Technology

Focus 2: Samsung First LTE Windows Phone

May 12, 2012 By Delaon

Even if Samsung just caused a huge commotion with its most recent Android smartphone, the Galaxy S3, it is obviously not giving up its line of Windows Phone. In fact, the Samsung Focus 2 is competitively priced to grab some sales from HTC and Nokia. The recently unveiled Samsung Focus 2 is the next handset in the smartphone series consisting of the original Focus, Focus S and Focus Flash. It is only available in one color which is white.

The Focus 2 is Samsung's first Windows Phone that features LTE. AT&T has two other Windows phone with LTE capabilities namely the Titan 2 of HTC and the Lumia 900 of Nokia which was both released last April.

However, not like the $100 Lumia 900, the Titan 2 costs $200 and the Focus 2 is even more affordable for only $50 under a contract of two years. Because of the affordability of the Focus 2, the handset can attract users who want to transition from feature to smart phones.

The specs of the Focus 2 is almost at the same level as other thin smart phones as it is only 10.98 in thickness and 4.3 ounces in weight. It can even be compared to the Galaxy S3 which weighs 4.7 ounces with a thickness of 8.6 mm.

The Samsung Focus 2 has a Super AMOLED display screen with a resolution of 400 x 800 pixels and a size of 4 inches. It consists of 1750 mAH battery, 1.4 GHz one-core processor and 8 GB memory. Its 5 MP camera can capture 720p HD videos and its front facing VGA camera allows video chat.

The Focus 2 windows phone of the Korean electronics giant runs on Windows 7.5 Mango and will be exclusively offered by AT&T beginning the 20th of May.

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: Focus 2, Samsung, Windows Phone

Solution to Display Issue on Nokia Lumia 900 Found

May 12, 2012 By Peter Parcon

Nokia (NYSE:NOK) is reportedly working on a solution to the purple hue that was noted on the display of some units of the Nokia Lumia 900 smartphone. According to the NokiaCare account of the company, it was able to identify the problem and is already working on a fix that will be bundled into the next software update for the Nokia Lumia 900.

A number of Nokia Lumia 900 owners have noted that the display of their smartphones have a purple tint whenever the brightness level is low. Some discussions were made on the issue affecting some units of the recently-released smartphone from Nokia with some users posting images that showed the tint of a good unit of the Nokia Lumia 900 and another unit affected by the problem.

Nokia

The company admitted the problem on the screen of its recently-released device though the Facebook account of the company and through a forum in the UK. It was also recommended that European customer should bring the smartphone to a Nokia Care center and have their Nokia Lumia 900 units checked by the support staff of the company.

The release schedule of the fix for the purple hue problem on the Nokia smartphone has yet to be revealed although the company indicated that it will tweet the availability of the update once it is finalized.

The demand for the recently-released device was string in a number of regions including the US although some issues were experienced by the users of the device. The Nokia Lumia 900 initially experienced problems with its connectivity which was dealt with by Nokia through a $100 credit for current and new customers of the company. This covered the cost of a new unit of the Nokia Lumia 900.

Observers have also noted other minor issues on the Nokia Lumia 900, which may be dealt with by the company through a software update.

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: Nokia Lumia 900

Comparing the HTC EVO 4G LTE with the HTC One X

May 12, 2012 By Peter Parcon

The HTC One X is the most popular unit in the One series smartphones of HTC (TPE:2498) that was initially introduced during the Mobile World Congress. The device was released prior to the HTC EVO 4G LTE, another HTC device that will reportedly offer a number of features that provides optimum user experience.

The upcoming release of the EVO 4G LTE into the market has resulted to some comparisons by industry watchers with the HTC One X. In terms of processing power, the quad-core 1.5GHz processor of the HTC One X may offer better performance compared to the dual-core 1.5GHz processor of the EVO 4G LTE.

Comparing the HTC EVO 4G LTE With The HTC One X

HTC

Both devices feature a 4.7-inch Super IPS LCD2 touch screen that has a 1280 by 720 resolution that comes with the Corning Gorilla Glass protection. When it comes to weight, the 130 gram HTC One X is slightly lighter compared to the 134 gram EVO 4G LTE.

In the camera department both the EVO 4G LTE One X feature an 8MP camera that comes with a LED flash, auto-focus feature, smile and face detection, and geo-tagging. The cameras of both smartphones are also capable of image and HD video recording. Together with the 1.3MP camera in front, the EVO 4G LTE One X are tied in this aspect of the device.

Both the EVO 4G LTE One X come with a 1GB RAM however the former features a 32GB internal storage although it does not offer a microSD memory card slot. In contrast the latter comes with a 16GB internal storage that is expandable through a microSD memory card for another 32GB of storage. The EVO 4G LTE has the advantage here since users will be able to store more content compared to that of the HTC One X.

The battery life of the EVO 4G LTE is better with its 2000mAh Li-Ion battery compared to the 1800mAh Li-Po battery of the HTC One X.

In addition to these features, the HTC One X comes with Beats audio support and is the first quad-core smartphone of HTC. On the other hand the HTC EVO 4G LTE comes with the HD Voice, NFC support and the Google Wallet service. Consumers can make their own selection based on which device would meet their individual needs.

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: EVO 4G LTE, HTC EVO 4G, HTC One X

Remote Control Feature for HTC One X Camera Uncovered

May 12, 2012 By Peter Parcon

A feature is reportedly hidden in the HTC Sense 4.0 user interface of the HTC One X. This feature reportedly comes out when the HTC (TPE:2498) device is used together with a particular pair of Bluetooth headsets. The camera shutter mechanism of the HTC One X can be controlled by a certain type of Bluetooth headset. A video has reportedly emerged that showed this particular hidden feature on the HTC One X.

The video shows that the shutter of the HTC One X was remotely controlled by pressing a combination of buttons on the Bluetooth headset. The video was released through a website based in China and reportedly came from the Android Community.

HTC One X

No confirmations were made by HTC in connection to the reported remote control function on this recently-released HTC device. No official document has also emerged in connection to this recently-discovered feature of the HTC One X. However some industry watchers are speculating that the same feature may also be found on the other smartphones in the One series of HTC.

It will be necessary to press a combination of buttons on the Bluetooth headset in order for the feature to work. The iTech A2DP headset would require a double press on its volume up button. On the other hand the Plantronic and Jabra Bluetooth headsets would require users to press the dial button three times in order for the remote control feature on the camera shutter of the HTC One X to function.

However this recently-discovered feature on the HTC One X does not appear to work with the Finiti headset of Motorola (NYSE:MMI). This indicates that the remote control feature on the camera of the HTC one X is limited to certain types of Bluetooth headsets.

With no official statement from HTC, users of the HTC One X can make their own experiments with the remote control function on the camera of the device and have fun with this recently-discovered feature.

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: HTC One X

Reports Hint at Release of Android 4.0 Update for Samsung Galaxy Note

May 12, 2012 By Peter Parcon

Reports have given indications that the Android 4.0 update is already being downloaded in Germany and the Netherlands although Samsung did not issue any official statements in connection to these reports. The Android 4.0 update for the Samsung Galaxy Note was reportedly already being released in the European market as indicated in a number of recent reports.

An owner of a Samsung Galaxy Note in the Netherlands was reportedly the source of the supposed release of the Android 4.0 update based on a tweet that emerged recently.

A tweet from the user showed an image showing the software update alert. The Android 4.0 update for the Samsung Galaxy Note comes with a number of features including enhanced productivity and note-taking tools for the S Note App. The S Memo Widget was also included in the update for the Samsung Galaxy Note along with a number of other enhancements.

samsung galaxy note

According to Sammy Hub a website focused on Samsung reportedly revealed that some XDA Developers who are based in Germany have supposedly received the Android 4.0 update for their Samsung Galaxy Note units.

Users of the Samsung Galaxy Note had expected the Android 4.0 update to be released for their devices during the first quarter of the year however an announcement by Samsung last March indicated that it will be releasing a premium suite together with the Android 4.0 update.

The company also indicated that the Android 4.0 update for the Samsung Galaxy Note will not be released before the second quarter of the year. The software update will reportedly be released around the world soon although only certain countries in Europe are currently receiving the latest software update for the Samsung Galaxy Note.

For the moment no other information was available in connection to the Android 4.0 update for the Samsung Galaxy Note.

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: Samsung Galaxy Note

Kyocera Unveils Anroid 4.0 Smartphones

May 11, 2012 By Delaon

During the 2012 CTIA Wireless, San Diego-based Kyocera Communications, Inc., source of Kyocera wireless smartphones in the United States, introduced two smartphones that run on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS. The two smartphones, the Kyocera Hydro and Kyocera Rise, are both intended to meet the demands of consumers' lives.

The Kyocera Hydro is a waterproof phone that hasa water resistance level of IPx5- and IPx7. The Hydro is certainly waterproof when submerged in water with a depth of one meter for a maximum of 30 minutes and when exposed to sprayed water such as rain.

In addition, the Hydro is the first waterproof smartphone intended for consumers in the North America. TNS Global Research conducted a study last January and the results showed that 82.5 million gadgets in the US have been damaged due to moisture or water. Wireless Lounge also recently conducted a survey and found out that 70% of consumers will take into account water resistance when purchasing their future phones.

On the other hand, a QWERTY keypad, touchscreen and Anroid 4.0 ICS is featured in the Kyocera Rise. A Yankee Group survey shows that 69% of consumers considered a QWERTY keypad as very important on their gadgets.

The features of both Kyocera Hydro and Kyocera Rise include a HVGA capacitive LCD touchscreen of 3.5-inches, 1 GHz Snapdragon processor of Qualcomm, ROM of 2GB, RAM of 512 MB and microSD slot that supports a maximum of 32 GB. Moreover, both have a camera of 3.2 MP together with LED flash, and 3fps camcorder. In terms of connectivity, both phones support Wi-Fi, Stereo Bluetooth and USB 2.0.

Hydro measures 4.53 inches long, 2.44 inches wide, 0.50 inches deep with a weight of 4.16 ounces. On the other hand, the Rise measures 4.44 inches long, 2.38 inches wide and 0.56 inches deep with a weight of 5.54 ounces. Some other features include 3-axis accelerometer, digital compass, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, and Eco Mode software that conserve and regulate battery life. The Hydro and Rise will be both released nationwide within the third or fourth quarter of this year.

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: Anroid 4.0 Smartphones

Nokia to Add More Apps Especially to Lumia Devices

May 11, 2012 By Delaon

The Lumia series of Nokia was received well and praised highly most especially the Lumia 900. However, the lack of sufficient number of apps on the platform of the Windows Phone proved to be a main drawback of the Lumia Series. As a way to address the problem, Nokia made an announcement at the 2012 CTIA wireless that some high-profile apps will be available in the mobile operating system of Microsoft and the Lumia line will be the first to enjoy the exclusive access to several of the apps.

An example of the app that will be exclusively available to the Lumia for about a year is the PGA Tour App. The ESPN App will also available on Lumia devices until May of next year. Other Lumia exclusive apps like the AOL Entertainment HUB and Groupon app will be available for six months and Tripdots for three months.
Other apps for all devices of the Windows Phone include Time Magazine, PayPal and cloud provider Box.

Nokia Lumia

Angry-birds creator Rovio will also offer game apps. Rovio is even planning to create a team for the design and development of games especially made for smartphones of the Nokia Lumia line and the wider ecosystem of the Windows Phone. What this means is that owners of Windows Phones will get the chance to enjoy the releases of Angry Birds together with iPhone and Android users.

EA will also have game apps for the Windows phone which will include FIFA, NBA Jam, Yahtzee, Madden NFL, Tiger Woods PGA Tour and Mirror’s Edge.
Last May 8, Nokia introduced City Lens, an enlarged reality app for its Lumia series. The app utilizes the camera of the phone to show restaurants, stores and other venues present in the immediate vicinity of the user. Moreover, the app lets the user scan the horizon using the camera of the phone and see the available venues in the vicinity.

The app also show reviews and star ratings for every location. Moreover, users can share where they are headed through email, social networking sites or text messaging. They can also tap to make a call for additional information.

Filed Under: Technology

Android 4.0 Update for HTC EVO 3D Leaked

May 11, 2012 By Peter Parcon

The HTC EVO 3D was released into the market last July and since that time it has yet to receive the official Android 4.0 update. Earlier unofficial Android 4.0 updates were released earlier but these unofficial builds had a number of issues that made the HTC (TPE:2498) device a bit unstable. However recent reports have given indications that the EVO 3D may soon receive the official Android 4.0 update.

According to reports the official Ice Cream Sandwich update from Virgin Mobile was leaked recently by Team Virtuous of RootzWiki. Some industry watchers have indicated that this particular leaked update for the EVO 3D appears to be the actual software package for the device.

HTC EVO 3D

The leaked Android 4.0 update for the EVO 3D will offer the latest Android OS along with the HTC Sense 3.6 custom UI. Although this particular version of the OS is somewhat older than the current version, it may be sufficient enough for ordinary users of the EVO 3D.

Users of the device can check RootzWiki for the original Android 4.0 update although an XDA Developer user reportedly has a fully functional ROM for the device. Both of these software updates reportedly does not have any major issues and all the features of the device will be functional.

It is also important to read through the instructions for the Android 4.0 update for the EVO 3D for users who have no experience in flashing custom ROMs into their devices. Since the Android 4.0 update is supposed to be a leaked version of the official software update for the EVO 3D, the official update may be released soon so it may also be practical to wait for the Android 4.0 update to be released to the EVO 3D.

With the Android 4.0 update, owners of the HTC EVO 3D will finally be able to experience the features offered by the latest version of the Android OS.

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: Evo 3D

Android 4.0 Reaches the Samsung Galaxy Note

May 11, 2012 By Delaon

The past several weeks have been great for owners of Android devices who have been waiting for an upgrade to their smartphones and tablets to the most recent operating system of Google, the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Since mid month of April, the entire Xperia line of Sony including its flagship Sony Tablet S as well as the incredibly popular Galaxy S2 of Samsung has obtained their ICS upgrades.

Currently, it is Samsung's turn to receive an ICS upgrade for its top selling phone and tablet hybrid, the Samsung Galaxy Note. The phablet will receive the update over the air. The upgrade has been quiet without plenty of fanfare. However, it only reached a somewhat limited amount of Galaxy Note units. In particular, only the Note's international edition with the GT-N7000 code, has obtained an update so far and only owners in Europe seem to be the first to obtain the update.

samsung galaxy note

What this means is that owners of the Galaxy Note under AT&T or any other carrier still have to wait for their own updates to come later on.
Just like the usual, Samsung will promote a TouchWiz skinned version of the ICS versus the stock Android in the new upgrade that is 318 MB in size. This implies that Samsung will offer the Premium Suite with S-Pen optimized apps.

The suite comprises of the S Note's updated versions as well as the My Story and Shape Match apps that are particularly made for the Galaxy Note. No official announcement has been made as to when the update will be available to Galaxy Notes that are branded by carriers in the United States and worldwide. What is certain as of the moment is that the ICS of Android will give the usual strength in the performance and usability of the device when it is updated to that OS.

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: Android 4.0, Samsung Galaxy Note

Samsung Galaxy S3 Will Feature Quad-core System

May 10, 2012 By Delaon

Last Wednesday, Samsung Electronics launched the new Exynos 4 that will allow tablets and smartphones to perform better and use lesser power. According to Samsung, the system-on-chip Exynos 4 has four cores of the ARM Cortex-A9 that will be featured in the much-expected Galaxy S3 and next tablets manufactured by Samsung. Because of the four-core processor, users can multitask much better than single or two-core processors.

According to Taehoon Kim, Samsung's system LSI marketing VP at the department for device solutions, the single battery powers the four cores so efficiency and power management are crucial for mobile gadgets. Samsung's system-on-chip Exynos 4 features four ARM Cortex- A9 cores and runs on 1.40 GHz, which allows switching from one core to another and also for every core dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS). There is lesser power consumption because of DVFS through adjustment of frequency and voltage that will suit certain workload.

Exynos 4 includes a 30fps HD video hardware codec engine that can record videos at 1080p resolution and interface for an embedded image signal processor and HDMI 1.4. Since the Samsung Galaxy S3 will feature the Exynos 4 A9 quad-core processor system-on-chip instead of the Exynos 5 A15 dual-core processor, this might mean Samsung is anticipating that programs for Android-based devices will depend on multiple-threading and make use of system-on-chips with multiple cores.

Based on claims by Samsung, the Exynos 4 quad-core processor has 32nm process technology that allows efficient and lower power consumption. Moreover, it uses 20 percent lesser energy than its dual-core version, which has a 45nm process technology. Exynos 4 dual will be available at 32nm process technology in the near future.The chip is currently in the process of production and the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S3 will be the first to feature the system-on-chip. The Galaxy S3 is expected to have a May release date.

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: Samsung Galaxy S3