Google shows off new Nexus 7 while PM ponders porn plug

 

Google shows off new Nexus 7 while PM ponders porn plug

Korean technology giant Samsung is the current top dog Android smartphone maker, with pretty much every analyst house under the sun listing the firm as owning at least half, if not more of the market. Last year this was showcased by the unwavering success of Samsungs top-end Galaxy S3 smartphone, which stormed past the 40 million sales mark in January this year, making it the best-selling Android smartphone of all time.
Since then, Samsung has attempted to repeat this success with its new Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone. However, clearly not wanting to rock the boat too much, Samsung has been less brave with the S4, choosing not to radically change its design or features, meaning for some its a little too similar to its predecessor. This has led many to list the S4 as being more like an upgraded Galaxy S3.5 update than a truly new handset, thus making many existing S3 users question whether its worth shelling out £600 for the new phone.

Design and build

From a distance youd be forgiven for thinking the S4 and S3 are the same phone. Both have the same slightly curved, pebble-like design, feature detachable polycarbonate rear plates and metal outer edges and pleasantly retro physical front-facing home buttons. These similarities arent helped by the fact that the two devices are close to identical in size and weight, with the S4 measuring 137x70x7.9mm and weighing 130g and the S3 a slightly fatter 137x71x8.6mm and 133g.


Toshiba Excite Pro review

Its only when you get closer that you notice there are a couple of design touches separating the S4 from S3. Chief of these is the S4s smaller bezel, with it packing a slightly larger 5in display than the S3, which features a still sizable 4.8in screen. Outside of this, the S4s backplate has a patterned, not matte backplate – though this is only painted on and the backplate itself is smooth not textured, meaning that the change is superfluous.

 

This isnt too much of a problem as a year on the design is still aesthetically very nice. Additionally the lightweight, ergonomic pebble design means that both phones are very comfortable to hold – far more so than harder-edged devices like the iPhone 5 and Sony Xperia Z.
Sadly, though, the choice not to radically change the S4s design means that, like the S3, it suffers from some build quality issues. Samsung has a track record for creating phones that look great, but dont stand up to physical punishment all too well. This is a problem for both the S4 and S3, with both phones being prone to picking up marks and dents when met with even the slightest force – in short if you drop either on a pavement, they wont survive the encounter unscathed. This is a bit sad considering the fact other similarly priced phones, like the Sony Xperia Z, HTC One and Nokia Lumia 920 are very robust and make the S4 feel a little weedy and cheap.

Winner: Tie

Display
Since the arrival of Apples Retina Display all those years ago, screen technology has become an essential weapon in any smartphones arsenal. Clearly aware of this, Samsung has worked hard to improve its screen technology over the last year, packing the S4 with a 5in full HD super Amoled 1920x1080 441ppi display that puts the S3s 4.8in 1280x720 HD Super Amoled display to shame.
This isnt to say the S3s display is bad. Even a year on it remains wonderfully crisp, boasts decent viewing angles and colour balance. But next to the S4 its clear the newer phones display is just outright better in every way, featuring more vibrant colours and sharper icons.

Winner: The Galaxy S4

Operating system and software
The Galaxy S4 comes preloaded with Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean overlaid with Samsungs custom Touchwiz user interface. The older Galaxy S3 was released, running the then up to date 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Android version, though an update has since been rolled out for the older 4.1.2 version of Jelly Bean. The chief consequence of this is it means the S3 runs a slightly different version of Touchwiz to the S4 and doesnt feature any of the new software features debuted on the newer phone.

Next: Operating system and software V3

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Nokia Lumia 920 will be getting a major PR1.1 update by the end of this month. Its most prominent feature will be the updated camera software, which should enhance the smartphones performance in well-lit environments.

Previously we observed problems with the resolved detail in the still photos, smudged areas and oversaturated colors. The photos taken with Lumia 920 running a beta version of the update are now much crispier, with more resolved detail and improved contrast. According to Engadget who got hold of the photos the white balance still needs some tuning, but the overall image quality is miles ahead after the update.

Here are some crops from photos taken with two different Lumia 920 units - the left one running on retail 1.0 and the right one on the upcoming 1.1 update.


Lumia 920: PR1.0 vs PR1.1 samples

The update will also bring system stability and browser performance improvements, as well as Microsoft in-house features such as rejecting calls via SMS.

The update is expected to launch before the end of the year, so the Lumia 920 users might be getting a pretty nice Christmas present.

Source

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Xiaomi, the company that got Google’s VP Hugo Barra on board, has just unveiled its new flagship, the Mi3. Don’t mind the Xiaomi Mi3 coming from China - it packs truly impressive top of the line specs at half the price of rivals from Samsung, LG and other big brands.
The Xiaomi Mi3 is a very slim 8.1mm handset that features a 5-inch 1080p display and the latest Nvidia Tegra 4 chip with amazing graphics capabilities and 2GB of RAM. What’s most impressive, though, is its price. The Xiaomi Mi 3 price is set at 1999 yuan ($327) off contract for the most basic 16GB model and that’s almost exactly half the price of its rivals. There is a 64GB Mi3 that will sell for 2499 yuan, or $410.
Now, there will be a WCDMA and CDMA version of the Mi 3 for China Unicom and China Telecom that will instead run on a Snapdragon 800 chip.
What’s interesting is that Xiaomi is the first company to disclose the details of the MSM8974AB chip (aka Snapdragon 800). The Krait 400 processor clock speed can go up as high as 2.3GHz, the Adreno 330 graphics are boosted to 550MHz, and the two LPDDR3 RAM chips bandwidth reaches 933MHz. The chip is built using TSMC’s 28nm HPM process.
Having a Tegra 4 version is a big success for Nvidia as the chip maker is struggling to find partners. The chip features a 4+1 Cortex A15 setup with the processor clocked at up to 1.8GHz and with the whopping 72-core GeForce graphics.
The Xiaomi Mi3 features a 13-megapixel Sony-made main camera with dual-LED flashlights and there is a 2-megapixel front-facing shooter. The main shooter is capable of quick burst shots firing 10 shots in a second.
Good news is that despite its thickness, the new Mi3 features a whopping 3050mAh battery that will easily last you a day, and for most people even two days of average use.
Xiaomi is selling its devices in batches and the first batch release date is expected to be mid-October. We’ve already told you about Xiaomi’s business - it’s more of an Amazon type of a company selling its devices to have more people access its web services, that it considers as main source of profits. At that price, the Xiaomi Mi3 definitely shows what can be done when you operate at close to zero profit margin. And you know what, look at those specs once again as that is more or less what Google might have in the upcoming next Nexus.

Body: Magnesium alloy
Size: 114mm × 72mm × 8.1mm, 141g
Hardware: Tegra 4 (or Snapdragon 800), 2GB RAM
Screen: 5” IPS LCD 1080 x 1920 pixel
Camera: 13mp Sony f/2.2 rear camera wit sapphire glass and dual LED
Battery: 3050mAh
Storage: 16GB/64GB
Price: from $327

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Samsung has announced the S9110 watch cell phone. Samsung claims its the worlds thinnest watch cell phone measuring 11.98 thick. The thin profile is attributed to Samsungs "advanced surface mounting technology." The phone is a touch-based dual-band GSM/GPRS 900/1800MHz handset.

Basic features of the S9110 include:

* 1.76-inch TFT anti-scratch touch display
* Bluetooth 2.1
* MP3 player
* Speakerphone
* Voice memos
* Voice recognition
* Support for Outlook email.

The S9110 will be available in France some time month for about €450 ($640).

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TechRadar rating 

The world of the humble PC has changed. Where once the term desktop PC conjured up images of a certain size and shape, these days the term doesnt necessarily relate to any particular form factor or use, as the Lenovo IdeaCentre Q190 and its ilk emphasise.
Small desktop PCs have the advantage over laptops in their ability to connect to a large monitor or TV, with budget 24-inch, 1080p screens such as the AOC E2462VWH selling for only around £120/US$150. Alternatively, 1080p televisions in a variety of sizes can be had at bargain prices too.

Ratings in depth

The Lenovo IdeaCentre Q190 is a tiny computer that you can hide out of sight behind just such a monitor or TV screen, with a full price of £429.99 / US$419 (around AU$725) for an Intel Core i3 model.
Where Lenovos other slim machines are soberly designed to ensure that they dont look out of place in an office, such as the Lenovo M92p, the Lenovo IdeaCentre Q190 is far more like something youd see next to a TV or in a more designer-like place of work.
The Lenovo IdeaCentre Q-series PC is thin, stylish and looks more like a router than it does a whole computer. This is of course assuming you want the device on show. If not, its quite easy to use the supplied VESA mount to sneak it around the back of your screen and have it completely out of sight.
Of course the Lenovo IdeaCentre Q190 isnt the only small form factor PC to be available right now, with plenty of manufacturers producing machines that are surprisingly tiny. Acer for instance has had its Revo line around for a long time, and has been honing its offerings for a variety of markets - including for use as a set-top box.
Gigabyte has recently released the Brix, while the Zotak ZBox even manages to pack some gaming capabilities into its stylish shell. Intel has also made its presence known in this market, with its tiny NUC range of barebones kits making for some intriguing possibilities. And of course, theres always Apples Mac mini.

Specifications

 

 The internal makeup of the Lenovo IdeaCentre Q190 is fairly basic, relying as it does on slightly older technology, but its still capable enough for most basic uses.
The Core i3 -2365M 1.4GHz processor in the model we tested may be two generations behind the latest Haswell chips, but it can still handle four concurrent threads and happily runs the latest applications smoothly enough.
The cheaper (£299.99 / US$299) specced version of the Lenovo Q190 runs on an Intel Pentium ULV 2127U processor at 1.9GHz.
Lenovo has paired the Intel chip, which is also responsible for the graphics capabilities of the machine, with 4GB of PC3-10600 DDR3 RAM. The tiny chassis is home to a 1TB 5,400rpm hard drive and offers support for 802.11b/g/n wireless connectivity as well.
The capabilities of the internal components are nearly as important as the expansion options of these small form factor machines, and many a manufacturer has come unstuck here, simply because they havent put enough USB ports on the device.

Lenovo hasnt fallen here though, and the IdeaCentre Q190 boasts a total of six USB ports for your peripherals and expansions, three of which are USB 3.0 type. You can of course add a USB hub if you need more options, but at least this isnt necessary just to get a useful machine.
The two USB 3.0 connections can be found hidden behind a flap on the front edge of the machine, along with microphone and headphone 3.5mm jacks and a memory card reader. This memory card reader accepts SD/SDHC/SDXC and MMC/MS/MS Pro cards, making it a good companion for photographers.
The rear of the system is home to four high-speed USB 2.0 ports, which well admit are a little cramped together, but should see you fine for everything but the chunkiest of high-capacity USB flash drives.
To the right of the USB ports theres a legacy display adaptor, a VGA port, next to to the SPDIF digital audio connector. The HDMI port and RJ45 wired Ethernet connector are positioned on the other side of the bank of USB ports.
On the far-left of these ports youll find a Kensington Lock - which is useful given the pocketable size of the machine if youre looking to use it in the office - along with the power connector, which connects to a standard laptop-like power supply.

 

 The final points of interest can be found on the left-hand edge of the Lenovo Q190 - or the top, depending on your preferred orientation. These are the power button and hard drive activity light. The other edges have exposed grilles to help keep the machine cool.

Performance

As mentioned, the internal components of the Lenovo IdeaCentre Q190 arent going to challenge a full desktop PC or indeed many laptops - and this notion isnt betrayed by the benchmarks. The Intel Core i3 processor may be capable of handling four threads at the same time, but given that it is only rated at 1.4GHz, it lacks the basic raw power.
Benchmarks
Cinebench R11.5 - OpenGL: 6.86fps, CPU: 1.34pts
3DMark 2013 - Ice Storm: 18,555, Cloud Gate: 1,794
PCMark 7 - Index: 1,895
The CPU index of 1.34 in Cinebench R11.5 demonstrates this ably enough, lagging behind many simpler laptops, even those at the lower end of the price scale - and remember that such machines come with a screen attached as well.
The integrated Intel HD 3000 graphics fare slightly better, since this isnt the bargain basement graphics core from Intel, but actually the top-end of the previous generation. In real terms this means that some simpler games are going to be playable so long as you can turn the settings down to the absolute minimum.
The new 3DMark 2013 benchmark test does prove that there is hope for this machine, and while it may not be able to run the most recent tests, the basic Ice Storm benchmarks, which lack the fancy lighting and clever effects of more recent games, do run smoothly - at 93fps in the first test, and 82fps in the second.

The Lenovo Q190 is hardly a gamers computer, well concede, but it does mean that you have the option to put the PC to other uses now and again if the moment takes you.
Having said all that, when it comes to using the computer for more sober tasks - simple office work, browsing or editing photos - it handles the workload well and barely breaks into a sweat. When you do push it, as with the Cinebench tests, the internal fan does make itself heard, but normally its no louder than most laptops.
As ever with a fresh install of Windows 8, we did find the PC initially sluggish, but once Microsofts optimisation routines kick in, it settled in to being quite a responsive system - which is helped by that healthy 4GB of RAM.
Its in the usability stakes where the Lenovo IdeaCentre Q190 impresses the most, though. Plug it in, connect whatever devices you need and youre up and running in minutes. Being able to plug in all manner of USB drives, peripherals and memory cards without reaching for a third-party unit makes for a great little companion for many tasks.
If you need serious performance, then youre going to have to pick up a machine with faster, more-up-to-date components. But if your needs are more straightforward, then theres enough performance from the Core i3 processor to keep you happy. There are certainly no problems when playing back HD videos.

Verdict--->Read the rest of this post ------->

 

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Normally, for a company to have shipped 10 million of a certain line of products, we’re excited and impressed. But think about it. This isn’t 10 million worldwide, this is 10 million shipped in South Korea. Now obviously, it’s to be expected, since Samsung’s home is in South Korea (along with LG’s). But it’s still pretty crazy.

The Galaxy Note line kicked off in 2011, at IFA in Berlin. The first Galaxy Note was really only available outside of the US. It did make it’s way into the US on AT&T months later and was slated for T-Mobile but it was only on sale for about a week or so. Then came the Galaxy Note 2 at IFA 2012 in Berlin. Which Samsung put the Galaxy Note 2 everywhere, and I mean everywhere. It launched on Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T, and US Cellular within 2 months of announcement, and the Note 3 was like deja vu. The Galaxy Note 3 also launched on all five major US carriers within 1 month of the announcement. So it’s really no surprise that Samsung has sold 10 million Galaxy Note devices in South Korea.

Why is the Galaxy Note so popular in South Korea? Well one major reason is probably because those in South Korea want to support their manufacturer that is in South Korea, but also the large screen, the S Pen, and all the other many features included in the Galaxy Note devices, which there are plenty more than there were with the original Galaxy Note. Now some may call these features “bloat” or stuff you don’t need. Which is understandable, as there really is a whole lot of features in the Galaxy Notes, some may use all the features, some may not. But the great thing about Android, and even Touchwiz to an extent, is that you can disable many of those features.

Samsung has decided they want to celebrate this milestone, which I can’t say I blame them it’s a great milestone. They are offering customers a chance to win tickets to a musical or even a camera.

The post Samsung Announces 10 Million Galaxy Note Devices Shipped in South Korea appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

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Samsung is attempting to expand on its product library of wearable technology, as it may plan to introduce the follow up to their Galaxy Gear Smartwatch called the Galaxy Band, at this years Mobile World Congress in February. This device is going to particularly target health nuts and fitness buffs, which isn’t really bad move from Samsung considering how popular fitness trackers and fitness companion apps have become. The unexpected popularity of the Galaxy Gear, which has on it a pedometer and some other installable fitness related apps itself, is proof that people are willing to embrace wearable tech from Samsung that can interface and interact with their smartphones.

According to korean news site DDaily, The Galaxy Band is tentative name but may not end up being the final name of the product come release time. Its rumored to house a list of different smart tracking sensors that one can already find inside smartphones, such as a motion sensors for movement tracking, humidity sensors for possibly tracking temperature, and pressure sensors. Such tech is a move to integrate fitness tracking even further into the daily lives of its users but with an easier interaction.If you thought this would give you an easy way out of having to bring your smartphone with you while you exercise, you might want to think again as the Galaxy Band uses Bluetooth to connect, which means your phone will still need to be on your person so that it can track things that need data like GPS or heart rate. While your phone will still need to be with you, the Galaxy Band does serve a great purpose, allowing you to keep your phone in an accompanied bag or in your pocket the entire time, as anything you’ll most likely need while you’re on a run or bike ride(or whatever you do to train and stay fit) will be accessible from the Galaxy Band itself. Short of music of course, which you may still want to setup a playlist for if you take music with you in these types of situations. Among all that the Galaxy Band should provide, Samsung also looks to possibly bring voice controls to the device, allowing a host of other possible uses for it. While this is a still a rumored device to be unveiled at the upcoming MWC, its exciting to think about. What do you guys think about the Galaxy Band? Is it more useful for some of you than the Galaxy Gear? Let us know what you think in the comments on our G+ post.

The post Samsung May Introduce Health Tracking Galaxy Band At MWC 2014 appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

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Specification

Design

As the name implies, this smartphone is small again quick. Although size is only 88 x 52 x 16 mm, the Sony Ericsson not forget the aesthetic. He looks stylish with color choices all in black or white. In addition to the two options above, the Xperia Mini is also available in black and blue, and black and pink. Unlike the Xperia mini pro, he does not have a qwerty keypad that hides behind the screen. But typing with the virtual keyboard Xperia Mini is still smooth thanks to the screen.

Talking about the screen, the Xperia Mini 3-inch capacitive screen choose a depth of 16 million colors. Quality of the screen, although not equivalent retina display, very nice. Perfect brightness level, and do not reflect light even under the sun though. The screen is also endowed with Sony Bravia Engine to display photos and videos on the screen.

The keys are embedded in the body parts Xperia Mini facilitate its use. At the top there will be the usual power button, while on the right there are the volume and camera shutter made of metallic. The home button on the face of the smartphone flanked by two soft keys serves as a return and the option.

Note :

Swapping or revoke an external memory card does not have to pull the battery.

Features

There is a 5-megapixsels on Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini, the picture is quite okay. Remarkably, the camera is capable of recording high definition video. Interface imaging features of much help when capturing moments. Various options can be accessed with just one touch, and you also have a video editor who is qualified. The results of the video can be directly uploaded to your YouTube account or directly sent via MMS or bluetooth to your friends.

Because of this smartphone is the fruit of hands of those who popularized the Walkman phone, it is not surprising that Sony Ericssons music player is very friendly to the user. You have the option xLOUD equalizer and, to increase the loudness of the speakers. Songs stored in the playlist can be set as a ringtone. This feature is capable of playing formats MP3, eAAC +, WMA, and WAV. Still concerning music, TrackID application will help you recognize a song even if just heard a piece.

Various typical Android features such as Android Market, Maps, Navigation, YouTube, Places, Gmail, and Gtalk present here. In addition there is a special application called Sony Ericsson Xperia Hot Shots, showing flashes of the reality show about womens tennis Sony Ericsson Xperia sponsored.

Note : 

To edit or read a file word, excel and PDF, Sony Ericsson is preparing Office Suite. You need to upgrade to Office Suite Pro to create the document.

Performance

Xperia Mini performed well overall. Its function as a reliable communication device, including the SMS, Email and MMS. Likewise with music player function, browsing the Android typical HTML browser, and multimedia player. At first we were a little leery with the extra small screen. It was not a problem, because of the sensitivity of the touch, the screen quality Xperia Mini also above average. According to available data, this smartphone in 3G networks capable of up to 340 hours standby and working non-stop for up to 4 hours.

[ Click Here to Download Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini user manual in pdf format ]

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Sony is finally bringing another phone into the US. This time it’s the Xperia Z1S. Which will soon be available on T-Mobile US network. The Xperia Z1S is pretty much the same as the original Xperia Z1, but we’re going to repeat the specs anyways. The Xperia Z1S is featuring a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor clocked at 2.2GHz. There’s 2GB of RAM on board, with 32GB of internal storage. It’s also got a 5-inch 1920×1080 resolution Triluminos display. The Xperia Z1 S also features a 21.7MP camera on the back. But as we learned with a few other devices, which we won’t name, it’s not all about the megapixel count. Sony’s Xperia Z1S also has the BIONZ image processing engine, which is also found in their DSLR line of cameras. Sony also threw in a few apps that can take advantage of their powerful camera. That includes Info-eye, for looking up information about real-world objects by taking a photo, Timeshift burst that takes 61 images a second before and after pressing the shutter, Background defocus for adjusting background blur and more.

Additionally, Sony is bringing gaming to the Xperia Z1S. The PlayStation app turns the Xperia Z1S into an extension of the Playstation 4 which was released last year. PlayStation Mobile gives users access to Sony’s rich catalog of mobile games. There’s also compatibility with the Dualshock 3 controller for a more comfortable mobile gaming session. Playing games on this amazing looking 1080p Triluminos display is going to be amazing, especially using the Dualshock 3 controller.

That’s not all. Sony is also boasting a high IP58 rating and that is without any type of case on the device. This means that your Xperia Z1S would be able to work underwater with a depth of up to 4.9 feet for 30 minutes. Which is pretty nice to have. Especially if you want to use your phone in the shower, or by the pool, or check your phone when you’re doing the dishes. The Xperia Z1S is coming to T-Mobile on January 22nd, and goes up for pre-order on January 13th. It’ll be on sale for $22/month for 24 months with no down payment. There’s no word on the full price of the device at T-Mobile or the unlocked versions.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The post Sony Xperia Z1S Gets Announced At CES 2014 And Heading to T-Mobile US appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

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Yahoo Incs online ad prices slid again in the fourth quarter and Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce giant in which it owns a big stake, saw revenue growth decelerate from its recent rip-roaring pace.

Yahoos overall revenue fell 6 percent in the last three months of the year to $1.266 billion, marking four consecutive quarters of eroding revenue. The company said that prices for both online display ads and search ads declined in the fourth quarter.

The companys shares were down 3.7 percent at $36.82 in after-hours trading on Tuesday.

"Normally you get better pricing in Q4," said BGC Partners analyst Colin Gillis. "The core business is shrinking."

Yahoos efforts to revamp its slumping business have come to the forefront following Chief Executive Officer Marissa Mayers decision to fire Chief Operating Officer Henrique de Castro this month, after only slightly more than a year on the job.

The move marked the first major change of plans since Mayer took the helm in July 2012, and underscored Yahoos ongoing challenge to rekindle revenue growth.

Mayer has moved aggressively to kick-start the company with product makeovers, acquisitions and big media hires, including celebrity newswoman Katie Couric. But the ad sales business continues to struggle at a time when rivals such as Google , Facebook and Twitter are posting strong revenue growth.

Yahoos stock has more than doubled since Mayer, a former Google executive, took the helm in July 2012. But analysts say much of the gain is due to aggressive stock buybacks and the expected IPO of Alibaba, in which Yahoo owns a 24 percent stake.

Yahoo repurchased $3.3 billion worth of its stock in 2013, the company said.

Yahoos quarterly results also included some of Alibabas financial results from the third quarter.

The Chinese companys revenue increased 51 percent year-over-year to $1.776 billion. While still robust, that growth rate was slower than the 61 percent clip that Alibaba delivered in the second quarter and the 71 percent growth rate in its first quarter.

"Alibaba was a big disappointment," said B Riley analyst Sameet Sinha, noting that the Chinese companys cooling revenue growth raised questions about whether it was losing its competitive edge, or whether some other factor might be the cause.

In a conference call with analysts on Tuesday, Mayer and Finance Chief Ken Goldman said that Yahoos revenue would begin to grow again in 2014, thanks to the past years investments and efforts boosting traffic to Yahoos web properties.

But the company declined to provide a financial forecast for the full year, providing only an outlook for the current quarter.

Yahoo said that net revenue, which excludes fees paid to third-party websites, would range between $1.06 billion and $1.1 billion in the first quarter, a range whose midpoint matched the average analyst expectation of $1.08 billion.

In the fourth quarter, Yahoos revenue from display ads was down 6 percent year-over-year, while the price per ad, excluding Korea, declined 7 percent.

Yahoos fourth-quarter net income of $348.2 million rose from the $272.3 million earned in the year-ago period. Excluding certain items, Yahoo said it earned 46 cents a share, beating the average analyst expectation of 38 cents, according to Thomson Reuters.

© Thomson Reuters 2014

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A brief conversation with someone made me realise that I have been reviewing mostly high end phones. Its a rather valid point, actually, because I am quite a "power user", and similarly for most of my peers.

Yet, after trying out so many large powerful devices over the years, I wonder if a budget smartphone equally meets my needs.

On hand: HTC Desire 601. Its not exactly a budget phone, but rather a mid-range device below S$500. It progresses after Desire 600 which I reviewed a few months back. From the look, you can tell that HTC took after the HTC One design mould with the Desire-inspired removable plastic back.

HWZ offers an excellent in-depth write-up on the Desire 601, so I shall not dwell further.

To test how reliant I am to high-end smartphone, I took the Desire 601 for several full-day use.

Size

I missed how compact mobile phones can be. The HTC Desire 601 houses a 4.5-inch 960x540 screen and 130g light. Everything is within reach by my fingers.

The disadvantage of a small screen is the lack of screen size. I see less information and needs to scroll more to read. If the content layout is mobile-optimized, no problem. If it contains many dropdowns and pop-ups, then the screen becomes so hard to work with. More so when the on-screen keyboard appears and covers almost half the screen.

Speed

The HTC Desire 601 runs on dual-core 1.4GHz. When using social apps like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, the phone breezes through with ease. The crunch comes when you create content like collage, video editing, or browse photo gallery with high-res images, where things get a little sluggish.

Battery

Running on removable 2100mAh battery, the phone manages to stretch one working day with my kind of aggressive use. For non-power users, it should breeze through the day.

Conclusion

After using the Desire 601, I have to ask myself why I should pay double for a high-end smartphone without getting double benefits. Perhaps all I really need is a mid-range gadget like Desire 601.

My answer? Yes I needed a more expensive smartphone because I needed a larger screen to see more content and I needed a more powerful processor to handle my editing needs. More importantly, I needed a larger battery capacity to last me the day.

Who knows, perhaps the upcoming ASUS Padfone Mini might be the gadget I need.

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Poses with its arm around the 1020 

  

Were expecting the rumoured Lumia 1520 to be uncaged at the end of September in New York, but unfortunately for Nokia theres this thing called the internet where pesky leaks are all too common.

The latest of which is a picture purporting to show the new Nokia phablet side by side with the Lumia 1020.
Now, were no strangers to leaky pictures here at TechRadar and weve seen our fair share of fakers. So all wed say is that its not unreasonable to suspect this could be a simple mock up.

But if it is, its a strong one. The Lumia 1520 Windows Phone has been rumoured to have a 6-inch 1080p display and 20MP camera.
The size seems to measure up in the pic and we can also see what appears to be an attachable cover

Bandit about

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Nokia Lumia 920 is technically one of the most powerfull smartphone. Not only does it have features like and optically stabilized camera for blur-free night time shoot and inbuilt wireless charging to do away with pesky cable but it also has the growing in capability microsoft windows phone 8 operating system that is been imbuet with a host of nokia extras. Here its full specification of Nokia Lumia 920 :

General	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 LTE 800 / 900 / 1800 / 2100 / 2600 LTE 700 MHz Class 17 / 1700 / 2100 Micro Sim
Dimension	130.3 x 70.8 x 10.7 mm, 99 cc (5.13 x 2.79 x 0.42 in) 185 g (6.53 oz)
Display	IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors 768 x 1280 pixels, 4.5 inches - 332 ppi pixel density MultiTouch with Corning Gorilla Glass 2 protection
Sound	Vibration Alert, MP3, WAV ringtones Loudspeaker with jack 3.5 mm Dolby Headphone sound enhancement Support
Data	GPRS Class 12 (4+1/3+2/2+3/1+4 slots), 32 - 48 kbps EDGE Up to 236.8 kbps HSDPA, 42.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps; LTE, Cat3, 50 Mbps UL, 100 Mbps
Memory	32 GB storage Internal Memory, 1 GB RAM No Card Slot
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot Bluetooth v3.1 with A2DP, EDR microUSB v2.0
Camera	Primary with 8 MP, 3264 x 2448 pixels, Carl Zeiss optics, optical image stabilization, autofocus, dual-LED flash 1080p@30fps Secondary 1.3 MP, 720p@30fps
Features	Microsoft Windows Phone 8, upgradeable to WP8 Amber Qualcomm MSM8960 Snapdragon Dual-core 1.5 GHz Krait Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
	- SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email, IM - HTML5, FM radio - A-GPS support and GLONASS - 7GB free SkyDrive storage - MP3/WAV/eAAC+/WMA player - MP4/H.264/H.263/WMV player - Voice memo/command/dial - Video/photo editor - Document viewer/editor
Battery	Standby Up to 400 h (2G) / Up to 400 h (3G) Talk time Up to 17 h (2G) / Up to 10 h (3G) Music Play Up to 67 h
All the information on this page is 100% correc, We can’t Guarantee it.

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The Lenovo A10 is a two-in-one Android tablet and laptop.

(Credit: Lenovo)
 
Weve seen plenty of laptop-tablet hybrids, but none of them running Android. But thats exactly what Lenovo unveiled Friday, and its called the A10.

The device runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean that Lenovo heavily modified to provide both a desktop and tablet experience. On the tablet side, theres an app launcher, where you can find all of your touchscreen apps. If you want to use the A10 as a laptop, youd use the desktop mode, which has a Windows-esque taskbar where you can run and manage apps.

Theres also a file manager in desktop mode where you can access files, similar to what you can do in Windows or OS X. The A10 includes a full AccuType keyboard and touch pad.

You can flip the screen around to put the A10 in stand mode and use it as a tablet.

(Credit: Lenovo)

 

When you flip that keyboard around and rest it on a flat surface, the A10 goes into "stand mode," where you can use it as a tablet. Lenovo says the stable hinge and overall device design prevents it from shaking when you use it in stand mode.
The A10 sports a 10.1-inch HD 1,366x768 resolution touch screen display. The screen flips back 300 degrees to...Read the rest of this post --->

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If you thought that Lenovo only had the all-new Vibe Z in store for CES, and thats it, then you may want to reconsider. Joining the fray are another 3 Lenovo smartphones, meant to complement their premium brother by looking after the wider public, and offering something for just about everyone – from the phablet nuts out there, down to people who perceive anything above 4.7-inchers as an overkill.

Lenovo S930

Lets start off with the dual SIM 6-inch Lenovo S930 This polycarbonate behemoth device (hey, a metal trim!) sports a 720x1280 LCD IPS display, enough to offer about 245 pixels per inch. Doing the muscle-work underneath is one of those new MediaTek chipsets – a 1.3GHz quad-core MT6582 – built on a 28nm process, and making use of four power-efficient ARM Cortex-A7 cores. Memory affairs are being looked after the now standard 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal, microSD-expandable storage. Doing the shooting is a 8MP unit at the rear, with Auto Focus capabilities and an LED flash, while a 1.8MP fixed-focus snapper takes the front.

The S930 is marketed as the multimedia nuts new toy, and that makes sense considering the giant screen. Better yet, Lenovo has added a healthy 3000mAh Li-Polymer cell that is sure to offer enough juice to get you through at least one full day of heavy media consumption, and also a set of stereo speakers at the front, à la HTC One style. As is to be expected, the usual connectivity features, such as Bluetooth 3.0 HS, Wi-FI, FM Radio and GPS, are all present.

In terms of looks, we find no reason to complain at all – quite the opposite, actually. This new gen of Lenovo phones has a very refined look to them, one that speaks of the mileage Lenovo has accumulated during its latest workings in the smartphone lane. With a price tag of $319, the S930 sure looks like a device that will catch the attention of phablet buyers, and for a good reason.

Lenovo S650

Next up is the more compact, 4.7-inch Lenovo S650, again with dual SIM support. With some exceptions, the specs sheet of the S650 read much alike to the one of the S930, meaning the same 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6582 chipset, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of expandable internal storage. The shooter appears to be the same, too, listed as an 8MP unit with Auto Focus and LED flash.

On the other hand, the display is of the qHD type, meaning a less pixel dense 540x960 resolution. Battery capacity is also smaller, at 2000mAh, and there are no stereo speakers in sight. The Lenovo S650 will retail with a price tag of $229, which is a pretty decent price point for those of us living in the western hemisphere, though it may run into some trouble in the companys homeland of China.

Lenovo A859

Last comes the Lenovo A859 – a decent dual SIM all-rounder. Priced at just $219, the A859 has quite a bit on offer, including a 5-inch 720x1280 resolution IPS display, or a pixel density of 294ppi. The very same 1.3GHz MT6582 chipset is present, again complemented by 1GB of RAM and 8GB of microSD-expandable storage. Equipped with likely the same 8MP camera unit with LED flash and Auto Focus found on the duo above, the A859 strikes us as quite a deal. Considering the four efficient ARM Cortex-A7 cores inside, the battery capacity, at 2250mAh, doesnt seem inadequate at all.

If anything, and we do take note of the A859s polished looks here, this cheapest new Lenovo phone is sure to attract just enough attention from anyone looking for a bargain. And this actually does also bear truth for the rest of the new Lenovo crop of smartphones, even the premium Vibe Z ($549). We definitely like where Lenovo is headed, and if they do manage to keep the Vibe series healthy, we may just see the company establish more of a foothold outside of its local dominion of China.PhoneArena

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Motorola Droid Ultra is a android smartphone which has a modest 5 Inch 720p amoled display, a specialized X8computing system which just dual core processor and a 10 mega pixel camera with a new clear pixel technology. This phone operating system can also upgradable to 4.4 kitkat. Look below to see this phone specifications.

Motorola Droid Ultra Specifications :

General	2G Network - CDMA 800 / 1900                      GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 3G Network - CDMA2000 1xEV-DO                      HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 4G Network - LTE 700 MHz Class 13 / 1700 / 2100 Nano-SIM
Dimension	137.5 x 71.2 x 7.2 mm (5.41 x 2.80 x 0.28 in) Weight 137 g (4.83 oz) with Splash resistant
Display	Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors 720 x 1280 pixels, 5.0 inches (~294 ppi pixel density) Multitouch with Corning Gorilla Glass protection
Sound	Vibration, MP3, WAV ringtones Loudspeaker and 3,5 mm Jack
Data	GPRS Class 12 (4+1/3+2/2+3/1+4 slots), 32 - 48 kbps EDGE Class 12 EV-DO Rev. A, up to 3.1 Mbps, LTE; HSDPA, 42.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps
Memory	No Card Slot Internal Memory 16 GB, 2 GB RAM
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi hotspot, DLNA Bluetooth v4.0 with A2DP, LE, EDR NFC And microUSB v2.0
Camera	Primay Camera 10 MP, autofocus, LED flash with Touch focus, geo-tagging, face detection. Video 1080p@30fps Secondary Camera , 2 MP
Features	Android OS, v4.2.2 (Jelly Bean), upgradable to v4.4 (KitKat) Qualcomm Snapdragon S4Pro Dual-core 1.7 GHz Krait GPU Adreno 320 - Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer - SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email, IM - HTML5 - Droid command center - Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic - Google Search, Maps, Gmail, YouTube, Google Talk, Picasa - MP4/H.263/H.264/WMV player - MP3/AAC+/WAV/WMA player - Document viewer/editor - Predictive text input
Battery	Li-Ion 2130 mAh battery Stand-by - Up to 312 h Talk Time - Up to 28 h

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