Canadian mobile phone maker BlackBerry is gearing up for the launch of new devices running under the newly introduced BlackBerry 10 platform for this year, including a new tablet PC, it seems.
Speaking to KYMI, Sarim Aziz, head of developer relations for Asia Pacific at BlackBerry, confirmed the upcoming launch, UnwiredView notes, though no additional details have been provided. However, he did confirm that the new mobile operating system will be pushed to the BlackBerry PlayBook, something that was already expected to happen.
Unfortunately, no specific release date for the update is available for the time being, and owners of the PlayBook will have to wait a bit longer until specific details are made available. Hopefully, it won’t be too long before that happens, so stay tuned.
Power bills can be a real drag, and while some PCs make it easy to calculate how much power is being used, especially when the PSU is highly efficient, there can still be surprises.
Some people might appreciate the chance to see just how much power their appliances and computers use. To allow for such measurements, the Sanwa Supply has invented the "TAP-TST13" Smart Plug, according to Tech-On! The small gadget only needs to be placed between the power outlet and a device whose power consumption is measured. A smartphone, provided it has the accompanying mobile app installed, can then be used to supervise the energy consumption.
And since people might want to do something else in the meantime, the app even has "schedule management" function that automatically turns off the phone when a preset time has elapsed. The price of the gadget is ¥24,800 (approx US$269 / 204 Euro).
Mountain View-based Internet giant Google is reportedly getting ready for the release of a new major version of its Android operating system, one that might arrive on the market with Linux 3.8 kernel inside, rumor has it.
A new Linux 3.8 kernel repository was recently uploaded by Google, with “Samsung Exynos DRM advancements, open-source NVIDIA Tegra driver inclusion and lowered RAM usage” features, phoneArena reports. With Android 4.1 currently featuring Linux 3.0 kernel, and Android 4.2.2 based on 3.3 and 3.4 versions, it’s clear that a new Android release is in the pipeline.
What remains to be seen is whether it will be the Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie that has been long rumored to make an appearance this year at Google I/O, or another flavor of the mobile platform, so stay tuned for more.
Google preps new Linux kernel for next Android release Image credits to Google
Following all the hype regarding the launch of Galaxy S IV, South Korean mobile phone maker Samsung appears set to create some more buzz by inviting everyone in Times Square in New York on March 14 for the unveiling of the device.
The company has already sent out press invitations to a Samsung Unpacked 2013 event on that day, and appears set to stream it live for all users interested in joining the party at Times Square, at least this is what the invitation published on the company’s Twitter account shows. The press event will be held at Radio City Music hall, providing attendees with the possibility to experience the new device first-hand.
Those who won’t be present in New York at any of the two events will most probably have the chance to watch the unveiling live over the Internet.
Samsung Galaxy S IV Times Sqaure party invitation Image credits to Samsung/Twitter
Chinese wireless carrier China Mobile, the largest in the country, has just announced plans to add some new, highly appealing devices to its 4G lineup, including the Huawei Ascend D2, the LG Optimus Vu II Plus, HTC One and the ZTE U9810.
With these devices, the carrier will provide its users with the option to enjoy not only fast data transfer speeds while on the go, but also a great viewing experience. The Ascend D2 (D2-TL) and U9810 feature 1080p 5-inch screens, LG’s handset comes with a 5’’ XGA display, while HTC One packs a 4.7-inch full HD one.
According to Engadget, a TD-LTE flavor of Samsung Galaxy S III is also expected to land on shelves at the wireless carrier. These smartphones are expected to be launched before the end of this year, when the 4G service becomes available in China.
TD-LTE Ascend D2 for China Mobile Image credits to Engadget
Earlier this week, Japanese mobile phone maker Sony Mobile announced plans to bring to the market Firefox OS-based devices starting with the next year, and it has just made a new step towards the official launch, making available experimental Firefox OS software for Xperia E.
According to Sony, the release is meant to provide developers with a look at the new mobile operating system from Mozilla, so that the vendor would receive feedback on the matter. Built entirely upon open web standards, Firefox OS promises a new approach to the smartphone market, through the building of an open ecosystem. Sony has partnered with Telefonica for the launch of its Firefox OS, and is set to bring the power of the web to mobile through this partnership. “At Sony Mobile, we continue to evaluate innovative technologies that can help deliver the premium user experiences that Sony’s consumers expect,” Bob Ishida, deputy chief executive officer and head of Products Business Group at Sony Mobile Communications, says.
“Our engineers are now working with Firefox OS Mobile and HTML5, evolving technologies which show great potential.” You can see how the platform runs on Xperia E in the video embedded below. Sony is also set to offer support for those who would like to start developing applications for the new Firefox OS, and the release of the experimental Firefox OS ROM for the Xperia E is meant to prove that. “This software is not intended for daily use, and several important limitations apply,” Sony Mobile notes on a post on its developer blog.
Those who would like to download and install the Firefox OS build on their Xperia E devices should know that they will need to unlock the smartphone, which will void warranty. “This software can be flashed on an Xperia E that has similar hardware specifications as the initial scope of the first version of Firefox OS and is therefore a natural candidate,” Sony also notes. For specific info on how to unlock the smartphone and flash Firefox OS on it, head over said article on Sony’s developer portal.
Firefox OS running on Xperia E
Image credits to Youtube
Firefox OS running on Xperia E. At Sony, we're evaluating Firefox OS and this video shows an experimental software that you can flash on your unlocked Xperia E. Read more on Developer World. http://developer.sonymobile.com/?p=17659
Video credits to SonyXperiaDev
One would think that the waves made by NVIDIA's Tegra 4 SoC on the mobile market would put Qualcomm on guard, but this is not the case.
Qualcomm is essentially the greatest maker of mobile processors, or one of them. Its Snapdragon chips are found in many phones and tablets. The Snapdragon 800 was launched back in January, during CES 2013 (Consumer Electronics Show). Apparently, Qualcomm believes it has absolutely nothing to fear from NVIDIA's Tegra 4 platform.
Despite NVIDIA saying its chip is the fastest mobile processor in the world, Qualcomm Senior VP of Product Management, Raj Talluri, has told The Verge that he still believes Snapdragon 800 "easily" beats it, as it is "so much more integrated" and can both encode and decode 4K content, among other things. The disagreement will probably last until serious benchmarks are run, and maybe even afterwards.
Nexus 4, the latest Google phone out there and the first in the world to be manufactured by South Korean mobile phone maker LG Electronics, arrived on shelves last year with one highly appealing feature inside, namely support for wireless charging.
Users interested in taking advantage of the feature had the possibility to purchase a wireless charger for the device, although it was not available in all markets and Google’s Play Store ran out of stock fast in others. The device does exist, however, and was even brought to the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, where we’ve had the chance to snap a few photos of it.
Providing support for the Qi standard, the wireless charging orb was designed with a non-slip rubber pad that was positioned in such manner so as to have the phone sitting at a 33.5-degree angle while charging. This means that one can also watch videos or listen to music while the device is charging.
South Korean mobile phone maker Samsung has already confirmed plans to unveil a new Galaxy device on March 14 in New York, with the long rumored Galaxy S IV expected to be officially introduced there, but no specific details on the phone itself have been announced as of now.
However, info on the smartphone did emerge via unofficial channels, and the latest bits suggest that it will pack both a Snapdragon 600 processor and an Exynos 5 Octa chip inside. Depending on the market in which it is released, the handset will sport one of these, with users in the United States said to be able to enjoy only the former, a JPMorgan analyst suggests, according to taipeitimes.
With nothing made official on the matter for the time being, it remains to be seen whether Samsung will indeed choose to go this road with the next flagship device.
Samsung Galaxy S IV to pack both Snapdragon and Exynos CPUs Image credits to Samsung Tomorrow
After releasing Ubuntu Touch Developer Preview, Canonical is now doing what every other company should be doing, and that's getting in touch with the community.
The relationships between companies and the communities that spawn around the products have always been a little thin, with very few exceptions. Canonical has understood very quickly that if they want to succeed, they will have to court the XDA developers community and get their help. “I asked David Planella and Daniel Holbach on my team to kick off a regular engagement with XDA Developers to help us grow a great relationship together. The first call was today and we are kicking some ideas around of how to work more closely together,” stated Jono Bacon in a blog entry.
The XDA forums are now filled with people who want to port the new operating system to other devices, beside the one officially supported. An open partnership between Canonical and XDA would be beneficial to both parties.
2/28/2013 06:11:00 PM
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