Huwaei Ascend P2 : The world’s fastest smartphone

Here we are with MWC 2013 starting in Barcelona . And Huwaei is one of the first “big claim” maker here, launching the Ascend P2 smartphone, claimed to be the fastest smartphone in the world. Now that’s a partial misnomer, and I had the same misconception as most readers would at first sight. No , Ascend P2 doesn’t sport a 2.1GHz processor, or an octa core GPU, or anything like that. When we say it’s the fastest smartphone, it means in terms of the internet speeds it can support and withstand. A let down? Don’t worry, its specs aren’t half bad either.
The Ascend P2 has a 4.7 inch screen with 315 ppi resolution , powered by 1.5 GHz quad core processor (as I said, not that bad, eh?) 1 GB of RAM, 16GB internal storage, a 13MP excellent camera, NFC tech and a 2420 mAh battery. Pretty thin it is, at 8.8mm think at its thickest point.

About the fastest thingy, well Ascend P2 is the first smartphone to boast he latest LTE CAT 4 , allowing it to provide some superfast internet speeds, compared to the likes of Samsung Galaxy SIII and Apple IPhone 5, which have LTE CAT 3.
Also, for WiFi fans, this one possesses high speed WiFi capability , upto 520 kbps.

Launching globally in Q2 this year, Huwaei Ascend P2 is priced at a decent $399.

Archos platinum quad core tablets are here

Archos, a name that is less known to most tablet consumers, or would-be consumers, mainly coz of the domination of names  like Apple, Samsung, Asus, etc. But those who know it know that the french manufacturer is one name that assures you decent tablets at a price that fits many a budget. And they are here with yet another series, the Archos Platinum- 80, 97 HD and 116, a series that makes you fill with nostalgia for the Titanium series, due to the huge similarities in design, though Platinum is a sure shot upgrade, with quad core processors and higher RAM.

The first thing you realize when you see them is there 'striking' resemblence with IPads, and thats what they have. Archos 80 has the same 8.0 inch 1024 x 768 display as the IPad mini , while the 97 HD tab has the same 9.7 inch 2048 x 1536 4:3 IPS display as the IPad . Though the Archos 116 is surely a step ahead, with 11.6 inch IPS display. And of course Archos doesnt price these tabs as exorbitantly as Apple.
Talking bout what's inside, all three tabs are powered by 1.2 GHz quad core processors , with a 8 cored graphics processr, 2 gigs of RAM , and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Another upgrade is the fact that unlike previous Archos tablets, these have all the standard google apps inbuilt.

And as their reputation is , the pricing is not gonna hurt any pockets a lot, with the 80 platinum costing $199, 87 HD priced at $299, to be shipped later this month. Archos 116 , set at a price of $349 will be launched in April though. What we need to wait for is the reviews of these tablets, as Archos has a tendency to get some kind of glitch in their tabs each time, be it the display angle or sometimes software woes. Lets see though, and be hopeful for the best. :D

Logitech C930e Webcam - now see extra wide!

Logitech unveiled the new business class C930e Webcam, claiming it to have the widest viewing angle (90 degrees) in class. Coming with Full HD capabilities, it has processing capability for the incoming video content to reduce the load on the CPU. Also, it comes with company's own RightLight2 image adjusting technology, apart from Carl Zeiss certified lens, preventing the motion induced distortions, allowing more animated video chats. It has 4x magnification, and supports H.264 and UVC 1.5 encoding, and is USB 3.0 ready. Although optimized for Microsoft Lync communication platform, it is set to work for others as well, like Skype, is compatible with Windows 7, 8 and Mac OSX 10.7 or higher. With its autofocus , external privacy shutter and in built dual stereo speakers, it surely is quite an attractive option at the suggested retail price of $110.

Product page : Logitech

LG Optimus L Series - updated

Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2012 saw the launch of the Optimus L series by LG , with mid range specs in a slim design. This year, the same event will witness the update to the same Optimus L series , with an upgraded display, battery life, camera quality and dual SIM card option.

LG is promoting the L711 right now , powered by Android 4.1 , a 4.3 WVGA IPS display and a 2460 mAh battery. No upgrade on the processor though, as it contains the same 1 Ghz dual core processor, and the same 4 GB internal memory expandable through MicroSD . The   rear camera has been upgraded to 8 megapixels.LG is yet to unveil the other 2 models of the new L Series - L311 and L511, and not much is know about the specs, apart from the fact that L311  has a 3.2 inch QVGA IPS display and a 1540 mAh battery , while the L511 has a 4.0 inch WVGA IPS display, and a 1700 mAh battery.

Apart from hardware , a few apps have been added to the series by LG as well, including the QuickMemo, Quick button, Safety Care. L711 has additioal Qslide ( allowing 2 apps to run side by side on the same screen (competing with multi screen window of Galaxy Note, Note 2 et all) and Quick Translator ( which translates text scanned from the camera).


Selling around 10 million Optimus L devices last year, LG is hoping to gain the same popularity for these updated ones as well, though pricing , and the new competition from Phablets et all is gonna make things not so easy for them.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 in 3 flavours - Wifi, 3G and 4G!

According to the latest news, as circulated by Bluetooth SIG , Samsung will be launching the Galaxy Note 8.0 tablet in 3 variants - Wifi only (GT N5100), 3G + WiFi (GT N5110) and Wifi + 3G + 4G (GT N5105, and are said to be made available in Europe first. Expected to be launched at the MWC 2013, it is said to support an 8 inch 1280 X 800 resolution screen , powered by a quad core processor and 2 GB RAM , sporting Android Jelly Bean , and having a 5 MP camera. And of course as the name indicates, the characteristic S Pen stylus of the Note series tabs and smartphones.

But thats not all. It is also being rumoured that Samsung is also going to launch Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 , suggested by the 3  new user agent profiles for tablets at samsung's site . Out of them , the entry level tablet is said to be a 7 inch  competitor for Google Nexus and Kindle fire HD, with a 1024 x 600 resolution.
Then there is a 8 inch tab to compete against even their own Note 8.0, along with the 7.9 inch Ipad mini.
And then there is a 10 inch tablet , to compete against the Google Nexus 10 , though more info about them is yet to be announced, maybe at MWC. Keep with our blog to stay connected with the latest

To be launched this month, HTC M7 alias HTC One??

According to a leak by EvLeaks , HTC is launching its long rumoured HTC M7 under the name of HTC One , keeping it in the One series by HTC, expected to be unveiled at a special HTC event on Feb 19.
Claimed to be 'the' One and not 'another' One, HTC is set to change some low scenarios currently going on for it in the smartphone market to its favour with this launch.

HTC One is expected to sport a 4.7 Full HD 1080p screen, and the latest Android 4.2 customized with the latest HTC Sense UI. It is said to be powered by a Qualcomm 1.7 GHz Quad Core processor and a 2 GB RAM . So one can afford to be excited for this 'One' at least!

2nd flight for Boeing's Hydrogen powered jet Phantome Eye

We saw Boeing's Phantom Eye take its first flight last June, and this week, with upgraded software and hardware to challenge the heights, it will take its 2nd flight at Edwards Air Force Base, California. It fared decently well in the first flight, reaching a height of 4,080 feet at a speed of 62 knots (71mph/115 kmph) , though had a shaky landing, breaking its landing gear in the process, making the manufacturers to think of ways to improve the landing system , along with the autonomous flight systems and engine oil pumps.

A Taxi testing was also done, with the demonstrator carrying the 150 feet winged aircraft at 40 knots without much problem, taking things closer to the 2nd flight. The aircraft is designed to fly at a height of 65,000 feet and carry payloads upto 450 pounds, for  4 days non stop with its liquid hydrogen fuel, whose combustion will only yield water, apart from the monstrous energy of course

Source: Boeing

Seamless DDoS Protection - Using It To Benefit Your Organization

In the computing world, DDoS attacks which are also known as distributed denial of service attacks are rather common. They can cause a great deal of damage to an organization and result in the dilution of the brand, loss of revenue and decrease in customer loyalty. Therefore it is in the interest of every organization that owns a website or offers any other online service to protect itself against distributed denial of service attacks. Unfortunately the most fortified of defense can also prove vulnerable to a person who is determined to launch the DDoS assault. DDoS has in fact attained leadership status as far as threats in the cyber world simply because it is capable of taking on many forms.
Conventional defense solutions often fall woefully short because these attacks take on a distributed nature and can make their unwanted presence felt at many levels and in many ways. This also means that one DDoS attack is very different from any other DDoS attack. Therefore an organization has to constantly plan for and mitigate such incidents. One important aspect to such protection is seamless DDoS protection. Most leading DDoS protection solutions providers offer services that bring together multilayered security and 24 x 7 monitoring.
It is important to deploy DDoS protection solutions immediately and proactively. This approach to protection will ensure that the network has the security capability of deflecting attacks even before they happen. Such protection should also take place at the edge of the Internet or as close as possible to the origin of the DDoS attack. This will prevent the “dangerous” traffic from even entering the organization’s Internet or network. Among the many features of such seamless DDoS protection are aspects such as

• 24 x 7 readiness and protection
• Capability of capturing or logging the events as far as the DDoS traffic is concerned
• Deflecting of DDoS attacks by way of blocking IP addresses and geographical locations
• Capability to absorb and deflect traffic long before itreachesthenetwork
• Visibility into the traffic flows which will help the protection solution in not only monitoring but also identifying the source and nature of DDoS attacks.

Leading DDoS protection solutions providers will also offer seamless integration with a client or an organization’s existing IT landscape or infrastructure. This is important so that there is no disruption or slowdown in ongoing business operations. In the absence of such seamless integration, it is possible that an online presence of a company can be compromised deeply and can also result in a crashof critical web applications. For reliable and strong DDoS protection, only seamless integration will do the trick.
Depending on the Distributed Denial of Service protection solution that you choose, you can get a product that integrates seamlessly with your network up to 1 Gbps. When choosing your protection solution, you shouldask about pricing as well. Comparing one company’s price against another, or perhaps several others, would be a good idea so you know the degree of protection they offer and the price for the same.

James is a writer and blogger with 5 years experience.