Amazon Paperwhite facing shipment delays

This month Amazon first spoke about its refreshed line-up of standalone e-readers called Paperwhite. At that time, Paperwhite shipments were to begin on October 1. Digitimes now reports that there has been a delay in the shipping of the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, owing to the supply chain of the product. The production capacity is currently lower than needed, because of the shortage in the availability of raw materials and production labour. However, it has been reported that the company is working on the issues, and is optimistic about being in time for the year-end demand. Shipments of the Paperwhite e-reader, reportedly began in August this year, and are expected to reach its peak in October and November. However, current year shipments have been estimated at only a few million units. The new e-reader model, Amazon Kindle Paperback has a black-and-white screen. It promises to offer 25 percent more contrast, CEO Jeff Bezos had said. He added, "the whites are whiter, and the blacks are blacker". Bezos claims that the device is "perfect in direct sunlight".  Unlike its Kindle Fire, Bezos says Whitepaper is perfect in direct sunlight Bezos added that tablets such as the iPad and the Fire don't work as well in bright light because they are lit from the back; the light on the Paperwhite is directed down at the display. The device promises eight weeks of battery life, even with the light on. Amazon unveiled four new Kindle Fire models this month including ones with larger screens. Amazon unveiled the larger Kindle Fire amid expectations of a smaller iPad from Apple. The larger Fires will sport screens measuring 8.6 inches diagonally, compared with 9.7 inches for the iPad. The original Fire had 7-inch screens. That means a device nearly as big as the iPad will sell for at least $100 less. However, the Kindle Fire won't have as extensive a selection of apps as the iPad. The HD models will have a front-facing camera for video chats; the iPad has one on the rear as well. Amazon also unveiled a premium Kindle Fire model, with the ability to connect to 4G cellular networks. It will cost $499 and come with 32GB of memory and an 8.9-inch screen. A data plan will cost $50 a year.

DoT directs Airtel, Vodafone, Idea to stop 3G roaming pacts

Ads by Google

Third generation voice and data service subscriptions are growing fast with the penetration of smartphones increasing by the day in the Indian market. Most of the major telecom operators today provide 3G services across the country, but they might not be able to do so anymore as the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has directed Bharti Airtel, Vodafone India and Idea Cellular to stop offering 3G voice and data services outside their licensed zones through roaming pacts. Airtel, Idea and Vodafone have acquired 3G licenses in a few circles in the country and have signed roaming pacts with each other to let their subscribers use data services across the country. Bharti, Vodafone and Idea currently have licences to operate 3G services in 13, 9 and 11 circles, respectively. They won the bids in the auctions for 3G airwaves in 2010. The administration has not permitted any company to operate 3G services in all the 22 circles of the country. Facing difficulties in recovering investments in 3G Apparently, the DoT doesn’t approve of this, and as per a report by The Economic Times, these companies have been issued show-cause and advisory notices to stop such operations, telecom secretary R Chandrasekhar said on the sidelines of a Confederation of Indian Industry conference. It seems the show-cause notices have been served because the three operators have violated Mobile Virtual Network Operators norms. MVNOs, which are not allowed in India, offer telecom services without owning spectrum. The move is an enforcement of the Telecom Department's order in December last year, which directed mobile phone companies to end 3G roaming pacts. "We have asked them to immediately comply with the directive issued last year and have given them 60 days to explain why action should not be taken against them for breach of rules,” The Economic Times cited Chandrasekhar as saying. As per the report, Chandrasekhar said the government would issue separate notices to the companies to claim the revenue generated through these pacts. The companies have been given three days to submit compliance reports, he added. The Economic Times reports that following the department's order last year, the three mobile operators challenged its order before the telecom tribunal, TDSAT, which issued an interim stay order. The subsequent verdict in July was split. Despite the growth of the number of 3G subscribers, carriers in India have not managed to generate expected returns on investment in 3G services because a large chunk of mobile phone users still prefer the cheaper 2G services.  Under current rules, maximum penalty for licence violation is 50 crore per circle.

Limited-edition iPhone 5 with gold, diamond finish available

If you thought that the iPhone 5 with its price tag, was as far as one could go with the word 'premium' or ‘expensive', you have to read this. Liverpool designer, Stuart Hughes has his own version of the premium iPhone 5, that is all gold and diamond. Reportedly, Hughes’ version of the latest iPhone has been decked in 18-carat gold and has gold and diamond finishing. Turn the phone over and you see the recognisable Apple logo, encrusted in diamonds. Hughes has on offer a limited edition of 100 handsets of this variety. Hughes' version of the iPhone 5 priced at a mind numbing £21,995 (around Rs 18,76,888).  An excerpt from Hughes' website reads, “This beautiful handset took weeks of detailed intricate work to re-create the original chasis of the iPhone in solid gold all of which was started and finished by hand, also a full gold dressing for the rear section with the logo in solid gold with 53 flawless diamonds amounting to 1ct. This masterpiece boasts a massive circa of 128 grams of 18ct gold. The result was outstanding even down to the precise polishing to reveal its most beautiful harmonious appearance. The handset is 64gb and is available as a ltd edition of only 100.” The handset as on Hughes' site This isn’t Hughes’ first attempt at adding bling to technology. Last year, he grabbed headlines when he made the Stuart Hughes’ version of the iPad 2, a snazzier sibling of the regular iPad 2,which you might want to own if you have £5,000,000 on you. For the rest of us, the iPad 2 Gold History Edition was just as exquisite, as it could possibly get. However, with the iPad 2 Gold History Edition, gold and diamonds weren’t all; it came with a hint of history. The Apple logo that carefully rested at the back of Hughes’ version of the iPad 2 had been set with 12.5 carats of flawless diamonds, 53 of them encrusted to form the signatory Apple logo. The 24k gold logo has been set at the back, weighing a total of 2,000 grams. Its front frame has a touch of history to it. It has been made out of the oldest existing rock, Ammolite. Apparently, on the front frame of this iPad 2, pieces of a T-Rex dinosaur’s thigh bone had been used, which according to Hughes, was splintered and shaved into the rock, and then given a jewel finish. Adding some bling is the single-cut, 8.5-carat flawless diamond beautifully set in the centre, surrounded by 12 other flawless diamonds.  In the meanwhile, here is a quick look at the specifications of the iPhone 5: 4-inch, 326ppi Retina display at 1136 x 640 pixels GPRS, EDGE, EV-DO, HSPA, HSPA+, DC-HSDPA, LTE and Wi-Fi GPS Bluetooth 8 megapixel camera with 1080p HD recording, 720p front-facing camera 16GB, 32GB and 64GB versions

BSNL, WishTel to launch ‘IRA ICON’ 3G tablet for Rs 10,500

WishTel, a manufacturer of tablet PCs, netbooks and mobility solutions in association with India’s largest PSU Telco operator BSNL will be announcing the launch of an 'ultra-mobile and durable' tablet PC, the IRA ICON, on October 1, celebrated as BSNL Day. WishTel’s latest generation of the ICON-series of tablet PCs delivers an optimized experience in Voice (using 3G GSM and VOIP Technologies), Video (using 3G video conferencing and Mobile TV applications) and Data, providing a good experience in mobility, durability and connectivity that mobile professionals require across key vertical markets. The Triple Play 7-inch tablet PC, IRA ICON is an 800 x 480 pixel capacitive multi-touch screen that runs on Android 4.0. It’s powered by a 1.2 GHz processor and 1GB of RAM. It features a built-in 3G SIM from BSNL as well. The IRA ICON supports calling, features 3G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity and also comes with built-in stereo speakers and a microphone. Another budget 3G tablet on the horizon Speaking of the partnership with WishTel, R.K Upadhyay, Chief Managing Director of BSNL said, “The 7-inch Triple Play tablet PC has been designed to best suit the needs of  avid tech – savy youngsters, business environments, multi-tasking homemakers and the student fraternity alike. The BSNL Value added services like Video streaming, Mobile TV and various other applications under BSNL LIVE shall be extended to our valued customers in an increased screen at a very affordable price.” “WishTel has been recognized as one of the front runners in the field of manufacturing cost efficient handheld and portable computing devices for the vast Indian market. With our partnership with India’s largest PSU telco operator, BSNL for the launch of IRA ICON Triple Play tablet, WishTel continues to offer enhanced technologies that help Android business users experience the performance and productivity offered by tablet PCs. It is tailored to the needs of business users in markets that depend on high performance mobile workforces” says Milind Shah, WishTel’s CEO. The IRA ICON is slim and weighs less than half a kilo and is designed to be durable and sustain the mobile environment. It comes bundled with BSNL’s 3G SIM and free 3G data of 2GB for two months. Customers can avail of the 3G data plans of BSNL or the specially-designed tablet plans.  The device comes with ports for USB, SD Card, audio and HD video to simplify the use of industry standard peripheral solutions. It has a 0.3 MP front web camera and 2.0MP rear-facing camera to support image capture, video conferencing and collaboration. The Triple Play Tablet PC comes pre-loaded with many applications that include Wish Learning, Wish Studio, Wish TV, Wish News, Wish video calling, and many more apps. The tablet comes engineered with a 4,000mAh battery, which can give users browsing time of approximately 4-5 hours. The tablet PC has an internal storage of 4GB (expandable to 32GB - MicroSD). The IRA ICON Triple Play tablet PC will be available from early next month at a highly competitive price of Rs.10,500, through a national network of value-added resellers and distributors of BSNL and WishTel.

Hands on with the Samsung Galaxy Note II

Following Samsung’s tradition of upgraded devices bearing the “II” brand, the Note II has made its way as expected to Indian shores. In a recent launch held in Hyderabad, we got the opportunity to get real up close and personal with the new handset and here are the first impressions.

Video hands-on with the Galaxy Note II Design If you thought the Note was big, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet! The Note II has been graced with a whopping 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED display sporting a 1280 x 720 resolution. It’s just as sharp as the Galaxy S III’s and just as vivid in terms of legibility, contrast and colours. In the dimensions part of its specifications, the Note II is naturally taller than its predecessor, the Galaxy Note. What’s truly remarkable, however, is that Samsung has succeeded in making it slimmer and narrower than the Note. Thanks to a thinner bezel, the Note II’s display really comes alive.  A quick look at the specs of the Galaxy Note II Even with its immense size and S III-esque design and colour form, the Note II was nevertheless an easy device to manage. Thanks to the slightly narrower form, it’s easier to hold. The S Pen nestles neatly into its little bottom-corner slot. Removing it was easy, but you need to get accustomed to it to put it back in. The S Pen itself is just as comfortable to use as the previous edition, but we wish the button could have been more useful.  Measures 9.4mm in thickness Under the rear panel rests the heart of this raging beast, i.e. a 3100 mAh battery that should be quite handy for those with a long work day. The Note II also has a hot-swap memory card slot that supports 64GB cards. This is in addition to the 16 Gigs of on board storage.  The Note II’s overall form factor revels in an easy to manage, yet large, in-your-face styled product that was comfortable to hold and easy to manipulate any which way you choose. More on the design when we’ve conducted a full scale review and used it for a few days as a primary device.  Features and Performance Ahh Jelly Bean...you and your project Butter do make things just as slick as a warm knife through butter. That, paired with a 1.6GHz Quad Core processor running things under the hood and you’ve got yourself a multitasking mammoth of a handset in a figurative, metaphorical and literal way. All of the test devices available at the launch seemed to fare the same; the gesture-based systems were fluid and presented no lag whatsoever even with plenty of background running apps. TouchWIz could still use a makeover, though.  Using the S Pen Samsung has upgraded the S Pen’s capabilities tenfold. The new system is very focussed around this stylus aspect. We’re not going to go into too much detail, so do stay tuned for the review. But just to give you a few of the aspects we thought were really worth mentioning: The S Note app automatically get’s activated the moment you slip the S pen out of its “holster”. This setting can be disabled from the menu, but for the avid ‘jotter’, or anyone who enjoys a good quick scribble of their thoughts, this is certainly a handy option to have. Swiping upward on the desktop Home Screen will pull up a Quick Command menu that let’s you search for contacts and even run apps by scribbling with the S Pen. Air View is another new and very innovative feature. Hovering the S Pen over a message, email, note or even a photo gallery gives you a quick preview of what’s inside that option. The stylus tip can be a good 1 cm away for this system to be activated.  There’s a lot more that we’ll cover in the review. The S Pen itself, like the one on the Note 800, is pressure sensitive but will require a steady hand if you really want to explore that feature.  Videos obviously look so much better on this larger display, especially those of the HD variant. We did a quick listen in to the audio and that feature also seems to have been given a slight upgrade.   The Note II is fuelled by a 3100mAh battery We also had a quick run through with the 8MP camera strapped onto the handset. Videos looked really good and very defined. Touch focus and image capture while recording are once again, handy features but come bundled with quite a few other devices. There are plenty of settings to choose from depending on your location or preference. Burst mode is also on board and seemed just as speedy as the S III's.  First impressions and Price in India With a price tag of Rs. 39,900 for a 16GB edition of the Galaxy Note II, it would seem that Samsung has another winner on its hands. The handset is a well-conceptualised device even though it’s quite identical in looks to the S III. Then again, the SII and Note were also similar. Nevertheless, the choice of purchase will be left to those who will derive the best usage out of the device. Like the Note 800 Tablet, the Note II seems like a handset designed for professionals. This could very well be the biggest, brightest star in the Samsung Galaxy as of now.

Nokia cuts Lumia 800, 900 prices before new models arrive

Struggling phone maker Nokia has knocked 10-15 percent off the prices of two of its top of the range smartphones, hoping to boost sales before newer models arrive in markets in November. Nokia has cut the price of the Lumia 800 by around 15 percent and the Lumia 900 by 10 percent in Europe, according to device pricing data compiled by British research firm CCS Insight. Nokia declined to comment. Earlier this month, Nokia launched Lumia 820 and 920, which many see as crucial for the Finnish company's survival. But the newest models will only go on sale in November, leaving the company's sales team struggling with older smartphone models for over a month. The Lumia 800 and 900 are set to get a price cut Nokia had already slashed the price of the Lumia 800 by around 15 percent earlier this month and made smaller cuts for its other Lumia models. Once the world's biggest mobile phone maker, Nokia fell behind rivals in smartphones and has racked up more than 3 billion euros in operating losses in the last 18 months. In early 2011, it bet its future on Microsoft's Windows Phone software. Windows accounts for only around 3 percent of global smartphones, while Google's Android platform controls two-thirds of sales and Apple has around a quarter. Competitive pricing is considered crucial for Nokia to lure back customers, even though pricing does not seem to be an issue for rival Apple. In Belgium, for example, more than 10,000 people have pre-registered for the latest iPhone even before a local price has been set.

Facebook starts gifting service

When Facebook bought Karma, a gift giving start-up in May, this year, the social networking giant’s plans to get into the space of gift giving, became a little more clear. Facebook is now beginning its first steps in that direction by rolling out ‘Gifts’. This new service means that now users can send real-life gifts to their friends by picking one from what is available, be it good ol’ chocolates, socks, coffee or any of the other goodies. The way this works is that; if it is your friend’s birthday tomorrow, you’ll spot a “give her a gift” link, and will be able to see a gift icon with the name of the friend and photo. Once you click on the icon, you will be able to spot the gifts that you could present to your friends for their special day - be it a Starbucks gift card, cupcakes or a ‘you can never wrong with’ teddy bear. .  The recipient of the gift will then receive a notification on Facebook, asking them to enter the shipping address for the designated gift. Interestingly here, in a few instances, the recipients of the gifts will be able to pick and choose the flavour and size of the cupcakes or a different style of socks. Users, if they wish to can also exchange the original gifts with something else of their choice.  A gift may be a thousand words The icon will show up on the right side of a user’s page, where he has notifications for friends' birthdays, weddings and other life events showing up.  Users have the option of paying for their gifts using either,  Visa, Mastercard, American Express or Discover branded credit or debit card. Once a user makes the payment, he will be sent a receipt within 24 hours and his payment info will be saved for future purchases. So apart from the social networking i.e. staying in touch with old pals, making new friends, connecting with them more frequently, Facebook's making it more 'physical'. Gifts are after all worth a thousand words.  Clearly, Facebook is trying its hands at an entirely new domain and this comes after its Karma buyout. Karma aimed to make gift giving a little more convenient. The service had a 'storefront' on their app through which users could select the gift that they would like to give to a friend. They tied up with vendors, like Spotify, Gund and MOMA for its selection of gifts, adding variety to its offering.  At the time of its acquisition, a post on Karma’s blog read, "We’re thrilled to announce that Karma has been acquired by Facebook. The service that Karma provides will continue to operate in full force. By combining the incredible passion of our community with Facebook’s platform we can delight users in new and meaningful ways."  Facebook Gifts is currently available to a subset of the service’s U.S.-based customers only, and will be gradually rolled out to others as the idea of real-life gifting on Facebook takes off. In addition to being able to click on the “Gifts” icon on the pages of their Facebook’s friends, users will also be able to do so on their Android phones. That being said, iPhone and iPad versions are to follow.

NEWS / GENERAL Internet Explorer prevents 95pct of malicious activity: Study

Results of a web browser testing done to check the ability of four leading browsers to protect against leading forms of malware was released yesterday by NSS Labs. The tests were carried out on Microsoft Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari to determine how they fared when it came to offer protection against malware linked to bank fraud, password theft, fake antivirus scams and click fraud. Results highlighted that Internet Explorer offered users significant advantages pertaining to overall malware protection, preventing 95 percent of malicious activity; Chrome blocked only 33 percent, Safari and Firefox less than 6 percent each. Click fraud malware was blocked at a significantly lower rate by 3 out of the 4 browsers tested. Here again, the results highlighted that Internet Explorer continued to do better than the others by blocking 96.6 percent of click fraud activity; Chrome managed only 1.6 percent, Firefox and Safari blocked only 0.8 percent and 0.7 percent, respectively. Block rate scores were calculated as 10-day moving averages. IE, the safest? (Image credit: Getty Images) “Given Chrome’s prominence and increasing market share, we predict ongoing increases in click fraud unless Google takes serious steps to improve its click fraud protection,” said Dr Stefan Frei, Research Director, at NSS Labs It was found in the tests that click fraud scammers managed to rake in revenue for both fraudsters as well as legitimate ad networks, by making counterfeit ad click-throughs look genuine. Some of the key findings of the report revealed that click fraud by itself causes minimal direct harm to the typical end user, since the ultimate target is the ad buyer. What actually harmed consumers and corporate users was the additional malware that came as a by-product of click fraud installation. Click fraud the detection rate of Chrome was 1.6 percent, Firefox 0.8 percent, Internet Explorer strikingly high at 96.6 percent, and Safari 0.7 percent. Further, the report highlighted that certain services may help ad buyers identify click fraud. However, service contracts with ad networks may contain clauses that restrict ad buyers’ ability to recover damages for click fraud. Interestingly, the report revealed that the average lifespan of a click fraud URL was 32 hours with over 50 percent of them expiring within 54 hours. NSS Labs' study was performed over a period of 175 days (from December 2, 2011 to May 25, 2012) about the protection capabilities of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari. Each browser was tested with all available updates installed on identical virtual machines running Microsoft Windows 7.