Huawei Ascend D Quad XL | World's Fastest Smartphone

Ever heard of Huawei (pronounced "wa-wei")? In the telecom industry, Huawei is the second largest supplier of mobile telecommunications infrastructure in the world after Ericcson. In 2010 Huawei began shipping its first smartphones and this 2012, Huawei wants your next phone to be made by Huawei!

What does Huawei have to offer? Well, Huwaei holds the distinction for having the "world's slimmest smartphone" --the Android 4 Ice Cream Sandwich-powered Huawei Ascend P1 S with a depth of 0.26 inches (the previous slimmest smartphone was the Motorola Droid Razr at 0.28 inches).

In their Ascend series of smartphones, Huawei is taking the smartphones war to a whole new level with the Huawei Ascend D Quad XL Smartphone. Huawei claims it's the "world's fastest smartphone" with a whooping 1.5GHZ quad-core processor!

Like the Huawei Ascend P1 S introduced at CES, the Android 4 Ice Cream Sandwich-powered Huawei Ascend D Quad XL has a smooth, slightly rubberized back, and a slight bump for a grip toward the bottom back of the phone.

The Huawei Ascend D Quad XL has a 1280-by-720-pixel touchscreen with 1GB of RAM, and 8GB of ROM memory. The integrated Dolby Mobile 3.0 Plus produced pulsating audio. The front-facing camera is 1.3 megapixels, while the rear camera is 8 megapixels and capable of 720p video. Huawei also integrates Audience's earSmart dual-microphone noise reduction technology and the micro-USB port doubles as an MHL-HDMI connector.

The Ascend D Quad XL support five UMTS bands and four GSM bands, but no LTE yet which come later this year, in the third quarter or beyond according to Huawei.

The phones will first come out in China, then in Europe and North America.

iPhone Mini Coming Soon!

Phone users on tighter budgets have been shunning the iPhones in favor of less expensive models which run on Google's Android software and could face a lot more competition what with Nokia teaming up with Microsoft.

So, in a bid to further strengthen its hold on the smartphone market and also slow down Google's progress as the biggest software provider with its Android platform, Apple is working on a new version of the iPhone which will be smaller and cheaper than the current iterations of the iPhone.

According to sources at Apple, the company already has a prototype which is projected to cost as little as $200 without a contract, compared with the latest iPhone at $625.

It is not the first time that Apple has offered customers cheaper alternatives of their products.

In 2004, when sales of the original iPod music player were at $299 and more, the company introduced the $249 iPod Mini, which became a bestseller.

Apple is hoping for the same success for the, dare I say, iPhone Mini. Would you buy one?

Nokia Goes Microsoft

In a most likely move to ditch its ancient and much-criticized Symbian operating system, Nokia chief executive Stephen Elop (left) and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced that Nokia has teamed up with Microsoft to create smartphones catering to Microsoft's Windows Phone software.

Both Nokia and Microsfot are hoping to revive their fortunes in a market where they once thrived in but have struggled to keep up with.

Although Nokia remains the mobile industry's number one firm, it's market share has dropped dramatically since the introduction of the iPhone and Android operating systems. While Microsoft has released a promising smartphone OS, it hasn't really been supported by the major phone makers.

Mr Elop said: 'Today, developers, operators and consumers want compelling mobile products, which include not only the device, but the software, services, applications and customer support that make a great experience.'

Nokia, which claims 1.3billion daily users of its devices, said it hopes the 'broad, strategic partnership' with Microsoft will lead to capturing the next billion users to join the Internet in developing growth markets.

The company said that it will also announce new leadership team and organizational structure 'with a clear focus on speed, results and accountability'.

'Nokia is at a critical juncture, where significant change is necessary and inevitable in our journey forward,' Mr Elop said, adding that the company was aiming at 'regaining our smart phone leadership, reinforcing our mobile device platform and realising our investments in the future'.

Sophisticated Trojan "Geinimi" Hijacks Android Smartphones

A malicious new piece of malware codenamed "Geinimi" has appeared in China and Android smartphones are its main targets.

Lookout Mobile Security, a San Francisco-based blog, reported that "Geinimi" is able to compromise personal data on a user's phone and send it to remote servers. According to the author known as "tim," it is "The most sophisticated Android malware we've seen to date, Geinimi is also the first Android malware in the wild that displays botnet-like capabilities."

Designated as a Trojan, Geinimi is currently uploaded through repacked versions of Android apps distributed by a third-party Android app market, most particularly in China, with titles such as Monkey Jump 2, Sex Positions, Presidents vs. Aliens, City Defense and Baseball Superstars 2010.

Currently, Android smartphones outside of China are still shielded but the fact that there is a Trojan for the Android OS is quite alarming. With the iPhone still secure, what is Google going to do to fix this?

Or is this simply a ploy for Antivirus companies to jump on the appstore bandwagon?

Bid Goodbye To Passwords. Hello Mobile Face Recognition Software

Lengthy, complicated, and forgettable passwords and PIN numbers to log onto Internet sites from mobile phones will soon be a thing of the past as scientists from The University of Manchester have developed a face tracking software for mobile phones that can track your facial features in real-time. As the mobile face tracking software contiues to be developed, eventually it will be able to tell who the user is, where they are looking and even how they are feeling.

Face tracking software is already used in laptops, webcams and the Xbox 360 Kinect but this is the first time the technology is being used with such sophistication in mobile devices such as smartphones.

"Existing mobile face trackers give only an approximate position and scale of the face, our model runs in real-time and accurately tracks a number of landmarks on and around the face such as the eyes, nose, mouth and jaw line."

"A mobile phone with a camera on the front captures a video of your face and tracks twenty-two facial features. This can make face recognition more accurate, and has great potential for novel ways of interacting with your phone.'' said Dr Phil Tresadern, lead researcher on the mobile face tracker project.

Originally intended as part of a face and voice-verification system for access to mobile internet applications such as email, social networking and online banking, alternative uses for the device could include fun applications that, for instance, attach virtual objects to the user's face as they move around.

The face tracking software, built on 20 years of research at the University, has been demonstrated on a Nokia N900 for the EU-funded "Mobile Biometrics" (MoBio) project.



For further information about the mobile face tracker project visit: http://www.mobioproject.org

Make Video And Voice Calls With Tango On Your iPhone and Android Smartphones

Tango is a new and FREE mobile-to-mobile video calling service [Think Fring only better]. Tango currently supports the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and 4th generation iPod touch as well as devices running Android 2.1 and higher.

Continue Reading “Make Video And Voice Calls With Tango On Your iPhone and Android Smartphones”  »»

Marvell Has Tri-Core 1.5Ghz Chip For Smartphones

If Samsung has a dual-core processor for smartphones, Marvell has a tri-core and it clocks very impressively at 1.5GHz. It is named the Armada 628 and because it is a full System on a Chip, the Armada 628 can handle full Flash, Open GL ES 2.0, DirectX, 1080p dual stream 3D video applications at 30 frames per second, 3D renderings of 200 million triangles per second, and can plays nice with USB 3.0 and HDMI outputs. Despite all this processing power, Marvell claims the Armada 628 eats up less battery life than dual core processors, and can handle 10 hours of 1080p HD video playback or 140 hours of music on a single charge.

I wonder who among the iPad contenders is going to take advantage of this technology?

1200GHz Overclocked Droid 2 World Edition

A set of new photos has been released over at Droid-Life about a new member to the Droid family called the Droid 2 World Edition finally absolving the Droid of multiple names across regions.

According to rumors, the new Droid 2 World Edition is going to run an albeit overclocked version of the OMAP3620 processor already running on the original Droid 2. The added power should provide additional performance for would-be consumers.

Saudi iPhone 4's Overpriced No More...

Update: Jarir Bookstore has dropped prices for the iPhone 4 as Mobily officially released the iPhones in Saudi Arabia. The iPhone 4 now starts at SR2929 (duh!) while Mobily iPhones start at SR2700.

Jarir Bookstore is taking flak as they released the iPhone4 here in Saudi Arabia. The iPhone units on display were priced at SR5,499 for the 32Gb version and SR4,599 for the 16Gb.

According to SaudiMac who reported on the absurd iPhone 4 pricing, the units were from the UK.

So, what is a UK iPhone doing in the Middle East when even the British cannot get their hands on one.

Well, according to a post on DailyMail, the iPhones are being bought in the UK by professional gangs of traders to be sold in the Middle East and Asia. Long queues outside Apple Stores across Britain are not ordinary customers desperate to get their hands on the new iPhone 4, but runners who have been paid to stand in line by businessmen.

The British Apple Stores sell contract-free iPhones which make these stores a lucrative target for these brokers who buy the iPhones for £499 (SR2930) and £599 (SR3509) and sell them for vastly inflated profits to customers in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Asia where the iPhone is not yet on sale.

Do you still wonder why iPhones at Jarir Bookstore are priced the way they are?! Now you know.

[Sources: SaudiMac, DailyMail]

Motorola Pokes Fun At Apple

No doubt the Motorola hit the right note with consumers when they released their Droid series of smartphones. Motorola with its flagship Droid X is beginning to gain ground against Apple and its once superior iPhone. Motorola is not being brash about their new-found status but they're not being shy about it either.

Continue Reading “Motorola Pokes Fun At Apple”  »»

Confirmed Nokia N8 Availability

Major tech stuff are happening in the beginning of the last quarter of 2010. Just a few days ago, Samsung showed-off their spanking Galaxy Tab, this time Samsung's mobile competitor Nokia confirmed through Senior Comms Manager Tapani Kaskinen, that they are going to make their long-anticipated Nokia N8's available on September 30, 2010.

Continue Reading “Confirmed Nokia N8 Availability”  »»

Spy Video Of Upcoming Samsung Galaxy Tab

At least the telco employee held on to his Samsung Galaxy Tab prototype. LOL! Someone got lucky and quick-minded enough to interview and secretly film the telco employee playing with what is presumably a Samsung Galaxy Tab.

Continue Reading “Spy Video Of Upcoming Samsung Galaxy Tab”  »»

tPhone: An Apple Peel 520 Rival

Just a few hours after the news for the Apple Peel 520 broke, another similar gadget, the tPhone is making its own Internet buzz. The tPhone case does exactly the same cool thing as what the Apple Peel 520 does, and that is to allow an iPod Touch to make calls and send text messages. But while the Apple Peel 520 case is built in silicon rubber, the tPHone case is built in hard plastic and has a better overall design and finish.

The tPhone case includes a non-removable 1200mAh battery, a SIM card slot located on the sides, a dock connector, top and side buttons for the iPod touch, audio jack on the bottom and a power button to activate the adapter. What’s more, it features a mini USB port for power-charging.

More details on the tPhone from  M.I.C Gadget.

Android Motorola Droid 2 Antennagate

Could Apple CEO Steve Jobs' claim that most smartphones have antenna weak spots be true? As if to prove Steve Job's point, Verizon's newly released Android Motorola Droid 2 is having issues with its antenna's too--and it's not about holding it the wrong way.

A report from TechCrunch says "a good number of reports" from users of Verizon's new Android Motorola Droid 2 are complaining about signal problems even without touching the phone.

The report also noted that all four of the Motorola Droid 2 phones tested by Engadget in its review of the phone demonstrated "endlessly fluctuating bar counts," in addition to problems reported by two other reviewers.

Do you have antenna or other issues with your Android Motorola Droid 2 too?

The iPhone 5

Rumors are spreading on the Internet that Apple could be launching the next generation iPhone 5 as early as January of next year. The iPhone 4 has lost steam and potential buyers because of its antenna issues and may be the cause for the early release of iPhone 5.

Most likely, the iPhone 5 could just be a repackaging of the iPhone 4 components in a re-defigned iPhone case and some minor tweaks in the functionality

Though Steve Jobs has offered free iPhone cases to help ease customer infuriation over Antennagate, a hardware modification should really be done, but is only possible in the next generation of the iPhone (iPhone 5).

iPhone Signal Loss Fix

After a lot of blame-shifting and finger pointing, Apple has finally admitted to being at fault concerning the iPhone losing signal strength and they have released an
update to its operating system--iOS 4.0.1-- which, "improves the formula to determine how many bars of signal strength to display".

The release came as Apple said it would be holding a press conference at its Cupertino headquarters on Friday to discuss the iPhone 4.

What the update doesn't say though is that it's going to fix the "death-grip" issue.

MyPhone - A Pinoy Phone?

Solid Group Incorporated has introduced the very first dual active sim mobile phone in the country in 2006, an accomplishment for Filipinos, by Filipinos.

My|Phone – the first and only Filipino mobile phone brand that offers dual sim mobility – grew from a favor for friends to try out a local mobile phone brand. Four years down the line, My|Phone has proven to be a definitive contender in the Philippine mobile phone landscape, currently averaging sales of 28,000 to 33,000 units per month. The response has driven My|Phone to continuously strive to develop better phones at much affordable prices.

Continue Reading “MyPhone - A Pinoy Phone?”  »»

How To Connect Your Laptop To Globe Telecom's Super Surf Internet Using Your Nokia 3G Phone

If you're in the Philippines and in need of a quick Internet connection to check on some important e-mails, update blog posts or just to log-in on Facebook, for fifty-five Pesos (Php55.00), here is how to connect to the Internet via a Nokia 3G-enabled phone with a Globe sim.

Continue Reading “How To Connect Your Laptop To Globe Telecom's Super Surf Internet Using Your Nokia 3G Phone”  »»

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10's Mini Me's: The World's Smallest Android Phones

 The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 mini and X10 mini pro are declared as the world's smallest Android smartphones with a dimensions of 3.2 by 1.9 and 2.05 respectively-- approximately the size of a credit card. Small, but powerful enough.

Continue Reading “Sony Ericsson Xperia X10's Mini Me's: The World's Smallest Android Phones”  »»

Forget Tapping, It's Time To Swype

Due to the new Swype technology, tapping out a text message could become a thing of the past.

If you're not familiar with the T9 software on your mobiles, it's an application which guesses the word people are thinking of as they text. Swype takes this technology one step further.

Continue Reading “Forget Tapping, It's Time To Swype”  »»