Microsoft set to launch Xbox Music with free unlimited streaming

This week, Microsoft will step up its competition with Apple's iTunes with the launch of Xbox Music, a new service that offers unlimited streaming to Microsoft devices, including PCs running Windows 8.

Recently the Karbonn A11 showed up in the inventory of Flipkart, and now it has finally been launched along with the Karbonn A7+ and the Karbonn A1+. All these three devices are dual-SIM capable and support 3G connectivity.

The Karbonn A11 is the best equipped amongst the three. It sports a 4-inch display, runs Android 4.0 ICS and is powered by a 1GHz single-core processor. It also includes a 5 megapixel rear camera with autofocus and LED flash along with a secondary front facing 1.3 megapixel camera. It includes a 1,500 mAh battery.

The Karbonn A7+ is a device which runs Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread and sports a 3.5-inch display. It is also powered by a 1GHz single core processor, has a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash and a secondary VGA quality front facing camera. It includes a 1,420 mAh battery.

The Karbonn A1+ is not much different than the A7+. It is also powered by a 1GHz single-core processor, sports a 3.5-inch display, runs Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread. However it includes a 3 megapixel rear camera and a secondary VGA quality front facing camera. The device is equipped with a 1,500 mAh battery.

The A11 is officially priced at Rs. 9,990, the A7+ is officially priced at Rs. 8,990, and finally the A1+ is officially priced at Rs. 4,990, quite possibly be the most affordable Android smartphone with a 1GHz processor.

Asus Taichi Dual Screen Windows 8 Notebook Starts at $1299

For those who think two is better than one,Asus has created a Notebook with Dual Touch Screen,running on the latest Windows 8 operating system from Microsoft.

The lower end model of Asus Taichi which features a Core i5 processor a 128GB SSD Will be priced at $1299,while the higher end model of Taichi which sports a core i7 processor with 256GB SSD will cost $1599. both the models would feature a 4GB of RAM.

Asus will be bringing Windows 8 based devices along with the Windows RT based devices running on NVidia Tegra processors.The devices will go on sale along with the public launch of Windows 8.However you can now preorder the devices from various manufacturers including Asus,from Amazon,Newegg,BestBuy and other sites.

Source[Asus]

Note: Supersize is good

If you are one those who took to the largish-looking original Samsung Galaxy Note, then you will love the new Galaxy Note II even more. The latest mobile-tablet hybrid is an evolution of the original Note that debuted last year, and even though at 5.5 inches, the size of the device is big but not inconvenient. At 5.9 x 3.2 x 0.4 inches, it fits in just fine in your hand and at 180 g, you don't mind lugging it round, too.

It’s absurd to hold a 5.5-inch block of plastic and glass to your ears, given the Note II’s stand-out design.

It’s hard to take your eyes off the HD super AMOLED display and, credibly enough, Samsung manages to better its smartphone displays with every launch. The 720p display on the Note II stands out as it packs a new type of AMOLED screen technology where arrangement of sub-pixels makes for a sharper picture than in Samsung Galaxy S III and S II. It is predictable that Note II’s screen offers a much more satisfying movie-watching experience than on an iPhone 5's four-inch one.

Powered by a 1.6GHz quad-core processor and paired with 2GB of RAM, it is indeed one of the fastest Android devices around. That’s partly also because of the latest Jelly Bean version of the Android operating system. An eight-megapixel camera at the back and a 1.9-megapixel webcam at the front should be just fine for snapping pictures and video chats. Whereas the original Galaxy Note came in just the 16GB version, the Note 2 will have 16, 32 and 64GB editions. Battery, too, has been upgraded from 2,500mAh (powers for seven hours) on the original Note to 3,100mAh (powers for 10) on the Note that really thwarts the rival devices from Apple. This could be a real headline-grabbing spec for the Galaxy Note II.

SAMSUNG NOTE II

This 5.5-inch touchscreen device has a non-unibody chassis that allows one to easily swap SIM cards, batteries or expand storage via a microSD slot. Also sports a stylus  Powered by a quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM Arrives with the latest Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, most updated and fastest version of Android Inclusion of stylus; Samsung has added new features sucha s Air Note, a way to see extra information while hovering the pen over the screen, and Pop Up Note, a notepad that shows on screen if the pen is pulled out while on a call Eight-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera  Has the upper hand, not only because of the 5.5-inch display, but also because it plays every format you throw at it, up to 1920x1080 pixels

IPHONE 5

iPhone 5 comes with a slightly larger (than previous iPhones) display size of four-inch, but the uni-body design means a tightly closed unit with no replaceable batteries. Requires a nano-SIM, not available in India Powered by A6 processor, which Apple claims is two times faster than the A5 chip in older iPhones, along with 1GB RAM  Arrives with iOS 6, the latest version of iPhone software from Apple with Apple maps, Facebook integration and other features iPhone still retains the upper hand in terms of new apps and all App Store apps working on the iPhone 5 at release Eight-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera for FaceTime HD Decides what is best for the scene in front of it on the fly and sports a fast HDR mode for tricky lighting situations. There is also a new option for panoramic photos that stitches several megabytes of photos (up to 28 megapixels) quickly

An important accessory is the re-designed S Pen stylus that comes with improved ergonomics, tech specs, a rubber tip and even has a select button on side. The stylus slots at the bottom of the device, and is always within easy reach. The AirView feature allows the user to hover the pen over the screen without touching, and this can reveal the contents of emails, text messages or calendar appointments without leaving the page. It works across the OS, including the gallery, video and calendar apps. Dedicated apps like Popup note, a multi-tasking notepad app, activate by default when S-Pen is pulled out during a call. This sticky note allows to scribble down phone numbers or important reminders, without having to launch a separate application.
Samsung has also tweaked and improved the keyboard’s text prediction capability. The keyboard also allows to enable Swype-style sliding input and activate one-handed mode as found in the original Note, among other features. In nutshell, for those with large hands, the Samsung Galaxy Note II is a comfortable device to type on. And while gaming is not really a standard benchmark for a smartphone, with quad-core 1.6GHz Exynos processor, Note II handles most games with ease. The large screen leaves plenty of room for controls, showcasing some neat graphic that, in turn, makes the Galaxy Note II a multimedia powerhouse, head and shoulders above the rest.
What we think
If you have to strictly compare the new iPhone 5 and the Galaxy Note II, it will be elegance competing with prodigiousness. We have to concur that a 5.5-inch display is going to appeal to an evolved smartphone base, or those who want tablet-like features on smartphone. But the original Note was a hit for Samsung and the company has refined the design and software further with Note II. This hybrid smartphone is a must-have for those who are not held back by its size and not to forget the host of useful tools that have been built into the operating system to suit many creative professionals.

Oct 23 the launch date for Apple’s iPad mini?

Smaller, faster and thinner than the iPad? Getty images

Is October 23 to be the date that Apple will launch its latest iPad mini?

According to a report in All Things D, the consumer giant is set to announce its latest product in an invitation only event on 23 October in the Apple Town Hall auditorium, the same place it launched the iPhone 4s, next generation Macbook Air and the OS X Lion.

Speculation has swirled for months that Apple was planning a smaller, less expensive version of its popular iPad to take on cheaper competing devices, like Samsung’s Note and other devices which bridge the gap between smartphones and the larger tablets.

Not surprisingly there has been no confirmation of the event from Apple spokespersons.

The timing of the device launch is also noteworthy since Microsoft launches its latest ‘Surface’ tablets on 26 October, and will be powered by its Windows 8 software.

The new model of the iPad is expected to have a smaller 7.85-inch display and much speculation continues about what other features it will have. All Things D predicts that it will have the new lightning connectors that it introduced in the iPhone 5 and will be thinner. Everything else, as expected with Apple, is a mystery for now.

Apple has refused to comment on reports that the iPhone 5 will launch in India on 26 October.

Yesterday the Internet was abuzz after a report by BGR India had quoted multiple sources confirming the launch date as 26 October.

Apple has refused to comment on these reports. In an email response to Firstpost, Apple’s Press spokesperson said that we have no announcement to make at the moment on a launch or price of the iPhone 5 in India.  (italics quotes). He added, There is speculation in media and we dont comment on speculation. 

Apple is known to not respond to media speculations, and usually deny all reports that speculate on the release of any product.

Earlier this month, there were reports that Apple had slashed the prices of the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 in India in anticipation of the iPhone 5 launch.

The price of the iPhone 4S 16GB model was slashed to Rs 41,400, a reduction of Rs 3,100 from its earlier price of Rs 44,500. The iPhone 4 8GB also saw its price drop to Rs 28,300 from the earlier price of Rs 37,900.

Hopefully we will know soon when Apple’s iPhone 5 will be launched in India. What we do know so far, is that India is on the ‘third wave’ of the official launch of the device. Speculation is that it is likely to go on sale ahead of the Diwali shopping season.

Railways launch Rail Radar to track train movement on Google map

Oct 11

The Railways has launched an online application which allows the public to track movement of trains. The application, known as Rail Radar, is an interactive map on search engine google that can help passengers locate about 6,500 trains on real-time basis on both internet and their cell phones.

The application started by the Centre for Railway Information Systems -CRIS can be accessed through the railway website - trainenquiry.com. Talking to AIR, the Group General Manager of CRIS, Sunil Bajpai said that the application will help users to find the exact geographical location of trains.

AIR correspondent reports, to know the current status of a train, a passenger can enter a train name or number and the system will inform whether the train is delayed or running on time.