IDC: Android claims 75 percent of smartphone shipments in Q3, 136 million handsets sold

admin    Gadget, IT News, SmartPhone    

Android devices already counted for a lion’s share of phones shipped during Q2, and now fresh IDC figures show Google’s OS claiming the top spot with a hefty 75 percent marketshare in the third quarter. In total, 136 million Android handsets were shipped during the time frame, a new record in a single quarter. Even with the help of new hardware, iOS lagged behind in second place with a 14.9 percent stake of handsets. Both Blackberry and Symbian clung to their respective 3rd and 4th place spots, making up 6.6 percent of total shipments. Windows-based phones (both WP7 and Windows Mobile) fell to 2 percent, keeping Microsoft in fifth place just above smartphones running Linux. However, with Windows Phone 8 devices making their debut, we wouldn’t be surprised to see Redmond’s numbers get a boost when IDC’s next report rolls around.

CyberPower reveals Fang III Taipan SLI gaming notebook

admin    IT News, Notebook    

CyberPower is one of the better known builders of gaming desktops, but the company also makes supercharged laptops capable of running the latest GPU-punishing titles. The Fang III Taipan is its latest portable offering, and it carries both high-end components and a high-end price. The default configuration will set you back a heart-stopping $1,819, but the 2.4GHz Core i7, 16GB of DDR3 RAM and pair of Geforce GTX 670Ms in an SLI arrangement ensure you’re getting your money’s worth. There’s also a 60GB SSD and 1TB hard drive under the hood so you don’t have to choose between performance or storage. You can also pair up a couple of SSDs in a RAID if that’s your thing. To get the most out of all that power there’s a 17.3-inch 1,920 x 1,080 LED panel and an Onkyo sound system with a subwoofer for your aural enjoyment. Obviously, the Taipan is only portable in the loosest of sense considering its bulky 8.6-pound frame, but we doubt anyone would really want to carry roughly $2,000 worth of computer with them in public anyway. Heck, if you really wanted to trick this thing out with 32GB of RAM, a 3.0GHz Core i7, 1TB of SSD storage and a pair of GTX 680Ms you could easily top $5,000. Hit up the source link to configure your own.

[engadget]

Galaxy S III LTE’s Jelly Bean Source Code Released

admin    Android, IT News, SmartPhone    

Microsoft Surface tablets: the differences between Windows RT and Windows 8 Pro models

admin    Gadget, IT News, Microsoft, Tablet    

Surfaces. Turns out, the plural form of Microsoft’s new tablet range rolls off of the tongue with ease, but understanding the differences between the first two models may not be quite as easy — particularly for the everyman, or folks intimately familiar with Microsoft’s other Surface. Two editions — Surface for Windows RT and Surface for Windows 8 Pro — were unveiled today in Los Angeles, and while the exterior of each one looks nearly identical, the innards expose major differences in architecture. Let’s break it all down after the break, shall we?

Microsoft Surface Glamour Shots

Surface for Windows RT tablet

• Processor: NVIDIA Tegra-based ARM chip
• Weight: 676 grams
• Thickness: 9.3 millimeters
• Display: 10.6-inch ClearType HD capactive touchpanel
• Battery: 31.5Wh
• I/O: microSD, USB 2.0, Micro HD Video, 2×2 MIMO antennae
• Software: Windows RT + Office Home & Student 2013 RT
• Accessories: Touch Cover, Type Cover, VaporMg Case & Stand
• Capacity: 32GB / 64GB
• Availability: “Around” the Windows 8 launch (fall 2012)
• Pricing: To be determined

Surface for Windows 8 Pro tablet

• Processor: Intel Core i5 (Ivy Bridge)
• Weight: 903 grams
• Thickness: 13.5 millimeters
• Display: 10.6-inch ClearType Full HD (1080p) capactive touchpanel
• Battery: 42Wh
• I/O: microSDXC, USB 3.0, Mini DisplayPort, 2×2 MIMO antennae
• Software: Windows 8 Pro
• Accessories: Touch Cover, Type Cover, VaporMg Case & Stand, Pen with Palm Block
• Capacity: 64GB / 128GB
• Availability: “Three months after” the Windows 8 launch this fall
• Pricing: To be determined

So, what’s the story? Well, for one, Microsoft’s playing coy when it comes to both CPU speed and available memory. Not unlike Apple and its iPad, actually. We’re guessing that the company will try to push the user experience instead of focusing on pure specifications, and it’s frankly about time the industry started moving in that direction. Pure hardware attributes only get you so far, and judging by the amount of integration time that went into this project, Microsoft would be doing itself a huge disservice to launch anything even close to not smooth-as-butter.

It’s worth pointing out that the ARM-based WinRT (psst — you can catch up on what exactly Windows RT is here) model is both thinner and lighter than the version with Windows 8 Pro. Moreover, the battery is sized up in the latter, presumably to handle the higher power drain of the 1080p panel and the Core i5 processor. Strangely, microSDXC and USB 3.0 are only supported on the Win8 Pro model; we’re guessing it’s either a platform limitation, or just run-of-the-mill cost cutting. That said, bundling Office with the WinRT edition is apt to make Win8 Pro buyers salty; why not include it with the slate that’ll be priced like a laptop (i.e. well north of what a lot of buyers will be willing to pay)? While we’re comparing and contrasting, it’s also vital to note that the WinRT variant won’t ship with a 1080p panel; Microsoft didn’t get specific on screen resolution, but a paltry 1366 x 768 is going to look mighty pixelated sitting next to a 1080p Win8 Pro sibling, a Retina-equipped iPad and ASUS’ 1080p Zenbook / Transformer lines.

Those looking for a complete Windows experience in the form of a tablet will obviously need to pony up for the Windows 8 Pro model; those content with new, Metro-style apps engineered for Windows on ARM will likely save a few bucks by selecting that Surface. The real issue here is the murkiness when it comes to pricing. Microsoft is shying away from specifics, only saying that “pricing for Surface for Windows RT will be on par with other Windows RT tablets,” and “pricing for Surface for Windows 8 Pro will be on par with Ultrabook-grade laptops.” Unlike Apple, Amazon and Barnes & Noble, Microsoft is in a tricky situation; it can only do so much on its own before it ticks off those all-important OEMs that’ll also be making Windows-based slates in the near future, and undercutting those guys on pricing won’t go over well in terms of business relationships.

In fact, we’ll be eagerly awaiting reactions from the likes of ASUS, Acer, HP, Toshiba, Dell and the rest of the lot — Microsoft just made itself a rival in a lot of ways, and only time will tell how prudent that decision was. It’s also bizarre that Microsoft isn’t opening up pre-orders on these right away. As we’ve seen with Palm, announcing a hugely hyped product with no concrete launch path and no way to get dollars funneled in with pre-orders doesn’t typically turn out well — or, as well as it could have. It’s also downright worrisome that no battery life figures were bandied about. Windows-based tablets of the past have always fallen short due to simply running out of gas in three to four hours, and today’s tablet expectations are far different than even a few years ago. Is it possible for a Windows 8 Pro tablet to last 6+ hours on a single charge? Only time will tell, but we sure wish MS would’ve provided some sort of idea from the get-go.

[engadget]

Samsung Galaxy S III is official: 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display, quad-core Exynos processor and gesture functions

admin    Android, Gadget, IT News, Samsung, SmartPhone    

Meet the Samsung Galaxy S III. 

While this is the global version that Samsung showed off at its unveiling event, an LTE version of the Galaxy S III phone will come to the U.S., but it isn’t slated until summer, a full year after the Samsung Galaxy Nexus launched on Verizon.

I had a chance to handle the smartphone before the official launch event, and here are my initial impressions of the handset, including a look at some of the newer features of the TouchWiz user interface.

Upside
The 4.8-inch 720p display looks great — everything appears sharp, fonts were crisp, and colors were vibrant. Samsung was not willing to tell me early if the display uses a RGB matrix display (three subpixels per pixel) or a PenTile (two subpixels per pixel) one. I suspect it’s the latter because of the name of the display — it lacks the “Plus” at end, which denotes the RGB matrix version. It’s likely the S III uses the same display found on the Galaxy Note, but for a slightly smaller panel.

While the screen is huge, the phone doesn’t feel big. It’s slightly larger and thicker than the Galaxy S II, but still feels comfortable in my hands. At 4.7 ounces, it’s 0.6 ounce heavier than the Galaxy S II and about 0.1 ounce heavier than the HTC One X. The S III is, however, thinner compared with the One X — 0.3 inch versus 0.35 inch.

Samsung has also made its 2,100mAh battery removable, and the handset will come in three storage capacities: 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB (this latter size won’t be immediately available). In addition, it has a microSD card slot for up to another 64GB of storage. The handset will have 1GB RAM for running applications.

Like the S II, the S III will feature an 8-megapixel camera. Samsung has learned some lessons from making the Galaxy Nexus, as the S III will have the zero shutter lag feature, too. The company also seems to have gotten some inspiration from the HTC One X, as the S III also sports a “select your best shot” feature after taking multiple shots. The implementation is different, though; the Samsung smartphone will automatically suggest the best image for you based on a few factors including smile detection and facial recognition.

You can also take a picture while recording a video — feel free to guess where you first heard of this feature. Other imaging-related enhancements include contact tagging and automatic photo grouping based on who is in the picture. The front-facing 2-megapixel camera will also have face detection — which keeps the screen awake and from dimming if you are looking at it. It didn’t seem to work when I tried it, but bear in mind that this sample is not the finished retail product.

Besides the obvious hardware improvements and software tweaks, Samsung has also added more tweaks to its TouchWiz UI. These include a new “Pop up Play” video function, which lets you watch a video while doing other things such as surfing the Web or sending text messages. Android Beam (an NFC-based feature) has also been beefed up — it’s now called S Beam and will also let you transfer large files using Wi-Fi Direct (for speeds of up to 300Mbps).

The same voice control feature found on the Galaxy Note makes a return as S Voice and you can even use it to wake up your handset. Samsung has also made it part of the Ice Cream Sandwich Face Unlock feature; it now needs to see your face and hear your voice before you can unlock the handset.

Instead of the S Cloud rumors, the S III will come with a free two-year 50GB Dropbox account, twice that of the One X. Lastly, in what appears to be an S III exclusive, the handset will come with Flipboard for Android, a port of the popular news reading app previously only available on iOS.

Downside
For those hoping the rumors about the micro-oxidized ceramic rear are true, well bad news. It’s not. The Samsung Galaxy S III sticks to the same plastic build, only this time it comes in blue or white. While the handset felt solid, the plastic rear just doesn’t give a good grip like the Galaxy Nexus, and it doesn’t feel as durable as the polycarbonate finish of the One X.

Instead of software buttons, Samsung chose to use a traditional physical home button and touch-sensitive keys. I would have preferred the company to have made a bold switch with software keys, hence my disappointment. Also with the Menu key on the left instead of the Back key, I found myself accidentally hitting it while trying to go back. This will not be a problem if you’re used to Samsung’s button positioning, but if you’re like me (I use phones mostly with my left hand), you may find a tired thumb from stretching too much to reach the back button.

[Cnet]

Samsung Confirms Android 4.0 ICS for GALAXY S II for March 10

admin    Android, Gadget, IT News, Samsung, SmartPhone    

Rumors on the long-awaited Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update for Samsung Galaxy S II have come and gone, but the Korean handset maker did not confirm any release dates.

It was originally believed that Samsung will deploy an Ice Cream Sandwich update for the Galaxy Note on March 1, followed by an update for the Galaxy S II within the next few days.

It appears that the information wasn’t that accurate, as Galaxy Note is still stuck on Android 2.3 Gingerbread. However, Samsung Galaxy S II has just been confirmed for an ICS update on March 10.

According to Samsung Philippines, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 upgrade for Galaxy S II will be available on March 10.

The update can be downloaded via Kies 2.0, but users are recommended to download and install the latest version of Samsung’s desktop sync software.

Keep in mind that Samsung Kies 1.5 does not supports upgrading to Ice Cream Sandwich. There’s a chance that the update will be delivered FOTA in some regions, but that will require users to connect to a high-speed, reliable Wi-Fi network.

Although the information comes through official channels, it’s unusual that the announcement was published solely by Samsung Philippines.

In fact, they already pulled it from their site, but the folks over at Engadget managed to get a screenshot which confirms the intel.

Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich will bring Samsung Galaxy S II several new features, including Face Unlock and Android Beam. In addition, the Mobile Network Data usage function has been added as well.

Curiously, the update’s changelog states that “because of ICS OS feature, Adobe flash and Bluetooth 3.0 HS” will not be supported (Bluetooth 3.0 will work).

The update requires at least 60MB through Kies, and 250MB if the update is made FOTA. This Ice Cream Sandwich update will only be available for Samsung GT-I9100, which means that carrier-bounded models will receive the update in the following weeks.

Apple’s March 7th event roundup: the new iPad, Apple TV refresh and everything else

admin    Apple, Ipad, IT News, Tablet    

Weren’t able to keep up with all the news from the unveiling of Apple’s new iPad today? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Whether you’re looking for more info about its Retina Display and LTE-connectivity, the refreshed Apple TV or related bits, we’ve listed links to our coverage of everything “new and noteworthy” after the break. Happy perusing! Oh, and be sure to check back to our the archive of our liveblog and pre- and post-event broadcasts for a few extra doses of “amazing.”

iPad

The new iPad is official, with Retina display, LTE and A5X CPU. Available March 16th

Apple’s new iPad hands-on!

New iPad puts the camera back in focus: 5 MP sensor, AF lens, 1080p video

Here’s the first sample shot from the new iPad’s 5MP iSight camera

Siri sort-of comes to the new iPad, does voice dictation only

New iPad has ‘world ready’ 3G, LTE for Verizon, Rogers, Bell, Telus and AT&T

iPad 4G plans and pricing revealed

The new iPad vs. iPad 2: what’s changed?

The new iPad vs. the tablet elite: ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity 700, Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 and Toshiba Excite X10 LE

AppleCare+ extended to new iPad, adds two years of support for a fee

Apple drops iPad 2 price to $399 for the 16GB WiFi-only model

Apps and iOS

Apple introduces iPhoto for iPad, updated Garage Band, iMovie and iWork apps

Apple reveals next-generation apps for the new iPad: Infinity Blade: Dungeons, SketchBook, SkyGamblers

OS 5.1 available today, brings Japanese-language Siri

iOS 5.1 software update now rolling out to iPhones, iPads and iPod touches

Got an AT&T iPhone? iOS 5.1 now gives you ’4G’

Apple ups over-the-air download limit to 50MB for iOS

Apple TV

Apple reveals new Apple TV, does 1080p video

Apple TV (2012) hands-on!

Apple TV vs. the new Apple TV (2012): what’s changed?

Netflix on new Apple TV supports 1080p, all boxes get integrated signup and pay via iTunes

Fox and Universal titles blocked from Apple TV’s iCloud, HBO is the culprit

Apple TV software update brings new interface to second-gen models

Everything else

FCC wastes no time, approves new iPad and Apple TV

iTunes 10.6 now available for download, includes support for 1080p videos

Apple’s 2012 launch event: watch it online now

[engadget]

Tutorial Install Android IceCreamSandwich 4.0 di Samsung Galaxy S2

admin    Android, Gadget, IT News, SmartPhone, Tips & Trik    

Kabar baik bagi anda pengguna samsung galaxy s2,karena kini anda dapat menikmati android 4.0.3 atau ice cream sandwich official langsung untuk perangkat anda. Pada versi update kali ini,anda juga akan mendapatkan fasilitas TouchWiz  yang cukup berguna dan keren untuk melengkapi OS terbaru dari android ini.Untuk lebih jelasnya anda bisa menyimak video berikut bagaimana ICS dapat berjalan di Samsung Galaxy S2 di http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=SsV0OOmwvS0

Tertarik dengan ICS? Langsung saja,berikut adalah tutorial untuk menginstal android ice cream sandwich pada Samsung Galaxy S2:
Peralatan yang anda butuhkan:

• Download ROM build I9100XXKP8 dari sammobile di http://hotfile.com/dl/139234685/6ce56f2/I9100XXKP8_I9100OXAKP8.rar.html (password:samfirmware.com)
• Download kernel XXKP8 (Full stock) di http://hotfile.com/dl/139230861/0b856f5/i9100XXKP8__KERNEL.zip.html
• Download dan instal samsung kies jika anda belum memilikinya.(Lihat situs resmi samsung/bisa mencarinya di google)

Tutorial:

• Ekstrak firmware yang telah anda download diatas.
• Buka ODIN yang ada didalamnya.(Pastikan anda tidak membuka samsung kies)
• Tekan tombol volume up + home + power untuk masuk ke mode download,kemudian koneksikan dengan USB.
• Pada aplikasi ODIN klik PDA kemudian pilih file I9100_CODE_I9100XXKP*_CL42141_REV02_user_low_ship.tar.md5
• Sekarang klik PHONE dan pilih MODEM_I9100XXKP*_REV_02_CL1092599.tar.md5
• Klik CSC lalu pilih GT-I9100-MULTI-CSC-OXAKP*.tar.md5
• Selesai dan klik tombol start. Jika anda mengikuti instruksi diatas seharusnya kini anda telah mendapatkan ICS pada samsung galaxy s2 anda.

Sekarang berikut adalah tutorial untuk rootingnya:

• Download  CF-Root XXKP8 (Anda bisa mengikuti thread resminya di XDA developers). Download di http://attachments.xda-developers.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=837817&d=1325420843
• Ekstrak file yang telah didownload.
• Buka ODIN didalamnya.
• Tekan tombol volume up + home + power untuk masuk ke mode download,kemudian koneksikan dengan USB.
• Klik PDA dan pilih file CF-Root-SGS2_XX_OXA_KP*-v5.2-CWM5.tar
• Klik Start
• Selesai,kini anda seharusnya telah memiliki perangkat galaxy s2 dengan ICS 4.0.3 yang telah di root.

Selamat mencoba

[teknoup]

Video Samsung Galaxy S2 dengan ROM Android Ice Cream Sandwich

admin    Android, Gadget, IT News, Samsung, SmartPhone    

Samsung telah menjanjikan bahwa smartphone terpopuler miliknya saat ini, Galaxy S2 akan mendapatkan update ROM resmi Android Ice Cream Sandwich sebelum kuartal pertama tahun ini berakhir, dan dengan ROM versi 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich yang sudah beredar akhir-akhir ini, orang-orang dari Pocketnow berbaik hati memberikan video tentang tampilan update terbaru ini ke khalayak luas. Sejauh ini, kesan yang muncul dari video tersebut adalah kestablilan, kecepatan, dan kehalusan performa dengan tambahan tampilan antarmuka TouchWiz. Beberapa orang yang sudah menggunakan ROM ini mengatakan bahwa daya tahan baterai juga mengalami perbaikan, hal yang satu ini sebenarnya sangat dibutuhkan di device lain, tidak hanya di Galaxy S2.

 

[teknoup]

Samsung Confirms Galaxy S III for the First Half of 2012

admin    Gadget, IT News, Samsung, SmartPhone    

Samsung will not bring the successor of its highly popular Galaxy S II smartphone to the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next month.

The company said so last week, when announcing the financial results for the last quarter of 2011, and has confirmed it once again.

Moreover, the vendor also announced that it planned on hosting its own separate event for the launch of this mobile phone.

According to Techradar, the South Korean mobile phone maker is still on track to launch the mobile phone in the first half of the year, and will officially unveil it closer to its market availability.

“Samsung is looking forward to introducing and demonstrating exciting new mobile products at Mobile World Congress 2012,” the leading handset vendor reportedly stated.

The company also noted that it was working on the release of a successor for the Galaxy S II. Even if no specific name for the device was mentioned, Galaxy S III appears to be a good guess.

“The successor to the Galaxy S2 smartphone will be unveiled at a separate Samsung-hosted event in the first half of the year, closer to commercial availability of the product,” the South Korean vendor said.

“Samsung stays committed to providing the best possible mobile experiences for customers around the world.”

Some of the previous reports on the matter suggested that Samsung was actually considering the release of a new variant of Galaxy S II, which should feature a “Plus” moniker.

Moreover, the company is expected to bring to the market a successor to the Galaxy Note smartphone-tablet hybrid, one that would be called Note S.

While nothing was officially confirmed on these devices, we know for sure that a successor to Galaxy S II will arrive in the coming months. Hopefully, the handset’s availability will kick off in the first half of the year as well.