Android 5.1.1 Lollipop will be released soon.

The co-founder of "Android Police" blog, Artem Russakovskii posted on his Google+ account the following text:

"I'm told that Android 5.1.1 for both Android phones/tablets/etc and Wear will be released "in the coming days" (perhaps later this week or next week). Android Wear update may be released together or separately sometime after the main 5.1.1.
I'm guessing Google may be just waiting for 5.1.1 to update N9, N4, and N7 2013.
You should expect that gesture control and Wi-Fi in Wear 5.1, as previously rumored.". Russakovskii refers to the Nexus 9 Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 (2013), which have not yet been updated to version 5.1 of Android Lollipop, everything seems to point that they will directly receive the update to this new Android version.

Regarding "gesture control", Android 5.1.1 could bring support for Android Wear to move through notifications using our wrists, not with both hands (a simple, but very welcome addition to the system).

Typically, smartwatches with Android Wear depend on communication with a smartphone connected via Bluetooth, but most of these devices come with a pre-installed Wi-Fi chip which has remained inactive so far. This Wi-Fi system apparently will be activated once Android 5.1.1 Lollipop arrives.
Another addition we all expect it to appear in the new build is a definitive solution to the notorious memory leak problem. In a few days we will review all the improvements this new Android Lollipop update brings, once it's delivered to Nexus devices.

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Google upgrades Android KitKat to 4.4.3

Android 4.3.3 KitKat

Google have just released Android 4.4.3 KitKat for the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) as well as stock ROM images for selected models of the Nexus family.
Probably the last two Nexus 7 models, the Nexus 10, and the Nexus 4 and 5 are all supported.

If you are a Nexus user and know how to flash the firmware, you can do it by yourself. Or you can wait for an OTA update from your carrier.

So, is Android 4.4.3 KitKat a major update with a lot of changes? Definitely no, it looks like it's a maintenance release full of minor bug fixes, with a renewed Dialer and People Apps.

Android 4.4.3 also brings a new Dialer and People apps.

It's good to see Google fixing small bugs and polishing android, but we expect much bigger news from Google I/O in the next months.

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Apple Officialy Reveals iOS 8: Available for free this fall

iOS 8 New Features

As expected, Apple today showed off a preview of its next-gen mobile operating system, iOS 8.
This new version of iOS, which will come to iPhones and iPads in the fall, includes many new features.

iOS 8 now brings Interactive Notifications, it gives users the ability to respond any notification without launching the app it comes from, just by pulling down on the alert. On the lock screen, swiping notifications will show a dialog box with Accept/Decline buttons. And it's not limited to messages, you'll be able to like/comment on Facebook messages or handle your calendar events.


The multi-tasking app screen which is accessed double clicking the home button is also enhanced. The screen will show a scrolling strip of your most recent contacts, identified by photos. From here you can call, message or facetime just by tapping on any of them.

 iCloud now can work with third-party storage providers like Box and OneDrive. Also, with iCloud Photo Library, any picture you take or receive can go directly to iCloud where you'll be able to view it (and all of your other photos) from any other device. Think of it as a sort of unified online photo library. You can edit those photos from one device and see the changes take effect on all your others. "Your device has access to more photos in the cloud than it can physically store locally so you can get at them all," Federighi said this morning.
With iCloud Drive you can store and edit any document in the cloud, and it's compatible with Windows devices, too.
iCloud users will get 5GB of free cloud storage, but they can upgrade to 20GB for 99 cents per month or 200GB for $3.99 per month.

The keyboard in iOS 8 gets a new feature that Android users had from far ago: predictive typing. Suggestions for what you might be typing next appear above the keyboard. The suggestions adapts depending on who you're talking to. For example, the sentence, "The meeting was..." could get suggestions like "rescheduled/cancelled" for one contact and "epic/awesome" for another.

in iOS 8 a service called HealthKit  supports an app called Health. Which will give health and fitness app developers a centralized place on the iPhone to integrate their software with. Apple is also working with main health providers to get the most out of the service.

With the new Family Sharing push service, up to six family members can share any iTunes content that any of them has purchased. If you're a parent and your children have an affinity for buying things from iTunes with your credit, you'll love this feature. Once connected, those family members will be told to seek your permission and you will get a notification, allowing them to grant or deny the request.

Siri, our beloved assistant, will also get some enhancements, including song identification with Shazam, which lets Siri identify music around you and offer up the choice to purchase it directly from iTunes, and support for 22 more dictation languages.

In the future, those with the iPhone 5s will potentially be able to do more with the Touch ID fingerprint sensor, as Apple is opening it up to third parties. Apple promised that data will be saved on the device, so those companies will not gain access to your fingerprint.

For developers, the new iOS SDK, which Apple CEO Tim Cook called “the biggest release since the launch of the App Store,” includes over 4,000 new developer APIs and changes.
One thing developers will love is something Apple calls “Metal.” This gives low level access to the graphics and compute hardware on Apple’s A7 processors. Apple said it dramatically reduces overhead and features more efficient multi-threading bringing console-level graphics to the iPhone and iPad. This new feature could give a 10x performance gain compared to iOS 7 in draw call speed.


Apple also promised a better explore tab, a trending searches list, and related searches within the App Store. A new editors' choice logo will also apply to noteworthy apps.



Source: Engadget, Mashable, PC Magazine
Pictures: Apple

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Motorola Moto E: An Entry Level Smartphone With Great Performance

Who said that good can not be cheap?

Although the Moto E is an entry level smartphone, it has better specs than many of the mid-range smartphones that we had a couple of years ago.
This is the company’s latest effort to capture the hearts of the budget-conscious smartphone customers... and they surely will. And it's because the Moto E is simply beautiful, powerful, and cheap.
Motorola is clearly trying to make affordable smartphones with good quality and being attractive to users who do not even have a smartphone.

This is the first handset launched by Motorola since being bought by Lenovo. The Moto E design allows a good hand grip, thanks to its comfortable curved back. It features a 4.3″ qHD -256 ppi- display (swathed in Corning's Gorilla Glass 3 no less) that is reasonably sharp and produces decent colors. It is reasonably bright, too, but looking at it from an angle is not a pleasant experience because there’s notable contrast compression and color shift. It has a Snapdragon 200 processor running at 1.2 Ghz and 1 GB of RAM. Its internal storage capacity is only 4GB but you can easily expand it with a microSD card (up to 32GB).

Its performance while running Android 4.4.2 KitKat is impressive. Everything is really quick with no lags or freezes, despite the modest nature of the CPU. Motorola is always synonymous with strict software optimization.

Here we have some benchmark results of Moto E:

Quadrant 2.0	5,264
Vellamo 2.0	1,173
AnTuTu 4.0	12,510
SunSpider 1.2 (ms)	1,626.2
GFXBench 2.7 Offscreen (fps)	4.4
CF-Bench	6,483

Below the changeable back cover of the Moto E lies a 1,980 mAh battery and Motorola assures it can power the phone for a full day. A decent 5MP camera with LED flash is also present in the phone. The Moto E also features an FM Radio.

You can buy this great smartphone unlocked for just 110€ in Europe or $129 in the US. The phone is also available in dual SIM configuration and with Black, Turquoise, White, Pink, Blue, Red and Lemon back panel options. Motorola also announced an enhanced version of the Moto G with LTE and a microSD card slot for 183€ and $219 in Europe and US, respectively.

Motorola Moto E Full Specifications.

Operating system
Android™ 4.4, KitKat®

Processor
Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 200 with 1.2GHz dual-core A7 CPU
Adreno 302 400MHz single-core GPU

Capacity
4GB standard
MicroSD slot supports up to 32GB expandable memory
1GB RAM

Dimensions and weight
Height: 124.8mm
Width: 64.8mm
Depth: 12.3mm
Weight: 142g
Display
4.3 inches
540 x 960 qHD, 256ppi
Features anti-smudge coating and Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3

Connectivity
MicroUSB, supports USB 2.0
3.5 mm headset jack
Micro SIM
Battery
Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion, 1980mAh
Mixed usage up to 24 hours

Rear camera
5 MP

Video capture and playback
Capture 30fps FWVGA (MP4, H.264, H.263)
Up to 720p playback displayed in qHD resolution
Audio playback
AMR-NB, AMR-WB, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, MP3, PCM,
FLAC, MIDI, QCELP, EVRC, OGG/Vorbis

Networks
US GSM Model:
GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
UMTS/HSPA+ up to 21 Mbps (850, 1700 (AWS), 1900 MHz)
Requires a microSIM card (not included)

Global GSM Model:
GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
UMTS/HSPA+ up to 21 Mbps (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz)
Requires a microSIM card (not included)

CDMA Model Coming Soon!
CDMA/EVDO Rev A (850, 1900 MHz)
Wi-Fi
802.11 b/g/n, 2.4GHz
Bluetooth® Technology
Version 4.0 LE
Location services
GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou

In the box
Moto E in black or white
One-piece charger
Quick start guide

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HTC One Mini 2: Not so 'mini' in price

HTC One Mini 2

The One mini 2 could be the HTC equivalent to Apple's iPhone 5C: A phone for those who want the Big Brother experience but at a lower price.

The HTC One Mini 2 is one of the most luxurious compact phones in the market, thanks to its beautiful metal body and its decent screen, its KitKat OS with Sense 6 is very pleasant to use and its camera takes impressive shots.

The HTC One Mini 2 takes the same nice aluminium design and Android KitKat OS of the One, but shrinks it down to a more manageable 4.5 inches. HTC has also shrunk down the specs, it has a 1.2GHz rather than 2.3GHz processor inside the phone, a 13-megapixel (not the M8's "Ultrapixel") camera and the display is 720p, down from 1080p.
Except for camera, those specs almost exactly match the extremely affordable Motorola Moto G, which is now available with 4G LTE

Main features

4.5" 720p Super LCD2, 326 pixels per inch, Gorilla Glass 3, ambient light sensor
Android 4.4.2 KitKat with the latest HTC Sense 6
Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 chipset with quad-core 1.2GHz Cortex-A7 processor, Adreno 305 GPU and 1GB of RAM
13MP camera, single LED flash, 1080p video recording
5MP front-facing camera, 1080p video recording
16GB of built-in storage, expandable via a microSD card slot
Active noise cancellation with a secondary microphone
Front-facing stereo speakers
2110mAh battery; Extreme Power Saving Mode

The HTC One Mini 2 is initially intended for markets outside of North America. AT&T did carry the original HTC One Mini, however, so we'll hold out a glimmer of hope that we'll see the the phone in the USAat some point.
In Amazon UK, the One mini 2 is priced at £498.85, which translates to €615. We wouldn't hit the panic button just yet - such preliminary listings put an inflated price, which goes does by the time the device launches more often than not. The more interesting (and probably more accurate) part of the listing is the estimated availability date - the One mini 2 is set to go on sale on June 30. That's not ideal given the earlier timeframe, but at least it's a specific date to look forward to.

Source: Various
Follow me on Twitter: Pete Vicentini Jr.

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Apple App Store 5th Anniversary Brings Several iOS apps totally free.

Some iOS titles, including Infinity Blade II, Tiny Wings, and Traktor DJ, are now available for free in Apple's App Store.

Some popular iOS applications suddenly appeared as "free" in the Apple App Store this week, and most likely it's due to the store's 5th Anniversary.

Many of these free apps were sold previously for a few dollars. Some of the iOS popular applications offered for free are Infinity Blade II and Tiny Wings. Traktor DJ wich costs $19.99 is also available for free.

Some tech portals on the web are reporting that this could be an early promotion in anticipation of the App Store's 5th anniversary. The Apple App Store opened on July 10, 2008.

Apple has not say a word about any promotion on the App Store but these free paid apps will surely not be available forever.

Before July 10 everyone using iOS will surely want to take a look to the App Store, Some other apps may appear as free next days.




Source: CNET

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The new Samsung Galaxy NX Camera: Leaked press photos appeared in a vietnamese portal

The New Samsung Galaxy NX Camera

Samsung will present the new Galaxy Camera NX at the June 20th event in London. Today, some press images of this gadget were leaked by the Vietnamese page Tinh te.

The images show a big camera with interchangeable lenses and a pop-up flash, Android Jelly Bean as Operating System, At least 20,3 MP thanks to the APS-C optical sensor, 1080p Full HD video recording, ISO range up to 25600.
The screen seems to be at least 4,3", and the hardware setup could be a Quad Core CPU, 1 or 2 GB RAM, and several hardware buttons to control the camera.

Lenses could be ranging from 18-55 OIS to 18-200 OIS. And it's possible that this camera will be released as a body-only configuration or in a package with a standard lens included.
Yesterday Samsung confirmed they will release a mirrorless camera with interchangeable lenses, but no one expected we could have its pictures so soon!.
This appears to be a very high end Camera so do not be surprised if the new NX line of cameras meet the Android world.




Source: Tinh te
Images: Samsung

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Microsoft Windows 8.1 New Features Analysis

Microsoft Windows 8.1 At A Glance

Microsoft showed a first look at what’s new in Windows 8.1.This update is not a patch, instead it's a major upgrade with substantial changes to the GUI and new surface features, not only fix vulnerabilities and bugs, as we said in our last Windows 8.1 article.

Interface Customization

It's not only the return of the 'Start' button (not the start menu), this button now takes you to the new Start
Screen. Many people is still missing the old Start Menu and I'm sure Microsoft will never give it back to us.
The new Start 'tip' appears anytime you move the mouse to the bottom left corner of the screen, and is always visible on the taskbar when we are on the desktop.
There are some other interesting features like the option to boot the system bypassing the Modern UI Start Screen, and going directly to the desktop or some other locations.
Now you can port your desktop background over to the modern interface, giving a more unified feeling to the system, also new backgrounds, colors and animated things were added to the Start Screen customization options. We also have the option to use a picture slideshow as the Lock Screen background, so when you're not using your PC/Surface it acts as a nice digital picture frame, pictures can be on your hard drive or loaded from the cloud in SkyDrive. All these new features are really enhancements for the Windows 8.1 modern UI.
The Touch Keyboard is now enhanced by an auto suggest service which is updated continually by an online service. In addition to suggesting words that match the one you’re typing, the new feature also tries to predict the next word you’ll type.

Apps and Snap View

Windows 8.1 will include significant updates to all of the built-in Metro-style apps.

Now Windows 8.1 has variable, continuous size of snap views. You'll no longer be locked into the two applications Snap limitations of Windows 8. Now you can see up to four applications on the screen at the same time and resize them to any size you want. This snap view enhancement also applies for multiple windows of the same app snapped together. You can also have different applications running on all the displays (if you have more than one monitor connected) at the same time and the Start Screen can stay open on one monitor.

Every new app installed from the Windows Store will appear now under the 'New' filter in the 'All Apps' view, from which you can pin your desired app to the Start screen. Newly installed apps will no more be plopped on your Start screen.

The Windows Store and the pre-installed Microsoft apps were also overhauled, the Search charm will provide global search results powered by Bing in a rich, simple-to-read, aggregated view of many content sources (the web, apps, files, SkyDrive, actions you can take) to provide the best “answer” for your query.

The 'Help & Tips' app will be pinned to the Start screen by default and will offer a tutorial covering five or so of the most common things a new user needs to know about Windows 8 interface.

The Windows 8.1 New Music App looks completely different from the confusing Windows 8 old Music App. The three main links on home page allow you to quickly play music from your collection (local or cloud) or play streaming music by tapping the Radio link. The third link, 'Explore', takes you to the Xbox Store, where you can search and buy.

The Windows 8.1 Camera app gets a few new controls, including a real-time implementation of Microsoft’s PhotoSynth technology that lets you create and stitch together 360º panoramas. New upcoming 7"/8" Windows 8.1 devices will take advantage of that new feature as smaller devices are better for photography.
The Photos app will also be updated with some photo editing features.

New apps are added. Calculator is one of them, it includes the standard and scientific views. Alarms is another checklist item, with timer, stopwatch, and countdown functions. Reading List is another addition. Reading List can consist of links to web pages, email messages, snippets from the Finance and Travel apps, tweets, and so on. Health and Fitness aggregates information about diet and exercise. Food and Drink brings recipes and cooking. It have an innovative hands-free mode that lets you use a tablet in the kitchen without putting your greasy hands on the screen. In this app you can flip pages by making a swiping gesture in front of the device camera.

Skydrive Integration

In the new Windows 8.1, files can be saved directly to your SkyDrive cloud storage. This way you will have always your data available anywhere in the world.
The navigation bar on the left side of File Explorer also has changes, instead the 'Computer' node is a new link titled 'This PC'. Here you’ll find shortcuts to your personal folders, local hard drives and a dedicated link for your SkyDrive files.
The new SkyDrive app synchronizes all your online data so you can access it even offline.

PC Settings

Now there's no need to go to the Control Panel to access all your settings on your device. Access screen resolution, power options, System information, PC model, change the product key, Windows Update, etc, directly from PC Settings. Manage your SkyDrive directly from PC Settings, you can monitor your free storage space and buy more if you desire.

Internet Explorer 11

This main update of the Microsoft Browser brings faster page loading time and it's optimized for touch screens. You can set IE11 to always show the address bar and have as many open tabs as you like.There's also an option to sync it across your other Windows 8.1 devices and show your open tabs, Start Screen apps and settings on your other PC's or surfaces. Tabs have been moved to the bottom of the screen, just above the Internet Explorer address bar.

We will be able to check out these improvements with a Developer Preview of Windows 8.1 that will be released on June 26 in the Microsoft BUILD conference.

Source: Blogging Windows | PCWorld

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HTC One will have Google Edition this summer

HTC One Google Edition

HTC plans to launch a stock Android 4.2.2 edition of its flagship smartphone, the HTC One, for release in the US. Early this week a similar announcement was made by Samsung that it would launch a Google version of their Galaxy S4

The HTC One is a great, fast and innovative smartphone, it has the best speaker system found on a smartphone and an excellent camera, and it has sold 5 million units in the first month according to HTC.

So why to develop a 'senseless' stock android version?... There are million people who prefer the light and well known interface of stock Android, and don't like all that refinements HTC puts on their devices (I'm one of them), although it means to miss the Beats Audio experience.
Another advantage would be the Android updates directly from Google and all their latest apps right at your hand with this phone.

This rumor was published first by Geek.com and confirmed by CNET today. It's unclear if the HTC One Google Edition will be sold at Play Store, or if some carriers in the US will subsidize it. It worth mentioning that the Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Edition is sold with an unique price of $650 USD, and in selected carriers only.

The Android modding community will be happy with this phone as it's less difficult to tweak and mod, HTC already have a bootloader unlock mechanism for those who like to install modded Roms to their phones, i'm sure this one will not be the exception.

Source:   Geek.com  |  CNET

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XBOX ONE Unveiled by Microsoft This Morning

The New Xbox One

As an "Ultimate all-in-one home entertainment system" was described the new XBOX ONE by Don Mattrick, president of Microsoft's interactive entertainment business. This game console will be on sale later this year.

Microsoft took 7 years to create a new game console and this is a big step up in the game consoles field, because the XBOX ONE is no more a box for playing games or watching movies on Dvd/BluRay. Instead it's a home entertainment center, with an advanced voice recognition system (so you can forget about your remote control), support for watching live TV, Movies, Music, Internet Browsing, you can also use Skype for video-calls while you watch a movie or play a game.

The XBOX ONE brings a new 'Intelligent' Home Screen which identifies users and log them into their favorite applications. The base of the operating system is a Windows kernel connected with the XBOX OS, and the hardware consists of an eight-core AMD CPU, 8GB RAM, 500GB Hard Drive Capacity, USB 3 Ports, HDMI Interface, Blu-Ray Drive.

The console is a large black box, it looks more like a rackmount server, than a gaming console. In the Front is only the BluRay Insertion Slot and the power button. In the rear you can find the ports: HDMI i/o, SPDI/F Digital Audio Out, Analog Outs, USB Ports and Ethernet. 

An enhanced Kinect Controller for capturing your movement and gestures was also unveiled by Microsoft. It has 60% wider angle than the original, and its 1080p and 60fps capable. This optical sensor is more integrated than the old one, as it recognizes the user that is interacting with, and you can say phrases like "Watch TV", "What's On HBO", "Power On", etc., and the console will respond according to your commands.

The XBOX ONE Controller is very similar to the old XBOX 360 one. The trigger buttons now provide a feedback according to the game you play (Racing, Shooter, Jumping, Flying, Sports, etc.), in each case the response is different.
Start and Back buttons disappeared, now you can find two buttons that will surely be interacting with the user interface for switching apps or displaying menus. It has a WiFi Direct interface for connecting to the main unit and the Kinect Unit. The battery compartment is now integrated in the controller.

In conclusion this is going to be a new standard in gaming technologies, Microsoft is lately doing things in the best way.

Info Source: CNET Live Blog

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First Leaked Images of Samsung I9295 Galaxy S4 Active

Samsung I9295 Galaxy S4 Active

The Samsung mobile team is going to take full advantage of the new S4 model, as it looks they will soon reveal several new variants of their flagship smartphone, the hottest names these days are: Galaxy S4 mini, Galaxy S4 Zoom, and Galaxy S4 Active, this latter already has some pictures leaked by the guys at GSMArena.

If you have considered buying a Samsung Galaxy S4 and you're a fan of extreme sports, or if your daily activities require you to be in wet or dusty conditions, maybe you should wait until the rumored S4 Active comes to light.

There are no official announcements on Galaxy S4 active yet, but the device has been shown recently in Croatia according to the GSMArena report, this means that it could be officially revealed on next months.

The Samsung I9295 Galaxy S4 Active will run on a quad core 1.9 GHz processor with Adreno 320 GPU, the reported pixel density of the screen is 480 dpi, so the display may be a bit smaller than the original Galaxy S4, rear camera will have a 8MP sensor (Original S4 is 13MP), which means a downgrade in resolution.

The main new features of this S4 variant are a metallic casing fastened with screws on the back, hardware buttons in the front below the screen (menu, home and back), and the ability to resist water and dust.

Today was also leaked the name of Samsung Galaxy S4 Mega in an update of Samsung WatchON app. In its "What's New" section the update shows that the application now supports the rumored Galaxy S4 Mini, the Galaxy S4 Active, and the unknown S4 Galaxy Mega. Although this could be a mistake and actually refer to the well known Samsung Galaxy Mega (not S4).

Here are the pictures:

Images: GSMArena

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Cloud Storage Service: Keep Your Files Safe. Top 10 Providers

What Is Cloud Storage Service?

Cloud Storage is a service that gives you online storage space for saving your data. This service is a secure and reliable way to backup your important data, send large files to your partners or friends, make a backup of your personal files such as photos, videos, music, documents, etc., and synchronize your digital work between office and home. 

Your data is stored at virtualized pools of storage which are hosted in mainframes by Cloud Storage Providers, and to get that online storage space for your files, you must buy or lease storage capacity from them.

Some Cloud Storage Providers gives you several GB of capacity and others have unlimited storage.

It's difficult to know when your hard disk is going to failure, or a natural (or human) disaster will happen and fry your computer. Computer viruses, accidental erasures and sabotage are also causes for important data loss. So making a backup of your files in the Cloud Storage Provider host is a great way to keep them safe.

OK, but, what to expect from a Cloud Storage Provider?, here is a short guide to find the service that meet all your needs:

Storage Capacity

To choose the proper Cloud Storage Provider you must first research their storage plans. And keep in mind that the best online storage services are those that provide unlimited capacity for a unique monthly fee. If you don't need unlimited online storage space then you should look for a provider that gives you the lowest cost per Gigabyte.

Security

File encryption, password protected sharing and file/folder permissions are the minimal security features  you must look for in a Cloud Storage Provider.

File Management and Interface

A good Cloud Storage Service will let you upload any file type with any size. And should also let you access your files from anywhere with a computer in a web browser or a desktop application integrated with your operating system file explorer, or even with your mobile device, tablet or PDA.
Automatic file sync is another feature you may look for, this is for having always the most recent version of your files synchronized both in the cloud and in your computer.

Support

Help and support when needed. It's very important that your Cloud Storage Provider offers direct customer support, a troubleshooting knowledge base, e-mail assistance, live chat, etc.

Top 10 Cloud Storage Service Providers

JustCloud

Storage space: Unlimited

Price per month: $9,95

Security: High

SugarSync

Storage space: 30, 60, 100, 250 Gb

Price per month: $4,99, $9,99, $14,99, $24,99

Security: High

Egnyte

Storage space: 150, 1000 GB

Price per month: $24,99, $44,99

Security: High

YouSendIt

Storage space: 5, 1000 GB

Price per month: $4,71, $14,99

Security: High

Dropbox

Storage space: 2, 100, 200, 500 GB

Price per month: Free, $9,99, $19,99, $49,99

Security: High

OpenDrive

Storage space: 5, 100, 500, 1000, Unlimited

Price per month: Free, $5, $15, $25, $9,95

Security: High

Mozy

Storage space: 50, 100 GB

Price per month: $5,99, $9,99

Security: Good

Online Storage Solution

Storage space: 10, Unlimited

Price per month: $2,49, $6

Security: Good

Carbonite

Storage space: Unlimited

Price per month: $8,25

Security: Good

Box

Storage space: 1000 GB

Price per month: $45

Security: High

Copyright© 2013 1st Tech Guides

Info source: TopTenReviews

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Blackberry Messenger will be offered for Android and iOS for free

Blackberry Messenger for Android and iOS

Blackberry has just announced a plan to offer their popular IM platform BlackBerry Messenger to Android and iOS for free download.

This announcement was made this morning on Blackberry Live 2013 event at Orlando, Florida, by the company CEO. This transition is expected to become effective this summer, according to Blackberry.

This is surely a strategy for retaining old BBM users who have switched platform, and also gain new followers who are using other IM programs such as Whatsapp, Viber, Skype, etc.
You can clearly see with this movement that Blackberry is really willing to regain a market in which they were absolute leaders in the past.

Personally, i am very excited about this announcement, and as a former Blackberry user feel nostalgic to be able to use that service on my Android.
Some days ago the Blackberry Z10 release, and now, this important transition of a service that was jealously Blackberry exclusive, are indications that the company will surprise us soon with more new things never seen before... So expect more.


Copyright© 2013 1st Tech Guides

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Carmageddon for Android launched after collecting funds through Kickstarters. Free Download Today Only!

If you think you are a real gamer you should immediately recognize the name Carmageddon. This was a very controversial game in the past because of its game system.
Now, after a period of collective funding on Kickstarter, where they gathered $625,000, Stainless Games Ltd. have released it in Google Play officially. For $1.84 you can get the Android version of this bizarre game.

Carmageddon features real-world environments that have been turned into killing fields, where the locals stay out on the streets at their peril. As well as using your car as a weapon, every level is sprinkled generously with power-ups that have a vast variety of mad effects, adding a whole extra level of craziness to the proceedings.

In every event you have the option to “play it your way”… Waste all your opponents, kill every pedestrian, or (perish the thought) complete all the laps. Oh and watch out – the cops in their super-tough armoured patrol vehicles are lurking, and if they catch you being bad they’ll be down on you like several tons of cold pork!

Features

• 28 dangerously deranged Opponents
• 11 wildly exhilarating Environments
• Career Mode featuring 36 satisfyingly violent Levels
• Race and Wreck opponents to unlock 30 playable cars!
• Buckets of gibs
• Comprehensive Action Replay System
• High resolution and widescreen device support
• Multiple control methods: digital, analogue (mix ‘n’ match), tilt
• Edit your control layout in game to your preferences
• Environment maps and other special effects
• Enhanced pre-lit environments
• Tons of laughs
• Supports phones and tablets

iOS only features:

• 27 Cunning Stuntworthy Achievements
• Game Center integration
• Movie editing; Save your movies straight from the game to YouTube; Share links using iOS 6
• iCloud Support
• Leaderboards

Carmageddon for iOS requires iOS 5.1 or later.
Carmageddon for Android requires Android 2.3.4 or later.


Source: carmageddon.com

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5 Gadgets You Can't Miss This 2013

Here's our Top 5 Gadgets for 2013.

I excluded some gadgets as Playstation 4, Xbox 720, Google Glasses and Nvidia Project Shield, because they are in development stages yet. But they surely will be in this list later this year.
These are the gifts people will appreciate more this year.

Here's the list:

	Microsoft Surface Pro Surface PRO 10" is equipped with a 1.7GHz Intel Core i5 CPU, Intel HD Graphics 4000 video processor, 4GB DDR3, 16GB to 128 GB storage.  Read More>>>
	Samsung Galaxy S4 Eight-Core 1.6GHz Exynos 5 Octa processor, 2GB RAM, 13MP Camera, 5" 441dpi Super AMOLED screen, 4G, Android 4.2.2. Read More>>>
	Apple iPad Best tablet: 4G, up to 128 GB Storage, 2.048x1.536 Retina Display, A6X CPU, WiFi, Bluethoot, iSight Camera, iOS 6. Read More>>>
	Samsung Galaxy Camera Android 4.1, quad-core CPU, 1GB RAM, 8GB storage,  21x optical zoom, 4.77" 308 dpi multitouch display. Read More>>>
	Pebble SmartWatch Watch for the 21st century. Connects to iPhone and Android via Bluetooth, vibration alerts for notifications. Stopwatch, GPS, mp3 player. Read More>>>

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Nokia Lumia 928 Officially Confirmed. With Videos

The rumored Nokia Lumia 928 has been officially announced by Nokia with a teaser Web Site.
The billboard spotted over last weekend boasts about the camera, but now a full page ad in the Vanity Fair Magazine tells us more about this new Smartphone.
Although there are not any official specifications or details of the Nokia Lumia 928, the printed ad confirms the low-light abilities of the Lumia 928, PureView technology, optical image stabilization, and Carl Zeiss lens.

Nokia's advertising doesn't show the device clearly, but it looks very similar to previous leaks and will surely be launched by Verizon as known before.

"While we continue to work closely with Verizon and Microsoft to promote Windows Phone, we have made no new product announcements at this point. All I can say is you should expect to hear more from us soon," said a Nokia spokesman. But in the teaser site you can watch a video in which they took the new Lumia 928 and a Samsung Galaxy SIII to a subway jam session by the Underground Horns in NYC, and make a comparison of the audio recording quality:


Nokia also took the new Nokia Lumia 928 to Adventureland in Farmingdale, New York and strapped it to the front row of a rollercoaster called "The Hurricane". They took a video footage with the Nokia alongside the Samsung Galaxy S III as well as the iPhone 5. Here is the comparison video from Nokia:



In the next video they attached the Lumia 928 to a remote control helicopter and filmed as many remote, scenic and inaccessible locations as they could to show image stabilization features



Source: Nokia USA Youtube Channel

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LG Smartphone leaked images may give evidence of Nexus 5 and Optimus G2

Some pictures of an unannounced LG smartphone were published by Evleaks, and while the device looks more like a possible Optimus G2, it may suggest what you should expect from LG with the Nexus 5. 
New reports claim that LG is working in conjunction with Google to produce a second Nexus-branded smartphone. LG previously partnered with Google and released the Nexus 4. It is important to remember that LG used the Optimus G as a basis for the development of Nexus 4

It was expected the Nexus 5 to be released the same time Google’s launch of Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie, but Google has reported this launch to be delayed.

The Nexus 5 launch also was expected at Google I/O which will take place in San Francisco from May 15th to May 17th, but new reports contradict this version. Google will instead reportedly show off an updated Nexus 4 with both CDMA and LTE network support and compatible with Sprint and Verizon. The updated Nexus 4 will also be equipped with 32GB of internal storage instead of 8 and 16GB.

So this Nexus 5 LG Smartphone could be unveiled next year?, we hope so.

These are the pictures from Evleaks:

Source: @Evleaks

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Microsoft Windows 8.1 'Blue' public preview coming on June at Build 2013 at San Francisco

Build 2013, the Microsoft's developer conference, will be the occasion to show the world a developer release of Windows 8.1, codenamed 'Blue'.

Microsoft will take this opportunity to show the public preview of Windows 8.1 which will have a final version before the end of the year. Some leaked beta builds of Windows 8.1 have showed several changes and cosmetic enhancements. Other features are expected such as larger and smaller Live Tiles, an enhanced start screen, better customization for themes and colors, an updated side-by-side app view, which boosts multitasking efficiency by displaying two applications with matching width, a Play option under the Devices panel, a screenshot button on the Share sidebar, and Internet Explorer 11. Developers will be able to take a closer look to Windows 8.1 next summer.

Microsoft Windows 8.1 has improved support for 7- and 8-inch devices, and is also improving its settings panel on the "Metro" side of Windows 8.1, with more options available without having to access the desktop mode.

All these changes are really minor details, nothing that completely redefine a change of platform, and they come as improvements to the last major change experienced by the company, which was Windows 8. Some people see them as Service Packs, but unlike the latter, will bring substantial changes to the GUI and add surface features, not only fix vulnerabilities and bugs.

Copyright© 2013 1st Tech Guides

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Toshiba Calimeo S40: A Compact Full HD Camcorder That Fits In Your Pocket

With the size and the weight of a Smartphone, Toshiba presents the new Slim HD Pocket Camcorder Camileo S40. The Toshiba Full HD Camileo S40 is eye catching in more ways than one. Its attractive, super-slim design allows you to take it everywhere, so you can capture everything that pleases you.

This camcorder weights only 140 gr (battery included), and the size is 56 (W) × 112.5 (H) × 17.5 (D) mm, it has a 5 MegaPixels CMOS light sensor, and integrates image stabilization, 10X Digital Zoom (5X in Full HD Mode), and Backlight for low light scenarios.

The ports include mini HDMI and micro USB, the internal storage is provided by a 128MB NAND-Flash memory, and also has a slot for MicroSD/SDHC-/SDXC cards. The display is a 16:9, 960x240, 3 inch multitouch screen.
The Toshiba Camileo S40 camcorder has photo/video editing capabilities included, and you can share your media with the bundled software Camileo Uploader.

An useful flashlight, for picture taking, is located above the lenses it also acts as a light source for low light environments when recording videos. Some other features are: Webcam function up to VGA, Motion Detect, Face Tracking (only video), Smile Detect (only photo), Slow Motion, Time Lapse, Cut 'n' Save (internal video editing), Continuous Play, Self Timer, Date Printing, Slide Show, Zoom in/out in photo playback mode, Pre-Record, Snapshot during video recording.


The Camileo S40 looks like a Smartphone and that's why it's comfortable to carry in your pocket, and it comes in various colors Blue, Purple, Silver and Orange.

Its price is around $150-200 USD in North/South America, and €150 in Europe.

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Meet the Samsung Galaxy Camera: Full Review and Specs

The Samsung GALAXY Camera has Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, a quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage,  21x zoom (F2.8, 23 mm, 21x Optical Zoom Lens), a 4.77" 308 dpi multitouch display, expandable microSD slot. Samsung Galaxy Camera acts like an Android smartphone, but features a 16.3-megapixel camera with telescopic lens and a lots of photo features.

Design

There`s a chance you think it's a smartphone, but if you look closely it's very much like a midrange digital camera, with a big lens to one side, and a prominent bulge on the other to hold the battery, slots for microSD and Sim Card and make handling easier

When you look at it from the back, it looks like a smartphone. Almost the entire rear occupied by the 4.8 inch screen, with an astounding resolution of 1,280x720.

With 300gr it's easy to carry in your pocket like a phone. On top is located the power button and a large shutter button with a knob you can twist to adjust the 21x optical zoom. On the sides you find the microUSB port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a lanyard loop, a speaker and flash button which you can press for the flash to jumps up out of the top. On the bottom, below the bulge, there's a cover that protects the battery, microSD card, Sim Card and a mini HDMI port.

Image: Samsung

Software

In the past there have been some cameras running Android OS, like the Polaroid SC1630 or the Nikon CoolPix S800c. But this is the first to run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

Samsung said an upgrade will be available soon. Android 4.2.2?... may be. Anyway you still can enjoy Google Now and the clean operating system tuned by Samsung. You also can download any app from Google Play.

The Samsung Galaxy Camera comes integrated with Dropbox and it automatically prompts you to set up your account for storing or sharing your photos. A great 'plus' is that this camera will bag you 50GB free for two years, but after that you'll have to pay.

The use is the same as any Jelly Bean smartphone except you can not make calls. Samsung has implemented a camera widget to scroll through the settings before you fire it up, so you can choose any of the shooting modes: Beauty face, Best photo, Continuous shot, Best face, Landscape, Macro, Action Freeze, Rich Tone, Panorama, Waterfall, Silhouette, Sunset, Night, Fireworks and Light trace.

Camera Features And Performance

The Galaxy Camera image quality is outstanding, you get realistic colours, and sharp details even with the highest zoom settings. Low light performance is also impressive and very  noiseless.
The Xenon flash softness produces more natural colours in your pics.

The zoom is totally physical, not the digital zoom found on phones which magnifies pixel size and makes your pics look awful. You can focus on distant objects as well as it can in close-up to deliver crisp, vivid and clear images.

The Samsung Galaxy Camera has a back-illuminated CMOS sensor capable of delivering 4,608x3,456-pixel images. The aperture varies from f/2.8 at its maximum to f/5.9 when the zoom's at full. The shutter speed stretches from 16-1/2,000 of a second.

The basic set-up shows camera, video icons, and a mode button, which takes you to Auto, Smart and Expert icons. This last item pulls up a terrific-looking virtual zoom lens and allows you to get deep and nerdy with your focus and light settings.

The Galaxy Camera performance is very good thanks to the quad-core 1.4GHz processor.  In our benchmarks it scored 5000 points with Quadrant Advanced benchmark tool, its a good score beating smartphones like the HTC One X. The camera's loading process takes some time, and there's a delay after you take a pic, it's not so good for quick snaps.
To help with this you have the Best Photo feature, which takes pics both before and after you press the shutter.

With the voice control you can take pictures by saying one of four commands: "smile", "cheese", "capture" or "shoot" as well as record a video or zoom in or out.

You also can automatically stamp photos with date/time and GPS coordinates and share the images easily using your preferred application: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, G+, email, WhatsApp, Viber, Skype, etc.

The big 4.8 inch screen makes easy to edit video on board, either with the Video Editor bundled or another downloaded from Google Play.

The battery life is not as good as we expect. It has a very fast 4 cores processor, a big screen, a motorized lenses and a small battery. Fortunately battery is removable so you can buy extra batteries to take with you Galaxy Camera.

Conclusions

The Samsung Galaxy Camera is centered on its purpose: Take high quality pictures and videos, have all the sharing options at your hands, and editing capabilities on the fly.

This is a serious digital camera with smartphone capabilities (not calls), instead of a smartphone with digital camera built-in. The optics, picture and video quality are excellent for daily use.
The Galaxy Camera also performs very well with low light environments.

You can buy it in the U.S. and Latin America for $459USD approximately.

PROS	CONS
High Quality both Pics and Videos	Battery Duration is Short
Fast Quad Core CPU	Very Expensive
Android advantages
4.8" 720p screen
Full 3G support for mobile data
Manual settings for the experts
Real Optical Zoom
microSD Slot, HDMI

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