Blackberry going too far with their 'Passport"?

Let me tell you a small story..So there was a guy leading a pretty low life, remembering old times when he was all popular and exciting and wanted (you know, the typical casanova type). And though he had been working hard to follow the latest trends, he wasn't having much success in life. But then, finally his efforts (and a LOT of compromises) get him back on the success track. And then he goes a bit too overboard in his joy.... this is a story that can be applied on what has happened to Blackberry lately. The company after what seems like a long time registered decent profits , and to carry on with its 'innovative' designs, and in order to not lose out to the other giants by ending up with monotonous designs, blackberry has announced 3 new smartphones (see above), without any specs though.

The Z3 carries on the line of Z series smartphones , while the classic is  a touchscreen+qwerty smartphone. But its the Blackberry Passport that really I have no idea who was smart enough (sic) to suggest the design. the square 4.5 inch screened smartphone (with a pretty decent resolution of 1440 X 1440) has a qwerty keyboard with touch capabilities to allow gesture input... I mean of all the things one can do with the design, this is surely surprising... though i am not sure if in a positive sense. People already having issues trying to fit giant screened phablets like the Samsung Note 3 will be surely dumbstruck at this even wider smartphone...

        May God save our jeans....

So all blackberry fans out there, rejoice for the resurgence of the firm, and get ready to ask fashion designers to incorporate large pockets in the chic clothing ranges to accommodate this block of a phone...
Though on a  positive note, this one will surely cause ripples, which I hope will sustain if it is backed by good hardware and some cool features

iPhone 6 pics leaked .... and leaked again...

With the iPod-ish design, the iPhone 6 has made another appearance (as you can see, alongside HTC One M8 and iPhone 5S) ... the pics have surfaced for the 2nd time, so seem pretty reliable (with reasonable doubt as always... xD). As we can see, the iPhone 6 is a bit larger than the iPhone 5S, which earlier was leaked by the taiwanese racer/actor Jimmy Lin (below)

So what do you guys think will make the next Apple flagship different from the others? Coz, one thing's for sure, if they don't catch up with the Android party, and race ahead while they are at  it, Apple might see some not so pretty news soon...

Images credits - weekly.ascii.jp , Seeko , @JimmyLin

Motorola launches first phone post ownership transfer, the low budget cool smartphone, Moto E

#Motorola launches its low budget , water and dustproof smartphone, #MotoE , (i have no idea still what these alphabets stand for) with 4.3-inch, 960 x 540 display (covered by Gorilla Glass 3 and an anti-smudge coating), 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon 200 processor, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage (with a microSD slot for more!!!!*Thank God*), a 1,980mAh battery and a 5-megapixel main camera... and all this for a meager $129 , or Rs 6999 in India
What do you say about this one folks?

You can purchase the device in India by following the links below


Moto E (Black)

Moto E (White)

Your gadgets cost MUCH more than what you pay for them.... A Must Watch Video

Watch the video below, and find out the enormous debilitating  impact electronics are having on lives of the manufacturing labor . Share and support the cause for these affected people by raising awareness regarding the effect various toxins are having on them , and the need to pressurize manufacturing firms and electronic giants to look into this matter...

What the F??? Samsung to start a new smartphone series??

Samsung's Galaxy S5 is still in pre booking stage, and yet to be actually sold in retail, and we have here with us a new flagship device in the rumor box , what is being called the Galaxy F.... the name could just be a temporary one, or could indicate the birth of a new family of smartphones.

The rumors had been doing round for quite some time now, but its now that an image has been leaked ( @WindyLeak) . The rumored device is supposedly even better than the S series counterparts, powered by Snapdragon 805 quad core processor and 3GB of RAM , along with  a 16MP shooter at the back. What makes it even better is the fact that it is the first 2K screened baby for Samsung, with its 5.2 inch QHD display (2560 X 1440) , which correlates to a mind boggling pixel density.

The device was rumored to launch last month, but as we know it hasn't , so we can expect something to come up after Galaxy S5 releases on April 11....

Apple Iphone 6 gets ready to say goodbye to screen cracks with sapphire-power

 

Image Source : Techradar

 

Apple is surely making things pretty exciting with the rumors about the upcoming Iphone6 coming and shaking many a camps in the tech world, but here's the latest one we have out in the wild.. according to the latest patent filing, IPhone 6 could sport a sapphire glass screen , going way beyond Corning Gorilla glass 3 .

The patent is for Apple’s usual oleophobic coating compatible with sapphire screens, and with a previous patent showing IPhone with sapphire glass screen, this is one reliable rumor allright.

Though issues with sapphire screens have made things a bit hard uptill now , the fact that sapphire screens are too costly (even for IPhone standards!!) , heavier than the ‘Gorilla’ , making the device dimmer and have a shorter battery life. That’s why all we can do is wait (like always) for time to tell will the IPhone 6 have the ‘sapphire-power’ or not.

To remind you, we shared some previous rumors on our facebook page  regarding the IPhone 6 , that we could see a 4.7 and/or 5.5 inch screened device with QHD display . Also is doing rounds the rumor that the smartphone is going to be sporting a whole array of smart sensors, from Blood Pressure, to pressure, humidity and temperature sensors, along with the claimed ability of iOS8 to handle even more...

LG launches G Flex in India... and you can laugh if you want at the price

Ok so jawdropping is a term i have used a couple of times , i admit at places where it wasn't literally intended... but i can safely guarantee that the LG's latest launch , the GFlex surely made my jaw drop.. Ooookayyyy it has a curved OLED display and a self healing back , which is preeeettty impressive, but what struck me was the price... Rs 69999 in India!!!!!! I mean this ain't even remotely funny, this race all tech giants are currently running in, the who-prices-his-smartphone-the-highest... but seriously guys, at 70k , i would be instead buying a gaming ultrabook rather than a curved sparkly smartphone with a self healing bum...

Coming on to the device with a sigh, read this first
*The flexibility of this product is limited. This phone may be bent flat up to 180 degrees for a limited period of time only.Do not bend inward or twist.

Well this is the cautionary line in the first pic we see in the slideshow at the site page , and its obviously expected..but lets not get into that..

Sporting a 2.26 GHz Snapdragon 800 processor, 2 GB RAM, 32 GB internal storage, a 6 inch 'curved' HD display with 3 subpixels in each pixel which makes it pretty good all right, a 3500 mAh battery, bluetooth 4.0 , 13 MP rear and a 2.1 MP front shooter.... specs which are pretty 'smartphonish' as we might say , but no way in hell worth the money they are asking for it.. though i fully appreciate the innovative display and self healing back cover, i really feel that this phone is taking the term overpriced to new heights....

In short, a really classy and unique looking smartphone with the best of the current times, but just way beyond the normal reach

Stop! Don't Sign That Mobile Contract!

Already chosen the mobile contract that you want? You could be making a big mistake. The wrong mobile contract could end up costing you big time. So before you sign, you might want to read on and find out what you could be doing wrong...

Buy Mobile Phones Yourself, Not on Contract
The major mistake that costs many people on a contract is the signing of what's known as an incentive contract. Mobile operators offer two kinds of contract. A SIM only contract contains a calling plan for service, whilst an incentive contract has a calling plan and a mobile phone. Whether or not you get that phone for free or have to pay a down payment on it you will, over the course of your contract, pay far more than retail price for the phone, meaning it's cheaper to buy mobile phones yourself. These incentive phones are simply phones that are bought on an instalment plan. The monthly bill for an incentive contract is higher than the monthly bill for a SIM only contract, even though both those contracts may have the same calling plan. This extra cost reflects the instalment that you're paying on your phone. Add up all the instalments and you'll see that you're paying more than the value of the phone that you get. Skip signing incentive contracts, sign SIM only instead and buy a mobile phone outright to get better long term savings.



Your Calling Plan is Key
You might think that you're choosing the right calling plan, but are you really sure? The wrong plan will cost you money. A calling plan is made up of three parts. There'll be a limit for the amount of calling minutes you can use, a limit for the amount of text messages that you can send, and a limit for the amount of mobile data that you can use. Estimating these limits wrongly will lead to you paying more than you should. If the limits on your plan are too high for you then you're going to end up paying for services that you're not using. This is because you have to pay the same monthly fee for using all your minutes, texts and data as you do for using half, or even none, of them. Don't thing that that means choosing a small plan is better though. If you exceed the limits of your calling plan you will have to pay your normal monthly payment plus premium rates for any extra minutes, texts and data that you have used. Estimating the size of the calling plan that you need is tough. Try looking at some old mobile bills if you have any, since these should tell you what your average usage is like. Or maybe even get a pay as you go plan for a few weeks and track your usage so that you can choose the appropriate plan. Most operators will let you change your calling plan even after your contract is signed, but you'll probably have to pay a fee in order to do this, so it's a better idea to choose correctly the first time.



Is Your Contract the Right Length?
You actually have a choice of contract duration with all operators, though the advertised contracts that you see are generally for twenty four months. The law in the UK requires that operators offer a twelve month contract option. Some operators will give you an eighteen month option too, and some SIM only contracts are known as thirty day rolling contracts. That means that the contract is for only thirty days but that it will automatically renew every month until you tell the operator to stop your service. The length of your contract can affect how much you pay. With many operators the longer your contract is the lower your monthly payments are. The operator gives you a discount for a longer contract because they're guaranteed your custom and therefore your payment for a longer period of time. But even though a longer contract is usually cheaper, you still might want to consider a shorter one. When you sign a mobile contract you should be prepared to stick with that contract until it ends, because breaking a mobile contract can be exceptionally expensive. Two years is a long time to agree to use the same service. This will mean that you need to wait longer to take advantage of better deals, either from your operator or from another company. Also, circumstances can change. Things like moving house, having a baby, graduating from university or losing your job can all affect your ability to pay the monthly bill that you've agreed to. Choose the length that suits you
best, but you will get savings by signing longer contracts.



Did You Read the Terms and Conditions?
Everybody knows that you should read the small print on a contract before signing, yet when it comes to mobile contracts, few people bother. Before you sign that contract go to your operator's web page and read their terms and conditions, you might be glad that you did. There are a couple of things that you'll want to look for. The first thing you should look for is under which conditions you can cancel the contract. Some operators will let you cancel contracts for no fee providing you can prove certain circumstances. Other operators will let you cancel a contract for no reason at all and for free within a specified period of signing. You should know what these conditions are just in case you need to use them. The other thing that you should take note of is what you should do if your mobile phone is lost or stolen. Particularly if your phone is stolen you do not want to be responsible for paying charges run up by the thief. Different operators have different procedures surrounding this situation, so make sure that you know what to do should the occasion arise, since this could end up saving you a fortune.


About the Author- When Sam Jones was looking to buy mobile phones he knew he would have to shop around for the best deal. He went online and compared prices using uSwitch and other similar sites and managed to get a really great deal

Samsung Galaxy S4 mini launched - compared with S4

After what seemed an ages of speculations since the launch of Galaxy S4, finally Samsung has officially launched the trimmed down device , the Galaxy S4 Mini , which according to JK Shin,  CEO, IT and Mobile communication division at Samsung, is " for more compact and practical usages" .

So to what extent exactly has Samsung trimmed down the S4 here? Well, frankly quite a bit. With a 4.3 inch qHD Super AMOLED display in contrast to the 5 inch of the S4, it weighs a light 107g , 23g lighter than the S4. Coming to the processor, the S4 mini is powered by a 1.7 GHz dual core processor, which though won't let users feel much difference in normal use, but surely can be expected to be not as fast as the Quad or Octa core processor of the S4 , but only in terms of some processor hungry apps which may show up in the future. For now, based on the data itself, its difficult to imagine the extent of difference that would show up in usage, if any that is.

The S4 sports an internal memory of 8 GB expandable to 64 GB, and a RAM of 1.5 GB. The camera of the S4 mini is also at a lower level, at 8MP for the rear one, and 1.9 MP for the front camera, both supporting HD recording. The OS will be the same as S4, being the Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. The battery is of a lower capacity as well , at 1900 mAh.



In terms of software feature, the S4 mini will hold in itself the same characteristic set of apps as the S4 to give a similar 'life companion' experience , like the Sound&shot feature , integrated ChatOn , Samsung Hub, WatchOn, Samsung Link (available in select countries), apart from apps like S Travel and Google Mobile services. S Health, Adapt Display and Adapt Sound are few health apps downloadable from the Samsung apps site.

It will be in 3 variants, 4G LTE, 3GHSPA+ or dual sim 3G, and with the kind of specs we are seeing, it should ideally see a decent price cut as well, 'coz consumers won't be impressed at all without this one, in the light of how the device stands up to S4. Though yeah, it still is more than a match for S3 in itself, so not too disappointing it is. It can be considered a decent smartphone , as long as it has a justifiable price tag.

How To Know You're Getting The Best Mobile Security

Image source : smallbiztechnology.com

Mobile security is a tricky subject that many people don’t fully understand. While a good security app should be similar to a desktop security program, there should also be some additional features like an SD card scanner and SIM card lock to protect your mobile device. These are the features and options that you should look for if you want the best mobile security app.

Scan Everything
The mobile security app should be able to scan everything so that it can alert you if you are about to download a virus. This doesn’t just include files from the Internet. It should also include apps from official and third-party sources, external files from your computer and any other file that you are about to download.

The app should also be able to scan SD cards. Many hackers give out free SD cards that are infected because the virus will infect your device as soon as you insert the card. A scanner will be able to check the card to see if there are any malicious files.

Most mobile security apps can scan files, but sometimes the scanner is limited and it can only check files from the browser. This is good, but not good enough if you want the best security.

SIM Card Lock
While many people are worried about hackers, the truth is that theft is more common than hacking. It’s relatively common for someone to steal a phone, switch the SIM card and then use the device. Normally there is nothing that can stop this type of activity, but a good security app will have a SIM card lock feature.

This will lock the phone if a new SIM card is entered so that the person cannot use your phone. You can change the SIM card if needed, but you must enter a password to keep the phone from locking.

Phishing Protection
Phishing is much more common on mobile devices because people tend to fall for these scams more often if they see the phishing message through a mobile device. This reason for this is that users often trust the sender more if they see the message on their smartphone. Another reason for this is because most smartphones are connected to an email inbox, social media accounts and other messaging services.

This feature will ensure that you don’t give away your personal information and it will also block common phishing messages.

Constant Updates
Some free and poorly supported mobile security apps are rarely updated. This is a problem because hackers are always creating new viruses and exploiting programming bugs to infiltrate mobile devices. The best mobile security app should have constant updates so that the app is as ready as possible to stop a hacker and block malware.

The app should at least have monthly updates. Weekly updates are better, but even many of the best apps don’t offer this frequency.

Locate Device and Remote Wipe
Phones are much easier to steal than desktops or laptops. They also tend to contain more sensitive information. A good security app should help you find your device if you lost it. This is usually done by sending a GPS signal that can be easily tracked from another smartphone or computer.

The app should also allow you to remotely wipe the information stored on the smartphone. This means that the thief won’t be able to access or steal the information on your device because it will all be erased.

Continuous Scanning
The last feature that you should look for is continuous scanning. The app should keep checking your device to see if there is any malicious activity occurring behind the scenes. Many viruses will remain dormant until you do a certain action. The app should be able to block and remove the virus before it becomes active so that it doesn’t hurt your device.

Conclusion
There are many great mobile security apps available for users, but you must ensure that you are getting a comprehensive one if you want to keep your device safe. Constant updates and the ability to scan everything isn’t enough. The app should also consider problems that are unique to mobile devices like theft and SD cards.


About the author : Katelyn Roberts works with Sarah Hendricks who is a security expert on protecting users and businesses from hackers and data leakage. Users in the office, at home, or working remotely are all subject to attack. Sarah has teamed up with Mobile antivirus software at NQ.com anti virus software to keep mobile devices protected nation wide!

Get ready for a flexible LG smartphone this year

LG is set to launch a smartphone with flexible OLED display by the end of this year, as told by LG VP Yoon Bu hyun . This is sure to complement the fact that LG is to launch curved televisions, which seems a stupid idea at first, but closer inspection reveals that curved TV can be interesting enough to wait for at least. But talking about the smartphone, this surely marks the start of the flexible devices era, with earlier reports coming on Samsung using ‘flexible’ plastic OLED display in the Note 3.But hey stop your fantasies again, though I admit the image does inspire some really wild ones, but though we know the LG device will have  a flexible screen, we don’t know HOW flexible it will be…. and that , along with our knowledge of the fact that we don’t have flexible internal components, tells us that we need to reign our dream horses , as we may end up just seeing a slightly curved, laterally or out of plane, device. Well we will keep you updated on this, and everything latest in the ‘flexitech’ domain.

 

Source : Techradar

Samsung Galaxy S4 for $168!!!!

 

Samsung Galaxy S4, yeah the latest one, and yeah I am not bonkers here, is being offered up for an ultra humble $168, by Walmart. Now when I heard this, the first thing that went off at 140 dB in my brain was – WHAT IS THE CATCH??? Well the catch is a 2 year contract that is bundled up with the device, with AT&T , apart from a few pre booking steps to learn and conquer.
 The method is -

1. Purchase a $25 pre order card
2. Wait with your heart thumping at high rates and suffer the torments  of high norepinephrine in your blood till a Walmart rep contacts you upon the phone arriving at the store
3. Orders then get filled on first come first serve basis
4. Purchase the phone, and then use the $25 card on something else ( that’s not funny I know)

The device will be available with Sprint at $249, though if you switch from another carrier, you get a $100 instant credit, T-Mobile at $149, Verizon, US cellular , Spire and Cricket as well, whose pricing is not yet known. It is to be understood that buying directly from AT&T will cost $199 , a tad costlier (look at me saying that word here! xD) than walmart one. For small kiddies with less pocket money , or maybe for some people who for some unfathomable reasons don’t want the S4 , you can get S3 at $39.88 with 2 year contract with AT7T or Verizon.

I sooooooooo wish I lived in US !!!! *sigh*

Nvidia Tegra 4 gets ready to rock the specs chart, powering the ZTE N988

ZTE is set to launch the first Nvidia Tegra 4 powered smartphone, named the ZTE N988 , which according to GSM Insider, has got the necessary approvals from Chinese approval authorities. The device is set to make some shivers run through the smartphone giants' camps, of the likes of Samsung, Apple, HTC with the 5.7 inch 1280 x 720 resolution sceened device , powered by 1.5 quad core GHz Tegra 4 processor, which as we know is WAY ahead of the Tegra 3, 2 gigs of RAM, has a 13 MP shooter with LED flash, and comes with Android 4.1.2. What's more, it is even lighter than the Apple IPhone 5, at 110 g.
No word on the price or date of release, but it is expected to set out in July this year.
So clearly one to watch out for, due to the fact that ZTE is known for its reasonable price devices.

Samsung goes 'Mega', the new line aiming to tear down your pockets

Like the usual trend that follows each future Samsung release, leaks are surfacing online regarding the latest phablet series by Samsung, the Samsung Galaxy Mega , which is to come in 2 eye tearing size models - 5.8 and 6.3 inches. But unlike what we saw in case of the Galaxy Note 2 or the Galaxy S4,  this time Samsung will not offer any new hardware than what they already have released. According to SamMobile, who say to have received a spec sheet for the 5.8 inch device ( GT I9152) , the device comes with a 5.8 inch 960 X 540 display , far from the best resolution for sure, dual sim feature, 1.5 GB RAM, 2 MP front and 8 MP rear camera , and powered by a 1,4 GHz processor. It is supposed to have Android 4.1 or 4.2 Jelly Bean..

Now the main culprit for our sweet fantasies of a 6.3 inch Galaxy Note 3 , the 6.3 inched Galaxy Mega gets its share of leaks from Daum, which doesn't tell much though, except the size, and that it has the same camera as the 5.8 inch model , and a dual core Exynos Processor. It though enters some hot territory, as 6.3 inches is closer to a 7 inch tab than a 5 inch smartphone, and that will make things hard for the Mega for sure, competing with, at the same time, the Asus Fonepad, which is even monstrous at  7 inches.
Now call it crossing the size expansion limits, or maybe a conspiracy to tear consumer's pants down at the sides, the 'Fonepads' are in , though not so impressive currently, but surely marking the creation of a new line.

LG Optimus G2 ready to flex its muscle power

 

LG Optimus G , one pretty smartphone that didn’t leave outside the Asian markets now has its successor , as is being speculated, based upon new benchmarks that have surfaced online about a new LG Smartphone, which is probably the LG Optimus G2, and these benchmarks are rocking many a competitors’ boats, as they clearly are the BEST till now. The supposed LG Optimus G2 is rumored to have Android 4.2 sitting in its heart, a 5 inch full HD display, 2 gigs of RAM, 32 gigs of internal storage , a 13 MP shooter , and the quite liberal juice of a 3000 mAh battery. The main thingy responsible for the breathtaking benchmarks is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad core chipset ( or what is called MSM8974) , clocked at 1.7 GHz. Now this device is to be supported by 4G LTE network of carrier T-Mobile, and though the early benchmarks that came last year December were about a phone on AT&T, we can’t just throw away this news as crap because of just this. The phone, after the super success of the LG made Google Nexus 4, is expected to cross the Asian continent’s boundaries and maybe help in increasing the market share of LG as well. We are always ready to welcome anything groundbreaking as always.. so lets wait and see the unveiling of the monstrous G2

Via SlashGear , Techradar

Next IPhone set to wrap around itself, literally!

A few days back we heard rumors about Samsung set to launch devices with flexible display (I know what comes into your imagination when you read this, but that kind of foldable device et all thingy is a long way to come, due to many difficulties I have many a times mentioned) , and now it seems Samsung may actually have to hurry , with its arch rival Apple filing patent at the US Patent and Trademark Office for ‘flexible display assembly enclosed within transparent housing’ . Again, please control your wild imaginations from running awry, as this ‘flexible’ screen is nothing but actually 2 screens working together , at the front and back of the device , whose body is made of glass, totally wrapped around by an AMOLED display on all sides. No ‘flexibility’ in its crude sense, but still the idea is super exciting, even for a Apple-price-to-feature-ratio-critic like me. Good going Apple!!

This patent was filed in 2011 , and though just filing of patent may not guarantee its adoption in next gen devices from Apple, though it is possible to see this tech in iWatch as well. This ‘flexible’ display would pave way to some seriously innovative and entertaining apps and user experience, though quite some work will have to be done, especially at keeping the device at minimal thickness levels ( and instead expand the screen size maybe to accommodate a powerful enough, redesigned battery) , as one wouldn’t want a cylindrical phone either, that is keen on tearing away thin low waist jeans’ pockets.

Note 3 sporting a flexible display?

Rumors nowadays, which have a tendency to ‘sometimes’ boast a little more than the actuality, have been letting down many an expectations regarding upcoming releases. But still we are intrigued by them with an optimistic attitude we tend to have. So here's another rumor , from an ‘industry source’, and that’s as far as the identity is known. According to this rumor, the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 3 will sport the same flexible OLED plastic display instead of a glass one, which Samsung showcased in the CES this year. And even this unknown source, which talked to the Korean site Asiae, was unable to uncover the mystery on the size, whether it is going to be 5.9 or 6.3 inches.

The plastic display means that it is going to be much more durable than glass (of course!) and so you can be excused for dropping the oversized phablet , courtesy small hands, without worrying about total annihilation of the display (of course you will gain some scratches still , maybe on the body of the device). Its being said that the Note 3 will be launched at IFA 2013 , that is around August or September. So stay tuned for more updates till then!

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 - update rumors

With one of the premium smartphones out of the box by Samsung , the Galaxy S4 that is, the focus now shifts towards the second 'Big thing' , quite literally, the Galaxy Note 3. As we posted earlier, the 3rd installment of the uber successful phablet series of Samsung is rumored to sport a massive 6.3 inch screen. That rumour is still there, apart from another one lurking around that the phone may actually have a relatively 'modest' 5.9 inch screen. Though Samsung's gamepad allows upto 6.3 inch, which supports the former one of course.

Seeing the hefty price of Galaxy S4 at $800, Note 3 could end up being in the same price range as well. One more thing that S4 cleared up is the processor - we can easily and safely expect the same, if not better, Octa Cored processor!

Another thing to be looking out for is the OS, with Android 5.0 Key Lemon pie expected to be launched in a Google event in May, along with , and inside, the Google Nexus 5 , we can look out for it to be there in the Note 3 as well.

Loads of stuff to look out for, as usual xD , and that's what we will continue to bring to you, so stay tuned in for more updates.

Source : Techradar

This is ‘slam off’ season in the tech world, as new releases get competitors thumbs down

It hasn’t been long since the launch of the most hyped Android Smartphone till date – the Samsung Galaxy S4 , and we have been seeing mixed reviews about what I personally believe is a magnificent device , from reviewers , and some pretty negative comments from direct competitors. As HTC’s PR sends word from the Chief Marketing Officer, Ben Ho, that the S4 “pales in comparison with the HTC One”.

In his words, Samsung has wasted resources on the marketing, rather than innovation side of the S4, and just increasing the size of the device doesn’t make it live up to HTC One’s standard . In pretty harsh words, he downplayed Samsung Galaxy S4’s plastic design, reminding them that the consumers wanted best features within a premium design, at both points of which, HTC One is ‘the One’ to look out for, while the S4 just tends to be worth a snicker.
One can enjoy (if it is ‘in taste’ for you) the takes that HTC has taken on the S4 in the official twitter feed of HTC.

And you thought that’s the end to it?

In another galaxy of the ‘techverse’ , we are seeing another interplanetary war around the corner, with some serious reality previewing being done by Nvidia, as to who is the leader in the gaming domain, blasting off the PS4 vs Xbox 720 debate , which he terms to be a fight for the second spot. As he commented to Techradar, he feels that the PS4 specs released lately are totally outdated, and are comparable to low end CPU and a  ‘low to mid end GPU’, comparing it to Nvidia GTX680, which was launched in March 2012.

                    

Though , it is true, he believes, that consoles, not having the option to get upgraded, always stay behind PC’s, which can always stack on a GPU power boost, and the next gen consoles like PS4 and Xbox 720, are going to only increase the gap. Interestingly, Nvidia has been powering PS3 with its GPU, though it backed out, as the Vice president says, with Sony then going for AMD’s Octa core GPU’s for the PS4.
Nvidia is clearly looking to assert itself as an independent console developer, with the Project Shield gaining quite some appraisal, as well as Nvidia eying the smartphone processor market, with its break-all-records-aiming Tegra 4 processor, combined with its own brand GPU’s. 

 

Overall, the gadget world is turning a hot place , as competition is increasing with newer, market hungry players are entering the arena, with eyes on dethroning the reigning champs. Quite a gladiator’s battle-to-extinction this is going to be, where the winner takes all the laurels,  while the loser fades out of the battleview in a flash , a super interesting fight out clearly.  I just hope we don’t get a reality show made out of this theme now.. you never know really! xD

Tizen OS powered Samsung "high-end" smartphone this summer

A pretty profitable relationship, but the profits go to whose credits? The answer is Samsung, according to Samsung itself (talk of being narcissistic!) and they are slowly showing the colder side of their hand to Google , to keep their identity as 'the' leader , with their growing interest in alternatives for Android OS. They found a prospect match in the Open source ,Linux based Tizen OS, currently being developed by Samsung , with 11 partners, including Intel , and the development must being going great, as according to Lee Young Hee, Executive Vice president, Samsung, the Tizen powered device will be available around August-September.

As is being speculated, it is going to be a kind of risk, the same that Microsoft took with Windows 8 'for all '  thingy, that is the development of a new OS, and more importantly, its market and consumer acceptability, which is more often than not, directly proportional to the number and quality of apps and services that the particular OS supports. And we have seen many an OS's (BB , HP's tablet OS  to name a few) perish against the indomitable market presence of Android and iOS. Though personally, Linux based kernel does make me feel exciting on 2 points - firstly, this is going to be a more secure thing, knowing Linux, and secondly this is probably going to be cheaper , with the open source software it is, and again  knowing Linux as it is. Moreover, it may bring some good , well deserved recognition for Linux's PC OS series as well!


Whatever the future of the device may be, that's a separate debate, but what is going to appease many is that according to Mr Lee Young Hee, the device is going to offer the best of Samsung, which we can well imagine seeing the latest Samsung Galaxy S4. Samsung is expecting the Tizen device to be one of the "Big three" devices that they launch this year, one being the Galaxy S4 launched, and the other possibly being the Galaxy Note 3. 

Clearly a device , and an OS we got to watch out for, and so would Google , as it will gear itself for the birth of what could be its biggest rival.