Users increasingly turn to Internet to buy drugs - EU report

(Reuters) - Virtually any kind of illegal drug can be bought on the Internet and delivered by post to users who no longer need to make direct contact with dealers, an EU study published on Thursday said.
It gave no statistics on online drug sales, which are normally conducted on so-called "darknets", or anonymous computer networks.


The report, compiled by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) and Europol, the pan-European police agency, said increased globalisation and communication technology made it harder to track drug routes.


"Practically any type of drug can be bought on the Internet," Europol director Rob Wainwright told a briefing. "The consumers may feel that it is 'cleaner' to buy drugs without any direct contact with the drug dealer."
These drugs are being moved through legitimate forms of commercial transportation - containers, aircraft and postal services, all making the drugs harder to intercept.


EMCDDA director Wolfgang Goetz said drug users' behaviour was also changing.
"Patterns of drug use have become more fluid, with consumers often using multiple substances or substituting one drug for another," Goetz said.




NORTHWEST EUROPE A MAJOR CONCERN


Europol's Wainwright said drug trafficking was the main activity of organised crime groups, providing funding for other criminal activity.


The report pinpointed northwest Europe -- Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium and northern France -- as an area where organised crime is high, partly because of its many transport hubs, and Wainwright said the region's status as a final destination for cocaine and heroin, as well as people trafficking and illegal immigration, made it a major concern.


The report recommended that the European Union work to target high-value crime groups, develop intelligence on the geographic relocation of potential criminals, interrupt money flows and create barriers to drug sales on the Internet.


EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said ministers from the 27 member states would study the report for possible policy changes and action across the European Union.


"We need to keep pace with these new developments and adapt our policies and responses to this reality," Malmstrom said. "National measures, however robust, will simply not be sufficient if implemented in isolation."


The European Union is an increasingly important producer of synthetic drugs and cannabis, with mobile production units making it easy for synthetic drugs to be concealed during manufacturing.


"As with synthetic drugs, there has been a trend towards producing the drug near to its intended consumers," Goetz said. "This will be a growing trend in the future."


The report estimated 2,500 tonnes of cannabis are consumed each year in the European Union and Norway, with a retail value of 18-30 billion euros.


Malmstrom said no European-wide legalisation of cannabis is on the Commission's agenda.


Source: http://in.reuters.com/article/2013/01/31/eu-drugs-internet-idINDEE90U0G520130131

YouTube to offer paid channel subscriptions: Report

Google has been exploring options to generate more revenue from its services, YouTube in particular. More ads (skippable and non-skippable) are definitely noticeable on YouTube. And now reports suggest the largest video sharing site will be soon introducing new paid subscription-only channels.

Citing multiple people familiar with the plans, AdAge claims YouTube team is already in talks with several video producers to come up with channels that would require a fee for viewing. First producers that are supposed to come with paid channels are Machinima, Maker Studios, and Fullscreen while Google is looking for more partners.

The paid channels would priced between $1 and $5 a month. Google is also planning to charge for other features on the site such as libraries of videos, financial advice shows, self-help and live events.

Google is likely to begin with about 25 such paid channels, which are expected to be launched by the second quarter of this year.

"We have long maintained that different content requires different types of payment models," a Google spokesman said in a statement to AdAge. "The important thing is that, regardless of the model, our creators succeed on the platform. There are a lot of our content creators that think they would benefit from subscriptions, so we're looking at that."

Paid video on YouTube has been often rumoured, especially after the company hinted it was considering paid services for its users. At the AllThingsD media conference last year, YouTube CEO Salar Kamangar revealed plans to poaching second or third-tier cable networks.


Source: http://www.thinkdigit.com/Internet/YouTube-to-offer-paid-channel-subscriptions-Report_13260.html

iOS 6.1 Beta 5 code suggests a 128GB iOS device may be on its way

We have been hearing about this on and off for quite some while now, and even before the launch of the third generation iPad, that the 128GB capacity iPad and iPhones will be available soon, for the lack of any substantive proof.

However, things seem to be clearing out with the release of the iOS 6.1 Beta 5 that was sent out to developers. There seems to be a clear reference to a 128GB capacity device in the manifest. The screen-grab of the manifest suggests SystemPartitioningPadding key will also support 128GB storage, along with the existing examples of 8GB, 16GB, 32GB and 64GB.

Incidentally, hints of a 128GB device had also been dropped with iTunes 11, but no device has walked out of the door at Cupertino just yet, at least not that we know of.

It would make sense to have a 128GB iPad, both in the Wi-Fi only and the Wi-Fi + 3G versions. The 64GB Wi-Fi version of the iPad currently retails for around Rs 43900, while the Wi-Fi + 3G version costs Rs 51900. Do keep in mind that at Rs 51900, the 64GB iPad is Rs 6000 more than the 32GB version. It would be easier for Apple to absorb and justify the higher price with a hardware package that is bigger than the iPhone.


Source: http://www.thinkdigit.com/Tablets/iOS-61-Beta-5-code-suggests-a_13216.html

Facebook clarifies app-blocking policies

In the wake of apps like Vine and Wonder having their access to the social network revoked, Facebook today clarified how its platform policies work.

Without specifically addressing Vine or Wonder, Facebook's Justin Osofsky wrote in a blog post that the "vast majority" of Facebook app developers are not in violation of Facebook's policies. "Keep doing what you're doing," he said.

A "much smaller number of apps," however, are just using Facebook to "either replicate our functionality or bootstrap their growth in a way that creates little value for people on Facebook."

As a result, Facebook has updated one section of its platform policies to specify that apps connecting to Facebook must let users "easily share their experiences back with people on Facebook." The app also cannot mimic Facebook or use its data without permission.

Old wording: Competing social networks: (a) You may not use Facebook Platform to export user data into a competing social network without our permission.

New wording: Reciprocity and Replicating core functionality: (a) Reciprocity: Facebook Platform enables developers to build personalized, social experiences via the Graph API and related APIs. If you use any Facebook APIs to build personalized or social experiences, you must also enable people to easily share their experiences back with people on Facebook. (b) Replicating core functionality: You may not use Facebook Platform to promote, or to export user data to, a product or service that replicates a core Facebook product or service without our permission.

"We are committed to helping you build great apps with Facebook, and will continue to invest in products that help you succeed while creating a healthy ecosystem," Osofsky concluded.

The move is the latest in the battle of Facebook vs. Twitter. Of the recently blocked apps - which also includes push-to-talk app Voxer - Vine is owned by Twitter, while Twitter and Wonder creator Yandex signed a deal last year that let Yandex display public tweets in its search results.

The Vine app, which lets users create GIF-like, six-second videos, allows users (in theory) to tap into Facebook to find friends and share their Vines. Facebook blocked access to Vine shortly after its Thursday debut; Twitter access also went down temporarily, too. By day's end, Vine tweeted that it had "restored sharing to Twitter and Facebook," but this afternoon, any attemps to link to Facebook were throwing up errors on the app.

Prior to the block, Vine allowed users to share their videos to Facebook, but Facebook users couldn't watch Vine videos on Facebook.com. Sharing to Facebook produced a preview of the Vine on the user's profile; clicking it brought people to Vine's website. Ultimately, Facebook doesn't really want its users leaving the confines of its social network, so this likely didn't sit well. If people were able to watch Vines directly from the news feed or someone's profile, that would likely fix the problem.

The same thing, meanwhile, happened to Yandex's Wonder app. As of now, any new users trying to sign up to Wonder via Facebook receive an error message. "We are in touch with Facebook to enquire about the reasons for this and what can be done to solve this problem," a Yandex spokesman said today.

Wonder is essentially a search engine with a focus on places, music, and news, tapping into Facebook for some of its results. Given that Facebook just launched its own search product - Graph Search - it's likely not too eager to hand its data over to a rival app that doesn't provide much in return.

Source: http://www.thinkdigit.com/Internet/Facebook-clarifies-app-blocking-policies_13213.html

Microsoft reports $6.38 bn in profits, despite slow sales of Office

Microsoft has just announced its Q2 earnings for the 2013 financial year and though the company managed to rake in $21.5 billion, $6.38 billion of which is pure profit, the numbers seem to be less than previously expected. The dip in profits is being attributed to the impending launch of the next MS Office Suite, Office 2013.

While overall profit numbers look good, with each Redmond share closing at $0.76, one cent higher than the $0.75 analysts had predicted, the somewhat impressive sales numbers of Windows 8 were definitely offset by the slowing sales of the company’s current-generation productivity suite. While Microsoft Office 2013 has already been made available to the enterprise subscriber base, the consumer build of Office 2013 is slated for a January 2013 release, so it’s quite expected that the soon-to-be-outdated version of Office would not rack up impressive sales figures.

However, Office wasn’t the only department with disappointing numbers due to an impending launch. It is being reported that the Entertainment and Devices division also saw a dip in earnings, raking in $3.77 billion during a strong holiday season, but 7 percent lower than the figures from the same time last year. This is being attributed to many people holding off on purchasing an Xbox 360, given the rumours that Microsoft may be announcing the next-gen version of the console at E3 this year.

A dip in earnings prior to launch is an expected feature of fiscal quarters, and even though Microsoft may not have raked in the kind of money that was being projected, it still did manage to pocket a whopping $6.38 billion thanks to Windows 8 and its Server and Enterprise business.



Source: http://www.thinkdigit.com/Software/Microsoft-reports-638-bn-in-profits-despite_13201.html

Resident Evil Revelations to hit store shelves on May 24

Capcom has confirmed today that the next game in the Resident Evil franchise will hit store shelves on May 24. Resident Evil Revelations will launch for the all the platforms out there – PS3, Xbox 360, PC and Wii U. There were rumours circulating the Internet about a PS3 and an Xbox 360 version of the game but what comes as a surprise is the fact that the game will also be available on the Wii U and the PC. The game will be available as a digital download for all the platforms and will be priced at $49.99 (Rs. 2,700 approx.).

The story of the game takes place between the timeline of Resident Evil 4 and 5. Revelations was first launched for the 3DS. The story of the game is same on the consoles and the 3DS but the graphics and gameplay elements will be bumped up to HD for the console and PC release. You can take a look at the debut trailer of the game below.

The Resident Evil games defined the survival horror genre when they launched on the PS One. In todays day however, other franchises such as Dead Space have taken that crown. We have seen a number of games launch in the survival horror genre such as Alan Wake, Silent Hill and more and they have all been relatively successful, but Resident Evil is the only franchise that has made its mark on all the gaming hardware launched till date.


Source: http://www.thinkdigit.com/Gaming/Resident-Evil-Revelations-to-hit-store-shelves_13185.html

Online Technology Updates

Online Technology Updates on,

Mobile Phones: About Features

Tablets: Price Comparisons

Gadgets: Latest Functions

Games: Attractive  Features

Internet: About Advancements

 

Jabra launches SPEAK 510 speakerphone with Bluetooth support

Jabra has introduced a new speakerphone with Bluetooth called SPEAK 510. The speakerphone comes with plug-and-play connectivity and can be connected with PC, tablet and smartphone.

Jabra in its press release says the SPEAK 510 is designed for professionals who will be needing audio conferencing or hands-free calls. According to Jabra, the SPEAK 510 functions as a light-weight audio and delivers 15 hours of battery life.

Ralph Ede, Managing Director – South Asia, Jabra says, “Jabra SPEAK 510 speakerphone targets the mobile worker to a further extent than ever before. Featuring Bluetooth technology the Jabra SPEAK 510 enables even more user flexibility and meets increased demands for mobility, at home, in the workplace or on the go. It optimizes the productivity by intuitively enabling one-to-one and smaller group conference calls at any time and in any place.”

The Jabra SPEAK 510 is priced at Rs. 11,000. In the meanwhile, check out the specifications of the SPEAK 510 speakerphone, as provided by Jabra, in the table below:

	Features	Benefits
Connectivity	USB Cable	Plug-and-play connectivity to PC Softphone/UC systems
	Bluetooth Class 1	Wireless connection to PC, tablets and Bluetooth enabled mobile phones and headsets enabling enhanced mobility. Up to 100 meter range for Class 1 supported devices
	Full compatibility with UC systems & VoIP clients	Seamless integration and call control with leading UC systems/PC softphones, such as Microsoft Lync, IBM Sametime, Cisco, Avaya and Skype
Audio	Built-in omni-directional microphone	360-degree coverage enabling hands-free collaboration & allowing attendees to hear and be heard from all angles
	Digital Signal Processing (DSP ) technology	Crystal clear sound without echoes or or distorted sounds even at max volume level
	Wideband Audio/HD Voice	High quality audio for best possible sound
	Bluetooth A2DP	Multimedia streaming
Ease of Use	Rechargeable battery	Up to 15 hours talk time
	LED indicators	Intuitive user interface
	Built-in 3.5 mm headset port	Plug any headset to allow private conversations in open environments
	Jabra PC Suite	Easy softphone integration. Configure Jabra Speak via Jabra Control Center and keep your Jabra Speak updated
Accessories	Jabra Link 360 Bluetooth Class 1 USB adapter	Easy Bluetooth connection and call control integration with your softphone system
	Headset cable	Connect corded QD headset to Jabra Speak
	AC Adapter	Recharge your Jabra Speak without a PC

Source: http://www.thinkdigit.com/Audio-Devices/Jabra-launches-SPEAK-510-speakerphone-with-Bluetooth_13163.html

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance launching on Feb 21 for PS3 and Xbox 360

The current console generation is nearing the end of its lifecycle and we still have a lot of awesome games that are yet to release for the system. One of our most anticipated games of the year, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, now has a release date and a price tag. The game will be available on store shelves on February 21 and will be priced at a whopping Rs. 3,499. The game is up for preorder on Flipkart at Rs. 3999.

Those of you that want some hands on time with the game can check out the demo, which will be available for free on PSN and Xbox Live on January 23. The demo will give gamers a taste of the stealth as well as action elements of the game. Gamers will be able to play through three levels in the demo.

If you have been hibernating somewhere for the past two years, let us give you a brief of the upcoming game. It is set in Metal Gear timeline between Metal Gear Solid 2 and 4 (MGS 3 was a prequel to the entire series so please don’t get confused). You don the role of Raiden, the same lead protagonist from MGS 2. The game is being developed by Platinum Games, under the supervision of Kojima Productions.

Raiden, was once feared as the child soldier "Jack the Ripper" during the First Liberian Civil War. Now, he possesses a cyborg body and a high-frequency blade to slice and take down anything that stands in his way.

We are excited to get our hands on the demo of the game as it will give us a taste of the direction in which Platinum games has taken the franchise. Platinum Games have made some games in the past that have impressed us. These incudes the fast passed action shooter, Bayonetta and the third person futuristic war shooter, Vanquish.

In the past we have seen many games priced really high such as Call of Duty Black ops II at Rs. 3,899 and many more. These prices are seriously exorbitant for games. When the PS3 and the 360 were launched, the average price for a game was Rs. 1,500 to Rs. 2,000. Then we saw an average price tag of Rs. 2500 for the most popular and anticipated games. Now that amount has nearly reached the Rs. 4000 mark, which is insane!


Source: http://www.thinkdigit.com/Gaming/Metal-Gear-Rising-Revengeance-launching-on-Feb_13142.html

Intex launches Aqua Flash and Aqua Trendy dual-SIM budget Android smartphones

Intex has announced the launch of two new budget Android-based smartphones - Intex Aqua Flash and Aqua Trendy. Both the smartphones come with the dual-SIM support and are pre-loaded Nimbuzz, Flipkart, India Today, Saavan, Skype and Facebook apps.

First up is the Aqua Flash, the device features a 4.3-inch capacitive multi-touch display. It runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and is powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor.

Other key specifications of the Aqua Flash include an 8MP camera with dual-LED flash and 1.3MP front-facing camera, up to 32GB expandable storage via microSD, 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS, 3.5mm audio jack, FM radio and 2100 mAh battery.

The Aqua Flash is priced at Rs. 9,500.

The Intex Aqua Trendy has a 3.5-inch capacitive multi-touch display. The device runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS and is powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor. The Aqua Trendy features 3.2 MP rear camera, 1.3MP front-facing camera, expandable memory up to 32GB with microSD, 2G EDGE/GPRS, WiFi, Bluetooth, FM radio, sound recorder and 1400 mAh battery.

The Intex Aqua Trendy is available with Rs. 4,900.

Source: http://www.thinkdigit.com/Mobiles-PDAs/Intex-launches-Aqua-Flash-and-Aqua-Trendy_13126.html

Acer Iconia B1 Jelly Bean tablet now available in India for Rs. 7,999

Acer’s Iconia B1 is now available in India. The device was unveiled as the Iconia B1-A71 at CES 2013. The tablet boasts of a 7-inch display with a 1024x600 pixel resolution. Other specifications of the device include, the dual-core MediaTek processor (MTK 8317T) clocked at 1.2GHz, 512MB of RAM, 8GB built-in storage expandable via a microSD card. The tablet will also run the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS.

The Iconia B1-A71 also has a 2,710mAh battery along with Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, and GPS. At CES 2013, the price of the device was $150 which roughly translates to Rs.8,200.

We think Acer has hit the sweet spot with the price and specifications of the device. To start with Acer is a global brand, making its devices a little more reliable that the local budget tablets available in the market today. Recently, we have seen some impressive budget devices launch in India.

One of these devices is the iberry Auxus CoreX2 3G. It has a 7-inch HD IPS display with a resolution of 1280x800 pixels giving it a pixel density of 216ppi, which is the same as the Nexus 7 (read our review here). The Auxus CoreX2 3G is powered by a dual-core 1.6GHz Cortex A9 processor, 1GB of RAM and the Mali 400 GPU. The device supports a 3G SIM card not only for data but for voice calls as well. The tablet is priced at Rs. 10,990. You can read our detailed review of the CoreX2 3G tablet here.

One budget tablet that has also caught our attention under the Rs. 7,000 price point is the WickedLeak Wammy Desire. Its specifications are quite impressive with a dual-core 1.5GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, 400 Mali quad-core GPU, 3000mAh battery, 1.3MP front facing camera, 8GB internal storage expandable up to 32GB via a microSD card. You can read our detailed review of the device here.

Acer may have a brand name to bank on, but it will face stiff competition from local brands such as Zync, iberry and Micromax to name a few.

Source: http://www.thinkdigit.com/Tablets/Acer-Iconia-B1-Jelly-Bean-tablet-now_13090.html

Google updates Gmail, allows adding Label, Star from Compose box

Google has been updating its Gmail web client for quite some time now. The recent update brought in ability to compose a new mail with a new pop-up method, improved search engine and deeper integration with Google+ social networking site. Google kicks off 2013 with yet another round of updates to its Gmail services.

The new update allows users to add Labels and Stars to the message from the new compose feature. Gmail users can do this by clicking on the More options menu in the bottom right and hovering over Label. Earlier, users needed to first send the message and then go to their Sent folder to access the message sent, open it and then could add a Label or a Star to the mail.

Google had launched the new Compose feature in October last year. The feature is available as an option from users' inbox.

“How many times have you been writing an email and had to reference something in another message? Saving a draft, opening the old email, and then reopening your draft wastes valuable minutes. The new compose pops up in a window, just like chats (only larger),” Google's product manager Phil Sharp had said while announcing the new feature.

“This makes it easy to reference any other emails without ever having to close your draft. You can even do a search or keep an eye on new mail as it comes in. And because the compose window works the same way as chats, you can write multiple messages at once and minimize a message to finish it later.”

Source: http://www.thinkdigit.com/Internet/Google-updates-Gmail-allows-adding-Label-Star_13041.html

CES 2013: Hands on with the Lenovo IdeaCentre Horizon Table PC

One of the more interesting PCs launched at this week's CES 2013 show is the Lenovo IdeaCentre Horizon Table PC, a 27-inch all-in-one desktop with around-the-house portability. Like the Sony VAIO Tap 20$999.99 at Sony, the Horizon is an all-in-one PC with the components built behind the screen, but where the Tap 20 is large, the IdeaCentre Horizon is an XXL. It's designed for sharing the computer with the family, and as such Lenovo has worked with software developers to make sure it's not just another big-screen desktop that happens to tilt flat.

The IdeaCentre Horizon's sports a 27-inch 1,920 by 1,080 (true 1080p HD) resolution screen. While we've seen that size before (notably on the Lenovo IdeaCentre A720$1,699.00 at Microsoft Store), this is the first time we've seen that size of a screen on something that can work completely untethered. Claimed battery life is about two hours. At 18 pounds, we can't call the IdeaCentre Horizon a portable, but you can temporarily unplug it and carry it from room to room in and out of your home.

Carrying the system is definitely a two-handed affair: even if you can curl 25 pound weights with each arm, you couldn't support the IdeaCentre Horizon in the crook of your arm as you would with a tablet unless you had the arms of a WWE wrestler. The lip of the bezel is ringed in a soft rubbery plastic compound, to help with grip and to protect the screen in the unlikely case that the system is left resting on its front side.

The IdeaCentre Horizon has a U-shaped tilting stand in the back, similar to the one on the Sony Tap 20, and like the Tap 20 you can tilt the IdeaCentre Horizon from a vertical position through to a flat horizontal position. Once in that position, you can share the 10-point touch screen with as many people that you can fit around the system.

One neat feature of the IdeaCentre Horizon is the Aura interface that automatically comes up when you drop the screen to a horizontal position. It brings up a touch-optimized interface, with a round, puck-like central controller that can be rotated by touch to be "right side up" no matter which side of the system you are on. The puck has buttons on it that open categorized menus, like music, video, games, and the like. Opened photos, videos, and other items can be tilted, zoomed in or out, or repositioned on the screen. Each item has inertia, so the tiles act as if they are sliding on an air hockey table. It's similar to the visuals in the money-tracking scene in the James Bond film, Quantum of Solace, except that you can turn everything so it's facing the "right way up" for you.

It's interesting that Lenovo has commissioned a new touch interface overlay, recalling what all manufacturers had to do pre-Windows 8. Lenovo did this because the current Windows 8 Start screen doesn't support users sitting on opposite sides of a screen, where there's not true "up" direction. Aura and the other apps that Lenovo has co developed with companies like Electronic Arts work well on the horizontal screen. When you're done playing Monopoly or roulette and tilt the screen back to vertical, the system automatically asks you if you want to return to the Windows 8 interface. On the system we looked at—equipped with an Core i7 CPU, SSD, and Nvidia GeForce GT620M graphics—the transition was close to instantaneous.

The IdeaCentre Horizon has a set of notable accessories, including a rechargeable six-sided die can that be used for board games. Up to three dice can be read but the system simultaneously. The system also has joystick and "striker" (think air hockey paddle) controllers that can interact with the screen. Last, but not least, the version of the system we looked at can be bolted to the Horizon Multimode Table, a moving, tilting stand that lets you wheel the system around the house easier. It's similar to moving a tilting table on casters, except this table is a full-blown Windows 8 PC.

The IdeaCentre Horizon is expected to start at $1,699 and be available in early summer. Stay tuned to PCMag.com for updates to this evolution of the all-in-one PC.


Source: http://www.thinkdigit.com/Tablets/CES-2013-Hands-on-with-the-Lenovo_13014.html

Salora launches POWERMaxx with Android 4.0, dual-core CPU and 3200 mAh battery

Salora International Ltd. has introduced a new Android-based smartphone called POWERMaxx. Priced at Rs. 15,999, the POWERMaxx comes with a massive 3,200 mAh battery, which is rated to deliver 22 hrs of 3G talktime, 42 hrs of playing music, 10 hrs of playing video and 11 hrs of 3G networking.

The POWERMAxx features dual-SIM (3G + 3G) support, a 11.4-cm (4.5-inch) IPS LCD display with a resolution of 960x540 pixels, and is powered by a 1GHz Cortex-A9 dual-core processor coupled with 512MB of RAM. It bears a 8MP rear camera and 1.3MP front-facing camera, 4GB built-in storage and expandable storage up to 32GB. The device runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS, but is upgradable to Jelly Bean.

More news at: http://www.thinkdigit.com/Mobiles-PDAs/Salora-launches-POWERMaxx-with-Android-40-dual-core_13001.html

CES 2013: Qualcomm announces Snapdragon 200, 400, 600 and 800 series

Close on the heels of the NVIDIA Tegra 4 announcement, Qualcomm has also announced a refresh to its line-up of Snapdragon system-on-chips. Qualcomm announced that it is going to retire the S1, S2, S3 and S4 series of mobile chips and new set of chips will go by the new nomenclature - Snapdragon 200, Snapdragon 400, Snapdragon 600 and Snapdragon 800. The new series is expected to improve power and speed as compared to current generation of Qualcomm Snapdragon chips.

As you may have already deducted from the naming convention, the Snapdragon 600 and 800 will represent the high-performance chips whereas the Snapdragon 200 and 400 will be seen in low-end budget mobile devices.

Snapdragon 600 will be running four Krait 300 cores (clock speeds going up to 1.9 GHz). Krait is the codename for Qualcomm’s custom ARM v7 microprocessor. The 600 will be around 40 percent more powerful than the S4 Pro at the same time consuming comparatively lesser battery. It will house the Adreno 320 GPU. We will start seeing this chip in mobile devices by Q2 2013.

The Snapdragon 800 will be the flagship SoC for 2013. It will be running four Krait 400 cores which are based on the 28nm manufacturing process. The Krait 400 can run to speeds up to 2.3 GHz in the quad configuration and its synchronous SMP architecture will provide dynamic power sensing and control for peak performance per core. The Snapdragon 800 will house an Adreno 330 GPU, support for display resolutions upto 2560x2048, a faster 4G LTE Cat 4 modem within the SoC. The presence of an LTE radio on the SoC is a definite plus over the Tegra 4 which does not include an LTE radio on the SoC, but it can be added optionally. Performance improvement of the Snapdragon 800 over the S4 Pro is claimed to be over 74 per cent which is quite impressive on paper. The Snapdragon 800 processors will be seen in commercial mobile devices in mid-2013.

"With the overwhelming success of our previous Qualcomm Snapdragon platforms, our mobile processors have emerged as the platform of choice for high-end mobile devices," said Steve Mollenkopf, president and chief operating officer of Qualcomm. "With more than 50 design wins already secured with the first products of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 and 800 processors, we are advancing our vision and setting the standard for excellence in mobile computing."


Source: http://www.thinkdigit.com/Mobiles-PDAs/CES-2013-Qualcomm-announces-Snapdragon-200-400_12979.html

Acer to launch Jelly Bean-based 'Iconia B1' tablet in India soon: Reports

The Acer Iconia B1 is expected to release in the country towards the end of January 2013 at a price point of Rs. 7,999. The specifications of the device are still rumoured, but what is certain is that the tablet will be running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

The rumoured specifications of the device include a 7-inch display with a 1024x600 resolution, 1.2GHz dual-core processor and PowerVR SGX 531 GPU. The tablet will also have Wi-Fi connectivity but will compromise on a SIM card slot to maintain the low price point. It is possible that we will see the tablet at CES 2013 in January and the device will make its debut in the emerging markets considering the attractive price point.

Another 7-inch tablet, which was recently launched, has caught our attention because of the specifications and the price point. The Auxus CoreX2 3G has a 7-inch HD IPS display with a resolution of 1280x800 pixels. A dual-core 1.6GHz Cortex A9 processor, 1GB of RAM and the Mali 400 GPU power the device.

It supports a 3G SIM card not only for data but for voice calls as well. The rear of the device houses a 2MP camera and the front has a 0.3MP camera for video calls. Straight out of the box, the Auxus CoreX2 3G runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Auxus CoreX2 3G has 8GB built-in storage expandable up to 64GB via a microSD card. This is the first time we have seen 64GB expandable memory on a budget device. It also supports Bluetooth v4.0 and a 4,100mAh battery. It is priced at Rs. 10,990.


Source: http://www.thinkdigit.com/Tablets/Acer-to-launch-Jelly-Bean-based-Iconia-B1_12930.html

Major antivirus software revealed to be far less effective than expected

A little piece of information that always travelled in whispers has finally started gaining a loud voice. Security researchers are increasingly becoming vocal about just how ineffective most “antivirus” software generally are.

A new study by Imperva, a data security firm in Redwood City, California, put 82 new strains of computer viruses against 40 antivirus software such as those by Symantec, McAfee, and Kaspersky Lab etc. Shockingly, the study found that the initial detection rate was, at best, 5%. On an average, each company takes about a month to update its definition files and given that new malware is coming out on almost a daily basis, you might want to really reconsider whether that yearlong subscription really is worth it or not. The study also found that the most effective antivirus software were by Avast and Emsisoft, both of which ironically have free versions that are considered to be as effective.

The picture becomes even bleaker when companies like Symantec completely do away with the “antivirus” moniker and replace it with phrases like “Internet Security.” In fact, if you visit the homepage of Symantec or McAfee, two companies who built their empires on selling antivirus software, the phrase doesn’t even appear once on their respective homepages.

So what this essentially means is that no matter what antivirus software you install, the chances of your computer getting infected will remain pretty high. You can minimize the risk by not clicking on links that you are no familiar with, along with employing safe browsing habits. And if you’re thinking “Oh I’ll just get a Mac,” then well, there’s a lot of malware for that too.

Last time a malware was released for an Apple machine (just a few months ago), Apple simply refused to acknowledge its presence. Finally when too many users were getting effected, the Cupertino outfit did push out a patch, which was circumvented in less than 2 hours.


Source: http://www.thinkdigit.com/Software/Major-antivirus-software-revealed-to-be-far_12900.html