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Showing posts from October, 2013

This Week’s Apple Rumors, Ranked From Dumbest to Most Plausible

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Each week, there are dozens of Apple rumors, reports, and patent filings that hint at what’s coming out of Cupertino next. Some are legit, but most are totally bogus. This week, much of what we’ve been hearing for the past few months was either validated or debunked at Apple’s October media event. But of course, we’re always wondering what’s next out of Cupertino. So we’ve parsed the week’s rumors, ranking them in order from “utterly ridiculous” to “duh, of course.” First up… VERY DOUBTFUL: iPhone 6 This Summer, iWatch in the Works Gene Munster, fierce proponent of Apple’s rumored television set issued a set of predictions for the company’s next year. Firstly, Munster predicts Apple’s iPhone 6 will launch in the summer with a larger display, and it’ll be a “blockbuster.” He also predicts a computerized iWatch is being developed. There’s been a lot of speculation that Apple’s next iPhone will feature a larger display, but it seems that Apple has switched to a fall

You Can Now Get HBO GO Without Paying for Other Channels

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Fans of Game of Thrones , Boardwalk Empire , The Wire , and Girls can finally get their HBO fix without being forced into 15 different versions of MTV and other wallet-sucking basic cable networks. And it’s coming from an unlikely source: Comcast.  As originally reported by DSL Reports, Comcast is offering an Internet-HBO bundle without access to other cable channel add-ons. The Internet Plus offer brings together 25Mbps Internet access, Limited Basic TV, Comcast’s VOD service XFINITY Streampix, and everyone’s favorite network to bittorrent, HBO. The price is $40 to $50 a month for the first 12 months depending on your geographic location. Then of course it shoots up to $70 to $80 a month.  The bundle finally frees HBO and HBO GO from the large number of obligatory channels that many cord cutters and cable subscribers never wanted in the first place. And while the $70 to $80 post-introductory offer may seem steep, it sets a precedent that other cable and sat

Don’t Be Silly. Lock Down and Encrypt Your Smartphone

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Your smartphone is your most portable computer. It’s also a treasure trove of personal information. You wouldn’t leave your laptop unlocked in public, so why leave your phone unprotected? Lock up that data and encrypt it. Social media, budgeting and finance apps, photos, address book, and email — they’re all filled with details about you and the people you know. Yet for some reason a third of smartphone users in the U.S. still don’t bother setting up password security on their phones. It’s a shame because using a four-digit pin or a pattern lock is one of the easiest ways to keep thieves out of your phone. Trust us, the person that finds your phone in the back of a cab or swipes it from your open bag while you’re on the bus isn’t a criminal mastermind. On the other hand, they will be able to figure out from your emails when you’ll be on vacation and what time you leave for work.  FCC officials said that in 2012 smartphone theft increased from 8 percent to 42

Micromax Canvas Tab P650 review

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One of the most remarkable trends in the Indian tablet industry over the past year has been the rise of the budget segment of tablets. Micromax is one of the major players in this segment, and can take credit for kick-starting the demand in this segment with its Funbook tablet, which claimed to combine entertainment with education. Micromax's Canvas Tab P650 is a tablet with 8-inch display, a segment which has been dominated by Apple and Samsung for quite some time now. But can the Micromax Canvas Tab, the company's first 8-inch tablet and also the first flagship tablet in the Canvas series, repeat the success of the first Funbook, and get ahead of the competition? We try to find out in our review. GADGETS NDTV Get Hindi News on your mobile on m.jagran.com

Sony SmartWatch 2 review: a fair effort that still hasn't cracked it

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Cast your mind back to the period between August and October 2012, and there was barely a whisper about a smartwatch round these parts. Pebble was funded and well underway, and we discovered a curious Google patent -- but that was pretty much it. In that same period one year later, you'll find nearly 40 news stories on Engadget alone. There's definitely been a climate change. One player in this year's wrist-based technology battle is Sony's SmartWatch 2. That number appended to the end of its name lets you know that this isn't the company's first foray into this area (it's technically its third). Because it's a tech giant, then, and also one of the more established players in this market, our expectations were rather high. So, can Sony show the competition how it's done. ENGADGET Get Hindi News on your mobile on m.jagran.com

Jony Ive turns Mac Pro RED for charity

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Suddenly, the 20th Anniversary Mac seems downright commonplace. Apple's Jony Ive is teaming up with recent design partner Marc Newson to auction a one-of-a-kind red Mac Pro as part of a Product RED charity fundraiser. It's not clear what's different on the inside versus the regular black model, but look at that outside -- it's guaranteed that this workstation will be the centerpiece of the office. Be prepared to pony up if you like the idea of an ultra-exclusive system, though. Sotheby's estimates that the red Mac Pro will sell for $40,000 to $60,000; while that's a steal next to an Apple I, it's not exactly chump change. Check out both the Mac and some (slightly) more affordable rose gold EarPods at the source links. ENGADGET Get Hindi News on your mobile on m.jagran.com

Nokia Lumia 929 caught on video, may reach Verizon by Thanksgiving

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Disappointed that the rumored Lumia 929 didn't surface at Nokia's big event this past week? Don't worry -- WPCentral forum member Falorin has posted photos and a video (after the break) revealing more details of Verizon's Windows Phone flagship. As previous leaks implied, the 929 is effectively a compact Lumia 1520; the 1080p screen resolution, 20-megapixel camera and Snapdragon 800 chip remain intact. There's no microSD slot, although there will reportedly be models with 32GB and 64GB of built-in storage. The biggest surprise is Nokia's use of a nano-SIM, which suggests that the company no longer minds using a competitor's SIM format. Those who like what they see might not have to wait long to try the new Lumia for themselves. If Falorin is accurate, Verizon hopes to release the 929 around Thanksgiving. ENGADGET Get Hindi News on your mobile on m.jagran.com

Alcatel's 7-inch OneTouch Pop tablets are colorful, and subject to leaks

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Way back in January this year, Alcatel trotted out some new tablets set for debut in Q3. Some we saw come to light in August. But, what's this we have here? Perpetual thorn in every product release's side -- @evleaks -- has just thrown up images of what are apparently new colorful 7-inch tabs from Alcatel. The difference here, to what we saw earlier, seems to be that they are part of the OneTouch Pop family, much like those recent budget handsets we saw -- which incidentally should start popping up in stores soon. As well as the hues you see above, we hear the covers are removable, and it will come in black, too. Plus there's word of a translucent flip-cover to keep it clean. Whenever it gets official that is. ENGADGET Get Hindi News on your mobile on m.jagran.com

iPad Air coming to US Cellular and regional carriers starting November 8th

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Apple's plan to launch the iPad Air with cellular data support for T-Mobile was apparently just the start of a larger strategy. US Cellular has announced that it will offer the featherweight tablet on November 8th, while regional carriers like Bluegrass Cellular, C Spire and GCI say that they'll stock the device in the "coming weeks." Of the bunch, only US Cellular has mentioned that it will also sell the iPad mini with Retina display; that's not surprising, though, when Apple hasn't even picked a release date for its own stores. It's doubtful that the new cellular iPad providers will make a big impact on Cupertino's bottom line, but the company clearly wants to leave no network uncovered. ENGADGET Get Hindi News on your mobile on m.jagran.com

Tesco Hudl review: Can a supermarket chain put out a decent tablet?

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One may seem like a paragon of modernity compared to its 94-year-old rival, but the UK's two biggest retailers have a lot in common. For starters, both Amazon and Tesco succeeded far beyond their original missions (bookseller and greengrocer, respectively) to become retail giants. Both understand the value of consumer data and exploit that information mercilessly. Finally, both sell dirt-cheap Android tablets in the hopes of maintaining a foothold in our living rooms, hearts, minds and, most importantly, wallets. In the UK, there are around 50 million people who don't own a tablet or any other mobile computing device. That's the group of people that Tesco is going after with the Hudl, an Android tablet that's aimed squarely at "them" rather than "us." Priced at £119 ($191), but available for £60 ($91) if you redeem Clubcard vouchers, it's not a surprise that the company sold 35,000 units after launch. So, is it better than t

The After Math: two new iPads, two new Windows Phones and Instagram news

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Did Apple manage satisfy your cravings for a new iPad? Maybe that new Mac Pro has got you readying a preorder, if only for the illusion of the power user that you one day hope to be. After a year's break, the return of Nokia World coincided with Apple's soiree, but the Microsoft-aligned phone maker actually had more new hardware to show off, including a pair of new Windows Phones, its first Windows tablet and a brimful (that is, three) of Asha phones. Leaf the digital page over to see both events reprocessed, vitamin-enriched and in numerical form. Weight of the new iPad air: 1 lb Weight of the new iPad Mini Retina: 0.73 lbs Weight of the first iPad: 1.5 lbs Nokia's new Asha 500 feature phone price: $69 Number of Asha phones you could buy for the price of a Mac Pro: 43 Reduction in Mac Pro's energy consumption compared to previous model: Up to 70 percent New Nokia devices announced this week: 6 Nokia Lumia smartphones announced since 2011: 17

Nexus 5 reportedly due to launch on November 1st, will be available in black and white models

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Still waiting for Google to make its often-leaked Nexus 5 official? Sit tight -- one leak suggests the device's unveiling could be just around the corner. The latest render from @evleaks shows a two-toned Nexus 5 with a white backplate, but the post's text is even more revealing: "In white," it says. "11/1." It's definitely a vague statement, but in light of Google Play's recent product page leak, an early November launch would be right on schedule. The latest rumors and leaks promise a device with a 4.95-inch 1080p display, a 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 CPU and LTE available in both 16 and 32GB models and, apparently, in black or white. Reportedly starting at $349, it certainly has our attention. We'll let you know when we hear something official. ENGADGET Get Hindi News on your mobile on m.jagran.com

LG G Flex announced with vertically curved 6-inch 720p screen, 'self-repairing' back cover

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LG's unveiled all the details for its often-leaked, curved screen smartphone. Weighing in at 177g with a 6-inch (but 720p) curved OLED display, it's powered by a Snapdragon 800 processor and 2GB of RAM, with a 13-megapixel camera housed above the two rear control buttons, which is now LG's thing. In comparison to Samsung's Galaxy Round, the screen on the G Flex arcs from top to bottom, not side-to-side, which at least makes a little more sense to us, hopefully fitting in better to the curvature of the users' face. We're yet to handle either curved phone IRL just yet, however, when we'll be able to offer up a better perspective on how both devices actually feel. Like LG's recent G2, there's high-fidelity audio recording and playback, dual-window app functionality and tap-to-wake on that substantial touchscreen. There's also special animations, depending on where and how you unlock the ph

How would you change Samsung's Series 7 Gamer?

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Can mainstream companies produce hardware that'll compete with specialist game rigs? That was certainly the idea behind Samsung's Series 7 Gamer , a laptop designed to muscle in on Alienware's patch. When we reviewed it, we found that performance more than lived up to the hype. Even its average speakers and tiny trackpad couldn't detract from that, or its "gorgeous" display. Still, did you own one? If so, share your experiences on it, you never know -- Samsung might even be reading. Engadget Get Hindi News on your mobile on m.jagran.com

Samsung's Galaxy Round ad compares its curved smartphone to avocados, Russian dolls

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Thanks to Samsung Korea's new (soon to be viral) Galaxy Round commercial, we've learned that its new smartphone is curved. Like many other objects. In the world. We get that now. It's also got differently-curved competition coming very soon . The whole 30-second showcase is after the break. Get Hindi News on your mobile on m.jagran.com

5 Reasons Why The Walking Dead's Social Strategy Survives

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Thanks to AMC’s The Walking Dead, zombies or “walkers” have become as popular as vampires ever were during the Twilight/True Blood craze. While the show definitely appeals to my horror-nerd side, its social media marketing strategy has fascinated the social media geek in me as well. The Walking Dead’s social strategy is very dynamic and is definitely deserving of a deeper look. Here are 5 reasons that AMC’s The Walking Dead’s social strategy survives. 1. Creative Use of Hashtags The Walking Dead’s social strategy is very creative when it comes to using hashtags. For instance, on Twitter they had specific hashtags counting down to when a new episode would air. As a viewer, I found myself using the hashtags #TheWalkingDeadin15 and #TheWalkingDeadin5 rampantly in anticipation of the episode airing. This tactic is a great two-pronged approach. For the viewers, it’s fun to chat it up about how excited you are that the show is coming on and for people who might have for