Surface not delayed and should be expected on October 26th

A lot of theories have been laid out regarding those delayed shipping notices for those who pre-ordered the Surface RT. Customers have received an email noting that their order should not be expected to be fulfilled until November 2nd, obviously putting a damper on pre-ordering. Turns out of all the thought out reasons for the delay, none took into account the simplest: it was an error. The official Twitter account for Surface (@Surface) just tweeted that “An incorrect email was sent to several customers who preordered #Surface. Customers should expect their devices by the original date given.” That should be a relief for those few who...

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Nexus 7: UK’s Best Selling tablet

Google launched Nexus 7 in 2012 at Google IO. Due to its cheapness, quality and Jelly Bean it sold like cakes. oh, sorry selling like cakes. After Kindle Fire its the most sold Android Tablet and still getting good response from users and buyers. This trust, cheapness and quality has made it best-selling tablet in UK. The Nexus 7 tablet went on sale on July 27th in the UK by Carphone Warehouse and today it achieved best-selling tablet in UK title according to Carphone Warehouse, UK’s largest mobile retailer. Carphone Carphone didn’t reveal stats sheet. SO now it’s trending more than Apple’s iPad. It has been estimated that Google could...

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Sony announces 2,000 more layoffs

Working at Sony (SNE) can’t be very much fun at the moment, as the company on Friday announced another round of layoffs that will reduce its workforce by 2,000 employees by the end of the year. Sony said that roughly half of the layoffs are “expected to be in support functions, including the headquarters of Sony” in Japan. Sony first announced plans to cut its workforce by 10,000 this past spring, and over the summer the company cut 1,000 workers from its mobile division. The company’s full press release is posted below. Update on Restructuring of Sony’s Electronics Business Operations in Japan Sony Corporation (“Sony” or “the Company”)...

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Samsung to introduce the GT-B9150 with EXYNOS 5250 processor soon

Samsung will introduce a new GALAXY product soon. The Samsung GT-B9150 showed up on a couple of Japanese websites. The Japanese blogs are talking about a Android 4.1.1 based device that uses the EXYNOS 5250 1.7 GHz Dual Core processor, Wi-Fi and a HD resolution (1280 x 672) screen. One of the biggest question would be what kind of device is the Samsung GT-B9150? Samsung mostly use the B series for hardware QWERTY Android based devices. Is this finally the Samsung Galaxy Q? Or just a new upcoming tablet? If you have any kind of information feel free to share with us! Sourc...

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Best Android tablets for kids

Kids love touchscreens. They are accessible and intuitive to use. That makes tablets ideal for learning and for play. The Android platform offers some really great apps for kids and manufacturers are starting to see the potential for dedicated child-friendly devices. That means you can reclaim your Galaxy S3 or your Nexus 7 and keep the kids happy with a tablet of their own. We thought we’d take a look at some of the dedicated Android tablets for kids that are now hitting the market. It’s worth considering one for your child for a number of reasons. They can help children to learn about various subjects, improve their motor skills, spark...

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Report: Would a 1080p phone screen really matter that much?

With large phones (or “phablets”) gaining popularity, we’re starting to see phones like the HTC J Butterfly popping up with 1080p displays. Now that we have the ability to create phones with 1080p displays, the question is: do we even need them? Of course manufacturers are going to push the improved resolution, claiming it makes photos and videos clearer and more eye-pleasing. While the increased resolution certainly isn’t going to hurt image quality, it may not be as necessary as we might think. In an interview with Ars Technica, CEO of DisplayMate Dr. Raymond Soneira said “Even the tiniest image detail in a photograph is always spread...

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Google Adds 25 Million New Building Footprints To Google Maps On Desktop And Mobile

Google just announced that it has added 25 million new building footprints to Google Maps. Most of the company’s recent announcement around mapping had to do with flashy updates like 3D maps and buildings in Google Earth or thousands of miles of updated street view imagery. Today’s update stands out because of the large number of footprints the company is adding. Among the areas included in this update are a number of major U.S. cities, including Houston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami and the San Francisco Bay Area, but chances are you will notice changes all across the U.S. How was Google able to suddenly add this massive amount of new...

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LG Nexus 4 (E960) might have a 16GB version after all

A new rumor about the LG Nexus 4 claims the phone would in fact have a much more reasonable 16GB version. Having only 8GB of storage on a modern-day smartphone with an HD screen doesn't make much sense from a consumer point of view. That's the reason why reports of the next Nexus phone relying on the meager storage without any option to expand it set the Android community ablaze. A reasonably reliable source of industry leaks has shared on Twitter today some specs of the LG Nexus 4. And even though we knew most of those from the extensive previous leaks, the mentioning of a 16GB version came as a nice surprise. Let's hope it's not a...

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32GB Nexus 7 now in stock at Staples

After countless rumors and no official word from Google, it appears that the 32GB Nexus 7 is now a reality. It appears that the device is now currently in stock at Staples. They are not yet on sale though and there is no indication when they will be. The reason Google has stayed so quiet about the upgraded memory capacity is undoubtedly due to the Android event scheduled for October 29th, where we will mostly like receive an official announcement. The device appears to be exactly the same but with a higher storage capacity. In fact, the rumored price is set to be $250. That’s right, that’s the exact price that Google originally sold the...

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iPad mini, LG Nexus 4 and Windows 8: get ready for the most exciting 10 days in tech in 2012

As this week draws to a close, we are approaching what will probably be the most exciting week in tech this year. Okay, okay, that depends on the point of view, but let us just mention three products that we’ll finally see in the coming days - the Apple iPad mini, the LG Nexus 4 and Windows 8 devices. Those are clearly some of the biggest launches for the industry this year. Not only that, the iPad mini will give one huge boost to the affordable smaller tablet niche. The Microsoft Surface on the other hand marks the beginning of a new era at Microsoft, one where the company starts to manufacture its most important hardware itself, hoping...

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Samsung Sweden confirmed Android 4.1 Jelly Bean for Galaxy S II (November) Galaxy Note and Note 10.1 (Q4)

Samsung Sweden confirmed to update the Galaxy S II to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean in November. Samsung Sweden also confirmed to update the Galaxy Note in Q4. This means we will see Android 4.1 Jelly Bean on all high-end smartphones by Samsung before next year! Samsung Sweden confirmed also to update the Galaxy Note 10.1 in Q4 to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. You will be able to update by using OTA or Samsung KIES. Finally some words about the Galaxy S II and Galaxy Note. Please be patient now! The Jelly Bean update will have a few enchantments like: - Better performance, thanks to Project Butter it’s even smoother and faster - Reorganized settings...

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How many iPads were sold last quarter?

Another Fortune survey of analysts finds a wide gap in forecasts, with a median estimate of 18 million for the third quarter. Apple may have sold anywhere from 14.8 million to 23 million iPads last quarter, at least according to a poll of analysts compiled by Fortune. The low and high estimates offered by the 61 analysts showed a huge disparity in opinion. On the low end, Morgan Stanley's Katy Huberty sees just 15 million tablets sold, while Stern Agee's Shaw Wu predicts 16.5 million. On the high end, many of the forecasts came from analysts who work for independent research firms -- not Wall Street investment groups -- and showed a...

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Acer introduces $200 Acer Iconia Tab A110 quad-core tablet

Acer unveiled the Iconia Tab A110 – a 7” tablet based on the quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 platform. It measures 11.4mm in thickness and weighs 370g. What’s most interesting about the Tab A110 is its awesome price – Acer says it will be a sub $200 device. How about that?! The Iconia Tab A110 features a 7-inch TFT display with a WSVGA resolution (1024×600 pixels), a 1.2GHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor, GeForce graphics, 1GB DDR3 RAM, 8GB internal storage expandable via microSD slot, a 5 megapixel rear snapper and a 2 megapixel front-facing snapper. The wireless connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0 and GPS and there is also...

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Is this the Surface phone? (Win phone 8 from microsoft)

Microsoft has draped a new Windows Phone 8 handset rather casually on the set of some Surface “hero” pictures. Interestingly however the unbranded device does not look anything like any phone we have seen before, and the rather square design looks a lot close to the Surface than anything else. It is of course rather unlikely that Microsoft is showing us a real Surface phone, but I think it does give us an idea of the direction of Microsoft’s possible designs. See the original pictures after the break. ...

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Nokia sold 2.9 million Lumia Windows Phones in Q3 2012

Nokia sold 2.9 million Lumia Windows Phone devices in the third quarter of 2012, as sales of its Windows Phone-based smartphones declined from a 4 million sales peak in Q2 2012. Overall, Nokia smartphone sales stood at 6.3 million, and that means that Symbian sales stand at 3.4 million still outselling Windows Phone. With more Windows Phone sales being sold and the share of Symbian rapidly diminishing, Nokia's average sales price (ASP) for smart device has also grown to 155 euro, up from 151 in the previous quarter. But at the same time, the average price of Lumias continues falling sharply. From an average price of 220 euro per Lumia...

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available for $249 : Google announces new Samsung Chromebook, (hands-on video and photos)

Google is making the case for the Chromebook to become everybody's second computer with a new model retailing for only $249. Available Monday, the new Samsung Chromebook is based an ARM chip (rather than Intel) which could help to explain the lower cost... only this particular ARM chip may perform better than most any we've seen before. It's a Exynos 5 Dual processor, which makes it the very first device to use ARM's new Cortex-A15 architecture. As far as the laptop goes, it connects to the internet solely via Wi-Fi, has an 11.6-inch screen, 16GB of storage and 2GB of RAM, and Bluetooth — and it has an SD card slot to expand storage further....

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Skype on Windows Phone 8 gets a comprehensive video demo

Its amazing what pops up on YouTube some times, such as this detailed demo of the Windows Phone 8 Skype app, which has been completely rewritten for Windows Phone, and now integrates in the OS. The app will now form part of the contact card, and will allow incoming calls without the app actually running. The service the app uses will actually support other services, so expect Windows Phone 8 to be much more VOIP friendly in the future. Update: As expected we were asked to take the video down, but I expect it will be published in about 10 days again ...

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Asus Padfone 2 to get JB next month, keyboard dock later

The Asus event, which brought us the new Padfone 2 smartphone/tablet was over all too quickly and some details almost slipped through. Among them were the Jelly Bean update schedule and the keyboard dock, which wasn’t presented. According to an Asus representative, the company plans to have the Android 4.1 update ready by November. This means that even if you are among the very first to buy it, you will only have to wait a couple of weeks to get it. As for the keyboard dock, that's still in development too. Asus says it's trying to create the best keyboard dock possible, but didn’t commit to a time frame. Of course, there's a possibility...

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Microsoft fresh out of $499 Surface RTs after one day of pre-orders

This may be a good sign for Microsoft: a little over a day after putting its new Surface RT tablet up for pre-order, the entry-level $499 version of the tablet has sold out. Its estimated shipping time has slipped from October 26, Windows 8's release date, to a more nebulous "within three weeks." What we don't know is how many Surface RT units Microsoft has manufactured for this initial run. The $599 and $699 models, both of which include the much-ballyhooed keyboard covers, continue to be available for delivery by October 26, which either suggests that interest isn't so high that people are clamoring for any Surface model they can get, or that Microsoft's margins on the upper-end models are higher, and that they've simply chosen to allocate more of them for shipment. At the very least,...

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What if !

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Here is how Apple, Google and RIM see you (hint: RIM loves you the most!)

Here is a question of you to think about - how do tech companies actually see you, the user? Think about it. If you imagine yourself on the other side of the fence, what would you think of your customers? With your products, pricing, everything you do as a company you send out a message. For Apple, users are willing to part with their hard earned cash for an exquisite design and simple functionality. For Twitter, you’re all about what you say. And then there is the tech dreamer Google trying to serve you up with ads while doing what seems holding what seems the avant-garde in technology. In the end of the day, it is you who vote with...

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Google slapped on the stock exchange due to disappointing results

After a premature publication of quarterly results, Google was seriously mauled on the stock exchange. At issue: a fall of 20% of its net earnings, and despite a turnover increasing by 45% to more than $ 14 billion. Google saw its title severely rushed on the stock exchange Thursday night, breaking thus 9% before the rating is removed. In question, a premature publication, error, last quarterly results of the company. But if this error has caused the sudden drop of the title is first due to the disappointing performance that reflect these results of the 3rd quarter. The disappointment however is not at the level of turnover, up over a...

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Google Holding Android Event For October 29th In New York – Nexus 4 Unveiling?

Here we go, folks. The hype officially begins. We’ve just received an invite (above) from Google asking us to attend an Android event set for October 29th. We have a good idea what they have in store for the world, or at least a piece of the puzzle. The LG Nexus 4 has been Google’s worst kept secret, showing up in more leaked images than a Kardashian. But could that really be all Google has up their sleeves? It’s interesting to note that there was no mention of a specific manufacturer. Last year’s invite (below) had a Google/Samsung logos branded on it. In fact, there’s not even a hint that this will be a device. Maybe this is Google’s...

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Titanium Lumia FX800 design concept screams 'Nokia, take note!'

Nokia Lumia 920 is already crushing the preorder pages in Europe, luring customers with its camera module suspension mechanism that allows it to soak up to five times more light than your typical smartphone cam. That optical image stabilization comes with a price, though, and it is a chubbier, heavier device than what we became accustomed to see in flagship smartphones in the last years. Nokia already said it will unveil a new design paradigm for its Windows Phone 8 devices next year, as it has been coasting so far largely with variations of the polycarbonate unibody shell created initially for the Nokia N9. Some of these plans might...

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Internet Explorer 10 preview to hit Windows 7 in mid-November

Windows 7 users wanting to upgrade to Internet Explorer 10 will have to wait a bit longer. Microsoft announced today that it will be shipping a preview of Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 in mid-November. There's no public timeline for the release of the final version; delivery of that version will depend on "developer and customer feedback." On the face of it, the delay is a little surprising. Internet Explorer 10 is included with Windows 8, and since Windows 8 was completed back in August, clearly Internet Explorer 10 must in some sense be finished. The extra time required for Windows 7 may be due to underlying platform differences—Windows...

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Apple loses appeal in Samsung tablet copyright case

Ordered to run ads saying Samsung did not copy iPad Apple has finally lost its appeal against British court ruling, which found that Samsung did not copy Apple’s tablet designs. The verdict was originally handed down this summer, but Apple pledged to fight it and now it lost the appeal as well. What’s more, the verdict is valid across Europe, so it will stop Apple from filing frivolous suits elsewhere. Samsung welcomed the decision saying it continues to believe that Apple was not the first to design a tablet with rounded corners. That distinction probably goes to Moses, who sadly isn’t around to sue Apple. The court also ordered...

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ZTE confirms they will deliver a Windows phone 8 handset in Q1 2013

At a press conference for the launch of one of their Android handsets ZTE has confirmed they will be delivering a Windows Phone 8 handset in Q1 2013. Such a device has previously been teased by ZTE, who tweeted the above, intentionally blurred picture. We have previously heard that the company intends to release a “premium” Windows Phone 8 handset, but it remains likely that the eventually device will not command a high price, which should be good news for those looking for a good Windows phone 8 handset on a budget. Via WindowsPhoneItal...

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Motorola Occam and Manta shown running Android 4.2 with benchmarks

A few days ago we reported that two new Motorola devices, called the Occam and Manta, had shown up in the Android Police logs running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. The Occam (think Occam's Razor - or RAZR) smartphone is now listed in the AnTuTu Benchmark database of tested devices. It received an overall score of 9817, but shows a CPU frequency of 1512 MHz. Some speculation is that it could be using a quad-core processor to achieve that score, as well as a CPU Integer rating of 3670, or it could still be using the current Snapdragon S4 processor that is in the Motorola DROID RAZR M, and those higher scores show how much faster Android 4.2 JB...

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Apple reportedly orders 10M iPad Minis for fourth quarter

Apple is apparently thinking big for its iPad Mini, with an eye on not running out of the new tablet -- at least initially. Component makers in Asia say they have received orders to make more than 10 million of the much-rumored but as yet unannounced tablet in the fourth quarter, sources in the supply chain tell The Wall Street Journal. That target is roughly twice what Amazon reportedly ordered for the Kindle Fire for the same quarter. Apple has been pretty tight-lipped on its tablet plans, but CNET has contacted the company for comment and will update this report when we learn more. Those demands fly in the face of reports that the...

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Angry Birds Star Wars coming on November 8 to devices near you

The last few days Rovio released a couple of teasers about a Star Wars-themed Angry Birds title. There was even an event in New York and, long story short – a new Angry Birds is coming, along with board games and dedicated merchandise (plush toys, etc.). The center of all those things, of course, is the Angry Birds Star Wars game coming one month from now, on November 8. The compatible platforms at launch are going to be Android, iOS, Mac OS X and PC. I’m sure the console version will follow shortly after. There is no info on the pricing just yet, but I guess it will cost the same as any other Angry Birds gam...

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iPhone 5: Camera image effects

Products Affected iPhone Symptoms A purplish or other colored flare, haze, or spot is imaged from out-of-scene bright light sources during still image or video capture. Resolution Most small cameras, including those in every generation of iPhone, may exhibit some form of flare at the edge of the frame when capturing an image with out-of-scene light sources. This can happen when a light source is positioned at an angle (usually just outside the field of view) so that it causes a reflection off the surfaces inside the camera module and onto the camera sensor. Moving the camera slightly to change the position at which the bright...

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T-Mobile and Nokia Introduce the Nokia Lumia 810

T-Mobile USA, Inc. and Nokia today announced the upcoming availability of the Nokia Lumia 810 — an exclusive to T-Mobile. The new Windows Phone 8 smartphone offers an enhanced camera, simple design and integrated navigation features. Combined with the only unlimited nationwide 4G data plan, T-Mobile customers will see a superior value with the Lumia 810, the latest addition to T-Mobile’s expanding lineup of Windows devices. “We’re providing our customers with a unique Windows Phone 8 experience by offering an exclusive device paired with our Unlimited Nationwide 4G Data plan and a comprehensive set of enhanced features,” said Andrew Morrison,...

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Maximizing Server Uptime with Secure Environmental Monitoring

As Internet commerce climbs in popularity, server uptime is essential to businesses. Uptime is a measurement of how long servers remain operational for users without crashing or requiring a reboot. The interactions between servers and their environment often pose a major risk to server availability. A crucial part of sustaining high availability lies in identifying and monitoring environmental threats, which enable prompt response to detected dangers before they escalate. Rapid changes in temperature and humidity, encroachment of water, power outages, vibrations, human error and invasive intrusions are the most common environmental threats faced by businesses. Each of these threats can be monitored, but their effectiveness varies by the method used. Typical environmental monitoring...

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Installing PlayStation Mobile on a rooted Android device

PlayStation Mobile for Google's Android OS went live for certified devices earlier this week. But what about gamers who want to install the platform on non-certified devices? Well, if you have a rooted Android-powered smartphone or tablet you just may be in luck. That's right, because XxXPachaXxX and the folks at Android Police have detailed a hack that may allow you to load PlayStation Mobile on your device in just a few minutes with a minimal amount of effort. Essentially, you need to download and install the latest PSM apk from Sony and flash a zip from a custom recovery like ClockworkMod or TWRP via busybox. A full list of instructions...

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Fall is upon us and the Thanksgiving holiday season (and all the numerous sales and discounts that arrive around that time of year) is getting ever closer. As was the case every single year, smartphone manufacturers are gearing up right about this time to provide the “best and latest” of the Android ecosystem, in an attempt to gain a place in the smartphone consumer’s heart, mind and wallet. Some manufacturers have already laid out their cards, while some are preparing to do so in the next couple of weeks. At this point, one can paint a rough image of the best Android smartphones for the fall 2012 season. So without further ado, let’s...

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