HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014

I wish all of you 

A Great Beginning Of The Year

And More Blessings Throughout

And End With Joy.

Happy New Year

Merry Christmas to you!

May the magic of Christmas
brings you and your family Happiness, Joy, Cheers, love and fun

Merry Christmas to you!

Smartphones is the Top Device for Porn Viewing in the US

A porn website "PornHub" reported that 52% of Americans in the United States uses smartphones (smartporn - sorry I can't resist) to watch porn in 2013, which has increased from 47% on 2012.

The site also said that their total traffic is composed of 40% through mobile, 51% through desktop computers, while the 9% is from tablets. On a weekly basis, their top day of the week is Monday while Sunday is the slowest.

Google Glass: Just Wink-and-Shoot

You no longer need to use your finger or voice to take a snapshot, just blink and Google Glass will do the rest.

Google said that the new “wink of the eye” feature of the Google Glass will be faster.

On their blog post:

"Glass is about helping you look up and experience the world around you without getting bogged down by technology. Based on this philosophy, we've got a new setting that lets you quickly and easily capture the moments you care about with a simple wink of the eye. Whether it's capturing an amazing sunset on an evening walk, or photographing your receipt for the lunch you'll need to expense, you can now stay in the moment and wink to take a picture instantly.  If you want to turn it on, just swipe over to Settings."

They also mentioned that they are developing the wink feature for other use like paying a taxi cab or shopping.

"We’re starting with pictures, but just think about what else is possible. Imagine a day where you’re riding in the back of a cab and you just wink at the meter to pay. You wink at a pair of shoes in a shop window and your size is shipped to your door. You wink at a cookbook recipe and the instructions appear right in front of you – hands-free, no mess, no fuss. Pretty cool, right?"


But the scary thing about this technology is, the device will make it easier for creepy peeping tom and voyeurs to do their creepy stuff.

Xbox One Sells 2 Million (18 Days)

On peak hours Amazon.com are receiving Xbox One orders 1,000 units per minute. Eventhough, that Xbox One received flaks for noisy discs rack and pricier console than PS4 the console wars seems very close.

Sony announced that it had sold 2.1 million three weeks after making its debut in North America. Now, Microsoft's Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb has also announced that the Xbox One also sold 2 million units in it's first 18 days they are now in dead heat with PS4.

Both Microsoft and Sony announce that they had each sold 1 million units within 24 hours, when the consoles were released. Critics said that the Microsoft figure was for 13 markets worldwide, while the Sony PS4 figure was solely from North America. However, now both systems have launched in most major worldwide markets, and both companies are still neck-and-neck.

Use Xbox One as your Universal Remote

check out the how to guide by CNET to configure your TV and cable box settings on the Xbox One. Xbox One has the ability to control your entertainment center.

Please note that this feature may not work on your TV sets. Philips 46PFL5907F7 and Sharp Elite PRO-60X5FD cannot be use for this set up.

The new Kinect sensor can control your TV, cable box, and surround sound system. Here's how to set it up.

Here are the steps:

1. Connect your cable into the HDMI-in port on the back of the Xbox One, then plug your HDTV to the HDMI-out port. Plug your audio receiver to the HDMI-out port on the console, and they connect the TV to the receiver.

2. Turn on your Xbox One then go to Settings, TV & OneGuide, and select the "OneGuide" option. Click on TV Lineup, enter your zip code, and choose your cable or satellite provider from the pull-down menu.

3. Go back to the TV & OneGuide settings and select Devices. Choose your TV's manufacturer from the pull-down menu, or select "I don't see my brand" and enter it in manually.

4. Choose Next, choose Automatic setup, and click on Send Command. If the system is able to mute your TV, you're good to go. If not, try a few more automatic commands, or select the manual setup option, which will require you to type in your TV's model number.

5. From the Devices menu, enter the manufacturer of your cable or satellite box, as well as your audio receiver model (if applicable).

6. Go back to the TV & OneGuide settings, select Power settings, and choose which devices will be turned off when the Xbox One is powered down. The console can be configured to turn off your TV, cable box, or audio receiver with the command "Xbox turn off." You can also set the Xbox One to power on all of your devices with the "Xbox on" command.

Google Maps Shows Dead Kid

San Francisco, USA - If you check out this coordinates 37.951594,-122.360465 on google maps it will lead you to Richmond, CA near the Shields-Reid Community Center. If you zoom it out you will see a police car and some people probably cops around a body laying on the ground wearing white.

As it turns out it's a dead body of a slain 14 year-old kid. Kevin Barrera was murdered on August 15, 2009, he was shot near the railroad tracks in North Richmond. His father Jose Barrera found out the image on Google maps just a few days ago and it still can be seen on Google maps as of press time.

The spokeswoman of Richmond police confirmed that the image is the real crime scene that day and the body on the ground is actually Kevin Barrera and the case is still open.

Jose Barrera said that he wanted Google to remove the image as respect to his dead son.

“When I see this image, that’s still like that happened yesterday,” he said.

Google Maps VP Brian McClendon said that they will remove the image by the end of the month.

70,000 fall Victim to Facebook Credit Generator Scam

Bitdefender blog warned people about a scam that claim to victimize about 70,000 users. The Facebook Credit Generator Scam let users generate credits for their facebook accounts. The blog said that it lures possible victims to a “goo.gl” URL that promise to generate up to 500 free credits without any downloads.

But before you can get the tool, you will need to follow steps like promoting the their link on the social network site. Once you have posted the message with their link on at least five gaming fan pages on Facebook, you would allegedly get the software for a limited time. But what will happen is, you will never get the promised credits you will just end up promoting their sites.

This kind of Free credit generator scams have been on Facebook for years now and users are advised to don't fall for this scams.

Apple to launch iPad 5 and iPad mini 2 on October 22

Apple will have another launch event that is scheduled on October 22, 2013. Tim Cook would likely launch the rumored iPad mini 2 upgrade and the iPad 5.

The iPad mini 2 is rumored to feature a Retina Display and a higher 1024 x 768 pixel resolution screen than its predecessor.

I also expect a better A7X processor and an improved battery performance.

Samsung's New 13-megapixel camera technology better low-light images

Expect a big camera upgrade on the next Samsung flagship phones as the biggest smartphone manufacturer revealed their new camera technology for better low-light images and stabilization.

The Korea based company announced that it developed a new camera module that improves a lot of areas. It features a 13-megapixel sensor and called ""the world's highest-performance camera module".

The highlights of this new camera module are:

* new and improved optical image stabilization technology. It corrects angular errors of up to 1.5-degrees off target. It reduces blur and increases sharpness.
* It also uses less power.
* It can shoot up to 8 times brighter images in the dark.

Faces of Facebook: Profile pictures of 1,277,258,153 Facebook users

You can now check your own profile pictures on the Faces of Facebook app (http://app.thefacesoffacebook.com/). It's an app developed by Natalia Rojas of Creative Technologist Freelance. It uses Facebook's API to display a chronological collage of 1,277,258,153 Facebook users profile photos.

The collage is clickable and you can zoom in and zoom out.

You can also connect your Facebook account and it would find your profile photo among the billion user's on the page. It will also highlights your friends on the map with a large white dots.

It also noted that they are not breaking any Facebook privacy rules because they don't store anyone's private information, pictures or names.

New Smaller Microsoft Surface tablet to be Announced

Microsoft will soon announce their new Surface tablets which includes a smaller screen version to take on Google's Nexus 7 and Apple's iPad Mini. They will have an announcement event scheduled in New York on Monday. Microsoft will release an update to its Windows 8 operating system on October 17. Windows 8.1 is designed for smaller touch screens, which have become popular because they are cheaper and easier to carry. The previous version of Windows 8 was limited to tablets with 10-inch to 12-inch screens.

Apple: New iPhone Won't Store Fingerprints

A Wall Street Journal reported that iPhone 5s which is equipped with a fingerprint scanner will not store actual images of users’ fingerprints on the device according to an Apple spokesman.

They said that the new Touch ID system will only store “fingerprint data,” which remains encrypted within the iPhone’s processor. It uses the digital signature to unlock itself or make purchases in Apple’s iTunes, iBooks or App stores.

In practice, this means that even if someone cracked an iPhone’s encrypted chip, they likely wouldn’t be able to reverse engineer someone’s fingerprint.

However, in my last post "NSA able to hack your smartphone" are you really sure that the NSA can't access your fingerprints? and you'll never know what will they do with it.

NSA able to hack your smartphone

A report by German media has discovered the capability of NSA to hack into smartphones, including the so-called super-secure Blackberry.

NSA documents in the possession of Edward Snowden and seen by der Spiegel said iPhones, BlackBerry devices and Google's Android mobile operating system are all able to be hacked.

They said that the NSA can take contact lists, SMS traffic, notes and location information about where a user has been. The NSA has set up working groups to tackle each operating system, to gain secret access to the data held on the phones.

der Spiegel also mentioned that the NSA are proud of how much data it can get out of an Apple iPhone and how they can use this to hack the computer they sync with.

They use "scripts" which enable additional access to at least 38 iPhone features. Blackberrys have been hackable since 2009, where agents could see and read SMS traffic. But the NSA lost this ability after the Canadian company changed the way it compresses its data. Britain's GCHQ intelligence agency helped them to regain access to BlackBerry data and share them the process on how to hack it.

The cache of documents also reveals that the NSA has succeeded in accessing the BlackBerry mail system, which was known to be very secure.

BlackBerry has always claimed that its mail system is uncrackable, I guess it's no longer the case.

LG unveils the G Pad 8.3 tablet

LG present the G Pad 8.3 tablet on Sunday. They hope the G Pad 8.3 tablet will challenge Apple's rumoured iPad Mini. The LG G Pad 8.3 is the firm's second stab at the Android tablet market, after its original LG Optimus Pad failed to make much of an impact.

The LG G Pad 8.3 is a top-end tablet device, it features an 8.3in 1920x1200 full HD touchscreen and a quad-core 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor. It runs on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.

LG has skinned the Android mobile OS with the same custom user interface found on its LG G2 smartphone, and will furnish the tablet with its own software features such as Knockon and Slideaside.

The LG G Pad 8.3 also features dual 5MP and 1.3MP cameras, 16GB of internal storage and a 4,600mAh battery.

It will be available across the US and Europe from November, although there's no word on pricing yet. LG has said however that it will be available in both black and white.

Check back soon for our hands-on with the LG G Pad 8.3 at the IFA conference in Berlin.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom Camera Phone

Samsung's Galaxy S4 Zoom cameraphone looks like a Galaxy S4 Mini, with the same 4.3" 540x960 pixels Super AMOLED display, powered by a 1.5 GHz dualcore Exynos 4212 processor, with 1.5 GB of RAM, 8 GB of internal storage plus a microSD slot for expansion, and features a 16 MP camera with 10x optical zoom on the back and optical image stabilization. The phone is run by Android 4.2 and powered by a 2330 MAH battery.

iPhone 5S in Gold

TechCrunch reports that the iPhone 5S will come in a shade of gold. Rumours of the legendary golden iPhone have been cropping up for a while now, with leaked components and analyst expectations pointing toward an aureate mobile.

While Apple is famed for its stark, minimalist product design, this wouldn't be the first time that its crafted a gilded gadget -- the first iPod mini came in gold, but the colour was discontinued after just one year.

Apple is tipped to be revealing its new smart phones on September 10, when we might also get a look at the rumoured cheap, plastic iPhone 5C.

Apple's past 'S' models have featured the same shell as the core model, though with different features and slightly different tech specs. Once again, it seems that will be the case for the 5S.

The iPhone 5S isn't expected to differentiate itself from the iPhone 5 too drastically, though a better camera and slightly faster processor will surely be part of the package.

One analyst has claimed Apple could use the iPhone 5S to increase its margin for iPhones as a result of falling profitability.

One thing is for sure, with the release of such super handsets as the Samsung Galaxy S4, Sony Xperia Z and HTC One, the next iPhone will have to seriously up its game.

iPhone 5S Reported launch date is September

iPhone 5S which is rumored to be a "budget iPhone" with plastic casing in an effort by Apple to break into emerging markets.

It is also expected to have a fingerprint scanner, a rumour which has been circulating online since a developer found plans for biometric scanning in a folder in the iOS7 beta, the operating system the new handset will carry.

It is also expected to have a significantly improved display that carry a 12 megapixel camera and dual LED flash.

"Some customers value large screen size, others value other factors such as resolution, colour quality, white balance, brightness, reflectivity, screen longevity, power consumption, portability, compatibility with apps and many things,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said. “Our competitors had made some significant trade-offs in many of these areas in order to ship a larger display. We would not ship a larger display iPhone while these trade-offs exist."

HTC One Max leaked Photos

A photo of the HTC One Max was leaked on Monday and the upcoming phablet is huge. The picture shows the HTC One Max under a Motorola XT882 (4-inch display, 4.81 x 2.46 x 0.52 inches). iPhone 5 measures 4.87 x 2.31 x 0.30 inches, which only means that HTC One Max is a giant phablet.

Reports said that the One Max will have a massive 6-inch display with full HD 1080p resolution, a quad-core 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 processor, up to 64GB of storage, 2GB of RAM and a 3,200 mAh battery.

Apple will likely drop iPhone 5 for "iPhone 5S" and "iPhone lite"

Apple are rumored to be preparing to halt production of the iPhone 5 when it debuts the handset's successor later this year. They instead want to produce only the "iPhone 5S" and an unannounced lower-priced counterpart "iPhone lite."

The latest rumors of iPhone 5 demise is reported by ETNews. The report focuses on the in-cell technology at work in the iPhone 5's touchscreen, claiming that that technology is "not suitable for low-volume production." Apple, according to the report, will abandon production of the iPhone 5, focusing on the high-end successor "iPhone 5S" and the "iPhone lite."

iPhone 5S are believe to be already in production and will be released on September 2013.

David Cameron wants to restrict internet pornography

David Cameron has come up with a plan to filter the internet automatically. By the end of 2014, all households will have their access to online pornography blocked unless they specifically request to keep it.

The move, to be announced later by the Prime Minister, is just one of a series of measures to be unveiled as he delivers an emotive speech warning that online pornography is “corroding childhood”.

Possessing violent pornography containing simulated rape scenes is to be made a crime in England and Wales.

And David Cameron is expected to set out plans for new laws placing the same restrictions on videos streamed online in the UK as on those sold in shops.

Experts from the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop), which is set to become part of the National Crime Agency, will be given enhanced powers to examine secretive file-sharing networks, and a secure database of banned child porn images gathered by police across the country will be used to trace illegal content and the paedophiles viewing it.

Now how about movies that shows violence? Rape and Pornography? I think it should be banned too if not then this law will just be selective and just favors David Cameron's rich friends and relatives.

Apple will probe death of Chinese using charging iPhone

This is an unfortunate and weird news, a Chinese woman was killed by an electric shock when she answered a call on her iPhone 5 while it was still charging.

Last Thursday July 11, 2013, Ma Ailun, a 23-year-old woman from China's western Xinjiang region and a flight attendant with China Southern Airlines, was electrocuted when she took a call on the charging mobile telephone, the official Xinhua news agency quoted police as saying on Sunday.

"We are deeply saddened to learn of this tragic incident and offer our condolences to the Ma family. We will fully investigate and cooperate with authorities in this matter," Apple said in an e-mail.

On Sina's microblog the victims sister said that Ma collapsed and died after using her charging iPhone 5 and urged users to be careful, a message that went viral on the site.

Grand Theft Auto V Trailer

Catch a glimpse of the actual game footage ahead of release above. Rockstar Games released the first gameplay trailer from their very successful game Grand Theft Auto V.

You will see the actual game footage, and the character using cars, planes, bikes, and diving gear. The game is set in the fictional city of Los Santos.

HP will launch new Android Smartphones

HP Senior Director Yam Su Yin said that HP will be making a comeback to the smartphone industry with the hopes of competing with giants like Apple and Samsung.

Apple and Samsung dominates the smartphone sales profits as of the moment and HP wants a piece of the market. HP intends to use the platform which has become a real challenger to Apple iOS, which is Android OS.

HP would need to have something different to win over customers.

Sony announces the Smartwatch 2 and Sony Xperia Z Ultra

Sony launches their second generation Smartwatch 2 at an event in London on Tuesday, they also announced the 6.4in Xperia Z Ultra phablet. Sony beat Apple's and Samsung's rumoured smart watches. Sony said that the Smartwatch 2 acts as a companion for Sony's Android powered smartphones.

It has a 1.6in 220x176 touchscreen and has a one-touch access to all of its main features. It includes the ability to glance at messages and Facebook posts while on the move, control music playback, handle phone calls and do things such as mapping while running. You can also take pictures through your phone using the watch.

Like the Sony Xperia Z Ultra, the watch is dust and water resistant. It also features built-in NFC, which makes pairing the Smartwatch with a phone easy.

Former HTC execs launch new smartphone Kazam

Two former HTC executives from the UK are hoping for a fresh start with their own company, Kazam. They are planning to release a  whole range of smartphones later this year.

Michael Coombes who is the former head of sales at HTC UK, and James Atkins, former U.K. marketing head for the Taiwanese company, announced on Monday that they are launching a start-up smartphone manufacturer Kazam. They promise Kazam would have "stunning design, robust hardware, and intuitive technology, underpinned with improved customer service. Kazam will focus on the European market."

"We believe your smartphone is a digital reflection of who you are, and since we are all different, it's important that we don't adopt a one size fits all approach," said Coombes in a statement. "We aim to provide quality smartphones that are accessible to everyone."

They have not yet disclosed the OS that they will use for Kazam.

Samsung Unveils Galaxy S4 Zoom With 16MP Camera

Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy S4 Zoom, it's a new version of its flagship smartphone and it has a 10x optical zoom. The S4 Zoom is Galaxy S4 Mini and Galaxy Camera combined into one, it is half-Camera, half-Smartphone. It has 16-megapixel CMOS sensor, an optical image stabilizer, and Xeon flash.

It ncludes a 4.3-inch, 960-by-540 display. It runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and a 1.5-GHz dual-core processor.

It also has a in-call photo sharing feature that is called Zoom Ring. While talking to your friend you can snap a picture and share it to your friend in an instant.

OS:         Android OS, v4.2.2 (Jelly Bean)
CPU:         Dual-core 1.5 GHz
Battery:      Li-Ion 2330 mAh battery
2G Network:     GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - all versions
3G Network:     HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 - all versions
4G Network:     LTE (market dependent)
SIM:     Micro-SIM
Release Date:    Exp. release 2013, Q3
Dimensions:     125.5 x 63.5 x 15.4 mm (4.94 x 2.5 x 0.61 in)
Weight:     208 g (7.34 oz)
Display:     Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
        540 x 960 pixels, 4.3 inches (~256 ppi pixel density)
        Multitouch
Memory:        Internal -      8 GB (5 GB user available), 1.5 GB RAM
        Card slot -    microSD, up to 64 GB
USB:         microUSB v2.0
Bluetooth:    Yes
WLAN:         Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, Wi-Fi hotspot
Camera:     Primary - 16 MP, autofocus, Xenon flash, check quality
        Geo-tagging, touch focus, face and smile detection, 10x optical zoom (24-240mm), optical             image stabilization, HDR, panorama
        Secondary - 1.9 MP
Video:        1080p@30fps   
Sensors:     Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass

Twitter Vine app launches on Android

Twitter's Vine app is now on Android smartphones. The free app, which enables people to record and share clips of up to six seconds with other Vine users as well as on Twitter and Facebook, has been available on iPhone since late January.

"Vine for Android has many of the features that more than 13 million people have grown to love: easy video creation with automatic playback and sound; Explore, where you can discover popular posts and see what's trending; and Find Friends, where you can find and invite people you know to join," said Sara Haider an Android engineer.

It Supports Android 4.0 and higher.

Vine is the best way to see and share life in motion. Create short, beautiful, looping videos in a simple and fun way for your friends and family to see.

• Unlimited uploads and free
• Instantly post videos on Vine, then share to Twitter and Facebook (more coming soon!)
• Find, follow, and interact with people close to you
• Explore trending posts, featured hashtags and editor's picks
• And so much more.

Tits & Glass app banned by Google

MiKandi, LLC, an adult app store has developed an app called Tits & Glass for Google Glass that prompted Google to change its policy to ban adult content on Google Glass.

Now Google Glass have content policy regarding adult content.

"We don't allow Glassware content that contains nudity, graphic sex acts, or sexually explicit material. Google has a zero-tolerance policy against child pornography. If we become aware of content with child pornography, we will report it to the appropriate authorities and delete the Google Accounts of those involved with the distribution."

On titsandglass.com site they have posted an update regarding this news:

"We have just learned that Google changed their policy over the weekend to ban our porn app for Google Glass. The website will function as normal, but we are making changes to the app to comply with the new policy. Please go to our company blog to learn more."

Wireless Network

It refers to any type of computer network that uses wireless (usually, but not always radio waves) for network connections.

It is a method by which homes, telecommunications networks and enterprise (business) installations avoid the costly process of introducing cables into a building, or as a connection between various equipment locations. Wireless telecommunications networks are generally implemented and administered using radio communication. This implementation takes place at the physical level (layer) of the OSI model network structure.

Types of wireless networks:

Wireless personal area networks (WPANs) interconnect devices within a relatively small area, that is generally within a person's reach.

Wireless local area network (WLAN) links two or more devices over a short distance using a wireless distribution method, usually providing a connection through an access point for Internet access.

Wireless mesh network is a wireless network made up of radio nodes organized in a mesh topology. Each node forwards messages on behalf of the other nodes.

Wireless metropolitan area networks are a type of wireless network that connects several wireless LANs.

Wireless wide area networks are wireless networks that typically cover large areas, such as between neighboring towns and cities, or city and suburb. These networks can be used to connect branch offices of business or as a public internet access system. The wireless connections between access points are usually point to point microwave links using parabolic dishes on the 2.4 GHz band, rather than omnidirectional antennas used with smaller networks.

Cellular network or mobile network is a radio network distributed over land areas called cells, each served by at least one fixed-location transceiver, known as a cell site or base station. In a cellular network, each cell characteristically uses a different set of radio frequencies from all their immediate neighbouring cells to avoid any interference.

How Fast Is a Wi-Fi Network? check out: WebMan Blog

SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 vs APPLE IPHONE 5

SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 Processor(CPU): 1.9GHz quad-core processor or 1.6GHz octa-core processor Internal memory: 16GB; 32GB; or 64GB Operating system:Android OS,v4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) Display: 1920-by-1080 pixels Pixel density: 441 per inch Height: 136.6 mm (5.38 inches) Width: 69 mm (2.72 inches) Depth: 7.9 mm (0.31 inches) Weight: 130 g (4.59 oz) Touchscreen: 5in Network speeds: 3G and 4G LTE Lite Battery: Li-Ion 2600 mAh battery     Stand-by: (2G) / Up to 370 h (3G)     Talk time: (2G) / Up to 17 h (3G)     Music play: Up to 62 h Camera: 13 megapixel in back-facing camera, 2    megapixel in front-facing         Primary: 13 MP, 4128 x 3096 pixels, autofocus, LED flash         Features: Dual Shot, Simultaneous HD video and image recording, geo-tagging, touch               focus, face and smile detection, image stabilization, HDR         Video: Yes, 1080p@30fps, dual-video rec.         Secondary: Yes, 2 MP,1080p@30fps, dual video call Voice recognition: It caan translate nine languages and utilizes voice-activated tools that can dictate, reply, forward or save text messages Built-in apps: Video chat; internet browser; Gmail; Google Talk, Google Play Store; infrared LED; Google Maps; YouTube Other memory: Data stored in Samsung's HomeSync - a household cloud service Colors: White Frost, Black Mist

APPLE IPHONE 5 Processor(CPU): A6 chip said to be twice as quick as A5. Internal memory: 16GB; 32GB; or 64GB Operating system: Apple iOS 6 Display: 1136x640 pixels Pixel density: 326 per inch Height: 123.8 mm (4.87 inches) Width: 58.6 mm (2.31 inches) Depth: 7.6 mm (0.3 inches) Weight: 112 grams (3.95 ounces) Touchscreen: 4in Network speeds: 3G and mobile 4G Battery: fixed Li-Po 1,440 mAh batt. (5.45 Wh)     Stand-by: Up to 225 h (2G) / Up to 225 h(3G)     Talk time: Up to 8 h (2G) / Up to 8 h (3G)     Music play: Up to 40 h Camera: 8 megapixel in back-facing camera 1.2 in front-facing     Primary: 8 MP, 3264x2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash, check quality     Features: Simultaneous HD video and image recording, touch focus, geo-tagging,     face      detection, panorama, HDR       Video: Yes, 1080p@30fps, video stabilization, check quality     Secondary: Yes, 1.2 MP, 720p@30fps, face detection, FaceTime over Wi-Fi or          Cellular Voice recognition: Siri upgraded to allow spoken recommendations for films or restaurants. Possible to update Facebook status by voice command Built-in apps: FaceTime; video editing; Safari internet browser; email; Apple maps; no YouTube as standard Other memory: Purchases stored in Apple’s iCloud servers Colors: Black/Slate, White/Silver

Nokia Lumia 928, Windows Phone

If you are looking for an alternative smartphone to Android and Apple you can try Nokia Lumia 928. It is a Windows phone with a low-light camera function. Lumia 928 has a big screen size but it is smaller than Samsung Galaxy S4.

It has a high-gloss finish, which is available in white or black. The screen is a 4.5-inch OLED panel with a 1,280-by-768-pixel resolution and 334-pixels-per-inch screen density.

It runs with a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8960 processor. The operating system is Windows Phone 8.

Advantages of the Nokia Lumia 928:

1. 8.7-megapixel camera “captures amazing blur-free photos and videos even in low light.” Xenon flash freezes moving objects to reduce blurry pictures. It also has the Smart Shoot function which captures a series of images and merges the best ones. 

2. Hyper-real sound - Digital high-performance microphone records distortion-free sound, even at loud stadiums and concerts. Play it back just like you first heard it. High-performance loudspeaker and powerful digital amplifier create unmatched clarity and loudness.

3. Lumia 928 is thinner and lighter than Lumia 920.

Disadvantages:

1. It is available only in white or black.

2. The plastic feels and looks cheaper than the Lumia 920.

Sony Xperia ZR 13 megapixel Full HD underwater resistant

Check out Sony's brandnew Android smartphone the Sony Xperia ZR, which is designed for underwater shooting. Howerver, you can only use it in fresh water.

It comes with a 4.6 inch screen full HD, 13 megapixel camera, 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 4G LTE, and 2GB of RAM.

Xperia ZR Specification:

Display:  4.55 inches 16 millions colours
Operating system: Google Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
Processor: 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Quad Core
RAM: 2GB RAM
Storage: 8GB internal storage, microSD expansion 32GB
Connectivity: 2G, 3G, 4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB 2.0 and NFC-enabled SmartTags
Camera: 13 megapixel fast-capture camera with Exmor RS
16x digital zoom with auto focu rear camera with LED flash, VGA front unit
Battery: 2,300mAh

Will be available in black or white.

Samsung Breakthrough in Mobile Data Speed

Samsung Electronics reported that they made a breakthrough in mobile technologies, they said that they have increase the data transmission of the fifth-generation networks 100x than fourth-generation (4G) technology.

"Samsung's latest innovation is expected to invigorate research into 5G cellular communications across the world," said Samsung today. “The company believes it will trigger the creation of international alliances and the timely commercialization of related mobile broadband services.”

5G technology will allow users to transmit huge data files, like high-quality digital movies, “practically without limitation,” they said. With this technology, split seconds movie downloads will be a reality.

The European Union announced earlier this year a plan to invest €50 million, or $65 million, in research to deliver 5G mobile technology by 2020.

HTC One Mini

HTC has finally come up with a smartphone that can compete with other smartphone in the market today. The HTC One Mini has a impressive hardware and powerful software. At the launch of HTC One, people were impressed by the metal design, it looks durable and classy. The ultra-pixel camera was impressive. HTC One Mini or also known as M4 is the small version of HTC One just like the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini. HTC One Mini is likely to be release in June.

The phone is similar to the HTC One, it has the same dual loudspeaker placement, volume buttons and MicroSD card slot. However, the M4 has a flash above it's camera unlike the HTC One

Since this is a small variant, I believe that the processor will be downgraded to dual-core insted of a quad-core. It would have a Ultrapixel camera, and expected to have a 1700 mAh battery.

LivingSocial Hacked 50 Million Accounts compromised

LivingSocial's systems has been breached by cyber-hackers and illegaly accessed more than 50 million customers information. Users need to change their passwords immediately.

LivingSocial have sent notification emails about the breach to all affected customers. The email contains information about the cyber-attack which resulted in unauthorized access of customer data.

Affected are more than 50 million accounts, according to LivingSocial, making this one of the largest password breaches this year.

LivingSocial has preemptively reset passwords for all users, and they advise users to make sure to pick new passwords that aren't being used anywhere else. A lot of people use the same password for other sites like email, Facebook, and twitter.

LivingSocial had hashed and salted its passwords to slow down the attacker, but it won't stop them. They will figure it out, it's just a matter of time.

8 million Defective iPhones

Apple reportedly returned 8 million defective iPhones to Foxconn according to a report on China Business newspaper.

The returned iPhones problems ranges from non-compliance in design, malfunction, and minor damages. The manufacturing cost of the phone is $200 each and it will cost Foxconn as much as $1 billion to replace the unfit products. The report did not mention what model was affected.

"Foxconn follows a strict policy of not commenting on specific customers or products that we produce." a statement issued by Foxconn.

Foxconn also have to deal with first quarter sales slump due to slowing demand for iPhone.

Worlds most expensive iPhone 5 worth US$15m

A Hong Kong businessman hired craftsman Stuart Hughes from Liverpool to incorporate his 26-carat black diamond worth $14.5 million to an iPhone. The diamond has been with his family for generations.

According to Hughes, the iPhone has 600 flawless white diamonds, a full solid gold dressing and 53 diamonds on the rear that make up the iconic Apple logo.

The 42-year-old craftsman is known for making lavish and expensive items, including an iPad made of solid gold he debuted two years ago.

Samsung Galaxy Y Plus

Samsung Galaxy Y Plus key specifications

• 850MHz processor
• Android 4.0
• 2.8 inch TFT QVGA (240x320 pixels) display
• 4GB of internal storage expandable up to 32GB via microSD
• 2-megapixel rear camera
• Dual-SIM
• Wi-Fi, 3G, GPRS, EDGE, AGPS and Glonass, Micro-USB
• 1,200mAh battery
• 104.9 x 57.9 x 12.98mm
• 96 grams

Samsung Galaxy Y Plus GT-S5303 is powered by a 850MHz processor and has 4GB of internal storage. It comes with a 1,200mAh battery and Micro-USB port. It has Wi-Fi, 3G, GPRS, EDGE, AGPS and Glonass for connectivity.

It measures at 104.9 x 57.9 x 12.98mm and weigh 96 grams. The screen is a 2.8-inch TFT QVGA (240x320 pixels) display and runs on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). It also comes with a 2-megapixel rear camera.

Samsung Galaxy Young

Samsung Galaxy Young specifications

• 1GHz processor
• 768MB RAM
• Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
• 3.27 inch HVGA TFT display
• 4GB of internal storage expandable up to 64GB thru microSD
• 3 megapixel rear camera
• Dual-SIM
• Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.0, USB
• 1,300mAh battery
• 58.6x109.4x12.5 mm
• 112 grams

Samsung Galaxy Young is a mid-range smartphone that is powered by a 1GHz processor along with 768MB of RAM. There is 4GB of internal storage available on the smartphone, which can be expanded by up to 64GB via microSD card. Measuring 58.6x109.4x12.5 mm and weighing 112 grams, the Galaxy Young features a 3.27-inch HVGA TFT display. This smartphone runs on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). It comes with a 3-megapixel rear camera.

This phone is a dual-SIM smartphone and have the connectivity options that includes Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.0 and USB. The colors available are White, Wine Red, Deep Blue, and Metallic Silver. Featured software are Samsung Hub, Samsung Kies, TouchWiz, S Cloud and ChatON messenger.

Google Nose Smell search engine (Happy April Fools Day)

Google sent invitations on Monday to try out a new feature, called "Google Nose."

"Google Search is incredibly powerful... But we'd realized that there's an important part of the search experience we'd overlooked," said Google Nose product manager, Jon Wooley.

Google Nose Beta touts that "Smelling is believing," claiming an "aromabase" of over 15 million "scentibytes."

The service seeks to "go beyond type, talk, and touch for a new notation of sensation," due to "expertly curated Knowledge Panels (that) pair images, descriptions, and aromas."

https://www.google.com/intl/en/landing/nose/

Skype HD update for Windows Phones

There is a new Skype update for Microsoft Windows Phones that brings new and exciting features. Skype allows users to easily connect with their friends and family through the internet.

The new update gives a clearer image that supports HD videos for calls and also allows you to access your Skype contacts very easily. You can now chat with your friends and family in crisp, high-definition (HD) video calls.

In a blog post, Microsoft's Derek Snyder said Skype for WP8 Preview's version 2.4 takes advantage of the phone's hardware acceleration.

"[T]his is our first smartphone app to enable free face-to-face video calls in crisp, clear and beautifully lifelike HD. We have significantly improved video calling quality for all users, offering VGA video on lower end handsets and 720P HD on higher-end devices including the Nokia Lumia 920, HTC 8X and Samsung Ativ S," said Snyder, head of mobile marketing for Skype. 

Even better, he said the app "intelligently" determines the best video quality available given the speed of one's Internet connection.

Another feature that allows switching between front and back cameras lets a user "chat in the most comfortable way possible," Snyder said.

However, “PC World” said there may still be some known issues to iron out before the Preview app graduates to a final version.

“PC World” cited a problem where picture-in-picture conversations may not work in all video calls. (http://www.pcworld.com/article/2031254/skype-preview-for-windows-phone-8-gets-hd-video.html

"Microsoft isn't saying when a final version of the application is expected to arrive, but the improved preview can now be downloaded from Windows Phone Store," it added.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Review

Samsung Galaxy S4 has a larger screen size than the S3. HD screen 1080 x 1920 pixels. 

It runs on Android 4.2.2.2. Jellybean. It has multi-view mode that allows users to split the screen between two apps.

Smart Pause is a new feature. The phone monitors your gaze when you’re watching video content and pauses the video when you look away. It also allows you to scroll through content by tilting the device up or down.

Camera -  It has two cameras with the ability to simultaneously shoot with the front and rear cameras.

Air View / Air Gesture -

The S4 comes with the ability to read hand gestures, allowing users to control various device functions through pointing, waving, and making swiping motions.

Simply motion your hand at the Samsung GALAXY S4 to accept calls, change music, or browse the web and your photos with Air Gesture. How simple is that? Air View makes it quicker,easier, and super-convenient to enlarge content and photos, preview emails, and speed dial all with your finger barely hovering over the screen.

Even when you’re wearing gloves, the Samsung GALAXY S4 still responds to your touch.

S Voice Drive - The S Voice Drive was developed for your safety while driving. In Drive Mode, the Samsung GALAXY S4 provides a simpler interface: bigger fonts, intuitive look, and text to speech service. For important tasks that require your hands and attention – making calls, answering calls, organizing messages, and asking for directions – you can now do with both hands safely on your steering wheel.

Power - The S4 is a powerfull phone it is the first smartphone with an 8-core chip. It consists of four Cortex-A15 cores clocked at 1.6GHz for performance while the remaining four are Cortex-A7s clocked at 1.2GHz and this will be used for less demanding tasks. In terms of memory power, the amount of RAM has been doubled to 2 Gigabytes.

The Galaxy S4 is packed with exciting features and stylish design however the plastic case of the phone could feel cheap to some, compared to competitors.

Google reveals warrantless FBI data requests access to 2,000 Google accounts

The FBI attempted to get data on more than a thousand Google accounts last year without a warrant, Google has revealed. Instead, the Bureau used a procedure known as a National Security Letter - which Google has never before discussed in detail.

A report on The Wall Street Journal quoted Google as saying the FBI used a "national security letter" instead of a warrant to ask for the details.

"Google said it received between zero and 999 NSLs in 2012 and that the letters sought information on a total of 1,000 to 1,999 users or accounts. (The number of users suggests Google got at least one NSL last year, not zero, but the company wouldn’t comment beyond its report),"

"The secrecy surrounding national security letters means that Google’s report is remarkable even though it provides only vague information,"

Google is the first Internet company to reveal such data, the WSJ report noted.

With the national security letters, the government may seek financial, phone and Internet data without going before a judge or grand jury.

Also, the WSJ report said the NSLs are usually subject to gag orders that companies "can’t even acknowledge getting such letters at all."

Samsung Galaxy S4's "Eye Scroll" function

The Galaxy S4 will be unveiled on March 14 and is expected to feature a pretty cool function, the "Eye Scroll."

The "Eye Scroll" technology will allow for automatic scrolling and page turning when your eyes reach the bottom of the screen and, it may also allow for eye-controlled video games.

Galaxy S4 will track you while you are tracking words on it.

The screen will supposedly scroll down when you are reading the final words on the page. Just when you think of going to the next page, the phone will do it for you. Samsung in January filed for a trademark in Europe for the name “Eye Scroll.” It filed for the “Samsung Eye Scroll” trademark in the United States in February for the above mentioned feature. The Smartphone manufacturer has also filed for the trademark “Eye Pause,” without describing what the feature does.

The specs are 1080 x 1920 pixel ratio for a 4.99 inch screen with cornering Gorilla glass 2; 13 MP Autofocus primary camera with LED flash and a humble 2.1 MP cam for video conferencing. Inside the case is a Li-Ion 2600 mAh battery and an eight-core Exynos processor, a separate eight-core graphics processing unit.

Mobile World Congress 2013

The Mobile World Congress conference in Barcelona, Spain has a lot of unveiling:

Samsung's Galaxy Note 8.0 was unveiled on Sunday, an eight-inch mobile device that works as a mobile phone.

It runs on a quad-core processor,1,280 x 800 pixels screen and Samsung's 'S-Pen' stylus input.

HP unveiled Slate 7, which is a low-cost Android tablet with a 1,024 x 600 pixels display and a dual-core A9 processor.

Hauwei unveiled Ascend P2, which it said was the world's "fastest" mobile device, with a 4.7-inch screen and a 13 megapixels camera.

Facebook targeted by hackers

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Facebook said that they have been "targeted in a sophisticated attack” last month, but that it found no evidence any user data was compromised.

In a blog post, Facebook said that the malware came from an infected website of a mobile developer and that “we remediated all infected machines, informed law enforcement, and began a significant investigation that continues to this day.”

The attackers used a previously unseen exploit taking advantage of a flaw in Java software made by Oracle, which was alerted to the situation and released a patch the first of February, according to Facebook.

The hackers appeared to be targeting developers and technology firms based on the website they chose to booby-trap with malicious code.

“Facebook was not alone in this attack,” the Northern California-based company said.

“It is clear that others were attacked and infiltrated recently as well.” The US intelligence community has concluded that America is the target of a massive cyber-espionage campaign that is threatening its competitiveness, The Washington Post reported just days ago.

Citing unnamed officials, the newspaper said the conclusion is contained in the National Intelligence Estimate, a classified report that represents the consensus view of the US intelligence community.

Samsung Galaxy Note battery explodes in Korea, owner injured

Korean news "Chosun Ilbo" reported that the battery of Samsung Galaxy Note blew up while it was inside the pocket of a 55-year old man. The man was reportedly carrying the phone with a spare battery in his pocket when the explosion occurred. It is not clear if it was the spare battery that caused the explosion, or the battery inside the Galaxy Note. The man reportedly suffered second degree burns to his right thigh.

The Bupyeong Fire Station in Incheon was called to the scene of the accident.

A Samsung spokesman in Korea downplayed the incident:

    “Lithium ion batteries can catch fire due to external pressure or sudden changes in temperature, so we’re trying to understand what really happened.”

The report notes this is the second such incident involving a Samsung Galaxy smartphone in the country, after a schoolboy suffered an injury when his Galaxy S II exploded in his trouser pockets in March last year.

Microsoft Surface estimates 1 million sales

Michael Turits with Raymond James said that at $34 price target, Microsoft sold at least 1 million Surface units last quarter.

Other estimates, Citigroup analyst Walter Pritchard thinks Microsoft sold between 700,000 and 800,000 Surfaces last quarter, while Goldman Sachs analyst Heather Bellini pegs Surface sales at a measly 230,000 units. Of course, the Surface brand could get a boost in the near future if businesses take a liking to the Surface Pro over the next months, but for the time being it looks as though Microsoft’s first effort at selling tablets has been a bust.

Facebook lets some people email Mark Zuckerberg for $100

If you can email Mark Zuckerberg what will you say? Facebook is offering users the opportunity email Mark Zuckerberg for $100 and they will make sure that the message lands in his main inbox rather than the spam messages box.

The option to pay $100 to message Zuckerberg isn’t open to everyone, but was spotted by Mashable, which posted a screen capture of the option in action.

Microsoft Surface Pro Release Date Set For Jan. 29 Price Starts at $899

Surface with Windows 8 Pro is all new, and yet you can do everything you’ve ever done on your PC. Touch-enhanced applications run as smoothly as your favorite desktop software, so you can work the way you want.

The Surface Pro comes packed with an Intel Core i5 processor, 1080p full HD display, 64GB SSD drive, HDMI, USB ports, and the full version of Windows 8.