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."