Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 LTE with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

Samsung has just introduced the LTE version of its Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet. Unlike the other models this one comes with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system out of the box.

Even though the handset maker confirmed a Jelly Bean update will soon be available for Galaxy Note 10.1, those who purchase the LTE-enabled version won't have to wait anymore for the upgrade. Aside from that there aren't any differences between the new model and the previous ones, so expect the Galaxy Note 10.1 LTE to come equipped with a 1.4 GHz quad core processor, 2GB of RAM and 16/32GB/64GB of RAM, which can be further expanded up to 64GB.

For the time being, the Galaxy Note 10.1 LTE is only available in South Korea on all three leading carriers, but is likely to go on sale in other countries by the end of the year.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 LTE
Image credits to SammyHub

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Apple OS X 10.9 Will Be Called "Lynx"

Apple’s next major OS X release will be dubbed LYNX, according to a rumor doing the rounds in the tech blogosphere this weekend. The information comes from a person with inside knowledge of the operating system talking to AppleScoop.

The Apple-centric blog, bearing the tagline “no bull, just the facts,” claims to have learned exclusively that “the name for Apple’s next generation operating system – Mac  OS X 10.9 – will be called LYNX.” The disclosure reportedly stems from “a reliable source who claims to have talked to someone from inside the walls of Apple”. “This source claimed that he saw some internal papers that seem to be finalizing the name of the operating system,” the blog reports, though it is unclear which of the two people actually laid eyes on said papers. The same source couldn’t say when Apple plans to disclose the name of OS X 10.9 to the public, but the consensus at AppleScoop is that it will be “during the 2013 annual WWDC.”

A spike in webserver log entries with “OS X 10.9” User-Agent fields coming from Apple’s Cupertino headquarters were recorded earlier this month prompting speculation that the new operating system was entering a new testing phase. Around the same time speculation started regarding the potential name of OS X 10.9. LYNX has been one of the many propositions from Apple fans worldwide. Apple has already put OS X on a fast-paced refresh cycle with plans to release a major new version each year. Which means a WWDC unveiling is not only plausible, but probable.

For the past two years the Cupertino giant has been bringing more iOS features to the Mac, further unifying its mobile and desktop ecosystems under OS X 10.7 Lion and OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion. These features include Messages, Notification Center, Notes, Reminders, iCloud, Game Center, and many others.

Lynx
Image credits to blackfeathermedicine.blogspot.com

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Nexus 4 Tear Down, Unveils Replaceable Battery, Other Goodies

This week, Google’s Nexus 4 smartphone, made by LG, has popped up on Google Play as available for purchase, and disappeared almost instantly, as stock was low and demand was high.

However, some people did manage to order it, and they have already started to receive their units and take them for a spin. The new Nexus device, the first in the world to arrive on shelves with the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system on board, also landed in the hands of people behind iFixit, who took their time to tear it down to pieces. They discovered that the handset’s 3.8 V, 2100 mAh battery can be replaced, though not as easily as a Galaxy Nexus owner would be able to do it on their device, and that the back cover was not put there only to protect the battery. Nexus 4 comes to the market with an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera labeled AC2AD D5A261, as well as with a 1.3MP front camera labeled Y411A.

It also sports Toshiba THGBM5G6A2JBA1R 8GB Flash memory, a Qualcomm WTR1605L Seven-Band 4G LTE chip, Invensense MPU-6050 Six-Axis (Gyro + Accelerometer), and SlimPort ANX7808 SlimPort Transmitter (HDMI output converter). The Nexus 4 motherboard also packs Avago ACPM-7251 Quad-Band GSM/EDGE and Dual-Band UMTS Power Amplifier and Avago 3012 Ultra Low-Noise GNSS Front-End Module on its front. On the back, it sports the Snapdragon S4 Pro 1.5 GHz CPU and Samsung K3PE0E00A 2GB RAM, Qualcomm MDM9215M 4G GSM/CDMA modem, PM8921 Power Management, and WCD9310 audio codec, along with other components.

The new Google phone was also designed with dual ambient light sensors, 3.5mm headphone jack, and micro-USB port. It also sports a micro SIM card slot, but no MicroSD. As for the handset’s screen, it is a 4.7", 1280 x 768, WXGA IPS display manufactured by LG Display, with a Synaptics S7020A touchscreen controller next to it. Users who would like to learn more on the phone’s internals and to have a look at how its hardware components look like should head over to this page on iFixit.

Nexus 4 get torn to pieces
Image credits to iFixit

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RIM Changes App Icons in BlackBerry 10 (Official)

Canadian mobile phone maker Research In Motion has performed some new changes to its BlackBerry 10 operating system, updating the app icons throughout the platform.

The company was said before to plan making this change, and it has finally gone official with it, while also detailing the move. Since the icon is the most viewed part of an application, it also represents an important aspect in a developer or company’s brand, RIM notes. The icon size has been changed from 150×150 to 114×114 in BlackBerry 10, and developers are encouraged to take note of that and to make sure to update the icons of their apps in accordance to the new aesthetics guidelines.

“If you’re migrating your app from the BlackBerry PlayBook to BlackBerry 10 smartphones, you’ll want to pay even more attention to your icons: you’re moving from an 86×86 icon size up to 114×114,” the mobile phone maker notes in a recent blog post. “Scaling up your images is definitely a much worse experience than scaling down – pixilation looks cheap and to the user, your app will stand out on their application screen as ‘one of these things is not like the others,’ but for all the wrong reasons.”

Research In Motion has also updated the BlackBerry UI Guidelines document, providing all the necessary details on the new size, as well as tips for design considerations for software icons. Developers are also encouraged to have a look at the entire document RIM published for them, with useful tips for making apps look and feel as they should on the new BlackBerry 10 operating system. Application builders who have a BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha testing device in their hands will encounter these changes in the November beta OS update, the company says.

Last week, RIM also announced that it would release the BlackBerry 10 SDK in a gold flavor in December. The BlackBerry 10 operating system will be officially launched on January 30.

Blackberry logo
Image credits to RIM

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RIM to Kick Off Production of BlackBerry 10 Devices in December

In preparation for the official unveiling of BlackBerry 10 smartphones on January 30, 2013, Canadian mobile phone maker Research In Motion is reportedly getting ready to start production of devices in December.

The company has partnered with Taiwanese companies such as Silitech Technology, Ichia Technologies and ODM Wistron for that, a recent article on DigiTimes notes. However, it seems that only a small volume production of BlackBerry 10 handsets will kick off next month, although the vendor promised two models for January next year.

However, with Android and iOS dominating the smartphone market at the moment, and with Microsoft’s Windows Phone OS seemingly catching up, BlackBerry 10 demand might not be too high at first, despite the many enhancements that RIM promises.  In fact, makers in the BlackBerry 10 supply chain are said to still have reserves when it comes to the platform, since RIM is still facing challenges on the smartphone segment.

BlackBerry 10
Image credits to RIM

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Windows Phone 7.8 Hits RTM, to Arrive in Days or Weeks

Windows Phone 7.8, the platform release that should bring some of the Windows Phone 8 features to older devices, is now said to be only days away from reaching end users.

Today, Nokia and Microsoft held a developer event in Singapore, where they discussed app building for Windows Phone 8, and this is where the near availability of the OS upgrade has been confirmed. According to WMPoweruser, the info comes from the head of Nokia Asia Pacific Developer himself, who said that the Windows Phone 7.8 software update was drawing near to its release, and that it would start arriving on devices in a matter of days, maybe weeks.

Apparently, the platform has already been released to manufacturing, which confirms that it won’t be pushed all the way to 2013, as rumored not too long ago. Windows Phone 7.8 will not pack the new Internet Explorer 10 browser, it seems, since it lacks hardware acceleration support.

Windows Phone 8
Image credits to Microsoft

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Meizu MX2 16GB to be Priced only $417 / €328

Chinese mobile phone maker Meizu is gearing up for the launch of its MX2 smartphone in a few weeks, and some more details on the device are now available.

The handset is said to be priced at only 2,599 yuan ($417 / €328) when released, which would make it one of the most affordable high-end devices out there. The price is said to have been attached to the 16GB flavor of the mobile phone, while the 32GB variant is said to cost 2,999 yuan ($481 / €378), GizChina reports. Although sporting a low price, the smartphone will still include high-end specs and features inside, it seems. According to the latest reports on the matter, the Meizu MX2 will arrive on shelves with a quad-core processor inside, clocked in at 1.6GHz, as well as with a 4.4-inch HD touchscreen display.

Leaked photos with the mobile phone have already emerged online, showing a thin bezel, though the entire size of the device appears to have remained the same as that of Meizu MX, which suggests a larger screen. Moreover, the mobile phone is said to sport an 8-megapixel photo snapper on the back, most probably with support for full HD video recording. Furthermore, rumor has it that the device will be powered by Google’s Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system, and that Meizu might also load FlyMe 2.0 on top of it. The handset vendor has already confirmed plans to make the new mobile phone official in China on November 27, yet there’s no info regarding its possible launch outside the country.

In fact, UnwiredView suggests that the smartphone might never leave its homeland market, the same as it happened with its predecessors. With only 11 days left until the handset is made official, we should simply wait to learn more details on its specs and availability, so stay tuned for additional info on the matter.

Meizu MX2
Image credits to news.mydrivers.com

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