Techubbub

Sunday, 11 November 2012

Skype to replace Windows Live Messenger

Most of 100 million users of Windows Live Messenger will be forced to switch to Skype as Microsoft this week announced that the 13-year-old Messenger will be retired by March 2013 and will be replaced by Skype, except in China.

Microsoft bought Skype for $8.5 billion last year and claims users who switch to Skype will get better support on mobile devices.

Tony Bates, president of the Skype division at Microsoft said "We want to focus our efforts on making things simpler for our users while continuously improving the overall experience.”

In a blog post Skype said “Now users just need to update to the latest version of Skype, sign in using a Microsoft account and their Messenger contacts will be there."

Sunday, 28 October 2012

Apple launches iPad mini

Apple this week at an event in California launched a new tablet half the size of its existing iPad called “iPad mini”. The device is 23% thinner and 53% lighter than the third-generation, it is 7.2mm (0.3in) thick and weighs 0.68lbs (0.3kg). It features a 7.9 inch (20cm) display, a fast A5 chip, FaceTime HD and 5 megapixel iSight cameras, ultrafast wireless and 10 hours of battery life.

Phil Schiller, Apple's vice-president of worldwide marketing said “You can hold it in one hand, this isn't a shrunken down iPad, it's an entirely new design.”

"Others have tried to make tablets smaller than the iPad and they have failed miserably"

Saturday, 13 October 2012

Microsoft reveals wrist motion sensor

Microsoft this week at the User Interface Software and Technology (UIST) 2012 conference unveiled a motion sensor “Digits” that users can wear on their wrists to track hand movement and orientation as well as finger motion.

“Digits” uses an infrared laser line, infrared camera, infrared diffuse illumination, and inertial measurement unit to recognise hand and fingers movements and recreate a 3d hand which replicates what the real hand is doing in real time. It could be useful to interact with mobile devices, replace a mouse or control games without touching the screen on tablets.

David Kim, a Microsoft researcher said “Ultimately, we would like to reduce Digits to the size of a watch that can be worn all the time,”

“We want users to be able to interact spontaneously with their electronic devices using simple gestures and not even have to reach for their devices.”

Sunday, 16 September 2012

Amazon launches new Kindle Fire HD tablets

Last week at an event in California Amazon has unveiled three new Kindle tablets, a new version of the current tablet and the Kindle Fire HD in two screen sizes, 7in (17.8cm) or 8.9in (22.6cm).

The upgraded version of the existing device is faster and has a longer battery; and it will cost £129.

The Fire HD models run a modified version of Google's Android operating system and they are powered by a processor made by Texas; They feature two Wi-Fi antennas, stereo speakers, Bluetooth connectivity, an HDMI port, a laminated touchscreen, MIMO (multiple-input and multiple-output) radio wave technology, an 11-hour battery life, a camera, new gaming tools and 16 gigabytes of storage. There will also be a 32GB version of the 8.9in HD device with 4G connectivity. The 7in Kindle Fire HD will cost £159 in the UK while the 8.9in Kindle Fire HD will be available in November. DNP9FQ5JWVYB

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos said: "Not only does Kindle Fire HD feature the most advanced hardware, it's also a service.”

Bezos also announced the Kindle Paperwhite e-reader which will be thinner than the Kindle Touch. It will have 62% more pixels, a higher resolution screen, Backlit e-ink and eight weeks of battery life.

Bezos said “It will have a touchscreen and be lit with a fiber-optic lighting system that has been in development for four years “

Paperwhite will be released in October in the US.

Wednesday, 12 September 2012

Apple unveils new iPhone 5

Apple today at an event in San Francisco unveiled the new iPhone 5 which is 18% thinner and 20% lighter than the iPhone 4S and made of glass and aluminium. It has a larger 4-inch screen which allows users to see five rows of apps.

The new iPhone 5 will run IOS 6 operating system and features a faster processor called the A6, an 8MP camera which has a better low-light performance and faster image captures, a new "Lightning" connector which is 80% smaller than the old 30-pin dock connector and 4G LTE connection. It also includes a full-screen version of the Safari web browser and an improved version of the Siri voice-control system.

Vice president of marketing Phil Schiller said: "iPhone 5 is the best phone we've ever made."

iPhone5 will be available on September 21 in the United States.

Saturday, 1 September 2012

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 launched at IFA 2012

Samsung this week at IFA (one of the world's largest consumer electronic event) in Berlin has unveiled the new Samsung Galaxy Note 2 “phablet”, a hybrid between a phone and tablet.

The new Samsung device runs on Google's latest Android operating system Jelly Bean and features a 5.5-inch screen, an 8MP camera on the rear with an LED flash and a 1.9MP camera on the front with HD video recording, 2 GB RAM memory, a 1.6 GHz quad-core processor, WI-FI, HSPA+ and 4G LTE connectivity, USB 2.0, Bluetooth 4.0 and a 3,100mAh battery. Also it includes the S Pen stylus which is thicker and uses a new Air View feature.

“Last year at IFA, we launched the Galaxy Note, which opened a new category of smart mobile devices. This year, again at IFA, we are delighted to introduce the Galaxy Note II, which will encourage users to unleash their creativity.” Said Simon Stanford, Vice President of Telecommunications and Networks, Samsung UK and Ireland.

It will be available in Marble White or Titanium Gray colour, the release date is set as October in the UK.

Thursday, 23 August 2012

Facebook sued for stealing Timeline idea

The Chinese company Cubic Network claims Facebook has stolen its Timeline feature which allows people to tell the story of their lives in chronological order. The Chinese start-up founded four years ago claims they launched the same layout in 2008 and is suing Facebook for potential patent infringement. Mark Zuckerberg is believed to have attended a talk about the Timeline feature held by Xiong Wanli, the founder of Cubic Network at Stanford University.

Facebook unveiled its own Timeline feature in 2011, three years after Cubic Networks, at F8, the social network’s annual developer’s conference. Zuckerberg said at the conference: “Millions of people curate stories of their lives on Facebook every day and have no way to share them once they fall off your profile page; we have been working on Timeline all year; it’s the story of your life and completely new way to express yourself.”

Timeline has just been made mandatory in the UK, some users are not happy with the forced change due to the radical departure from the previous layout and the way members show their personal information.