Google Nexus Device To Be Shutdown in 2015

Google will soon shut down its popular Nexus brand from next year i.e., 2015 as per the leak article.

From next year Google will be more focusing on “PLAY” edition. At this point of time Google can bring change in the title ‘PLAY’ also.

Nexus brand is among the most popular brand these days because of its prices, quality of hardware and Android software.

An 8 inch sized tab from Nexus could come into the market this year which will be running on Android Kitkat operating system.

Recently Google android’s official website has published a picture of an 8 inch tablet and is created by by the makers of Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 , LG.

So get ready for the upcoming products from Nexus this year as you will not be able to see few more in the next year.

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HTC Desire Z Coming Soon To India

Flipkart, the Online Bookstore website is getting pre-order for HTC Desire Z handset. HTC Desire Z has a 3.7-inch WVGA touchscreen at a picture resolution of 480×800 pixels. It is powered by 800 MHz Qualcomm MSM7230 processor and 512 MB RAM and runs on Android 2.2 Froyo OS.

This handset is designed for heavier textures and regular emailers and syncs with multiple email accounts including Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo as well asMicrosoft Exchange ActiveSync. HTC desire Z has other features likeAdobe Flash 10.1, 5 Megapixel camera with AF features, DLNA sharing support that lets you stream media file. It also support face recognisation feature, and is a capable of recording High Definition Video at 720p resolution.

Desire Z offers connectivity option like 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and USB and supports 14.4 Mbps of download speed with HSPA+ network. Desire Z also supports HTC sense User Interface layered that can be used with the HTC sense.com site.

Features of HTC Desire Z:

• OS: Android 2.2( Froyo)
• Processor: 800 MHz Qualcomm  MSM7230
• Connectivity: Bluetooth /GPRS/EDGA/3G/Wi-Fi
• Camera: 5MP with Flash & AF
• Advanced Feature: A-GPS/DLNA/HTC Sense
• Keypad: QWERTY Keyboard
• Battery:  Li-on 1300 MAh
• Talk time: 400Mins on 3G/590Mins on 2G
• Standby Time: 430hrs on 3G/ 430hrs on 2G

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Android based HTC Thunderbolt 4G Due On Jan 6

Few days left when HTC will going to introduce its yet another 4G handset on January 6 at the Consumer Electronic Show 2011 in Las Vegas. After running an ad campaign, HTC has finally made live the sign-up page for the upcoming 4G smartphone live for the US audience. The page URL carries Thunderbolt 4G, which obviously might be the brand name of the phone destined to launch as pointed out by AndroidCentral. Thunderbolt 4G looks like EVO 4G successor but as of now it is unsure which US network is going to carry it exclusively.

The Thunderbolt 4G phone is said to have 4.3-inch touchscreen display as much as the EVO 4G. It will carry almost the same features as the EVO 4G, like the 8 megapixel camera and a front facing camera for video calls. Thunderbolt will run Android 2.2 Froyo with a new version of HTC Sense UI on it. 

Mobileburn blogger Michael Oryl noted about receiving a pack from HTC's PR Waggener Edstrom. The package contained an Android Collectible figurine, Compass keychain, four G letter buttons keychain, Froyo lover sticker, video chat screenshot showing Las Vegas and Foam TV Set. These hints add much sense to the anticipated Thunderbolt 4G. So now we can expect Video Chat, Froyo update, digital compass, and TV (V Cast Video) feature from the second 4G handset from HTC.

Thunderbolt 4G will still remains a mystery device till January 6 for we don't have more details about the processor, screen technology, resolution supported, and many other features. Also, we don't know if this phone would be limited just to the US or would be available worldwide.

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Acer Android 7-inch and 10.1-inch Tablets Preview Videos Spotted

Acer announced its new 7-inch and 10.1-inch Tablets in an New York based event last month on Nov 23. Out of both, videos of the 10.1-inch Acer Tablet running Android was spotted on YouTube. Two different videos showed preview of the same thing - usage of gyroscope to flip through pages of magazine or a book. The tablet seems to have Acer UI 4.5 layered over the Android interface and also showed some innovative zooming gestures.

At the Acer's Conference, the 10.1-inch Android running tablet was shown with aluminum casing and one of the slides mentioned that the tablet would house a dual-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets. The capacitive touchscreen supports 1280x800 pixel resolution display. In the videos, a female previews Acer's Android tablet running an eBook application that flips pages based on the gyroscope. The interface is bit buggy. Watch the videos below:

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Dell Streak 7 (Android) is Wi-Fi Certified

Google Android 2.1 running Streak tablet had been introdused by Dell in India for Rs. 34,990 two months ago. And now we hear ramblings about the Dell Streak 7 tablet in works. Apparently, a Dell M02M mobile internet device got the Wi-Fi certification from the Wi-Fi Alliance recently. Also, accessories maker Vaja listed Dell's 7-inch tablet for its leather cases. Back in September, Dell Greater China President, Mr. Amit Midha, promised a 7-inch tablet to arrive in weeks and 10-inch tablet in next 6-12 months. 

Dell CEO Michael Dell briefly flashed an unnamed 7-inch tablet back in September. Following that, Midha confirmed that the tablet would be introduced within weeks. Apart from that, Dell also plans to introduce a 3-inch, 4-inch and 10-inch tablets in the coming year. Apparently, the Dell Streak 7 would run Google Android, I suppose 2.3 Gingerbread since it has been announced already. Just like the 5-inch Dell Streak tablet, it will have the Stage UI overlaid over Android. 

Dubbed as Dell Steak 7, the tablet will carry 7-inch Gorilla Glass touchscreen display. Of course, it will have Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n) for connectivity but there's no word on whether it will support 3G Networks as well. Inside the tablet, Dell is rumored to use dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 chip for enough computing and graphics power. The tablet would be capable of playing 1080p HD video. 

Engadget claims to have got their hands on the story board of Dell Streak 7's Ad Treatment. In one of the slides, the Streak 7 is shown with front-facing camera, so video calls might be on the cards.

We can expect Dell to show off the Streak 7 at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show 2011 starting January 6 in Las Vegas.

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Zen Pad based on Android is Now Available for Rs.13,999

Now Finally, you would be able to get your hands on a 7-inch Android tablet without having to break into a bank. H.T. IMPEX has launched one such tablet under their brand name ZEN The Master, also known as Zen Pad. The Zen Pad is a tablet running Android OS 2.1, with a high resolution 7-inch touch screen and comes in a very slim form factor.

Zen Pad can be used to access wireless Internet to stay abreast with the latest happenings around the world, watch photos, videos and movies, listen to music, read eBooks and play games. Being an Android tablet has its advantages as you can get almost unlimited amount of free apps from the Android Market. It can be used for Social Networking and chat applications to stay in touch with your friends. There is also a built-in YouTube app, which lets you enjoy streaming videos at your comfort. Of course, after some play, you can also put it to work because it is a convenient way to manage office documents, presentation and emails no matter where you go as long as you take it with you.

Images, videos and presentations can be output to any big screen LCD TV or a compatible display device using the HDMI out and the included HDMI cable. The Zen Pad comes with a 1.0 GHz and 256 MB DDR2 memory. The 7-inch resistive single touch screen (which is probably the only and major gripe about this product) has LED backlight with a resolution of 800x480. It also features a back camera with a resolution of 0.3MP. Wireless 802.11 b/g is supported for internet access.

Available in a single color with silver front and black back, the Zen Pad can be all yours for just Rs.13,999 and can be bought soon in most retail IT chain stores. It comes with an 8GB memory card and a pouch with keyboard. This makes for a good New Year gift and now you have one less reason not to buy an Android tablet. Expect a review soon as we will get a review piece in the next few days.

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Android Honeycomb Tablet Of Motorola due at CES 2011

Before this month, Motorola's Google Android 3.0 HoneyComb OS running tablet - was rumored as MOTOPAD - and was reportedly spotted online. Earlier, on December 6, Google VP of Engineering Andy Rubin had shown Google's next major Android Update - Honeycomb at the D: Dive Into Mobile Conference. While we eagerly waited for the details of this MOTOPAD, Motorola' s official Twitter account shared a link to the tablet's teaser video. Though Motorola hasn't specified anything on unveiling it, we expected to catch a glimpse of it at Consumer Electronics Show starting January 6, 2011. 

Motorola Tablet's teaser video does not show much about the MOTOPAD, but it certainly features current rivals Apple iPad and Samsung Galaxy Tab. These are the two tablets widely available. Since RIM hasn't released the PlayBook tablet yet, it won't be in the picture. In the Twitter update, Motorola simply stated, "Might want to hold off on that tablet purchase until 2011." However, it doesn't specify or promise unveiling or launching it on a specific date/month.

So far we have a rough list of MOTOPAD specifications that state it has a 10.1-inch screen with 1280x800 pixel resolution support. Under the hood, the tablet will run NVIDIA Tegra 250 System-on-Chip running at 1GHZ with 512MB RAM. Google Android Honeycomb update is said to be optimized for running on large screen tablets and devices. However, we're yet to get a glimpse of a working model.

Watch the MotoTablet/MOTOPAD teaser video below:

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Google Latitude Now Available on the iPhone, iPad

Google Maps was a built-in applicaiton in the iPhone since the 1st version back in the year 2007. All these years, while other phones running OSes like Android or Symbian enjoyed Google Latitude - a friend locator-tracking feature as part of Google Maps, Apple had rejected the iPhone version of the app previously. Now, you can download the newest version of the Latitude app on all recent iOS devices like the iPhone 3GS (sorry iPhone 3G users), iPhone 4, iPod Touch 3rd and 4th generation and the iPad. It will require your iDevice to have iOS 4.0 or above installed. 

With Latitude, your friends (ideally, people you know rather well) can know your current location on a Google map. Latitude lets you share your location in the background, even when the application is closed or your device screen is locked. As a measure for your privacy, you can share only city-level location, hide your location or turn off background updating at any time. It may sound creepy to some, but a few could also find it useful. Consider that you are reaching some unknown place where your friend has already reached - thus that person could turn on Latitude, and you just have to navigate to them. 

Check it out on the Apple iTunes website here.

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Clear video of PlayStation Phone surfaces online

Last weekend the grainy images of Sony Ericsson's PlayStation Phone surfaced on the web. Then two days ago, we reported about Sony Ericsson's much buzzed about PlayStation Phone was captured in a spy video. And now Engadget's Paul Miller spotted a video showing clear image of the PlayStation phone running Google Android 2.3 Gingerbread update. Apparently, Engadget is lucky in getting early scoops on the PlayStation Phone.

A user with YouTube user name xxmajstor uploaded video of his brief encounter with PlayStation Phone running Gingerbread update. Looks like Sony was working on PlayStation Network integration with the Android just like Microsoft Xbox LIVE is integrated in Windows Phone 7 operating system. PlayStation Phone has PlayStation App with a joystick button just like the one that appears on Sony PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable game consoles. From the video I still can't figure out whether its PlayStation Store connecting App or proper PlayStation integration. 

So finally following are the confirmed details:

- OS: Google Android 2.3 Gingerbread

- Model Name: Zeus

- Gaming: PlayStation Integration

- PSPgo like controls with a touchpad and two shoulder buttons

- PlayStation App has three tabs out of which two are All and Recently Played.

Watch two videos of the PlayStation Phone being checked out briefly. Screen looks glossy and bright but can't figure out if it's Super LCD or AMOLED display.

Now we eagerly wait for the Sony Ericsson France's CEO Pierre Peron's presentation on Dec 9. That will make things clear what exactly the PlayStation App will contain. 

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Micromax Andro A60 previewed in India

Yesterday, we reported about Micromax to unveil its 1st Android phone - Andro. Now concrete details about Micromax Andro smartphone running Google Android 2.1 Eclair update come from Micromax Delhi Bloggers Meet. Micromax Andro A60 is a full touch-screen smartphone that will feature 2.8-inch touch screen. Sporting a 600MHz CPU this Android smartphone will be available in India starting next month for a price of less than Rs. 8000. We ll try to get the exact figure but it s certainly will be less that that figure. 

Coming from India s 3rd largest mobile phone vendor, Micromax Andro takes a leap into Android phones under Rs. 10,000 bracket. Andro has 2.8-inch touchscreen supporting 320x240 pixel resolution which might not please the mobile fanatics but average joe might be happy with it. With dual-band GSM support this smartphone will be 3G ready and promises up to 7.2Mbps speeds via HSUPA and up to 5.76 speeds via HSDPA. Micromax has added even Wi-Fi for wireless connectivity but there was no mention of Bluetooth.  

Micromax s Android debut Andro comes with GPS which is quite interesting for an Android handset priced for less than 8K.With measly 150MB internal memory one can add up to 32GB memory card. The phone offers 3.2 megapixel camera with Auto-focus. You can also record video but don t expect amazing quality. Andro A60 will also sport Accelerator and gravity sensor for users to enjoy the light weight Android-platform based games

Most worrisome part of Andro A60 is the 1280 mAh Lithium-Ion battery that promises just 4 hours of talk time. Now I am not sure if this is going to be a Dual-SIM phone. But it may get some attraction from users to check out the new operating system - Android. Only after getting our hands on to Andro A60 we can say whether it would be a worth competitor to Samsung Galaxy 5 GT-i5503. Like it or not, Android is slowly seeping into entry-level handsets for letting users get used with Android as new mobiel operating system.

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Samsung Nexus Two details surface

Crude details of heavily anticipated Samsung Nexus Two (rumored name) have surfaced online. Gizmodo reported about a source who claimed to have got hands on to the next major smartphone Nexus Two smartphone. Nexus Two isn't going to be the official name of Samsung's Android device due on Nov 8. That name is being used just because the phone is believed to be a successor of Nexus One. On Nov 8, all eyes would be set on this smartphone build Samsung and will run Google's Android 2.3 Gingerbread update. 

As per Gizmodo s Nexus Two will have a full touchscreen form factor with black, shiny glossy plastic with a curved back. It comes with front facing camera and the stock Android 2.3 Gingerbread might bring video chat feature built-in. Google engineers have been working to get video chat activated on Android. 

Taylor Kimberly, blogger at AndroidandMe blog has compiled a set of specifications that possibly would constitute as the Nexus Two s internal features. Checkout the list of specifications compiled for Nexus Two smartphone.

- Stock Google Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)- 1.2 GHz processor (mostly overclocked Hummingbird or may be different model)
- 4 inch AMOLED display (Could be Super-AMOLED version)
- 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and HD video capture, front-facing camera 
- 512 MB RAM, 16 GB internal storage
- Support for multiple carriers     
- All the usuals like WiFi, Bluetooth, 3.5 mm headset jack, etc.
- Outer casing is a mix of metal and plastic materials

Based on the above specifications, it seems like Google and Samsung have been working on one of the best Android phone available today. Why Google chose Samsung? Simple, Samsung makes the CPU and GPU chips used in majority of smartphones available today. Also the Galaxy S smartphone has proven to be one of the best high-end Android-based smartphones available today. But there's no information on whether Nexus Two will carry flash or will it be dropped just like in Galaxy S. Nexus Two would be offered by several mobile operators and won't be exclusive to just one like Sprint had bagged Evo 4G.

Purported Nexus Two is a better and powerful iteration of Nexus One smartphone with 4-inch screen and 1.2GHz microprocessor. Though both the sources state that the details are confirmed, we d still term them as speculations until we see actual listing or specification details. That s because at times, the actual unit carries different specifications.

We ve got to hold our procrastinating speculative horses just for a week. 

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Android 2.1 for Xperia X10 family due tomorrow

Finally, Sony Ericsson has announced to release Google Android 2.1 Eclair update for its Xperia X10 family handsets. Tomorrow on Sunday, the Android 2.1 update would start rolling out phase wise for Xperia X10, X10 Mini and X10 Mini Pro. But still there s no guarantee that all Xperia X10 family handset owners will get the update immediately. Only the non-branded Xperia X10 series handsets will get notification for Android 2.1 update.

Last month we reported about Sony Ericsson fixing last minute issues in the Xperia X10 series range through Android 2.1 update. Now since the update is due on Sunday, not all Xperia X10 series handsets owners would receive update notifications.

Richard Skogberg at Sony Ericsson Product blog noted that generic kits for the Nordic countries would be pushed out tomorrow evening European time. More kits would be rolled out on Monday and then the roll out has been spread out for next month - Nov. 
The key changes coming with Android 2.1 update are:

Xperia X10:
- HD video recording with continuous auto-focus for high quality videos
- Upgrade of the Android platform to Android 2.1
- New back up and restore application, with extended content back up
- 5 homescreens for apps, widgets, shortcuts and folders
- Social phonebook which automatically syncs contact pictures from Facebook and shows when your friends are online

Xperia X10 mini and X10 mini pro:
- Improved Bluetooth functionality with support for sending and receiving pictures, contacts and more
- New backup and restore application with extended content back up
- Automatic synchronization of your contact pictures between Facebook and your phone book
- Improved ways of handling pictures, audio, text and numbers in your messages

Generic unbranded Xperia X10, X10 Mini or X10 Mini Pro handset owners will get notification of Android 2.1 update which can be downloaded Over-the-Air using Wi-Fi or mobile GPRS. Alternatively, users can also take help of PC Companion software to download and install the Android 2.1 update on their Xperia X10 series phone. We d suggest you to download via PC Companion software to be on safer side. 

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