Viber for Android and iPhone v2.2 update brings Group Messaging and more new features

Viber VOIP (Voice Over IP) app for Android and iPhone has been updated to version 2.2 that brings support for Group messaging, custom background for conversation screen,  time stamp for each message and much more. The group messaging is also available for BlackBerry app that was launched in May with the voice calling feature still in the works.

New features in Viber for Android and iPhone v2.2

• Now send free messages, share images, link to groups of friends
• Assign a custom background to conversation
• Add photos to the contacts list
• Time stamp for each message
• Localization support for Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), Portuguese, German, Spanish,
  French and Russian (For Android)
• New voice engine and improved sound quality (For iPhone)
• See who joined Viber lately when viewing the Contacts screen (For iPhone)

Download Viber for Android and iPhone from the Google Play Store and the Apple iTunes store for free. Support for Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) would be available soon.

Read More

Microsoft releases Facebook app for Windows Phone 7

Despite the fact that Facebook is heavily integrated into Windows Phone 7, Microsoft has released a Facebook application for Windows Phone 7 today.

Just a mere day before Windows Phone 7 is available in Europe, the software maker has taken the wraps of the application. Windows Phone 7 features deep integration with Facebook across nearly all hubs. What’s lacking in Windows Phone 7 is the ability to see the latest notifications, events and Inbox messages from Facebook. Microsoft has addressed this with this new application. You can download this application fromthe Windows Phone Marketplace.

Facebook on Windows Phone 7

Read More

Microsoft Research releases new Face Swap Windows Phone app

Face Swap for Windows Phone

Microsoft’s Research unit released a new Windows Phone app on Monday.

The Face Swap application does what it says on the tin. Windows Phone users can simply take pictures of themselves and others and swap people’s faces using a photo taken with others. Microsoft uses a shake to swap feature, allowing Windows Phone users to simply swap over their faces. Once faces have been swapped, images can be easily shared to Facebook, Twitter or SkyDrive.

Main Features include:

• Multiple faces detection enabled
• Shake to create a new photo with people’s face swapped!
• Save or share your creation though Facebook, Twitter or Sina Weibo

Face Swap is available immediately for free at the Windows Phone Marketplace.

Read More

Motorola and Nextel Announce i867 Ferrari Smartphone

Motorola has announced the i867 Ferrari smartphone with Push to Talk in Brazil in partnership with Nextel. The phone’s design is inspired by the Ferrari 458 Italia and the back cover is designed to resemble the hood of the car.

The features of the phone include:

• 3.1″ Touchscreen with 320×480 Pixels Resolution
• 58 x 114 x 13 mm, 129grams
• Google Android OS
• 3 Megapixel Camera
• 3.5″ Audio Jack, Dual Mics for Noise Cancellation
• microSD Card Slot (Supports upto 32GB – 2GB Included in Sales Package)
• GPS, Bluetooth
• Motorola iDEN Technology, Wi-Fi
• 1390 mAH Battery

The device will be available in the Ferrari red color with Black carbon fiber finish around the screen and camera. Buyers will receive a Ferrari kit consisting of a key ring, leather case, sticker and car charger along with pre-loaded Ferrari content. It will retail at a price of 1499 Brazilian Real (Approx 740 US$) unlocked or 799 Brazilian Real (Approx 395 US$) on contract.

Read More

Pictures leak of the Sony Xperia J’s colorful backside

Sony is long overdue to launch some new phones – perhaps they decided to take some extra time to get these releases right, as these will be some of the first products that were predominantly developed in the post Sony-Ericsson split era. We’ve been expecting to see some new top-shelf handsets announced at IFA next month, and now we’re getting a closer look at a budget device we may see there as well.

Leaked photos at Xperia Blog show phones available in white, pink, and black (see below). According to PA tipsters, the device is code-named the Sony ST26i and will come with a 4” qHD (480 x 854) screen, Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and a decidedly budget-oriented 1GHz single-core CPU and 512MB of RAM. The device reportedly will launch as the Xperia J. The new images only show off the back, but for the curious we were able to bring you a snapshot of the front back in May.

Sony Xperia J

1.

2.

3.

source: Xperia blog via Android Central

Read More

Jelly Bean (slowly) rolling out to all Motorola XOOM Wi-Fi units

Did you pick up a Motorola Xoom XOOM Wi-Fi tablet? If so, reports are coming in that the Android 4.1 update is past the soak test phase and has started to push out to all owners. To see if your number has been called, head into Settings --> About Tablet --> System Updates and see if you can pull down some Jelly Bean goodness for your device.

The update is just for the Wi-Fi variant, as Verizon (and international carriers) would have to approve the update prior to getting pushed OTA. If you need to while away the time waiting for the update to get pushed to you, you can check out our Jelly Bean review, or head over to this article to see Motorola’s Jelly Bean change log to get a better idea of what’s coming.

source: Droid-Life

Read More

Google Fiber + TV announced, will it change how we use mobile devices?

Yesterday was a big day if you happen to live in Kansas City, as Google introduced Google Fiber + TV, their 1000MB/sec broadband internet service that also offers a monthly HD TV service that will compete with cable and satellite providers. While this in and of itself won’t have a direct impact on mobile users (e.g. there are no towers, so you can’t use them as a wireless network provider) the services being offered promise to increase the utility of smartphones and tablets within your household.

Perhaps the most obvious impact will be the ability of the TV service to drive the adoption of tablets even further; subscribers will get a Nexus 7 tablet included in their package, allowing the device to be used both as a remote and as a way to view TV (both live and recorded). Phone will also be able to act as either remote controls or as viewing devices. With the ability to store up to 500 hours of recorded content and simultaneously record (or stream) up to 8 1080p video streams at once, there will be little to stop every member of a household from consuming the content they want whenever they want it.

Whether Google Fiber + TV itself catches on, or even if it merely inspires other broadband carriers to up their game, it could transform the role that our phones and tablets play in our daily lives, and also make home automation via mobile devices (e.g. Android@Home) even more intuitive as we naturally get used to controlling everything from tablets and phones. It could also help make tablet computing even more ubiquitous, which would be an impressive feat, considering that tablet computers are currently on a trajectory to replace smartphones as the most rapidly adopted technology in history.


source: Google

Share:

Discuss41

Read More

Apple buys security firm AuthenTec for $356 million

Apple has purchased AuthenTec that offers fingerprint security on PCs and mobile devices for $356 million. The company also develops encryption technology, fingerprint sensors and identity management software. Some of their current customers include, Cisco, Fujitsu, HBO, HP, Lenovo, LG, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, and Texas Instruments.

Samsung has recently signed a deal with AuthenTec for its QuickSec VPN security for its new Android smartphone and tablets. AuthenTec will continue to license existing technology to its partners and has number of patents. Apple will pay $20.0 million for non-exclusive licenses and other rights and a sum of up to $115.0 million to make the patents perpetual. With this deal, we can expect enterprise features for its iOS devices and Mac OS.

Source: Reuters | Via: Techcrunch

Read More

Asphalt 7: Heat finally arrives for Android

Gameloft has finally released the Asphalt 7: Heat for Android, after a month after they released the game for iPhone and iPad. It offers even more action, challenges than the previous versions and the most life-like graphics ever!

Feature of Asphalt 7: Heat

• Drive 60 different cars from the world’s most prestigious manufacturers, like Ferrari, Lamborghini and Aston Martin, including the legendary DeLorean.
• Gear up to race on 15 tracks set in real cities around the world, including brand new tracks in Hawaii, Paris, London, Miami and Rio.
• The completely revamped multiplayer lets you take on up to 5 of your friends locally or online.
• Play with 6 different game modes packed with 15 leagues and 150 different races.
• Every car and track is more beautiful than ever thanks to graphics that push the limits of your device.

Download Asphalt 7: Heat for Android (select devices) from the Google Play Store for $0.99.

Read More

2011 Xperias won't get Jelly Bean, no ICS for Optimus 2X and Black

Every time Google announces a new version of its Android mobile OS, every droid user out there starts asking - will my smartphone get it? Well, we have some bad news for Sony Ericsson phones regarding Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and worse still - LG cancelled the ICS update for two of its phones.

Sony (actually, Sony Ericsson at the time) made sure to announce early on that its 2011 Xperia lineup will be updated to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (even if the company wasn't so quick to actually deliver the updates). And now is has revealed that the Xperia arc S and Xperia mini pro won't be getting Jelly Bean.

This is coming from John Cooper, UK Product Manager for Sony Mobile, and while he didn’t say anything about other models, they all use the same chipset (with the arc S using an overclocked version). This means it's more than likely that the entire 2011 lineup will be missing out on the Android 4.1 JB fun.

As for the 2012 Xperia phones, Cooper says they're still reviewing which handsets are "the best for the Jelly Bean update" and promised Sony will announce its decision on Facebook once it figures it out.

No Jelly Bean sounds rough, but LG Canada had some worse news for some of its users - no Ice Cream Sandwich update for the LG Optimus 2X and Optimus Black. The LG Optimus 2X was expected to get Ice Cream Sandwich in Q2 but got delayed to Q3 and the Optimus Black was originally scheduled for Q3.

@PaddyJJ16 The Optimus 2X will not be receiving the ICS upgrade. The original upgrade announcement was a general statement issued from HQ.Wed Jul 25 21:33:25 via Twitter for MacLG Canada
LGCanada

@Peter_Soi The Optimus Black will not be receiving the ICS upgrade. The original upgrade announcement was a general statement issued from HQThu Jul 26 14:24:03 via Twitter for MacLG Canada
LGCanada

Now it turns out that the ICS update for both phones has been canceled - in Canada, at least. The statement doesn't make it entirely clear if this is a country-specific thing or if all Optimus 2X and Black phones will remain stuck on Gingerbread.

Source 1 | Via • Source 2

Read More

Sony LT30p Mint previewed ahead of announcement

The upcoming Sony LT30p Mint from Sony did a few rounds a couple of weeks ago, when some camera samples leaked alongside a specs sheet that had flagship written all over it.

Today, it seems that Mobile-Review has not only gotten their hands on the Mint, but managed to snap so many pictures of the smartphone and its interface, that it's safe to say we've got a preview on our hands, and all of that before the device is even officially announced by Sony.

What we see today confirms the specs leak from earlier this month:

• 4.3" display of 720p resolution
• Qualcomm MSM8960 dual-core Krait processor
• 1GB RAM
• 16GB internal storage, expandable via microSD
• 13MP camera with HD front-facing

    
The Mint next to the Samsung Galaxy S III

As expected, the software is the Sony-skinned Ice Cream Sandwich, which is a relief, frankly – it would have been ridiculous to see yet another new phone Sony running Gingerbread out of the box. The stock hardware keys have thus been replaced with the on-screen ones, and, according to the preview, the (beta) interface is very responsive, but still has its share of bugs to be smoothed out.

    
The Ice Cream Sandwich UI

Seeing as how the device is not official yet, it's possible that Sony may even be able to put Jelly Bean on it by the release date, but that's probably just us being too optimistic.

Speaking of release date, the Mint is expected to be out by September, so we're probably looking at the official announcement coming at the Sony press conference on August 29. The expected retail price is €560, which may be a bit steep for a device which cannot readily compete (according to benchmarks) with the current upper-echelon smartphones on the market, such as the Samsung Galaxy S III and HTC One X. Time will tell if that will continue to be the case when the device hits shelves in a couple of months.

Meanwhile, check out the full preview in the source link below.

Source

Read More

Apple's court filings reveal early iPhone designs

The legal battle between Apple and Samsung may have become tiring to some but you can't deny the juiciness of some of the secrets that have been uncovered through internal documents since the two started going at each other.

Case in point being the latest Apple's internal documents that have been filed by Samsung in court that show some of the early iPhone 3D design models before the first iPhone hit the market.

One of these has been designed by Apple designer Shin Nishibori back in the day. Steve Jobs was a great admirer of Sony designs, which is why when the iPhone was being designed, the first thought was to do what Sony would do.

The resultant product is what you see in the pictures above. Apple designers even put a Sony logo on the renders to make it look like Sony designed it, except for the one image above that has the letters ‘S’ replaced with a ‘J’ to make it Jony (for Jonathan Ive).

It's important to note here that this design is not based on any actual Sony product but a mere result of Apple designers putting themselves in the shoes of Sony's designers and making something Sony's designers would. Sony themselves never made a product that looked like this.

Needless to say, it did not make it to the final stage as the first iPhone looked significantly different. However, this particular design does bear resemblance to the iPhone 4/4S design.

The other design is something that looks like an iPod Mini, with the same curved sides, but with a large display instead of a click wheel. We also see the famous Home button making an appearance here, which was missing in the previous renders.

The last one has an octagonal design with tapered edges. Other than the edges, this model looks identical to the iPhone 3G and the 3GS.

Now the point of all these images is that Samsung wants to use them to prove in the court that Apple too used inspiration in designing their products. But if that's the argument they are going to make then it must be said it's a weak one. Unlike Apple's design that weren't based on any actual product and never actually shipped, Samsung has been accused of selling products that copy the designs of actual Apple products that are on sale right now.

We'll see how the court proceedings go and in whose favor the court rules. Whichever way it goes, we will let you know about it.

You will find some more images in the source link below.

Source

Read More

iPhone 5 and iPad mini both reportedly set to launch in September

A surplus of Apple (AAPL) rumors is always expected ahead of the company’s earnings reports, and the faucet is wide open on Tuesday. Apple is planning to release a smaller version of its wildly popular iPad tablet shortly after the next-generation iPhone launches this fall, one industry watcher believes. Plugged-in KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who purportedly shed some light on “iPhone 5″ specs recently, says that Apple’s next iPhone will launch in September followed closely by the release of the much-rumored “iPad mini.”

“IPhone 5 to debut in September,” Ming-Chi wrote in a note to clients on Tuesday. “But due to in-cell touch panel and casing yield rate limits, ability to offset older models’ shipments decrease will be moderate.”

The analyst continued, “Though shipments of iPad mini’s components will start in August, the new iPad line will end production, ready for transition to a modified New iPad line. As such, component shipments will drop in August as iPad mini’s components shipments growth will be offset.”

Ming-Chi’s not that a tweaked version of Apple’s current third-generation iPad will be released around the same time mirrors earlier reports, which claimed Apple is planning some internal redesigns that address heat issues and reduce Apple’s costs.

According to earlier reports, the iPad mini will be as thin as an iPod touch and will feature a 7.85-inch display and a price ranging from $249 to $299. The redesigned sixth-generation iPhone is expected to feature a 4-inch display, 4G LTE, NFC, and a redesigned case that was recently examined on video.

Source: BGR

Read More

Motorola Photon Q LTE officially headed to Sprint

Sprint (S) on Thursday formally announced that it would soon offer Motorola’s Photon Q LTE, although the carrier has not yet specified a release date or pricing information. The new smartphone will have a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard, a dual-core 1.5GHz processor, a 4.3-inch display screen, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, a rear-facing 8MP camera with 1080p video capture, and LTE and NFC connectivity. Sprint says that pricing and availability for the device will be made available in the coming weeks.

First Sprint 4G LTE-Enabled Device with Full QWERTY and International Capabilities, Motorola PHOTON™ Q 4G LTE, Coming Soon

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. & LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. (BUSINESS WIRE), July 26, 2012 – Sprint (NYSE: S), the only national wireless carrier offering truly unlimited data for all phones while on the Sprint network1, and Motorola Mobility today announce Motorola PHOTON Q™ 4G LTE, the next generation of last summer’s popular Motorola PHOTON™ 4G. The new device will boast a five-row, PC-like QWERTY keyboard, international capabilities and a generous 4.3-inch ColorBoost™ display, as well as the ability to operate on Sprint’s new lightning-fast 4G LTE network2.

Pricing and availability for Motorola PHOTON Q will be announced within the next few weeks. Customers seeking additional information can visit www.sprint.com/photonq.

“Motorola PHOTON Q will be the first 4G LTE device with a QWERTY keyboard and world phone capabilities to join the Sprint line-up,” said David Owens, vice president – Product Development, Sprint. “We want to make sure our 4G LTE handset portfolio has the full complement of choices for our customers. Adding a product with both a physical keyboard and world mode makes this a great addition to the Sprint family of devices. This is a dynamic smartphone that customers will really enjoy using and we are pleased to have Motorola as part of our 4G LTE device portfolio.”

Motorola PHOTON Q equips customers with the best of both worlds to communicate – a virtual keyboard for quick texts and a slide out PC-like QWERTY keyboard for double-thumb efficiency. Each laser-cut key is outlined in LED lights so users can see what they’re doing, even in the dark. It also has a dedicated number row for maximum typing efficiency and accuracy.

“When we talk to people who love their QWERTY smartphones, it’s evident this segment is passionate about their keyboards,” said Mark Shockley, senior vice president, Go-to-Market, Motorola Mobility. “Motorola PHOTON Q offers a class-leading keyboard and an amazing big screen so you can see and do more with your smartphone.”

Offering an impressive 4.3-inch ColorBoost™ display, Motorola PHOTON Q offers the largest screen currently available on a 4G LTE QWERTY smartphone. This makes it easy to browse the Web using Google Chrome without enlarging text, look at detail-rich pictures without having to zoom in, and watch a show without straining your eyes. Motorola’s exclusive ColorBoost™ display enables colors to be richer and more vibrant than other smartphones on the market. And with scratch-resistant glass and splash-guard coating, Motorola PHOTON Q resists everyday scratches and spills.

In addition to its technological prowess, Motorola PHOTON Q is the seventh device in the Sprint line-up to receive ULE Platinum Certification, the highest level of environmental performance recognized by sustainable requirements established by UL Environment and Sprint.

Additional key features on Motorola PHOTON Q include:

• Android™ 4.0.4, Ice Cream Sandwich
• 1.5 GHz dual-core processor
• Rear-facing 8MP camera with 1080p video capture and playback so you can leave your digital camera at home. Plus, those photos can be set to automatically upload to Google+™ so you don’t have to worry about accidently deleting them.
• Front-facing HD camera for easy Google+™ Hangout video chats or conference calls
• Mirror mode when connected with HDMI cable (sold separately) to view images, files and movies on a larger screen, like your TV at home.
• Sprint ID, offering an innovative way to personalize an Android smartphone with apps, widgets, ringtones and more all, in a single download
• NFC support to share links, apps, YouTube™ clips and more with Android™ Beam

World Smart with 4G LTE Speeds

Motorola PHOTON Q is the first Sprint phone to feature SMARTACTIONS™, the free Motorola app that helps extend battery life and intelligently automates routine, everyday tasks so that smartphones can do more for consumers. For example, walking into a meeting, SMARTACTIONS can turn the ringer to silent so an incoming phone call won’t interrupt the meeting. If the battery is low, SMARTACTIONS can automatically lower the display lighting to ensure the battery lasts longer.

Motorola PHOTON Q is Business Ready with full corporate security including remote wipe, pin lock, and data encryption. It is one of several devices available with Sprint Professional Grade, a new designation for select smartphones that deliver enhanced security, device management and Exchange Active Sync capabilities to business users. Click here to learn more about Sprint Professional Grade designation.

Read More

Apple talks about securing iOS devices in rare Black Hat appearance

Over 80 percent of iOS users are running Apple’s latest operating system, which the company says is the most secure version of the mobile operating system available. But that’s not enough for Apple.

The company’s head of platform security, Dallas De Atley, spoke at the annual Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas today, stepping out of the company’s normal comfort zone of not telling much to anybody — but not too far. The talk centered around a white paper the company released in early June titled “iOS Security,” the same title of his talk.

De Atley reviewed the process of protecting phones from the very bottom of the operating system up through to app-protections, and into the most obvious security feature: the passcode. According to De Atley, Apple was concerned with the differences between a phone and a laptop and how some of the functions of the latter would be unnecessary — or even dangerous — in the former.

“When you close your laptop and it goes to sleep and you put it in your bag, it’s fundamentally done doing work on your behalf,” said De Atley during the session. “But in the case of an iPhone, you’re going to put it in your pocket and it is going to be always on, always connected, it’s got all your data, and if it’s doing work on your behalf, you’re probably not going to notice.”

To this point, Apple specifically excluded the ability to log in remotely from iOS. It also did not include a shell, which gives users access to the base of the operating system — two features found in laptops.

Apple also ensured that everything in its operating system is signed by Apple, that is, approved by Apple and assigned a security certificate to prove it’s safe. This includes the applications built into iOS, as well as any third party applications.

All iOS devices are also equipped with the ability to check with Apple to see if any of those certificates have been revoked, leaving the application distrusted, and thus, unusable.

Apple plans to release the next installment of its mobile operating system, iOS 6, sometime this fall.

Read More