Instagram says it now has the right to sell your photo

Instagram said today that it has the perpetual right to sell users' photographs without payment or notification, a dramatic policy shift that quickly sparked a public outcry.

The new intellectual property policy, which takes effect on January 16, comes three months after Facebookcompleted its acquisition of the popular photo-sharing site. Unless Instagram users delete their accounts before the January deadline, they cannot opt out.

Under the new policy, Facebook claims the perpetual right to license all public Instagram photos to companies or any other organization, including for advertising purposes, which would effectively transform the Web site into the world's largest stock photo agency. One irked Twitter user quipped that "Instagram is now the new iStockPhoto, except they won't have to pay you anything to use your images."

"It's asking people to agree to unspecified future commercial use of their photos," says Kurt Opsahl, a senior staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. "That makes it challenging for someone to give informed consent to that deal."

That means that a hotel in Hawaii, for instance, could write a check to Facebook to license photos taken at its resort and use them on its Web site, in TV ads, in glossy brochures, and so on -- without paying any money to the Instagram user who took the photo. The language would include not only photos of picturesque sunsets on Waikiki, but also images of young children frolicking on the beach, a result that parents might not expect, and which could trigger state privacy laws.

Facebook did not respond to repeated queries from CNET this afternoon. We'll update the article if we receive a response.

Another policy pitfall: If Instagram users continue to upload photos after January 16, 2013, and subsequently delete their account after the deadline, they may have granted Facebook an irrevocable right to sell those images in perpetuity. There's no obvious language that says deleting an account terminates Facebook's rights, EFF's Opsahl said.

Facebook's new rights to sell Instagram users' photos come from two additions to its terms of use policy. One section deletes the current phrase "limited license" and, by inserting the words "transferable" and "sub-licensable," allows Facebook to license users' photos to any other organization.

A second section allows Facebook to charge money. It says that "a business or other entity may pay us to display your... photos... in connection with paid or sponsored content or promotions, without any compensation to you." That language does not exist in the current terms of use.

Google's policy, by contrast, is far narrower and does not permit the company to sell photographs uploaded through Picasa or Google+. Its policy generally tracks the soon-to-be-replaced Instagram policy by saying: "The rights you grant in this license are for the limited purpose of operating, promoting, and improving our services." Yahoo's policies service for Flickr are similar, saying the company can use the images "solely for the purpose for which such content was submitted or made available."

Reginald Braithwaite, an author and software developer, posted a tongue-in-cheek "translation" of the new Instagram policy today: "You are not our customers, you are the cattle we drive to market and auction off to the highest bidder. Enjoy your feed and keep producing the milk."

One Instagram user dubbed the policy change "Instagram's suicide note." The PopPhoto.com photography site summarized the situation by saying: "The service itself is still a fun one, but that's a lot of red marks that have shown up over the past couple weeks. Many shooters -- even the casual ones -- probably aren't that excited to have a giant corporation out there selling their photos without being paid or even notified about it."

Another unusual addition to Instagram's new policy appears to immunize it from liability, such as class action lawsuits, if it makes supposedly private photos public. The language stresses, twice in the same paragraph, that "we will not be liable for any use or disclosure of content" and "Instagram will not be liable for any use or disclosure of any content you provide."
 

Yet another addition says "you acknowledge that we may not always identify paid services, sponsored content, or commercial communications as such." That appears to conflict with the Federal Trade Commission'sguidelines that say advertisements should be listed as advertisements.
Such sweeping intellectual property language has been invoked before: In 1999, Yahoo claimed all rights to Geocities using language strikingly similar to Facebook's wording today, including the "non-exclusive and fully sublicensable right" to do what it wanted with its users' text and photos. But in the face of widespread protest -- and competitors advertising that their own products were free from such Draconian terms -- Yahoo backed down about a week later.

It's true, of course, that Facebook may not intend to monetize the photos taken by Instagram users, and that lawyers often draft overly broad language to permit future business opportunities that may never arise. But on the other hand, there's no obvious language that would prohibit Facebook from taking those steps, and the company's silence in the face of questions today hasn't helped.

EFF's Opsahl says the new policy runs afoul of his group's voluntary best practices for social networks. He added: "Hopefully at some point we'll get greater clarity from Facebook and Instagram."

by Declan McCullagh
source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-57559710-38/instagram-says-it-now-has-the-right-to-sell-your-photos/  

Read more ...

Samsung unveils Galaxy Grand with 5.0-inch display, Android 4.1

Samsung has unveiled the Android 4.1.2 running Galaxy Grand with 5.0-inch WVGA display.

Samsung Galaxy Grand is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor and it comes with 1GB RAM and 8GB internal storage (expandable by another 64GB). Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (2.4GHz), Wi-Fi HT40, USB 2.0, Bluetooth 4.0 + LE, A-GPS, Glonass and DLNA. It comes with the usual set of sensors like accelerometer, light and proximity sensors, gyro sensor and a digital compass. The Samsung Galaxy Grand is powered by a 2100mAh battery.

Coming back to the display, as rumoured, the Galaxy Grand sports a WVGA 480x800 display in a bid to keep the costs down. While that is sure to bring the PPI of the screen down along with the costs, we would like to reserve our comment on the quality of the display until we see it in person.

The Samsung Galaxy Grand comes with a 8-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front camera capable of making 720p video calls.

Galaxy Grand comes with Android 4.1.2 and includes various software features that have made an appearance on earlier Samsung devices including Direct Call (automatically dial a call by raising the device up to the ear), Popup Video (lets users watch video in a pop-up window anywhere on the screen while running other tasks) and the virtual assistant S Voice.

The Samsung Galaxy Grand will be available in both single-SIM (GT-I9080) and dual-SIM (GT-I9082) variants. The dual-SIM variant is dual-active, which means it is possible to receive calls on one SIM number while talking on the other.

There's no word from Samsung yet on the pricing or availability of the phone.

Samsung Galaxy Grand technical specifications

• 5.0-inch WVGA 480x800 display
• 1.2GHz dual-core processor
• 8GB internal storage (expandable by another 64GB)
• 1GB RAM
• 8-megapixel rear camera, 2-megapixel front camera
• Android 4.1
• 2100mAh battery
• Dual-SIM (dual-active) option
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB, HDMI, A-GPS, DLNA

Read more ...

Sony C660X Yuga rumoured specs: 3GB RAM, 128GB storage, 16-megapixel camera, 5-inch full-HD display

Sony's next flagship smartphone has created plenty of excitement in the back alleys of the smartphone world where rumours and fiction mix freely. Here's a quick roundup of what's been mentioned so far.Phone Arena reports via Chinese Forum IT168 that the Sony C660X Yuga will feature a quad-core processor from Samsung, 3GB RAM and an incredible 128GB of built-in storage - that's twice the storage of top-end models of smartphones like the iPhone!

Also included in the Sony C660X Yuga would be a 5-inch full-HD display, which means, based on what we've heard, the next generation flagship of four big Android manufacturers - HTC, Sony, Samsung and LG - are now on track to feature full-HD display (HTC's is already here).

Keeping with the Sony tradition of making phones with good cameras, the C660X Yuga is likely to feature a 16-megapixel camera. Powering this monster package will be a large 3000mAh battery. The phone is also expected to be water/ dust resistant, as was the case with some smartphones that Sony shipped in the second half of 2012.

The folks over at Xperia Blog state that the Sony C660X Yuga will feature a glass-back, similar to what we saw in the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. Earlier, we saw the folks over at Android Schweiz leak what they claim are the pictures of this Sony smartphone.

Sony is expected to unveil the next generation of Xperia smartphones at CES 2013 being held in Las Vegas from January 8 to 11, 2013. The Sony C660X Yuga is likely to make an appearance at the event.

Read more ...

LG Nexus 4 coming to India in January 2013; Optimus G also on its way

LG's hot-selling Nexus 4 smartphone is expected to make its India debut in January 2013, according to a source. The Nexus 4 is easily one of the most awaited Android phones in India and LG has so far been tightlipped about the phone's India plans.

Our source also informed us that the LG Optimus G smartphone with voice-activated power camera is also gearing up for its India launch. The Optimus G boasts a 13 megapixel camera which a user can instruct to take snaps by talking to it, plus a 4.7-inch screen with a sharper picture quality than both the iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy S III.

The source, however, did not reveal any details about the price of the Nexus 4 or the Optimus G in India.hone to come with Google's latest Android 4.2 operating system.

The Nexus 4 is the first phone to come with Google's latest Android 4.2 operating system and has been collaboratively designed by LG and Google and was launched at a price of $299, without contract.

The Nexus 4 features a 4.7-inch True HD IPS Plus display with a resolution of 1280-by-768 pixels, supported by Zerogap Touch technology. The screen is scratch resistant, and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 2. The phone sports an 8 megapixel camera. The Nexus 4 is armed with Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 Pro processor with 1.5GHz Quad-Core Krait CPUs, and 2GB of RAM.

Nexus 4: Key specifications

- Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor with 1.5GHz Quad-Core Krait CPUs

- Operating System: Android 4.2, Jelly Bean

- Network: 3G (WCDMA), HSPA+

- Display: 4.7-inch WXGA True HD IPS Plus (1280 x 768 pixels)

- Memory: 8GB / 16GB

- RAM: 2GB

- Camera: 8.0MP rear / 1.3MP HD front

- Battery: 2,100mAh Li-Polymer (embedded) / Talk time: 15.3 hours / Standby: 390 hours

- Size: 133.9 x 68.7 x 9.1mm

- Weight: 139g

- Other: Wireless charging, NFC

Read more ...

Karbonn launches 5.9-inch Android phone A30 at Rs 11,500

Karbonn has launched a new phone - A30 - that has a 5.9-inch screen and runs Android 4.0 ICS operating system. It is a dual SIM phone.

The phone has an 8 megapixel rear camera and a 1.3 megapixel front camera. Its memory can be expanded up to 32 GB. It has a 2500 mAh battery. The Karbonn A 30 is powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor.

The phone is available on Saholic.com at a price of Rs 11,500. The product is available in two colours - black and white. Karbonn has not disclosed RAM, internal memory and the maker of processor.

The phone has an 8 megapixel rear camera and a 1.3 megapixel front camera. Its memory can be expanded up to 32 GB.

Other features include Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct, Gesture Mode, Face detection and a 3.5 mm Jack.

Key specifications: Karbonn A30

Dual SIM

Android 4.0 (ICS)

1 GHz Dual Core processor

3G support

1.3 front camera

5.9-inch capacitive Multi Touch

8.0 Megapixel Auto Focus rear camera with Flashlight

Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Direct

Wi -Fi Hotspot

Expandable upto 32 GB

Yes, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n

2500 mAh battery

Read more ...

HTC Droid DNA review

Over the past few years, smartphones have gradually gotten bigger and tablet computers have gotten smaller. So it should come as no surprise that devices in between are starting to emerge.

These Android devices, informally known as phablets, are better described as giant phones than baby tablets, as they can be used for phone calls. And for now, they aren't much bigger than regular phones.
The larger screens - measuring 5 inches or more diagonally make the devices slightly better for watching movies, reading books and consuming other media. They can also make the phones bulkier to carry - or so I thought.

I was pleasantly surprised when I took HTC Corp.'s new 5-inch Droid DNA phone out of the box. The DNA looks about the same size as my 4.8-inch Samsung Galaxy S III, one of the largest and most popular phones out there. I had to find a ruler to make sure I wasn't sent the wrong phone.
HTC succeeds by making the DNA taller rather than wider, which is important because the width is what spans your palm when you're holding it. Samsung Electronics Co.'s 5.5-inch Galaxy Note II feels too big in my hands - more on that later.

The DNA is, in fact, a tad narrower than the S III, not enough to be noticeable, while being less than two-tenths of an inch larger on its longer side. The DNA is slightly thicker and heavier than the S III, though.
I didn't believe I'd notice the small increase in screen size until I watched "Ice Age" on both the DNA and the S III side by side. But the difference is small. Although watching a movie on a DNA beats doing it on the older iPhone's 3.5-inch screen or even the 4 inches on the new iPhone 5, it isn't the same as watching it on a 7-inch or 10-inch tablet computer. Get a real tablet if size matters to you.
In most apps, I don't actually get more content with the bigger screen. Text and graphics in Gmail messages simply get slightly bigger on the DNA. Google's maps are larger, but that doesn't mean you see more surrounding area, just bigger parks and road names. Amazon's Kindle app squeezes in an extra word in a line here and there, but you lose those gains once you reach the next paragraph.

The exceptions I spotted
Google's Play Books app for reading e-books
The text appears about the same size on the DNA and the S III, meaning the app can fit a few more lines on the DNA device.
Facebook
The app shows a tad more on the DNA when placed on its side like a movie screen. Side by side, it could mean seeing a bit more of a photo on the DNA, but it's not enough to fit in an extra post from someone whining about a morning commute - you'd have to scroll down for more status updates like that. Strangely, I get less on the DNA when using Facebook with the phone held like a skyscraper. A black horizontal bar serves as a menu for settings and other tasks; on the S III, that menu button is built into the hardware and doesn't take up screen space.

Because the DNA's screen is only slightly bigger than the S III's, I can see why I'm not getting more content, just larger text, images and video. I figure I'd need the Note and its even larger screen to get all that. After all, on a tablet's 7-inch or 10-inch screen, I'm seeing much more, not just everything bigger.
But in my tests, everything just gets bigger on the Note compared with the S III. I'm seeing the same number of emails, the same coverage area for maps and the same amount of text for e-books. Think of it as moving a movie projector back so that the movie projects onto a larger area. You're not actually improving the quality or the size of the source material, the film. And if you move back far enough, what's shown on the screen starts to degrade.

I see that degradation watching "Ice Age." The video just isn't as sharp on the Note.
I soon discovered the reason: The S III and the Note both have the same number of pixels, those tiny dots that collectively form text and images on a screen. Both displays are 1,280 by 720 pixels, which translate to 306 pixels per inch on the S III and 267 on the Note II. So the Note simply stretches the same amount of display information onto a wider area. That's a shame, as it negates much of the benefits of a larger screen.

By contrast, the DNA's display is 1,920 by 1,080 pixels, or 440 pixels per inch. That's among the best out there. The iPhone 5, by contrast, is at 326 pixels per inch.
That said, both Samsung phones have richer colors than the DNA, thanks to a screen that uses organic light-emitting diodes, rather than a standard LCD. Although video on the DNA is sharper, color isn't as vivid as it is on the S III or the Note. Still, the DNA's screen trumps that of many other phones, and video looks great if you're not watching a movie next to a Samsung phone.

Available from Verizon Wireless for $200 with a two-year service agreement, the DNA also has a front-facing, videoconferencing camera that's among the best, at 2.1 megapixels. Its rear camera, for taking photos and video, matches the 8 megapixels that other major phones have. Sound comes out well thanks to the DNA's use of Dr. Dre's Beats Audio.
As for the Note, it has a fine-tip stylus that can be used to add a handwritten signature to an email, circle an important event on your calendar or doodle on a virtual notepad. The on-screen keyboard has an extra row for numerals, so you don't have to keep toggling between letters and numbers when writing messages or entering passwords. The Note is available from a variety of carriers starting at $300 with a two-year contract.

Both are decent phones, but not for their distinguishing feature - the size. The increase in size is barely noticeable on the DNA and annoying on the Note, which feels even bulkier with a built-in cover. It keeps bouncing in my pocket when I'm running, then feels as if it would slip out of my hands once I take it out. Checking voice mail feels awkward. The Note is also one-third heavier than the S III.
Here's a case of trying to be too much. A phone is a phone and shouldn't try to grow into a tablet. After all, you don't see too many people hold up an iPad to their ears to make phone calls, even though you could with Skype and other calling apps.

With the Note in particular, you get the annoyances of a tablet (something too big to easily carry around) and little of the benefits (fitting more content on the screen). Get the Note for the stylus, but not for the screen. Likewise, the DNA doesn't offer much in terms of screen size beyond other phones out there. Get the DNA for its sound quality or screen resolution, but not for the size of the display.
There are sure to be bigger phones to come, and I hope they will offer more than just content shown bigger. App developers may have to do their part by designing their programs for varying screen sizes. Both the DNA and the Note have good features that set them apart from rivals, but size isn't one of them.

Read more ...

Polling station information in India to be available on Google Maps

Indian electors can now locate their polling stations and access other electoral information online using Google Maps, an official said here Saturday.

"Electors can now locate online the polling stations where they are supposed to cast their vote. They can do so by visiting the Election Commission or state chief electoral officer's website," Tripura Chief Electoral Officer Ashutosh Jindal said.

He said: "Google Maps would automatically provide the exact location of the polling stations the voters are looking for."
The official said polling station locations in the National Capital Territory of Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Sikkim, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Tripura have already been plotted on Google Maps.

"Polling stations of the rest of the country are being plotted gradually and will be available very soon on the websites."

Users can select their district, constituency and polling station names from drop down lists to see polling station locations of the selected area.

Users can even activate the satellite image layer and even see the polling station and the roads leading to it.
The electoral rolls, names and mobile phone numbers of the chief electoral officer, district election officer, electoral registration officer and booth level officer can also be known from the Google Map.
Earlier, electors had to visit various offices to get the electoral information and details about the officials involved in the election process.

"The basic electoral information now can be known within a minute. It is hassle free and it's for everyone to use," Jindal said

Read more ...

Google Maps app for iPhone steers right

It was one of the biggest tech headlines of the year in September, Apple dropped its contract with Google, which had always supplied the data for the iPhone's Maps app. For various strategic reasons, Apple preferred to write a new app, based on a new database of the world that Apple intended to assemble itself.

As everybody knows by now, Apple got lost along the way. It was like a 22-car pileup. Timothy Cook, Apple's chief executive, made a quick turn, publicly apologizing, firing the executive responsible and vowing to fix Maps. For a company that prides itself on flawless execution, it was quite a detour.
Rumors swirled that Google would create an iPhone app of its own, one that would use its seven-year-old, far more polished database of the world.

That was true. Today, Google Maps for the iPhone has arrived. It's free, fast and fantastic.
Now, there are two parts to a great maps app. There's the app itself - how it looks, how it works, what the features are. In this regard, few people complain about Apple's Maps app; it's beautiful, and its navigation mode for drivers is clear, uncluttered and distraction-free.

But then there's the hard part: the underlying data. Apple and Google have each constructed staggeringly complex databases of the world and its roads.

The recipe for both companies includes map data from TomTom, satellite photography from a different source, real-time traffic data from others, restaurant and store listings from still more sources, and so on. In the end, Apple says that it incorporated data from at least 24 different sources.

Those sources always include errors, if only because the world constantly changes. Worse, those sources sometimes disagree with one another. It takes years to fix the problems and mesh these data sources together.

So the first great thing about Google's new Maps is the underlying data. Hundreds of Google employees have spent years hand-editing the maps, fixing the thousands of errors that people report every day. (In the new app, you report a mistake just by shaking the phone.) And since 2006, Google's Street View vehicles have trawled 3,000 cities, photographing and confirming the cartographical accuracy of five million miles of roads.

You can sense the new app's polish and intelligence the minute you enter your first address; it's infinitely more understanding. When I type "200 W 79, NYC," Google Maps drops a pin right where it belongs: on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

Apple's Maps app, on the other hand, acts positively drunk. It asks me to clarify: "Did you mean 200 Durham Road, Madison, CT? Or 200 Madison Road, Durham, CT?"

Um, what?

And then there's the navigation. Lots of iPhone owners report that they've had no problem with Apple's driving instructions, and that's great. But I've been idiotically misdirected a few times - and the trouble is, you never know in advance. You wind up with a deep mistrust of the app that's hard to shake. Google's directions weren't great in the app's early days either, and they're still not always perfect. But after years of polishing and corrections, they're right a lot more often.
The must-have features are all here: spoken driving directions, color-coded real-time traffic conditions, vector-based maps (smooth at any size). But the new app also offers some incredibly powerful, useful features that Apple's app lacks.

Street View, of course, lets you see a photograph of a place, and even "walk" down the street in any direction. Great for checking out a neighborhood before you go, scoping out the parking situation or playing "you are there" when you read a news article.

Along with driving directions, Google Maps gives equal emphasis to walking directions and public transportation options.

This feature is brilliantly done. Google Maps displays a clean, step-by-step timeline of your entire public transportation adventure. If you ask for a route from Westport, Conn., to the Empire State Building, the timeline says: "4:27 pm, Board New Haven train toward Grand Central Terminal." Then it shows you the names of the actual train stops you'll pass. Then, "5:47 pm, Grand Central. Get off and walk 2 min." Then, "5:57 pm, 33rd St: Board the #6 Lexington Avenue Local towards Brooklyn Bridge." And so on.
Even if public transportation were all it did, Google Maps would be one of the best apps ever. (Apple kicks you over to other companies' apps for this information.)

Google's points-of-interest database also excels. For example, if you look up a restaurant, you can read the Zagat write-up, read customer reviews, read the menu or even book reservations, right there on the info screen. For 100 restaurants, you can even see interior photos. A single button-tap starts navigation to that restaurant. Compass Mode lets you hold the phone in front of you; as you move it left, right, up and down, the phone's view of place changes accordingly, letting you look all around. It's wild. It's "The Matrix." It's visual teleportation.

Google has even managed to incorporate Google Earth, its zoomable photographic model of the entire world and its oceans. You know, just in case you want to know not just where a building is relative to Detroit, but relative to the Mariana Trench.

It's a lot of features. The big question: How well did Google cram them in without sinking the app with featuritis?

This, it turns out, is the best news of all. The brand-new, completely rethought design is slick, simple and coherent. Google admits that it's even better than Google Maps for Android phones, which has accommodated its evolving feature set mainly by piling on menus.

The new software conceit here is the horizontal swipe. Plotting a trip? Maps shows possible routes on the map; a banner at the bottom summarizes the current traffic and time to destination. Swipe the banner to see the next proposed route.

Look up "Italian restaurants?" A banner shows the ratings and average price for the first one; swipe to see the next restaurant's details, and the next.

And when you're navigating, the current driving instruction appears in a green banner; swipe it to look ahead at the next instruction. (Apple's navigation mode doesn't permit you to look as if you're looking down at the world from a plane, the type sizes of place names contribute to the sense of perspective. They get smaller as they get farther away.

So yes, Google Maps for iPhone is a home run. It is not, however, without its footnotes.
The biggest thing you give up is Siri integration. If you say to your iPhone, "Give me directions to the airport," Apple's Maps app opens automatically, your course charted. It takes more steps to get started in Google Maps.

And despite its superior design and fluidity, the iPhone version of Google Maps doesn't have all of the features of the Android version. It still doesn't let you download and store maps for use when you don't have an Internet connection. It doesn't have indoor maps (of shopping malls and airports, for example). And it doesn't have ads or pop-up offers. (I know - boohoo, right?)

Finally, although Google Maps runs fine on the iPad, it's just a blown-up version of the iPhone version. There's not yet an iPad-specific app.

Google says that goodies like those will be coming soon. But for a 1.0 app, created in the space of only a few months, Google Maps for iPhone is an astonishingly powerful, accurate, beautiful tool. For millions of iPhone owners, it's a drive in the right direction.

Read more ...

Amazon launches Kindle store in China, could pave way for Kindle

Amazon.com Inc has launched a Kindle store for China, the company said on Thursday, selling Chinese electronic books for the mobile Kindle application, in a move that could soon see the device launched in China.

The launch of the store could pave the way for a roll-out of Amazon's Kindle device that has already received authorisation from China's radio regulator. Amazon's spokesman, Billy Huang, declined to comment on when the Kindle device would be sold in China.

China's e-reader market is dominated by Hanwang Technology e-readers and Shanda Cloudary's Bambook, but many Chinese people buy Kindles from overseas.

"It seems like there is pent-up demand for Amazon's Kindle," said Mark Natkin, managing director of Beijing-based technology firm Marbridge Consulting.

"Amazon is a well-regarded brand both in terms of quality of its products and in terms of its service," Natkin said.

Amazon's Kindle store will compete with E-commerce China Dangdang Inc and 360buy, both of which have platforms to sell e-books.

In June, four Kindle models, including the Kindle Touch and Kindle Fire and as well as one Kindle keyboard, received approval from the State Radio Regulation of China, the regulatory body for radio and wireless products.

Amazon's former China chief told Reuters this year that the company was in talks with Chinese publishers on content deals and hoped to launch the Kindle within two years.

Read more ...

Apple's new iMac a turning point for hybrid drives

When Apple Inc marketing head Phil Schiller launched the new iMac in October he enthused about its "Fusion Drive", a storage option combining the cost and capacity benefits of hard drives with the speed of flash memory.

For many, the pitch was probably lost amid the buzz accompanying the launch of the new iPad mini the same day.

But Apple's adoption of a technology that has been around for years, without really catching on, looks likely to finally bring "hybrid" drives into the mainstream.

That will mean faster PCs that are cheap enough for most consumers, very soon.

The outlook has also suddenly brightened for makers of hard disk drives (HDDs), whose share of the $45 billion storage drive market is being eroded by makers of more modern solid state drives(SSDs) that are faster, more reliable but also pricier.

"Hybrid drives will be the future of mass market cheap storage," said John Rydning, an analyst at technology research firm IDC. "Although so far we haven't seen much traction, I see all the pieces falling into place now that even Apple is selling these."

Hybrid drives a cross between a standard HDD and a flash chip have been slow to take off because until now only Seagate Technology Plc was offering them. PC makers normally shy away from sourcing from a single supplier.

They also cost more than traditional hard drives, and have been seen as a transitional technology as the market waited for SSD prices to drop.

Now, both Seagate and rival HDD maker Western Digital Corp are banking on hybrids to get a leg up in a crowded SSD market, where they compete with more than 100 other firms.

Ultrabooks thinner, faster laptops positioned to rival tablets present the best opportunity to launch hybrid drives into the mass market, analysts say, and Ultrabooks running on hybrid drives are expected to be a big theme at next month's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

Ultrabooks, which have chips supplied by Intel Corp, have been criticized for being too expensive, and manufacturers have shipped fewer than expected.

"An all-SSD solution for an Ultrabooks is very viable but also very expensive," Western Digital President Steve Milligan said in an interview.

Richard Kuegle, an analyst at brokerage Needham and Co, also notes that Intel's strict specification of near-instant boot times for Ultrabooks makes HDDs obsolete, while SSD solutions remain too expensive for most consumers.

"In order to get that instant-on element, you have to have NAND (flash memory) of some kind, so the answer was in front of (manufacturers) all along, and that is hybrid drives," he said.
Not so new
To be sure, Apple's solution is not strictly speaking a hybrid drive. It is software-based, relying on a huge chunk of flash memory linked to a standard HDD. Still, the underlying rationale puts it in the same category as a hybrid.

"We've certainly been getting more calls from OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) since Apple's announcement," Scott Horn, Seagate's vice president of marketing, told Reuters.
Seagate has shipped only about 1.5 million hybrid drives, branded Momentus XTs, since launching them about four years ago.

Technology research consultancy Gartner expects the hybrid drive market to grow to more than 100 million units in 2016 from its estimate of 1.8 million in 2011.

About 500 million hard drives and less than 50 million solid state drives are sold every year.
Western Digital, which estimates current demand for hybrids at 1.5 million to 2 million a year, will launch its own hybrids early in the new year and expects the market to grow quickly.
"It is important to note that Apple is validating the value of hybrid technologies," Western Digital's Milligan said.

Analysts said that while hybrid drives would let HDD makers make up some ground lost to SSDs, it was too soon to make meaningful financial projections for Seagate and Western Digital, which control 90 percent of the hard drive market.

Demand for storage is soaring.
About 650 terabytes of storage will be sold this year alone, according to Gartner -- enough to store every single piece of data on the World Wide Web twice over.
SSD shipments have almost tripled this year, while HDD shipments have grown less than 5 percent.
"The problem is, (SSDs are) still not cheap enough and hard drives on the other hand are still getting cheaper every day,"

said Ryan Chien, an analyst at research firm IHS iSuppli.
IDC expects the storage drive market to be worth about $57 billion by 2016, about $12 billion more than this year. It expects hybrids to be the standard memory in at least 30 percent of notebooks in four years.

Needham and Co's Kuegle is even more bullish, estimating that almost all hard drives will have a flash component by the end of next year.

"Hybrid as a category is going to became the de-facto standard for disk drives as we go out one or two years," he said. "There's this great need to have higher throughput from disk drives but at the same time still keeping the capacity and the cost down."

Hybrids would not make sense if SSD costs fell into line with HDD costs, said Mark Geenen of Trendfocus, a hard drive consultancy. "However, we don't see that happening over the next five years," he said.

A hard drive can be as much as 10 times slower than flash memory but it is also significantly cheaper.
The flash component in a hybrid can be used to run a computer's operating system, key applications and parts of files that need speedier performance, while data such as music, movies and other files are stored on the workhorse HDD.

Some skeptics
Western Digital plans to launch hybrids of varying capacities next year, while Seagate expects its entire portfolio of hard drives to have a hybrid option in the next few years.
"I think you will see pretty much all Seagate products in hybrid format apart from the standard HDD format," Seagate's Horn said.

Hybrid drives have their own problems, though.
One big drawback is that they so far lack the ability to compete with flash drives in tablets -- one of the fastest growing device markets as those devices need the small size and light weight of flash memory.
To stay competitive, hybrids will also need to continue to become cheaper, matching or exceeding the falling prices of flash memory.
And there are skeptics.
"If you can get hybrid drives into, let's say, the sub-$1,000 PC market, I'd say that's interesting, but I'm just not as confident in hybrids anymore as I was a few years ago," hardware industry blogger Anand Lal Shimpi said.

The 128 gigabytes of flash content in Apple's Fusion Drive makes it technically superior to any hybrid that is likely to come on the market anytime soon, making Apple's offering a bigger draw for consumers, Shimpi said.

For the market to really take off, PC makers will need make products that match Apple's a big hurdle.
"Apple has a unique solution that is software-based, so any other OEM can't just say 'hey we are gonna do what Apple is doing'," Shimpi said.

Read more ...

Windows 8 Exciting Features, Infographic

Read more ...

Top 5 Applications You Must Have On Your Samsung Galaxy S3

The Samsung Galaxy S3 is undoubtedly a huge launch for Samsung this year, and it's been most advisable Android mobile phone since its release. Galaxy S3 went huge on advancement, with a lot of fresh functions the rumors hadn’t thought of. However, the very first thing which will you observe will be the size. Samsung has demonstrated that it can make a success of huge displays using the 5.3 “screen on the Galaxy Note.

There are lots of amazing apps for this amazing smart phone; however, we have also picked up some amazing apps for your Samsung Galaxy SIII which can turn your Smartphone in to Super phone.

1. Instagram (Free)

Samsung Galaxy S3 has an improved 8 Mega Pixel camera along with really fast response times which is one of the first thing you would like to test in your Galaxy SIII and also has the ability for taking images while you are capturing 1080p video clip. Instagram is a wonderful approach for sharing your stuff with world. It is free, really fast & fun app for Galaxy S3!

You can share your photographs in an easy photo stream with your friends - and same way you can follow photos of your friends by just clicking a single button. Instagram is really wonderful and every time when you open it, you will see something fresh.

2. Samsung Remote (Free)

Samsung Remote control Application will help you control your Samsung TV, Blue Ray Players and other Samsung products effortlessly once you have connected them on the same Wi-Fi router.
Key Features of Samsung Remote App
Remote you can use your Galaxy SIII as remote control for your Samsung TV and other Samsung products.
Bluetooth Power On - You can also use your Galaxy S3 to start your TV using Bluetooth.
Game Controller - You can use your phone to control games on TV with this feature.

So if you have a lounge filled with Samsung equipments, then you can download Samsung remote app and use your Galaxy S3 to regulate your Samsung TV and other Samsung products.

3. Flight Track

Fight Track is a must have application for your Galaxy S3 if you are a frequent flyer. This app will provide you real time status of flights and map monitoring of flights around the world.

This is one of the best flights tracking application available for android phones! Now you can facilitate your tablets as well with this amazing app! You can Keep track of flights with stunning maps or acquire live departure details, gate numbers and delays right away. Total worldwide coverage implies that you are able to keep track of your flights anywhere in world. You will be get updated for any cancellations and even guide you to find an alternate flight. It is quite marvelous.

4. Root Explorer

Root Explorer is an ultimate app to manage files for route users. If you have to a phone and want a file manager then your search ends here. It is rock steady and worth single penny of yours, looks no further.

Key elements includes Text Editor, SQLite database viewer, extract Rar archives, create and extract zip, execute scripts, multi-select, search, bookmark, permissions, sending files (through Bluetooth, emails etc), thumbnails for images, change file group/owner, APK binary XML viewers, create symbolic link, "Open With" facility, create shortcuts and lot more.

5. Dolphin Browser HD

Dolphin Browser is one of the easiest, fastest and most entertaining mobile Web browsers. Download this free mobile browser app and join over 50 million users who are enjoying distinctive functions of this élite mobile web browser.

Dolphin HD is one of the most effective android browsers. To provide customers more control over every single settings developers are working towards it, which will be really fantastic.

Author’s Bio:

This Guest Blog Post is written and contributed by Sushant Das at www.edumobile.org - an online technology training provider that teaches popular mobile development courses online like iPhone, android, windows phone and HTML5 courses. EDUmobile also operates a popular free iPhone and android tutorial blog read regularly by over 35,000 developers.

Read more ...

Google's $99 Chromebook laptop offer receives tremendous response

US teachers have flooded school-centric charity website DonorsChoose.org to snap up Chrome notebook computers Google made available to classrooms for just $99 each.

DonorsChoose said Tuesday that it was no longer taking Chromebook requests from instructors since the allotted supply was exhausted due to the "tremendous response" to the offer.

DonorsChoose is a website where people can donate money to back class projects or provide gear needed in cash-strapped schools based on needs or goals laid out by teachers.

Google on Monday said that Samsung Series 5 Chromebooks that teachers put on wish lists at DonorsChoose would be available for a price of $99 each in a hefty $330 discount from the starting price in shops.

"For many students and teachers, the hassles of traditional computing often prevent them from making the most of technology in the classroom," Google group product manager Rajen Sheth said in a blog post.

"Schools that have adopted Chromebooks, however, have been able to bring the web's vast educational resources whether it's conducting real-time research or collaborating on group projects right into the classroom."

More than a thousand US schools use Chromebooks in classrooms, according to Sheth.
Google built Chrome operating software into notebook computers in a challenge to machines powered by Microsoft Windows.

The Chrome computing model shifts operating software into the Internet "cloud," where data centers store information and tend to tough tasks.

Chromebooks act essentially as doors to banks of Google servers on the Internet, with the California-based technology titan tending to matters such as updating programs and fending off hackers and malicious software.

Advantages include quick start-ups from disk drive-free machines, long battery life, and essentially being able to dive into one's desktop data from anywhere on the Internet.

Read more ...

Price of Aakash tablet to come down to $35 soon: Sibal

Telecom and IT Minister Kapil Sibal on Wednesday said the price of Aakash tablet will soon come down to $35 (about Rs. 1,900 approximately) from $49 at present.

"Aakash is a tablet which at the moment costs $49. It will come down to $35 very soon. It has all the amenities of any modern tablet," Sibal said at Reverse Buyer Seller Meet (RBSM) New Delhi organised by Telecom Equipment and Service Export Promotion Council.

The Minister added that next version of the tablet will also have Skype, an application used for making voice calls using Internet connection and does not necessarily require a SIM.

"It performs the same function as a $150 tablet," Sibal said, adding that Aakash is kind of product that two- third population of world needs as they don't have enough resources to buy tablet costing $150.
Explaining on the way price of Aakash tablet drops, the Minister said "The capacitative (touch) screen is imported at a cost of $22 or around $20. The manufacturing cost is $2. If you were to set up that manufacturing unit in India, the cost will come down automatically from $49 to $29."

He said that government is in process to get Cabinet approval for manufacturing of 50 lakh units of Aakash tablet in India and then float a global tender for its production in the country.

He said the production of Aakash tablet in large volumes will further drive down the cost.
In the last tender, each unit of Aakash tablet costed government Rs. 2,263 and it announced 50 percent subsidy on the tablet for students which finally costs Rs. 1,130.

The Minister said if Indian industry is able to provide a quality solution for citizen of the country then such solution or product will work anywhere in the world.
"In fact it will be game changer for the world consumer in Europe, consumer in Japan, consumer in the United States of America would be looking for those solution because he will be getting the same solution at a much lower cost and a very high quality solution," Sibal said.

The Minister said government is giving enormous emphasis to research and development (R&D) for manufacturing of electronics product in the country that are of high quality and reasonably priced.
"We are going to create an R&D fund in which the government will contribute. We are setting up fab so that (electronic) chip manufacturing can be done India," he said.

Read more ...

HTC announces One SV with 4.3-inch display, dual-core processor

HTC has announced a mid-range device in the One Series in the form of HTC One SV.

Announced in London on Tuesday, the HTC One SV comes with a 4.3-inch 480x800 Super LCD-2 display, 1.2GHz dual-core S4 processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB internal storage (expandable by 32GB), 5-megapixel rear shooter, 1.6-megapixel front camera, 1800mAh battery, NFC and LTE support. Disappointingly, the phone comes with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich instead of Jelly Bean.

The HTC One SV will be launched on UK operator EE in the coming weeks (price TBD), with a launch expected in other markets later. No word on India pricing or whether the phone will come to India at all, given the phone seems to be targeted at markets with LTE networks.

HTC had launched the non-LTE dual-SIM Desire SV in India last month. The Desire SV shares One SV's 4.3-inch display but comes with a 1GHz dual-core processor, 4GB internal storage and 8-megapixel rear camera.

HTC has been in the news quite a bit off-late, most recently with the international launch of HTC Butterfly, the first smartphone in the world with full-HD display.

The highlight of the HTC J Butterfly, which debuted in Japan in October, is its 5-inch Super LCD-3 1920x1080p display with Corning Gorilla Glass 2 and a pixel density of 441 pixels-per-inch. Other features of the HTC J Butterfly include 1.5GHz Qualcomm S4 Pro quad-core processor, 2GB RAM and 16GB internal storage (expandable by another 32GB).

The J Butterfly also comes with 8-megapixel rear camera, 2-megapixel front camera, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with HTC Sense 4+ and a 2020mAh battery. Connectivity options include HDMI out, Micro-USB, Infrared, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and NFC.

HTC One SV specifications

• 4.3-inch 480x800 Super LCD-2 display
• 1.2GHz dual-core S4 processor
• 1GB RAM
• 8GB internal storage (expandable by 32GB)
• 5-megapixel rear camera
• 1.6-megapixel front camera
• NFC, LTE, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
• 1,800 mAh battery
• Android 4.0

Read more ...

Apple, Microsoft reportedly spar over 30-percent cut of in-app purchases

Microsoft and Apple are reportedly at loggerheads over latter's insistence of applying its policy of taking a 30-percent cut of all in-app purchases on Microsoft's high-profile apps.

Microsoft's SkyDrive app for iOS has been a talking point off-late after reports emerged that Apple was sitting on an update to the app allegedly due to a dispute over its share of revenue from SkyDrive subscriptions bought within the app.

Now a report in AllThingsD confirms that Apple indeed rejected - not just delayed - an update to the app, as part of a general disagreement with Microsoft that extends way beyond the SkyDrive app. According to the report, the real dispute is over the widely anticipated Microsoft Office apps for iOS,due to release in 2013.

Sources familiar with the ongoing negotiations between Apple and Microsoft tell AllThingsD that the companies are at loggerheads not over the 30 percent commission Apple asks of storage upgrade sales made through SkyDrive, but over applying that same commission to Office 365 subscriptions sold through Microsoft Office for iOS, which is expected to launch sometime next year.

AllThingsD further notes that Microsoft believes the launch of Office apps will bring additional creditability to the iOS platform, especially amongst enterprise users. Microsoft feels that the 30-percent cut is too high and wants special terms negotiated for its apps.

Apple, on the other hand, seems to be in no mood to set what might be a dangerous precedent, and wants to apply the rules uniformly to all apps and developers.

Apple declined AllThingsD's offer for a comment on the developments but did provide a generic statement on its revenue-share rules.

"Apple provides customers and developers the largest selection and safest way to discover apps with our curated App Store. We've designed our rules to be fair and consistent for every developer - free apps and services are distributed for free, paid apps and services provide a revenue share to Apple. We've paid out over 6.5 billion dollars to our developer community who have created over 700,000 apps."

Microsoft failed to respond to a request for comment by the time AllThingsD report was published.

Read more ...

BlackBerry 10 L-Series smartphone spotted in the wild

A Vietnamese blog has posted the clearest pictures yet of what is believed to be a BlackBerry 10 L-Series smartphone.

The blog post was picked up by Engadget, who noted the pictures reveal phone's NFC antenna and other features.

These seemingly legitimate snapshots of the L-Series reveal an attractive touchscreen slab that features a removable back cover - complete with an NFC antenna - which also provides access to the phone's micro-SIM and microSD slots, along with a removable 1,800mAh battery. Fans of the unique play / pause toggle will find it happily sitting within the metallic volume rocker, and you'll also notice micro-USB and micro-HDMI ports occupying the left-hand side.

The pictures look similar to the device that is featured on the BlackBerry 10 page on RIM's website. While there have been plenty of BlackBerry 10 L-Series related 'leaks' in the past, this is definitely the clearest one yet.

RIM has announced that it will be showcasing its flagship smartphones along with the new operating system in several countries on January 30, 2013. There have also been reports suggesting that a QWERTY smartphone running on the BlackBerry 10 OS will start retailing from June 2013.

Some of the features that the BlackBerry 10 smartphones will offer include BlackBerry Flow, BlackBerry Hub, BlackBerry Balance, and the BlackBerry Keyboard.

BlackBerry Hub is the focus point for the new operating system. It is the place where all messages, notifications, feeds, and calendar events can be seen. One can access the Hub with a simple gesture at any time no matter what you are doing with the smartphone.

BlackBerry Flow is a new user experience that allows one to see minimised windows on their screens and show all the currently running apps. The soft-keyboard in BlackBerry 10 is intuitive, that learns the user's habits as they go along.

Read more ...

BBM gets voice calling over Wi-Fi for BlackBerry 6 and above

BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIM) has announced an early holiday present for legions of fans of its BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) service. The company has announced a version 7 of the BBM app (currently in beta) that supports voice calling over Wi-Fi.

Users can continue to text chat with other BBM contacts while they are on a voice call. Voice calling will not work over 3G or cellular networking, likely as a sop to keep mobile operators around the globe happy.

RIM explained the key features of voice calling via BBM:

• Customers can initiate a BBM Voice call directly, or instantly switch from a BBM text chat to talk, and back again.
• The split-screen feature allows customers to talk and text at the same time, so for example, they can send a picture to their contact while talking with them. They can also check other BBM text chats, check email, or navigate to other apps while engaged on a BBM Voice call.
• BBM provides a visual indicator that shows when contacts are available for a voice call.
• BBM Voice is compatible with any accessories a customer has now for making voice calls on their BlackBerry smartphone, such as a Bluetooth or wired headset. Customers can also use BBM Voice over their BlackBerry smartphone's speakerphone.
• If it's not an ideal time to talk, customers can simply choose to respond by texting back.

BBM version 7 also brings integration with a customer's BlackBerry ID, which is designed to back up their BBM profile, groups and contacts so they can automatically be restored in the event they switch to a new BlackBerry smartphone.

"BBM is the quick, easy way to stay connected to the people that matter to you, and with today's announcement we're expanding the capabilities of the service for deeper social engagement and even greater collaboration, beginning with voice functionality," said T.A. McCann, Vice President of BBM and Social Communities at RIM. "The new BBM Voice feature is for when you're travelling and you want to call home without worrying about phone charges. It's for when you have news you can't wait to share, for quickly explaining complicated details, and collaborating with colleagues. Whenever your ideas are too big for text, there's BBM Voice."

BBM version 7 with the new BBM Voice feature is currently available in Beta for BlackBerry smartphones running the BlackBerry 6 OS or higher with support planned for smartphones running the BlackBerry 5 OS at a future date. The Beta can be downloaded for free from BlackBerry Beta Zone.

Read more ...

European Compact System Camera 2012-2013 - Olympus OM-D E-M5

he Olympus OM-D EM-5 is a successful remake of the exceptional OM cameras from times gone by. The camera features a compact, yet sturdy and weather-resistant, body that is extremely comfortable to hold, especially when the battery grip is attached. The super-fast single-shot autofocus and the exceptional 1.4-million-dot electronic viewfinder will make you believe you’re shooting with an SLR. There are more advantages, such as the flip-out OLED screen with touch functionality, advanced 5-axis image stabilization, the attractive effects filters and, of course, the excellent picture quality.

Read more ...

New Acer C7 Chromebook by Google unveiled for $199

Google has launched its new entry in Chromebook. This new Chromebook is a combined contribution of Google and Acer.This new Chromebook is named as Acer C7 Chromebook. Acer C7 Chromebook is the sixth Cromebook in Chromebook series and out of earlier five Chromebooks, first three Chromebooks are discontinued and and last two from Samsung are still available in the market.The last model was Samsung Chromebox before Acer C7 which was launched earlier this year. As Acer C7 is launched under series of low cost laptops running Google Operating System so it is not having any 3G variant unlike the 3G variants of Samsung Chromebook.

Chromebooks are popular in market because of its fast boot up time of Google Chrome Operating System and secondly it functions fully on web and internet and all important data is stored on the server space provided by Google. With this Acer C7, Google is providing 100 GB of data storage server to access data remotely.

Google Acer C7 Chromebook Tech Specs :

• 11.6-inch Display with  1366×768 resolution
• 1.1 GHz Intel Celeron 847
• Google Chrome Operating System
• 100 GB Google Drive Cloud Storage for 2 years
• 320 GB Hard Disk
• 2 GB RAM
• Wifi and Ethernet
• 3 USB 2.0 ports
• 1 HDMI port
• High Defintion Camera
• Thickness : 1 inch with weight  : 1.4 kg
• 3.5 hours Battery Backup

Read more ...

Apple's iPad mini now in India, starts at Rs 21,900

Washington: Tech giant Apple's much awaited smaller version of the iPad has finally been released in India with a price tag of 21,900 rupees for the basic version.

The 7-inch 'iPad Mini' is 23 percent slim, and weighs 53 percent lesser than the iPad tablet.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the tablet computer has a 10-hour battery life for long usage.

Pad mini basic verion comes with a 16-gigabit storage capacity, and allows users to access the internet via Wi-Fi networks.

While the advanced version with 64-gigabit capacity, Retina display and internet access through both Wi-Fi and cellular networks has been priced at 41,900 rupees, the paper said.

According to the Journal, Apple will also start selling its latest fourth-generation iPad in India from Friday.

The firm has priced the base 16-GB Wi-Fi version for 31, 900 rupees per piece and the most-advanced version at 51, 900 rupees per unit. 

Read more ...

HTC One S (Rs: 27000 - 32000)

The Good: HTC One S is the second model in the HTC One series after the HTC One X. This smartphone is slim and lightweight which makes it portable. What all of us look in a smartphone is durability as we don’t change phones every month. One S fulfills that very need. It is a durable phone and it also proves that durable needn’t be boring as the phone has a premium look and feel to it. The sound quality in the phone is excellent as it is clocked with Beats Solo headset.

The Bad: With the specs available on this phone the pricing is slightly on the expensive side. The price of the phone and the features offered do not match each other. The phone speakers are slightly on the softer side though HTC has tried to compensate this by including Beats Solo headset in the box. The phone doesn’t have a slot for the microSD card. And the battery life is also on the lower side, while the processor used in the smartphone is the previous generation processor.

The Bottom Line: This smartphone is good android phone, but it let’s down on various factors like the high price it charges for a poor battery life and a previous generation less powerful processor.

Design: The second handset from the One series. HTC One S has a single piece aluminum case a Gorilla Glass covering most of the front side. The phone is the thinnest smartphone from HTC at 7.8 mm and it is also a lighter than One X by 10grams. At the top of the phone you will find the audio jack along with the power button. The volume controls are located on the right and you will find the microUSB port on the left.

Processor and Operating System:
The HTC One S is powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and is backed with a 1GB RAM. This processor has enough power to run 3D games on it without a hiccup. If you want more power and speed from your processor then it is the HTC One X that you are looking for.

The phone runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. Along with the latest version of Android the phone also runs on the latest version 4.0 of HTC’s Busy Sense user interface. The phone has an interesting help information pop ups for all the first time users of HTC phones. The app provides pop-ups with hints and tips as to what you can do with the various programmes.

Features and Performance:
Screen: The slim smartphone from HTC has a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touch screen. It has a resolution of 960 X 540 pixels though when compared to One X the resolution is slightly lower. In spite of a lower resolution the screen provides you with excellent colours. The Gorilla Glass 2 screen which covers most of the front side comes with an optical lamination which will provide the user with good readability even outdoors, under the direct sunlight.

Camera: The phone comes equipped with a camera with a whopping 8 mega pixels and the photographs clicked have a resolution of 3264x2448 pixels which is very similar to HTC One X. The camera starts up very quickly, thus making sure you don’t miss out on moments you really want to capture. The camera does make the phone an attractive buy. The camera also has auto focus, an LED flash and face and smile detection.

The camera is equipped to record video at full HD 1080 pixels resolution which will turn out well as long as there is decent lighting. The phone has a secondary VGA mega pixel camera which will allow you to make video calls as well.

Storage and Connectivity: One S has an internal memory of 16 GB. But that is all! Like the One X, the S also does not have any slot for a microSD card thus providing the user with no option of expanding the memory capacity, which is a big disappointment. All most all the competitors to the HTC phones have a slot for expandable memory. The absence of the slot may prove to be harmful for the sales figures of the phones.

The battery is also a letdown. The phone is powered with a Standard Li-Po 1650 mAh battery. With such a battery do not expect the phone battery to at last you more than a day.

Price and Availability: The pricing of the smartphone from HTC is a disappointment. The phone is priced at RS.33,000 which makes it a high end smartphone. For all if you really want to buy the phone but think Rs.33,000 is a bit too much then there are many online portal like saholic.com, buytheprice.com and infibeam.com which are offering the phone at Rs.30,000.

Wrap-Up: If not a HTC One X then the next and very good option is the One S. The phone has a clear screen and with its light weight and size it is an extremely portable phone. It is indeed an amazing smartphone despite all its flaws like poor battery or weal processor.

Best price to buy -HTC One S is Rs.28,000

Read more ...