Nokia Asha 205 and the Nokia Asha 206 Unveiled

Nokia Asha 205 and the Nokia Asha 206

(Image Credit: http://www.cnet.com)

Two new entries in the Asha line of devices were unveiled by Nokia recently. However it appears that the Nokia Asha 205 and the Nokia Asha 206 will not be available for consumers in the US market.

Budget-conscious users are the main market for the two new feature phones of Nokia, which have a price tag of $62 each. Both the Nokia Asha 205 and the Nokia Asha 206 come with a quick-access Facebook button along with the Slam feature that facilitates sharing of files and images among mobile phone users.

The Nokia Asha 205 and the Nokia Asha 206 will be available before the end of the year. The Asha models are normally offered in markets where the Windows Phone Lumia of Nokia is not offered. Nokia also revealed that the two Asha feature phones are not compatible with the Windows Phone OS of Microsoft.

The Nokia Asha 205 and the Nokia Asha 206 are also offered with a gift pack from Electronic Arts that contain forty free games.

The latest entries in the Asha line of devices of Nokia also feature the latest version of the Xpress Browser of Nokia, which allows it to minimize the volume of internet data used by linking them with could-based servers. Although the Nokia Asha 205 and the Nokia Asha 206 do not feature GPS, cell towers can be used in showing a local map, pinpointing their location, and find a store or other establishments near its location. The Nokia Asha 205 and the Nokia Asha 206 also have the Nearby Web app from Nokia that allow users to get interesting information of nearby places.

Users of the Nokia Asha 205 and the Nokia Asha 206 will have their choice of mobile service provider since they are unlocked when sold in the market.

The Nokia Asha 205 features a QWERTY keyboard, 2.5-inch color display, and a 0.3MP camera. The feature phone also comes with a 64MB internal storage that is expandable by 32GB through the use of storage cards. On the other hand the Asha 206 comes with a standard alphanumeric keypad, 2.4-icnh display, and 1.3MP camera at the back.

Both the Nokia Asha 205 and the Nokia Asha 206 are expected to be available before the end of the year. The battery life of the two feature phones are also supposedly measured in weeks instead of hours.

The Nokia Asha 205 and the Nokia Asha 206 are the latest models of the Asha family whose features are similar to smartphones but are considered to be feature phones.

Microsoft May Be Working On Xbox Mini

Xbox

A number of reports have hinted at the possibility that Microsoft may be planning to expand its share of the game console market by offering the Xbox Mini. This upcoming device is supposed to allow the company to enter the set-top niche of the game console market.

The Xbox Mini will reportedly be offered as a cheaper alternative to the game consoles that are currently available in the market. It is aimed at competing with the set-top offerings of Roku and Apple. Microsoft will reportedly attempt to expand its market with the Xbox Mini to include casual gamers who are satisfied with casual game titles.

A number of anonymous sources provided the basis for the report, according to the Verge. However the price range for the supposed Xbox Mini was not stated in the report. As a point of comparison, the set-top unit of Roku has a base price tag of $50 while the Set-top unit of Apple is priced at $99.

The Xbox Mini will reportedly be a smaller model of the upcoming model of the Xbox game console. Industry watchers have indicated that the strategy used by the company of the upcoming set-top product offering is similar to what its strategy with the Windows 8, which is to enter a number of niches in the market at the same time.

However some questions were raised on what are being referred to with the casual game titles. It is logical that the Xbox Mini will not be compatible to graphics-heavy game titles such as Halo although it remains uncertain whet casual game titles mean.

Although no details were released on the specs of the reported Xbox Mini, leaked documents have given industry watchers an idea of what to look out for when the set-top product will be released into the market. Among the features of the upcoming Xbox Mini include four hardware cores, a standard 8GB RAM, removable hard drive and four USB ports. The reported Xbox Mini is also expected to come with a pair of augmented reality glasses, 3D sound, Blu-ray video support, and a controller that features a touchscreen.

Aside from the reported Xbox Mini, the company may also unveil a cloud gaming service that supports game streaming across platforms.

Reports on Samsung Galaxy S4 Continue To Emerge

Samsung

 (Image Credit: http://www.samsung.com)

Although the Samsung Galaxy S3 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 has made an impact in the mobile device market recently, it does not appear that the South Korean manufacturer is resting on its laurels. Reports on the possible Samsung Galaxy S4 have started to increase lately.

In fact some reports have hinted at the possibility that the supposed Samsung Galaxy S4 will make its appearance during the Consumer Electronics Show in January or at the Mobile World Congress on February. Some reports have even given hints on the possible display and camera of the supposed Samsung Galaxy S4.

One report indicated that the Samsung Galaxy S4 will feature a five-inch HD display screen with a 1920 x 1080 resolution. This indicates that the supposed successor to the current flagship smartphone of Samsung will have a pixel density of 445 PPI, which is bigger compared to the 306 PPI of the Samsung Galaxy S3. Another report hinted at the possibility that the upcoming smartphone will feature a 13MP camera.

The accuracy of these reports on the supposed Samsung Galaxy S4 remains uncertain even as the South Korean company launched its latest smartphones in a number of international markets. The Samsung Galaxy S3 was launched in London last May while the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 was announced by the company in Berlin during the IFA event.

Some industry watchers have indicated that it may be logical for the South Korean company to launch the Samsung Galaxy S4 during the Mobile World Congress is more logical than unveiling it at the CES next year. The reported Samsung Galaxy S4 may face competition from a number of Android-powered smartphones that will be launched into the market soon as well as the Windows Phone 8 devices that will reportedly be launched early next year.

Samsung has not issued any statements in connection to the reports of the supposed upcoming launch of the Samsung Galaxy S4.

Amazon Offers Samsung Galaxy S 3 Mini

Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini

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Following the October launch of the Samsung Galaxy S 3 Mini, doubts were raised on the release of the smaller model of the flagship smartphone of Samsung in the US market.

However, the Samsung Galaxy S 3 Mini has made its appearance on Amazon and has a price tag of around $410. The fact that the device is an unlocked version explains why the price tag is rather high since users will have a choice on which mobile network provider they will sign up to.

If you have long wanted to get a hold of the smaller model of one of the most popular smartphone offerings of the South Korean manufacturer, you should move fast since stocks of the Samsung Galaxy S 3 Mini are disappearing fast. The Samsung Galaxy S 3 Mini is compatible with the networks of T-Mobile and AT&T.

The smaller model of the popular Samsung smartphone has a smaller display screen at four inches and a resolution of 800 x 480. The Samsung Galaxy S 3 Mini features a 1 GHz dual-core processor, 1 GB RAM, and uses the Jelly Bean Android 4.1 OS. It also has a VGA camera in front and a five-megapixel rear-facing camera. Users can choose between the 8GB or the 16GB internal storage, which can be expanded to 32GB through a microSD memory slot. Connectivity options include Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, NFC, and the Android Beam.

The Samsung Galaxy S 3 Mini has a similar design as its big brother although it is much smaller and is lighter. In terms of its feature, the smaller version is considered as a downgrade compared to the original model of the device.

Sales of Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Reaches Five Million Mark

Samsung Galaxy Note 2

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Samsung revealed recently that international sales of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 have reached the five million unit level. The recent milestone comes just two months after the ‘phablet’ was released into the market by the South Korean manufacturer.

The notable milestone for the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 was made possible through the partnerships that the company has with numerous mobile service provider around the world. The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 has proven to be more popular than its predecessor, which took three months before it reached the three million unit level.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 reached the three million unit level within thirty days after it was unveiled by the company.

Analysts were initially pessimistic about the market for the smartphone/tablet hybrid since it was too small for a tablet and too big for a smartphone. However, the according to Jack Gold of J. Gold Associates, the form factor of the phablet is suitable for a number of uses who do not require a device that is small enough to fit their pocket. Its size was suitable enough for watching videos and surfing the net. It can also be used as an e-reader.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is already available in all markets around the world. It features as 5.5-inch display screen with a 1280x720 resolution, quad-core 1.6GHz Exynos processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage that can be expanded to 64GB using a microSD memory card, and uses the Jelly Bean Android 4.1.1 OS.

However the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 still has a lot of ground to cover when compared to the sales mark reached by the Samsung Galaxy S3, which has already reached thirty million units as of November 5.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 may also face an obstacle following its inclusion in the patent infringement lawsuit filed by Apple against the South Korean company. But the case is not scheduled to go on trial until 2014, which means that sales of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 can still increase and possibly double the total sales of its predecessor.

In addition to the report about the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, reports have continued to emerge on the possible launch of the Samsung Galaxy S4 next year. However, these reports remain unconfirmed and should be taken with a grain of salt.

Comparing The iPad Mini And The Amazon Kindle Fire HD

iPad Mini

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Following the release of the iPad Mini of Apple, a number of industry watchers cannot but help comparing some of the tablet currently available in the market. In addition to the smaller version of the tablet offering of Apple, the Amazon Kindle Fire HD was another tablet device that entered the market this year.

Some industry watchers may favor one tablet over the other but a direct comparison may be the best way to find out which one offers a better value for money among potential tablet buyers.

The 7.9-inch display screen of the iPad Mini offers a wide viewing angle along with sufficient color reproduction. However it appears that the 8.9-inch display screen of the Amazon Kindle Fire HD offers potential buyers a better-looking display than the iPad Mini of Apple. The colors on the 1920 by 1200 screen of the Amazon tablet are vibrant and bright while the darker background complements the white text of the interface in offering a notably-contrasted appearance. The text, videos and apps on the Amazon Kindle Fire HD are exceptionally sharp.

Although the Amazon Kindle Fire HD offers a much better display compared to the iPad Mini of Apple, the Apple device is lighter than its Amazon counterpart. With its 0.68 pound weight, the iPad Mini is significantly lighter than most if not all tablets in the market. The Amazon Kindle Fire HD weighs around 1.22 pounds, which makes it quite a load for anyone to carry especially if they are trying to use it with one hand.

The app inventory of the Apple App Store gives the iPad Mini a huge edge over the Amazon Kindle Fire HD. It does not only offer a greater number of apps for use on the iPad Mini, the quality of the apps are also better compared to the apps available for the Amazon Kindle Fire HD. A number of the apps for the Amazon Kindle HD are also available for use on the iPad Mini and it may take some time before apps exclusively available for the Amazon Kindle Fire HD will be offered online.

Amazon Kindle Fire HD

(Image Credit: http://www.amazon.com)

The media offerings for the Amazon Kindle Fire HD and the Apple iPad Mini are fairly similar to each other as both companies are offering the best books, music, television shows and movies for its users. However, it appears that the Amazon Kindle Fire HD gives users more features compared to the iPad Mini of Apple. Among the features that users of the Amazon device can use are immersion reading, X-Ray for movies and books, ten-second-rewind for the movie player of Amazon, and a remarkable streaming performance. This gives the Amazon Kindle Fire HD a notable advantage over recently-released Apple iPad Mini.

In terms of pricing, the Amazon Kindle Fire HD is priced at $299 for the 16GB model. In comparison, the 16GB model of the iPad Mini cost around $329. However it should be noted that the $299 price tag of the Amazon Kindle HD is for the ad-supported model of the device while the 16GB model that has no ads is priced at around $314, which is still cheaper compared to the iPad Mini by $15.

However it appears that a good number of consumers are going for the Apple iPad Mini, which may be attributed to its brand. If you would take the features offered by the Amazon Kindle Fire HD into consideration, you may not think twice in acquiring the tablet offering of Amazon.

In the end the consumers themselves will make the decision on which tablet to purchase. If they are looking for a tablet that enhances their status in society, they may aim to purchase the iPad Mini of Apple. However, if they are looking for a tablet that focuses on features rather than being a status symbol, the Amazon Kindle Fire HD will be a better choice for them.

Hack Day For Raspberry Pi Scheduled

Raspberry Pi

(Image Credit: wikipedia.org)

The Raspberry Pi was well-received following its release into the market early this year. Even though a minor glitch affected its release, it became an instant hit among tech enthusiasts who were looking for something new.

Now it appears that the same tech enthusiasts who snapped up the Raspberry Pi will be given a chance to show their skills in enhancing the popular ARM computer. A Raspberry Pi hackathon is scheduled to be held by CPC, an electronics distributor, to look for an individual or team who can produce the best innovation for the mini-computer.

One hundred entries will be accepted for the Raspberry Pi hack day where they will be able to use the board, soldering irons, internet access, and their coding skills. Participants should complete their project within 24 hours before the winners of the different categories will be announced by the judges.

The categories for the Raspberry Pi hack day are the “Best Software Hack” Best Hardware Hack”, “Best Game”, “Best Individual,” and “Best Team”. Winners of each category will receive prizes that include Android tablets, camcorders, and the H107 Hubsan Quadcopter.

A tour of the Welsh factory of Sony where the device is manufacturer will also be waiting for the best overall winner of the hack day. According to David Deventer, the marketing head of CPC, the Raspberry Pi has revolutionized the tech market and the company aims to host the first hack-day in the UK to celebrate the popular device.

The Raspberry Pi Hack Day will is scheduled to be held on December 1 and December 2 at the Munro House in Leeds.

Opening of New Apple Headquarters Postponed To 2016

New Apple Headquarters

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It appears that the Apple mother ship will not be ready for use until 2016. Apparently the start of the construction has encountered delays since the environmental impact report will not be completed until June of next year. Due to this, construction of the new Apple headquarters will not start until 2014.

The company planned to hold the groundbreaking for its new spaceship-like 176-acre headquarters this year, but the delay will likely result to its postponement to a later date.

Plans for the new Apple headquarters were laid out by the late Steve Jobs last year. It is designed to look like a huge circle that has four stories and an area of 2.8 million square feet. Initially around 12,000 people were supposed to be based on the new Apple headquarters but this figure has increased to around 14,200 people in recent revised proposals.

According to the city manager of Cupertino, David Brandt, the company could have its groundbreaking by 2013 if everything moves without a hitch. The update to the proposal of Apple was supposed to have been submitted to the city by September however delays have resulted to the revised construction schedule for the new Apple headquarters. The groundbreaking in 2013 will only be possible if the project is given approval by the city without delay and no legal challenges will be filed by the residents of the area.

The current headquarters of Apple can accommodate around 2,800 individuals. But a good number of its 12,000 employees are working in a number of rented buildings within the city.

The new Apple headquarters was pitched by the company this year using a brochure that indicated that it will put in an additional 120 acres of greenery to the landscape of the city. The structure will also result to a reduction in vehicular traffic in the city.

North American Tablet Deliveries Surpass Laptop Deliveries

iPad Mini

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The popularity of tablets has gradually increased recently and it appears that tablet deliveries may surpass laptop deliveries in the fourth quarter, according to NPD DisplaySearch. Diversity and price appears to be the ace in the hole for tablets as deliveries are expected to reach 21.5 million units in the fourth quarter compared to the 14.6 million units of laptops that will be shipped in the same period.

A number of tablet models have a price tag of around $199, even as the device is offered in different sizes. Richard Shim of DisplaySearch also revealed that tablet deliveries will continue to surpass total notebook shipments in the coming year as tablet deliveries are expected to reach 80 million units. In comparison, only 63.8 million notebooks are expected to be delivered in the same period.

The release of the Google Nexus 7 and the Amazon Kindle Fire has resulted to the increasing popularity of tablets due to its rather low price point of only $199. Tablet sizes are also diverse ranging from the 10.6-inch devices down to the 7-inch devices. The release of the iPad Mini of Apple, which measures 7.9 inches has also added to the increasing popularity of tablet devices.

In addition to the iPad Mini, Apple also released its latest model of the iPad. Sales of the smaller-sized iPad Mini is estimated to reach around 2.5 million in its first weekend in the market according to Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray. Total iPad sales in the first weekend of availability of the two iPad devices are estimated to have reached 3 million units.

According to Shim, the low price point of the iPad Mini may result to increase in the market and demand for the device. On the other hand, sales of the Google Nexus 7 have reportedly averaged around one million units each month according to Asus, the manufacturer of the tablet.

Although North American deliveries of tablets will surpass deliveries of notebooks in the fourth quarter, it will not be the same in the international market. Tablet deliveries are only expected to exceed notebooks by 2015, where around 276 million tablets are expected to be delivered compared to the 270 million notebook deliveries in the same period.

Mystery Apple Product Finally Revealed

The Venus

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Some time ago a report emerged about a mystery Apple product that renowned designer Philippe Starck had been working on together with the late Steve Jobs. The revelation was made in a discussion with a France-based newspaper, Le Figaro.

During the discussion, Starck did not give any details about the supposed mystery Apple product. However, a recent report revealed that videos of the yacht of Jobs, the Venus, were discovered recently. The yacht was reportedly unveiled one year after the Jobs passed away.

The design of the yacht was sleek and evokes the feeling of an Apple Store together with a number of 27-inch iMac units. The yacht may have been the mystery Apple product that Starck was referring to.

The revelation of Starck on the erstwhile mystery Apple product gives a view on the design process of the late Apple co-founder. Initially Starck was given free rein on the design of the yacht, which is considered unusual for Jobs. Starck indicated that Jobs gave him the length of the yacht along with the number of people Jobs would want to accommodate.

However, this was only the start of the long design process for the one-time mystery Apple product since Jobs would work with him at least once every six week, fine-tuning the design of the Apple yacht. The meetings started in 2007 and ended when Jobs passed away last year.

The meetings simply reflect the personality of Jobs in controlling the design of the supposed mystery Apple product. But Starck praised Jobs during an interview although the design of the Venus was frequently refined and simplified. The details were reviewed until perfection was attained. A number of limitations were set, which resulted to perfection in the philosophy of the two geniuses.

The simplicity of the design also reflects the products of Apple, which evokes purpose despite its simplicity. Starck indicated that everything inside the Venus had a purpose.

Although the latest report finally revealed the supposed mystery Apple product that were reported earlier this year, no reports have emerged on the development of an iYacht by Apple.

However, some Apple observers are hinting at the possibility that a developer may be working on apps that are specifically designed for use on the erstwhile mystery Apple product, the Venus.

Gartner Report Shows Samsung Topped Third Quarter Phone Sales

Samsung

 (Image Credit: http://www.samsung.com)

Figures for mobile device sales in the third quarter are in and it appears that Samsung has overtaken both Apple and Nokia in mobile device sales around the world for that period. This was revealed by a report released by Gartner recently.

According to the report, the South Korean company was able to sell around 98 million units for the third quarter of the year, which accounts for around 23 percent of the market for all mobile phones in the world. The figure also represents an increase of nearly 19 percent compared to the same period last year.

The report also showed that the lead of Samsung over Apple in total smartphone sales has widened as the company sold around 55 million smartphones for the quarter compared to the 23.6 million units that Apple sold in the same quarter. Around 32.5 percent of the entire smartphone market now belongs to the South Korean company compared to the 14  percent market share of Apple.

The SamsungGalaxy S3 was the top-selling device for the quarter.

In terms of mobile phone sales, Nokia sold around 82 million units although only 7.2 million of these were smartphones. But Gartner indicated that smartphone sales for Nokia may increase in the fourth quarter with the release of the latest Lumia devices that use the Windows Phone 8 OS.

In terms of smartphone sales, Research In Motion placed third despite issues plaguing some of its mobile devices while fourth place went to HTC. But the rankings may change soon enough since sales for both RIM and HTC have gone down recently even as both companies are facing challenges that may affect their rankings in the upcoming quarters.

The Android OS has remained on top of the smartphone OS rankings as around 72 percent of all devices sold for the quarter are using the mobile OS from Google. In second place is the iOS of Apple with around 14 percent while the BlackBerry OS came in third with around 5 percent. The Window Phone OS came in fourth with around 2 percent.

However changes are expected for the fourth quarter with the release of the iPhone 5 of Apple as well as the Windows Phone 8 of Microsoft. Total mobile phone sales for the third quarter reached 428 million, which is smaller by 3.1 percent compared to the same period last year. This includes around 169 million units of smartphones, which an increase of around 47 percent compared to the same period last year.

Smartphones May Not Be Good Black Friday Deals

Black Friday Deals

 (Image Credit: http://www.wikipedia.org)

It seems that a number of consumers are already getting the Black Friday 2012 fever as they wait for the deals to be announced by different retailers around the country. However it appears that smartphones may not be really considered as great Black Friday deals since these are mainly older models that a retailer would want to get rid of before the latest models enter the market.

It may be advisable for consumers to take a step back and take into consideration the smartphones that will be offered for Black Friday 2012. If these take a good look at these smartphones, they may find out that these are not really great Black Friday deals despite a significant reduction in their price tag.

Smartphones may be considered as personal devices as compared to other gadgets since smartphones are always brought with the users wherever they go. Smartphones also have a rather short life cycle since a new model is already expected to be launched every year, which means that they may not be considered as great Black Friday deals even if they are offered at a fifty percent discount.

Another reason why smartphone may not be considered great Black Friday deals is the fact that they normally require users to sign up for a two-year service contract. When users have to sign up for a $30 monthly contract for the next two years, it may offset the savings that they made when they purchase the device, which means they are not really notable Black Friday deals.

However, there may be some notable Black Friday deals like the Samsung Galaxy S3, which will be offered by Sprint Nextel, Best Buy, and RadioShack at reduced prices. The current flagship device of the South Korean company will reportedly be offered at around $100 after a rebate by T-Mobile, which will also offer similar Samsung gadgets at reduced prices. These may be considered notable Black Friday deals.

The HTC One X will also be offered at around $0.99 by AT&T on Cyber Monday although the same mobile network provider will also be offering a number of other models that do not have much name recall. Initially, this may appear to be a good deal, however with the upcoming release of the HTC One X+ by the holidays, it seems that the company is trying to sell off its inventory of the device.

Other devices that may appear to be great Black Friday deals are the Motorola Droid Razr of Verizon, the HTC Vivid of AT&T, and the Samsung Galaxy Victor of Sprint. These devices may appear to be great Black Friday deals since they are being offered at a price that is next to nothing, it should be noted that a number of newer models of smartphones have already entered the market.

Even the Nokia Lumia 900 is not considered as a great deal for Black Friday 2012 with the arrival of Windows Phone 8 devices.

It is therefore advisable for consumers to think before they purchase a smartphone that they may consider to be great Black Friday deals since they may end up purchasing a device that will become outdated within a few weeks time.

Best Black Friday Deals Offered By Barnes and Noble

Nook Simple Touch

 (Image Credit: http://www.pcmag.com)

With Black Friday 2012 just around the corner, a good number of consumers are on the lookout for the best Black Friday deals that they can find.

Barnes & Noble is one manufacturer that may offer one of the best Black Friday deals for e-reader devices this year. A year ago, the company reduced the regular $99 price tag of the Nook Simple Touch device by $20. However, for Black Friday 2012, the company is reducing the price of the same device by $40, which means that the Nook Simple Touch will be offered at an in-store special price tag of only $59, making it one of the best Black Friday deals for an e-reader this year.

This may be considered among one of the best Black Friday deals and will only be available on Black Friday 2012. In addition to the price reduction of the most affordable Nook device, the company is also reducing the prices of some accessories by fifty percent, which is another. These accessories include the reading lights, charging cables, stylus, SD card, car charging kit, stand, and the screen protector kits. The reduced prices for the accessories will still be available after Black Friday 2012 or until November 26.

This is just one of the great Black Friday deals from the company, which is also offering a thirty percent reduction on another item. Consumers will just have to print out a specific code for the in-store coupon or use it at the checkout while shopping online for Black Friday 2012.

The price of some Blu-ray and DVD discs will also be reduced by fifty percent price by the company for Black Friday 2012. The price reduction on the discs will not be limited as one of the Black Friday deals for this year since it will also be available for consumers until Monday.

Possible Good Black Friday Deals From Samsung

Samsung WB850F

 (Image Credit: http://www.samsung.com)

Still looking for a good Black Friday deal? Well, Samsung may have the answer for you, that is, if you are open to getting a camera that has not yet made a big splash in the industry.

Although the South Korean company has yet to create brand recognition in the camera industry, it does offer a feature that is at par with its rivals, Wi-Fi connectivity. This is good Black Friday deal is music to the ears of photo enthusiasts who have the habit of shooting then sharing their images to their friends over the net.

Samsung cameras with the Smart brand will come with an integrated 802.11n wireless feature that is used in connecting to a Wi-Fi network. This will allow users to easily back up images into the Microsoft SkyDrive or a Windows-powered computer. It also facilitates viewing of images and videos on a DLNA-equipped device as well as allows the device to link up with similar Wi-Fi cameras from Samsung. Users will also be able to link the camera wirelessly into a smartphone that facilitates uploading to various social networks. In addition to these productivity options, users will also be able to link to an iOS or an Android device.

The camera can also be controlled remotely using Samsung Galaxy devices. Although the South Korean company has indicated that t can only guarantee this capability using the Galaxy devices, some users were reportedly able to use an iPad and some Android devices for this feature.

One good Black Friday deal is the Samsung WB850F. This particular good Black Friday deal from Samsung offers users a 21X zoom lens with an aperture value that starts at f2.8. It has numerous features that enhances user experience including a three-inch AMOLED display that performs well under bright sunlight, the Smart Panel UI that facilitates changes in camera settings, and of course Wi-Fi connectivity.

This good Black Friday deal also offers a number of shooting options such as the full manual and the semi-manual mode. It also allows has a number of modes that goes beyond the basic scene modes.

Another good Black Friday deal is the Samsung NX210. This camera features a similar body design as its predecessor, the Samsung NX200. It also comes with a number of connectivity and sharing options and offers impressive raw images for its users.

These are just some good Black Friday deals that you may want to consider when you are in the market for a notable camera from this South Korean company.

Best Compact Cameras Available In The Market

With the holidays just around the corner, consumers may already be working on their Christmas list and among the items that may be included in the list are compact digital cameras. It is not easy to find the best compact camera that one would want to give (or want to receive, whichever case it may be) but I made my own list of cameras that may be considered to be the best in the market today.

Canon PowerShot SX260

(Image Credit: http://www.usa.canon.com)

Topping the best compact camera list is the Canon PowerShot SX260.  The Canon PowerShot SX260 was released into the market near the start of this year and apparently it is topping the best compact camera list of Amazon.com. It is considered as the successor of the Canon PowerShot SX230, which is considered by some photography enthusiast as the best travel zoom camera. Its main selling points are its better zoom lens, image stabilization system, image processor, and its performance in burst mode. This entry into the best compact camera list also features a three-inch LCD screen, 12.1MP CMOS sensor, GPS receiver and a Full HD movie mode.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100

(Image Credit: http://www.sony.com)

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 is the second entry into the best compact camera list. Released only at the middle of this year, this compact camera boasts of a 20MP CMOS sensor along with a 28 to 100mm F1.8 – F4.9 Carl Zeiss lens. Despite the VGA resolution of its three-inch LCD screen, it still offers better brightness due to the WhiteMagic technology of Sony, which allowed it to be included in the best compact camera list. The main market of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 is likely photography enthusiasts who are looking for a compact camera that offers features similar to a DSLR.

Panasonic Lumix ZS20

(Image Credit: http://www.panasonic.net)

Third on the list of the best compact cameras in the market is the Panasonic Lumix ZS20. This particular compact camera features a 20x zoom lens, which may be considered as its main selling point. However, aside from this rather powerful zoom lens, the Panasonic Lumix ZS20 also has a 14.1MP MOS sensor, which supposedly offers less noise compared to the Panasonic Lumix ZS10. This entry in the best compact camera list also boasts of a fast autofocus feature, 10fps continuous shooting capability, GPS feature, and the capability of recording 1080p Full HD videos.

Canon PowerShot S100

(Image Credit: http://www.usa.canon.com)

The Canon PowerShot S100 comes next on the best compact camera list. This particular camera is the successor to the Canon PowerShot S95. Aside from the features that it inherited from its predecessor, the Canon PowerShot S100 also boasts of a longer lens, the DIGIC 5 image processor of Canon, and a 12MP CMOS sensor. However it should also be noted that this particular entry into the best compact camera list only has a maximum aperture of f5.9 on the long end of the zoom lens, which is mainly due to the fact that it is a compact camera.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX150

(Image Credit: http://www.panasonic.net)

The last entry into the top five best compact cameras available in the market is the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX150. The more notable features of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX150 are its 18MP resolution, 10X zoom lens, remarkable image and video quality, and the fact that it can be easily slipped into one’s pocket when it is not being used. It also allows users to shoot still images while recording 1080p videos. This is a good buy for casual enthusiasts although serious photographers may find the controls of this entry into the best compact camera list a bit wanting.

These are just some of the best compact cameras that are available in the market today although in the end, the users themselves will decide which camera best is suitable enough for their needs.

February Availability Of BlackBerry 10 Smartphones Hinted

BlackBerry 10

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It appears that Research In Motion is aiming for a comeback in the gadget market with its BlackBerry 10 smartphones.

A recent Bloomberg report indicated that the Canada-based company is aiming to release the first BlackBerry 10 smartphones by February following its upcoming January 30 launch in the international market.

Although the smartphones are not expected to be released by the different mobile network providers at the same time, RIM has indicated that the launches will be carried out within thirty days after they are unveiled.  This shows that the company is aiming to move fast with the launch and availability of its upcoming BlackBerry 10 smartphones.

Reports on the BlackBerry 10 have been going around for some time already and the company has postponed its release a number of times. The upcoming release of the BlackBerry 10 smartphones comes over a year after it had a major product announcement, which was the BlackBerry 7 product lineup that was announced in the later part of 2011.

The BlackBerry 10 smartphones may be the last-ditch effort of RIM in turning its fortunes around. Prior to the rise of the iPhone and Android smartphones, it was considered as the leader in the market.

Despite ceding the leadership in the smartphone market, the company still has a good market among corporate and government users since its devices are considered to offer better security compared to its competitors. It aims to entice its clients to upgrade to the BlackBerry 10 with the upcoming release of the BlackBerry 10 smartphones.

US Google Play Store Sells All Google Nexus 4 Units

Google Nexus 4

(Image Credit: http://www.cnet.com)

It appears that the popularity of the Google Nexus 4 was not limited to the United Kingdom, where it was sold out within an hour after it was available in the market.

Reports show that the latest smartphone from LG and Google was sold out within minutes after it became available in the US Google Play store. Potential buyers of the Google Nexus 4 will have to wait for the next shipment of the device since a ‘coming soon’ notice was posted on the Google Play store for the 8GB and the 16GB models of the device.

The demand for the Google Nexus 4 in the international market was so high that the Netherlands launch was cancelled due to the increased demand for the device in other markets.

However it remains uncertain how many units were available when the Google Nexus 4 was launched. The number of available units may have contributed to its sold-out status in the market although no specific details were released on the number of units available during its launch into the market.

Among the plus points for the latest Android-powered device include its $299 price tag and its availability without having to sign up for a contract. The device also uses the Android 4.2 OS, which is the latest Android OS from Google. However one huge drawback for the Google Nexus 4 is the absence of 4G LTE connectivity.

In addition to the Google Nexus 4 smartphone, the latest Nexus 10 tablet was also released into the US market recently.

Android Tablets To Surpass iPad Market Share By Mid-2013

A project analyst has hinted at the possibility that the market share of the iPad may be surpassed by the Android tablets in the middle of 2013.

For the past few years, the tablet market has been dominated by the iPad of Apple however the deluge of Android-powered devices has slowly taken a part of its share of the market. Based on the data from IDC, the 87 percent of the market was held by the iPad in third quarter of 2010. However, this market share has gone down to around 50.4 percent in the third quarter of this year.

According Sameer Singh, a mergers and acquisition analyst from Finvista Advisors, Android tablets will likely surpass the market share of the iPad if the current trend continues.

Singh reportedly discovered that the deliveries of Android tablets has better compared to the iPad in six of the past eight quarters. Singh indicated that the third quarter shipments of the iPad suffered a significant drop amidst reports of the iPad Mini. Deliveries of the iPad were expected to increase by at least ten percent in the last quarter, however, it decreased by around eighteen percent.

In comparison shipments for Android tablet has gone up from the first up to the third quarter. This growth is expected to continue in the coming year since a good number of Android manufacturers will likely follow the lead of the inexpensive Amazon Kindle, the analyst indicated. A number of original equipment manufacturers or OEMs have used the Amazon model that expanded its price points, which will increase its market and affect the share of the iPad.

Despite the possible reduction in the market share of the iPad, it is still expected to increase its overall sales in the coming year. Together with the iPhone, the iPad has provided Apple with a net profit of around $8.2 billion for the quarter that ended last September 29.

In addition, sales of the iPad have reached three million units ever since the company launched the iPad Mini recently. Although no specific details were provided, a number of analysts think that the iPad Mini accounted for most of the sales.

But the cost of production of the iPad has affected the profit margin of the company. The iPad Mini reportedly gives a lower than normal profit margin for the company. However, the cost of production is expected to go down after some time, which will increase the profit margin of the company.

Singh also indicted that the Windows RT and the Windows 8 tablet will hardly put a dent on the share of the iPad and Android tablets in the market. 

Images of Samsung Ativ Odyssey Emerge

Samsung Ativ Odyssey

(Image Credit: @evleaks)

A couple of images that appeared official showed an upcoming Windows Phone 8-powered device from Samsung appeared online recently. However, the images of the upcoming Samsung Ativ Odyssey did not give much information on the features of the device as well as its possible release date.

The images of the Samsung Ativ Odyssey were courtesy of a source from Twitter @evleaks. The device was initially announced a month ago and will supposedly be released through Verizon by December. However the specific release date remains uncertain.

Although the specs have yet to be revealed, reports had hinted at the possibility that the Samsung Ativ Odyssey will come with a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor along with an Adreno 225 GPU. However, the images hint at the possibility that the upcoming Samsung Ativ Odyssey will use the 4G LTE network of Verizon and will come with an expandable storage through the microSD memory card slot.

The images of the Samsung Ativ Odyssey also show that it is a much smaller model of the Ativ S of Samsung. This led to some speculations that the upcoming device may have similar features as the Ativ S. This means the upcoming Windows Phone 8 may feature an eight-megapixel camera that has an LED flash and autofocus capabilities. It may also feature a 1.9MP camera in front along with NFC connectivity.

Report Hint at iPhone 5S Release Early Next Year

iPhone 5

(Image Credit: http://www.apple.com)

Even as the excitement from the release of the iPhone 5 has yet to subside, a new report has hinted at the possible release of the latest model of the smartphone offering of Apple. According to a China-based website, the iPhone 5S of Apple will be released into the market in the first half of the coming year.

According to the report, around five to ten million iPhone 5S units will be manufactured in December and will be available early next year. Sources within the industry supposedly provided the information on the report, which can be taken with a grain of salt since Apple normally has a one-year interval when it releases a new model for its products.

In addition to the reported iPhone 5S, the company will reportedly introduce a new iPad and the iTV in the coming year. Although the name ‘iPhone 5S’ may possibly be used by Apple for its next model of the device, the accuracy of the report particularly in connection to the supposed release schedule of the iPhone 5S appears doubtful.

Although the report did not specify what kind of device the iTV will be, earlier reports had hinted of the device that the name will be used on. A number of reports had pointed to the possibility of an Apple TV that will be named iTV while other have hinted of a new Apple TV set-top device, which is used as a DVR while facilitating cable programming.

The website has indicated that Apple had reportedly passed some samples to regulators on order to get certification and begin the mass-production of the reported Apple iPhone 5S.

Even as industry watchers have doubts on the veracity of the report on the supposed iPhone 5S, if it is proven to be accurate, it will be a major shift from the traditional release schedule of Apple for its products. The shift may have been prompted by the increasing competition that the company is facing in the smartphone market.