7 Apps to Metro"lise" Your Android Device

Let's face it. The Metro UI of the Windows Phone is one of the simplest and slickest interface. However, it's mostly a love it or hate it situation for everyone. Android lover will criticise the lack of home screens and widgets. The lack of apps is another reason users does not opt for a Windows Phone. But what if we get the best of both world. Let's say, we have the vast amount of over 250000 apps offered in the Android market and the simple and slick Metro UI. Read on to find out just how you can do that in some short simple steps.

Sony Ericsson : Android 2.3.4 Update "Gesture Input"

As most of us know, Sony Ericsson released the Gingerbread 2.3.4 update way later than other manufacturers. The update will be available for all unlocked phones and most operator variants but there will be local deviations.  There are also some deviations on feature upgrade depending on phone model. Google Talk video chat will only be available for phones with front facing camera. Xperia™ PLAY will not get 3D panorama sweep but it will get HD video recording and the other goodies below. Most phones released this year comes with Android 2.3.4 out of the box.

Among the highlights of the update are:

• Google Talk with Video Chat for smartphones with front-facing cameras
• Updated Facebook inside Xperia™ functionality for enhanced like, share and discover abilities.
• Xperia™ smartphones introducing world’s first 3D Sweep Panorama functionality powered by Sony.
• 16x video zoom
• The software upgrade will enable consumers to turn their Xperia™  smartphone into a mini-mobile PC by connecting USB peripherals (mouse, keyboard or game controller) to Sony Ericsson LiveDock™ multimedia station. Connect the smartphone to a TV via HDMI to get a big screen experience.
• Gesture input – text input by swiping the finger from one letter to the next
• WiFi DLNA
• Screen capture – allows the user to share a screen grab from anywhere in the phone.

Does the highlighted feature ring a bell? Sounds like Swype right? You can judge for yourself after the break.

Nokia 600: Axed before Birth

Remember that there was a third Symbian Belle smartphone that was announced along with the Nokia 700 and 701?  Nokia obviously cancelled the Nokia 600 and is determined to pretending that it never happened.

Nokia 600 was announced in August and was expected to hit the shelves before Q3 ended, but that obviously never happened. We got no official comment from Nokia about the delay and now it appears that the phone has been cancelled.

All pages dedicated to the Belle-running Nokia 600 are now gone from the Nokia servers and even the Nokia developer website has no mention of it. Videos, featuring the Nokia 600 have been removed from the Nokia YouTube channels and if we hadn't actually seen the announcement we'd really be inclined to believe that the phone never existed.

It could be that there were some issues with its mass production or that the Finns want to focus more of your attention to their WP-running Lumia smartphones. Could also be so that it will not compete with the Nokia 500. Either way, if you had your sight set on the Nokia 600 you'll need to move along and find another device that suits your needs.

More pictures of this not-to-be phone after the break.

Nokia Lumia 710 lighting up the future of Nokia alongside the Lumia 800 UPDATE : No microSD slot

The Nokia Lumia 710 is announced alongside the Nokia Lumia 800. It packs the same 1.4Ghz spotted in the Lumia 800 but with a smaller 3.7-inch screen and a 5mpx sensor instead of 8mpx. Lumia 710 offers 5 interchangeable back covers, black, white, cyan, fuchsia and yellow delighting the lively people. The phone comes in either black or white. The Lumia 710 is priced at €210 (RM910), definitely a deal since it's packing the same punch as the Lumia 800. Head past the break for specs video and pictures.

The First Real Windows Phone : Nokia Lumia 800

Nokia announced the first Windows Phone device through the partnership of Nokia and Microsoft during Nokia World at London, the Nokia Lumia 800. It looks identical to the Maemo Harmattan-based Nokia N9, spotting a similarly sized 3.9 inch Clear Black Display. The Lumia 800 packs a 1.4Ghz single core processor with graphics hardware-accceleration to give that smooth user experience. The Nokia Lumia 800 is priced at €420 (RM1820)

Maxis Malaysia to offer Samsung Galaxy S II at RM799 for the first 300 customers

An advertisement was on today's copy of The Star paper. Maxis is offering the first 300 customers the all new Dual-Core Samsung Galaxy S II at a promotion price of only RM799. The offer will be held on 22nd June at Midvalley Megamall Centre Court Concourse area. While this seems like a pretty good deal, there're terms behind it. However, nothing is shown in Maxis website. Apparently, customers wishing to get at this price will have to sign up to a minimum voice plan of RM80 coupled with 3GB monthly internet at RM88 for a contract period of 24 months. The above promotion price is offered during the press launch at 3pm. Make sure you head down to Midvalley Megamall to be among the first to grab this mighty beast at such a low price considering you actually want the plan.

Apple sues Samsung for 'copying' the iPhone and iPad

Whoa! In the world of big-time lawsuits, this must be just about the biggest. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple has sued Samsung Electronics for copying "the look and feel" of its iPad tablet and iPhone smartphone. This relates to the Samsung Galaxy S 4G, which bears more than a passing resemblance to the iPhone 3G / 3GS models, and the slightly less obvious Epic 4G, Nexus S, and Galaxy Tab (presumably the older 7-inch model, since the newer ones aren't out yet) devices. The claim for intellectual property infringement is phrased as follows:

"Rather than innovate and develop its own technology and a unique Samsung style for its smart phone products and computer tablets, Samsung chose to copy Apple's technology, user interface and innovative style in these infringing products."

The lawsuit was filed in the Northern District of California on Friday and seeks injunctions against Samsung, damages (both actual and punitive), and a finding that the infringement was willful. Lest we forget, the rarest outcome in such legal tussles is for an actual judgment to actually be handed down, so the greatest likelihood is that this will just lead to another round of grudging handshakes and licensing going one way with money going the other way, but still, it's fun to see the big dogs barking at each other.

Another aspect to these proceedings that shouldn't be overlooked is that, on the software front, they boil down to iOS versus Android (again). When Apple calls Samsung uninventive in its user interface, it's talking more about Android's perceived imitation of the iPhone's interface than whatever TouchWiz tweaks Samsung has slapped on top. And hey, if you're going to sue Google indirectly, you can't leave a major player like Samsung outside the courtroom, it just wouldn't be fair.


VIA  Engadget
SOURCE  Wall Street Journal

Samsung promises a dual-core 2GHz smartphone 'by next year'

Are you ready for a scorching-fast future? Samsung sure is, as today the Maeli Business Newspaper reports "a high-ranking" company official has disclosed Samsung's intention to deliver a dual-core smartphone that runs at 2GHz. That's 2GHz for each core, not the specious 1GHz multiplied by two mathematics that Sanjay Jha likes to dabble in. ARM already has a dual-core Cortex-A9 design capable of scaling such speed heights, which is most probably the basis on which Samsung is building its future processor on. The report goes on to state that Samsung will consider selling the chips separately, so you wouldn't necessarily have to buy a Samsung-branded handset in order to have what's being described as desktop-class performance in the palm of your hand. Man, just as we prepared one dual-core comparison chart, here comes the next next big thing.


VIA  Engadget, Daum.net, Mashables (Yahoo! News)
SOURCE  Maeli Business Newspaper

That crazy new 326ppi device that Nokia busted out this morning has finally made contact with our eager hands. The E6 is extremely compact, stainless steel accounts for its back cover and camera bezel, but weight is feathery and general feel in the hand is terrific. You're limited to a 2.46-inch screen, but Nokia's otherwise standard resolution of 640 x 480 looks pretty awesome when squeezed into such dimensions. Check out the gallery of pics below and we'll have video for you soon as well!

Nokia E6 and Nokia X7 Official

The largest phone manufacturer, Nokia has officially announced two smartphones running the Symbian "Anna" update aimed at different demographics. Welcome the new E6 for the businessman and the X7 for the multimedia addict.

World's 1st Carbon Fibre Bluetooth Headset

The aptly named Carbon by Bluetrek is claimed to be the 1st carbon fibre bluetooth headset. It weighs in at a mere 5.9 grams, touts Bluetooth v3.0 support, and allows for four and a half hours of talk time or five days on standby. For those wanting to match your bluetooth headset with your sporty spoiler on your car, you are welcome to place an order at Bluetrek. For USD70 (RM212), it might just be the thing to fulfill your desire for all things carbon fibre.

Samsung to release two Bada 2.0 handsets with NFC in Q4, software update in July?

Some of you Samsungers are probably anticipating the snazzy Wave 578 due out in May or June outside the US, but the sad news is it won't be shipped with the upcoming Bada 2.0 OS. Fret not, though, as Russian blog Bada World claims to have obtained some juicy details that'll cheer up Bada fanatics. The above slide -- apparently sourced from a Samsung France conference from a few days ago -- lists a pair of new but unnamed handsets that'll pack the new software, along with 7.2Mbps HSDPA, Bluetooth 3.0, and the seemingly trendsetting NFC. The difference between these two phones? One of them appears to be the flagship Bada 2.0 model, which expects a September launch with a 3.65-inch HVGA display, a 5 megapixel main camera, plus a VGA secondary camera. The second device will follow a month later, sporting a smaller 3.14-inch QVGA screen and just a 3 megapixel imager.

In related news, TNW India reports that Bada 2.0 will be "first experienced in India" around July, though no hardware is mentioned here. This could imply that existing Bada users in India -- where Samsung's R&D develops 30 percent of Bada applications -- may be one of the first to obtain the 2.0 update, and it shouldn't be long before the rest of the world get their share of this piping hot pie. Anyhow, be rest assured that we'll keep our eyes peeled open for more Bada 2.0 news -- it'll be interesting to see where Samsung's next big push will take us.


VIA  Engadget
SOURCE  Bada World, TNW India

How to Jailbreak Your iPhone 4 Using RedSn0w (Mac) [4.3.1]

These are instructions on how to jailbreak your iPhone 4 on the 4.3.1 firmware using RedSn0w for Mac.

Make sure not to update to iOS 4.3.1 if you need an unlock as one is not yet available!

Download RedSn0w from here and place it in the Pwnage folder. Likewise, download the latest 4.3.1 firmware from below and place it in the same folder.

4.3.1 (4 GSM): iPhone3,1_4.3.1_8G4_Restore.ipsw

How to Jailbreak Your iPhone 4 Using RedSn0w (Windows) [4.3.1]

These are instructions on how to jailbreak your iPhone 4 on the 4.3.1 firmware using RedSn0w for Windows.

Make sure not to update to iOS 4.3.1 if you need an unlock as one is not yet available!

Nokia Aknowledging Fanboy Concept Work

For ages, fanboys have pumped out concept renderings of different products and stamped a well-known corporate name on them to lend an air of legitimacy. The worst of these have been pure flights of fancy with no attention paid to "design DNA"—some of the more ridiculous faux-Apple-branded concepts come to mind—while the best have incorporated well-recognized design elements, using a certain angle here, the proper font there, to suspend disbelief.

SparkFun intros IOIO for Android, a hack-free breakout box to get your mind spinning (video)

Meet any seasoned techie, and they'll likely spin whimsical tales of computing's early days, and the challenge of finding a practical use for a device with seemingly limitless potential (you know, like feeding your cat while you sleep). A new product from SparkFun promises to bring this old-school awesomeness into the smartphone age: introducing IOIO (pronounced yo-yo), a breakout box that enables any Android 1.5+ device to control electronic circuits from within Android's applications. Designed in collaboration with Google, Spark's PCB connects to your phone over USB, working its magic through a Java library that hooks into your apps. This DIY paradise will begin shipping in a few weeks, and can be yours for $49.95 on pre-order. We've already witnessed some clever mods with IOIO, and when it sent a real alarm clock ringing, we couldn't help but smile. Crack one yourself after the break.

Apple exploring hybrid e-ink/LCD display for iDevices

A recently published patent application suggests Apple is exploring ways to incorporate e-ink display technology into its iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. And unlike other e-ink devices, Apple's hybrid system would be able to display sharp text in a range of lighting situations without sacrificing the ability to display full color, video, and graphics.

The application, Systems and Methods for Switching Between an Electronic Paper Display and a Video Display, was originally filed in October 2009. It describes a hybrid system that employs a combination of "electronic paper" with a more traditional color LCD or OLED display to gain the advantages of both display types.

Symbian Is No Longer Open Source

Nokia recently clarified via a blog post the status of Symbian's code. Though Symbian was an open source platform in the past, it no longer is. That doesn't change the fact that it continues to be available under license to hardware makers and software developers so that new products can be brought to market. Nokia said it will continue to work with its OEM and developer partners, but those parties will no longer be able to contribute back to the Symbian source code. Nokia said, "The Nokia Symbian License is an alternative license which provides an access to Nokia’s additional Symbian development for parties which collaborate with Nokia on the Symbian platform."


VIA Phonescoop
SOURCE Nokia

iPhone 5 to come with 8 megapixel camera, Sony CEO accidentally reveals

While speaking to Walt Mossberg this week, Sony CEO Howard Stringer has apparently accidentally shed some light on the camera hardware specifications of the iPhone 5. As Stringer was discussing the impact of the Japanese earthquake on the company’s CMOS sensor production, he allegedly said: “Our best sensor technology is built in one of the affected factories. Those go to Apple for their iPhones… or iPads. Isn’t that something? They buy our best sensors from us?”
This is interesting because Apple does not currently use Sony cameras in their products. Analysts at The Street (the people who previously accurately predicted the 5 megapixel iPhone 4 camera) are now saying that the fifth-gen iPhone will be using a 8-megapixel camera from Sony, which also coincides with rumors that Apple is seeking to move away from the iPhone 4 camera supplier OmniVision for a new supplier.


VIA  thegadgetsite
SOURCE  9to5mac

Editorial: Android's problem isn't fragmentation, it's contamination

This thought was first given voice by Myriam Joire on last night's Mobile Podcast, and the simple, lethal accuracy of it has haunted me ever since. All the hubbub and unrest about whether Google is trying to lock Android down or not has failed to address whether Google should be trying to control the OS, and if so, what the (valid) reasons for that may be. Herein, I present only one, but it's arguably big enough to make all the dissidence about open source idealism and promises unkept fade into insignificance.