Android 4.3: An even sweeter Jelly Bean

Android 4.3, an even sweeter Jelly Bean, is available now on Nexus phones and tablets.

Restricted profiles limit access to apps and content, at home with your family and at work. Bluetooth Smart support makes Android ready for a whole new class of mobile apps that connect to fitness sensors. Games look great thanks to the 3D realistic, high performance graphics powered by OpenGL ES 3.0.

And there's a lot more new in this release:

Audio 

Virtual surround sound - enjoy movies from Google Play with surround sound on Nexus 7 (2013 edition) and other Nexus devices.

Surround sound is powered by Fraunhofer Cingo™ mobile audio technology.

 Dial pad

Autocomplete - just start touching numbers or letters and the dial pad will suggest phone numbers or names. To turn on this feature, open your phone app settings and enable “Dial pad autocomplete.”

Graphics

OpenGL ES 3.0 - Android now supports the latest version of the industry standard for high performance graphics. Wireless Display for Nexus 7 (2013 edition) and Nexus 10 - project from your tablet to a TV.

Keyboard & input

Easier text input - an improved algorithm for tap-typing recognition makes text input easier.
Lower latency input for gamepad buttons and joysticks. 

Location 

Location detection through Wi-Fi - use Wi-Fi to detect location without turning on Wi-Fi all the time.

Networking

Bluetooth Smart support (a.k.a. Bluetooth Low-Energy) - devices like Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 (2013 edition) are now Bluetooth Smart Ready. 
Bluetooth AVRCP 1.3 support - display song names on a car stereo. 

Settings 

Disabled apps tab - check which apps are disabled in Settings > Apps.

Internationalization and localization

Additional language support - Android is now translated in Africaans, Amharic (አማርኛ), Hindi (हिंदी), Swahili (Kiswahili), and Zulu (IsiZulu).
Hebrew, Arabic, and other RTL (right-to-left) - now supported in the home screen, settings, and Phone, People, and Keep apps. 

System

Restricted profiles - put your tablet into a mode with limited access to apps and content.

Setup wizard simplification - getting started on Android is easier thanks to the ability to correct previous input, and because of streamlined user agreements.

Faster user switching - switching users from the lock screen is now faster. 

Enhanced photo daydream - navigate through interesting albums.  

Create restricted profiles that limit access to apps

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Micromax To Launch 5.7-inch HD Smartphone Soon

Micromax has been releasing new models to catch up with the giants in the industry. As per the recent reports, the manufacturer is set to unveil their new Smartphone, Micromax A240 by the end of August.

The model will show off a 5.7 inch 720 pixel HD display, possibly starting a race with Samsung Mega 5.8. Under the hood is a MediaTek MT6589 Quad core processor that clocks 1.2GHz. The phone runs on Android4.2 Jelly bean platform and is coupled with 1GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage memory.

Quoting the sources, the device supports dual SIM and is powered by a 2,600 mAh battery. The 12 Mega Pixel rear camera with LED flash provides crystal clear images and the 5 Mega Pixel front camera assists in video calling. Micromax A240 is similar to Micromax A210 Canvas 4 in most of the hardware and software specifications. It is expected to be loaded with features such as vertical panorama in camera app, video pinning to home-screen support, Flip to mute, and Smart Pause. The phone will likely be available for around 18, 000.

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HTC Zara Comes With 4.5 Inch Screen, Sense 5.5

HTC has recently been in spotlight with its rumored HTC One Max, a big-screen Smartphone with enormous specifications. However another mid-range Smartphone stole the spotlight following a tweet from the infamous leaker @evleaks, which showed Zara, another highly rumored device from the Taiwanese manufacturer.

The images portray same design language of HTC One in Zara including the front-facing Boom-Sound speakers, except that the Smartphone build is plastic unlike the metal in One. The specifications point to a dual-core processor clocked at 1.2 GHz supported by 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of internal memory with MicroSD support.

The 4.5 inch qHD display has a resolution of 540*960. The Smartphone will run on the latest Android Jelly Bean 4.3 with a layer of HTC’s UI, Sense 5.5 on top. Other specs include an 8MP rear camera and a 2100 mAh battery.

According to NDTV Gadgets, the picture tweeted by @evleaks carried the watermark @urbanstrata, which directs to the Twitter handle of Jeff Gordon, HTC's Senior Global Online Communications Manager. However, Gordon has denied his involvement in the leaks saying that he was being trolled.

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Dual-SIM Version Of HTC One With Memory Card Support Reaches India At 48,490

HTC one might undoubtedly be the finest Android phone you can get now. In a plan to lure more potential buyers, who care for more storage and multiple connections, the company is bringing the dual SIM version of its flagship phone to India. Even though HTC has not officially released the device, HTC One dual SIM  has already been listed in some online retailers including Flipkart for 48490. As per the information provided on the e-commerce website, the product will be delivered within 7 to 8 business days. 

The single SIM variant of the device is available for 38,000 on Amazon.co.in. However, for a difference of around 10,000, HTC One Dual SIM provide nothing more than a Micro SD card slot that supports expandable storage upto 64 GB and dual SIM support. The appearance and specifications remain same with 1.7 GHz quad-core processor, 2GB RAM, 25 GB free drop box space, 2300 mAh battery,  dual-stereo front speakers, 4MP HTC Ultra pixel rear camera and a 2.1 megapixel front camera with wide angle lens. The model supports only EDGE while the Single SIM supports HSPA for high-speed 3G Internet.

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Nokia To Launch Biggest Ever Lumia In India This Month

It’s a raining galore of soon-to-be-launched Nokia Lumia phones at the official Nokia India website. With the Lumia 925 and 1020 already in line to be launched in India either by August end or September of this year, a few hours ago the official website added one more phone to the list: Lumia 625.  Sources reporting to The Times of India claimed that Lumia 625, the biggest phone designed by the Finnish Company will be released in India by second or third week of August.

While Nokia Lumia 1020 is making the headlines for its 41MP pure view camera and Lumia 925 for its aluminum body, the new Lumia 625 comes with largest touch screen display ever made by the company.

Lumia 625 features a super-sensitive, 4.7-inch LCD screen display with 800 x 480 pixels resolution. Its super-sensitive technology comes in handy while wearing gloves and can even work for nails. It has a 5MP rear camera with auto-focus and LED flash light and VGA front-facing camera. The phone runs on a 1.2GHz dual-core processor with 512MB RAM. It also includes 8GB of internal storage which can be extended up to 64GB with a microSD. The phone operates on Microsoft’s flagship Windows Phone 8 OS.

The phone is includes Live Tile updates on the front screen and also comes with some of the beneficial features like the Xbox Live, Microsoft Office and 7 GB of online SkyDrive storage. The Smartphone also comes with 5 eye-catchy changeable shells that can be used for personalization.

The pricing of Lumia 625 currently remains unknown.

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Google Launches Android Version Of 'Find My iPhone'

Most of us might have experienced the difficulty of finding our phone left out somewhere in the kitchen or in the dash of car and we badly wish, we had  some mechanism that can help us to get it back. Realizing these situations, Android has come up with a ‘friend in need’ ; an alter ego of Apple’s ‘Find My iPhone’.

 

 

The Google’s device manager works on Android platform and makes your phone ring at its maximum volume even if placed in silent mode. It is also loaded with a real time map for locating the exact position of the lost gadget.

In case the user does not have any hope of recovering the device, the application provides an option to erase all data stored. This technology is known as ‘Kill Switch’ and this feature saves your valuable data from misuse. The users must be logged into their Google account to avail the service. Device manager is expected to reach the users by end of August. Android devices running on version 2.2 or higher would only be able to take advantage of this assistance.

Apart from Apple which provides the same security features for their devices, there are many other independent companies like LoJack which deliver security insurance and assurance to trace and retrieve the lost device for a cost.

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Samsung Gear- The Official Name For Samsung's Android Smartwatch

 After mobile phones and Laptops, Samsung is planning to enter the race of smart watches. The device is likely to be named as ‘Galaxygear’ and will be Samsung’s first ever model in this new venture. Reports say that Samsung has already filed for a patent on USPTO (United States Patent and Trade Office).

Samsung’s new product may look more like a wrist watch, wristband or bangle and falls under the category of wearable digital electronic devices. Sony and Google have already launched such devices that can provide access to the Internet, make and receive phone calls, text messages and e-mails. The features and internal configuration of the model is unknown, however it is believed to run on a latest version of Android. There are certain unconfirmed reports that Samsung will officially announce the new model on September 4th along with the release of Galaxy Note 3.

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