Apple's iPhone 5 rumoured to run on Samsung's Exynos 4 processor

The Internet is abuzz with rumours that Apple's next flagship smartphone, dubbed as the iPhone 5, will be powered by a new A6 quad-core processor, based on Samsung's Exynos 4 architecture.

Citing unnamed industry sources, DigiTimes in its report says competition for quad-core smartphones will intensify in Q4 2012 with the upcoming iPhone and other models launching with quad-core chips. So far, only  HTC and Samsung have released their quad-core smartphones, with LG soon to join the list with the Optimus 4X HD. 

With leading chipmaker Qualcomm expected to start volume production of its quad-core integrated platform solutions in second half of the year, vendors will be encouraged to come up with more competitive quad-core models by next year.

It may be recalled that Apple's iPhone 4S, which launched this year, received a major chip upgrade in the form of Apple A5, which was a dual-core 800MHz processor. The processor is said to have boosted the device's power for graphics, photo and video processing.

The recent iPad third generation (read our review) also saw an upgraded chip in the form of dual-core A5X, which brought significant improvements for the Retina Display and its high-resolution graphics, which were futher powered by a quad-core GPU. Interestingly, both the processors are based on Samsung's ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore CPU design.

Moving to quad-core is definitely going to be a huge leap for Apple, but by the time it launches the device, other quad-core phones such the Samsung Galaxy S III (Exynos-based) and HTC One X (Tegra 3-based) will already have enjoyed a fair amount of time in the market. And then it might have to face stiff competition from the Qualcomm processor-based devices. Rumours are the One X will also get a new Qualcomm processor.

There've been multiple rumours about the next iPhone in the recent past, but most of them focussed on the exterior of the smartphone. The previous round of rumours had said the coming iPhone will have an increased size of the touchscreen display, roughly around 4-inches.

First Impressions: Dell Inspiron 14R Special Edition

Dell has recently updated its Inspiron range of laptops, and if you had been following our website closely, you would surely have read the event coverage.

We are happy to report that the Inspiron 14R Special Edition has arrived in our test centre. This is the smaller 14-inch display size sibling of theInspiron 15R SE, which features a 15.6-inch display.

The Specs
Let us run you through the power package of the Inspiron 14R Special Edition. The review unit sent to us is powered by an Intel Core-i7 - 3612QM processor, clocking in at 2.1GHz. Needless to mention, but this is the third gen Core series processor, lovingly known as Ivy Bridge series. The 14R SE features 6GB of RAM, along with Nvidia GT640M (2GB) and Intel HD 4000 graphics, news that will surely warm the hearts of the gamers out there. The goodness doesn’t end there, with a 1TB HDD as well. Dell preloads the machine with Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit), along with a bunch of Dell branded apps as well as some third party trials.

The Build
Fish it out of the box, and what immediately catches your eye is the anodized aluminum finish. More so, because it looks very similar to the very classy carbon fibre finish we saw on the XPS 13 ultrabook (read our review). The black does have a slightly shiny element to it, but is in no way glossy or potentially maintenance hungry. This finish carries through on the lid as well as the area around the keypad, including the palmrest.

The visual accents don’t end there. On the lid, a silver band frames the black anodized aluminum, and is thicker towards where the lid is supposed to open from - kind of a visual guide, if you may. Mostly because when closed, the Inspiron 14R SE does not give any hints about where the front or the back is. Probably because the display hinges are nicely covered up.

The Dell Inspiron 14R SE carries a very premium build quality throughout. It seems put together quite well, and we didn’t see any rough edges or loose ends anywhere. No matter how hard you type on the keyboard, it just doesn’t dip. No matter how hard you try to flex the lid, it won’t bend more than the most solidly built laptops.

Port Placement
On the right side are the optical drive and a couple of USB 3.0 ports, as well as the Ethernet port. On the left is another USB 3.0 port along with one USB 2.0 port as well. HDMI out sits between the USBs and a pretty large cooling vent. On the front are a bunch of LEDs and the memory card slot. There are no ports on the backside, which is great, as we aren’t fans of poking the backside of our laptops to connect a USB device!

Keyboard
The keyboard does not have a dedicated number pad, acceptable considering this is a 14-inch display, and doesn’t have the space luxury of a 15.6-inch one. Resolution is 1366 x 768 pixels. While it does seem to have the brightness punch and decent colour reproduction, the only niggle is with the reflective nature of the screen. Turn the brightness down, and visibility will be affected a certain bit. Turn up the brightness, and that may just make using it a bit stressful in the long run.

Weighty Matters
The weight scales tip at 2.38kg, which technically isn’t very heavy. But the 14R Special Edition feels heavier than this, probably because the thickness is quite profound – probably to pack in the powerful configuration. Rest assured however, that the 14R SE remains very much portable without any issues. However, the thickness could have been slimmed a bit to make it look less bulky than what it does at the moment.

Price
The specification we have received is listed on Dell’s website at Rs. 61,275. At this price with this configuration, we expect this to go to the top of our laptop score-sheet without a shadow of a doubt.

We will be lining up a review of the Dell Inspiron 14R Special Edition very soon. Do stay tuned for that. In the meantime, you can enjoy the photo-gallery of the laptop.

Unfortunately, the display is quite reflective, taking some sheen away from an otherwise excellent panel.

The evident thickness, but as we said, with the weight, it doesn’t hamper portability.

With not many shortcut keys, the look is quite clean

The dash of silver around the sides teams well with the black elsewhere.

Generous cooling vents. Certainly needed, considering the power that is packed inside.

Just three shortcut keys above the keyboard.

Prominent Inspiron branding!

There are lots of USB 3.0 ports on the 14R SE.

More ports on the 14R SE.

With not many shortcut keys, the look is quite clean

Aluminum that looks like carbon fibre!

Extremely elegant poise of the Inspiron 14R Special Edition.

Nokia Lumia 800 The Dark Knight Rises Limited Edition launched in India

It has been a busy day today, with Nokia announcing the launch of two phones in India. Along with the Nokia Lumia 610, the Lumia 800 The Dark Knight Rises Limited Edition phone has also been launched, and should be available in markets from tomorrow.

The Lumia 800 The Dark Knight Rises phone will truly be limited edition, with Nokia announcing that only 200 units will be available. So, we suggest that if you want one, hurry and grab one now!

This edition of the phone will carry forward the same unibody build as seen on Lumia 800 (read our review) phones, but the black colour will be accompanied by a laser etched Batman logo on the back, to make it stand out in a crowd.

“A truly global initiative, the Nokia Lumia Dark Knight Rises campaign is an exciting new initiative for our Lumia customers, that will recreate the movie’s unique experience, right on the consumer’s devices”, said Vipul Mehrotra, Director – Smart Devices, Nokia India.

Buyers will get access to a whole host of exclusive stuff. First off, the phone will be loaded with the Dark Knight Rises app, with exclusive trailers, photo galleries, integration with Maps to list where the movie theaters premiering the movie are, as well as a game that has been introduced in a tie up with Foursquare.

Buyers will also get exclusive collectibles like bags, caps and projector pens, all bearing the DKR branding with the phone, along with the chance to win a movie theater screening for your friends.

Nokia have slapped a Best Buy price of Rs. 24,999 on this phone. Interestingly, Nokia has also said that the Lumia 900 will be arriving in India in Q3, 2012. No price info as yet, but do stay updated for the sam

 

Nokia Lumia 610 arrives in India, along with special edition Lumia 800

Nokia has announced the addition of a third phone to the Windows Phone series – the Lumia 610. This is the third Lumia phone to be launched in India as well, with Nokia saying that they are targeting the “youthful audience” with this device.

The Lumia 610 is powered by an 800MHz Snapdragon processor along an Adreno 200 GPU and 256MB of RAM. It also bears a 3.7-inch 800x480 pixel display, apart from a 5MP autofocus camera with LED flash, and 8GB built-in storage. The phone will come with Windows Phone 7.5 Mango out of the box, and will get the 7.8 update will be arriving on this phone soon.

Other specifications of the Nokia Lumia 610 include a weight of 131.5 grams, a thickness of 12mm, as well as such connectivity options as 3G (HSDPA 7.2Mbps / HSUPA 5.76Mbps), Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP and EDR, stereo FM radio with RDS, GPS with A-GPS support, and microUSB v2.0. It bears a 1,300 mAh battery, rated to deliver up to 10.5 hours of talktime, 670 hours of standby time, and 35 hours of continuous music playback. Surprisingly, it only supportsMicro SIM cards.

“The Lumia 610 will introduce Windows Phone to a new generation of smartphone users, offering something very different to the monochromatic smartphones filling shelves today. It is designed to appeal to a more youthful audience purchasing their first smartphone and motivated by the opportunity to keep in touch with friends, family and all the latest information.”, says Vipul Mehrotra, Director – Smart Devices, Nokia India.

The Lumia 610 comes with a best buy price of Rs. 12,990, and will be available in stores from July 7, 2012. It will also feature the regular Nokia value-added services, such as Nokia Music,Nokia Mix Radio, and Nokia Location Services.

Fans of the Dark Knight franchise will be excited to hear that Nokia is also bringing the Lumia 800 The Dark Knight Rises limited edition to India. This one will have a black finish, with the laser etched Batman logo and some exclusive apps, content and goodies. This has been given a best buy price of Rs. 24,999. This phone will be limited to 200 units only. The Lumia 900 is also expected to be launched in India, sometime in Q3 2012.

First Impressions: Nokia Lumia 610

So, it is finally here! A Windows Phone 7.5 device that is aimed at the same demographic that would otherwise be looking at the likes of the HTC Explorer, Samsung Galaxy Ace and the LG Optimus Hub.

However, while your choices until now were restricted to Android, Symbian and Blackberry in this price bracket, the arrival of the Nokia Lumia 610 does change things quite a bit – introducing alow-cost Windows Phone offering.

We had a chance to play around with the Lumia 610 at the launch event, and this is what we came up with.

1. The build quality of the Lumia 610 is just brilliant. It does not feel like a Rs. 13,000 phone, like most others in this price category do. This can easily be explained with the comparison with its elder, and considerably more expensive sibling - the Lumia 710 (read our review). The Lumia 710 felt plastic-like and cheap, and you knew it was a phone on a budget. With the Lumia 610, there is a classiness found on phones that are considerably more expensive.
2. The 3.7-inch display with a 480x800 pixel resolution is absolutely brilliant. As expected, Nokia has also given this the ClearBlack goodness, but the real kicker is that this is a natively bright display and very good text crispness. While reading a mail on this, you will surely not crave a phone with a bigger display. On the flipside though, the colours are not very vivid, and even look washed out at times.
3. The 800MHz processor will hold out well, but just 256MB of RAM is literally unforgivable, if you will be using it with multiple apps at the same time. The Lumia 610 can only be loaded with so much for the power package to handle, and that is a limitation you should be well aware of, before splashing the cash.
4. As expected, the Lumia 610 will come with the navigation apps – Drive, Maps and Transport.
5. The camera has been given some additional features – Panorama mode, self-timer, action detection shot and a burst mode for the best group photo. You can also edit the photographs on the device itself, before sharing. Neat features, but most of these capabilities have been on cameraphones for quite a while now. It also makes us wonder why these aren’t a part of the Nokia 808 PureView’s camera!
6. Nokia is also introducing the Mix Radio app – the music streaming service that works offline as well. Some really neat features allowing for customization your own radio stations and an offline mode as well. But how well it works for you will depend on what connection you use – Wi-Fi, Edge or 3G.

At this price (Rs. 12,990), we feel the Lumia 610 will do well. Mostly because it feels like it is built more expensively that it actually is, and more and more consumers may want to try out a new OS.

We will have a detailed review of the Lumia 610 soon. In the meantime, you check out some product shots:

Camera interface

Relatively similar looks to the Lumia 710, but feels a lot better.

The 3.5mm and the micro USB port on the top - just be careful about scratching the chrome.

The 3.7-inch display is natively quite bright.

The Dark Knight Rises exclusive content on the phone.

The phone does fit very well in the hand.

The rubberized feel on the back is classy, and we like the conventional position of the camera - will not get in the way at all.

The rubberized finish to the rear, with a chrome frame running around the phone.

Three touch sensitive keys below the display, and the chrome strip running below them acts as a visual guide.

Zync launches another ICS-based budget tablet, Z-990 Plus

Zync has added another ICS-based budget tablet to its portfolio – Z-990 Plus – an improved version of the Zync Z-990 that launched earlier this year. The new Zync Z-990 Plus is powered by a 1.5GHz processor and equipped by a MALI 400 GPU.

The company is promoting its new tablet as an entertainment device as it comes bundled with 1-month free subscription for BigFlix via a dedicated app. Users are given a wide collection of over 1,000 movies from all sorts of categories, such as action, comedy, romance, drama, etc.

Zync has also entered into partnership with online gaming firm, Ibibo which is offering a wide range of online games spanning 40 categories on the tablet. With a dedicated Ibibo app, users can play wide range of Android-based social and multiplayer games for free. The app features popular games such as Teen Patti, Rummy, Can You Draw, Speed Wordz and Word War.

Speaking of specifications, Zync Z-990 Plus runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. It has a seven-inch display with 800x480 pixel resolution. Other specifications of the device include 0.3 MP frontal camera, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of built-in storage and expandable memory up to 32GB via a microSD card slot. For connectivity, the Zync Z-990 Plus supports i-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, 3G via USB dongle, microUSB, HDMI and a 3.5mm jack.

The Zync Z-990 Plus has been officially priced at Rs. 6,490 and it will be available at various retail outlets across 22 states in India. The device is also available online via shopping sites such as Snapdeal, HomeShop18, seventymm, Indiatimes, FutureBazaar and Naaptol.

Zync's Z-990 Plus is another addition to the already flooded budget tablet market in India. The device will be facing competition from the likes of Micromax Funbook and WishTel Era. For more, you can check out our Top 10 Budget Tablet list.

What do you think of the new Zync Z-990 Plus tablet? Let us know in the comments section below:

Samsung Galaxy Ace Duos (GSM-GSM) officially launched at Rs. 15,090

Samsung has officially launched its GSM-GSM version of the Galaxy Ace Duos smartphone in India at Rs. 15,090, a device it first revealed last month.

The GSM-GSM Galaxy Ace Duos runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system with Samsung's TouchWiz UI on top. It has 3.5-inch HVGA TFT-LCD display with a 320 x 480 pixel resolution. Other specifications of the device include 5MP rear camera, 832MHz processor, 3GB built-in storage, microSD card support for up to 32GB and 1,300 mAh battery, which is rated to deliver 6.5 hours of talktime on 3G, and 16 hours of talktime on 2G.

In terms of connectivity, the device supports 3G, EDGE/ GPRS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth with A2DP and USB 2.0 (Micro). The device also has ‘Dual-SIM always on’ feature, allowing users to field calls from either SIM, simultaneously.

The Galaxy Ace Duos comes with a wide range of applications, including the popular ChatOn and My Movies. While ChatOn lets users chat with friends and contacts, My Movies app lets users access the Indian movies. There's a My Music app as well that lets users browse, download and listen English and Bollywood numbers.

The smartphone will now join the already existing GSM-CDMA version of Galaxy Ace Duos. The GSM+CDMA version of the device was launched at Rs. 16,900, but is currently selling for roughly Rs. 14,000.

EA, Wooga pulling games from Google+ due to lack of active users

Last month a report revealed that Google's social network wasn't doing well in terms of user engagement in spite of having a 100 million plus global users base. The report further said that an average Google+ user posts once every 12 days, and even after a user has posted five times, there's still a 15 percent chance the user will never post again.

The impact of dipping popularity of the social networking website are now becoming apparent – a number of popular game titles have been pulled out of the Google+ due to lesser active users on the site. Bejeweled Blitz by EA’s PopCap division was removed.

“PopCap has decided to suspend Bejeweled Blitz on Google+ to redeploy our resources to other adaptations of Bejeweled,” a PopCap spokesperson told TechCrunch. “Certainly, Google is a valuable gaming partner for PopCap and EA, and we’ll continue to develop for Google platforms.”

Besides Bejeweled, social game developer Wooga has also announced removing its games, Diamond Dash and Bubble Island, from Google+ on July 1. Wooga has already pulled out its Monster World title in May.

Wooga revealed that the company had decided to remove its games from Google+ simply because Facebook had larger base of active users and it was unlikely that users playing games on Facebook will switch to another platform for gaming.

Time in its report sheds light on problems faced by Google's social networking. The report points out that in spite of Zynga's coming on board with Google for bringing games on the network, users didn't turn up. It also suggests that Google should not just focus on “mimmicking” Facebook, but concentrate on the fact that its social network, Android and Chrome “appeal to tech-savvy users” and should come with something big. Read the full Time reporthere.

Mashable voices a similar opinion in its report, which says Google will be forced to come up with something bigger than just a usual redesign to engage its users. As of now the social network has more than 40 games in its catalogue. The pPulling out of two developers isn't going to have massive impact but then there are no signs of Google turning the tide against its rivals.

Enjoy 20 minutes of Dead Space 3 gameplay footage

Dead Space was a game that not only redefined the horror action genre but also was successful in stealing Resident Evil’s thunder.

At E3 2012, EA announced the third iteration of the franchise. The game is conveniently titled Dead Space 3.

In this game, players will don the role of the lead protagonist from the previous games - Isaac Clarke. The gameplay demo below has been narrated by Steve Papoutsis, Executive Producer at Visceral Games, the studio behind the horror game franchise. The demo begins during Act II of the game. Dead Space 3 for the first time brings with it co-op gameplay. Gamers will get an in-depth look at how Isaac and his partner Carver will work their way through the frozen planet of Tau Volantis.

The Dead Space 3 video also gives us a glimpse at new environments, co-op gameplay mechanics, new weapons, new enemies and an epic boss fight. There are also moments when the necromorphs jump out of nowhere at you. Classic gameplay elements such as stasis too makes an appearance here. The weapons too seem to be upgraded from the past games in the series. Some guns appear to have secondary fire, whose ammo is visibly separately in Isaac’s HUD. There are also some context sensitive cinematic moments that have Isaac jumping through some death defying scenarios.

A twist to the franchise is that apart from the necromorphs, players will also take on human enemies as well. The game will launch for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and the PC. No specific launch date was mentioned but we can expect the game to hit store shelves in 2013.

Microsoft Announces Two New Microsoft Surface Tablets

The mystery has been solved! Or should we say revealed?

Microsoft last week announced plans for a secret event in Los Angeles this evening. The company offered no indication as to what it could possibly be planning to show us, but rumors suggested Redmond was preparing to debut an own-brand tablet. Needless to say, Microsoft's didn't disappoint, with not one but two versions of a new tablet called the Microsoft Surface. The first is an ARM powered device based on Windows RT, while the second is a full Windows tablet based on Intel technology.

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The ARM-powered Microsoft Surface is 9.3mm thick and has a 10.6-inch display as well as a kickstand that flips out of the back of the device's magnesium casing. This kickstand is especially useful when used in conjunction with the Surface's cover. Boasting a similar clip-on design as Apple's SmartCover, the Surface's cover actually doubles as a full multi-touch keyboard complete with trackpad. This case measures in at 3mm thick.

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Microsoft also showed off the Surface for Windows 8 Pro, which is a full PC based on an Intel Core i5 CPU. The tablet is slightly thicker than the ARM-powered Surface, measuring in at 14mm thick and weighing 2lbs, but it comes with that same awesome multitouch keyboard/trackpad cover. In addition, it also comes with both pen and touch input, and the TypeCover, which is the same as the multi-touch cover but with real physical buttons.

No pricing just yet, but Microsoft said today that the ARM version would be available in 32GB and 64GB capacities and priced "like comparable tablets based on ARM." So take from that what you will. As far as the Surface for Windows 8 Pro is concerned, you're looking at 64GB and 128GB models, with pricing matching that of an Ultrabook PC. Availability is set for around the same time as the Windows 8 launch. 

So, who wants one?

[UPDATE] It looks like surface.com is live. Right now it's showing off a lovely Surface tablet in Lumia blue. Altogether now: "Oooooh!"

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[Update 2] Surface.com, now with more sexy video action (thanks, kcorp2003)! Something about the music makes me want one of these even more. That's the marketing team's job done, I guess. Check it out below.

Microsoft Surface Promo

Top 5 Android apps to access your documents on the go

Gone are the days when traveling meant you could sit back and enjoy the scenery and be left alone with your thoughts. Nowadays it’s all about working on the move. Checking email, editing documents, correcting your excel sheets and making last minute changes to your PPT - it’s all accomplished on the move.

With advancements in technology, people started editing their documents on the go on laptops. With the dawn of the smartphone and tablet era people have started taking care of professional work directly from the little device in their pockets.

Editing and reading documents on the go may be a little tedious, but fortunately, there are apps to make this process as comfortable as possible.

So, here’s a look at 5 Android apps that help you access Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF documents on the move.

1. Documents to Go

Documents to Go is one of the most popular document viewing app. There is a free as well as paid version available for users. Some Android devices come with the paid/free version preloaded making documents access easy on the devices.

The free version of the app supports file formats including .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt, .pptx. The catch is that in the free version of the app, users can only view the documents but not edit them. If you would like to edit the documents, then you will need to purchase the full version of the app.

The paid version of the app also brings with it the following features:

• Edit, view & create Microsoft Word, Excel, & PowerPoint files & PDF file viewer
• Supports password protected Word & Excel 97-2008 files
• Google Docs support. Download, view & edit files from Google Docs directly in Docs To Go
• Desktop application for bi-directional synchronization with your device’s USB cable
• Seamlessly move files from device to computer (Available on Windows Only) using the FREE desktop app

Android users can download the app here.

The app costs Rs. 833 on the Google Play store.

2. Google Docs

Google Docs is now a part of Google Drive. With Google Docs, you can upload/ create your documents and excel sheets and share them with friends and colleagues. You can also monitor who can edit them and who can view but not edit the documents.

With Google Docs now a part of Google Drive, you can store all your files in one place (cloud storage), so you can access them from anywhere and share them with others. Users can use the Google Drive Android app to access photos, documents, videos and other files stored on Google Drive as well. Files can locally be saved offline on your device so that users can access them even if you are offline.

Some features of Google Docs are:

• Create and edit documents
• Edits to Google documents appear to other synced devices in seconds
• Make quick changes to spreadsheets
• View PDFs, presentations and more
• Upload and convert files to the Google Docs format

Android users can download Google Docs (now Google Drive) for free here.

3. Quick Office Pro

With Quick Office Pro, users can create, edit and share Microsoft Office files from the comfort of their smartphone.

Quick Office Pro, lets users open and edit Microsoft Office documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, as well as, PDF files. These documents can be accessed both online and offline. The file manager in the app works seamlessly with users email attachments, locally saved files, and cloud storage accounts. This makes it easy for users to access their information from a variety of sources.

Quick Office Pro is compatible with a large number of file formats such as .doc, .docs, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt, .pptx and PDF.

Android users can download Quick Office Pro for Rs. 833 from the Google Play Store here.

4. DropBox

Dropbox, is a cloud storage service that lets users take all their photos, docs, and videos anywhere.

Users can install Dropbox on their PC/Mac. All the files saved in the Dropbox folder can then be accessed from smartphones/tablets.

Some features of Dropbox are:

• Data saved on the PC syncs with the all your devices instantly.
• Users can easily edit docs in Dropbox.

Android users can download Dropbox for free from the Google Play store here.

5. Kingston Office

Some great office utility apps such as Documents to Go and Quick Office Pro are paid apps and offer a bang for your buck if your professional life revolves around MS Office. Kingston office however is a free app that offers users similar functionality but for free.

Kingston Office allows users to view & edit office files on the go. Users can view .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt, .pptx and PDF files and create .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx files.


Some of the features of the app are:

• Built-in file manager that can automatically organize your office document.
• You can open the attachment, and can directly send them after modification
• Supports cloud storage services.

Android users can download Kingston Office for free from the Google Play store here.

Xbox 720: 6x Performance Increase, Kinect 2, 3D, 1080p

A leaked document has provided us with a heap of information about the upcoming Xbox 720.

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With E3 done, we thought we'd have to wait until June 2013 before we learned all about the next generation of Xbox, the Xbox 720. That may be the case, but a recently leaked document has given us an awful lot to chew on in the mean time.

The 56-page document was hosted on Scribd until this past weekend, when it was spotted by the Verge. It details Microsoft's vision for the Xbox 720 and dates back to August 2010.

Microsoft's kept pretty quiet about its Xbox 720 plans since rumors started circulating about a 2013 launch, but thanks to this document we now know that the company has big things planned for the new Xbox. The Verge reports that before the document it was pulled, it promised a 6x performance increase with the Xbox 720, as well as true 1080p output, full support for native 3D output and glasses, an always-on state for the console, support for Blu-ray, concurrent apps, additional sensor and peripheral support, and the ability to record TV content in the background.

Xbox 720 will also bring us Kinect 2, which Microsoft's document says will have higher accuracy, stereo imaging, improved voice recognition, support for four-player tracking, an improved RGB camera, dedicated hardware processing, four player gaming, and a pair of augmented reality Kinect Glasses, which are apparently similar to Google's Project Glass.

Alongside a promised 6x performance increase, there's also mention of true 1080p output with full 3D support and an "always on" state for the console. A slide on core hardware indicates that the next Xbox will be designed to be scalable in the number of CPU cores and their frequencies. Microsoft appears to have been debating whether to use six or eight ARM or x86 cores clocked at 2GHz each with 4GB of DDR4 memory alongside three PPC cores clocked at 3.2GHz each for backwards compatibility with existing Xbox360 titles.

Of course, Microsoft hasn't confirmed any of this news, but then we didn't expect them to, really. However, if you're looking for proof that it's a genuine Microsoft document, you mind find it interesting that Scribd says the document was pulled at the request of Covington & Burling LLP. What is Covington & Burling LLP? Just a law firm based out of Washington. According to the firm's website, the company helped Microsoft out with its Skype acquisition last year.