TEL AVIV: Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer said Windows Phone 8 being launched with its partners would create a strong third player in the smartphone market and sell quickly.
"With the work we have done with Nokia, HTC, Samsung and others ... there is now an opportunity to create really a strong third participant in the smartphone market," Ballmer said at an event to launch Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system in Israel, referring to Google's Android and Apple's iOS platforms.
"We're still relatively small ... I expect the volumes on Windows Phone to really ramp quickly."
Ballmer said Microsoft will do more marketing and advertising around Windows 8, its Surface tablet and Windows Phone than any products the company had ever done.
Monday, 5 November 2012
Thursday, 1 November 2012
Sony Duo
At least in the beginning, most of the made-for-Windows-8 devices you're going to see will have a very similar form factor -- namely, a tablet that slots into a detachable keyboard dock. Sony, though, is taking a different tack: the outfit is ignoring the hybrid trend altogether and will instead sell the VAIO Duo 11, one of a select few slider PCs to hit the market. we're just now learning about pricing and availability: the company just announced that the Duo is coming out October 26th (the same day as Windows 8) and will start at $1,100.
That's a lofty price, to be sure, but with a spec sheet that includes Ultrabook guts, a backlit keyboard, NFC, GPS and a 1080p, IPS, Gorilla Glass display, we don't see how it could've cost much less. Take a gander at the design, and you'll see it's mostly made of magnesium alloy and, having handled it ourselves, we can attest to the sturdiness of the hinge mechanism. Compared to other sliders, which often make do with cramped keyboards, this offers a reasonably spacious layout, though it comes at the expense of a trackpad. Indeed, there's no touchpad here; just an optical pointing stick. (Thankfully, it seems pretty precise.) Additionally, the Duo 11 supports pen input, and comes with a dual digitizer pen that can recognize 256 levels of pressure sensitivity. As a tablet-like device, it has not one, but two cameras, both capturing at 2.4-megapixel resolution.
Continuing our tour of the device, the 2.84-pound system is home to a surprisingly robust collection of ports, including HDMI-out, two USB 3.0 sockets, an Ethernet jack (!), memory card slot, headphone jack and VGA. Yes, VGA. This might be a good time to clarify that Sony envisions this as a machine for road warriors, though it comes not with Windows 8 Professional, but Home Premium. That would also explain the battery situation: in addition to the built-in 4,960mAh cell, it will be offered with an optional slice battery that promises to double the runtime. Bonus: the spare has its own AC port, so you can plug it directly into the outlet. Again, the Duo 11 starts at $1,100 with a Core i3 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD (you can upgrade to a 256 drive and a Core i5 or 7 CPU if you wish).
The Sony Vaio Duo 11 is different. Instead of the ARM-based processors you'll find in the iPad, Android tablets such as the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 or Windows RT tablets such as the Microsoft Surface, this runs a full Intel Core processor.
This means you can run full Windows programs as well as apps such as Angry Birds and TV catchup apps from the Windows Store.
It's not just the processor that's different. Instead of being a bland black slate, the screen lifts and slides back to reveal a keyboard. It's held together by a weighty hinge, meaning that wherever you go, the keyboard comes with it.
The lack of detachability indicates that Sony is aiming at the more professional end of the market. Being able to lose the keyboard means that people are more likely to use their device for playing games and browsing the web.
Specification
The main difference between the Sony Vaio Duo 11 and the rest of the tablet market is that x86 processor. It's an Intel Core i5 3317U chip clocked at 1.7GHz - the same low power variety found in Ultrabooks. While 1.7GHz may seem low, it can Turbo Boost itself to a whopping 2.7GHz under heavy strain, which means it's no slouch.
The Sony Vaio Duo 11 packs the power of a leading laptop into the body of a tablet. This means that advanced photo and video editing are more than within its capabilities, and you can multitask apps to your heart's content.
The thing I like about this tab cum pc is the connectivity,USB functions,163 min battery life,we can zip files,watch high definition movies,work on a pc as well as use apps for tables
Editing on Photoshop and running our favourite apps was also cause for celebration, as well as being able to sit back and enjoy the latest Windows apps from what's shaping up to be a promising selection.
The main reason for dislike is the weight of the tablet and price,the bulky tablet cum pc has a keyboard which cannot be detached,the keyboard looks cramped up and it's so heavy
While some tablets such as Samsung smart pc,Asus vivo their docks can be detached to make it lighter
While with Sony you are stuck with the bulky weight
Last verdict
If you are fine with the weight and price you are for one of the best tab in the market
It may not be wafer thin or super-light, but it has a gorgeous Full HD screen, 128GB of storage, full connectivity and is as good for work as it is for play.
That is something the iPad, Google Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire just can't compete with.
While it's not a perfect laptop-tablet hybrid, and certainly won't have mass appeal, Sony has furthered the Windows 8 cause with an exceptionally powerful device that challenges the perceptions of what tablets can achieve.
If you're a business user who wants on-the-go convenience and power then take the plunge, but for most people the Duo will be a luxury for problems that can be solved with an enormous range of cheaper, more versatile devices.
The Sony Vaio Duo 11 is also a solid piece of engineering, and despite its bulk it certainly turns heads. This in no small part thanks to the gorgeous 1080p screen, and if you need a device to watch a film on after a day working on the road, you have a top contender in the Sony Vaio Duo 11.
That's a lofty price, to be sure, but with a spec sheet that includes Ultrabook guts, a backlit keyboard, NFC, GPS and a 1080p, IPS, Gorilla Glass display, we don't see how it could've cost much less. Take a gander at the design, and you'll see it's mostly made of magnesium alloy and, having handled it ourselves, we can attest to the sturdiness of the hinge mechanism. Compared to other sliders, which often make do with cramped keyboards, this offers a reasonably spacious layout, though it comes at the expense of a trackpad. Indeed, there's no touchpad here; just an optical pointing stick. (Thankfully, it seems pretty precise.) Additionally, the Duo 11 supports pen input, and comes with a dual digitizer pen that can recognize 256 levels of pressure sensitivity. As a tablet-like device, it has not one, but two cameras, both capturing at 2.4-megapixel resolution.
Continuing our tour of the device, the 2.84-pound system is home to a surprisingly robust collection of ports, including HDMI-out, two USB 3.0 sockets, an Ethernet jack (!), memory card slot, headphone jack and VGA. Yes, VGA. This might be a good time to clarify that Sony envisions this as a machine for road warriors, though it comes not with Windows 8 Professional, but Home Premium. That would also explain the battery situation: in addition to the built-in 4,960mAh cell, it will be offered with an optional slice battery that promises to double the runtime. Bonus: the spare has its own AC port, so you can plug it directly into the outlet. Again, the Duo 11 starts at $1,100 with a Core i3 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD (you can upgrade to a 256 drive and a Core i5 or 7 CPU if you wish).
The Sony Vaio Duo 11 is different. Instead of the ARM-based processors you'll find in the iPad, Android tablets such as the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 or Windows RT tablets such as the Microsoft Surface, this runs a full Intel Core processor.
This means you can run full Windows programs as well as apps such as Angry Birds and TV catchup apps from the Windows Store.
It's not just the processor that's different. Instead of being a bland black slate, the screen lifts and slides back to reveal a keyboard. It's held together by a weighty hinge, meaning that wherever you go, the keyboard comes with it.
The lack of detachability indicates that Sony is aiming at the more professional end of the market. Being able to lose the keyboard means that people are more likely to use their device for playing games and browsing the web.
Specification
The main difference between the Sony Vaio Duo 11 and the rest of the tablet market is that x86 processor. It's an Intel Core i5 3317U chip clocked at 1.7GHz - the same low power variety found in Ultrabooks. While 1.7GHz may seem low, it can Turbo Boost itself to a whopping 2.7GHz under heavy strain, which means it's no slouch.
The Sony Vaio Duo 11 packs the power of a leading laptop into the body of a tablet. This means that advanced photo and video editing are more than within its capabilities, and you can multitask apps to your heart's content.
The thing I like about this tab cum pc is the connectivity,USB functions,163 min battery life,we can zip files,watch high definition movies,work on a pc as well as use apps for tables
Editing on Photoshop and running our favourite apps was also cause for celebration, as well as being able to sit back and enjoy the latest Windows apps from what's shaping up to be a promising selection.
The main reason for dislike is the weight of the tablet and price,the bulky tablet cum pc has a keyboard which cannot be detached,the keyboard looks cramped up and it's so heavy
While some tablets such as Samsung smart pc,Asus vivo their docks can be detached to make it lighter
While with Sony you are stuck with the bulky weight
Last verdict
If you are fine with the weight and price you are for one of the best tab in the market
It may not be wafer thin or super-light, but it has a gorgeous Full HD screen, 128GB of storage, full connectivity and is as good for work as it is for play.
That is something the iPad, Google Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire just can't compete with.
While it's not a perfect laptop-tablet hybrid, and certainly won't have mass appeal, Sony has furthered the Windows 8 cause with an exceptionally powerful device that challenges the perceptions of what tablets can achieve.
If you're a business user who wants on-the-go convenience and power then take the plunge, but for most people the Duo will be a luxury for problems that can be solved with an enormous range of cheaper, more versatile devices.
The Sony Vaio Duo 11 is also a solid piece of engineering, and despite its bulk it certainly turns heads. This in no small part thanks to the gorgeous 1080p screen, and if you need a device to watch a film on after a day working on the road, you have a top contender in the Sony Vaio Duo 11.
Apple iPad 4 performance
The new processor in the iPad 4 is an A6X chip that delivers even greater performance than the A6 found on the iPhone 5. When compared to the A5X SoC found on the third generation iPad, the upcoming 10-incher actually boasts an increase of 111% in performance.
The A6X has also been coupled with a new quad-core graphics chip in order to handle that huge resolution of 2048 x 1536, and the device also benefits from 1 GB of RAM. The results are pretty obvious and the iPad 4 blows the third generation out of the water.
Now, it remains to be seen whether or not the fourth generation iPad will blow its Android competition out of the water as well. The Google Nexus 10 sounds very promising as well. It comes with an even higher resolution (2560 x 1600) more pixels per inch (300 vs 264), a dual-core ARM Cortex-A15 processor running at 1.7 GHz, an ARM Mali-T604 GPU and 2 GB of RAM.however apple will not be able to compete with google in terms of price
More information will be coming about the iPad 4,stay tuned to know more of the upcoming win8 tablets and google nexus
The A6X has also been coupled with a new quad-core graphics chip in order to handle that huge resolution of 2048 x 1536, and the device also benefits from 1 GB of RAM. The results are pretty obvious and the iPad 4 blows the third generation out of the water.
Now, it remains to be seen whether or not the fourth generation iPad will blow its Android competition out of the water as well. The Google Nexus 10 sounds very promising as well. It comes with an even higher resolution (2560 x 1600) more pixels per inch (300 vs 264), a dual-core ARM Cortex-A15 processor running at 1.7 GHz, an ARM Mali-T604 GPU and 2 GB of RAM.however apple will not be able to compete with google in terms of price
More information will be coming about the iPad 4,stay tuned to know more of the upcoming win8 tablets and google nexus
Tuesday, 30 October 2012
AMD to use smartphone technology in microservers
SAN FRANCISCO: Advanced Micro Devices plans to use technology from Britain's ARM Holdings to make energy-efficient processors for servers, a growing business that the troubled chipmaker hopes will help offset weakness in the struggling PC industry.
AMD will expand its push into the still-new microserver market, combining ARM's architecture typically used in smartphones with the x86 architecture common in PCs and servers, chief executive officer Rory Read said on Monday.
"AMD is the only computing company on the planet that's introducing this ambidextrous architecture spanning both x86 and ARM ecosystems," he told reporters at an event.
One of Silicon Valley's oldest chipmakers, AMD is losing money and struggling to redefine itself as consumers increasingly favor tablets over laptops and as manufacturers worried about the economy hold off on building new PCs.
The company, which is a distant no. 2 to top chipmaker Intel, announced this month it would slash 15 percent of its workforce, while devoting more resources to areas outside of its traditional PC business, including communications, industrial and gaming applications.
AMD's focus on microservers is a clear -- albeit indirect -- bet on the proliferation of smartphones, tablets and other personal computing devices.
"The data centre is where we fundamentally think the growth is going to be and where the innovation is going to be," said Lisa Su, AMD's senior vice president and general manager, global business units.
Battery friendly
Like Intel, Sunnyvale, California-based AMD was caught flat-footed in recent years with the emergence and fast growth of mobile devices like Apple's iPad.
Nearly all smartphones and tablets now use battery-friendly technology licensed by ARM to chipmakers like Qualcomm and Samsung Electronics.
AMD's adoption of ARM's technology comes as the British company turns toward data centres, where servers using its low-power technology are challenging the powerful Intel processors that currently power most servers. AMD also makes similar x86 server chips.
When it comes to web surfing on tablets, or analysing activities on Facebook in real time, data centres with many small, low-power processors are more efficient than those with a few large processors, said Patrick Moorhead, the head of Moor Insights & Strategy.
"The new realm of servers is being driven by changes in client devices like smartphones and tablets," Moorhead said. "What mega-data centre builders are doing now is trying to find the most optimal architecture, and what they're looking at very closely are microservers."
ARM has been working on its own 64-bit chip technology, a standard suited to data centers that takes better advantage of memory than its 32-bit chip technology used in smartphones and tablets. Intel and AMD already use 64-bit technology in their x86 server processors.
AMD executives said they will focus on 64-bit server chips using ARM technology, with products expected in 2014. They said AMD may eventually use ARM's technology for other kinds of chips as well.
AMD has previously talked about plans to follow a strategy of adding other companies' intellectual property to its future chip designs, mixing and matching different technologies to suit customers' needs.
Read, who left PC maker Lenovo last year to lead AMD, told analysts on a recent quarterly conference call that he had underestimated how quickly the PC industry was changing.
He said AMD must accelerate its shift toward designing embedded chips for fast-growing markets like game consoles and medical equipment.
"Get the business balanced, simplify the portfolio, lower the cost base, then go after embedded (chips) . That's in the tactical time frame," Read told Reuters in an interview, asked about AMD's strategy for the next few months.
AMD expects its revenue to fall 10 percent in the current quarter compared with the September quarter. Reflecting the chipmaker's troubles, AMD's stock has fallen 59 percent over the past year.
AMD took a step into the microserver market in March with the acquisition of Silicon Valley start-up SeaMicro for $334 million. But it is not the only company to bet on microservers.
Austin, Texas-based startup Calxeda is also focussing on ARM-based processors for data centres and Intel is working on low-powered versions of its x86 chips.
Dell and Hewlett-Packard have also said they plan to sell ARM-based servers.
With years of execution setbacks also weighing on AMD, the company is burning through cash, and industry analysts have recently become concerned about future liquidity.
AMD's cash declined $279 million in the third quarter to $1.48 billion. AMD said it was reducing its "optimal" cash target to $1.1 million from $1.5 billion due to the business' now smaller size.
AMD will expand its push into the still-new microserver market, combining ARM's architecture typically used in smartphones with the x86 architecture common in PCs and servers, chief executive officer Rory Read said on Monday.
"AMD is the only computing company on the planet that's introducing this ambidextrous architecture spanning both x86 and ARM ecosystems," he told reporters at an event.
One of Silicon Valley's oldest chipmakers, AMD is losing money and struggling to redefine itself as consumers increasingly favor tablets over laptops and as manufacturers worried about the economy hold off on building new PCs.
The company, which is a distant no. 2 to top chipmaker Intel, announced this month it would slash 15 percent of its workforce, while devoting more resources to areas outside of its traditional PC business, including communications, industrial and gaming applications.
AMD's focus on microservers is a clear -- albeit indirect -- bet on the proliferation of smartphones, tablets and other personal computing devices.
"The data centre is where we fundamentally think the growth is going to be and where the innovation is going to be," said Lisa Su, AMD's senior vice president and general manager, global business units.
Battery friendly
Like Intel, Sunnyvale, California-based AMD was caught flat-footed in recent years with the emergence and fast growth of mobile devices like Apple's iPad.
Nearly all smartphones and tablets now use battery-friendly technology licensed by ARM to chipmakers like Qualcomm and Samsung Electronics.
AMD's adoption of ARM's technology comes as the British company turns toward data centres, where servers using its low-power technology are challenging the powerful Intel processors that currently power most servers. AMD also makes similar x86 server chips.
When it comes to web surfing on tablets, or analysing activities on Facebook in real time, data centres with many small, low-power processors are more efficient than those with a few large processors, said Patrick Moorhead, the head of Moor Insights & Strategy.
"The new realm of servers is being driven by changes in client devices like smartphones and tablets," Moorhead said. "What mega-data centre builders are doing now is trying to find the most optimal architecture, and what they're looking at very closely are microservers."
ARM has been working on its own 64-bit chip technology, a standard suited to data centers that takes better advantage of memory than its 32-bit chip technology used in smartphones and tablets. Intel and AMD already use 64-bit technology in their x86 server processors.
AMD executives said they will focus on 64-bit server chips using ARM technology, with products expected in 2014. They said AMD may eventually use ARM's technology for other kinds of chips as well.
AMD has previously talked about plans to follow a strategy of adding other companies' intellectual property to its future chip designs, mixing and matching different technologies to suit customers' needs.
Read, who left PC maker Lenovo last year to lead AMD, told analysts on a recent quarterly conference call that he had underestimated how quickly the PC industry was changing.
He said AMD must accelerate its shift toward designing embedded chips for fast-growing markets like game consoles and medical equipment.
"Get the business balanced, simplify the portfolio, lower the cost base, then go after embedded (chips) . That's in the tactical time frame," Read told Reuters in an interview, asked about AMD's strategy for the next few months.
AMD expects its revenue to fall 10 percent in the current quarter compared with the September quarter. Reflecting the chipmaker's troubles, AMD's stock has fallen 59 percent over the past year.
AMD took a step into the microserver market in March with the acquisition of Silicon Valley start-up SeaMicro for $334 million. But it is not the only company to bet on microservers.
Austin, Texas-based startup Calxeda is also focussing on ARM-based processors for data centres and Intel is working on low-powered versions of its x86 chips.
Dell and Hewlett-Packard have also said they plan to sell ARM-based servers.
With years of execution setbacks also weighing on AMD, the company is burning through cash, and industry analysts have recently become concerned about future liquidity.
AMD's cash declined $279 million in the third quarter to $1.48 billion. AMD said it was reducing its "optimal" cash target to $1.1 million from $1.5 billion due to the business' now smaller size.
Google aims at Apple with new Nexus phone, tablets
Google announced two new tablets and a new smartphone on Monday, aiming to take on Apple's iPhone and iPad in the smartphone and tablet market. Incidentally, the announcement came around half an hour before Microsoft was supposed to kick off its Windows Phone event in San Francisco.
The devices launched under the brand name Nexus, which is Google's way of differentiating its products from other devices powered by Android. Nexus 4, which would replace Galaxy Nexus as 'pure' Android phone, was the highlight of the lot that Nexus 10, a 10-inch tablet, and an updated model of Nexus 7.
Nexus 4 has been built by Google in partnership with LG. It is powered by a quad-core processor running at 1.5 Ghz and Adreno 320 graphics chip. The phone has a 4.7-inch IPS screen with a resolution of 1280 x 768 pixels. It has two cameras - 8 mega pixels primary camera and 1.3 mega pixels front camera. The phone has 2GB RAM. In terms of internal storage, the device will come with either 8GB storage or 16GB. It doesn't support microSD cards.
The highlight feature of Nexus 4, apart from its stellar hardware, is the back cover made of glass. Though it is likely that the use of glass may make the device more susceptible to damage. It also lacks LTE or 4G compatibility, which is a standard feature in high-end phones nowadays.
"This is the first time we collaborated with LG to build a Nexus device," Andy Rubin, senior vice president of mobile and digital content at Google, said in a press release. "They brought an extraordinary amount of talent to the project, and the result is a feature-packed device that feels great in your hand, and blazingly fast under the hood."
"LG is proud and excited to play this role in helping build the latest Nexus smart-phone," said Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of LG's mobile division.
According to Google, the device will be available in 8GB version and a 16GB version on Google Play store starting November 13 in the US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Spain and Australia. Offline availability in Europe, Central/South Americas, Asia, CIS and the Middle East will begin from the end of November.
For a flagship Android phone, Nexus 4 has been priced very aggressively. The 8GB model will cost $299 while the 16GB model will have a price of $349.
However, at the moment it is not clear when the phone will launch in India. So far Nexus S is the only Nexus device to launch in India. That too had arrived here several months after the global launch and was available only in limited quantities.
This has disappointed many Android fans in India.
"It is disappointing that Google's Nexus devices don't come here in India. Nexus devices are the only Android devices on which we can enjoy pure Android experience. These devices also get timely software updates from Google," Kamal Tekwani told Us. "Compared to Google, nowadays even Apple is releasing products faster in India."
Focus on tablets
Apart from launching a new flagship phone, Google also unveiled a 10-inch tablet to take on Apple's iPad. While the price of the tablet - Nexus 10 - starts at just $399, it packs in the state-of-the-art hardware. The tablet has a screen with resolution of 2,560 x 1,600 pixels, which comfortably puts it ahead of iPad 4, which has a resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels, in terms of pixel density. Though iPad still has the advantage of better apps.
It is powered by Exynos 5250 dual-core CPU running it 1.7Ghz and Mali T604 graphics chip. This CPU is based on ARM's A15 architecture and hence is likely to be faster than most of the quad-core mobile processors available in the market at the moment. The tablet has 2GB RAM, a 5MP primary camera and 1.9MP front camera.
Nexus 10 only supports Wi-Fi. For now there is no model that works with 3G or 4G connectivity.
Along with the new tablet, Google also updated Nexus 7 tablet. It announced a new model with 32GB storage and support for mobile connectivity. This will cost $299, $49 more than the 32GB (Wi-Fi) model.
All new Nexus device will be powered by Android 4.2. While the operating system has been updated, Google is still calling it Jelly Bean. Android 4.2 has new features like support for multiple users on tablets, gesture typing (similar to SWYPE keyboard) and a host of other minor improvements.
Update: Apart from introducing a new Nexus 7, Google also killed Nexus 7 (8GB) model. It reduced the price of Nexus 7 (16GB) model to $199 from $249 and introduced a new Nexus 7 (32GB) with a price of $299. None of these tablets are available in India at the moment,india is repeatedly left disappointed
The devices launched under the brand name Nexus, which is Google's way of differentiating its products from other devices powered by Android. Nexus 4, which would replace Galaxy Nexus as 'pure' Android phone, was the highlight of the lot that Nexus 10, a 10-inch tablet, and an updated model of Nexus 7.
Nexus 4 has been built by Google in partnership with LG. It is powered by a quad-core processor running at 1.5 Ghz and Adreno 320 graphics chip. The phone has a 4.7-inch IPS screen with a resolution of 1280 x 768 pixels. It has two cameras - 8 mega pixels primary camera and 1.3 mega pixels front camera. The phone has 2GB RAM. In terms of internal storage, the device will come with either 8GB storage or 16GB. It doesn't support microSD cards.
The highlight feature of Nexus 4, apart from its stellar hardware, is the back cover made of glass. Though it is likely that the use of glass may make the device more susceptible to damage. It also lacks LTE or 4G compatibility, which is a standard feature in high-end phones nowadays.
"This is the first time we collaborated with LG to build a Nexus device," Andy Rubin, senior vice president of mobile and digital content at Google, said in a press release. "They brought an extraordinary amount of talent to the project, and the result is a feature-packed device that feels great in your hand, and blazingly fast under the hood."
"LG is proud and excited to play this role in helping build the latest Nexus smart-phone," said Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of LG's mobile division.
According to Google, the device will be available in 8GB version and a 16GB version on Google Play store starting November 13 in the US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Spain and Australia. Offline availability in Europe, Central/South Americas, Asia, CIS and the Middle East will begin from the end of November.
For a flagship Android phone, Nexus 4 has been priced very aggressively. The 8GB model will cost $299 while the 16GB model will have a price of $349.
However, at the moment it is not clear when the phone will launch in India. So far Nexus S is the only Nexus device to launch in India. That too had arrived here several months after the global launch and was available only in limited quantities.
This has disappointed many Android fans in India.
"It is disappointing that Google's Nexus devices don't come here in India. Nexus devices are the only Android devices on which we can enjoy pure Android experience. These devices also get timely software updates from Google," Kamal Tekwani told Us. "Compared to Google, nowadays even Apple is releasing products faster in India."
Focus on tablets
Apart from launching a new flagship phone, Google also unveiled a 10-inch tablet to take on Apple's iPad. While the price of the tablet - Nexus 10 - starts at just $399, it packs in the state-of-the-art hardware. The tablet has a screen with resolution of 2,560 x 1,600 pixels, which comfortably puts it ahead of iPad 4, which has a resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels, in terms of pixel density. Though iPad still has the advantage of better apps.
It is powered by Exynos 5250 dual-core CPU running it 1.7Ghz and Mali T604 graphics chip. This CPU is based on ARM's A15 architecture and hence is likely to be faster than most of the quad-core mobile processors available in the market at the moment. The tablet has 2GB RAM, a 5MP primary camera and 1.9MP front camera.
Nexus 10 only supports Wi-Fi. For now there is no model that works with 3G or 4G connectivity.
Along with the new tablet, Google also updated Nexus 7 tablet. It announced a new model with 32GB storage and support for mobile connectivity. This will cost $299, $49 more than the 32GB (Wi-Fi) model.
All new Nexus device will be powered by Android 4.2. While the operating system has been updated, Google is still calling it Jelly Bean. Android 4.2 has new features like support for multiple users on tablets, gesture typing (similar to SWYPE keyboard) and a host of other minor improvements.
Update: Apart from introducing a new Nexus 7, Google also killed Nexus 7 (8GB) model. It reduced the price of Nexus 7 (16GB) model to $199 from $249 and introduced a new Nexus 7 (32GB) with a price of $299. None of these tablets are available in India at the moment,india is repeatedly left disappointed
Pandora adds more features to iPhone, Android apps
Internet radio company Pandora is adding more functionality to its mobile apps, showing lyrics and artist information and making it easier to share self-crafted stations with friends, as companies intensify efforts to lure mobile advertising dollars.
Pandora is essentially bringing the features of its website to users of its apps for Apple and Android mobile devices. The app for iPhones is being released on Monday, while an Android version is expected to follow soon. Pandora also said it is releasing a version for Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 early next year.
Mobile use of Pandora's streaming service is growing quickly. In the quarter that ended in July, mobile listening nearly doubled from a year earlier and made up more than 75 percent of its 3.3 billion listener hours.
Pandora is the leader in free online radio, where listeners can pick genres or styles of music but not specific songs or albums. It has 175 million registered users, including 58 million who use it in a given month. It claims a 73 percent share of the market for free online radio.
Pandora competes for listeners with services such as Clear Channel's iHeart Radio and has apps on phones, tablets, computers and car stereo systems. Apple is the leading online seller of song and album downloads, while a whole host of paid subscription music services such as Spotify, Rhapsody, Rdio and MOG offer unlimited track selection and playback for a monthly fee of $10.
As a free service, Pandora relies mostly on advertising revenue to make its business work.
Investors of internet companies that offer free services online have been concerned about their ability to make money from mobile advertising as usage of mobile devices has skyrocketed.
Pandora's mobile ad revenue has been growing almost as quickly as mobile listening, and its revenue from mobile ads was up 86 percent at $59 million in the last quarter, making up over half of the company's total revenues. The company, which is based in Oakland, California, is expected to report its third-quarter results in late November.
Other companies are making headway generating money from mobile ads.
Facebook said this month that 14 percent of its revenue came from mobile ads in the latest quarter, causing its stock price to jump, while Google said mobile ads were on track to generate $8 billion in revenue for the company this year.
Tom Conrad, Pandora's chief technology officer and executive vice president of product, said the revamp was not purposefully designed to boost mobile ad revenue although the update will see some advertising partners get more involved.
"Our motivation for doing this was to connect people with the music they're discovering in a fundamental way," he said.
Pandora is essentially bringing the features of its website to users of its apps for Apple and Android mobile devices. The app for iPhones is being released on Monday, while an Android version is expected to follow soon. Pandora also said it is releasing a version for Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 early next year.
Mobile use of Pandora's streaming service is growing quickly. In the quarter that ended in July, mobile listening nearly doubled from a year earlier and made up more than 75 percent of its 3.3 billion listener hours.
Pandora is the leader in free online radio, where listeners can pick genres or styles of music but not specific songs or albums. It has 175 million registered users, including 58 million who use it in a given month. It claims a 73 percent share of the market for free online radio.
Pandora competes for listeners with services such as Clear Channel's iHeart Radio and has apps on phones, tablets, computers and car stereo systems. Apple is the leading online seller of song and album downloads, while a whole host of paid subscription music services such as Spotify, Rhapsody, Rdio and MOG offer unlimited track selection and playback for a monthly fee of $10.
As a free service, Pandora relies mostly on advertising revenue to make its business work.
Investors of internet companies that offer free services online have been concerned about their ability to make money from mobile advertising as usage of mobile devices has skyrocketed.
Pandora's mobile ad revenue has been growing almost as quickly as mobile listening, and its revenue from mobile ads was up 86 percent at $59 million in the last quarter, making up over half of the company's total revenues. The company, which is based in Oakland, California, is expected to report its third-quarter results in late November.
Other companies are making headway generating money from mobile ads.
Facebook said this month that 14 percent of its revenue came from mobile ads in the latest quarter, causing its stock price to jump, while Google said mobile ads were on track to generate $8 billion in revenue for the company this year.
Tom Conrad, Pandora's chief technology officer and executive vice president of product, said the revamp was not purposefully designed to boost mobile ad revenue although the update will see some advertising partners get more involved.
"Our motivation for doing this was to connect people with the music they're discovering in a fundamental way," he said.
Apple's unapologetic apology to Samsung
Tech giant Apple has posted an unapologetic advert acknowledging a court decision that Korean-mobile maker Samsung did not infringe its design patents in the UK.
Apple was ordered by the UK High Court to post the advert after it lost an appeal last week.
It was ruled that the notice must stay on Apple's site for no less than six months to "correct the damaging impression" left by Apple's suit against Samsung.
The advert, however, hits back at rival Samsung, stating that other courts have judged that the South Korean company "willfully copied Apple's far more popular iPad," the Telegraph reports.
In the advert, Apple implies that it does not agree with the court's decision by stating that it has won similar cases in Germany and the US.
"So while the UK court did not find Samsung guilty of infringement, other courts have recognised that in the course of creating its Galaxy tablet, Samsung willfully copied Apple's far more popular iPad," the ad says.
According to the paper, the iPhone maker also quotes at length the well-publicised portions of the judgment that acknowledge that Apple's products are "cool" whereas Samsung's products are "not as cool".
Apple was ordered by the UK High Court to post the advert after it lost an appeal last week.
It was ruled that the notice must stay on Apple's site for no less than six months to "correct the damaging impression" left by Apple's suit against Samsung.
The advert, however, hits back at rival Samsung, stating that other courts have judged that the South Korean company "willfully copied Apple's far more popular iPad," the Telegraph reports.
In the advert, Apple implies that it does not agree with the court's decision by stating that it has won similar cases in Germany and the US.
"So while the UK court did not find Samsung guilty of infringement, other courts have recognised that in the course of creating its Galaxy tablet, Samsung willfully copied Apple's far more popular iPad," the ad says.
According to the paper, the iPhone maker also quotes at length the well-publicised portions of the judgment that acknowledge that Apple's products are "cool" whereas Samsung's products are "not as cool".
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