Now, 'bulletproof' case for your iPhone

LONDON: A Japanese firm called Marudai has unveiled a $650 bulletproof case for your iPhone.

It could offer the perfect protection for those planning to recreate the infamous 'iPhone vs gun' videos popular on YouTube, which see amateur marksmen shooting their phones and other gadgets to see what happens to them.

The bulletproof case features an inch thick slab of steel plating the firm claims can resist a .50 caliber round, the Daily Mail reported.

However, the protection does come at a cost -- apart from the high price tag, only the back of your handset is protected -- and there's a hole for the camera lens drilled into the metal.

The front of the camera is protected by a thin sheet of aluminum, although the firm has thoughtfully made both white and black versions available, the newspaper added.

The iPhone is first placed into a protective case, then the steel and aluminum case is bolted together around it to secure the handset. The firm also throws in a bonus for purchasers - an empty bullet so you can show friends exactly what you are protected against, the Mail said.

Google in new privacy row

LONDON: Search giant Google has sparked a new privacy row by asking users to read and interpret random private house numbers in order to access their own accounts.

Internet users are being asked to read random pictures of real house numbers taken by Google's Street View cameras, as part of new security checks.

The pictures of house numbers, which are taken from doors and fences on its Street View mapping service, appear on Google's websites when users are asked security questions in order to access their accounts.

Nokia offers real-time traffic updates to phone users

NEW DELHI: Nokia added real-time traffic updates to its Drive app, which is available on the company's Windows and Symbian smartphones.

According to Nokia, people who use Drive app to find their way in Delhi and Mumbai will be now able to see the condition of traffic on their route in advance. The traffic jams will be shown on streets in red colour and the green routes will indicate a smooth drive.

he service is powered by Navteq Traffic Pro. According to Nokia, it utilizes the probes and signals from Drive users to find out the condition of traffic on a particular road. For example, if traffic on Road A is moving slowly, the data from Nokia users stuck in the traffic will indicate very low speed. Nokia then uses this data to warn other Drive users headed towards Road A.

Android devices and iPhones also offer maps and direction services to their users, though in India they are not as comprehensive as what Nokia has on its phones. Google's Navigation, which is similar to Nokia Drive, is not officially supported in India. It also lacks features like turn-by-turn voice navigation and real-time traffic updates.

But iPhone or Android users can try Waze, a free app that also uses data from users on the road to identify and pinpoint traffic jams.

Nokia said that worldwide its maps are used 100 million times daily. In India, Nokia Drive covers 750 cities. The company said real-time traffic updates would be rolled out to other major cities in the future.

"Location is at the core of our vision for the future. We aim is to introduce new services such as traffic update, which will make consumers early adopters of the latest technology for a stress-free and productive life," said Vipul Mehrotra, director (smart devices) and Nokia India.

HTC One X, One V smartphones to reach India on April 2

New Delhi: Taiwanese handset manufacturer HTC has confirmed that the HTC One X and One V models will be launched in India on April 2.

While the One X will be priced at Rs 36,000, the HTC One V will be available for Rs 18,000.

Powered by a 1.5 GHz Nvidia Tegra 3 Quad-Core processor, the HTC One X has HTC Sense 4 UI and Beats audio integration.

Its 8 MP camera supports Full HD (1080p) video recording. Other features incluse a 1.3 MP front camera, NFC (Near Field Communication), 1 GB RAM, 32 GB internal memory and 1800 mAh battery.

Microsoft, Google in open war in India

‘MUMBAI: Google and Microsoft, two of the world's largest technology firms, are raining blows on each other as they hard sell their so-called cloud services and vie for dominance in a market estimated to grow to $15-18 billion by 2020.

Although these companies used to be thought of as being fundamentally different, similarities are beginning to show more prominently with both offering office productivity software, besides computer operating systems. While it may be too early to gauge business gains, the war of words has begun.

"Google is the largest cloud services company in India," claimed Rajan Anandan, Google's India head since January 2011. "We have 2,00,000 businesses that use Google cloud solutions. We have orders of magnitude bigger than Microsoft," added Anandan, who used to head Microsoft in India before he took up the Google job.

Cloud computing is causing a fundamental shift in the way technology services are delivered. Unlike in the traditional model, software or hardware need not be on-premise but can bought as a service and can be paid for depending on usage, instead of a lumpsum upfront payment earlier.

Soon, see-through cellphone you can wrap around your wrist

Washington: A see-through cellphone that can be draped around a wrist may soon be possible as scientists have developed transparent, flexible memories using silicon oxide as the active component.

Rice University chemist James Tour revealed that the new type of memory could combine with the likes of transparent electrodes developed at Rice for flexible touchscreens and transparent integrated circuits and batteries developed at other labs in recent years.

Apple to Offer Refund Over Australian 4G IPad Claims

Apple will offer refunds to people who bought its latest iPad following a claim by Australia's competition regulator that it ran misleading advertisements over the device's 4G connectivity, according to reports.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) took Apple to the Federal Court in Melbourne on Wednesday for allegedly violating sections of the Australian Consumer Law.

The ACCC claims that Apple's advertisements mislead the public over the device's 4G capabilities, as the latest iPad is not compatible with Australia's sole 4G network, which is run by Telstra.

Telstra operates its 4G service within the 1800MHz band, while the latest iPad can only be used on the 700MHz and 2100MHz LTE bands. The new iPad is compatible with 4G LTE networks in the U.S. and Canada using data speed specifications including HSPA, HSPA+ and DC-HSDPA.

LG to launch 12 new Android phones in India this year

‘LG will begin the launch of new Android handsets from May with Optimus 4X HD smartphone running Android 4.0.

South Korea's LG Electronics will launch 12 new Android based smartphones in low, mid and top end categories in India this year to strengthen its existing smartphone portfolio in the country.

" In order to strengten its existing Android smartphone segment, LG will launch 12 new Android based handsets in the price bracket of Rs 7,000 to Rs 35,000 for Indian consumers this year," Sanjay Maheshwary, head of marketing, mobile communications, LG Mobile, said to The Mobile Indian.

Sanjay further added, "LG will begin the launch of new Android handsets in India from May with Optimus 4X HD smartphone with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich mobile operating system and quad core Nvidia Tegra 3 mobile processor."

LG will begin the launch of new Android handsets from May with Optimus 4X HD smartphone which will feature 1 GB RAM and 16 GB on board storage. At the rear, the smartphone features an 8.1 megapixel camera with LED flash and in the front there's a 1.3 megapixel camera for video calling and video chats.

Facebook seeks to copyright word 'book' in new user agreement

Social networking giant Facebook is seeking to trademark the word 'book,' it has emerged.

The social media behemoth secretly slipped in the small clause in its newest user agreement page.

This means that all Facebook users who log onto the site are agreeing to the terms.

"You will not use our copyrights or trademarks (including Facebook, the Facebook, and F Logos, FB, Face, Poke, Book, and Wall), or any confusingly similar marks, except as expressly permitted by our Brand Usage Guidelines or with our prior written consent," the agreement page reads.

While the assertion doesn't make the trademark legally binding, the clause gives the website more protection and clout in future legal standings to protect its intellectual property, The Daily Mail reports.

Facebook currently has at least 70 trademarks including 'F,' 'F8,' 'Wall,' 'Friendfeed,' and 'Facebook Ads.'

The current statement says that 'you will note use our copyrights or trademarks (including Facebook, the Facebook and F Logos, FB, Face, Poke, Wall and 32665), or any confusingly similar marks, without our written permission.

According to a Wired report, the change is tucked into Facebook's Site Governance section.

Wired said that while the agreement isn't as binding as a registered trade mark, because every Facebook user ultimately agrees to the new terms, the net Facebook casts is a wide one.

Rovio to get Angry Birds Space for Windows Phone: CEO

Helsiniki: Rovio is working on getting its new Angry Birds Space game to Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 platform (WP7), its chief executive said on Friday, putting Nokia and other Windows phones more on a par with the iPhone.

"We are working towards getting Angry Birds Space to WP7," Rovio Chief Executive Mikael Hed told Reuters, dismissing earlier media reports that the top gaming firm was dumping the platform.

Hed, however, said the launch date was not set.

Samsung says 'it will match Apple designs one day'

WASHINGTON: Samsung's mobile design chief has said that his company will match Apple's iconic product designs 'one day'.

Apple has accused the Korean mobile maker of 'slavishly copying' the design of its iPhone and iPad.

Lee Minhyouk, vice president for design at Samsung Mobile, said he was offended by the accusations.

"As a designer, there's an issue of dignity. [The Samsung Galaxy] is original from the beginning and I'm the one who made it. It's a totally different product with a different design language and different technology infused," The Telegraph quoted Minhyouk, as saying.

Lee, however, admitted during an interview that his work does not yet match the work of Jonathan Ive, the Apple's designer who created the popular iPhone, iPod and iMac.

"I might not be at [Ive's] level yet but I believe Samsung will produce such iconic products one day," the paper quoted Lee, as saying.

"It's not just effort that makes it possible for a new product to be a massive hit. It also has to be timely and technology should be ready to make a certain design a reality," he added.

Samsung and Apple have developed an increasingly intense rivalry in recent years.

Samsung's Galaxy S II handset is widely regarded is the best Android handset and the strongest challenger to Apple's iPhone.

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga: Fall in LUV with this game-changer!

Technically speaking, the Ertiga isn’t exactly the first seven-seater to emerge from Maruti’s stable. There were the Omni E and the Versa and then the Eeco which all take care of the people-carrier duties in their range. But the Ertiga, it’s a little different. Where the others were bare and featureless, the Ertiga is decently specced-out as a significant value-for-money composition. Where the earlier models were meant to be bought by fleet operators, the Ertiga aims straight for the family man. In doing so, India’s largest carmaker is creating a new niche that it calls ‘Life Utility Vehicle’ or LUV that essentially offers hatchback upgraders and sedan-buyers a car that’s part sedan, part MUV.

Looks


No surprises here, the Ertiga bears a very strong resemblance to the new Suzuki Swift and the DZire. It is based on the Swift platform, but it is a good bit longer than the Swift. It’s not quite in the same dimensions as the Innova though - call it a compact MUV. If you have seen the Ford Fusion, you will get the idea. Now exponentially increase it. The fascia has the now familiar Suzuki egg-crate grille with stretched peeled-back headlamps. This visage of the car is possibly its best-looking side. Side on, the similarities to the Innova can’t be missed, especially the stance. The shoulder lines are solid, but the Ertiga’s rear is like any other people-mover’s, quite bland, with the tail-lights the only distinguishing feature. In the pictures, you don’t notice it much, but the scale of the vehicle is the clincher. The 15-inch alloys (top variant) feel smaller for a car of this size.

Facebook buys 750 patents from IBM: Report

SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook has acquired hundreds of patents from International Business Machines Corp as the social networking company attempts to bolster its intellectual property portfolio in the wake of a lawsuit filed by Yahoo.

The 750 patents from IBM cover a broad range of technology, ranging from search to semiconductors, according to a person familiar with the matter. A Facebook spokeswoman said the company had no comment, and an IBM representative could not immediately be reached.

Yahoo sued Facebook earlier this month, claiming that Facebook infringed 10 patents, including several that cover online advertising technology.

Nokia gets streaming-serious with Play On Windows Phone app

Nokia has launched a new beta app for media placeshifting, baking DLNA streaming into Windows Phone and eventually helping the platform to play nicely with the Xbox 360 and PS3. Nokia Play To for Windows Phone is a free Beta Labs download for Lumia users, with a pared down sharing interface that allows photos and videos to be easily displayed on TVs, laptops, other smartphones, tablets and, eventually, consoles, over a wireless connection.

Under the hood is DLNA, which has been around for years but is generally too fiddly and complex for everyday users to be bothered with. What Nokia has sensibly done – and, admittedly, others have tried before it – is dress DLNA up with a more straightforward UI.

Since this is an early beta, there are still some rough edges to be polished away. Currently Sony BRAVIA internet-connected TVs aren’t working properly with the app, for video at least, and right now there’s no Media Server support which means your Xbox 360 and PS3 won’t actually be able to see the device. Videos at higher resolutions are also supposedly causing problems.

Nokia says it’s working on the console issue for a future release, and it’ll likely take that before the app gains significant traction. Still, with Microsoft not yet entirely putting its money where its mouth is in terms of the interconnected Windows phone/PC/console ecosystem, Nokia has obviously decided to step up with a solution of its own.

UPDATE 1-Hyundai Motor CEO says new Sonata planned in 2014

SEOUL, March 21 (Reuters) - Hyundai Motor plans to launch a revamped version of its flagship Sonata sedan in 2014, its first upgrade in more than four years, its chief executive said on Wednesday, as the company grapples with increasing foreign competition in its home market.

Hyundai, the world's fifth-largest auto group along with its affiliate Kia Motors, has only one new model planned for a global launch this year. It started taking pre-orders on Wednesday for the new Santa Fe sports utility vehicle, which will be unveiled in April.

The latest version of the Sonata was launched in September 2009 in South Korea and early 2010 in the United States.

Sonata, which competes with Toyota Motor Corp's Camry, is Hyundai's top-selling model in the United States and helped the South Korean automaker achieve record sales and market share there last year. It was Hyundai's third-best selling model in South Korea last year.

GM upgrades Tavera to BS-4, finally

After a near 2-year long delay, the world's largest carmaker General Motors on Wednesday launched the BSIV compliant version of its multipurpose vehicle Tavera Neo with a price tag of Rs 7.51 lakh to Rs 10.34 lakh (ex-showroom). The vehicle was discontinued in 13 cities around the

country including metros such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore after stricter BS IV emission norms came into effect in April 2010.

"With the help of this new Tavera we'll be able to now sell the vehicle in 13 cities where BS-IV norms are applicable," said Lowell Paddock, president and managing director, General Motors India. "The timing of the launch was dictated on our insistence of a capable and efficient engine. There was no issue about planning as we wanted to stand true to our reputation. We hope that this vehicle will be leader in its segment."

Aakash gets Rs 765 crore in Budget 2012

NEW DELHI: The world's cheapest tablet project has been allocated about Rs 765 crore in Budget 2012-13, which is likely to trigger the second phase of the project expected to begin in April, even as the first phase is stuck in a deadlock.

The allocation for Aakash has been made under the National Mission for Education through ICT of Ministry of Human Resource and Development. The mission had launched the low-cost tablet project, last year.

According to official sources, the money allocated is 'sufficient' for the second phase of the project. Aakash-II is likely to cost the government about 569 crore for about 50 lakh tablets.

"Most of the money is likely to be utilised for the Aakash project. Some of it will be utilised for developing e-content," said a senior government official involved in the project.

Apple's new iPhone will use bigger 4.6-inch display: report

Apple Inc's new iPhone will have a sharper and bigger 4.6-inch "retina" display and is set to be launched around the second quarter, a South Korean media reported on Thursday.

Sales of the iPhone, first introduced in 2007 with the touch screen template now adopted by its rivals, account for around half Apple's total sales.

Apple has decided on the bigger 4.6-inch display for its next iPhone and started placing orders to its suppliers, the Maeil Business Newspaper said, quoting an unnamed industry source.

Its major display suppliers LG Display and Samsung Electronics Co declined to comment.

Samsung, which is also the biggest challenger to Apple in smartphones, uses 4.6-inch OLED display for its flagship Galaxy S II smartphone, introduced in April last year.

The high-definition "retina" display--containing several times as many pixels within the same area-- is used in the latest iPad released earlier this month.

The latest iPhone 4S was introduced in October last year.

Run of the tech mill?

Samsung Inc. has been slowly yet steadily launching a stream of tablets into the market over the last two years. One of the latest to quietly find a space on Indian store shelves a few weeks ago was the Samsung Galaxy Tab 620. The tablet, launched without much fanfare, is aimed at delivering a high-end tablet experience at a price tag that won't need you to pawn your gold to land enough cash.

What's in it?

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 620 is optimised with the Android Honeycomb 3.2 OS, like most of the company's recent tab launches. Although the display doesn't conform to the normal resolution of most apps, you can zoom in and expand non-tablet apps to fit the screen.

The OS is layered with Samsung's proprietary TouchWiz UX. The additions include a vertical-mode basic layout, optimised readability, a video maker and the option to create folders.

Summoning order against Microsoft quashed

The Delhi High Court on Monday set aside a summoning order against Microsoft India, admitting an argument by the company that no case was made out against it.

Justice Suresh Kait quashed the order on a petition by the company challenging the order of a court here directing it to appear as an accused to face criminal proceedings for allegedly posing obscene and defamatory material on its website.

The lower court had summoned the company on a complaint by journalist Vinay Rai, urging the court to prosecute the company for allegedly posting the objectionable material.