Sunday 29 January 2012

Samsung readies 2GHz Exynos 5250 SoC for tablets, smartphones


Afew months back, we talked about the Exynos SoC by Samsung and it being one of the fastest pieces of hardware for tablets and smartphones. The time has come for it to be ready for production. Sammy Hub is reporting that Samsung has made it official that the Exynos 5250 SoC would go into production in the second quarter of 2012. Samsung made this announcement at the recent earnings call. The new SoC is now ready for sampling, which means other manufacturers interested in using this SoC could approach Samsung.
More power per core
Pushing to the limit


Samsung’s initial aim is to implement this SoC into tablets and smartphones would follow, later. The interesting feature about the Exynos 5250 is that it uses two Cortex A15 processors clocked at 2GHz. With this kind of firepower, it can easily handle a a 2560x1600 resolution display. In terms of graphics performance, it’s supposedly some four times more powerful than Cortex A9. Of course, there’s no phone or tablet that’s expected to come built with a display supporting 2560x1600, but he possibilities for this kind of SoC are endless. It could end up in a high-definition TV and a media player device amongst others. 

This kind of advancement also benefits Samsung in many ways. With a strong smartphone and tablet business, this kind of performance boost should help them take the competition to the upcoming Apple iPad 3 tablet. So far, Apple has depended on Samsung for their processors. The upcoming Apple iPad 3’s A6 processor will most likely not be manufactured by Samsung, but instead by TSMC. There are already rumours that the iPad 3 would be out sometime in early February and the next iPhone 5 to be shown off at WWDC later in the year. The iPad 3 is rumoured to have a quad-core processor. Any tablets based on Samsung’s new hardware would most likely only hit markets in Q3 of 2012 and phones, maybe later.

Gmail Logo Was a Rush Job With Two Totally Different Fonts


You might see it every day but have you ever really looked at it?
We've probably all left things to the last second, only to rush out a solution to whatever task we had been assigned with varying degrees of success. However, it might surprise you that the Gmail logo is the perfect example of how leaving things to the last minute doesn't have to mean a sloppy, terrible result. In fact, sometimes the rushed solution is good enough to last forever. You were likely also oblivious to the fact that the logo contains two completely different fonts.
The Verge reports that Google Product Designer Kevin Fox recently took to Quora to answer the question, "Who designed the Google logo?" His response revealed the two facts above, along with the fact that the logo was designed by Dennis Hwang, who at the time was doing almost all of the Google Doodles, as well as a fair amount of logos.
"The logo was designed literally the night before the product launched. We were up very late and Sergey and I went down to his cube to watch him make it," he said. "The initial version used the same font as the Google logo (Catull), but Catull has a very awkward 'a', so Dennis decided to use Catull for the 'G' to tie the brand to Google, then cast the others in a cleaner sans-serif (Myriad Pro, if I recall correctly)."

App of the Week: Chocolatey 0.9.8


If you use Linux you will know how much easier and how much more convenient it is to handle software on it. If you ever wished that there was some way to make Windows behave the same way, Chocolatey might just make your wish come true.
If you haven't used Linux, here's a comparison. In Windows, each application comes with an installer that copies the application's files to the right places, and sets up the application's settings. Every installer looks different, asks for different things and so does the uninstaller. Each application you install needs to be searched for online, downloaded and then installed. Each application has its own update mechanism, one that usually runs in the background taking up precious resources.
On Linux this is all centralized and managed by the OS. Most Linux distributions come configured with the locations of software repositories, which are servers that hosts a large number of applications neatly categorized. You can search in these repositories for the software you need using command line or GUI tools provided with the OS. Software can be installed directly from these repositories in just a few steps; a click or two in a graphical tool, or a command in the CLI. Updating is as simple, and managed centrally for all apps on the system. On openSUSE for example, you can search for applications as zypper search firefox, you can install software aszypper install firefox and update as zypper update firefox or use the graphical tools to the same effect. Chocolatey brings this experience to Windows.
Chocolatey uses Windows PowerShell to install applications directly from the net. You want to install Node JS? Simple, just open your command line and type chocolatey install nodejs or the short form cinst nodejs and it will automatically be downloaded, and installed on your computer.
Chocolatey also keeps track of dependencies. For example, a DTP software might need a few fonts installed. So if one software package needs another to be installed, Chocolatey will install them both in the right order.
It is also possible to list the software available. Looking for a pdf tool, just search for it usingclist pdf, this will list a number of tools and libraries that deal with pdf files. Or you can browse the list of packages online, and then install them via the command line specified.
Keeping software updated can be even easier. The command cup is used to update software packages installed via Chocolatey. You can either provide a single package to update, as cup nodejs or you can even have all your packages update at once by running cup all. Chocolatey can even update itself this way.
Right now the number of packages available is quite limited, however over time the collection will improve and increase. It already offers a number of useful tools for developers, such as msysgit, Ruby, Python, Node JS, PuTTY, Vim in addition to popular packages such as VLC, Paint.NET, and Skype.

Android gains ground on iPad in tablet market

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When it comes to selling tablets, Apple is still the boss, but sales of Android-powered devices edged upward during the fourth quarter of 2011, according to new data from Strategy Analytics.
Apple shipped 15 million iPads worldwide during the fourth quarter, garnering Cupertino 58 percent share of the tablet market. But while Apple still holds the top spot, its share dropped 10 percentage points since the fourth quarter of 2010, according to Strategy Analytics.
Android, meanwhile, picked up steam, capturing 39 percent share of the tablet market during the quarter, up from 29 percent a year earlier. Shipments of Android tablets tripled to 10.5 million units during the fourth quarter of 2011, up from just 3.1 million a year earlier.
"Dozens of Android models distributed across multiple countries by numerous brands such as Amazon, Samsung, Asus and others have been driving volumes," Neil Mawston, executive director at Strategy Analytics, said in a statement. "Android is so far proving relatively popular with tablet manufacturers despite nagging concerns about fragmentation of Android's operating system, user-interface and app store ecosystem."
A total of 27 million tablet devices were shipped globally during the fourth quarter, an all-time-high and a 150 percent increase from 11 million shipped during the same period a year earlier. During 2011 overall, tablet shipments rose 260 percent to 67 million from 19 million in 2010.
"Demand for tablets among consumer, business and education users remains strong," Peter King, director at Strategy Analytics, said in a statement. Microsoft, meanwhile, captured 1 percent of tablet share during the quarter.
PCMag's mobile analyst, Sascha Segan, however, was quick to point out that Android's global gains probably have a lot to do with the proliferation of cheap Android tablets throughout China.

Motorola's Droid 4 Will Cost $199.99 Subsidized?


A new minimum advertised price list shows the Motorola Droid 4 with a lower price tag than what was previously reported earlier this month.
ZoomDroid Life has supposedly acquired the latest minimum advertised price (MAP) list from Verizon which now lists the upcoming Motorola Droid 4 as $199.99 USD with a 2-year contract. During CES 2012 earlier this month, the phone was reported to cost consumers a heftier $249.99 USD subsidized. Guess Verizon heard Jane's complaint over the "sweet spot" pricing.
As of Thursday, a number of Verizon phones also took a beatdown in price including the Droid Bionic with a new $149.99 tag, down from $199.99, and both the black and white versions of the 32 GB Droid Razr sporting a not-too-friendly (but better than $299.99) $279.99 tag. Unfortunately, that looks to be the only phones to get a tasty little reduction courtesy of Verizon.
Consumers waiting for the next Motorola Droid (vanilla) model will be in for a treat. The device will pack a roomy 5-row keyboard while measuring just half an inch thick. Under the 4-inch qHD TFT display will be a 1.2 GHz dual-core OMAP 4430 SoC from Texas Instruments, 1 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal storage, and support for up to 32 GB of extra storage via microSD.
The Droid 4 will also be stuffed with an 8MP rear-facing camera with 1080p HD video capture, 4G LTE, a 1785 mAh battery, hotspot capabilities, and Android 2.3.5 "Honeycomb," with a 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich" update on the way. The display will be protected by scratch and scrape resistant glass, and the phone itself will feature a water-repellent nanocoating for splash resistance.
Ultimately whether it's $249.99 or $299.99, the phone seems to be worth every subsidized penny. Unfortunately, Verizon would not confirm the price or provide an actual release date.

Casio's Super-tough G-Shock Smartphone Looks Indestructible


A smartphone for the clumsy.
Casio's G-Shock watches have been around for almost 30 years. Designed to withstand knocks, bumps, and water, the tough watches are instantly recognizable. However, did you know that there's also a G-Shock phone?
Designed by, you guessed it, our good friends at Casio, the G-Shock watch is a smartphone for users that often find themselves in rough-and-tumble situations. Rather similar to the G-Shock watch as far as aesthetics are concerned, the G-Shock phone features a rubberized bumper around the edges, and is able to survive a 10-foot drop. What's more, it's water-resistant up to 10 meters and can take a full ton of weight. That's one tough phone!
Not much else is known about the device, other than it runs on Android, which is clear from the photos. It was on display at Casio's booth at CES, but it's not clear if this is just a concept, or a real phone that the company plans to launch at some point in the near future. Still, we would love to take one for a test drive. And by test drive, we mean we'd like to test drive a truck over the phone.

Saturday 28 January 2012

Trend Micro Securing SCADA Environments


New Delhi, 24 January, 2012: Trend Micro, Inc. (TYO: 4704TSE: 4704) a global cloud security leader and long-time innovator in mobile security, today announced  that last week, the software used in SCADA environments came under renewed scrutiny, as attack code exploiting dozens of serious vulnerabilities in widely used programs, was published.

Programs sold by Siemens, Iconics, 7-Technologies, Datac, and Control Microsystems were apparently affected. In some cases, the flaws may be used to remotely execute code when the so-called supervisory control and data acquisition software is installed on machines connected to the internet. Two separate organizations released the code.  The published information includes proof-of-concept exploit code for at least 34 vulnerabilities in widely used SCADA programs.
SCADA actually refers to any control system, so covers everything from Nuclear Power Plants, to the machine that sews a logo into a pair of trainers! If breached, it may pose a threat to national security, or perhaps just affect a manufacturing line. Protection for SCADA Networks needs to reflect the actual setting in which it is used.
SCADA networks span a set of industries which have traditionally enjoyed relative segmentation because process control software was closed & proprietary, and not connected to the global Internet. 
In recent times, this situation has changed.  These industries (e.g. manufacturing, oil & gas, water processing, etc.) are now using off-the-shelf software platforms (e.g. MS Windows) and management platforms designed & created by specific vendors (e.g. Siemens, Johnson Controls, etc.). 
Additionally, new hardware designed for these environments often now includes ports such as Ethernet and in some cases the devices are even wireless equipped. This is ideal for business optimization strategies, and large installations.  However, serious consideration needs to be given before activating or enabling such accessibility in critical environments.
It’s worth remembering that attackers most often target common platforms. It’s essential to protect the platform but in SCADA environments it is often difficult or impossible to patch them - as they may be legacy programs (eg. Windows 2000) or no patch is available anymore.
Policy and Process Advice to Help Secure SCADA Environments:
Build an Air-Gap between the networks – Deep consideration should be given as to the absolute necessity of connecting Critical Infrastructure to other networks or the Internet. The safest way to ensure critical infrastructure is secure is to ensure there is a physical gap between the networks. 
Ensure best practice security is followed – Such as disabling USB and other access, and ensuring proper physical security mechanisms is a must.
Treat every SCADA environment as unique – SCADA spans multiple industries – some relate to critical infrastructure, others to manufacturing. Recognition of this individual environment is essential when planning and implementing security for the network.
Solution and Technology Recommendations from Trend Micro:
More often than not, owing to the way in which SCADA networks are implemented and used, traditional security measures, such as antivirus, cannot be implemented on a device or to a system.  Trend Micro’s technology offers multiple other choices, a few of which are covered below.
Deep Security supports a wide array of operating systems along with its extremely compact memory requirements allow it to protect and shield specialized SCADA systems that cannot support conventional endpoint security.
·         Deep Packet Inspection - Examines all incoming and outgoing traffic for protocol deviations, policy violations, or content that signals an attack.
·         Intrusion Detection and Prevention - Protects against known and zero-day attacks by shielding known vulnerabilities from unlimited exploits
Automatically shields newly discovered vulnerabilities within hours, pushing protection to thousands of servers in minutes without a system reboot
Threat Management Services provides network traffic inspection that can detect malware infiltration of any device of system. If malware activity emanating from a SCADA system is detected, Threat Management Services alerts the security staff to take appropriate action.

About Trend Micro
Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704) a global cloud security leader, creates a world safe for exchanging digital information with its Internet content security and threat management solutions for businesses and consumers.  A pioneer in server security with over 20 years’ experience, we deliver top-ranked client, server and cloud-based security that fits our customers’ and partners’ needs, stops new threats faster, and protects data in physical, virtualized and cloud environments. Powered by the industry-leading Trend Micro™ Smart Protection Network™ cloud computing security infrastructure, our products and services stop threats where they emerge – from the Internet. They are supported by 1,000+ threat intelligence experts around the globe. 
Additional information about Trend Micro Incorporated and the products and services are available at Trend Micro.com This Trend Micro news release and other announcements are available at http://trendmicro.mediaroom.com/  and as part of an RSS feed at www.trendmicro.com/rss   Or follow our news on Twitter at @TrendMicro.

Nvidia Announces CUDA 4.1 with LLVM Compile


Nvidia just released CUDA 4.1 Toolkit, which integrates, for the first time, the company's LLVM (Low Level Virtual Machine) compiler.
ZoomAccording to Nvidia, CUDA-based apps will gain about 10 percent performance as a result.
CUDA 4.1 also includes more than 1,000 new imaging and signal processing functions in the Performance Primitives (NPP) library, which now covers more than 3,200 functions in total. Nvidia claims that the NPP delivers 40 percent greater performance than Intel's IPP.
The Visual Profiler has been redesigned and now offers an automated expert system to give that provides step-by-step instructions to fine-tune CUDA code. Additionally, the new CUDA toolkit integrates version 2.1 of Parallel Nsight, a collection GPU developer tools for Visual Studio.
CUDA 4.1 can be downloaded from Nvidia's website.

Netbooks With Built-In Kinect Already on the Way?


Two netbook prototypes with built-in Kinect sensors have been spotted, supposedly created by Asus and approved by Microsoft.
ZoomThe Daily claims to have seen two Windows 8 netbook prototypes with a Kinect sensor mounted in the chassis, built by Asus and sanctioned by Microsoft. Given that the Redmond company officially announced Kinect for Windows earlier this month during CES 2012, the news shouldn't be a surprise. But so far both companies have yet to announce anything backing up the report.
According to The Daily, the prototype netbooks featured an array of small sensors stretching across the top of the screen where a webcam typically resides. Mounted along the bottom of the screen was what appeared to be a string of LEDs. The report also noted that an unnamed source at Microsoft confirmed that the two prototypes were indeed official. Unfortunately, the rest of the story is mere speculation, providing little else of the actual hardware details.
As reported during CES 2012, Microsoft plans to release the Kinect for Windows SDK to developers on February 1. This means the Kinect drivers and APIs will be available to both commercial software developers and the general public. The company said that it's currently working with more than 200 companies to build applications for Windows that take advantage of Kinect's technology.
"We are building the Kinect for Windows platform in a way that will allow other companies to integrate Kinect into their offerings and we have invested in an approach that allows them to develop in ways that are dependable and scalable," said Craig Eisler, General Manager, Kinect for Windows.
Suddenly a netbook with a built-in Kinect sensor doesn't seem quite so far-fetched after all.
Depending on the price per unit, using a Kinect sensor may be cheaper than installing a touchscreen when building an "interactive" netbook or notebook. Gaming would seem out of the question given the compact nature of the notebook/netbook form factor, but waving through various windows or activating applications via voice would seemingly be ideal. As Microsoft indicated earlier this month, the possibilities are seemingly endless.
"We are excited for the new possibilities that Kinect will enable on the Windows platform, and to see how businesses and developers reimagine their processes and their products, and the many different ways each Kinect could enrich lives and make using technology more natural for everyone," Eisler said.

Google kills Menu button, brings action bar on the fore


As Ice Cream Sandwich begins rolling to more devices, you will not find the Menu button on Android devices anymore. Honeycomb 3.0 had reduced users’ reliance on physical buttons and now Google has decided to kill the Menu button and get its ‘action bar’ on the forefront. Now, action bar isn’t something new and was there, even before Honeycomb.
Menu out, action bar in
Menu out, action bar in


The Android developers’ blog states, “You might worry that it’s too much work to begin using the action bar, because you need to support versions of Android older than Honeycomb. However, it’s quite simple for most apps because you can continue to support the Menu button on pre-Honeycomb devices, but also provide the action bar on newer devices with only a few lines of code changes.” In the blog post, Google also tells its Android developers to start using the action bar, which is a dedicated space to the application and actions that users can perform. The app is recognized and gives it users several actions to choose from.

It tells developers that apps should stop relying on the hardware Menu button, and they should also stop thinking about activities using a menu button. The activities should provide buttons for important user actions directly in the action bar (or elsewhere on screen). Those that can’t fit in the action bar will end up in the action overflow. Basically, those actions, which don’t need to be on the screen can overflow off the screen. The action overflow is a three dotted icon found on the extreme right. Users can reveal the overflow and other options by touching an overflow button that appears alongside the on-screen action buttons.

So, even if an app supports older Android versions, it won’t display the Menu button for versions Honeycomb 3.0 and beyond. Those with apps developed for Android 2.3 and lower, and when running on the Honeycomb tablet of Google Nexus will see that the system adds the action overflow button besides the system navigation.

LG Going Into OLED TV Production in July


Despite another quarterly loss, LG Display is pushing forward with the 55-inch OLED TV, going into limited production in July.
LG Display said on Friday that the company plans to start production of its 55-inch OLED TV (55EM960V) sometime in July. The news arrived during the company's 4Q12 report which revealed an operating loss of 144.8 billion won ($129.3 million), its fifth consecutive quarterly loss.
Yet despite the loss, LG's numbers seem to be improving. The company saw a 492 billion won loss in the previous quarter and a 387 billion won loss a year ago. LG is a key panel supplier of Apple's iPad and iPhone as well as Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet, all three of which helped boost sales during the 2011 holiday season.
But given that LCD demand will remain subdued from now until at least March due to a weak global economy and low seasonal demand, the total shipments for the first quarter of 2012 will be similar to the fourth quarter of 2011. Prices are expected to remain stable, said James Jeong, Chief Financial Officer of LG Display.
"Going forward, LG Display is confident about its ability to maintain its leadership with a host of differentiated products in the global display sector even in a rapidly changing market and well positioned to achieve an early turnaround," Jeong said.
LG will reportedly invest 4 trillion won (around $3.5 billion) this year into the OLED technology. Once production of the 55-inch OLED TV begins in July, LG expects to initially produce a conservative 8,000 substrates (8G) per month -- or around 48,000 OLED TV panels. Plans for a large-scale 2013 production won't be made until 3Q12 after the company evaluates consumer acceptance and feedback.
LG's 55-inch OLED TV made its debut earlier this month at CES 2012, sporting passive 3D and a Full HD resolution. It weighed around 16 pounds and had a thickness of less than 4-mm. LG said that it was based on its Oxide TFT (which replaces Amorphous Silicon with a cheaper Oxide) White-OLED (WOLED) panel with color filters (RGBW).
The 55-inch OLED TV is expected to cost around $8,000 USD initially, and then drop down to around $4,000 USD in 2013.

iPhone 5 Rumor Tips 4-Inch Screen, New Form Factor

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The holidays are over, CES has concluded, and Apple has revealed its blockbuster earnings. What's next? Why, the latest iPhone rumor, of course. The iPhone 4S is barely in users' hands, but there are already reports of the fabled iPhone 5 finally becoming a reality.
According to 9to5Mac, "reliable sources" at Foxconn tell the blog that workers are gearing up to start production on the iPhone 5. At this point, however, there are several models floating around, so it remains to be seen what the final version will entail, but they all include a few similar features.
Screen size, for example, has been bumped up from 3.5 inches to 4+ inches, 9to5Mac said, and LG is making at least one of those screens. The form factor differs from the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, but do not include the rumored teardrop shape.
9to5Mac speculated that the timing on the iPhone production suggests that Apple will return to its previous early summer iPhone launch schedule. The iPhone 4S made its debut in October; production didn't start until the spring.
During an earnings call yesterday, Apple said it sold 37.04 million iPhones during the fourth quarter, and CEO Tim Cook said the 4S was the most popular version.
The Apple chief said people are still buying its new smartphone. "Customers are absolutely loving this product," Cook said of the iPhone 4S. "We made a very bold bet entering the quarter as to what the demand would be. And as it turns out, despite it being a very bold bet, we were short of supply throughout the quarter and did end with a significant backlog." "That situation has improved some since the end of the quarter, but we still are short in some key geographies currently," he concluded.

Valve's Steam Service Comes to iOS, Android

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Valve Software's Steam service took the first steps into the mobile world on Thursday with the release of apps for Apple's iOS and Google's Android.
Foe now, the apps on the Android Market and the iTunes Store don't allow users to play games. Instead, users can "participate in the Steam community wherever you go. Chat with your Steam friends, browse community groups and user profiles, read the latest gaming news and stay up to date on unbeatable Steam sales," according to the iTunes description.
To date, Steam has remained a PC application, serving as a digital distribution service for Valve games as well as third-party titles, both independent as well as major publishers.
The apps appear to allow users to participate in Steam's social media services outside of games, thanks to a Friends list with text chat and support for Clans (groups of players). As of now, the Steam application seems to be a stepping-stone into the games world, similar to the way in which the OnLive Viewer app allowed users to communicate, but not actually play games. OnLive allows users to spectate, however, which the Steam app does not.
Bungie, Microsoft, and Activision have also published similar mobile apps, according toGamespot.
Will Steam eventually offer mobile games? It seems likely, given that the Android Market and Amazon's own AppStore already provide similar functionality, including the ability to download and update games across a variety of mobile devices. Both platforms lack a community, however, unless you count the number of reviewers who rate the application.

Bill Gates: This Is How Steve Jobs Inspired Me


Bill Gates talks about his final conversation with the late Steve Jobs, and the creative void the former Apple founder left behind.
ZoomThe death of Steve Jobs has inspired Bill Gates to push on with his philanthropic work, reminding him that we only have a limited amount of time on the earth. He made this revelation during aninterview with Bill Weir on Nightline where he talked about his last visit to Jobs' home in the weeks before the Apple founder's death.
"He and I always enjoyed talking," Gates revealed. "He would throw some things out, you know, some stimulating things. We'd talk about the other companies that have come along. We talked about our families and how lucky we'd both been in terms of the women we married. It was great relaxed conversation."
The loss has certainly affected him -- just in his words he describes a void where Steve Job had once filled. While the two weren't always on the best of terms over the years, there was a dose of admiration from both sides, an admiration for what they've accomplished. They essentially changed the world with the likes of Windows and iPhone on two separate fronts.
"Steve had a very different set of skills than I did," he admitted. "He was every bit as intense, believed in revolutionary ways of using computers. But not in an engineer approach, [but rather] a design approach, and that had huge strengths, particularly the last episode where he ran Apple. He was able to do incredible work."
"It's very strange to have somebody who's so vibrant and made such a huge difference, a constant presence, to have him die," Gates said on Steve Jobs' passing. "It's a huge milestone, very sad not to have his talents helping out. Very sad for his kids who I've gotten to know a little bit. Great, great kids."
"It makes you feel like, wow, we're getting old," he added. "You look back and think about the great opportunities we had to have a big impact."

Nokia leads dual-SIM mobile phone market in India: Report

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Finnish mobile phone maker Nokia is making a comeback in the low-end segment in India after taking a beating from the local brands. The recent rupee depreciation compelled the Indian phone brands to hike the price of low-end models, thereby losing the market grip. Nokia not only made a comeback in the low-end segment but has also gained a remarkable lead in the dual-SIM phones segment. According to a media research, multi-SIM shipments accounted 54 per cent of the total handsets market during November 2011 in the country. Nokia is leading the race with 19 per cent market share, followed by Micromax (7.1 per cent) and Karbonn (6.9 per cent).
According to the report, Nokia also managed to cope with the foreign exchange fluctuation as it mainly sources components for the low end phones from local market. On the other hand, the Indian phone makers such as Maxx Mobile, Lava, Micromax and Karbon were forced to increase price as the components of their phones are sourced from China and other Asian nations.
Ajjay Agarwal, Chairman & Managing Director, Maxx Group acknowledged that the rupee depreciations in recent months had made adverse impact on their market share. He also pointed out that other Indian manufacturers had to increase price to keep their profit margins safe. According to reports, a number of Indian and Chinese mobile handset players have witnessed a significant dip in shipments.
Nokia has launched as many as seven phones including the Asha series in the dual-SIM category. It may be recalled that Nokia had lost a significant ground of late after local handset manufacturers such as Mircomax joined the fray. Nokia's market share had dipped from nearly 60 per cent to less than 30 per cent, mainly because it didn't have dual-SIM phones in the market. According to reports, Indian brands grabbed some 25 per cent share from Nokia.
 

This is the World's Largest Video Game Controller


Netherlands students create a gigantic NES controller for the Guinness Book of World Records Gamer's Edition.
Celebrating the launch of the Guinness Book of World Records Gamer's Edition 2012, the company invited engineering students Benjamin Allen, Stephen van't Hof and Michel Verhulst to bring their massive NES controller to London's Liverpool Street Station. Weighing in at approximately 265 pounds and 30 times the size of a standard NES controller, the creation is also fully functional.
Worlds Largest Video Game Controller
Though you'll see people using the 12 foot long controller by pressing with their hands, it is supposedly strong enough to be jumped on as well. The three students from the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands took approximately five months to plan the project and finished building the controller in one month.Because of the controller's sheer size, the traditional hardware found in the original NES controller had to be substituted with a light-based system. When one of the controller's massive buttons are pushed, a beam of light is broken and a sensor communicates with the NES to provide the appropriate response. While an original NES controller can be found for just a few bucks, this version cost roughly $6,000. For more information on the project or more ridiculous records, head on over to the Guinness Book page here.

Is Xbox Live Coming To Android Too?


Thanks to the report that Microsoft is moving away from Microsoft Points, there's a possibility that Microsoft will launch multiplayer Xbox LIVE games across multiple platforms, not just Microsoft-based.
Here's what we know so far. Windows Phone can natively access Xbox Live and a number of games like Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, Bug Village, BulletAsylum and more. Apple iOS 4.3 devices can access Xbox LIVE via the My Xbox LIVE app -- Apple gamers can even play Kinectimals on an iPod Touch 3G or later, and an iPhone 3GS and later. The only popular OS missing from this multi-platform picture is Google's Android.
Here's why Xbox Live on Android makes sense: Sony.
Here in the States, anxious pocket gamers are still waiting for that mysterious PlayStation Suite to appear, a platform that will offer original titles as well as classic PlayStation favorites. Those of us who succumbed to the Xperia PLAY (guilty) PlayStation certified phone got a little taste with a pre-installed Crash Bandicoot surprise. Sony Tablet S owners now have an even larger library of Sony games to devour (you people suck). That said, based on what's available so far, Sony has seemingly infiltrated and took command of the #1 mobile OS in America.
But Sony's days of Android dominance are seemingly numbered.
Earlier this month, a Microsoft job listing appeared, seeking out a software development engineer "to bring the latest and greatest gaming and entertainment" to Windows Phone, iOS and other mobile platforms. "As a software development engineer on the team, you will have the opportunity to help define and design the experiences for the project, you will get to work with a team of energetic and talented developers, and you will have the luxury to work with all sorts of mobile devices to create the official Xbox LIVE mobile experiences," the listing stated.
As Forbes points out, Xbox LIVE games -- at least the mobile versions -- are only available on Windows Phone -- Kinectimals for iOS is a stand-alone title and merely unlocks extra cuteness on the console version. What Microsoft is supposedly working on now are games that can be installed and played together across the entire mobile spectrum.
"While the Xbox Live experiences and games always work best on the Windows platform, we understand that some Xbox fans may be using other types of devices," a spokesperson told Forbes. "To satisfy that need, we are working to extend a few of our Xbox experiences and titles to other platforms."
And that's a good thing. Thanks to Microsoft handing out wads of cash to Nokia to produce flagship Windows Phone devices, Microsoft's mobile assault is just now starting to take flight. But until saturation begins, those of us with an Xbox 360 and an Xbox LIVE account have either iOS or Android (and maybe one or two fall into the Other OS category) devices. Extending the Xbox LIVE experience to our phones would simply be kick-ass and a financial gain for the Redmond company.
But the Microsoft statement acquired by Forbes really doesn't say "we're working on multiplayer Xbox LIVE titles for multiple platforms," but seemingly backs up the Kinectimals launch and any other Microsoft-developed games landing on Android and iOS. Yet there's a lot of current buzz that iOS and Android will join the multiplayer fray -- stirred up by the news of Microsoft dropping the Microsoft Points system, seemingly making in-app microtransactions easier -- which would seemingly tie together Windows, Xbox, Windows Phone, Android and iOS together.
Eat that, Sony.
Can Microsoft pull it off? Google's "Ice Cream Sandwich" will likely help make it happen on the Android front given its "One OS To Run Them All" design. Still, if Spacetime Studios can develop an MMOG that runs on iOS, Android, and within Google's Chrome web browser, Microsoft can do it too. Threefold.
Who bets that Microsoft will make a big mobile reveal at E3?