India's Top 10 Android Phones

It’s raining Android phones and while you are spoilt for choice, it is also about finally zeroing on the perfect handset that gives you your money’s worth. With a vast range from multiple vendors and each claiming to offer a better, smoother and nicer Android experience, getting to the cream of the crop is surely a task, and we enjoyed doing so. Our Top 10 Android Phone listing provides information on the key specifications. The pricing of the Top 10 Android phones have been taken from popular and dependable online stores.

10) Samsung Galaxy S I9003 (Galaxy SL)

Price: Rs. 19,990 (flipkart.com)

The low-priced version of the Galaxy S, the Galaxy S I9003 is a great value for money proposition, with the exact same specifications as the Galaxy S, excepting a few minor cost savings – an impressive SuperLCD screen instead of a SuperAMOLED, and 4GB inbuilt storage for the base model. Neither of these things detract from the other qualities and overall performance of the phone, and Samsung has a winner on its hands in the segment, with consumers incredulous at the technology they are getting for less than Rs. 20,000

Key Specifications and Features

Android 2.2 (2.3 update available)
4-inch SuperLCD (800x480 pixels)
Solid yet lightweight build
1GHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor with PowerVR SGX540 GPU
512MB RAM, 2GB ROM
5MP Camera with Autofocus and LED flash
720p HD video@30fps
Gorilla Glass Display

9) Samsung Galaxy S I9000

Price: Rs. 22,900 (flipkart.com)

The Samsung Galaxy S might just be the most popular Android phone ever, having sold millions of units worldwide. With it, Samsung derived many variants, enough to inspire a Galaxy S Family of devices. Bearing a 4-inch Super AMOLED display, the Samsung Galaxy S currently ships with Android 2.2 Froyo, but is easily updatable to Android 2.3 Gingerbread. It comes in 8GB and 16GB variants. While it has a slightly aging chipset when compared to the competition, the 1GHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor and PowerVR SGX540 GPU still hold their own against many modern speed demons. With excellent build quality, a great display, snappy performance, and a highly responsive touchscreen, the Galaxy S remains one of the best Android phones today.

Key Specifications and Features:

Android 2.2 (2.3 update available)
4-inch SuperAMOLED (800x480 pixels)
Solid yet lightweight build
1GHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor with PowerVR SGX540 GPU
512MB RAM, 4GB ROM
5MP Camera with Autofocus and LED flash
720p HD video@30fps
Gorilla Glass Display

8) HTC Desire S

Price: Rs. 26,999

The Desire S is a refresh of the popular 2010 Android device, the HTC Desire, and brings notable new features, including the new Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS, while maintaining the old styling. It sports the same 3.7-inch SuperLCD display, the same 5MP camera capable of 720p HD video recording, and the same distinctive aluminium unibody. The HTC Desire S has some useful newer components, justifying the product refresh – more RAM, at 768MB, and the new 1GHz Scorpion processor and Adreno 205 GPU. It also sports better connectivity options, like Wi-Fi b/g/n with DLNA, and HSDPA 14.4Mbps/HSUPA 5.76Mbps.

Key Specifications and Features

Android 2.3 with HTC Sense UI 2.0
3.7-inch SuperLCD (800x480 pixels)
Sturdy well-built aluminium frame
1GHz Scorpion processor with Adreno 205 GPU
768MB RAM
5MP Camera with Autofocus and LED flash
720p HD video@30fps

7) Sony Ericsson Xperia Play

Price: Rs. 29,999 (flipkart.com)

The long-awaited PlayStation Phone arrived earlier this year with much fanfare and excitement. Officially called the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, the device is a one-of-a-kind product in the global and Indian market today, with its slide-out hardware gamepad that’s inspired by the PlayStation controller, with a D-Pad, two touch-based ‘analog’ sticks, and the PlayStation buttons. The phone is meant for both hardcore and casual gamers who are sick of touchscreen games, with their lack of accurate, responsive control and over-use of display real estate. The Xperia Play comes with exclusive PlayStation games, and a whole section dedicated to it in the app store.

Key Specifications and Features

Android 2.3.3
4.0-inch LED-backlit LCD display (854x480 pixels)
A bit bulky, the Xperia Play still fits comfortably in your pocket and hand
1GHz Scorpion processor with Adreno 205 GPU
512MB RAM
5MP Camera with Autofocus and LED flash
WVGA (800x480) video@30fps

6) Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc

Price: Rs. 27,499 (flipkart.com)

Announced back at CES 2011, the Xperia Arc is Sony Ericsson’s current flagship phone, and is one of the thinnest phones in the world, measuring just 8.7mm at its thinnest with a beautiful contoured form factor. Bearing a 4.2-inch LED-backlit Reality Display powered by a Mobile Bravia Engine, a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 512MB of RAM, and an 8.1MP camera powered by an Exmor R sensor capable of 720p HD recording. It runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread out of the box, with Sony Ericsson’s Timescape UI, and an Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread update has been released for it as well.

Key Specifications and Features

Android 2.3 (2.3.3 update available)
4.2-inch Reality Display (854x480 pixels)
Super-slim and elegant, contoured design
1GHz Scorpion processor with Adreno 205 GPU
512MB RAM
8MP Camera with Autofocus and LED flash
720p HD video@30fps

5) LG Optimus 2x (P990)

Price: Rs. 26,990 (flipkart.com)

The only other dual-core processor phone available in India, apart from the Galaxy S II, the LG Optimus 2x sports the popular 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 processor onboard, and in fact, holds the title of the world’s first dual-core smartphone. Running Android 2.3 Gingerbread, the Optimus 2x has a 4-inch IPS LCD screen, 512MB of RAM, 8GB of inbuilt storage, an 8MP rear camera and 1.3MP front-facing camera, as well as GPS/A-GPS connectivity. At its price, all this makes the phone a great value for money proposition. It's also one of the few phones in the market to offer 1080p HD video recording.

Key Specifications and Features:

Android 2.3
4-inch IPS LCD display (800x480 pixels)
World’s first dual-core smartphone
1GHz dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor with ULP GPU
512MB RAM
8MP Camera with Autofocus and LED flash
1080p HD video@24fps
Gorilla Glass Display

4) Google Nexus S

Price: Rs 19,900 (flipkart.com)

The Nexus S is a “Google” phone, which offers a massive advantage over other Android phones with respect to receiving Android updates. Any minor update or a newer version of the OS itself that the hardware qualifies for will be first seen on the Nexus S. The Nexus S ships pre-loaded with the Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) version and it does not come with any customized UI, giving you the “RAW” android experience. If you are one of those purists wanting the core Android experience, the Nexus S is certainly your best bet today. The 4-inch SuperLCD display of the Indian version is sharp, bright and visibly vibrant, and while it doesn’t compare to the SuperAMOLED of the original, it is still one of the best displays out there.

Key Specifications and Features:

Android 2.3.4
4-inch SAMOLED display
Well-built with contoured screen
1.0 GHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor
512MB RAM
5MP Camera with Autofocus
WVGA (800x480 pixels) video@30fps
Gorilla Glass Display

3) HTC Incredible S

Price: Rs 26,399 (flipkart.com)

The Incredible S is superbly built, has the HTC Sense UI and offers a very fluid Android 2.3 experience. With a 4-inch screen, the Incredible S is sized perfectly, striking a good balance between screen-size and handling. With 1 GHz Qualcomm processor and 768MB RAM, the Incredible S is well specced, offering a stutter free overall experience across the interface, apps and multitasking (especially after the Android 2.3 update).

Key Specifications and Features

Android 2.3.3 with HTC Sense UI 2.0
4.0-inch SLCD display
Slim, ruggedized body with excellent build
1.0 GHz Qualcomm MSM 8255 CPU
768MB RAM
8MP Camera with Autofocus
720p video capture@30fps
Gorilla Glass Display

2) HTC Sensation

Price: Rs 30,499 (flipkart.com)

The Sensation is HTC's current top-end offering in India; it has a large, high-resolution screen and offers the trademark HTC build quality. Running on Android Gingerbread, the Sensation comes with an upgraded HTC Sense UI (version 3.0). Powered with a dual-core 1.2GHz processor and 768MB RAM, it has enough firepower to ensure a fluid Android experience. The biggest advantage of the Sensation is the screen resolution, with 540x960 pixels rendered on the 4.3-inch S-LCD screen, the Sensation has the highest pixel density of all the Android phones (with 4-inch and above screen size)

Key Specifications and Features

Android 2.3.3 with HTC Sense UI 3.0
4.3-inch SLCD display
Sturdy construction with excellent build
1.2 GHz Qualcomm MSM 8260 CPU
768MB RAM
8MP Camera with Autofocus
1080p video capture@30fps
Gorilla Glass Display

1) Samsung Galaxy S II (I9100)

Price: Rs 32,890

Awarding the Samsung Galaxy S II as the best Android device was not an easy call, thanks to the competition in the market from the HTC Sensation to the LG Optimus 2X. The Samsung Galaxy S II certainly delivers and keeps up with all that hype, the Samsung Galaxy S II is the best Android phone for sure; it perhaps is the best overall smartphone today. What makes the Galaxy S II even more tempting in India is the price-point; the S2 is delightfully priced lower than the international pricing. With an MRP of Rs 32,890, the S II should soon settle around the 30K mark in the market. While 30K is a lot of money, but when you consider the fact that most of the other high-end android devices are priced around the 25K mark, 30K for a phone that is far, far ahead of the rest of the pack in every department is clearly justified in our books.

Key Specifications and Features

Android v2.3.3 with TouchWiz 4.0
4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display
Super-slim body, weighs just 116g
1.2GHz Dual Core Processor
1GB of RAM
8MP Camera with autofocus
1080p video recording@30fps
HDMI port
USB 2.0 (MHL), USB on-the-go
NFC (Near Field Communication) ready

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Nvidia GeForce GTX 580M: The fastest notebook GPU

Nvidia has launched the Fermi-based GeForce GTX 580M GPU, which it claims is the highest performing graphics processing unit for notebooks ever. Based on the new GF114 core on the 40nm fabrication process, the GTX 580M GPU will ship first in the the M17x and M18x laptops of Alienware. Nvidia says users can now expect better near-desktop performance on a notebook.

“The best game support. The best gaming features. The best gaming performance available anywhere. That’s the essence of the GeForce GTX 580M,” says Rene Haas, general manager of notebook products at Nvidia. “With power like this, you can turn all the knobs to 11.”

In terms of specs, the GTX 580M has 32 render back ends, 8 tessellation engines, 384 stream processing units, 64 texture units, and a 256-bit memory controller. The core clock speed is 620MHz, while the stream processor clocks in at 1240MHz. Partners are recommended to clock the GDDR5 memory at 1.5GHz.

With the new GPU, Nvidia claims, the gamers can play at full 1080p high-definition resolutions with several advanced technology features including PhysX engine support, CUDA architecture support, SLI technology, 3D Vision, Optimus technology and so on. Nvidia's most recent desktop GPUs, namely the GeForce GTX 590 and GTX 560 Ti had evoked overwhelming response from the gamers and critics.

The Alienware M18x, the first notebook PC to feature the GeForce GTX 580M, gives users the option of running two GeForce GTX 580M GPUs in SLI. The other Alienware notebook PC, M17x, offers Optimus technology to deliver up to 5 hours of battery life, and uses the 580M to maximu, offering 100 frames per second performance in Call of Duty: Black Ops.

“Gamers aspire to experience games at their highest settings,” says Eddy Goyanes, product marketing manager for Alienware. “Alienware activates the technology designed to enable those aspirations. With the launch of the GeForce GTX 580M on the Alienware M17x, and a dual card option on the M18x, that synergy continues - Alienware delivers the ultimate gaming experience.”

The company has also announced GeForce GTX 570M GPU, which it says gives at least 20 percent faster performance than the previous generation product it replaces.

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Sandia Cooler introduces concept of a spinning heat sink

Generally, CPU cooling hardware doesn’t conjure up a lot of excitement. However, what just walked out of the door at the Sandia National Laboratories in Livermore, California is sure to create a lot of excitement. Along with the extra efficient cooling comes the promise of faster processing speed for laptops and desktops!

Researcher Jeff Koplow has designed this heat sink, which is the fan in itself. The Sandia Cooler, also known as the “Air Bearing Heat Exchanger”, is designed in such a away that the metal blades sit right above the heat source. This new heat sink design cuts through the warm air in such a way that air turbulence is produced, helping with the dissipation.

The heat moves away quicker, and allows the cooler air to have a better effect since the “dead air” problem has been completely dealt with. Also, the design creates airflow in such a way that dust gets pushed away from the heat sink, rather than getting sucked into it. Dust accumulation is one of the problems caused by the design of current heat sinks.

Traditionally, CPU heat sink designs featured a metal heat sink and a fan to push out the heat generated by the CPU. However, that design wasn’t very efficient since a layer of dead air would cling on to the heat sink. This layer was essentially some part of the warm air, and in a perfect scenario, needed to be cleared out. Power limitations (of the fan) and the basic design of the heat sinks made cooling less efficient as more and more ‘dead air’ blocked the path of the cooler air.

The Sandia Cooler, if implemented in desktop PCs and Laptops, will allow for the use of much faster processors, while running cooler at the same time.

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"Angry Anna game": Wipe Out Corrupt Politicians

Who says you cannot have fun while supporting the ongoing anti-graft movement led by Anna Hazare? Fun, Angry Birds style! Geek Mentors Studios, a Noida-based app developing company, has launched “Angry Anna”, a game where Anna and other social activists wipe out the “corrupt politicians”.

The Angry Anna game is already a massive hit, garnering extensive media coverage. “Angry Anna” is one of the most popular topics on Twitter. Over 300 tweets have mentioned Angry Anna game soon after its launch. In addition, the website angryanna.com received more than 46,000 hits within 24 hours of the launch.

The Angry Anna game is inspired by Angry Birds, with the sole difference being the animated faces of anti-graft leaders such as Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev who replace the Angry Birds of the original game. The “pigs” have been replaced with the faces of some "corrupt politicians". The Angry Anna game has four levels.

The online world is no more indifferent to the things taking place in the society. The ongoing anti-corruption movement has already seen a huge contribution from the tech world. Earlier, the India Against Corruption launched an app for the smartphones that enabled users to access all the latest updates related to the movement.

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World's 1st 8 core by AMD

AMD has revealed the approximate retail pricing of its first eight-core Bulldozer processors on a promotional webpage - $300. Part of its upcoming FX-Series, which also includes four and six core processors, the eight-core Bulldozers are codenamed Zambezi, with the first two to be released the FX-8100 and FX-8150 models.

The AMD Bulldozer FX-8150 is the top-end offerin - based on the 32nm process, it has a 3.6GHz core clock that can turbo up to 4.2GHz, all whilst maintaining a TDP of 125W. At the $300 pricing, AMD puts it roughly at the same price as Intel’s current Sandy Bridge Core i7-2600 offering, a quad-core processor. However, AMD expects it to compete directly against Intel’s upcoming Sandy Bridge Extreme processors, expected in Q4 2011, and Ivy Bridge processors, expected in Q1 2012.

The first Bulldozer processors are expected to be the Zambezi offerings, and are to be launched on September 19. Also expected with them are the four-core and six-core FX-4100 and FX-6100.

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Sony's 'Personal 3D Viewer';

While Sony had presented a wearable 3D head mounted display to the world at CES 2011, most had assumed to it was a technology demonstration, rather than a upcoming product. It is now official, called the HMZ-T1 or “Personal 3D Viewer,” and will be launched in Japan by November 11th.

Similar to the Nintendo Virtual Boy, the short-lived virtual reality headset of the early nineties in concept, the Personal 3D Viewer takes modern technology to the fullest - featuring two 0.7-inch OLED displays, one for each eye, each capable of displaying a eye-watering 1280x720 pixels. The two displays will create a “movie theatre-like virtual screen”, one that is roughly equivalent to a 750-inch screen placed at a 20-metre distance.

Users will be able to view both 2D and 3D images and videos, and, the HMZ-T1 features a 5.1 surround sound output via Sony Virtualphone speakers integrated directly on the headset. It also features spatial 3D audio effects, and comes with 4 surround modes. The HMZ-T1’s processor unit (seen above) will feature two HDMI interfaces, for input and output of images and videos via connected televisions, media players, and other such devices.

The Sony HMZ-T1 will weigh approximately 420 grams, rather heavy for a head mounted display, but hopefully Sony would have managed to spread the weight around ergonomically, making it feel lighter than it is – otherwise, you can kiss goodbye to watching a whole movie at a stretch.

While Sony hasn’t given the device a price tag yet, it has suggested a retail price of ¥60,000 (or roughly $784).Sony has not confirmed whether the device will support head-tracking, which would make it perfect for virtual reality and gaming applications. A possible PlayStation tie-up is likely though.

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Apple released iTunes Match for Developers

Apple has released a developer version of its iTunes Match service.

The beta is open to U.S.-based developers. Those who purchase a 12-month subscription for $24.99 will get access to the iTunes Match beta, plus three additional months free..

To test it out, download the most recent version of iOS 5 beta and iTunes 10.5 beta 6.1 with iTunes Match. Then, select "Turn on iTunes Match" from the Store menu and click subscribe.

Apple warned users to keep a local backup of your iTunes library, as well as music added to iCloud. "Apple will periodically reset your iCloud library during the beta and it is critical that you backup your music regularly," the email said. "Some features and optimizations of iTunes Match will not be available during the beta."

With iTunes Match, users can store their entire music library in the cloud, or iCloud, for on-the-go access to your music from any iOS device or computer.

The full iTunes Match and Apple iCloud services won't be live until the fall, but a portion of iTunes in the Cloud went live in June during Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC). Those with AT&T iPhones, iOS 4.3 devices like iPads and iPod touches, as well as computers with iTunes 10.3 were given access to an iTunes in the Cloud Beta.

Earlier this month, the Web site for Apple's iCloud , went live for developers. Apple iCloud users get 5GB of free storage, but upgrades are available: an additional 10GB will run you $20 per year, while 20GB will cost $40 per year and 50GB will be $100.

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5 Super Back to School iPad Apps

PocketCAS – lite version free, Pro version $19.99


If you are a math major, or have a somewhat advanced math class, this app will help you with simple to complex mathematic equations and formulas. The tutorials even show you how to solve them, so that you can not only check your work but also learn how to do the assignment. The mathematical keyboard makes entering these equations and formulas much easier, although the lite version is not as feature rich in this area as the pro version.
After you finish creating a graph or chart or some special equation, you can output the content to your Photo library on the iPad, email it as a PDF, print it using Air Print, or in the pro version you can send it to an external display using a projector and the dock to VGA or HDMI adapter.

The paid version is $19.99 and outputs the results via projector and has more advanced keyboard functions.

inClass – Free


inClass is designed to keep your school work organized and on time. It costs nothing to use, but you might as well drop a buck on it to remove the annoying ads at the bottom of the screen.
inClass Keeps Your Course Schedule with Alarms.
The interface looks like a student organizer with room for your class schedule, professor contact info and homework assignment lists. You can also take notes right in the app with the ability to record audio, video and pictures. You can email notes to a friend who missed the lecture, or to yourself for backup.

inClass Lets You Type Notes and Record Audio, Video or Photos
If you are in class and need to open another app, you can keep the audio recording going by using the background function built into iOS 4. Double tap the home icon and open the other app and the recording still keeps capturing the lecture audio.

inClass is free in the app store and has an in-app purchase of $.99 to remove the annoying ads.


Evernote – Free


Evernote bills itself as “an extension of your brain” and that it is for many us. I use Evernote to store notes, tax receipts, personal information, and more. As a student you could set up a separate notebook for each semester, class, or for a project. Then import content to it using email or enter it directly by typing into the app. You can also record audio and photos.
Evernote is free in the App store and requires a free account with the Evernote service.

Audible – Free with $14.95 Monthly Subscription

With Audible you can listen to your text books instead of reading them. This can be a huge time saver especially if you have a commute of more than fifteen minutes to school every day.
Audible gives you access to a free book or two every month depending on your subscription level. You can save up credits for a couple of months so you can get a few of your books all at once. Many books do not work well as audio books, but that English Lit novel you have to read could be a great option. Even if you only find one or two books a semester, this makes the subscription worthwhile.

The iPhone app works well on the iPad and gives access to all of your books either via download or streaming.

CourseSmart eTextbooks for iPad – Free


For textbooks choose CourseSmart’s eTextbooks for iPad app. He said it has the best selection. It is free and looks like most e-book apps with a bookshelf view and easy to read interface. The app includes the following list of features taken from their App store description:

Access your eTextbooks for quick reference
Scan for images, tables, graphs & charts
Skim thumbnails or full pages
Add and Edit Notes to pages as you study
View your notes during an open book exam
Find what you need using keyword search
Get a true digital equivalent of your textbook

Those are a few of the apps which will get you and your iPad through the school year. What other apps would you suggest?

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How to convert your Windows 7 laptop into a Wireless HotSpot?

Sharing your Windows internet connection via software has traditionally been a tricky business.

Intel's latest 32-bit and 64-bit drivers now include support, as do various others for Atheros, Broadcom, Realtek and other big players, but these don't apply to every chipset. Check the support site for your wireless adapter to see what's available.

If you're in luck and manage to find and install an up-to-date Windows 7 driver for your adapter, then the next step is to set it up, and for that you'll need an elevated command prompt. Click Start, type CMD, right-click the Cmd.exe link and select "Run as Administrator".

Now type the following command:

netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid="Name" key="Desired Password"

and press [Enter]. Replace "Name" with the name you'd like to use for your custom network, and "Desired Password" with a password that's a little harder to guess.

Still at the command line, type

netsh wlan start hostednetwork

and press [Enter] to Start up the virtual adapter.

Now click Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Centre > Change Adapter Settings, right-click your internet connection and select Properties. Click the Sharing tab, check "Allow other network users to connect...", choose your virtual Wi-Fi adaptor - and that's it.

Any nearby Wi-Fi enabled device should see a new network appear with the SSID you defined above. They'll be able to connect to it using your password, and can then immediately share your internet connection.

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HTC Announces Web-Based Bootloader Unlock Tool

HTC announced some more details about how it will unlock the bootloaders of devices that are currently selling with them locked. The tool will be web-based, require a valid email address, a device-specific token, require consent to void parts of the warranty, but then give a code which will unlock the phone's bootloader permanently. HTC stated back in July that a bootloader unlocking process was coming soon, and has now given some specifics on the timeline and which devices will see it first.
The first unlocks will start with the global HTC Sensation, followed by the HTC Sensation on T-Mobile which we reviewed recently, and finally the HTC EVO 3D on Sprint. A software update will take place before the web unlock tool goes live to prepare the devices for the unlocking process.

Phones will continue selling with their bootloaders locked for the indefinite future because of security and warranty concerns.
"Because unlocking the bootloader provides extensive control over the device and modifications may cause operation, security and experience issues, new devices will continue to ship locked but will support user-initiated unlocking using a new Web-based tool."

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RIM Announces BlackBerry Torch 9810, Bold 9900, Torch 9860 - 2011

Almost exactly a year ago, AT&T and RIM announced the BlackBerry Torch 9800, which we reviewed and found brought a much-needed new WebKit based browser and OS update, but still wasn't quite the BlackBerry we were looking for. Well, one year is up, and it's time for an update with the BlackBerry Torch 9810 (which really sould be called the Torch 2) to take its place in AT&T's BlackBerry lineup.

The Torch 9810 keeps the same slide-out form factor, but brings a number of hugely-needed improvements. Chief among those is inclusion of a much faster single core 1.2 GHz MSM8255 Snapdragon SoC, which will no doubt provide a noticeable boost in speed compared to the Torch 9800's underwhelming and outdated 624 MHz Marvell Tavor PXA930 SoC. The 5 MP camera can shoot 720p video this time around, no doubt thanks in part to having an actual modern SoC, and there's HSPA+ 14.4 connectivity. There's also a VGA 3.2" panel now, instead of the Torch's rather anemic 360x480.

But probably the biggest note is that the 9810 (and the other two devices I'll mention in a second) will launch running BlackBerry OS 7, which brings a host of performance improvements and modernizations. We look forward to getting some hands on with the Torch 9810 when it launches sometime this August.
The next two devices are the BlackBerry Torch 9850/9860 which seem to resemble something of a storm reboot, with a 3.7" WVGA (800x480) display. It also includes a 1.2 GHz MSM8x55 SoC, 5 MP camera with flash and 720p video recording, and the usual fixings. Last but not least is the already well-understood and anticipated BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930 update, which also gets the same list of SoC and display upgrades. That means a 2.8" VGA display, 1.2 GHz MSM8x55 SoC, 5 MP camera with 720p video recording, and NFC support. I'm also told that all three devices will get a welcome 768 MB of LPDDR2 RAM. Again, specifics and details are relatively scant right now, but we look forward to playing with these when the time comes. AT&T has announced that the Bold 9900 and Torch 9860 will be out by the end of the year.

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Fighting for the Facebook “like” and Google “+1″

The Facebook Like and Google’s +1 are two ways for people to recommend content to their friends without bothering them. These social signals are very important to me when they come from legitimate people because I believe that social sharing like this is one of the strongest driving forces behind visitors and conversions.

Social sharing wasn’t always like this. In the past if you wanted to share a link you had to publicly post it. The problem with that is 99% of your friends wouldn’t be interested in the link. However, now you can recommend content to your friends only when they need it.

Here’s an example. Somebody wants to compare Pikachu vs. Charizard so they land on our forum and they love the content on that page. If they wanted to recommend that page, they give it a Google +1 or a Facebook Like. Then, when anyone in their social circle searches for something similar on Google, they see the recommendation by the search result. The beauty of this is that recommendations show only when someone else is searching for the same thing!

Most of my friends have upwards of 300 friends on social networks. That means that for every legitimate “+1″ or “Like” (among others) that a site receives, its reach will probably increase by over 300 people. If any of these people search anything similar to what the original social sharer searched, they will see the personal recommendation and you can be sure that they’ll click through and browse around the site.

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How to make a Bootable win 7 from usb

The method is very simple and you can use without any hassles. Needless to say that your motherboard should support USB Boot feature to make use of the bootable USB drive.
Requirements:
*USB Flash Drive (Minimum 4GB)
*Windows 7 or Vista installation files.
Follow the below steps to create bootable Windows 7/Vista USB drive using which you can install Windows 7/Vista easily.
1. Plug-in your USB flash drive to USB port and move all the contents from USB drive to a safe location on your system.
2. Open Command Prompt with admin rights. Use any of the below methods to open Command Prompt with admin rights.
*Type cmd in Start menu search box and hit Ctrl+ Shift+ Enter.
Or
*Go to Start menu > All programs > Accessories, right click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
3. You need to know about the USB drive a little bit. Type in the following commands in the command prompt:
First type DISKPART and hit enter.
Next type LIST DISK command and note down the Disk number (ex: Disk 1) of your USB flash drive. In the below screenshot my Flash Drive Disk no is Disk 1.
4. Next type all the below commands one by one. Here I assume that your disk drive no is “Disk 1”.If you have Disk 2 as your USB flash drive then use Disk 2.Refer the above step to confirm it.
So below are the commands you need to type and execute one by one:
SELECT DISK 1
CLEAN
CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY
SELECT PARTITION 1
ACTIVE
FORMAT FS=NTFS
(Format process may take few seconds)
ASSIGN
EXIT
Don’t close the command prompt as we need to execute one more command at the next step. Just minimize it.
5. Next insert your Windows7/Vista DVD into the optical drive and check the drive letter of the DVD drive. In this guide I will assume that your DVD drive letter is “D” and USB drive letter is “H” (open my computer to know about it).
6. Maximize the minimized Command Prompt in the 4th step.Type the following command now:
D: CD BOOT and hit enter.Where “D” is your DVD drive letter.
CD BOOT and hit enter to see the below message.
7. Type another command given below to update the USB drive with BOOTMGR compatible code.
BOOTSECT.EXE /NT60 H:
Where “H” is your USB drive letter. Once you enter the above command you will see the below message.
8. Copy your Windows 7/Vista DVD contents to the USB flash drive.
9. Your USB drive is ready to boot and install Windows 7/Vista. Only thing you need to change the boot priority at the BIOS to USB from the HDD or CD ROM drive. I won’t explain it as it’s just the matter the changing the boot priority or enabling the USB boot option in the BIOS.
Note: If you are not able to boot after following this guide means you haven’t set the BIOS priority to USB. If you got any problem in following this guide feel free to ask questions by leaving comment.

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iCloud.com launches in Beta version

Today, Apple launched iCloud.com as Beta. There have been some issues with developers and non-developers to log in. How ever, we could log in, and it is AMAZING. The email is pretty much the same as in Mac OS X Lion. The Calendar is pretty much the same as in the iPad. This are some of the images of what iCloud.com looks like:
Main Page:

Contacts:

iWork: Keynote

iCloud Calendar

iCloud Mail

The fees will be:

Free for 5 GB of storage.
$20 per year for 15 GB total
$40 per year for 25 GB total
$100 per year for 55 GB total.
At this point, iCloud.com is only available for Developers.

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Want to Unlock Your iPhone 3GS? Know the Risk before You Do

In line with the increase demand for unlocking iPhone 3GS procedures, several methods to liberate your device from the former un-free-able official AT&T contract have been introduced and advertised through the net. Unfortunately, these procedures will seriously take your iPhone 3GS at risk and cost you more money. Though no constitutional law prohibits the unlocking procedures, some users throw legality questions on such actions.

It was on August 23rd, 2007 when a 17-year old student revealed the steps on his unlocking procedures. His act was noted as the first publicly unlock attempt; he tested and introduced his attempt on a popular blog. He took his iPhone apart and created some hardware and software tweaks. The result was he completely destroyed his iPhone. His procedures obviously demanded soldering skills, additional tools and high concentration and patience, leading his iPhone sparking and melting during the process.

Unlocking your iPhone 3GS has never been easy task. New unlocking applications have now claimed to provide safer unlocking procedures using one simple installation. This new method is different to the hardware unlock method. However, software or app for unlocking iPhone 3GS is usually high-cost charged for the download access, though the providers have no proof that their procedures really work. The risk increase as they don’t guarantee that the unlocking procedures will keep working after updating the latest version.

It would be best to simply question yourself whether you can afford a new iPhone 3GS if the procedures you take make your device completely disfunctional. If you say no, you should stay away from any unlocking procedures.

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Understanding the concept of Jailbreaking & Unlocking Apple iPhone

Before talking about the benefits it is quite important to understand the terms jailbreaking and unlocking an iPhone. It is the procedure through which devices like iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad are permitted to achieve ‘root access’ to the line of command of the operating system iOS by getting rid of the constraints to admission and usage that are imposed by Apple.

Successful jailbreaking of the particular device will enable downloading themes, extensions and applications which are generally not accessible through the App Store. The procedure also assists in executing other functions which are impossible on the devices that are bought from the stores. It is only through jailbreaking that unlocking of the devices is possible Thus, it can be said that unlocking is the result or outcome of jailbreaking. But, there are certain differences between jailbreaking as well as unlocking.

Unlocking of an iPhone would result in changing the software of the system in a certain method which would free the particular device from the limitations in relation to SIM card that are imposed by the service provider and Apple. This procedure would enable a user of the iPhone to use the device with any other service provider of GSM across the world. For instance an iPhone that is locked and is in the U.S. can just be used or will only be attuned with AT&T whereas an iPhone that is unlocked in the U.S is compatible to be used by any service provider who uses SIM card.

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