Micromax to launch A240 with 5.7-inch HD display soon 

Micromax will introduce its next flagship smartphone very soon, according to sources with information on the matter. The new smartphone will be dubbed as A240 and sport a 5.7-inch 720p HD display, the sources told us. While the exact launch date is unclear at this moment, we are expecting an announcement as early as next week.

With such a giant display on-board, Micromax A240 will be competing with Samsung’s Galaxy Mega 5.8. The smartphone will be powered by 1.2GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6589 processor and come with Android 4.2 and 12MP rear camera with LED flash.

According to sources, A240 will also pack 5MP front camera, dual-SIM support, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage and 2,600 mAh battery.

In terms of the software customisations, the phone is expected to include all tweaks that were made available as a part of A210 Canvas 4 including support for vertical panorama in camera app, video pinning to home-screen support, Flip to mute, and Smart Pause.

Pricing: Micromax A240 will most likely carry a price-tag around INR 18,000 similar to Canvas 4 launch price.

LG rolls out Quickwindow cases for G2 ahead of official launch

LG has already confirmed that its upcoming flagship smartphone, G2 will be launched at an event on August 7 in New York.

It seems the South Korean handset giant is prepping the market for the launch of G2 as it has unveiled a series colourful QuickWindow cases for its flagship offering ahead of official launch.

The all new line of premium cases for the LG G2 will be available at the same time as the smartphone. The cases will be available in seven different colours that include Black, White, Pink, Purple, Blue, Mint and Yellow.

Commenting on the launch on the cases for the LG G2, Dr. Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company said, "LG's newest premium accessory delivers practical and stylish options while protecting the smartphone, which for many consumers is a significant investment. Our smartphone designers have in mind the type of case they'd like to see on their designs. So it made a lot of sense for LG designers to share with our customers their vision of the perfect accessory."

The opening or 'window' on the cover of QuickWindow cases allows users to glance information like clock, weather report, alarm, music player, incoming phone call details and incoming text messages displayed without having to open the cover flap.

Sony India launches Android smartphone Xperia Z Ultra priced at Rs 46,990

Sony India on Tuesday launched its latest premium large-screen Android smartphone – 

Sony Xperia Z Ultra - in India, priced at Rs 46,990.

The 6.4-inch waterproof and dust-resistant smartphone goes on sale in the country from August 2.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra, which weighs only 212 gms, is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad core 2.2 GHz processor.

The phone has 2GB RAM 

and 16 GB in-built memory which is expandable to 64 GB.

The smartphone is available in three colours – black, white and purple.

Sony has tied up with Vodafone to offer 8GB free data download for the first two months of product purchase.

How to Get Windows 8.1 on Your PC Now

It's no secret that Windows 8 has met with only a lukewarm reception, but life in the tech world moves quickly, and now Windows 8.1 is on the way.

If you've installed Windows 8, it's worth downloading the recently released free preview version of Windows 8.1. By doing so, you will be able to take advantage of the updated OS's personalization and services improvements. The final build will be out later this year.

Curious Windows 7 users can also check out 8.1 by creating and installing an ISO file from the Microsoft website. I've written about ISO-creating concepts before.

Windows 8 users update to Windows 8.1 through the Windows Store. Here's how to go about it if you've already got Windows 8 installed.

STEP 1:

Verify that you have a recovery partition on your hard drive. Access the Command Prompt from the Windows 8 Search charm by entering the term Command. Right click on the result and choose Run as Administrator from the options.

Confirm at the prompts, and then enter the term "recimg /showcurrent" at the Command Prompt to identify if there is a recovery image present.

STEP 2:

Create a recovery image if, in the previous step, a "no active recovery image" error appears.

Create the image by creating a folder called Refreshimage at the Command Prompt and then entering "recimg -createimage c:\refreshimage" and Enter.

Tip: The create folder command is "mkdir c:\refresiimage" and then Enter.

STEP 3:

Create a USB recovery drive. This will allow you to revert back to your previous install from external media if you need to.

Enter the term Recovery in the Search charm and touch or click Settings. Then choose Create a Recovery Drive and the tool will open.

Choose Copy the Recovery Partition from the PC to the Recovery Drive checkbox and choose Next. Then insert a USB drive, choose it from the options presented and touch or click Next followed by Create. Allow the file transfer to take place and then choose Finish. Then remove and store the flash drive.

STEP 4:

Browse to the Windows 8.1 Preview Web page and choose the Get It Now button. Then follow the prompts to open the file and allow the install to take place.

Tip: Back up your personal data before updating any operating system. An update to Windows 8.1 from Windows 8 should retain Windows settings, personal files and most apps.

STEP 5:

Restart the PC when prompted, and then open the Store by touching or clicking on the Store tile. Then choose the Update Windows tile or any Update Windows prompt.

STEP 6:

Select Download and allow the download to proceed. Follow the prompts to restart and allow the setup to proceed. Follow the prompts to set up the account, including entering a security code that can be sent by email when prompted.

STEP 7:

Explore the new features, which include navigation arrows where there was previously white space, and other navigation tools, like a Windows icon for flipping between classic desktop and Windows 8 Start page.

Tip: You'll need your Windows 8 product key when you update to the final edition of Windows 8.1 later this year.

Apps that know what you want, before you do 

In Hollywood, there are umbrella holders. Outside corner offices, there are people who know exactly how much cream to pour in the boss's coffee. And then there is Silicon Valley, where mind-reading personal assistants come in the form of a cellphone app.

A range of start-ups and big companies like Google are working on what is known as predictive search — new tools that act as robotic personal assistants, anticipating what you need before you ask for it. Glance at your phone in the morning, for instance, and see an alert that you need to leave early for your next meeting because of traffic, even though you never told your phone you had a meeting, or where it was.

The technology is the latest development in web search, and one of the first that is tailored to mobile devices. It does not even require people to enter a search query. Your context — location, time of day and digital activity — is the query, say the engineers who build these services.

Many software programmers have dreamed of building a tool like this for years. The technology is emerging now because people are desperate for ways to deal with the inundation of digital information, and because much of it is stored in the cloud where apps can easily access it.

The goal is to move beyond logistical help to sending you anything you might need to know.

MediaTek Intros First ARM 'big.LITTLE' Chip for Tablets  

MediaTek on Monday introduced a new quad-core, ARM-based System-on-a-Chip (SoC) for tablets featuring ARM's big.LITTLE processing subsystem for heterogeneous multi-processing.

The MT8135 SoC, targeted at high-end slates, includes a pair of ARM Cortex A15 central processor cores and two ultra-low power ARM Cortex A7 CPU cores, as well as a Power VR Series6 graphics processor from Imagination Technologies. The MT8135 

is the first to use the big.LITTLE architecture in a mobile SoC, according to MediaTek.

"At MediaTek, our goal is to enable each user to take maximum advantage of his or her mobile device. The implementation and availability of the MT8135 brings an enjoyable multitasking experience to life without requiring users to sacrifice on quality or energy," Joe Chen, general manager of MediaTek's Home Entertainment Business Unit, said in a statement.

MediaTek's own advanced scheduler algorithm and adaptive thermal and interactive power management for the new SoC "enables application software to access all of the processors in the big.LITTLE cluster simultaneously for a true heterogeneous experience," according to the fabless semiconductor firm.

"This includes the ability to seamlessly engage in a range of processor-intensive applications, including heavy Web-downloading, hardcore gaming, high-quality video viewing, and rigorous multitasking—all while maintaining the utmost power efficiency," Chen said.

The new SoC sports a "four-in-one connectivity combination" in the MT8135 package, which includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, and FM. The chip also supports Wi-Fi-certified Miracast for content sharing between devices.

"ARM big.LITTLE technology reduces processor energy consumption by up to 70 percent on common workloads, which is critical in the drive towards all-day battery life for mobile platforms. We are pleased to see MediaTek's MT8135 seizing on the opportunity offered by the big.LITTLE architecture to enable new services on a heterogeneous processing platform," Noel Hurley, vice president of strategy and marketing for ARM's Processor Division, said in a statement.

Imagination's latest graphics processor will help the MT8135 "deliver five times or more the GPU compute performance of the previous generation of tablet processors," said Imagination executive vice president of marketing Tony King-Smith.

"We are proud to have partnered with MediaTek on their latest generation of tablet SoCs. PowerVR Series6 GPUs build on Imagination's success in mobile and embedded markets to deliver the industry's highest performance and efficient solutions for graphics-and-compute GPUs," King-Smith said.

"MediaTek is a key lead partner for Imagination and its PowerVR Series6 GPU cores, so we expect the MT8135 to set an important benchmark for high-end gaming, smooth UIs, and advanced browser-based, graphics-rich applications in smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices."