Huawei Ascend D1 Quad XL Coming Soon to WIND Mobile

Unveiled back in September at IFA 2012 trade fair, Huawei Ascend D1 Quad XL is about to make its debut in Canada. The smartphone is expected to go on sale by the end of the year, though we lack details on availability and price tag for the moment.

However, MobileSyrup reports the Ascend D1 Quad XL will be available for purchase via WIND Mobile, which is no surprise at all given the long-time partnership between the two companies. WIND Mobile is Huawei’s foothold in Canada, which is why most of the handsets launched by the Chinese handset maker are only available from WIND. Hopefully, this won’t be the case with Huawei Ascend D1 Quad XL as the phone is pretty impressive and will certainly cost less than other high-end smartphones in the same category.  The Ascend D1 Quad XL is expected to ship with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich platform out of the box, but Huawei confirmed a Jelly Bean upgrade will be available for download in the following months.

This smartphone is equipped with a powerful 1.4 GHz quad-core K3V2 processor manufactured by Huawei. No details on the graphics processing unit are available, but we know the device will pack 1GB of RAM. There will be 8GB of storage inside, but users will be able to further expand it up to 32GB via microSD memory card. Huawei Ascend D1 Quad XL sports a more than decent 4.5-inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen display that supports HD (720 x 1280 pixels) resolution and 16 million colors.

It also boasts an impressive 8-megapixel rear camera with dual-LED flash, autofocus and full HD (1080p) video recording, as well as a secondary 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera for video calls. We expect more details on Huawei Ascend D1 Quad XL arrival at WIND Mobile to emerge pretty soon, so stay tuned for more updates on this one.

Huawei Ascend D1 Quad XL ad
Image credits to MobileSyrup

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Potential iPhone 5 Touchscreen Bug Discovered

It appears there’s a new problem with the iPhone 5 and it involves the handset’s touch input recognition capabilities. A developer has discovered that diagonal scrolling confuses the handset in certain circumstances, causing the screen to drop out and even freeze.

British game developer CMA Megacorp wrote on Twitter, “iPhone 5 touch screen bug? Slide finger back and forth diagonally on screen, input events drop out or stop altogether.” Hardware review site Recombu caught wind of the alleged glitch and sourced four iPhone handsets, two 4S units and two of the latest iPhone 5s. They took the lot for a spin and concluded that CMA Megacorp were right. According to the video they published on YouTube, the iPhone 5 does seem to exhibit strange behavior during rapid finger swiping on the diagonal. As the testers themselves point out, this shouldn’t pose too many problems for regular use, but it could turn out to be a serious issue for games such as Fruit Ninja, which requires gamers to perform a lot of diagonal swiping.

Truth be told, we haven’t been able to replicate the so-called bug on our own iPhone 5 test unit. Which supports the theory that said glitch may be hardware-related. Though it might occur in isolated cases, Recombu showed that both their iPhone 5 test units exhibited the strange behavior. Which is not very reassuring. To make matters clear, a software bug is much easier to cope with both for the consumer and for Apple. Should this theory prove to be correct, expect iOS 6.1 to patch it up. Since we’re on the subject, we’d like to draw attention to an issue we’ve experienced that might be related to this supposed flaw.

In our extensive tests with the iPhone 5’s touchscreen, we’ve been able to notice that the handset often fails to respond to touch outright. The most noticeable such scenarios involved simple On/Off toggling of functions like Airplane Mode, Wi-Fi, and Cellular networking. While this may well be limited to our handset, we’re curious to learn about other people’s experience with the iPhone 5. The comments await below.

iPhone test
Image credits to Recombu.com

The iPhone 5 has for the most part proved that the hardware and software at work are robust and efficient. Sure Apple Maps has caused people discomfort but as a slim, crafted smartphone, it's still on of the best. Be that as it may, game developers CMA Megacorp tweeted and posted on Facebook a glitch they'd encountered with no previous reports of it having existed so we had to check it out for ourselves. Using the two iPhone 4Ss on the most recent versions of iOS and the same split on two iPhone 5s, we testing the theory that the diagonal scrolling input drops out on the newer handsets at high speed. The problem is exacerbated by scrolling diagonally and as you can see only occurs on the iPhone 5s. We're unsure if this is iOS-based or an iPhone 5 hardware issue, but you can found out more on the matter at: http://recombu.com/mobile/news/iphone-5-scroll-glitch_M18548.html

See the original tweet here: https://twitter.com/CMA_Megacorp/status/266870789599531008
Video credits to recombu

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Imation IronKey S250 and D250 Hardware-Encrypted Flash Drives

Imation Corp has launched IronKey S250 and D250, two hardware-encrypted flash drives. The new models feature improved remote management capabilities, a high-security design, faster performance and a redesigned control panel.

The drives are available in various editions – Basic, Personal and Enterprise – each one being specially designed for a particular customer category. All the products offer protection against data loss, being developed in accordance with the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 standard. The Personal and Enterprise versions also feature an identity protection mechanism that protects users’ personal information while performing online tasks. User passwords can be stored in the IronKey password vault. Another noteworthy feature is the remote management capability which allows customers to remotely recover, reset and force the devices into read-only mode from Imation’s cloud security service. As far as physical protection is concerned, the aluminum enclosure is designed to allow users to easily recognize any attempt to compromise the device.

“While organizations are realizing the advantages of a mobile workforce, they are also coming to grips with vulnerabilities caused by lost or stolen data,” said Lawrence Reusing, Imation’s general manager for Mobile Security. “Imation has developed its new IronKey S250 and D250 offerings to provide choices for organizations around the world whose employees need to transport and access data remotely, while enhancing security, performance and reliability.” The capacities of the D250 model range between 2GB and 64 GB, while S250 capacities are between 2GB and 32GB. The new products are available worldwide through Imation’s network of channel partners or Imation Sales. The prices for IronKey S250 vary between $109 (€85) and $250 (€195), while the ones for the D250 model range from $89 (€70) to $599 (€467).

New IronKey flash drives
Image credits to Imation

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Voice for WhatsApp Beta Now Available for Download

One of the most popular instant messaging apps for mobile devices, WhatsApp has just received a small, but useful add-on, Voice for WhatsApp.

This software will allow WhatsApp users to manage the application by voice. They will be able to both listen and/or send messages using this service. It works pretty simple from the moment you receive a message on WhatsApp, it will automatically read it aloud. However, Voice for WhatsApp will only read the message if the device is on, otherwise it will wait until the user unlocks it.

Developed by XDA Senior Member pacosal, the application is still in beta, but those who wish to try it out can head over to the original thread for more details. Keep in mind that the service is only available for Android devices.

Voice for WhatsApp
Image credits to XDA Developers

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Lenovo P770, Jelly Bean Smartphone with 3500 mAh Battery

Chinese company Lenovo is said to have shipped more smartphones in Q3 than Nokia, which is not an easy task especially for a handset maker that sells most of its products only in China.

Nevertheless, it appears that Lenovo plans to launch another Android smartphone in the Mainland, aimed at consumers who prefer high-capacity batteries. Although all Android users want their devices to last longer and longer with only one charge, most handset manufacturers aren’t able to meet these demands. Even though Samsung included a 3100 mAh battery inside the Galaxy Note II and Motorola packed an even better 3300 mAh battery within RAZR MAXX smartphone, the autonomy of both devices is still far from what the manufacturers claim. Well, Lenovo thinks it has the answer to longer autonomy for its Android devices. In this regard, GizChina reports the Chinese company will soon launch a smartphone powered by a high-capacity 3500 mAh Li-Ion battery.

Dubbed Lenovo P770, the smartphone has been confirmed to run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean platform, though we’re not yet sure whether it will come with this version out of the box or it will receive it soon after launch as an update. Furthermore, the device is said to come equipped with a 1.2 GHz dual core MediaTek MT6577 processor and 1GB of RAM. In addition, Lenovo P770 sports a 4.5-inch qHD capacitive touchscreen display that supports 540 x 960 pixels resolution. On the back, the handset will pack an enhanced 8-megapixel photo snapper with autofocus, LED flash and HD video recording.

There’s more to it, as rumors claim Lenovo plans to launch another version of P770 with a much better 4160 mAh Li-Ion battery, though these have yet to be confirmed. The bad news is that Lenovo P770 is likely to be exclusive to China, so Android enthusiasts in other regions won’t be able to grab this one.

Lenovo P770
Image credits to GizChina

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Windows 8 Shortcuts, The Complete Lists

Just like any other Windows contraption, Windows 8 comes with lots of keyboard shortcuts that can be used to quickly access specific tools or features.

Since Windows 8 integrates several improvements as compared to its predecessors, the overall number of keyboard shortcuts is also bigger, so beginners may have to search for guides like this to find out the quickest way to launch a specific app. Of course, using a multimedia keyboard with pre-defined hotkeys is the easiest way to make the most of Windows 8, but aside from the factory configured buttons, there still are a bunch of features you can only access by pressing multiple keys at the same time.

Here’s what can be very well considered the longest list with the most helpful keyboard shortcuts for Windows 8. All of them are provided by Yash Tolia, a Microsoft employee, so you can be pretty sure that all of them work.

Windows key: Switch between Modern Desktop Start screen and the last accessed application 
Windows key + C: Access the charms bar 
Windows key + Tab: Access the Modern Desktop Taskbar 
Windows key + I: Access the Settings charm 
Windows key + H: Access the Share charm 
Windows key + K: Access the Devices charm 
Windows key + Q: Access the Apps Search screen 
Windows key + F: Access the Files Search screen 
Windows key + W: Access the Settings Search screen 
Windows key + P: Access the Second Screen bar 
Windows key + Z: Brings up the App Bar when you have a Modern Desktop App running 
Windows key + X: Access the Windows Tools Menu 
Windows key + O: Lock screen orientation 
Windows key + . : Move the screen split to the right 
Windows key + Shift + . : Move the screen split to the left 
Windows key + V: View all active Toasts/Notifications 
Windows key + Shift + V: View all active Toasts/Notifications in reverse order 
Windows key + PrtScn: Takes a screenshot of the screen and automatically saves it in the Pictures folder as Screenshot 
Windows key + Enter: Launch Narrator 
Windows key + E: Open Computer 
Windows key + R: Open the Run dialog box 
Windows key + U: Open Ease of Access Center 
Windows key + Ctrl + F: Open Find Computers dialog box 
Windows key + Pause/Break: Open the System page 
Windows key + 1..10: Launch a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number 
Windows key + Shift + 1..10: Launch a new instance of a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number 
Windows key + Ctrl + 1..10: Access the last active instance of a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number 
Windows key + Alt + 1..10: Access the Jump List of a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number 
Windows key + B: Select the first item in the Notification Area and then use the arrow keys to cycle through the items Press Enter to open the selected item 
Windows key + Ctrl + B: Access the program that is displaying a message in the Notification Area 
Windows key + T: Cycle through the items on the Taskbar 
Windows key + M: Minimize all windows 
Windows key + Shift + M: Restore all minimized windows 
Windows key + D: Show/Hide Desktop (minimize/restore all windows) 
Windows key + L: Lock computer 
Windows key + Up Arrow: Maximize current window 
Windows key + Down Arrow: Minimize/restore current window 
Windows key + Home: Minimize all but the current window 
Windows key + Left Arrow: Tile window on the left side of the screen 
Windows key + Right Arrow: Tile window on the right side of the screen 
Windows key + Shift + Up Arrow: Extend current window from the top to the bottom of the screen 
Windows key + Shift + Left/Right Arrow: Move the current window from one monitor to the next 
Windows key + F1: Launch Windows Help and Support
PageUp: Scroll forward on the Modern Desktop Start screen 
PageDown: Scroll backward on the Modern Desktop Start screen 
Esc: Close a charm 
Ctrl + Esc: Switch between Modern Desktop Start screen and the last accessed application 
Ctrl + Mouse scroll wheel: Activate the Semantic Zoom on the Modern Desktop screen
Alt: Display a hidden Menu Bar 
Alt + D: Select the Address Bar 
Alt + P: Display the Preview Pane in Windows Explorer 
Alt + Tab: Cycle forward through open windows 
Alt + Shift + Tab: Cycle backward through open windows 
Alt + F: Close the current window Open the Shut Down Windows dialog box from the Desktop 
Alt + Spacebar: Access the Shortcut menu for current window 
Alt + Esc: Cycle between open programs in the order that they were opened 
Alt + Enter: Open the Properties dialog box of the selected item 
Alt + PrtScn: Take a screen shot of the active Window and place it in the clipboard 
Alt + Up Arrow: Move up one folder level in Windows Explorer (Like the Up Arrow in XP) 
Alt + Left Arrow: Display the previous folder 
Alt + Right Arrow: Display the next folder 
Shift + Insert: CD/DVD Load CD/DVD without triggering Autoplay or Autorun 
Shift + Delete: Permanently delete the item (rather than sending it to the Recycle Bin) 
Shift + F6: Cycle backward through elements in a window or dialog box 
Shift + F10: Access the context menu for the selected item 
Shift + Tab: Cycle backward through elements in a window or dialog box 
Shift + Click: Select a consecutive group of items 
Shift + Click on a Taskbar button: Launch a new instance of a program 
Shift + Right-click on a Taskbar button: Access the context menu for the selected item 
Ctrl + A: Select all items 
Ctrl + C: Copy the selected item 
Ctrl + X: Cut the selected item 
Ctrl + V: Paste the selected item 
Ctrl + D: Delete selected item 
Ctrl + Z: Undo an action 
Ctrl + Y: Redo an action 
Ctrl + N: Open a new window in Windows Explorer 
Ctrl + W: Close current window in Windows Explorer 
Ctrl + E: Select the Search box in the upper right corner of a window 
Ctrl + Shift + N: Create new folder 
Ctrl + Shift + Esc: Open the Windows Task Manager 
Ctrl + Alt + Tab: Use arrow keys to cycle through open windows 
Ctrl + Alt + Delete: Access the Windows Security screen 
Ctrl + Click: Select multiple individual items 
Ctrl + Click and drag an item: Copies that item in the same folder 
Ctrl + Shift + Click and drag an item: Creates a shortcut for that item in the same folder 
Ctrl + Tab: Move forward through tabs 
Ctrl + Shift + Tab: Move backward through tabs 
Ctrl + Shift + Click on a Taskbar button: Launch a new instance of a program as an Administrator 
Ctrl + Click on a grouped Taskbar button: Cycle through the instances of a program in the group 
F1: Display Help 
F2: Rename a file 
F3: Open Search 
F4: Display the Address Bar list 
F5: Refresh display 
F6: Cycle forward through elements in a window or dialog box 
F7: Display command history in a Command Prompt 
F10: Display hidden Menu Bar 
F11: Toggle full screen display 
Tab: Cycle forward through elements in a window or dialog box 
PrtScn: Take a screen shot of the entire screen and place it in the clipboard 
Home: Move to the top of the active window 
End: Move to the bottom of the active window 
Delete: Delete the selected item 
Backspace: Display the previous folder in Windows Explorer Move up one folder level in Open or Save dialog box 
Esc: Close a dialog box 
Num Lock Enabled + Plus (+): Display the contents of the selected folder 
Num Lock Enabled + Minus (-): Collapse the selected folder 
Num Lock Enabled + Asterisk (*): Expand all subfolders under the selected folder 
Press Shift 5 times: Turn StickyKeys on or off 
Hold down right Shift for 8 seconds: Turn FilterKeys on or off 
Hold down Num Lock for 5 seconds: Turn ToggleKeys on or off

Windows 8 Start screen

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Microsoft Still Develops Midori, a Non-Windows-Based Operating System

Microsoft has recently released Windows 8 and reports are claiming that the company is already working on Windows 9, but references to a different operating system have reached the web today.

Mary Jo Foley of ZDNet writes  that Microsoft is currently working on Midori, a non-Windows-based operating system that’s very likely to receive the green light at some point. The project has been the task of some very high-profile Microsoft programmers, but some of them have already left the team for other opportunities. While information on the new operating system is pretty scarce at this point, it seems that Midori won’t be based on the existing NT kernel, but instead it will heavily rely on Singularity, the microkernel operating system project started by Microsoft Research in 2003. Basically, Singularity’s ace up its sleeve was the fact that absolutely all apps, drivers and the kernel itself were written in managed code. One of the proofs that Microsoft is now working on Midori is a job opening for a software architect that should “lead development of a safe concurrent programming model.”

Here’s what the description of the job looks like:

“The Technical Strategy Incubation team is looking for a senior software architect to lead development of our safe concurrent programming model. This programming model is a core component of a new, novel operating system, 99% of which is written in type- and memory-safe C#. A core principle we add to managed code is that 1st class, statically enforced concurrency-safety must become a peer of type- and memory-safety.” Just as always, Microsoft remains tight-lipped on such a project, so we can’t tell for sure whether all these details are indeed accurate. We’ve contacted Microsoft for an official statement, so we’ll get back to you very soon.

Still, as far as Microsoft’s project goes, expect this to be one of the “innovative” technologies the company plans to build as a devices and services firm. Don’t be too surprised if it gets the green light in one year or so.

The Midori project could get the green light in a couple of years
Image credits to svas.com

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How and Why We’re Tracked Online

Security solutions provider Veracode has released a clever infographic to detail how and why our every move is tracked online.

Experts highlight that many of the security and privacy issues stem from the fact that users don’t know what information they’re unwittingly handing over when surfing the web. Understanding what websites track us and what information they’re after makes it easier for us to take proactive measures. For instance, did you know that every time you visit a website your interest in that particular site is actually auctioned to advertisers? That way, companies can make sure that the ads they show you match your interests.

Most websites track us with the aid of cookies, but some of them take it one step further and tend to use more controversial methods, such as deep packet inspection, which can be utilized for advanced network management, security functions, user service, but also data mining, eavesdropping and censorship.

How companies track us online
Image credits to Veracode

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Nokia Details Nokia Maps 3.0 for Lumia 920 and Lumia 820

Lumia 920 and Lumia 820, Nokia’s first Windows Phone 8 devices, arrive on shelves with a nice range of appealing features coming from the Finnish handset vendor itself, including a new flavor of the Nokia Maps application.

The new app release brings along a nice range of enhancements when compared to what was already available for users, and those who own a Nokia phone should find it available for download via the official Windows Phone Store today. According to Nokia, there are three different ways in which the application can be updated on a Nokia device, all of them simple and intuitive. The Windows Phone Store live tile on the phone’s screen will prompt users to update to the new app flavor, and the app is also available in the Nokia Collection section of the Windows Phone Store. Moreover, users can download and install the app through a Windows computer, should they choose to do so.

The new flavor of Nokia Maps comes with support for storing maps offline for use when no connection is available. However, it will provide specific details on places and the like only when online. “Turn-by-turn navigation is no longer just reserved for people who drive, you can now get precise guided instructions using the pedestrian navigation, too,” Nokia explains. “Whether you’re walking down a street, cutting across parks or climbing public stairs, Nokia Maps will guide you in the right direct to ensure you get to your destination, without the need of an Internet connection.”

The app also delivers info on public transportation, so that users can get to where they want in more ways than before. Of course, there is also the Nokia Drive feature that makes it easy to get to the destination when in a car. “We also understand that often when you navigate somewhere, to a shopping centre, an airport or a stadium for example, your journey doesn’t end at the door. In fact, it continues way into the building, until you reach your desired store, departure gate or stand within the stadium,” Nokia continues. “That’s why we’ve now included venue maps in this new version. While this doesn’t strictly navigate you indoors (yet), it does show you all the different locations within a building.”

With Venue Maps, for example, users receive access to maps of over 18,000 unique buildings in over 40 countries around the world, with multiple floors to browse, info on where escalators are located and more.

Nokia Maps
Image credits to Nokia

Download the latest Nokia Maps from Windows Phone Marketplace for your Lumia Windows Phone 8: http://bit.ly/PPFNLx

Maps just got better than ever. Take a closer look at Nokia Maps for Nokia Lumia on Windows Phone 8. Discover new places to try or just locate what you are looking for at a glance. Get to where you are going with the help of turn-by-turn navigation made for walking or driving and smart routing for public transport. Nokia Maps can do all this in true offline mode, so you have the ability to download cities or even entire countries to your phone and enjoy blazingly fast and reliable maps completely offline. New venue maps let you find everything from stores to restrooms to ATMs indoors in places like shopping malls, airports and transport stations.
Video credits to Nokia

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Zotac ZBOX mini PC Now Using AMD E2-1800 APU

The dual-core 1.7 GHz E2-1800 accelerated processing unit from Advanced Micro Devices may not be Trinity, but it is a fitting choice for the sort of system that Zotac designed the ZBOX as.

Being a reasonably strong processor with a genuine integrated graphics processing unit, the APU handles computing and video tasks with the minimum of energy requirements. This is, in fact, one of the main reasons that Zotac decided to equip the latest ZBOX Mini PC with the chip. The other versions of the small, box-shaped computer use Intel Atom D2550 (1.86 GHz Dual-Core) or Atom D2550 (1.86 GHz Dual-Core), though there are some other AMD-based options as well. According to the official website, the AMD E-450 (1.65 GHz Dual-Core) and A4-3300 (2.5 GHz Dual-Core) APUs are available as well. Intel Celeron and Core Series chips can be chosen too, though. Essentially, Zotac lets buyers decide which of the many chips and accompanying hardware parts they want most.

Zotac has added the E2-1800 APU as an option thanks to its integrated AMD Radeon HD 7340 graphics processor, which boosts performance by up to 10% without noticeable power consumption changes. The only other addition is a quartet of special USB connectors. "The new ZBOX gives users up to a 10-percent performance boost for even greater system responsiveness and usability in applications and games," says Carsten Berger, marketing director, ZOTAC International. "We also add four high-amperage USB ports to quickly charge power hungry devices such as tablets and smartphones to simplify charging multiple devices." Zotac's ZBOX mini PC has an HDD of 320 GB or more, 2 GB to 8 GB of DDR3 RAM (two DDR3 random access memory slots), Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0. The product is bundled with an MCE-compatible remote w/ USB IR receiver (for remote controls) and a VESA75/100 mount (good for mounting the ZBOX at the back of monitors or HDTVs).

Zotac ZBOX mini PC
Image credits to Zotac

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