Lenovo IdeaPhone K900 Arrives in China on May 6

Lenovo’s flagship smartphone, the K900 has been recently confirmed to arrive in China on May 6. Also known as “king of the benchmarks,” due to the fact that it topped Samsung’s Galaxy S 4, Lenovo K900 is likely to be the most powerful Android smartphone in China.

According to GSMInsider, the smartphone will ship with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system out of the box and a powerful 2GHz quad-core Intel Clover Trail processor. Furthermore, the K900 embeds 2GB of RAM and sports a stunning 5.5-inch full HD capacitive touchscreen display that supports 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution.

On the back, Lenovo IdeaPhone K900 boasts an impressive 13-megapixel rear photo snapper, which features Sony Exmor RS lens, autofocus, LED flash and full HD (1080p) video recording. Unfortunately, there’s no telling whether or not Lenovo will release the K900 outside China. Stay tuned for more updates on the matter.

Kobe Bryant ad for Lenovo IdeaPhone K600
Image credits to GSMInsider

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Microsoft Confirms: Next Generation Xbox 720 Will Be Revealed on May 21

After lots and lots of rumors from all around the world, Microsoft has officially confirmed that it's going to reveal the next Xbox (aka the Xbox 720 or Durango) on May 21, through an invitation to a special event in Redmond, Washington.

The next generation Xbox console, oft-rumored under the Xbox 720 or Durango names, has received a lot of reported details in the past few months, especially since Sony already presented its own PlayStation 4.  Now, after hearing some rumors about a possible May 21 reveal, Microsoft has decided to make things official and has begun sending out invitations to media websites from all around the world. In the invitation, which you can check out above and below, the company mentions a "new generation Xbox."

The event will take place on May 21 at 10am in Microsoft's Redmond, Washington campus, according to Kotaku. Microsoft's Xbox community manager, Larry Hryb, also wrote on his blog saying that the company will also present other games and details at E3 2013 in June. Expect to hear some more details as we get closer to that date.

The invitation to the new generation Xbox reveal event
Image credits to Kotaku

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Nokia HERE Transit 3.5.1045 Arrives on Lumia Devices

An updated flavor of the HERE Transit application is now available for download for the owners of Nokia Lumia devices, namely version 3.5.1045, with various enhancements packed inside.

The new app release brings a series of bug fixes, while also being capable of enabling users to easily switch from HERE Maps to HERE Transit within the Journey Planner. HERE Transit also offers support for favorites in HERE Maps and Drive, and shows nearby stations and stops on a map.

“HERE Transit is available in over 670 cities and 50 countries around the world so there is no need to download separate apps for each city. Check if your city is covered here: www.nokia.com/transport-coverage,” Nokia also notes. HERE Transit for Lumia devices can be found in the Windows Phone Store via this link (though downloadable only directly on handsets).

HERE Transit
Image credits to Windows Phone Store

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MSI Radeon HD 7990 R7990-6GD5 Graphics Card

I'm sure I'll have practically flooded this section with tidbits about new Radeon HD 7990 graphics cards by tonight.

Still, as tedious as it is to report on the arrival of each new video card box, I may as well get it over it, especially since it's not all that often that a high-profile product like this appears. Much like Club 3D, ASUS and Origin PC have done, Micro-Star International has revealed its own-brand Radeon HD 7990.

Bearing the part number of R7990-6GD5, it has all the features I have described, and, of course, ships with download codes for eight games. Later this year, when and if AMD allows its partners to modify the PCB and cooling, we may see an actually unique MSI iteration of the adapter. Until then, logo stickers will have to do.

MSI Radeon HD 7990
Image credits to MSI

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ASUS Radeon HD 7990 6GB

It would have been quite odd if ASUS skipped releasing a Malta graphics card, but fortunately we have been spared the awkwardness of the absence of such an announcement.

Much like Club 3D and Origin PC, the company took the AMD Radeon HD 7990, slapped its logo stickers on the fans and shoved it into a box bearing its various logos and trademarks. That is the full extent of the modifications really, as AMD has not allowed any OEMs to modify the PCB, cooler or anything else about the new dual-GPU video board.

We should also note that, like all other Malta boards, the product ships with the full 8-game package: Tomb Raider (Crystal Dynamics/Square Enix), Hitman: Absolution (IO Interactive/Square Enix), Sleeping Dogs (Square Enix), Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Eidos/Square Enix), Crysis 3 (Crytek/EA), Far Cry 3 (Ubisoft), Far Cry: Blood Dragon (Ubisoft), BioShock Infinite (Irrational Games/2K).

ASUS Radeon HD 7990
Image credits to ASUS

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BlackBerry Z10 OS 10.1 Manuals Emerge Online

Canadian mobile phone maker BlackBerry is expected to release a new flavor of its BlackBerry 10 platform in the not too distant future, and is already making the necessary preparations for that.

The vendor has already published online manuals for the new platform version, one that would arrive on devices as BlackBerry OS 10.1. Said documents should provide BlackBerry Z10 users with the possibility to learn more on how to get the most out of their devices, while also offering specific details on how to operate OS 10.1-powered smartphones.

For the time being, however, no specific details on when the BlackBerry 10.1 OS flavor will arrive on devices has been provided, but n4bb notes that Z10 owners should start receiving it as soon as Q10 hits shelves. In the meantime, you can go find the aforementioned BlackBerry 10.1 manuals here and here.

BlackBerry 10
Image credits to RIM

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Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie Might Delayed

Some of the latest reports on Google’s plans for the Android operating system suggested that the company was set to make a new version of the platform official as soon as next month, but it seems that things might have changed.

Supposedly called Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie, the next Android variant was expected to be officially announced in mid-May, while set to arrive on shelves sometime in the second half of the year. However, a new rumor on the matter suggests that Google might have delayed the new OS flavor by 2 to 4 months, so as to ensure that manufacturers have enough time at their disposal to deliver Android 4.2.2 updates to their users. Additionally, it seems that Google and Motorola might no longer bring a new smartphone to the spotlight at the conference in May. However, a 32GB flavor of Nexus 4 is expected to be unveiled at Google I/O, with 4G LTE connectivity packed inside (a slightly different outer design is also rumored for this device).

As for the capabilities that Google should pack inside the upcoming platform release, users should expect at least improved performance capabilities, if not new features to deliver an upgraded user experience. Furthermore, the mobile operating system is rumored to receive enhancements such as a Night Mode, along with a Game Mode, keyboard enhancements, an improved voice assistant, as well as better backup capabilities. Additionally, the upcoming platform release is said to arrive on devices with a new application to enable users to make video calls while on the go. For the time being, however, no official confirmation on Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie has been provided, or on when it might be launched on devices. However, it should not be too long before such details start to emerge, so keep an eye on this space for updates.

Android logo
Image credits to Google

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Firefox OS Handsets Sold Out Fast, New Stock Coming Soon

Today, the first smartphones to run under Mozilla’s Firefox OS went up for purchase, and both of them sold out fast.

Apparently, Geeksphone, the company behind these devices, was actually expecting this, and even confirmed that it has been able to fulfill orders at a pace of 5,000 per day. Now that both Keon and Peak are listed on the company’s website as out of stock, Geeksphone is looking into making more units available for purchase soon, so that more developers could enjoy the benefits of these devices.

According to TechCrunch, the vendor was aiming at making more devices available for purchase before the end of the week, so as to meet the impressive demand that both handsets have seen so far. Geeksphone’s Keon and Peak were made available as Developer Preview phones, aimed mainly at enabling devs to build applications for the Firefox OS.

Firefox OS-based Keon and Peak
Image credits to TechCrunch

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The First Firefox OS Smartphones Are Now Available for Purchase

Starting today, developers interested in building applications for Mozilla’s Firefox OS can head over to Geeksphone’s website to purchase one of the two smartphones that they made available with the platform loaded on top.

We’re referring here to Keon and Peak, both of which were made official in early 2013, and the Firefox OS Developer Preview devices, listed on this page. At the moment, Keon, which features a price tag of $119 (€91 plus taxes, shipping, and handling), is listed as out of stock, while the Peak, priced at $194 (€149 plus taxes, shipping and handling), is still available for purchase. “The first Firefox OS Developer Preview devices are finally here! Don't miss the chance and purchase yours before they run out. Oh! And we ship worldwide, too,” Geeksphone notes on its website. Keon, the cheaper of the two smartphones, packs a 1GHz Snapdragon processor inside, 512MB of RAM, and 4GB of internal memory. The handset also packs a 3.5-inch HVGA touchscreen display, as well as a 3-megapixel photo snapper on the back.

Peak, on the other hand, was launched with a 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor inside, as well as with a 4.3-inch touchscreen display that can deliver a qHD resolution, and with two cameras, an 8-megapixel one on the back, and a 2MP front snapper. “With early access to hardware, developers can test the capabilities of Firefox OS in a real environment with a mobile network and true hardware characteristics like the accelerometer and camera that are not easily tested on the Firefox OS Simulator,” Mozilla notes in a blog post. The company also notes that, since both handsets are being sold directly through Geeksphone, all support will be provided by the manufacturer. Specific info on the Firefox OS and the building of apps for it will be available, of course, through Mozilla’s Developer Network.

“Developers have already built and published awesome mobile web apps that you can check out today on the Developer Preview phone. We expect that these developer devices will inspire and enable even more,” the company also notes.

Keon and Peak, the first Firefox OS devices to arrive on shelves
Image credits to Geeksphone

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Complete List of Intel Haswell 4th-Gen CPU Family Specifications and Prices

During the past few months, there have been plenty of rumors and leaks about Intel's next generation of desktop and laptop central processing units.

The information was sporadic though. Not exactly tallied into a nice table that everyone could use as a reference. Fortunately, the folks at VR-Zone Chinese have something of the sort, made of new and old information. The table above holds the specifications of the desktop Haswell CPUs, as well as their retail box prices. Not the low TDPs, compared to current and previous-generation processors (64W and 84W).

Intel will, of course, ship them in 1,000-unit tray quantities as well, to OEMs (makers of custom PCs), but the DIY market will, of course, get its own supply. The prices are those in the US, excluding taxes, which means the final retail tags will be a bit higher.

Intel Haswell CPU specification and price list
Image credits to Chinese VR-Zone

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