Smartphones with one common charger is coming in Europe in 2011

On December 29, 2010, two major European standardization bodies- CEN-CENELEC and ETSI, released details of a standard charger. The bodies announced microUSB as the “standard interface port” for smartphones in Europe.

Top fourteen handset manufacturers of the world including Samsung, Apple, Nokia and Research On Motion would produce smartphones for the European market that would come with a standard USB port and the first batch of devices with USB ports would become available in early 2011. BBC reports:

The process to create common chargers began in June 2009 when the Commission won pledges from phone firms to back any standards it drew up.

Following that agreement it started work on the specifications that have now been completed and sent out to handset makers.

The EU said many Europeans wanted to be able to use chargers for different smartphones and resented the inconvenience incompatible chargers caused.

In addition, discarded phone chargers are a serious threat to the environment.

Antonio Tajani, Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship, European Commission, said that it is time for the mobile phone manufacturers to show their commitments to produce phones for the “new charger.” He also said that the common charger would make lives easier and would “reduce waste and benefit businesses.” He referred it as a “win-win” situation.

Some New Year Smartphone Apps to help your celebration

New Year is almost here and if you are gearing up for a major New Year party then here is a list of smartphone applications that would help you to organize your party smoothly and efficiently.

Skout: If you are alone and looking for someone to go to a New Year party then Skout is the app. This mobile dating app finds you a mate based on your GPS Coordinates.

Mad Men Cocktail Culture app: This $0.99 app would help you arrange some fine drinks for your friends at the party. The app is based on the AMC show and contains lots of information about vintage drinks.

OMG! HNY!!: Want to enjoy the moment when the clock strikes twelve instead of SMSing your friends? Then you should go for this app. The Android version is free. You can put in some text messages in advance. When the clock strikes twelve, the app would send the messages to your friends.

Party Whistle app: A funny app that would blow up at the moment of the new year and gives you the signal to start a party. It is free.

Facebook: Share your new year party pictures with your friends. It is free on the iPhone. You can also try some other photo sharing apps like Instagram that would allow you to send photos to 50 of your friends. There is also Hipstamatic that would cost $1.99.

Cab4me: Drank too much? Then use this $2 app to see how much it would cost you to go by a cab and see quickest root to your home.

Hangover Cure: Want to get rid of your post-new year party hangover then get this app. It has some great cures for your hangover.

Related articles:

CNN

Facebook: The most visited website and most searched word on web in 2010

The year 2010 is the year of Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg. In its last minute achievement of 2010, Facebook became the most visited website on Internet in the U.S and the most searched term. Two web tracking firms revealed that Facebook replaced Google as the most popular site on the web in 2010.

Experian Hitwise, a web research firm, in its latest Internet search report, revealed that Facebook, for the first time, accounted for 8.93 percent of all page visits in the U.S between January and November 2010. Google came up at the second spot with a 7.19 percent followed by Yahoo! Mail at 3.52 percent. In 2009, Facebook was in third place and ranked ninth in 2008.

The firm also analysed top 1000 search terms of 2010 and revealed that “Facebook” was the most-searched term of 2010. For the second time, Facebook came up at the top accounting for 2.11 percent of all searches. Four variations of the word “Facebook” made it to the top search accounting for 3.48 percent of all search terms.

comScore, another web-based research firm revealed that Facebook surpassed Google for the first time in terms of page views.

Related articles:

The Telegraph

The Washington Post

HTC Scribe tablet PC might pop up at CES 2011

Taiwanese smartphone maker, HTC, is going to release a tablet PC called “HTC Scribe.” The name appeared in a trademark filing by the company. As per the record of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the company submitted the file on December 26, 2010. At the filing, HTC mentioned that it would be a “handheld wireless device, namely a tablet computer.” However, it is too early to reach any conclusion about the naming of the final product.

In October, Cheng Hui-Ming, Chief Financial Officer, HTC reported that his company was looking at the potential of the tablet PC market.

Based in Taoyuan, Taiwan, HTC is currently the largest producer of Google Android based smartphone in the world. In 2008, it launched the first Google Android powered smartphone, T-Mobile G1. The company revealed that sales of its smartphone “had more than doubled” in the last quarter on a year-over-year basis and its Android-based smartphone models have become very popular.

Getting into the tablet market is a natural transition for the company. Tablet PCs are the next big thing in the tech industry. According to Will Stofega, Program director at consulting firm IDC in Framingham, Massachusetts, the HTC tablet PC would provide a great alternative to the iPad. Richard Ko, analyst KGI research, believes that Scribe might make an appearance at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show 2011.

Related articles:

Apple Insider

Bloomberg

Apple iPad 2 with USB: To be or not to BE

When Apple introduced its tablet device called iPad almost a year ago, almost all the consumers were very happy with the product. The only thing they too much missed perhaps is the absence of any USB device. USB is something that we all use in desktop, netbook, laptop and in everything.

 So, Apple really missed something and there is now intense media speculation that Apple is going to change this matter with iPad 2. According to a report of Appleinsider, it was Eldar Murtazin who said this matter in a message:

Talked with colleague which working with some ODM vendors connected with Apple. He is research guy. According to his sources iPad2 will have usb port.

He is the editor in chief of a famous blog related to mobile phone. Of course, as usual, there is no confirmation from apple and so that is why we are not sure whether it will be really true or not.

There are of course other rumors too about the second version of iPad. We can see even two cameras to the version two. Well, we will have to wait another few days to get the confirmation news because Apple is expected to announce about the second version of iPad any day in January. 

Verizon iPhone is reported to be released on Valentines Day

Bloomberg Businessweek reported that the much awaited Verizon iPhone might be launched in February on the Valentines Day of 2011 and it will be one big event. Obviously, you can expect thousands of people rushing to their nearest Apple store to get their hands on the first Verizon iPhone.

The Verizon iPhone is one of the most awaited devices of 2011. Apple’s exclusivity contract with AT&T would end in 2011 and many users are eagerly waiting for a Verizon iPhone. Bloomberg Businessweek said,

Apple's introduction of an iPhone for use on Verizon's network will come sometime after the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in early January, according to a person familiar with Apple's plans who is not authorized to discuss them publicly.

Aside from new users, many existing iPhone users would switch carriers after the iPhone is launched on Verizon but they would have to pay a hefty Early Termination Fee (ETF). Earlier, the ETF was $175 which was later increased to $325.

iPhone users are not very happy with the service of AT&T. New York and San Francisco, which has large concentration of iPhone users observe lots of dropped calls. AT&T has been working on to improve its network infrastructure but it did not make any significant change. On December 6, 2010, the carrier came up as the worst carrier in the U.S in a survey conducted by Consumer Reports.

However, Verizon also has its shortcomings. Unlike AT&T’s GSM network that can simultaneously handle voice and data, Verizon’s CDMA wireless network can not do so. Hence, the network is working on to improve its network. Let’s see, if Verizon can handle the insatiable data demand of the iPhone users.

BlackBerry PlayBook will come in March 2011 and without any Battery Life Problem

RIM has come forward and issued a statement that any rumor about a possible delay of its PlayBook tablet is unfounded. The company stated that there was no issue with battery life and there would be no delay with the product coming to the market.

RIM said to a website:

“Any testing or observation of battery life to date by anyone outside of RIM would have been performed using pre-beta units that were built without power management implemented. RIM is on track with its schedule to optimize the BlackBerry PlayBook’s battery life and looks forward to providing customers with a professional grade tablet that offers superior performance with comparable battery life.”

We feel that RIM has been rather slow in entering the tablet device market. Apple could take the stage by storm with its iPad and until the arrival of Samsung Galaxy Tab, Apple had almost monopoly in this field. At CES 2011, we are going to see a number of new tablet devices notably Asus Eee Pad. So, RIM is really late and I wonder if PlayBook would be able to generate any substantial interest among consumers who would perhaps think of the second versions of iPad and Galaxy Tab.

Geinimi: The Android trojan will take control of your smartphone

On December 29, 2010, Lookout, a San Francisco based smartphone security firm, issued an alert for Android-based smartphone users being affected by a sophisticated trojan called Geinimi.

According to Lookout, Geinimi is the most sophisticated malware targeted at Android devices to date with “botnet-like capabilities.” It can take control of users’ devices and transmit sensitive information to a remote server. The Trojan made its first appearance in China and would gradually spread into other regions.

The biggest problem is that Geinimi comes with legitimate apps, mainly games. After you install the infected app on your Android smartphone, it would ask you to provide lots of personal info. Digital Trends reports:

So far Gemini has been observed grafted onto legitimate apps — primarily games — that are downloaded to Android smartphones by unknowing patrons of third-party Android app stores. The infected apps reportedly then request an abnormal level of access to devices and then, boom, it’s a zombie-phone.

After the trojan takes control of a particular device it would send out user’s location, transmit the unique device ID number, download apps and then force the user to install them. It can also deliver several installed apps to a remote server.

So far, the malware has been spotted in China and it is believed that the main goal of this malware is to build up a “malicious ad network.”

Samsung wants to emerge as the largest Mobile Phone Maker

We all know that Nokia is the market leader in the mobile phone industry. Samsung has now felt that the company can do very well in the mobile phone sector sand it wants to be the largest mobile phone manufacturer in the world within three years.

Nokia is not doing that well and is losing market share almost everywhere. Even in countries like China and India, Nokia is slowly but steadily losing market share. I t think that the main problem lies in Nokia’s ability to do well in the smartphone segment.

Samsung has experienced good amount of success with its smartphone model called Galaxy S. So, the officials of this company are taking this product seriously. In fact, Samsung is planning to invest more in the mobile phone segment and this way they are expecting to get more shares of the markets in different countries.

I think that the main battle file will be fought in Asia because Nokia is very strong in most Asian countries. India and China both are biggest market for Nokia and the main will be fought in this two countries. If Samsung can increase market share in these two counties then it will not be impossible to overtake Nokia. 

Skype 3.0: Make video-calls on your iPhone using 3G network

On December 30, 2010, Skype launched its updated video calling app Skype 3.0 which would now enable users to make video calls via iPhone using AT&T’s 3G mobile network.

Rob Pegoraro of the Faster Forward blog of the Washington Post used the new Skype 3.0 app and found it to be quite satisfactory. He made calls using an iPhone 4 to an iMac PC and iPod Touch. iPad users can receive video calls but would not be able to make one due to the absence of a front facing camera on their devices. Each time it took around two seconds to get connected and remained till he ended the call. The audio quality is good but video quality was poor. Even when the iPhone had full signal, there was low resolution video and he even switched to his faster home wireless network but there was no change in condition.

Users would have to pay for the bandwidth usage for using the 3G network. On an average, it would take 3.2 MB per minute and at this rate you would finish AT&T’s “entry-level beta” 200 MB monthly data plan in little more than an hour.

The Skype 3.0 app is now available for free at the app store and it would run on available on the iPhone 4, iPhone 3G S and the fourth-gen iPod Touch. Apple’s own video-chat app Face Time can work only on Wi-Fi but Skype’s new app can work on both Wi-Fi and 3G network.

Related articles:

Digital Trends

Cloud Computing Made Easy and Simple

The upcoming year 2011 amazing expansion of cloud computing. Many people are interested to know about this technology and many of us get confused. I could find a good article in PC World: Cloud Computing: The Executive Summary.

This is a very useful article about cloud computing if you do not have good knowledge about it. Keir Thomas has talked in very simple language and gave some ideas about this technology.

The writer speak that most companies would need to move to the cloud in order to save money. However, at the same time, many companies are worried about data safety. Keir Thomas wrote:

In addition, cloud computing is cheaper for businesses. If an online storage service is used, there's no need to buy server hardware, for example, or to pay for staff to maintain hardware.
Of course, there are some downsides. Putting data into the cloud involves a lot of trust that the cloud provider will not let it leak out. Cloud providers are a little coy when discussing issues such as this. Additionally, cloud services tend still at a primitive stage compared to equivalents on a desktop computer--Google Docs is only a fraction as powerful as Microsoft Office, for example.

So, if you are interested about cloud computing and you are a beginner then this is the article for you. However, if you have moderate amount of knowledge then you may not find anything new. I am just excited with the potential of cloud computing and I think that in the next five years, most business organizations in the whole world will more or less move to cloud. 

HTC EVO Shift 4G for $150 came up at Radio Shack promo

Picture of a RadioShack promo material revealed that HTC EVO Shift 4G will be launched on Sprint for $149.99 with “new upgrade or two-year agreement on an Everything plan with data and premium data add-on.” The unlocked version is priced at $449. The phone will be launched on January 9, 2011.

The HTC EVO Shift 4G is a 4G WiMAX smartphone with 3.6 inch display with zoom capability and full slide-out QWERTY keyboard. The phone runs on an 800 MHz processor just like the T-Mobile G2 and it would run on Android 2.3 aka Gingerbread. It also has a WiMAX radio that would work with Sprint 4G WiMax. News reports further say that the phone might be showcased at the upcoming CES 2011.

It has not been confirmed if the phone would come with a front-facing camera or not. However, omission of a camera would make many users unhappy because they would expect to do video chatting over a high speed network.

Related article:

Android Central

Nintendo 3DS would affect eyes of young children under six years of age

Japanese gaming company, Nintendo, issued a warning that its new 3DS handheld games would harm eyes of children less than six years old. The company posted a message at its official Japanese website over the launch of its upcoming Nintendo 3DS.

The company said that vision of children under six years of age are in a developmental stage and the Nintendo 3D contents “delivers 3D images with different left and right images, [which] has a potential impact on the growth of children’s eyes.”

Nintendo 3DS creates “illusion of 3D” which does not require the user to wear special 3D glasses and this would cause eye strain. User could feel “sick or nauseous after extended use.” Fox News reports:

Dr. Michael Ehrenhaus, an optometrist with New York Cornea Consultants, thinks Nintendo and Sony may be getting ahead of themselves with these disclaimers.

"It's hard to say that it'll ruin development," Ehrenhaus told FoxNews.com. "I don't foresee it as a major issue, they're just being overly concerned."

The 3DS has a “3D Volume switch” and children can play the game by toggling down the switch and making it 2D.

The Nintendo 3DS was unveiled at the 2010 Electronic Entertainment Expo and it will be released in Japan on February 26, 2011 and would cost about $300. The device would then be launched in the U.S., Europe and Australia.

Android App Market can Give Apple App Store a run for money in 2011

The success that Apple has managed to get with its App store is more than impressive. The other competitors could just watch this success from a distance with jealous eyes. Well, things can change a bit in 2011 as Android is becoming the leading platform for smartphones.

Google might not have earned a lot of money directly through the expansion of Android OS but it will surely be happy in 2011 to see that Android emerges as the leading platform of smartphones in the whole world. So, the app developers will surely try to develop applications for Android Market or they will surely be losing something.  

I don’t think that Apple needs to be worried about the onslaught of Android in the App market in 2011 basically for two reasons. First of all, the user base of iPhone will continue to grow. Also, Apple already total market dominance in the tablet device industry with its iPad. In 2011, Apple will only make this market dominance even greater in the tablet industry.

Secondly, when it comes to paid apps, Apple Store is doing much better than Android Market. So, Apple will continue to earn more money from paid Apps even in 2011.

Do you agree with me? 

Freelancer.com has now 2 Million and highest number of them is not from India

I am not a very big fan of outsourcing websites like Freelancer.com because very poor pay rates. Of course, some people are earning good amount of money in programming from countries like India and Russia. However, my skill is not programming but writing and in writing related projects, the money is really poor.

Anyway, I live in a poor country and even I find the pay of most of the projects in websites like Freelancer.com or Odesk very poor. So, it is really shocking to me that the highest number of members are from USA not from India. This is shocking because I wonder how anyone can work for projects of these websites and pay bills. Perhaps, the recession has condition very bad for many people in USA.

Of course, the number 2 million does not make me excited because I can easily understand that most of the users are either inactive or out of any luck because so far, just around 900,000 projects completed and $71,071,404 USD user earnings has taken place. So, you can easily do the math. Then, on the other hand, if you are trying to start learning about earning money online then these websites are a good place to start. 

Apple is expected to sale 65 million iPads in 2011

Apple is believed to be selling 65 million tablet devices in 2011 according to Digitimes. On December 29, 2010, the Taiwanese publisher reported that companies that manufacture parts for Apple iPad have come up with this number which is far higher than the industry estimated 45 million units.

LG display and Samsung who produces display panels for the iPad have come up with the number. LG shipped 1.5 million iPad panels in November while Samsung 1.2 million.

In 2011, LG is expecting to have a shipment of 35 million iPad touch panels while both Samsung and Chimei Innolux would receive order for 15 million panels. Such high numbers reveal that Apple is gearing up to handle overbooking.

The Apple iPad was unveiled on January 27, 2010. The device was then launched in March. Apple sold 3 million units in the first 80 days which put the device ahead of the sales of iPhone and netbooks.

Analysts are estimating a sales of around 10 million iPads in 2010 far exceeding the sales of the original iPhone.

Apple has been rumored to be gearing up for the second gen iPad and it would come in three models supporting three networks, wider speaker at the bottom and smaller bezel.

Related articles:

Digitimes

Mac Observer

Apple and mobile app makers were sued over leaking private data

Apple and five other mobile application developers have been sued over transmitting user data to various advertising networks without their consent.

The class action lawsuits had been filed by two groups of iPhone and iPad users last week in U.S District Court in California. On behalf of a California resident, one lawsuit had been filed by KamberLaw which specializes in “consumer class-action suits and digital privacy.” The second lawsuit had been filed by Majed Nachawati of Fears Nachawati. This firm represented consumers of Texas and California.

The groups want to stop transmission of their personal data without any notification or receive compensation. Backflip Studios, the Weather Channel and Dictionary.com, Pandora and Apple were some of the firms that were named in the lawsuit.

The legal firms that are working on the lawsuit said that they would also take similar actions against Google over user data transmission without consent.

The lawsuit said that some applications collect so much data that it can be used to identify individual users. Advertisers track users via their device ID and Apple is not doing enough to restrict the use of device IDs. According to Apple’s operating policy if an app requires user’s personal information for its operation then it can be share with third parties.

Related articles:

The Washington Post

BBC

HP Envy 13-1130NR notebook now Priced at $999.99

These days, people are getting more interested about tablet devices rather than laptops. So, it is natural that the price of laptops will decrease and that is why I am not that much shocked to see that HP has decrease the price of ENVY 13-1130NR Notebook by $450.00. As a result, you can buy now a ENVY 13 laptop for just $999.99.

The original price was $1,449.99. So, there has been a huge rebate for the gadget. This laptop was mainly famous for its ultrathin feature. It has 13.1" display, 3GB DDR3 System Memory and many other things.

CES 2011 is around the corner and there, many new powerful laptops are expected to be displayed by different companies. Not only that, Intel is introducing its Sandy Bridge processor at CES 2011. So, from next month, this HP Envy 13 will perhaps appear to be an old fashioned but expensive laptop. So, I think that HP has taken a wise decision by bringing the price of Envy 13 model to $1000.

This is good news for the consumers. I am not that much excited with this price reduction because I am not fan of 13” display laptops. However, for business users it can be very handy. 

CES 2011: MSI to Display Several Tablets and Laptops

MSI is going to display a number of notebooks and tablet devices in the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2011. According to report of DigiTimes, there will be several WindPad tablets. WindPad 100A will run on Android platform and it will have 10.1" multi-touch capable screen and some other features. On the other hand, MSI is also introducing a tablet device that would run on Windows 7 Home Premium. The Windows 7 based tablet device will have the same size of screen.

In CES 2011, MSI is also expected to display a number of notebooks and netbooks. Two of its notebooks are likely to contain AMD's new dual core processor.

It will be a challenge for MSI to generate some interests about their products to the consumers. I am particularly interested to see the tablet devices from this company. I am eagerly waiting whether MSI can come up with a tablet device below the price range of $300. 

Samsung Galaxy Media Player is coming at CES 2011

In January, Samsung would unveil its Android based digital media player that would compete with Apple’s iPod Touch. Dubbed “Galaxy Player,” the device would be able to take photos, connect to the Internet. The device will be unveiled at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show 2011.

The news of the Samsung Galaxy Player was first reported by a blog called Samsung Hub on December 27, 2010. Modeled after the highly successful Samsung Galaxy S smartphone, the Galaxy Player would have all the features except phone calling capability. Just like Apple has a wide range of products under its iPod series, Samsung would offer its own product lines under the Galaxy series.Samsung would launch the device in January at its home market.

The Galaxy Player will be 2.2 mm thick. It would sport a 1GHz Hummingbird processor and a 4-inch LCD screen with resolution up to 800X400 pixels. The device supports Wi-Fi and has a front-facing camera for video chat and upload user’s photo online and a 3.2 megapixel rear-mounted camera. It would be available in 8GB, 16GB and 32GB storage capacity. It will have Android 2.2 Froyo.

Other features include SoundAlive audio enhancing technology, GPS, Bluetooth 3.0, HD video-playback capability, microSD card slot and a 1200 mAh removable batter. The device would also be able to access Android Market and Samsung Apps.

AT CES 2011, Samsung would also show off other Android based media players such as the YP-G50 and YP-GB70.

Related articles:

Information Week

Apple products would face more cyber attacks in 2011

The year 2011 will see more sophisticated cyber attacks targeting different “Online platforms” and Apple products. On December 28, 2010, McAfee published its “2011 Threats Predictions” where researchers of McAfee labs discussed about various security threats of 2011.

The report said that compared to 2010, the target platforms of cyber criminals have “changed considerably.” Services like Gowalla, Foursquare, Google TV, Apple iPhone, iPod Touch, Apple TV, iPad, Mac products will face more cyber attacks in 2011 and these attacks will not be limited to traditional email methods. McAfee researchers are expecting more sophisticated cyber attacks.

The report emphasized on Apple, which has long been neglected by cyber criminals. It was Windows that remained the main target of cyber attacks for its larger market share but popularity of Apple products grew significantly over the years. The Mac Observer reports:

“Although historically not a frequently targeted platform by malicious attackers,…the Mac operating system is very widely deployed. McAfee Labs saw malware of increasing sophistication that targets Mac this year; we expect this trend to increase in 2011.…The lack of user understanding regarding exposure on these platforms and the lack of deployed security solutions make a fertile landscape for cyber-criminals.”

Apple introduced some of the top gadgets like iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, MacBook Air. These products are being This rising popularity made Apple products more vulnerable to cyber attacks.

To download the report visit: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/files/mcafee-threat-predictions-2011.pdf

Alphaline Entertainment: Sears and Kmart start new movie download service

On December 28, 2010, Sears and Kmart, in collaboration with Sonic, launched a new online movie download service called Alphaline Entertainment. Customers would now be able to download DVD and Blu-ray discs of movies and TV shows on the same day they are released. Renting movies would cost $3.99 and purchase of new releases $19.99.

The service is powered by Sonic’s RoxioNow platform. Best Buy also has a similar service that uses RoxioNow and offers similar pricing.

Sonic and Sears are now working on to offer various devices that would support the service. It will be done in different phases. They would also ensure that the devices are compatible with “studio-supported digital programs.”

As Internet TV is going to be the next big trend, companies are now trying to establish themselves in this business. Earlier this year, Walmart acquired Vudu, a three year old Silicon Valley-based start-up company that offers movies online. Amazon also has its own online movie service.

However, Netflix is still the largest player in the online movie business and in November it changed its pricings and offered a new streaming only service as more and more people are streaming movies on Internet.

For more information visit: http://alphaline.roxionow.com

Related article:

The Wall Street Journal

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 Version to be Shown in CES 2011?

If this rumor becomes true then we have to say that Samsung will really may be able to score some points against Apple’s iPad. It isfor sure that visitors at CES 2011 will not be able to see iPad 2 version. So, if Galaxy Tab’s second version is displayed then it will generate a lot of interest not only among the visitors but also in the media.

Of course, at this point of time, this is just a rumor and we will know for sure next week. Galaxy Tab is perhaps the second most popular tablet device just after Apple’s iPad. While Galaxy Tab could not become an iPad killer, it surely found a market of its own. In fact, if you look at the global footprint then I think that Galaxy Tab is available in more countries than iPad is found. 

iPad 2 to have Wi-Fi, UMTS and CDMA Versions?

Despite not having any official confirmation from Apple, we have accepted this matter that the second version of iPad tablet device is going to be announced soon. So, these days, many of us are interested about the possible features that ipad 2 would have. One of the interesting thing that we could see today is the possibility of this second version supporting Wi-Fi, UMTS and CDMA technology.

According to Digitimes:

Apple is expected to release three versions of iPad 2, supporting either or a combination of Wi-Fi, UMTS and CDMA, for 2011 with mass production to start as early as the later half of January. Apple will ship about 500,000-530,000 units to channels in January with shipment ratio of Wi-Fi, UMTS and CDMA models at 3:4:3, according to industry sources, citing upstream component makers.

These days, people are interested a lot about carrying their tablet device everywhere. At the same time, they want good Internet speed at home or office. Wi-fi is ideal for home and office UMTS and CDMA are mobile standards. So, Apple is going to try to broaden its consumer base and this will attract many new users. 

210 million LCD TV sets will get Sold in 2011 Worldwide

Do you own a LCD TV set yet? If not then do not be sad because there is a strong possibility that you will be able to buy one in 2011. According to a report of Digitimes, the demand is increasing and next year, around 210 million units will be sold. The market for LCD TV was around 180 million in 2010.

It is interesting to note that Korean companies like Samsung Electronics and LG are the market leaders. Sony, Toshiba and Sharp from Japan are behind the Korean manufacturers in this regard.

The demand is increasing and the market is becoming larger. Naturally, the price is falling with time and it is good for consumers.

Condition of rich countries like USA and UK is still not that good. Even people in Japan are worried about the economy. So, you may wonder how the demand for LCD TV is increasing so rapidly. Well, the main growth may come from countries like China and India.

For companies like Samsung or LG, it does not matter perhaps from where the demand comes. They will be happy to sell their LCD TV sets anyway. 

The new iPad 2 will have three models supporting Wi-Fi, UMTS and CDMA

It has been rumored that the second gen iPad would come in three models supporting Wi-Fi, UMTS and a “Verizon compatible CDMA network.”

On December 28, 2010, Taiwanese publication, DigiTimes, reported this news. It said that Apple would ship about 500,000-5,30,000 units of iPad 2 next year and production would start from the “later half of January”. It had been further tipped by component makers that the ratio of Wi-Fi, UMTS and CDMA models would be 3:4:3.

Majority of the consumers prefer the 3G iPad for it enables them to remain connected with the internet both inside and outside the house. Hence, Apple is now closely working with the network carriers to offer more wireless options on the second gen iPad and satisfy consumers’ needs.

Apple is also working on to improve the “anti-smudge and anti-reflective” features of the iPad2 to compete against Kindle and attract more consumers.

Apple is going to produce an estimated 40 million iPads next year accounting for approximately three quarters of the worldwide tablet market.

Amazon recently reported that the rise of iPad did not affect its business. In a recent statement, Amazon announced that not only the Kindle 3 has become the best selling product of the online retailer this year but also the all time best seller in the last fifteen years. However, statistics show that tablet PCs are eating into the e-book reader market.

Related article:

Apple Insider

Windows tablet PC has a tough road ahead

Microsoft is now desperate to establish its foothold in the mobile device market but industry experts are not so hopeful about the software giant’s future. The company is going to release a new version of its Windows OS optimized to run on ARM based chips.

The new OS will be unveiled at the upcoming CES 2011 that would start from January 6, 2011. At the CES 2010, Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer, unveiled Windows based tablet PCs such as HP Slate but those tablets had not been released. In October, Microsoft launched its revamped smartphone OS Windows Phone 7 but it was not well received by people. All these clearly show the software giant’s failure in the mobile industry segment.

The biggest challenge for Microsoft is not releasing a tailored version of the Windows software but making it popular. The company must bring out something that is useful and attractive. Google Android and Apple iOS has already established their position in the tablet PC market.

Another big problem is, Microsoft is a software based company. In order to build a device that could challenge iPad, Microsoft is required to forge partnership with top hardware vendors but it is now facing a “vendor battle” with Google. Already, companies like Samsung, Dell, Acer and LG have come up with their own Android based tablet PCs that will be released next year. All this indicates a tough road ahead of Microsoft.

Related article:

eWeek

Kindle 3 is the best selling products in Amazon.com in the last 15 years

On December 27, 2010, Amazon announced that its third generation Kindle e-book reader has become the best selling product surpassing its early best seller, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.”

The third generation Kindle has become the best selling product of Amazon in the last 15 years. Even iPad owners are buying Kindle ebook reader. However, Amazon never disclosed how many units of Kindle has been sold to the consumers.

Amazon is trying its best to show that Kindle market is unaffected with the advent of tablet PCs but statistics tell the opposite. According to ChangeWaveResearch, from August 1, 2010 to November 8, 2010 market share of Kindle fell to 47 percent while iPad’s rose to 32 percent.

Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO, Amazon.com, said that people like the third generation Kindle ebook reader for it is light weight, one-month battery backup, and Wi-Fi support. Unlike the LCD screen of the tablet PCs, the Kindle e-book reader’s Pearl

e-ink display does not cause “eye-strain” or “interfere with sleep patterns” and readers can also use it under sun-light which is not possible with iPad and other tablets. Last but not least, its $139 price point is another big advantage over tablet PCs that are pricey.

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Information Week

Google Should do a Page Rank Update for New Year

It is a sad matter for many people like me who are desperately waiting for a Page Rank update from Google.  In August of this year, we transferred this blog to its own domain and as a result, we lost the page rank of four.  We were hopeful that Google will update very soon.  However, we’re still waiting and I’m not sure whether there will be an update in the next few days.

I hope and wish that something positive will happen at that time of new-year.  Of course, page rank is not the end of the world and we’re getting some decent amount of traffic every day.  Still, we hope frustrated to see that our blog does not have any rank.

Google TV partners are requested to halt production till update is released

Logitech, the company that produces the Revue set top box of Google TV, stopped for the time being. Logitech Revue, debuted in early October. It has been rumored that Logitech stopped the production as per the request of Google. News reports also said that Google requested its other partners- Toshiba, Sharp and LG to halt the production of their Google TV-based products.

Digitimes reported that Logitech informed, Gigabyte Technology, its supplier to stop the production from December to January next year and wait for updates. Logitech officials did not comment on the matter.

Google was supposed to display its web TV technology at the upcoming CES 2011 but now it will not be done anymore and official partners of Google TV would also make “last minute changes.”

The reason behind this suspension is the poor review of the Google TV products. Revue and Sony’s Google TV enabled Internet TV did not receive good reviews and sales was not so impressive. Hence, Google is going to further work on its product.

For Google, this is the second product, the company asked manufacturers to suspend production for further modification.

Google TV would compete with Apple TV but failed to do so. On December 21, 2010, Apple TV announced that sales would pass one million before Christmas. Roku is also another company to reach the one million sales figure by the end of 2010.

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PC Mag.com

Lenovo IdeaPad U260 Laptop Review: All That Glitters is not battery Life

I just finished reading the review of Lenovo IdeaPad U260 at Engadget. The reviewer has praised some of the features of this laptop. Frankly, I was taken back from the price tag of $1,000 for a 12.5" display based laptop. I know that you would say that it is a very powerful ultraportable and powerful indeed it is.

Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64, 4 GB DDR 3 RAM, Intel Core i3-380UM Processor should make a notebook expensive and there is nothing wrong in it. Lenovo IdeaPad U260 is also ultrathin.

Read the review of Engadget here: http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/27/lenovo-ideapad-u260-review/

Joanna Stern was highly impressed with ‘magnesium-aluminum alloy shell, leather palm rest, and glass touchpad’ and felt that it could compete with the new Macbook Airs.

There are many other excellent features and according to Joanna Stern, the performance is not bad either. However, the thing that really shocked me was the battery power of Lenovo IdeaPad U260 which was something like 3 hours. I am shocked because a 12.5" laptop should run at least 5 hours or what is the use of it! After all, it is portable means that you will mainly use it when you are out of your home or office.

If you want to use a laptop in your home or office and do not look for high battery power then you would most probably like to go a laptop with 15.6" screen which makes it much comfortable to view than 12" screen.

So, I feel somewhat disappointed with Lenovo IdeaPad U260 Laptop just because of the battery power. I am not discouraging anyone because after reading the review of Engadget, I felt that it is a great laptop. However, if you are concerned about battery life then it is perhaps not the right option for you. 

Acer 10-inch tablet leaked video shows gyroscope feature

Acer first talked about its tablet PC at the Acer’s Global Press Conference in November. The company announced that it will make Android-based tablets that would come with three different sizes- five, seven and ten inches and they will come out in April 2011.

Recently, Engadget posted three new videos where it has been shown that an Acer employee is giving a demo of Acer’s 10 inch tablet. The videos were posted on Youtube. Here are the three video clips:

The videos show Acer’s custom Android apps. The first video clip shows that the software has not completed yet. There are some bugs. The UI is in beta stage. This demo mainly showed the gyroscope-enabled feature of Acer tablet. She opened up the AR photo browser which contains albums and the pages turns just like real books. It also has zoom-in and zoom-out feature. The app drawer in the first video reveals that the device is running on Android 2.2 Froyo but it has been reported that they would come with Honeycomb. Here is the second video clip:

In the last video, the user had to stab on the screen a few times to open up a folder and then it worked without any hiccup.

The Acer tablets will come with Nvidia’s Dual-Core Tegra-2 platform. The tablets will be launched in April and they would come with Android honeycomb.

Related article:

Engadget

Archos 70 and 101 Tablet PC Review: Engadget has Mixed Feeling

Engadget has posted an entry reviewing Archos 70 and 101 in which the review was not that much positive but in the end, Joanna Stern stated that the price was cool.

You can buy this tablet PC at $299 and this matter makes it very inexpensive compared to both iPad and Galaxy Tab. When it comes to tablet device, it is iPad and Galaxy Tabs are the leading two devices. So, when any new tablet comes then naturally, we tend to compare it with them.

Well, we find it some unfair to compare Archos 70 and 101 with iPad and Galaxy Tab because of the price factor. You cannot compare Intel’s i7 processor with Intel Celeron because of the price factor. Perhaps the price alone tells you that i7 will run much faster and give better performance.

So, if you can afford then surely go and buy an iPad or a Galaxy Tab but if you do not want to spend more than $300 then surely an Archos tablet will be the thing for you.

Read the review of Engadget here: http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/24/archos-70-and-101-internet-tablet-review/

The final verdict of Engadget is:

If the Archos 70 and 101 were priced at $399, we'd find a lot of the shortcomings to be unforgivable, but for $299 (and in some places $275), we're just not sure you can beat the duo. Yes, we can all agree that the displays are seriously cruddy and the overall build quality and design, for lack of a better work, suck, but at this point we've just come to expect that for a tablet under $300.

Steve Jobs named Person of the Year by Financial Times

Financial Times, the reputed British financial magazine, named Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, its “Person of the year.” It said that Jobs is the best comeback in the tech-world. Many thought that Apple would become a major failure but he proved them all wrong.

What makes him standout is that in his personal life, he struggled with Cancer and underwent a liver-transplant operation. After all this hardship, he appeared in January, launched iPad and changed everything. Not everyone has the capability to perform such a feat. Financial Times say:

Now, three decades on, he has secured his place in the foremost ranks of the West Coast tech titans who have done so much to shape the world around the turn of the millennium. Long-time nemesis Bill Gates may be richer and, at his peak, arguably exerted greater sway, thanks to his monopoly over the world’s PC software. But the Microsoft co-founder has left the stage to devote his life and fortune to good works. It is Mr Jobs who now holds the spotlight.

The year 2010, has been a great year for Apple. In January, Apple unveiled Apple iPad, the tablet PC. Initially, people thought that it would not be well received for it has no USB, no front-facing camera, and lacks Adobe support. But Apple iPad not only became the top-selling gadget, but the best gadget of the year. Even Oprah liked it and named as her number one favorite gadget.

The Apple iPhone 4 is another great device. Though it suffers from the antenna gate issues, t is the best known smartphone in the market. It has been reported that Verizon, the company with which Apple wanted to launch iPhone earlier but could not do so due to clash of interest, is ready to accept all the conditions of Apple just to make sure that Apple launch its iPhone exclusively on Verizon.

Skype video calling is coming on iOS devices other platforms would follow

Skype is going to offer video calling feature on iPhone 4 next year. The new service will be unveiled at the upcoming CES 2011. It has been reported that the company would make “a series of video related announcements.” At the event, it will be participating in a panel called “Video Calling Gets Ready for Primetime.”

Already Nokia N900, the MeeGo based handset supports Skype video calling feature. It is the first device to do so.

Leading tech-blog, Engadget, on December 24, 2010, even reported that it received a “help document on Skype’s site” which contains details of how to make video calls using Skype for iPhone. Engadget also believes that the company sent such documents related to Symbian and Google Android. If that is the case, then it will be the top player in the video calling industry in no time whether it is mobile-to-mobile or mobile-to-PC.

Meanwhile, I just checked out Skype’s official blog where Skype CEO, Tony Bates, gave the good news- Skype group video calling is back. The popular VoIP software observed a global outage on December 22, 2010, and it continued for thirty hours. Skype announced that it would offer free services to its paid customers and new subscribers who suffered from the outage.

Related articles:

Engadget

The Next Web

FCC would approve Comcast and NBC merger upon fulfilling certain conditions

Julius Genachowski, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, on December 23, 2010, issued a “draft order of approval” for the merger of Comcast and NBC Universal which says that FCC would approve the merger of Comcast and NBC Universal but the company would have to fulfill certain conditions.

The merger has been opposed by consumer interest groups, cable and broadband operators, online television distributors and some lawmakers. They do not support the merger for it would have too much power.

Comcast is currently the largest cable operator and home internet service provider in the U.S. It provides cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to residential and commercial customers. It also has stakes in numerous other media related businesses. On the contrary, NBC Universal, Inc. is a media and entertainment company that produces various entertainment products and information products. It also has motion picture companies and if Comcast acquires stakes in NBC, FCC and other law agency officials believe that the company would exercise too much influence on the media industry especially, Internet TV industry which is the next major trend.

The order has been sent to four other members of the FCC for consideration and voting would take place next month.

Under the conditions, the newly formed company would have to share TV shows with its competing cable and telecom services and new “Web platforms” such as Apple TV and Netflix.

Related article:

The Washington Post

Skype will offer free service to its paid customers and new subscribers

Skype announced that it would offer refunds to its paying customers who wanted to make calls or video calls but failed to do so. Skype will provide 30 minutes of free calling to all its pre-pay and pay-as-you-go users and latest subscribers would receive free subscription for one extra week.

Skype CEO, Tony Bates, said that 90 percent of its users can now make calls again and it is working on to restore the system as soon as possible. He also said that Skype technicians had found out what caused its clients to crash and they had been “able to mitigate that crash risk and isolate that.” He did not mention if the service outage had been caused by a malware. Information Week reports:

The current outage is the second major disruption in service this year and leaves open the question whether the company is ready to serve the communication needs of businesses, as it claims. The company's service troubles also come as it prepares for an initial public offering (IPO) next year.

Skype which observed a global outage on December 22, 2010, is still struggling to restore its system. The service outage lasted for 30 hours. The official Skype blog said that more than 10 million users had been able to connect with the service while there are another 15 million users who can not use the service. Skype users can make audio and video calling but IM and group calling will not work now.

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After Dawn

LG Optimus 2X will be released in Europe in January next year

LG Optimus 2X, the first smartphone in the world with dual-core processor, was reported to be launched in South Korea in January 2011 but a new press release revealed that the phone is headed to Europe in January.

The press release said that from now on, LG smartphone users will be able to enjoy the music of famous Italian film composer, Ennio Morricone, on their devices. LG Optimus 2X will be the first smartphone to offer these ringtones and music. ESATO says:

……A total of 25 is tracks are stored on the phone where 15 are ringtones specialy composed for LG phones and the 10 others are from his collection of best-known tunes. The announcement does not say in which format the music is stored, but guessing on MP3 would probably not be far from truth.

LG formed a partnership with Morricone as a part of LG’s Mobile Signature Sound Series that started in 2006. Under this partnership, LG would provide music and ringtones to various LG smartphones.

In addition to these 25 ringtones and music, LG would develop applications that would have contents such as images and video clips of Morricone. The apps would be available for free at the LG Application Store from 2011.

The LG Optimus 2X was unveiled on December 16, 2010, in South Korea. 250 people worked on one year to build this phone. The phone sports 1GHz dual-core Tegra 2 processor. Compared to the single core processors, the dual-core processors consume much less power. Because of this lower power consumption, the phone would be able to record HD video and watch it either on phone or HDTV via HDMI port.

LG Optimus 2X has 4 inch WVGA display, 8GB integrated memory, microSD memory expansion up to 32 GB, 512MB RAM, 1500mAH battery, 8MP back mounted camera and 1.3 megapixel front facing camera, accelerometer, gyro sensor, and a micro-USB port. Here is a video clip showing results of performance test conducted by Engadget.

Users can record full HD (1080p) video with the phone. LG Optimus supports HDMI mirroring that enables user to watch content on external display in full HD quality. The phone can connect wirelessly to DLNA-compatible devices and HD TV sets. The device would come with Android 2.2 but would receive Android 2.3 upgrade.

Price has not been declared but it has been speculated that the unlocked version would cost around £470.

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Expert Reviews

Slash Gear

Mashable/Mobile

EP121 tablet Video: Asus Promising Big about Performance instead of Price

It is not many time that Asus Chairman, Jonney Shih, personally comes out in a video and promotes a product for the company. He is doing so for EP121 tablet and from the video, we have got some information about the device. However, the chairman talked more about the performance of the gadget instead of the product. See the video below:

If I am not wrong then I think that in the video it was said that the device would run on Windows 7 OS and Intel Core i5 processor. While both the two things are great but I am concerned that the price will be too much for the average users.

Digitimes reported:

Asustek will have three major product lines for tablet PCs, Eee Reader, Eee Note and Eee Pad. The company will showcase a 12-inch Windows 7-based Eee Pad at CES, targeting the enterprise market, and will launch two 10-inch Eee Pads, one with Windows 7 and Intel's Oak Trail platform, and one with Nvidia Tegra 2 and Google Android, for a price of US$499-599 which will start selling in March 2011 at the earliest.

So, Asus is going to show off a number of things at CES 2011. It will be a big day for Asus and hopefully we will write a lot about CES 2011 in this blog. 

Dell Venue global launch takes place in Hong Kong

On December 23 2010, Dell globally launched its Dell Venue, Android 2.2 based smartphone in Hong Kong. A week earlier, on December 16, 2010, the device was launched on Korea Telecom of South Korea and is priced at 700,000KRW ($606). In Hong Kong, it would cost HK$3,999 (US$514).

In simple words, the Dell Venue the smaller version of the Dell Streak tablet cum smartphone device. The solid bar-shaped device measures 121mm x 64mm x 12.9mm and weighs 164gm. It is powered by a 1GHz Snapdragon processor with 1GB ROM and 512MB RAM. Memory can be expanded up to 32GB via microSD card. Here is a video preview of Dell Venue:

The Dell Venue supports quad-brand GSM, EDGE, WCDMA, HSDPA and HSUPA. It has a 4.1-inch AMOLED touchscreen with a resolution of 800×480 pixels. The display is made of scratch resistant Gorilla Glass. One of the prominent features of the display is that it is slightly curved but that does not affect user experience. The device does not work in landscape orientation.

Other features include Stage UI, 1400 mAh battery, 8 megapixel camera with

auto-focus and LED flash light, Bluetooth 2.3 EDR, WiFi and AGPS. The device can be charged via USB port located at the bottom of the device.

Related articles:

Engadget

Tech Connect

Rovi Corp. is going to acquire Sonic Solutions for $720 million

On December 22, 2010, Rovi Corp., which provides content protection technology and other high-tech services, announced that it signed agreement with Sonic Solutions, owner of the Roxio DVD burning software and DivX. Under the deal, Rovi would pay $720 million for the take over.

With this take over, Rovi Corp. would further strengthen its digital entertainment collection. In a statement, Fred Amorso, President, Rovi Corp., said "We believe the two companies will be able to address the expanding digital entertainment market with unique capabilities that will bring enhanced value to consumers," Forbes reports:

Rovi, which provides content protection on DVDs, television listings and other high-tech services, said late Wednesday that Sonic Solutions ( SNIC - news - people ) shareholders will receive either $14.00 or 0.2489 shares of Rovi stock for each share tendered and accepted in the exchange offer.

Sonic solutions produces DVD-buring software, video and music capture and multimedia streaming software under the Roxio brand. Established in 1986, the company acquired DivX/ MainConcept in 2010, CinemaNow and Simple Star in 2008, Roxio Software Division and InterActual in 2004. and VERITAS' Desktop and Mobile Division in 2003.

After this acquisition, Sonic Solutions will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rovi Corp.

Android based Archos 70b e-reader for Just $130: Ready for Pre-order in Europe

Archos 70b e-reader reader is not that attractive and is not that much powerful either but surely, the price is enough to attract many consumers to give it a shot. I can say for myself confidently that if it was available in my city, I would not hesitate to throw away $130 to buy it just to see how it is. It is ready for pre-order but not in USA now. You can find it in France.

By the way, you can watch videos too with Archos 70b e-reader. It has 7" touchscreen display, 4 GB storage and weighs 330 gram. As for battery life, it will run 10 hours of playback, 6 hours of video and 18 hours of music. So, it is not bad.

I have already said that if you have enough money then it is not perhaps the gadget for you but many people will surely get attracted by the price.