Stars Descend On the Desert For the Palm Springs Film Fest

Stars Descend On the Desert For the Palm Springs Film Fest:

The 24th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival drew boldfaced Hollywood names tonight. Stars including Ben Affleck, Naomi Watts, and Bradley Cooper were honored for their on-screen work, while Tom Hanks, Eddie Redmayne, Diane Lane, and other celebs presented the evening's awards. We were on the red carpet and inside for the star-studded dinner, where several of the awardees shared moving, funny, and heartfelt speeches. Naomi, who accepted the evening's Desert Palm Achievement Award for actress from her The Impossible costar Tom Holland, thanked her longtime partner, Liev Schreiber, for inspiring her. She also expressed gratitude for their two young sons, Sasha and Kai, for "breathing life into me."
Birthday boy Bradley Cooper -who turned 38 today-gave a short and humble speech when accepting the corresponding award for actor for his work in Silver Linings Playbook. Still, he couldn't escape host Mary Hart, who led the audience in a round of "Happy Birthday" in his honor before he left the stage. As Ben Affleck and his Argo cast closed the show, taking home the Ensemble Performance Award, Ben asked Mary if she'd prompt the crowd to sing "Happy Birthday" for him, as well. "When's your birthday?" Mary asked. Ben replied: "August."


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Posted in: BOLLYWOOD

How To: Use an old PC as a media streaming server

An alternative use for an old PC or laptop as a media streaming server...

We bet most of you must be having an old PC or laptop lying around the place collecting dust. The system might be too old and the hardware would definitely be unfit for the latest operating systems and work applications. But these old systems can still be brought into use for something or the other at home or office. We did give you topics on how you can use your old PCs and laptops for different purposes. Treating it as an extension of that article, here is how you can use that old man as a media streaming unit in your home or office network. Assuming that your older computer would definitely be equipped with an operating system—be it Windows, Mac or Linux. In this case, you would have a network-enabled unit with an operating system ready to be deployed. All you need is a large hard drive to store your media content and a simple media server utility. The old hardware would definitely not be worthy of playing high definition videos, but is definitely powerful enough for streaming high definition content over the network. Twonky Media Manager Let’s begin by setting up the server. First is the hardware and the operating system. Your old operating system can come into use and you won’t have to spend for an operating system. Optionally, if you don’t have it, you can use Linux as a free OS alternative. In this workshop, we shall show you the procedure under Windows. Linux and MAC users can follow the workshop similarly with a little variation up to the installation. Once the installation is done, the server can be configured via any web browser.  Next, you would require the network to be configured. Ensure your drivers are set up and the computer is connected to a router along with other computers on the network. Download and install the software Twonky running in the status bar Now that the computer is ready, all you need is a media server utility from Twonky. Twonky is nothing but a server utility meant to serve multimedia content, which includes photos, music and video, to other devices on the network. It uses standard DLNA protocols that are accessible by almost all network-enabled devices available today. It is a DLNA compliant UPnP audio/video server from PacketVideo and compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems. Twonky is available for Rs 1,200 and can be tried out for a 30-day period too. Download and install the Twonky Media Manager from here. Twonky Media Manager is a single package utility that includes a media player and the media server for the same cost. Check the status of the server Once you install it, you will find the Twonky Media Server running in the system tray. Right click on the service icon and click on settings. Now we need to configure the server. It will take you only a few minutes to get the server set up and running. The moment you click on the settings option, the default web browser will pop up with the settings page of the server. The first page is the status. Here you will find the license key number that needs to be entered if you have purchased it. Ignore it if you are using it in the trial period. Click ahead to the Setup link. Give a name to the streaming server Here you need to give a name for your server. This name will be the streaming server's name on your network and your media clients will detect it accordingly. Leave other settings as they are and save the settings. Next click on the Sharing link. Enter the folder paths where the media files are stored This is the most important settings page on the server. You will find a few fields on this page where you need to give in the details of your media file’s location. Enter each location accordingly and choose the type of content from the drop-down list alongside. You can add as many folders depending on your content types and locations. Network locations from shared folders on network computers can also be added, but you should map them as drives. Once you are done with the folder allocations, you have completed almost 90 percent of the settings. Share removable media automatically if you need it Below the shared folders list you will find Removable Media options and Media receivers. In the Removable Media section, you can choose ‘Autoshare Removable Media’. This option will automatically share any media files from USB pen drives and external storage drives when they are connected to the server. The Media Receivers section option can be left untouched. Here you can see the present media receivers on the network and tweak the changes according to the way they shall view the media content. Save all changes and move ahead to the ‘Advanced’ link. Secure your server settings Here, give a user name and password for managing the server settings. This will restrict everyone from tweaking the settings unless they have the password. You can set up the server from any PC on the network using an Internet browser by typing the IP address with the port 9000 as the URL. For example, if your server’s IP address is 192.168.1.10, the URL would be 192.168.1.10:9000. Leave all settings as they are and save the changes. Your server is ready and will be streaming your media files within a few minutes after building the database of media content you have shared. The time will depend on the amount of media files present in the shared path. This is done only once until you add more shares or media files in the folder. Restart the server or rebuild the database Enable logging to find issues and resolve problems Additional settings You can enable logging to find out any errors on your server. You can restart the server, rescan content folders in case there are some missing content, reset the server to defaults or clear the cache in the Server Maintenance section.  UPnP media player on Android UPnP player on iPad Now that your server is ready, you can head on to the media receivers. You can use the Twonky Media Manager software you installed to watch your content on the same PC/server. You can use UPnP compatible media players on iPad and Android to play your media files over the wireless network. Windows-based PCs can take advantage of the Windows Media Player and play the media from ‘Other Libraries’. Windows Media Player streaming from the server There are a few free media server utilities that are available around, but as per our experiences, we find they are either confusing or not too user friendly for a regular user. We chose to opt for a paid version of Twonky Media Server as it is one of the best media servers and easiest to configure. We know that Windows also has a built-in media server that can be configured, but only versions such as Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8 are capable. If you have a lower version of Windows, it will not work and this is where third-party media servers can come in handy. You are free to try out some of the free media servers from the list below. If you have some more options –  tried it, are happy with it and would want to recommend it to others – do leave the names and links in the comments below.

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Posted in: COMPUTERS,HOW-TO

How To: Convert an old Bluetooth headset for wireless streaming

A colleague in our office had an old pair of Bluetooth headphones with a slightly broken and tarnished shell

Acolleague in our office had an old pair of Bluetooth headphones with a slightly broken, tarnished shell and badly worn out ear pads. Fortunately for him, the headset was working perfectly with all functionalities in place. When he approached us to have them fixed, we told him that the shell couldn’t be repaired and that the ear pads were not easily replaceable.  He’d simply have to opt for a new one. Then we thought of an alternative - why not convert the same working Bluetooth headset into an audio module, which can be used with any stereo headphones of his choice?! The Bluetooth module would also have multiple uses, thereafter. For example, he could use them with regular headphones, to connect it to his home theatre and have a wireless Bluetooth audio speaker system, connect it to a car stereo auxiliary input and have a BT hands-free for the car, use it to stream audio from a PC or laptop to an external speaker set, and many other options. The method of hacking into a unit and modifying the circuit was a bit of a task and needed a few hours of thinking - how could we simplify the work? This is what we did, and you can implement the similar idea with your BT headset, if you have a slightly damaged one just lying around. The main ingredients Getting down to the nitty-gritty Firstly, to get to know the whole circuitry, internal parts and its connections, we had to get inside the headset. We started by carefully studying the headset and separating the ear units from the head loop. We had to remove the ear pad foam cushions because the screws to the shell were underneath.  What the innards look like Once open, we separated the shell from the circuitry. Here’s what we found—the right earphone had the main BT module circuit board, along with the control panel buttons over it. Below the circuit board was the right speaker or driver. Four wires were carried along the head loop to the other side which connects to the left speaker, and the main battery was enclosed inside.  What you'll need to get this going Since the speakers would not be required anymore, we cut-off the wires and separated the battery from the left side. We disconnected the head loop and the right speaker. Now we were left with the shell, the button pads, the battery and the main circuit. We had to retain the shell as it helped mount and keep in place the control panel buttons. This part of the shell (the right ear side) was ideal for housing all relevant tech. If the shell were damaged, we would have to hunt for a similar-sized shell or plastic box to mount the whole circuit inside, which would make it more complicated and also a bit unappealing in terms of looks. The battery could be placed comfortably where the speaker was initially housed—this took care of the power section. Next we needed to hunt for space to mount the 3.5-mm female audio jack. This was tricky as it would need drilling and sanding in a few areas. We thought it best to get rid of the power socket and use a USB connector, instead. This would make it even more ideal as the charger could be eliminated completely, and the BT module could now be charged from any USB port or USB wall charger. We placed the USB connector at the edge where the right ear unit was joined to the head loop. We made use of a USB connector hacked from an old pen drive. The power jack was removed and the audio jack took its place. This area needed a little cutting and sanding to accommodate the connector comfortably. Shell was finally re-designed; we now had to tackle the circuit board. Inside the headset shell Carefully checking out the circuit board, we found the necessary connections neatly marked. We de-soldered all the existing wires and made use of some thin flexible wires obtained from an unused IDE HDD cable. We cropped out the necessary wire lengths and kept them ready. Next, we began soldering all the essential components—the audio jack, USB power connector and battery. We gave it a test and found everything was connected properly and working fine.  Test the system Before we finally mounted the circuit onto the now modified shell, we had to disconnect the battery, pass the wires through the shell and then glue the battery down on the other side. We used hot glue, as it is non-conductive and also hardens in a few seconds. Next the audio jack and the USB connector were glued down carefully. Since the built-in microphone was not touched, we did not modify anything in this section. Finally, after all the connectors were glued down and once everything was in place, we glued down the wires to a blank areas on the circuit board. This prevented the wires from getting loose and possibly breaking because the solder joints were quite minute and feeble. Finally, with everything in place, we put the shell together, inserted the screws and then applied some more hot glue to secure it with the USB port. That’s it! Our Bluetooth module was ready for use.  If you intend making one for yourself, you can simply pair it with your Bluetooth-enabled phone, tablet or PC and stream your audio. You’ll just need to connect a pair of standard stereo headphones to enjoy your music. You can also connect it to your home stereo system or your in-car entertainment via the Aux-In to have yourself a BT hands-free kit as well.  Fitting the circuit board and components Note: While disconnecting any wires and replacing them with new ones, note down the polarity and double check it before re-soldering them to avoid damage and other hazards. Use of the soldering iron and the hot glue gun should be done with extreme care. If you do not have any idea about how to handle circuits and/or a soldering iron, we recommend you take the help of a friend or electronics engineer or do not attempt this at all. This workshop is for educational purposes only and we are not responsible for any damage caused, while attempting the same. Do this at your own risk.

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Posted in: BLUETOOTH,HOW-TO

How to - Send and receive SMSes via your Android phone on your PC

While most of us would have moved to Google Talk and other messaging apps such as Whatsapp, most of the people around the world still depend on the

While most of us would have moved to Google Talk and other messaging apps, such as Whatsapp, there might still be many others around who depend on the traditional text messaging service present on every device out there -  SMS. Not all phones support Whatsapp or any of the other fancy apps and many people still don't use data connectivity on their phones. SMSes can be painful if you’re working - you need to turn on the phone, browse through some menus and reply to texts using a tiny keypad or touchscreen. Whatsapp is particularly useful as it pops up notifications, so you can keep your phone aside, on silent without worrying about missing incoming messages and calls.  Now, a new Android app called MightyText is making news. It lets you simply compose and receive and read all your SMSes messages, right off the browser. All you need is an Android mobile phone and Internet connectivity. Remember that this app still uses your mobile connection to send SMSes, so be aware that you’re going to be billed for messages, as per your existing plan. Let’s look at how to get this running. Download the browser extension MightyText as of now, is available on the PC as a browser extension. There’s support for Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Internet Explorer 9. Head over to the Install page on MightyText’s site and install the extension of the browser (or browsers) you use. Once the app is installed, restart the browser.  Install the MightyText Android app Downloading the app and extension for your device The MightyText app as of now, is only available for Android devices. It has support for Android versions 2.2 (Froyo) and above. You can download it from the Google Play store page. You can find it on the app store through your phone. The app is a little more than 300KB in size and hardly takes up any system resources. Authorizing the app and extension Getting the Android app authorized Once you have the app installed on your phone, start it and you’ll be prompted to allow the app to be linked with your Gmail account. You’ll also have to sign in with the extensions installed on the web browser on your PC. Use the same account being used on the Google ID used for the phone. Receiving and sending SMS Composing a message is simple To do this, make sure that your phone is always connected to the Internet. You can use your mobile provider's data connection to do this or even Wi-Fi for that matter. All you need to do is click on the extension icon on your browser. In case of Google Chrome, this icon appears right next to the Settings icon on the top. MightyText will sign in with your Google account and you’ll see a list of messages and contacts to the left of your screen. To send a message, simply click on the Compose New button. Type in the message and if you want to make it an MMS, attach a media file to it. The message will be sent to your phone over the Internet and your phone will then send that message to the recipient.  Enabling contact names and photos Enabling contact names in place of confusing phone numbers Once you have MightyText running, you’ll notice that your existing history of messages will appear in the list to the left of the screen. To be able to see names, you need to sync your Google Contacts list with these numbers. Once you do that, you’ll see names and even a photo of the person. This makes identifying and sending messages much simpler. To do this, click on the Sync with Google Contacts link on the top right of the window.  One of the neat features of MightyText is the ability to get notifications when you receive a call, while you’re working. You can then choose to answer the call on your phone. Just keep in mind that if you’re using a 2G connection for example, your data connection will disconnect when you get a call, so you won’t get a notification of the call after the person on the other end has hung up. It’s advisable to use Wi-Fi or 3G connections if receiving call notifications instantly is important to you.

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Posted in: HOW-TO,SMS

How To: Trigger an application via email in Outlook

Use Outlooks Rules trick to automate your jobs by simply sending an email...

If you have been using Microsoft Outlook at office or at home, you will know that there is an option to assign rules to every email that you send or receive. Each rule can be set to move any email – be it from a person, an email account or with particular texts in the subject or the body – to particular folders automatically. Therefore, every time an email is sent or arrives, the set rules take over and handle the emails accordingly. A few might know that you could also actually use these rules to get some automated work done for you. Let’s take a practical example from our day-to-day life. You are at office and your home PC is set to download some torrents or is presently downloading a large file from an HTTP or FTP server. Now you need to access your PC remotely to shut it down, resume a paused download or maybe stop the seeding of a particular torrent. One option is RDP or using Team Viewer software, which can help you completely. However, if the case is the opposite and your PC is in the office and you are at home, and your office network does not permit the use of RDP or Team viewer, you cannot access the PC at all.  Another example is that of a network admin who has his servers running at office and now he needs to run a backup, synchronise some data to an FTP server, simply shut down the server or start a service. He too can use an RDP or VNC client and take over or schedule some tasks in this case. Here again, what if you need to remotely access the office PC or network? Or, what if you are on a long weekend or a holiday and you do not have a PC and are only left with a mobile phone with a weak or no Internet connection at all? What do you do in such a case? One option is to call someone at home or office (depending on the situation) to get the work done. However, this also involves giving away your access password. Alternatively, in the worst case scenario, what if there's no one at home or office or you forgot to keep the RDP, VNC server or Team Viewer utility running? You would only have to wait until you get back to the PC and physically access it. There is a simple method to save your day and a simple email can come to your rescue.   Head on to the Rules and Alerts section in Outlook If you have been using Microsoft Office on your PC, then you'll definitely find Microsoft Outlook in the bundle. Why not make use of Outlook to do this simple important job for you? All you need to do is set some rules on your Outlook client, and the rule will detect the phrases and do the suitable work it is designed to do.  In this article, we shall show you one example of how to trigger an application on the PC by simply sending an email to a specified email account. All that is necessary is exact defined words in the subject or body text. In our example, we are going to send an email with the subject “Start TeamViewer” and Outlook will start it for us without any questions asked, unless necessary. However, before doing so, you have to pre-configure the application that needs triggering and ensure that Outlook is running in the background.  Select the rule for the emails that arrive Check out what needs to be done. Initially, set up Outlook to receive emails using the POP or IMAP settings. It is recommended that you register yourself with a new Gmail account and configure the POP servers for the email in Outlook. Once Outlook is configured for the new email account, follow the procedure ahead.  Click on “Tools - > Rules and Alerts”. On the new window that pops up, click on the ‘New Rule…” button. A “Rules Wizard” window will pop up. Here you need to set the first criteria – the Template. There are three templates here, of which two are pre designed and one is a manual setup. In the top section, select "Check messages when they arrive" from the section "Start from a blank rule" and click "Next". In the next window, you will find a lot of check boxes with different criterion for the rule. Select "through specified account" and "with specific words in the subject". This selection will make sure the triggering email has come in from a specified email account and has the specific words in the subject line. You can choose many more options such as words in the message body or subject, in senders address, in the header, date span, emails with attachments, and many more—take your pick.  Select the application that needs triggering After you have checked the box(es), you will find the bottom window filling up with lines according to your selection. Each line will have an underlined word(s), which means you have to specify the function for it. In our example, we selected text in the subject body and hence, we have to specify the specific words for it. Click on the "Specific Words" and you will see a new popup where you can add a single or multiple words to the list. After you have finished adding the words, move on by clicking the "Next" button. Here you will need to specify the execution for the trigger. You can choose to let Outlook send, move or delete the email to folders, play a sound, start an application, process more rules or simply display an alert window. In our case, we have selected to start an application. Click on "application" in the bottom window and enter the path to the application you want to run. After you have selected the application, click on "Finish" and return to the rules wizard. Now send a test email to the email account and check if outlook receives the email and automatically starts the application you asked for. Note: Outlook is usually set to send and receive emails automatically after every 30-minute interval. You need to decrease this time to around 5 minutes or lower. To do this, go to "Tools -> Options -> Mail Setup -> Send/Receive" and decrease the scheduling period. This will ensure that your application or function is triggered within 5 minutes, at least. Tip: You can use a mouse and keyboard macro recorder to record your work and play the sequence accordingly if your trigger application needs additional user intervention after being started. "Macro Recorder" is a keyboard and mouse macro recording utility for Windows, which can convert the recorded actions into a single EXE file for execution. This can be used for operating applications such as torrent clients, backup and sync utilities, server services, video chatting utilities etc., where user intervention is required. This process can also be used for starting a video surveillance using your webcam in your absence.

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Posted in: E-MAIL,HOW-TO

How To:- Use a laptop as a Wi-Fi repeate

Learn how you can use any laptop as a Wi-Fi repeater.

Almost all homes and offices today have an Internet connection either via a cable operator, telephone line or USB dongle. Sharing a single Internet connection with all other wireless-enabled devices at home or office requires a wireless router and these are available for as little as Rs. 1,000. But wireless routers are usually stationed at home or office and cannot be carried around because of the power requirements. There are times when you go on a holiday or travel around and need an Internet connection. USB 3G Internet dongles serve the purpose of an Internet connection whilst you are outdoors, but this connection is only available on your laptop or a tablet that has USB internet dongle compatibility. But what if you want your mobile or iPad also connected to the Internet at the same time? The Internet connectivity needs to be shared and a router is the only possibility. In this case, you will share the network connection of your laptop with the other devices and Ad-Hoc connectivity is the only option. But this method again has a limitation and only one device can connect at a single given time. We will show you how to create a temporary router using any laptop or PC within a few minutes. This will save you the cost of a new portable router. Take another scenario where you are at home. You have your broadband connection and a router installed and configured. Your router is beaming out the Internet connection for all the devices you have. You need to chill out in your building premises with friends or monitor your children in the play area, while still using your mobile or tablet on the Internet.  Now, you know that your home router will not be able to beam out the Internet to this distance and it will call for a relocation of the router to the balcony or the main door. But this is not practical and you will need to get yourself a wireless repeater, which will wirelessly relay the home internet to a further distance. This calls for an investment of a wireless repeater and they don’t come cheap. We will show you how to create a wireless repeater using any laptop or PC in less than Rs. 700. Wireless USB adapters for cheap In this How-To, we shall show you how simple it is to convert any regular laptop or PC into a wireless router or repeater using some freely available software. Before you begin, let’s take a look at the requirements. A laptop or PC with Windows XP SP2 or higher operating system A wireless USB adapter Any of the following software: Connectify, MyPublicWiFi or MaryFi An Internet connection (USB 3G dongle, broadband or DSL) To convert any PC or laptop into a router, you will need the computer to have an Ethernet interface, a USB port and a wireless USB adapter or Wi-Fi network card. Laptops usually have all of the above, while desktop PCs will definitely sport the USB and Ethernet interfaces. Some newer desktop PCs have motherboards with wireless networking interfaces. If your PC does not have a wireless interface, then you will have to get a wireless USB adapter; these are available for as cheap as Rs. 700. Any brand will work fine as long as you install the drivers correctly. To convert the PC or laptop into a wireless repeater, you will need two wireless network interfaces. In this mode, one wireless interface works as a client to receive the Internet from a wireless router while the other interface relays the same Internet connection to other devices. Laptops usually have a single wireless network interface and to make a repeater, you will need to install a wireless USB adapter. PCs will have to use two of the USB adapters. Once you are ready with the hardware requirements, it is time to download the software. Download any of the following software from the Internet. These software utilities have the capability of converting a regular PC with an Internet connection into a wireless hotspot as a router or repeater. The software takes the Internet connection from the PC and shares it via the wireless interface, allowing other devices to connect and use the Internet from it. The download links are given below. Connectify : www.connectify.me (Limited free version) MyPublicWiFi : www.mypublicwifi.com (Free) MaryFi : www.maryfi.com (Free) The entire procedure is very simple and will take you just a few minutes to configure and deploy. All you need is to download any of the above software, install it, restart the PC once if required and start the utility. Here is how you can configure each of the three utilities. We shall explain using Connectify as an example; you can also apply the similar methods to the other two utilities. Router mode: Step 1: Click the settings tab Step 2:  Enter the SSID name or Hotspot name for your network. (free version has limited access to using the entire SSID name, while paid version users can specify any name) Step 3:  Enter a desired 8 – digit password for securing the wireless network Step 4:  Select the Internet line you want to share from the list in the “Internet to Share” drop-down list. This will be your Ethernet network or USB dongle / DSL dial-up connection. Step 5:  Expand the “Advanced Settings” tab. Here, choose the wireless interface in the “Share over” drop-down list and choose the security mode for the network in the “Sharing Mode” drop- down list. Paid version users can have the option to set up the firewall and allow or disallow Internet and local network access. Step 6:  Once done, hit the “Start Hotspot” button and your PC/laptop is now a wireless router. Connect your devices to the PC router using the SSID and password you just specified. Connectify Configuration Repeater mode: Step 1: Follow the same steps mentioned above, but just make a small change in the Step: 3where you will need to select the first wireless network interface in the “Internet to Share” drop-down list and the second network interface in the “Share over” drop-down list. Do make sure that your first wireless network interface is already configured to connect to the host router for an Internet connection. MyPublicHotSpot and MaryFi configuration Using the other two utilities is very similar and takes a few seconds to implement. There may be many more similar utilities that can do the same and if you stumble on any of them, do mention it in the comments below for the benefit of other readers. If you are using any of these or other utilities and find out any issues or tweaks to make it function better, please post your comments too.

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Posted in: conection,HOW-TO

MOBILE - Nokia's next Lumia handset to have an aluminium body

Nokia may introduce a fresh line of Lumia smartphones this year, and is said to be planning to encase one of the high-end models— codenamed 'Catwalk'—in an aluminium body, according to a report by The Verge. If this is true, the Catwalk would be thinner and lighter than the Nokia Lumia 920, which is enclosed in a polycarbonate unibody shell.

The new phone, according to The Verge is designed to be the successor to the Lumia 920. "The phone itself will be a replacement to the company's existing Windows Phone 8 flagship and will boast of similar internal hardware specifications," the report reads. Nokia will also debut two other Lumia handsets as part of its new line-up for this year. 

Nokia Lumia Catwalk to succeed the Lumia 920

The Lumia 920 is being called Nokia's big ticket item, which the company hopes will finally turn its fortunes around and Nokia seems to have left no stone unturned to this end. While the Windows Phone 8 store is steadily growing, Nokia has made sure that it delivers the best it can from the hardware standpoint, as the software gradually matures over time.

For the Lumia 920, Nokia hasn’t deviated too much from the first-gen Lumias. The basic form factor remains pretty much the same: the 920 is carved out of a single block of polycarbonate. This unibody approach makes it durable as there are low chances of anything snapping off if it falls. It is extremely well-built and sturdy in your hands, albeit a bit chunky. This extra bit of heft could be attributed to the image stabilisation used in the camera, so we guess there was no avoiding it. At 185g, it’s very much manageable in your hands, although it might get uncomfortable in your pocket. The size is not a big deal either.

The 4.5-inch IPS display is nothing short of amazing. Due to the high pixel per inch count (332ppi), the display is ‘Retina-grade’ and images and text look sharp and vivid. The touch sensors are more sensitive than usual, so even the lightest of gestures are easily picked up. 

The phone is powered by a 1.5GHz Qualcomm SoC (MSM8960), which doesn’t do much for the UI, but helps in image and video processing. The interface is smooth for the most part, but the stutter bug will occasionally pay you a visit. The 920 does not have expandable storage, so you’ll have to make do with the 32GB on board memory.

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Posted in: MOBILE - NOKIA

MOBILE - SAMSUNG-Galaxy SIV could be launched in May 2013: Samsung Lebanon

According to a post by Samsung Lebanon on Facebook, the next smartphone in Samsung's Galaxy S series—the Galaxy SIV—could be launched in May 2013. Replying to a query about the launch date of the smartphone, Samsung Lebanon wrote that the smartphone will not be launched before May 2013. However, since almost all the devices in the Galaxy S line have been launched around the April - June period, we expect the SIV to be announced some time in May.

It is very likely that the company will want to emulate the success of the Galaxy SIII, which was launched in May last year. All everyone is waiting for now is the announcement of the phone. But thanks to the success of the SIII and the Note II, it may be quite some time before the company makes an announcement. While rumours point towards an announcement during CES, it is far more likely that the announcement will come at a later date, as Samsung seems to be focusing on showcasing displays at the event.

The SIV may see a release in May

Rumours are all over the place about what the next phone by Samsung will be like, and one of these suggests that the device will have an unbreakable screen. The South Korean giant has been a popular name in the development of displays. Mark Newman, an analyst with Stanford Bernstein, even stated that Samsung will eventually go for unbreakable and flexible displays."Either the Galaxy S IV or S V will have unbreakable and even possibly flexible and foldable displays by 2014. That's going to be a game-changer."

UBS analyst Nicolas Gaudois stated, "Looking to the first half of 2013, we see evidence of Samsung likely accelerating the release of the Galaxy S IV - compared with May (this year) for the Galaxy S III. We believe preparations for volume manufacturing of unbreakable plastic substrate displays continue. All in all, we could see a strong products push in the high-end in the first half, followed by other releases."

Interestingly, reports also indicate that the Galaxy S IV will probably have a bigger and better display, quad-core processing power and a 13-megapixel camera, with picture density improving to 441 pixels per inch (ppi), which is a big improvement over the Galaxy S III's 306 ppi and is better than the iPhone 5's 326 ppi.

For Samsung to use a 13 megapixel camera on its upcoming smartphone, the handset would require more processing power as well as extra RAM, presumably 2GB. If Samsung does use this camera on its smartphone, then one would be able to capture images at a resolution of 4208 x 3120 pixels.

Apart from the one about the camera, the other rumour linked to this handset is that it will feature a 2.0GHz quad-core Exynos 5450 processor. It is reported that this chipset will be faster than the one used on the Nexus 10 tablet that was recently introduced by Google; it will be made on a 28nm process.

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Posted in: MOBILE - SAMSUNG