APPLE CHOOSE INNOLUX AS DISPLAY MAKER FOR THE UNRELEASED IPHONE 6

A Taiwanese news outlet reports that Apple has chosen display company Innolux to handle a third of the overall iPhone 6 screen panel production.

Samsung, Innolux and Sharp were in the running to get the order from Apple, but reportedly the Cupertino execs chose Innolux.
Check out:
         - Leaked Diagram Of iPhone 6

Since Apple anticipates a great interest in the iPhone 6, it distributes the production of its display between three companies: Japan Display
Corporation, LG Display and the third is Innolux.

Samsung and Sharp were also competing to get a third of the iPhone 6 screen production.

However, Apple is considering Samsung as too much of a direct competitor so it dismissed it. Sharp didn't make the cut following reports of its fist batch of sample panel were experiencing
issues.

Reportedly, Innolux remained the only option for Apple as the company has been one of the world's top touch panel makers ever since its start in 2003. It has been producing displays for TV, desktop monitors, notebooks and mobile devices ever since.

While Apple didn't choose Samsung for the production of a third of the iPhone 6 displays, the South Korean company made more than a half of the iPad 4 displays in Q1 this year, so the two company haven't completely drifted appart.

Plenty of iPhone 6 casings and dummies have surfaced stating that we should expect Apple to fit a 4.7" display.

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ANDROID SILVER DEVICE TO BE RELEASED BY LG REPLACES NEXUS 6

According to reports from evileaks which was revealed on twitter confirms that the Google Nexus program will be halted. This means that no other Nexus devices to be announced.

Another alternative to the Nexus that Google will be launching is the Android Silver range of devices, which is expected in February 2015.
Check Out:
         - LEAKED PHOTO OF LG L65

Again, LG handset, running a Qualcomm MSM8994, is lucky to be among first Silver devices. Which will be a successor to the Nexus 5 device.

The only other details known about this device as of now is that it will run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 SoC (one of the first devices with this chipset) and will be available on Sprint in the US.

Do you think bringing on Android Silver to replace the Nexus series is a welcomed initiative? How many of you will miss the Nexus?

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WHY WHATSAPP TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE ON WINDOWS PHONE STORE

Windows phone users, the popular ad-free social chatting app, Whatspp has been removed from the Windows Phone Store. You might be wondering why you can't find it on the Store.

According to WhatsApp, there were some technical issues with the app, due to which it had to be pulled from the store. WhatsApp is now working with Microsoft to resolve these issues before the app can be submitted again.
Check out:
         - Microsoft Now Allows Developers To Respond To App Critics

Those who already have the app should have no issues, although new users will have to wait some time before the app is back on the store for downloading.

SAMSUNG'S ANDROID FLIP PHONE TO ARRIVE IN CHINA

it might interest you to know that in some parts of the world people still use flip flop which to me it's kinda extinct. :D

While the clamshell design is well past its peak and mostly survives in the feature phone market, Samsung occasionally puts out a flip smartphone. The latest carries the memorable name of Samsung G9098 and is a dual-SIM, dual-standby Android smartphone for China. It has two 3.67" Super AMOLED touchscreens of WVGA resolution (480 x 800) so that you can use the phone both
open and closed.

The Samsung G9098 runs "Android" with TouchWiz on a Snapdragon 80x chipset (quad-core 2.3GHz CPU, but no exact model given). It packs a 13MP main camera and a 2MP front-facing camera, plus a microSD card slot.

The connectivity is quite comprehensive with support for both GSM (tri-band 2G and dual-band 3G) and TD-SCDMA (3G). It seems that the SIM slots are one of each type and the 3G GSM tech comes with a catch - "only when Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and international roaming." There's also dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS + GLONASS.

The Samsung G9098 may be a bit thicker and heavier than you're used to, measuring 117 x 59.5 x 15.8mm and weighing 179g. It has a
relatively small battery of 1,900mAh capacity.

This is the only Flip android smartphone i know, overall it's sort of the Galaxy S5 to the Galaxy S4 of flip phones, the Samsung I9230 Galaxy Golden.

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APPLE ACQUIRES BEATS BY DR. DRE FOR $3.2 BILLION

Yesterday, Apple officially  acquired the audio equipment and service company called Beats popularly called "Beats by Dre" for a mouth-watering sum of $3.2 billion.
As part of the deal with Beats, streaming service Beats Music
would also join the company's iTunes division.

The piece of news came hours after initial reports surfaced that the deal would happen in the coming days.

Apple already sells Beats products in its retail stores, and just last month Beats began offering a way to subscribe to its streaming music service using Apple's in-app purchase, something that gives Apple a cut of its subscription revenue.

The deal was confirmed by one of the founders of the company Dr. Dre and actor Tyrese Gibson, who announced the news on actor's Instagram page.

By far, this is Apple's largest acquisition recently and the company is hoping it will help its
iTunes service.

Interestingly, the deal makes rapper Dr. Dre the first billionaire hip-hop artiste.

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LEAKED PHOTO OF THE SAMSUNG GALAXY S5 MINI

Samsung Galaxy S5 mini has just leaked via it's UK webpage.

The Samsung Galaxy smartphone in the snapshot is above provided by Evleaks is SM-G800, which has already been confirmed to be the model number for the Galaxy S5 mini.

Though there was already  leaked mini version that was released via the official Samsung support pages.

Apparently this is either a placeholder that is already removed or the link is accessible only by users with the appropriate credentials.

GalaxyS5 mini/Galaxy S5 Dx, will retain the same design as the Galaxy S5 flagship. It will come with even more colors though (white, black, blue, yellow and gold)

According to our source, we also know that the Galaxy S5 mini will support accessories like the Gear fit but doesn't include the heart rate sensor feature.

Unfortunately, there is no information when the Galaxy S5 mini will go official

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WIN A CAPTAIN AMERICA EDITION OF THE HTC ONE M8

The maker of M8, HTC in association with Marvel has announced a
limited edition HTC One (M8) smartphone with the S.H.I.E.L.D logo engraved on the back of the device.

The device comes pre-loaded with a few Captain America wallpapers.
As a promotional campaign, HTC USA and HTC Canada are giving away the limited edition One
(M8) smartphone in a form of a contest on Facebook.

There are 10 limited edition One (M8) units up for grabs in the US and 4 in Canada.

All you need to do to stand a chance to win the limited One (M8) model is to submit a Captain America themed
selfie on HTC USA or HTC Canada's Facebook page. Or you can post your image on Twitter with the hashtag #superselfie to enter the contest.

Though not too sure whether the Captain America HTC One will be on sale for the public, so it seems the contest might be the only way to get one.

Start taking those selfies now and stand a chance to win yourself the HTC One M8 :)

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HUAWEI IS NOW NO. 3 SMARTPHONE MAKER BEATING THE LIKES OF SAMSUNG AND APPLE

Not too long, the tech company Huawei unveiled the Ascend P7. Huawei is reported to be the third largest smartphone manufacturer in the world .

According to Strategy Analytics towards the end of april reported that Huawei (along with Lenovo) is gaining at the expense of the likes of big names like Samsung and Apple.

SA's report confirmed that Huawei was placed in third place followed closely by Lenovo, having shipped an estimated 13.4 million and 13.3 million respectively.

The Ascend P6 is the highest-profile device from Huawei and it has sold 4 million units since its introduction in June, says Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei Consumer Business group

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MICROSOFT FINALLY ACQUIRES NOKIA AFTER 8 MONTHS

Today Microsoft has finally announced the acquisition of Nokia's devices and services after 8 months.

"At our core, we are passionate about building technology that will change the world. From the early vision of Microsoft of placing a PC in every home and on every desk, to Nokia connecting billions of people through mobile devices, we have empowered generations. But we could not have achieved any of this without our fans around the world.
Your support has created strong momentum for Nokia Lumia smartphones and they continue to grow in popularity around the world."
Check out:
         - Why The Acquisition Of Nokia By Microsoft Was Delayed Till April

Nokia also said:
"And we are committed to continuing our support for feature phones, the Asha family, and the Nokia X family
of devices, announced at the Mobile World Congress in February."

"As Microsoft and Nokia Devices and Services come together as an expanded family, we will unify our
passion, dedication and commitment to bringing you the best of what our joint technologies have to offer.
Together, we can connect and
empower people with one experience for everything in their life in a world where it is mobile first and cloud first."

Are you happy about the move from Nokia? Do you think that this move will benefit all the Nokia users and even make the company Bigger and Better?

If you have any questions or suggestions about the topic, Stephen Elop (Executive Vice President, Devices & Services at Nokia) will answer your questions live in “Ask Me Anything” session worldwide on Monday, April 28 at 1PM GMT.

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CORTANA IS COMING TO EVERY NOKIA LUMIA PHONE [CHECK IT OUT]

It's no more news that windows 8.1 update is now available to some Lumia phones. One of the cool new feature that comes along with the update is the Cortana. It's like your Online Digital Personal Assistant (PA).Cortana is coming to every Lumia smartphone running Windows Phone 8, including the Nokia Lumia 520 , Lumia 1020 , and Lumia 930.

Cortana is powered by Bing and has been designed to make your mobile life easier; sending an SMS, or phoning a  friend. However, it’s capable of much more.

How Does Cortana Works?

Launch Cortana Home by tapping its Live Tile on your Start screen, or by pressing the search button on your device. The first time you interact with Cortana, she (yes, Cortana is based on the female AI in the Halo gaming franchise) will try to get to know you by asking your name, as well as some things you’re interested in. Once pleasantries have been exchanged, Cortana Home will display useful information tailored just for you. This could be flight information taken from email confirmations, or up-to-the-minute traffic data based on your usual route to work. You can ask Cortana to not disturb you during specified times. For the duration of these ‘quiet hours’ your phone will be switched to silent and Cortana will only grant access to the most important people from your ‘inner circle’.

It was developed with the help of real PAs to make the experience more accurate and efficient. Above all,Cortana is loaded with personality that makes her seem almost lifelike.
I guess you can’t wait for to try it?

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MICROSOFT WILL NOW ALLOW APP DEVELOPERS TO RESPOND TO APP STORE CRITICS

If you're using windows app and maybe due to reason or the other you notice some faults or bugs in the app; Microsoft has now made it possible for windows app users to directly contact the app developer about it.

Microsoft is slowly rolling out a program whereby developers can comment on your reviews of their handiwork.Don't panic,the developers won't get access to your personal details, and, if they overstep the mark, you can report them for poor conduct.

Microsoft also made it known that this program could take about some months before it'll be put in place.
Check out
          -  Microsoft To Change The Ranking Of 'TOP GAMES' On Windows Phone Store

This step seems to be in the right direction as it enable you to choose either of the following options:

√ ignore the email
√ respond to the developer
update your review or
√ opt out of all future app review responses.

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YOUTUBE APP ON ANDROID CAN NOW CAST LIVE VIDEOS

Youtube for Android users has been updated  to version 5.6.31, the previous version was 5.5.27. The update comes with  a couple of new features. The major addition to the Youtube app is the ability to cast live videos to Chromecast.

Live videos are, videos of events happening live and not pre-recorded and previously there was no way to watch this on Chromecast, which has been fixed now.

Other notable includes an Updated Watch Later UI, which is now in tune with the design of the rest of the app.

However, the new Youtube app update has not hit the Google Play Store yet. But  you can download the APK format file and install it on your Android phone HERE

PHOTO OF LG L65 LEAKS ON TWITTER

Evleaks leaked a press photo of the unannoucned LG L65 on Twitter. The image consists of the front and the back of the handset in a white color.

The rumoured specs of the LG L65 include
- a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU,
- 4.3” display, and
- 5MP camera.

There's possibility that the price of the LG L65 will come at an affordable price as we've seen in other LG L series.

We'll keep you updated on the launch date and when it'll be available for consumers.

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NOKIA STOPS SALES OF LUMIA 2520 TABLET DUE TO FEARS OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

Nokia has halt the sales of the
Nokia Lumia 2520 tablet around the world due to the fact that the charger could give the users an electric shock. Therefore, Nokia is warning owners of the Lumia 2520 tablet to stop using the charger.

Also, some parts of the European countries which include; Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Russia, Switzerland and the UK are advised to suspend use of the AC-300 charger of the Lumia 2520 tablet. Nokia also urges people in those countries and in the USA not to use the travel charger accessory too.

Nokia:
"a potential product quality issue that may potentially lead to a safety concern" in certain AC-300 chargers, which are manufactured by a third-party supplier. The
charger in question is only used for the 2520 slate, so other Nokia phones and chargers are fine. "Under certain conditions," Nokia
warns, "the plastic cover of the charger's exchangeable plug could come loose and separate. If loose and separated, certain internal
components pose a hazard of an electric shock if touched while the plug remains in a live socket."

"We apologize to
the owners of the Lumia 2520, and we are working with urgency to minimize the inconvenience."

Nokia also admits that without the charger the tablet is "virtually useless".

For more info log on to
http://nokia.com/2520-charger

ANDROID 4.4 KITKAT UPDATE: SONY XPERIA Z, ZL, ZR AND TABLET Z IN MAY

Recently Sony makers of Xperia Z , Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR and Xperia Tablet Z had already announced that the the smartphones will get Android 4.4 KitKat update in May.

According to Xperiablog, there's a confirmation that the smartphone devices above with be rolled out on Android Kitkat in early May.
The updated product page of Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR and Xperia Tablet Z reveal that the upcoming update will start next month (May).

We’ll bring you any further
news as we have it.

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GOOGLE WINS FACEBOOK TO BUY THE SOLAR-POWERED DRONE MAKER CALLED TITAN AEROSPACE

After we heard that Facebook was interested in the 20-person drone maker (Titan Aerospace),Google snatches it up for an undisclosed sum. I actually knew Google was planning something big after Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced it's plans to acquire Titan on his timeline a month ago.

According to a posting on Titan's now barebones Web site:
"We're thrilled to announce that Titan Aerospace is joining Google."

What these drones actually does is that with it's solar-powered feature it will beam broadband Internet access to the developing world. No wonder these technology companies desperately wants to get their hands on it due to the great deal of Web users.

Facebook recently acquired
Ascenta, a UK-based startup that makes solar-powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Drones)for $20 million. Now, Google has joined the competition, purchasing drone maker Titan Aerospace for an undisclosed sum.

Titan Aerospace is based in New Mexico and headed up by former Symantec CEO Vern Raburn. Raburn will stay in charge of Titan Aerospace, Google told The Wall Street Journal, which first reported on the acquisition. His team will work closely with Google.

The drone company says it expects "initial commercial
operations" to start in 2015.
Titan Aerospace, similar to
Facebook-owned competitor
Ascenta, is developing two insect-like drones.

TECNO RESPONDS TO CRITICS WITH IT'S FIRST 2GB ROM TECNO R7 [MUST SEE]

HTC to M8, Samsung to Galaxy S5 - Tecno has also announced it's new Android Smartphone in April. Tecno has listened to it's consumers critics and I guess they've made some adjustment.

This new Android smartphone stands out among other previous Tecno smartphones. It's fully packed with more powerful
features and display to satisfy their consumers need. In case you're not aware, this is the first Tecno a 2GB RAM smartphone and a Gorilla glass enabled device. It's codenamed Tecno R7. I call it CR7 cos it's unique.

This phone also comes with a 1.5GHZ six core processor, 13MP and 8MP back and front cameras respectively. With the 240LM flashlight taking pictures at night will be Super Cool.

Check out:
         - Why Tecno Is Nigerians Best Android Smartphone

See full specifications of Tecno R7:

GENERAL

2G Network: GSM 900/1800
3G Network: Yes, HSDPA 2100
4G Network: No
SIM: Dual Mini SIM

BODY/DIMENSIONS

Body Size: -
Weight: -
Keyboard: Touchscreen device
Body Colors: White, Black
Cover: Plastic

DISPLAY/SCREEN

Screen Type: HD Gorilla glass
capacitive touchscreen (Anti-scratch) with 256,000 colors
Screen Size: 5.5 inches, 800x1200 pixels resolution, 272 ppi (pixels per inch) density.

MEMORY / OPERATING SYSTEM

OS: Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
Internal Memory: 8GB
Card Slot: MicroSD, expandable up to 32GB
Processors: 1.5GHz hexa-core CPU, MediaTek MT8389 chipset
RAM: 2GB

AUDIO

Loudspeaker: Yes
Alert Type: MP3 ringtones, Vibration
Audio Port: 3.5mm jack

CONNECTIVITY

2G: GPRS - 85.6kbps, EDGE -
236.8kbps
3G: Downlink - 22.2Mbps, Uplink - 5.76Mbps
4G: no
WiFi: Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Mobile
HotSpot, WiFi Direct
Bluetooth: Yes, version 3.0
GPS: Yes, A-GPS
NFC: No
USB: MicroUSB port, version 2.0

CAMERA

Primary (Back): 13.0 Mega-pixels, Face and smile detection, 240LM LED flash, 2592x1944 pixel picture
quality.
Secondary (Front): 8.0 Mega-pixels, 1600x1200 pixel picture quality.
Video Quality: 720pixels at 30 frames per second.

BATTERY

Capacity: 2430mAh Li-ion battery
Standby: 500 hours
Talk time: 8 hours
Music play: -

OTHER FEATURES

Sensors: Accelerometer, Compass, Proximity, Ambient light sensor
Messaging: SMS, MMS, Email, Push Mail, Instant Messaging
Browser: HTML5
Java: No
Video formats: MP4, MPEG4, H.263, H.264
Music formats: MP3, WAV, eAAC+, AC3, FLACC

MISCELLANEOUS

- Predictive Text
- Document Viewer
- FM Radio
- Image viewer
- Voice command
- Youtube, Whatsapp, Gmail,
Calendar, UC Browser, Google talk,
Calendar, Google Search

PRICE

The price of the Tecno R7 has not been made public yet, but rumour has it that it would be slightly cheaper than the just released Samsung Galaxy s5. If Galaxy S5 cost #110,000 that's Tecno R7 cost within #50,000 - #100,000.

Faster gaming experience, Super Cool Camera pictures and Anti-Scratch screen. First of its kind from TECNO.

SHARE WINDOWS APPS FROM MOBILE TO DESKTOP - MICROSOFT

After the Microsoft BUILD Conference held on wednesday, Microsoft unveiled it's WP8.1 Update. Whereby it brings lot of cool features to the Operating System. The tech company also made us to know that with the WP8.1, users can now buy an app once and use it on both WP8.1 smartphones and Windows 8.1 Desktop.
Check out:
         - Features Of WP8.1 On Lumia Cyan

This new feature is only applicable to apps purchased while running Windows Phone 8.1 and won't be applicable to apps bought before the new API is in place.

Microsoft want it's app developers to make their apps compatible both on Mobile and Desktop device. To lay more emphasis, the app developers have to code their application as an "universal app" for this  feature to work.  This requires that developers should be able to create their app once and should be automatically compatible on both the Deskstop and Mobile Windows devices.

DUAL SIM VERSION OF SAMSUNG GALAXY S5 HITS CHINA BEFORE LAUNCH DATE

Samsung's flagship Galaxy S5 just continues to interest me day-by-day. As there's report that Samsung has expanded its Galaxy S5 lineup with the addition of a dual-SIM version.

The Samsung Galaxy S5 dual-SIM has a model designation
G9009D and is just launching on China Telecom. The price of the smartphone is CNY5,299 ($850) and will launch alongside the other variants on April 11. It comes with support for CDMA2000 on one of its SIM slots and GSM on the other, but no LTE radio. It weighs about 1.5g, has Snapdragon 801 chipset through the 5.1" 1080p Super AMOLED screen to the 16MP camera, IP67 certification and 8.1mm waistline.
Check out:
         - Pre-order For Samsung Galaxy S5 And Get HTC One M8 At No Cost

Unfortunately, the Samsung Galaxy S5 G9009D is only available to China Telecom subscribers as at  the time of this report and there's no official saying that it's going to be available for other countries.

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SONY RELEASES UNLOCKED (SIM-FREE) VERSIONS OF XPERIA Z1 IN THE U.S

According to reports from a reliable source Sony have released an unlocked version of it's flagship, Sony Xperia Z1 smartphone that fully supports US LTE networks on both T-Mobile and AT&T's networks. Reports also confirms that the unlock Z1should also work just fine on Canadian LTE networks apart from US LTE Networks.
Check out:
         - Sony Xperia M Gets
Android 4.3 Jelly Bean Update

The Sony high-end specs smartphone is said to cost about $620 which is approximately a whooping sum of #99,200 (not up to the cost of Samsung Galaxy S5 pre-order price of #110,000).

The fact that Sony is offering the phone unlocked, however, is indicative of a trend that the company has been making recently towards openness.They've released the code for the software kernels on previous phones, making it easier for Android tinkerers to play around with their devices and customize them as they see fit. It is a good move by Sony for their consumers. So if you want the Sony Xperia Z1, but don't want to sign a contract? No Problemo...

Photo: Gsmarena.com

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