Samsung Galaxy S5 review: Lots of surprises and some disappointments

Every time there is a new Galaxy flagship from Samsung, there is a lot of hype as well as a lot of expectation. Not all of that is unfounded, as over the past few years top-end Samsung phones have been able to capture popular imagination like very few other devices have been able to. But not everyone was happy with what came in the Samsung Galaxy S4 and it seems the Korean tech leviathan was under pressure to innovate with the Samsung Galaxy S5. We look at the innovations, the disappointments and the surprises.

Read more : http://indianexpress.com/article/technology/mobile-tabs/samsung-galaxy-s5-full-review/

Moto X successor allegedly spied in new benchmarks

The Moto X XT912A seen there has the makings of a so-called Moto X+1. Powered by Android 4.4.3 KitKat, the handset looks to feature a 5.2-inch 1080p HD screen, a Snapdragon 800 processor, a 1.7GB RAM, and 24GB of internal storage.

The 12-megapixel rear camera is listed as having auto-focus, HDR, touch focus, and face detection while the front-facing 2-megapixel shooter would capture HD video.

It's worth pointing out that the XT912A model number was used by Motorola for the Moto X; the nearly identical XT912 is the model number for the Droid Razr. Perhaps Motorola is trying hide the new model in plain sight?

Lava launches 3G calling tablet IvoryS, prices it at Rs 8,499

Targetting youngsters and young working professionals, handset-maker Lava International on Saturday launched its latest tablet, IvoryS, which is packed with features for rich gaming and multimedia experience. The tablet is priced at Rs 8,499.

 

 
IvoryS sports a 7” multi touch capacitive display with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels and is powered by MediaTek’s MT8312 1.3 GHz dual core processor and Mali 400 GPU @ 416 MHz. The device, which weighs only 300 grams, comes with 1 GB of RAM and 4 GB of internal memory that is expandable upto 32 GB. It offers dual SIM (3G+2G) capabilities and runs on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.

Lava IvoryS sports a 3.2 MP rear camera with flash for low light images and a VGA front camera for 3G video-calling. It is powered by a 2,800 mAh battery which the, company claims, provide up to 200 hours of standby time and 8 hours talk time. The tablet comes in grey and white colours and will be available across national retail chain stores, multi-brand outlets across India and online stores.

Apple to replace iPhone 5 power button for free

For those who have got the Apple iPhone 5 and are facing issues with the power button, need not worry anymore. Apple has said the iPhone 5 phones that were manufactured in March 2013 has been affected by a problem in the sleep/wake button.

“The sleep/wake button mechanism on a small percentage of iPhone 5 models may stop working or work intermittently” says Apple. The company has come forward to replace the sleep/wake button mechanism, free of charge, on iPhone 5 models that exhibit this issue and have a qualifying serial number.

What you can do is to check if your phone qualifies for the free “Sleep/Wake Button Replacement Program” on the support page here. If your phone qualifies for the replacement, you will need to visit the Apple repair center.

The replacement process will take approximately 4-6 days from the time your iPhone is received at the repair center until it is returned to the customer. The iPhone will be examined prior to any service to verify that it is eligible for this program and is otherwise in working order. Before sending your iPhone to Apple for service, you also need to back up all your data and erase all your content and settings.

The program has becun in US and Canada from 25th April and will come to other countries by May 2, 2014.

Nexus 5 now available in Red on Google India Play Store

The leaked Red Nexus 5 that sparked excitement last week was real after all. The LG-built Red Nexus 5 is now up for grabs on the Google Play Store. The new “bright Red” unit carries a similar pricing – the 16GB model is priced at Rs 28,999 and the 32GB model at Rs 32,999. It is also available in white and black colours. Moreover, it comes just in time, ahead of Valentine’s Day.


The Play Store has said that both 16GB and 32GB models is supposed to ship in 1 to 2 business days. Soon after Nexus 5 video showing the device in multiple colours made its rounds and was subsequently found to be fake, we saw a leaked image of Red Nexus 5 that looked more like the real deal.

Oppo N1 world’s first smartphone with 13-megapixel rotating camera

After Gionee which recently launched its smartphones in India, it is now the turn of another Chinese handset maker Oppo to foray into the Indian market. The company has launched Oppo N1phablet in the Indian market. The device was unveiled globally in China in September last year.

The smartphone with a price tag of Rs 39,999 sports a 13-megapixel camera which can rotate up to 206 degrees. According to the company this feature is the main highlight of the device.

Oppo N1 which comes in 16 and 32GB storage variants features a large 5.9-inch full-HD IPS display and runs on Android 4.2 (Color ROM). It is powered by a 1.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor and 2GB RAM.
The Oppo N1 which weighs 213 grams will come in White colour and dimensions 170.7x82.6x9mm.

IAS officer’s son tipped to become Microsoft CEO

Hyderabad-born Satya Nadella, son of an IAS officer who was secretary to former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao, is being tipped strongly to become chief executive of Microsoft, the storied software company founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, according to a raft of business outlets citing sources familiar with deliberations on the matter.

Nadella, 46, is a 22-year Microsoft insider who now heads the company's cloud and enterprise group. If the Microsoft board, which has been searching for a successor to current CEO Steve Ballmer for nearly five months, goes through with his appointment, he will be the top-ranked CEO of Indian-origin, comfortably overtaking Indra Nooyi of Pepsico, which is the world's 44th ranked company in terms of market value. An announcement is expected as early as Friday.

Microsoft is currently the fourth largest company by market cap ($308 billion) after Apple ($450 billion), Exxon Mobil ($442 billion) and Google ($379 billion).