperia ZR features the highest level of water-resistance with Exmor RS image sensor for capturing stunning photos and Full HD videos underwater.

Xperia ZR Specification:

Display:     4.55 inches TFT 16 millions colours, 1280x720 pixels
Operating system: Google Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
Processor: 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Quad Core
RAM: 2GB RAM
Storage: 8GB internal storage, microSD expansion 32GB
Connectivity: 2G, 3G, 4G (market specific), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB 2.0 and NFC-enabled SmartTags
Camera: 13 megapixel fast-capture camera with Exmor RS
16x digital zoom with auto focu rear camera with LED flash, VGA front unit
Battery: 2,300mAh

Sony Xperia ZR (black or white) will launch globally in Q2 2013 (no disclosed price yet).

LG to team up with Google for Nexus 5

pic from mobileleaks

LG a South Korean phonemaker will team up with Google to manufacture new products that includes another smartphone (Nexus 5) and an OLED TV set.

Larry Page Google CEO spoke with Koo Bon-joon chief executive of LG in Page's recent visit to South Korea and they discussed on how to improve their partnership, as reported by Korea Times. LG is said to be working on a new smartphone (Nexus 5) and in talks with Google to develop and produce "LG-Google OLED TV." Google and LG released the Nexus 4 smartphone last fall.

Need to Access Google Drive but internet is down? Google Chrome's offline access

Google Drive users may experience internet outages or may be in a place where there are no internet access, now with Google Drive offline access it will let you view your files even with no internet.

Set up offline access so that the next time you're offline you'll still be able to view Google documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and drawings, shuffle folders around, and edit files stored in your Google Drive folder.

"If you've set up Google Drive offline, you can now create and edit drawings offline. In addition, all of your Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides will now be automatically available offline (space permitting), so you won't have to worry about remembering that specific file before catching your flight!

It may take a few days to see these changes as we complete the roll-out. If you haven’t used offline yet, give it a try today: http://goo.gl/4BgYa" it said in a google+ post.

However, only one Google account per Chrome profile can set up offline access to Drive.

"If you are unable to set up offline access because another user has already done so, you can create a new Chrome profile and then follow the above steps to add offline access for your account," it said.

The user must enable offline access for this feature to work.

With this new feature you can also view files tons of files such as PDFs, Microsoft Office files, and images, from your Google Drive folder even when you're disconnected from the Internet. Any changes you've made to synced files while offline will sync to all devices with a time stamp when you reconnect to the Internet.

Beware of phishing malware on Twitter

A new malware was discovered that steals Twitter user's credentials, allowing the attacker to tweet on the victim's behalf.

Trusteer researcher Tanya Shafir said that "The malware launches a Man-in-the-Browser (MitB) attack through the browser of infected PCs, gaining access to the victim’s Twitter account to create malicious tweets. The malware, which has been used as a financial malware to gain access to user credentials and target their financial transactions, now has a new goal: to spread malware using the online social networking service. At this time the attack is targeting the Dutch market. However, because Twitter is used by millions of users around the world, this type of attack can be used to target any market and any industry."

The attack is done by injecting Javascript code into the victim’s Twitter account page then the malware collects the user’s authentication data. It enables it to make authorized calls to Twitter's APIs, and then posts new, malicious tweets on behalf of the victim.

Here is an excerpt from the injected Javascript code:

 
Protection against an attack like this is difficult because the attack "uses a new sophisticated approach to spear-phishing."

The disturbing thing about it is since tweets support shortened URLs, victims might think the link is safe and click it and be taken to malicious websites without suspecting anything is wrong.

Bugatti Veyron ‘Fastest Car’ Again

Oops, Guinness World Records has reinstated the title of “World’s Fastest Production Car” to Bugatti Veyron Super Sport after taking it back earlier this week due to a suspected rule violation.

Guiness invalidated the 267.8 mph record when Hennessey Performance claimed that the only reason the Veyron could go so fast was that it had deactivated a 258 mph speed limiter that all of the production versions of the cars are equipped with.

But Bugatti maintained that not only was Guinness aware of the limiter at the time it set the record in 2010, but that any of the owners of the 30 or so cars it has sold can have it deactivated during events held at the automaker’s test track in Germany, allowing them to reach the 267.8 mph top speed.

Having put the matter under thorough review, Guinness has now decided that it is “satisfied that a change to the speed limiter does not alter the fundamental design of the car or its engine.”

Windows XP Support Ends April 8, 2014

Windows XP SP3 and Office 2003 will go out of support on April 8, 2014. Microsoft Business and Developer products, including Windows and Office products, receive a minimum of 10 years of support (5 years Mainstream Support and 5 years Extended Support), at the supported service pack level.

After April 8, 2014, there will be no new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free or paid assisted support options or online technical content updates.

Running Windows XP SP3 and Office 2003 in your environment after their end of support date may expose your company to potential risks, such as Security & Compliance Risks and Lack of Independent Software Vendor.

The usage share of Windows XP in Desktop Operating System statistics on Net Applications is still huge at 38.73% as of March 2013.

Google April Fool's Day Hoaxes

Google has lined up a series of April Fool's Day hoaxes on April 1. Google released a YouTube clip declaring that the world's most popular video website will shut down till 2023 and also announced Google Nose Smell search engine.

The Gmail Blue announcement is another April Fool's prank from Google. The video says, the compose button will turn blue while you click on it to create a new message.

Also, Google sent invitations on Monday to try out a new feature, called "Google Nose."

"Google Search is incredibly powerful... But we'd realized that there's an important part of the search experience we'd overlooked," said Google Nose product manager, Jon Wooley.

Google Nose Beta touts that "Smelling is believing," claiming an "aromabase" of over 15 million "scentibytes."

The service seeks to "go beyond type, talk, and touch for a new notation of sensation," due to "expertly curated Knowledge Panels (that) pair images, descriptions, and aromas."

Battle of the Smartwatches

There have been speculations that Apple is developing a smartwatch called "iWatch" though there have been no proof that they are really developing or producing one.

So not to be left behind, other electronic giants join the bandwagon and are also rumored to be developing smartwatches of their own. The companies are Samsung, Google, and LG.

As for me, I'm going to give it a pass. I just can't imagine myself wearing an oversized geeky watch that looks ridicolous.

Denny Hamlin felt disrespected by NASCAR fine

BRISTOL, Tenn. (AP) - Denny Hamlin believes NASCAR was disrespectful by not contacting him before fining him $25,000 over critical comments about the new race car.

Hamlin said a bigger name would have at least gotten a courtesy call beforehand.

That's what played into Hamlin's anger last week when he stood firm in his refusal to pay the fine for criticizing the Gen-6 car following its second race of the season. He said he'd be suspended before he'd pay over a statement many considered mild made on pit road at Phoenix following a third-place run.

Honda to recall 250,000 vehicles scary brake defect

Honda Motor will recall nearly 250,000 vehicles globally, including sedans, minivans and SUVs, because of inadvertent braking. This may be a sign of the bedeviling problems to come with the complex electronics controlling cars.

Four models included in the recall are: the Odyssey minivan, Acura RL sedan, Acura MDX crossover SUV and Honda Pilot SUV, all made between 2004 and 2005.

The stability assist system in the vehicles may malfunction and the brake could operate even when the driver is not pressing the pedal, said spokeswoman Tomoko Takemori. The vehicles may also brake more strongly than intended when the system malfunctions, she said.

No accidents or injuries have been reported from the problem, Takemori said.

bout 183,500 Pilot, MDX and RL vehicles in the United States are affected by the recall. Honda is also recalling 57,000 vehicles in Japan, including about 42,566 Odyssey minivans.

Cars in Canada, Mexico, Germany, Australia and New Zealand will also be recalled.

Honda declined to say how much the recall will cost or where it got the problematic parts.

Leaked Samsung GT-I9502 images

Samsung GT-I9502 images leaked on a Chinese forum that seem to be a variant of the Samsung Galaxy S IV.

The forum poster claims that the device is dual-SIM and will make its way to China Unicom.

It has an elliptical Home button and a glossy back. The Back and Menu capacitive buttons are located on either side of the Home button. The front shows the typical Samsung branding sitting just below the earpiece surrounded by other sensors and a front camera as well.

Some of the images reveal a lot of info regarding the device specs. They show the phone featuring a 1080x1920 display, a 1.8GHz quad-core Exynos 5410 processor with 2GB RAM, PowerVR SGX 544MP GPU and Android 4.2.1.