Apple says iOS 7 will be available September 18

Apple says its next mobile operating system, iOS 7, will be available as a free download on Sept 18.

The biggest change comes in the new system's design: Instead of app icons that try to mimic real-world counterparts, Apple is favoring simplicity and consistency from app to app. The new 5c phones were designed to complement the color scheme found in the new operating system.

As previously announced, you'll be able to swipe up from the bottom of the screen to access a control center, for such functions as turning on airplane mode and adjusting brightness. It's similar to a feature available on rival devices running Android.

The calendar has been cleaned up and looks more streamlined. You can also get to your contacts list quickly while reading messages by swiping from the left of the screen. A featured called AirDrop will let people share content with other Apple devices.

There's also better organization of photos you take on iPhones. Instead of the endless streams of the past, pictures will be organized into moments - such as "home" or "trip to San Francisco."

The Siri virtual assistant is getting refreshed, too. You'll be able to choose a male voice, not just a female one as is currently the case.

In addition, the iOS 7 system includes Apple's new streaming music service, iTunes Radio. The service will personalize listeners' music based on what they've listened to and what they've purchased on iTunes. If you like a song, you can buy it through iTunes with one click.

Owners of older iPhones can get the iOS update for free starting next Wednesday. Just respond to the prompt when it comes or go to "Software Update" in the settings under "General." Apple said iOS 7 will be available to download and install on the iPhone 4 and later, the iPad 2 and later, the iPad Mini and the fifth-generation iPod Touch, the one released last year.

With a click on a smartphone, "Armadillo" car folds up for easy parking

With a click on a smartphone, the experimental "Armadillo-T" electric car made in South Korea will park itself and fold nearly in half, freeing up space in crowded cities.

The quirky two-seater, named after the animal whose shell it resembles, may never see production but it is part of a trend of developing environmentally friendly vehicles for urban spaces.

The car can travel 100 km (62 miles) on a 10-minute charge and has a maximum speed of 60 km per hour (37 miles per hour).

When it comes time to park, the rear of the vehicle folds over the front, almost halving its body length to just 1.65 metres (65 inches).

"They can be parked in every corner of the street and buildings, be it apartments, shopping malls or supermarkets," said Suh In-soo, a professor at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology who led development of the car.

Suh did away with rear-view mirrors by adding tiny digital cameras that show the back and sides of the car on a flat screen on the dashboard. A Windows-based computer system communicates with the driver's smartphone and enables self-parking.

The Armadillo-T cannot legally venture on to the road in South Korea because it does not meet certain mandatory criteria, such as withstanding crashes. Suh said South Korea should relax rules for micro cars, exempting them from crash requirements because of their relatively low speeds.

Amazon introduces next-generation Kindle Paperwhite e-reader

Amazon has announced an update to its popular Kindle Paperwhite e-reader. New features include a higher contrast display, a better built-in light, a faster processor, improved touch technology, and a few software enhancements.

Highlight of the new software features is integration with Goodreads, a book lovers' community that Amazon acquired earlier this year. This new feature will allow Kindle owners to see what their friends are reading, share highlights, and rate the books they read with other Goodreads users, all from their Kindle.

Amazon is also introducing a new child-friendly mode called FreeTime, that uses built-in parental controls to give parents a way to encourage kids to spend more time reading. It lets parents hand-select books for the kids to read, and hand out achievement badges when they hit reading milestones. A progress report keeps parents updated on total time spent reading, number of words looked up, badges earned and books finished.

New Smart Lookup integrates a full dictionary definition with other reference information about a word, character, topic or book via X-Ray and Wikipedia.

Amazon is also introducing MatchBook, a service that will let customers purchase Kindle editions of print books purchased from Amazon - past, present and future - for $2.99 or less.

The new Kindle Paperwhite (Wi-Fi only) is available for pre-order starting today at www.amazon.com for $119 and begins shipping September 30.

The new top-of-the-line Kindle Paperwhite Wi-Fi + 3G is not up for pre-orders yet but customers can sign up to be notified when Kindle Paperwhite Wi-Fi + 3G is available for pre-order at www.amazon.com. Kindle Paperwhite Wi-Fi + 3G is priced at $189 is expected to ship November 5.

Earlier this year, Amazon had introduced the Kindle Paperwhite e-reader in India for Rs. 10,999. There's no word on the India price or availability of the next-generation Kindle Paperwhite.

iBall Andi 4a Projector smartphone with Android 4.1 launched for Rs. 18,999

iBall has launched a projector phone, the Andi 4a Projector for Rs. 18,999. The company has listed the new smartphone on its official website. Online retailer, Flipkart is taking pre-orders for the phone at a discounted price of Rs. 17,999.

The iBall Andi 4a Projector comes with a 4-inch IPS WVGA display with a 480x800 pixels resolution and boasts of a pixel density of 233 PPI. The device is powered by a 1GHz dual-core Cortex A9 processor along with 512MB RAM. It sports an 8-megapixel rear camera accompanied by an LED flash and a VGA front-facing camera. The iBall Andi 4a Projector runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. It includes 4GB of internal storage that can be expanded up to 32GB via microSD card.

Connectivity options include EDGE, GPRS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and 3G. It is a dual-SIM device with support for GSM+GSM. It also packs in a 1500mAh battery.

The iBall Andi 4a Projector comes with a built-in 35 Lumens Projector that can deliver up to 480x640 pixels resolution. It can project up to a size of 8 to 10 feet and comes bundled with free tripod stand.

Recently, iBall had unveiled the Andi 4a Radium for Rs. 6,990. The iBall Andi 4a Radium features a 4-inch IPS display with a resolution of 480x854 pixels. It is powered by a 1GHz dual-core Cortex A9 processor and has 512MB RAM. It offers 2GB of internal storage which can be expanded up to 32GB via microSD card. The device sports an 8-megapixel rear camera accompanied by an LED flash and a VGA front facing camera. The iBall Andi 4a Radium runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. It is a dual SIM handset with support for GSM+GSM with dual standby. Other features include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, EDGE, GPRS and 3G. The device includes a 1450mAh battery.

iBall Andi 4a Projector key specifications

• 4-inch IPS WVGA display with 480x800 pixels resolution and a pixel density of 233 PPI
• 1GHz dual-core Cortex A9 processor
• 512MB RAM
• Dual SIM (GSM+GSM)
• 4GB internal storage, expandable up to 32GB via microSD card
• 8-megapixel rear camera
• VGA front-facing camera
• Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
• 1,500mAh battery
• Built-in 35 Lumens Projector

Samsung Galaxy Gear smart watch pictured again, detailed specifications leak ahead of launch

While we still wait for the official unveiling of the Samsung's first wearable tech device, the Galaxy Gear smart watch, images of one of the prototypes of the Galaxy Gear smart watch has been spotted ahead of the September 4 launch, which has now been confirmed thanks to a company official.

Venture Beat has posted some images of the alleged prototype of the smart watch that it claims are stills from the Galaxy Gear promo video that has been made by an independent team which is reportedly working closely with Samsung. It also claims to have spent some time with it.

The site informs that the smart watch is about 3-inches in size diagonally, and has a square OLED display, as reported earlier. Though, the resolution has not been revealed. The site further notes that the smart watch would come in Dark Black and Grey colours, however the final version could be different, it suggests.

Earlier, it was reported that the Samsung Galaxy Gear smart watch will come in multiple colours. The site also notes that the smart watch camera would come handy in measuring the health data.

However, Gigaom claims that the final version of the smart watch is different and more finished than the device shown in the leaked image citing some sources.

Gigaom further notes some of the features of the upcoming smart watch including an OLED display which will measure around 2.5-inch diagonally and about 3-inch including the case. The smart watch is expected to be powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core Samsung Exynos 4212 processor along with Mali-400 MP4 GPU. Other features detailed include a camera, microphone and speakers integrated into the strap, NFC, and Bluetooth. The Galaxy Gear smart watch is said to run Android 4.3 Jelly Bean with the keyboard feature turned off. The site also notes that the smart watch will need a Samsung device with Companion app store to install apps on the watch. The battery backup of the device is said to be around 24 hours with normal use and 10 hours with active usage.

Earlier, @evleaks published screenshots of the alleged Gear Manager Companion app for the Galaxy Gear smart watch on Twitter.

Skype confirms plans to launch 3D video calls

It looks like teleportation will soon be a reality just like what we've seen in sci-fi movies. Well, that's exaggerating things a bit, but Skype, the popular voice and video chat service is looking at introducing 3D or 3-dimensional calls.

Celebrating Skype's 10th anniversary, Microsoft's Corporate VP for Skype, Mark Gillett gave a candid interview to the BBC in which he mentioned that the company was working on 3D-screens and 3D-capture technology.

"We've done work in the labs looking at the capability of 3D-screens and 3D-capture," said Gillett.

"We've seen a lot of progress in screens and a lot of people now buy TVs and computer monitors that are capable of delivering a 3D image.

However, Gillett who joined Skype in 2010 before it was acquired by Microsoft, said that developing the technology and taking it to the masses would take more time.

"But the capture devices are not yet there. As we work with that kind of technology you have to add multiple cameras to your computer, precisely calibrate them and point them at the right angle."

"We have it in the lab, we know how to make it work and we're looking at the ecosystem of devices and their capability to support it in order to make a decision when we might think about bringing something like that to market," he said.

Live 3D video calls would need multiple cameras to capture all angles, and there aren't any good 3D viewing devices that render 3D without the user needing to wear special glasses. So Skype's work would not be easy.

"We're in the first year of your TV at home potentially having a camera attached to it, but we're several years away from the cameras capturing 3D in that context. You'll see much more penetration of 3D on TVs, on computers and ultimately in smartphones, probably, ahead of seeing it for sending a video call," elaborated Gillet.

3D technology has not really taken off at the mainstream level with problems such as the lack of good content, or the lack of glass-less 3D devices plaguing the entertainment industry. Broadcasters like ESPN and Disney are scrapping their 3D television channels and 3D home entertainment devices are not selling as much as device makers expected them to sell.

New Doctape Standalone iOS File Viewer Support 80+ File Types

If you need to review and read files on your iOS devices but sometimes cannot open them due to unsupported extension on the files. A new iOS application called Doctape might be worth more investigation as it supports over 80 file extensions, allowing you to view almost any file on your iOS smartphone of tablet when required.

The new standalone Doctpae iOS app has launched this week and is available to download for free from the iTunes App Store and uses a freemium app, with a free version also available but limited to two conversions per day. The Pro Doctape iOS App offers unlimited conversions plus additional features such as a full-text search.

Currently Doctape is only available on iOS devices but its developers say that other platforms will be supported very soon. Files supported by Doctape include:

Adobe PDF files (PDF)
Microsoft Office files (Word DOC/DOCX, Excel XLS/XLSX, Powerpoint PPT/PPTM/PPTX)
Libre Office & Open Office files (ODT, ODT, SXW, STW)
Text-files (RTF, TXT, CSV)
Audio files (MP3, M4A, AACF, AIFF, WAV, ALAC)
Video files (MP4, MOV, MPV, M4V, 3GP)
Image & vector files (JPG, PNG, TIF, BMP, AI, NEF, ARF)
Adobe Photoshop files (PSD)

“doctape gives you access to all your documents & media files on the go. With doctape, you don’t have to worry about all those different filetypes anymore. doctape does all the heavy lifting of converting every file for streamlined mobile access. By using doctape you automatically have an online backup and don’t have to worry in case your computer or mobile phone gets lost or stolen. You can even share your files with friends and family while on the go!”

CODE Keyboard Offers Mechanical Keys Without The Noise

A new keyboard called the CODE Keyboard has been designed by keyboard expert Weyman Kwong and developer/blogger Jeff Atwood which hope to bring all the stele and precision of a mechanical keyboard with none of the down sides such as the noise.

The new CODE Keyboard is now available to purchase for $150 and is available in either 104-key or the 87-key layouts and features e “ultra-rare” Cherry MX Clear mechanical keyswitches as well as LED backlighting.

The Cherry MX Clear mechanical keyswitches have been mounted onto a steel backplate making the CODE Keyboard weighty and sturdy at the same time, weighing in at 2.42 lbs as is compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux systems.

“Ultra-rare Cherry MX Clear mechanical keyswitches are the heart of the CODE keyboard. These switches are unique in the Cherry line because they combine solid actuation force with quiet, non-click activation, and a nice tactile bump on every keystroke. These hard to find switches deliver a superior typing experience over cheap rubber dome keyboards – without deafening your neighbors in the process.”

For more information on the new CODE Keyboard jump over to the Coding Horror website for full details and the Code Keyboards website to place an order.

Apple's iWatch coming in 2014, to be made in Taiwan

Two leading Taiwanese electronics firms that assemble products for Apple have received orders to make the highly anticipated "iWatch", an analyst and reports said Wednesday.

"Apple is likely to introduce 'iWatch' in 2014. From our channel checks, Inventec is the major assembly source for 'iWatch', with about 60 percent of order allocation," said CIMB Securities analyst Wanli Wang in a report.

CIMB projects 63.4 million units of "iWatch" shipments in the year after its launch with an average price of around $199, while the "iWatch" project is estimated to contribute 19 percent of Inventec's earnings in 2014, Wang said.

Taiwan's Apple Daily newspaper said Quanta Computer was splitting the "iWatch" orders with Inventec by taking 40 percent of order allocation, citing unnamed sources.

Inventec and Quanta both declined to comment.

Wearable computing devices such as Google Glass eyewear are widely seen as the next frontier in consumer electronics, following the huge popularity of smartphones.

Competition in the "smartwatch" market is heating up, with Google, Microsoft and Samsung Electronics racing to develop their own watch-type computing devices.

California-based Apple last month filed a trademark application for an "iWatch" in Japan.

Apple chief Tim Cook earlier this year forecast that there will be "tons of companies playing" in the wearable computing sector.

Apple may release iOS 7 on Sept. 10, according to Nuance email

There’s been talk for a while now indicating that the folks at Apple are gearing up to unveil a revamped iPhone (5S), as well as a low-cost version (5C), on September 10.

What we haven’t heard so much about is when the Cupertino-based company might release its eagerly anticipated all-new mobile operating system, iOS 7.

However, a marketing email sent to developers from Nuance, the company behind Siri, suggests the new OS will also be rolled out on September 10, prior to the launch of the iPhone 5S and 5C – unless Apple has plans to launch the phones on the same day they show them off, something it’s never done before with its handset. Last year iOS 6 was released to the public on September 19, one week after it unveiled its iPhone 5 handset.

The email (below), picked up by The Next Web contributor Owen Williams, says:

“As you are probably aware, iOS 7 GA [general availability] will be released on September 10th.”

Of course, it’s hard to believe anyone outside Apple’s inner circle has been informed of the precise date of the release without any public announcement having been made – the “as you are probably aware” part may suggest the company is just going by all the recent reports that’ve been circulating suggesting a September 10 Apple event.

Whatever the case, users keen to put the new OS through its paces are certain to have the opportunity in the coming weeks.

There’s more interest than usual in Apple’s new mobile operating system as it represents the biggest change since the iPhone launched in 2007. Redesigned from the ground up, the system gets a completely new look with plenty of new features. However, design chief Jony Ive and his team have apparently been careful to ensure it remains familiar to existing iDevice owners and simple to use.

Some older Apple devices won’t be able to load up the new OS. 

Logitech's latest wireless gaming mouse runs for 125 hours on a single AA battery

Gamers can probably relate to the hassle of getting interupted in the middle of a game because you had to change the batteries on your gaming mouse. Logitech wants to change all of that by announcing the new G602 gaming mouse.

Although users will still need to occasionally replace the battery on the G602, at least the interval is longer. That's because Logitech claims that the gaming mouse can last up to 250 hours of continuous use.

Apart from the battery, the G602 gaming mouse also features Logitech's Delta Zero sensor technology that proffers lag-free and precision gaming. Logitech also has new specialized mouse pads to enhance the experience. They are the Logitech G440 Hard Gaming Mouse Pad and the Logitech G240 Cloth Gaming Mouse Pad - both of which feature smooth surfaces that improves gameplay.

Futhermore, users are presented with two modes - performance and endurance. Performance mode is basically for gaming, where users can enjoy over 250 hours of non-stop battery life. The endurance mode, on the other hand, is suited for non-gaming. On this mode, the mouse can last up to 1,400 hours.

The Logitech G602 gaming mouse will be available next month at a retail price of $79.99

Galaxy Gear smart watch coming next week, Samsung says

A loose-lipped Samsung executive has confirmed not only that Samsung will be launching a smart watch, but that it will be unveiled on 4 September at the IFA trade show in Berlin.

Speaking to the Korea Times (via Android Beat), executive vice president of Samsung Mobile Lee Young-Hee confirmed that the Galaxy Gear watch will arrive next week and will be based on Android. Young-Hee also stated that it won't use a flexible display, putting an end to rumours about bendy screens wrapping around your wrist.

Further information about the watch wasn't discussed so we still don't know whether we'll be seeing a regular version of Android on board. Given the small size of the screen, it's likely that it will be a heavily customised version of the software, designed to run specific apps that link it to an Android smart phone. Actual screen size and processor remain unknown, although previous leaks hint that it'll be able to make calls and surf the web.

With a 4 September launch, Samsung is evidently hoping to get off to an early lead with its wearable tech, ahead of Apple's own much-rumoured smart watch, that's yet to see the light of day.

Young-Hee also confirmed that the Galaxy Note 3 will be given a 4 September launch. Firm specs of the new enormo-phone are still unknown, but it's expected to have a gigantic Full HD screen, a stylus for writing, 4G connectivity and potentially an octa-core processor here in the UK.

7 Extraordinary Gadgets Arriving In India Soon

It’s time to gear up for some of the weirdest and coolest gadgets, arriving soon on online stores in India. Some of these gadgets have excellent practical usage and some of them are too unique and crazy to be ignored. Take a peek at the 7 most unusual gadgets.

#7 Memoto Cam

Price: $279(16,500)
Ships: Aug/Sept 2013

The Memoto Life Logging Camera is a tiny GPS-enabled camera designed to wear as an accessory. With this tiny device clipped on your shirt, you can auto-capture each and every precious moments of your life. It’s designed to take two snaps per minute and the GPS auto saves the location for each image.

The camera has 2 day long battery life and when connected to a laptop it automatically uploads all your photos to the Memoto’s servers. The Memoto app present in the iPhone and Android are cleverly designed to organize all the images in a neat timeline and present to you, your own photographic memory of images along with time and location they were taken.

 

#6 LIFX

Price: $79 (Rs 4,700) per unit
Ships: Sept 2013

Here’s a fine example on how you can control real-time objects with just an app. Introducing LIFX, a Wi-Fi enabled, multi-color, energy efficient LED light bulb that you can control with your Smartphone.

All you have to do is replace the old bulbs with LIFX bulbs and make sure the switches are flipped on. Open the LIFX app on your Smartphone, choose your home Wi-Fi, enter the password and let the app configure itself to your router.

Whether you have set up one or multiple LIFX bulbs in your home, each of these bulbs can be individually controlled through your phone. You can even control the brightness and color of the bulbs to match your mood. LIFX bulbs are energy efficient as they consume just 10% of the energy used by the normal bulbs.  

 

#5 Glass Up

Price: $399 (Rs 23,500) a pair
Ships: Feb 2014

Glass up is a pair of augmented reality glass currently developed by an Italian Company. Posing as a competitor for Google glass, this device is going to hit the market in the near future for a far lesser price. By using a low-power technology, Glass Up displays the information in monochrome and has a battery life of 150 hrs on stand-by mode and 8 hrs on constant use.

Glass up has a low-power inbuilt Bluetooth connection that connects to your Smartphone device. By wearing this eye gear, you can literally see your text messages, E-mails, tweets and Facebook updates right in front of eyes. The augmented reality applications help download and display new information. This is a great way to learn about new places on the spot just by seeing them through these cool glasses.

#4 Pocket TV

Price: $139 (Rs 8,200)
Ships: Shipping now with Air Remote

Pocket TV is a tiny device that looks like a pen drive but acts like a micro computer. This device can convert any TV display to an active Google platform. The Android Ice-cream Sandwich present in this device allows you to access Google play store, download multiple apps, stream online videos, access Facebook and other social networking sites and even check E-mails.

Pocket TV comes with 1GHz processor, 4GB internal storage and uses Wi-Fi connection. The device can be controlled either by a standard IT remote or a more interactive Air remote. This also has an USB port to connect a keyboard, mouse or an external storage device. And let’s not forget the external micro SD card present in this cool device for that added data storage!

 

#3 3Doodler

Price: $99 (Rs 5,900)
Ships: Feb 2014

3Doodler is a unique device innovated by the founders of WobbleWorks LLC. This pen-shaped device promotes making of 3 dimensional objects. Anything you draw on a flat surface can be lifted up to give it that instant 3D look. 3Doodler is a pen-shaped device that has an extruder for a nib. There is a small button near the When you draw an object, the extruder oozes out melted plastic which quickly cools and hardens, giving the object a solid shape.

This pen has a lot of creative uses. With a few hours of practice you can draw beautiful objects in a 3 dimensional space. You can even decorate your place by creating artsy wall hangings and other abstract objects. An excellent way to relive you childhood days on a 3D platform!

 

#2 Gtar

Price: $399 (Rs 23,500)
Ships: Late 2013

Gtar is an electronic guitar having interactive LEDs of different colors along the fret board, including a docket for an iPhone. When you load the Gtar app and dock up the iPhone, the LEDs light up the guitar at different positions based on the key notes that the music from the iPhone hits. This technique greatly helps a newbie guitar player to actually visualize the music while learning.

The Gtar also comes with a Smart Play feature that interestingly mutes all the incorrect notes that the user hits in order to motivate them to learn music of different complexity. With one of these cool tech toys, it’s anybody’s game to become a rock star.

#1 Oculus Rift

Price: $300 (Rs 17,700)
Ships: August 2013

Oculus Rift is a next-generation head-mounted virtual reality system that puts you right in the middle of a 3D gaming environment. The sense of depth, precision and the auto changing UI display are so amazingly built that once you try one of these immersive head sets, it’ll blow your mind!

This amazing gadget covers every corner of your eyes and gives you a solid 110 degrees of peripheral vision unlike the present day head-mounted displays that gives up to 40 degrees of diagonal vision. The people who have had the pleasure to encounter this uber-cool gadget have admitted to a surrealistic next-gen experience. Needless to say, this is one of the “must have” gadgets of the year.

LG executive confirms smart watch, Firefox OS device coming soon

LG is indeed working on a number of devices that includes a new tablet, phablet, smart watch and even a Firefox OS device, according to a company official.

Mobile communications head of LG Bulgaria, Dimitar Valev, in an interview with Dnevnik.bg has laid down company's device roadmap for the coming year.

Valev confirmed that the company is working on devices with large displays and next year there will be an even bigger phone than 5.5-inch display seen in the LG Optimus G Pro. This hints that the company may be working on a 6-inch phablet considering that other major handset makers are also launching phablets with the display sizes measuring around that mark. The company might use the just launched quad-HD smartphone display technology which is the world's first quad-HD AH-IPS LCD panel for smartphones.

Further, LG will be refreshing its tablet line-up and an Android tablet is indeed coming by year-end, confirmed the official. Previously, a LG branded tablet was spotted in Bluetooth SIG (special interest group) certification filing. The report claimed that two devices with model number LG-V500 and LG-V507L appeared on the Bluetooth special interest group's website.

Interestingly, Valev also suggested that the company might unveil a smart watch next year, however no details were shared. He noted that the company made a watch mobile phone three years ago, but did not get success because may be the market was not ripe.

LG is also considering working on platforms other than Android, confirmed Valev. He noted that company might work on Windows Phone depending on how Microsoft continues to develop the operating system. He also affirmed that LG will have a Firefox OS device ready for launch in the first quarter of 2014.

Samsung Galaxy Gear smart watch to come in multiple colours

New rumours pertaining to Samsung's first wearable device, the Galaxy Gear smart watch, indicate that the device could come in multiple colour options.

SamMobile cites sources to report that the smart watch will feature different colours. Sources told the site that the device would initially ship in four colour options - White, Orange, Grey, and Black in week 39, which is from September 23 to September 29. It is interesting to note that the latest report has some discrepancy with the earlier reports that claimed that the Galaxy Gear smart watch would start shipping starting week 40, which is September 30 to October 6. The report further mentions that Samsung will start shipping the fourth White Gold colour variant after a week. However, it is not clear whether this variant will be exclusive to some regions or carriers.

The report also notes that Samsung will be naming the colours of the smart watch in line with the naming convention, the company followed with some Galaxy smartphone devices, launched in specific regions.

The Samsung Galaxy Gear smart watch is expected to hit retail stores starting late September or even early October, as per the report.

The rumoured specifications of the Galaxy Gear include a 2.5-inch OLED display with a resolution of 320x320 pixels. It is likely to run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean or a later version and would feature speakers in its clasp. Other rumours suggest a 1.5GHz dual-core Samsung Exynos 4212 processor with ARM Mali-400 MP4 GPU and 1GB of RAM. The previously leaked specifications also reveal that the smart watch may include a 2-megapixel camera.

Samsung may unveil Galaxy Note III, smart watch on September 4

Samsung may unveil the next generation Galaxy Note device and its rumoured smart watch at an event on September 4.

A report in The Korean Media, first picked up by Techkiddy notes that Samsung will unveil the Galaxy Note III on September 4 at Berlin. That is two days before the IFA conference kicks off in Berlin, Germany, the event where the original Galaxy Note and its successor have been unveiled in past years.

According to the original report, Samsung will also use the event to unveil its wearable computing device - most likely a smart watch - giving it a head start over arch rival Apple, which is widely tipped to unveil its iWatch soon. Sony recently unveiled SmartWatch 2, a wearable companion for Android devices.

There's no fresh information in terms of specifications of the Samsung Galaxy Note III, or the smart watch. As per earlier reports, Galaxy Note III will come with a 5.7-inch full-HD AMOLED display. It will reportedly be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor alongside 3GB of RAM and run on Android 4.3, the latest iteration of Google's operating system. In terms of camera, Samsung's latest phablet is expected to sport a 13-megapixel rear shooter.

Samsung recently unveiled the Exynos 5420 Octa processor, so the Galaxy Note III may be powered by Samsung's own processor in some markets, and the Qualcomm chip in others, similar to the strategy it followed with the Galaxy S4.

Samsung unveils Exynos 5420 Octa processor

Samsung teased its next generation Exynos 5 Octa processor on Twitter last week. The South Korean giant has finally unveiled the new Exynos 5 Octa processor dubbed as the Exynos 5420.

The latest iteration of the Exynos family is based on ARM Mali - T628 MP6 cores and boosts 3D graphic processing two times greater than the predecessors of Exynos 5 Octa processors.

The Exynos 5420 processor is powered by four ARM Cortex-A15 processors at 1.8GHz with four additional Cortex-A7 cores at 1.3 GHz in a big.LITTLE configuration.

Taehoon Kim, vice president of System LSI marketing, Samsung Electronics said in a press note, "Demand for richer graphic experiences is growing rapidly nowadays. In order to meet that demand from both OEMs and end users, we developed this processor which enables superb graphical performance without compromising power consumption."

Additionally, the new Exynos 5420 features multiple image compression (MIC) IP block inside the System-on-Chip that lowers the total system power when bringing pictures or multimedia from memory to display panel. This feature increases the battery usage time with a high-resolution display such as WQXGA (2500x1600) especially when browsing the web or running multimedia application that requires the frequent screen refresh. It also features a memory bandwidth of 14.9 gigabytes per second paired with a dual-channel LPDDR3 at 933MHz that enables fast data processing and support for full HD Wi-Fi display.
The press note further suggests that the new Exynos 5 Octa processor currently sampling to customers and is scheduled for mass-production in August.

There is no word about which upcoming devices will feature the new Exynos processor. But rumours suggest that the announcement of the new Exynos 5 Octa processor comes at a time when Samsung is preparing to unveil its next phone in the Note series, the Galaxy Note III.

Samsung's new Exynos 5 Octa processor coming next week

By TechnocafePro

Samsung has teased the new version of its Exynos line of processors, the Exynos 5 Octa, saying that it's coming next week, on Twitter. The company posted a tweet with a photo from the official Twitter handle Samsung Exynos saying a new version of its eight-core chipset is arriving next week. The tweet says, "A new Exynos 5 Octa is coming next week!"

The teaser posted by Samsung notes Exynos 5 Octa to be the next step in the evolution to improve power and performance of Exynos chipsets.The teaser posted by Samsung also includes a giveaway in which those participating can tweet with #ExynosEvolved and with a chance to win a new Exynos powered devices.

Samsung had earlier introduced Exynos Octa processor which is essentially two different sets of quad-core processors - a quad-core ARM Cortex A15 and a quad-core ARM Cortex A7 processor that comes loaded in the Samsung's latest flagship model, the Samsung Galaxy S4.

It is being rumoured that the announcement of the new Exynos 5 Octa processors come at a time when Samsung is preparing to unveil its next phone in the Note series, the Galaxy Note III.

A few weeks back, there was a report that claimed the new Galaxy Note III will sport a 5.7-inch display.

Previously revealed specifications for the upcoming phablet indicated that an Exynos 5 Octa processor with Mali 450 GPU with 8 cores and 3 GB of RAM will power the device. It's also rumoured that the successor to Samsung Galaxy Note II will feature a 13-megapixel rear camera. The company is likely to launch its next addition to the Note category in September, the same time when the company unveiled the Galaxy Note 2 last year.

However, the company has not revealed much other than a teaser and mentions that it will detail the exact specifications and other improvements, next week.

Microsoft reveals hardware requirements for Windows 8

By SheebaSudeep

Microsoft and Intel executives detailed some of the new hardware requirements for Windows 8 clients which is to be  introduced in 2014 and 2015 during a session at this week's Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference.

Microsoft is working closely with OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) on making sure new touch-enabled, lighter, thinner, faster devices with longer battery life, support for "modern" security, connectivity, and new sensors will be coming to market. Starting later this year, these machines will make use of the new features Microsoft is building into Windows 8.1, including support for NFC and biometric authentication; new portrait-mode enhancements; and InstantGo (the renamed and updated Connected Standby capability) to allow devices to turn on instantly and keep apps up to date.

There will be new, additional requirements for Windows devices seeking Microsoft certification coming in the next couple of years, group manager Lee Sabow told session attendees.

In January 2014, certified Windows systems will be required to support Bluetooth on all devices with Wi-Fi. Front-facing 720p Webcams will be required for systems with integrated displays (tablets, notebooks, and all-in-ones). 

Microsoft updated its Windows 8 certification documentation in late June to reflect these additional Windows 8.1, 2014 and 2015 requirements. 

Breakthrough in storage technology - 360TB disc that holds data of more than 1 million years

By SheebaSudeep

Thinking of storing all your history in a storage device which will extend beyond your generation! Its possible now.

The new storage device has extremely outstanding specifications.

• It features 360TB per disc data capacity  that will hold a million years data.
• It has the ability to withstand extreme temperatures up to 1,832 Fahrenheit.

By enhancing the power of a speedy femtosecond laser, researchers  wrote and read 300KB of data to an never exhausting  medium containing self-assembled nanostructures within fused quartz.

The interesting feature is that, the femtosecond laser, capable of  emitting short and powerful pulses of light, can encode data to not just one or two layers but  three layers of nanostructured dots within the glass spaced five micrometers apart. The researchers are claiming that the femtosecond laser  encodes the data in the crystal by writing data in five dimensions namely a figure based on the size, orientation, and three-dimensional position of the nanostructures.

Prof Jingyu Zhang, a UK professor at the Univ. of Southampton's Optoelectronics Research Centre feels that today's optical media which maximizes to  128 gigabytes (GB) for "BDXL" Blu-Ray multi-layer discs is not enough.Talking at the breakthrough of this technology.

 Prof Zhang stated that "We are developing a very stable and safe form of portable memory using glass, which could be highly useful for organisations with big archives. At the moment companies have to back up their archives every five to ten years because hard-drive memory has a relatively short lifespan.  Museums who want to preserve information or places like the national archives where they have huge numbers of documents, would really benefit."

Currently, the researchers have succeeded in   recording  a 300 KB file as a tech demonstration, which used three layers of nanocrystalline dots (with a 5 µm spacer separating dots).

Significant technological hurdles have to  be overcome to productize the technology -- most notably advancing femtosecond laser and microscopy technology to the point where the entire reader/writer can be incorporated into a compact, mass-producible package.

Prof. Peter Kazansky, the ORC’s dean, comments, "It is thrilling to think that we have created the first document which will likely survive the human race. This technology can secure the last evidence of civilisation: all we've learnt will not be forgotten."

Thinking of it as a real-life version of the memory crystals seen in the old "Superman" movies.