HTC Evo 3D coming soon

Breaking all myths and rumors of tentative launch dates today, HTC announced the official launch date for its upcoming smartphone for the UK market. HTC Evo 3D, the much anticipated handset, will be made available for retail in the UK from next month onwards, i.e. starting in July. And looking at the timeline of recent product launches by HTC, it is expected that similar to previous devices from the company, Evo 3D will come to India following its UK launch. Although the price of Evo 3D has not been announced, it will probably be upwards of Rs 35,000 in India.

HTC Evo 3D, as the name signifies, is a 3D smartphone based on Google's Android Gingerbread 2.3 operating system, with Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon system on a chip — MSM 8660 — running at 1.2 GHz with Adreno 220 graphics engine, with 1 GB of RAM and onboard storage. In contrast with its sole competition in India — the LG Optimus 3D, Evo 3D definitely seems faster in terms of specifications.

The device features a 4.3 inch 3D display with native resolution of 540 x 960 pixels, which is slightly better than the screen of Optimus 3D, with resolution of 480 x 800 pixels. Both phones have screens of the same size.

Evo 3D features two 5 megapixel cameras at the back, capable of capturing 3D visuals in 2 megapixel resolution and 720p 3D video at 30 frames per second as well. Apart from 3D video the camera is capable of recording full 1080p high definition video at 24 frames per second, along with 5 megapixel 2D still images.

Nokia democratizes its Mobile Money Service

Finnish mobile handset maker, Nokia has now started embedding mobile money app on all devices and thus removes exclusivity tag from Smartphones. Now, henceforth, all of the Nokia devices ranging from Symbian Smartphones, Series 40 feature phones and even entry level series 30 phones will have mobile money client embedded. Also the app supports keypad, touch and combined devices.

Nokia, in association with Yes Bank , Union Bank of India & Obopay had already launched the Mobile money service , but so far it was available on select handsets only. But going forward this service will get democratized. Mobile Money service is currently available in few cities like Gurgaon, Pune, Nashik & Chandigarh but soon it will expand to whole of India.

Consumers will have the option of choosing and subscribing to either Union Bank Money or YES Bank Mobile Money Services from their Nokia devices. The Money App is deeply integrated in its functionality with the phone and other phone services. For example, the selection of recipient in a send money transaction is directly integrated with the phone book; sending money thus becomes as simple as sending an SMS or making a phone call.

What it does:

The mobile money service of Nokia empowered by banking associates yes Bank or UBI lets users perform financial transactions like Money transfer, utility bill payment , prepaid mobile recharge , payments to merchants for shopping & account balance check. It obviates the necessity of visiting a physical branch or internet banking and thus provides banking facilities to unbanked and underbanked.

How it works:

The customers with Nokia handsets will have to get mobile money account activated from Nokia retail outlets or from banking correspondents of UBI or Yes bank by submitting KYC documnets. Then the money can be deposited with the agent who will transfer it in your account. Mobile money account will be recognized by mobile number.

Once activated ,the account can be used through the app with an ease of sending an SMS. The service is secured by a PIN which need to be entered every time a transaction is carried out.

The best part of this application is its ease of operation , going forward it can prove to be a very good & convenient way of executing financial transactions. But for carrying out financial transaction like money transfer and payment to merchants the other party too needs to have similar account . This can prove to be limitation unless it proliferates to be ubiquitous.

Motorola launches ‘Motorola Xoom’ tablet

The much awaited and anticipated Motorola Xoom is now officially launched in India. Motorola Xoom is 10.1 inch tablet that runs on Android 3.0 Honeycomb and is powered by 1 Ghz dual core processor. The device is launched at a time when BlackBerry PlayBook , HTC Flyer and Huawei MediaPad have just been introduced in Indian markets but the major competition will come from the existing Apple iPad 2 and Samsung Galaxy Tab.

Motorola XOOM , the world’s first device powered by Android 3.0 (Honeycomb), supports up to 720p video playback and sports a 2 megapixel front-facing camera for video calling over Wi-Fi or 3G and a rear-facing 5 mega pixel camera with dual LED flash and auto focus that records 720p video. Motorola Xoom offers HD widescreen display, WXGA 1280×800 screen resolution , 1 GB RAM, 10.1-inch display and 3D graphics acceleration, as well as HDMI-out.

The latest Google Mobile services include Google Maps and access to over 200,000 apps from Android Market. Motorola XOOM also supports a beta version of Adobe Flash Player 10.2 downloadable from Android Market, enabling the delivery of rich Flash-based Web content including videos, casual games and rich Internet applications. Motorola XOOM also features a built-in gyroscope, barometer, e-compass, accelerometer and adaptive lighting. The tablet supports up to 10 hours of video playback and charges in half the time of some competitive tablets on the market.

The Best Buy for the Motorola XOOM Wi-Fi version is Rs 32,990 (MRP: Rs 34,490) and the Best Buy for the 3G version is Rs 39,990 (MRP: Rs 41,490).

Paymate & Mahaventures launches India’s first mobile cashless purchase service for fleet operators

One of the biggest problems of fleet operators/transporters is security of cash being carried by fleet drivers for making necessary purchases like fuel, tyres, paying service bills etc. Presently prevalent card based swiping system too are not effective as the swiping terminals are not widely available especially in remote areas. Paymate, India’s leading mobile payments company, in association with India’s leading fleet management solution provider, Mahaventures , has launched mobile based Cashless Purchase Management Service for fleet operators to address this problem.

Named as “WAYPAY ” this is India’s first mobile , Cashless Purchase Management Service.This innovative system is specifically designed to help fleet operator across the country manage all in-route expenses from nominated retail outlets, without cash.

WAYPAY PMS (Purchase Management Solution) eliminates the need for cash carrying, thus increasing the level of security felt by fleet drivers. The elimination of cash also makes it easier to prevent fraudulent transactions. It’s convenient and comprehensive reporting enables fleet owners & managers to receive real time reports and set purchase controls online.

WAYPAY PMS offers a simple and secure way of making and monitoring purchases. Transporters need to register their vehicles & drivers mobile number with WAYPAY, each driver’s mobile number will be registered against each vehicle number. A Login ID & Password will be provided on successful registration. The transporter would then need to set purchase limits and load required funds to a prepaid account by RTGS/Net Banking/Cheque. Once that has been done, the drivers need to call WAYPAY IVR from his registered number for the purchase amount and punch his PIN for the transaction. Drivers can ask WAYPAY dealers to make purchase requests on WAYPAY IVR. The dealer needs to punch the driver’s number and amount on WAYPAY IVR. On confirmation the driver will receive the Fuel (or any other item purchased) from the Dealer and the money will be transferred from the Transporters WAYPAY account to the Dealers account. This system is not only applicable for fuel, but can be used for purchase of Tires, Batteries, Service Centre Bills, etc

Benefits of the Service:

• works on all handsets
• No GPRS or Smartphone required
• No Need to carry any cash, card or any voucher
• No Need to maintain purchase records
• No threat of loss, damage or misuse while handling
• Decrease in time needed to settle the expenditure account
• 24/7 helpline support

The current products offered to fleet operators are smart card based and need a swiping terminal at the outlet location. These terminals are usually in poor working condition due to maintenance issues caused by the inaccessibility and remote highway locations of these outlets. The WAYPAY system does not require any wired connectivity or special instruments such as POS terminals hence eliminating system maintenance and accessibility issues completely.

AirTel introduces international video calling facility

Bharti AirTel has introduced International Video Calling facility for its 3G customers in India. AirTel 3G , which now boasts of having more than 3 million customers , will now allow its customers to make international video calls and enjoy face-to-face conversation with their family and friends living abroad.

AirTel’s International Video Calling is currently available for 227 international geographies. An AirTel 3G customer in India can see and talk with his friends and relatives in USA, Canada, Bangladesh face to face through video call at just Rs.14/min, while on the move. Similarly, video calls to UAE, Singapore, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Oman are priced at Rs. 20 per minute. State run telecom PSU MTNL offers international video calling at Rs 30/min. In order to make video calling it is imperative that both the caller and the called customer have front-cameras in their 3G handset and be present in 3G enabled area .

AirTel extends special iPhone plans

Bharti AirTel has extended its recently introduced special Apple iPhone 4 plans to Apple iPhone 3GS 8GB. Apple iPhone 3GS , predecessor of iPhone 4, was recently relaunched by Apple in its unlocked version at a price point of just Rs 19990. Earlier this device was available from telecom operators AirTel and Vodafone and the 8 GB version was priced for approx. Rs 29500 but after the recent launch of iPhone 4, Apple has slashed the price to make it attractive for customers aspiring to buy iPhone but find the pricing exorbitant for recent version.

AirTel in its endeavor to leverage the demand from such aspirants has extended the much attractive special iPhone 4 plans to iPhone 3GS 8GB and give compelling reasons to buy the device. The 8GB iPhone 3GS device packs a 600 MHz ARM Cortex processor, 3.5-inch Capacitive touch screen with 320 x 480 pixels, 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS with A-GPS support, EDGE/GPRS, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, 3.15 mega pixel camera with autofocus, 3.5 mm audio jack, 256 MB RAM.

AirTel is offering the device at Rs 19990 and has extended special iPhone 4 plans which offer handsome discounts over a period of 24 months for both prepaid and postpaid plans.

AirTel announces new VAS

Bharti AirTel announced the launch of its 14 SMS-based health packs that will provide subscribers with information and content on a variety of health and medical care aspects. Now available at Airtel’s mHealth portal 54444, the health packs are available in several categories relevant for customers and priced at Rs. 30 per month or Re 1 per day.

Powered by content from healthcare content partner mDhil Health Info Services Pvt Ltd & Zyebo (in collaboration with Indiagames & Gobindass respectively) - Airtel’s health packs will provide Indian masses with accredited, informative and actionable content in a simple SMS-based format.

To subscribe, AirTel mobile customers can SMS ‘Health’ to 54444 (toll free) to select a desired pack. AirTel offers SMS packs priced between the range of Rs. 30 to Rs. 49 per month.

Types of AirTel SMS-based health packs

Category 1

• Women’s Health Pack
• Female Teen Health
• Women Sexual Health
• New Mothers Health

Category 2

• Men’s Health Pack
• Male Teen Health

Category 3

• Disease Specific Packs
• Cardiac Care
• Diabetes
• Tuberculosis
• Dengue Fever
• Swine Flu
• Typhoid
• Blood Pressure

Category 4

• Lifestyle Packs
• Stress Management
• Weight & Diet
• Beauty & Skin Care
  

BSNL slashes ISD tariff for Universal India Telephone card (UITC) users

BSNL has announced heavy reduction in ISD Tariff for certain countries available in Universal India Telephone card (UITC)/ Smart India Telephone card (Smart ITC) of denominations of Rs.300 and above.

According to our sources the new reduced tariff will be effective from 23-6-2011 for a period of 90 days.

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Nokia announces three affordable S40 phones

Nokia has annouced 3 new Symbian S40 series phones - C2. First of all, don’t get confused by the names, Nokia has this weird terminology to name few of its phone same and then give them a number to distinguish. All three phones have exact same features except that:

C2-02 : Single SIM card slot
C2-03 : Dual SIM device (SIM slots at the side panel, and can be inserted without reboot)
C2-06 : Dual SIM phone with a range of colors to choose from

Lets dig into the detail now.

It has been a while since we have seen quality slider devices for the mass market. And it looks like we finally have a decent slider handset. C2-03 is a slider phone and is part of the new Touch-n-Type series (TnT), features a 2.6” 240x320 pixel 65k color resistive touch screen and a traditional keypad. These devices weight 118g and are 17mm thick which should be good but it would’ve been great if they had the dimensions and weight of X3-02, which was just perfect.

These devices are powered by re-designed Symbian S40 OS. The most notable feature in this new version of S40 OS is ‘Nokia Maps’. Yes, finally, S40 users can enjoy the hugely popular navigation software in their devices. Another interesting feature is the new browser for S40. Nokia says that this new browser compresses the data before it reached the phone and it is done by using localized server pages and proxy server facility that reduces the size by up to 90% and also optimizes the pages to look great on S40. With heavy download caps on data plans in India, this can be a very useful feature.

Battery life is rated at 5 hours of talk time and 35 hours of music playback.

There is an internal memory of 10MB (which we think is too less in 2011, given that the OS now has maps and improved internet browser) but can be expanded to 32GB using microSD card.

Mary McDowell, the head of Nokia’s Mobile Phones business unit, explains why all these features have been included in the Nokia C2-03:

The Nokia C2-03 makes managing multiple SIMs simpler, without compromising on any other features. Why should consumers have to choose between touch and keypad, or forego a great web, map, entertainment or email experience? With the Nokia C2-03 we have made it all available on one affordable device.

These three devices will be released in parts of China, India and few other Asian markets in Q3’11 and will cost around 77 euro (prices may vary).

Nokia N9 review

Nokia has announced MeeGo 1.2 Harmattan based Nokia N9. Nokia claims that the N9 has totally fresh UI. It has done away with the hardware home key button (something we expected in the iPad 2) The home key is now a simple gesture. The N9 has 3 home views: Apps home, Feeds home and the multitasking home. Nokia is proud of he hardware design in N9. It boasts of the mono-block polycarbonate design with a curved display. The polycarbonate body also contributes for better cellular reception. The camera lens is from Carl Zeiss Tessar. The camera is capable of 8Mp wide angle shots with HD video recording. The camera has got wider aperture making it produce good quality images even at poor lit conditions. NFC is the market trend and N9 doesn't fall any short of it. With NFC and its abilities, the possibilities are endless. The comes in 3 colors and two storage capacities (16GB and 64GB). The device is powered by a 1 GHz CPU with 1 GB of RAM. Pricing is not yet revealed and it will hit the shelves later this year.

Uninor offers on-net calls at 2p/min

Uninor has announced a new Special Tariff Voucher - STV 22 in Andhra Pradesh that allows uninor customers to make local calls on its network at 2 paisa per minute across Andhra Pradesh.

Uninor claims that these are the most competitive on-net call rates available in the circle. The STV comes with a validity of one month.

HTC Flyer review

Today HTC announced the launch of its much awaited tablet the “HTC Flyer” in the Indian market, the design is unibody aluminium pretty impressive and the screen size of 7 inches seems to be perfect on this tablet. It comes with the all new and improved HTC Sense UI and Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread). It boosts the standard features of a regular tablet – but comes packed with a 1.5 GHz processor.

The most interesting feature on this tablet certainly has to be “HTC Scribe Technology” which HTC describes as “HTC Flyer is the first tablet delivering a new HTC innovation that features natural pen interaction. It can draw, paint, write, sign documents, and even retouch pictures. It can be a highlighter for the reader (and by the way all your highlights will be collated when you're done). The HTC Flyer can even add voiceover to a storybook you're drawing up at home. Work or play, it's magic.”. Basically it’s a really comfortable and easy to use pen like – stylus for the tablet.

The tablet comes packed with HTC Watch a new connected video service that will debut on HTC Flyer tablet, and will collaborate with OnLive, Inc. to launch the first cloud-based mobile gaming service on a tablet.

The Sense UI just gets better the 3D aspects of it adds to the already present eye candy – and in our opinion no UI in the market comes close to the Sense UI in terms of functionality and looks, well done HTC !

The Flyer is readily available at all the leading retail stores and online store for something around the Rupees 39,000 mark for the 32GB variant.

The Flyer certainly adds a new dimension to the already heated up Android market, pricing is competitive but could have been better – the Sense UI will not disappoint anyone, and the HTC loyalists shall certainly give this tablet a go.

Roaming charges may get abolished in New Telecom policy

Though the home circle call rates are very low and consumers are happy with it, but the roaming charges are still very high and it’s one of the most dreaded thing for mobile consumers. Receiving and making calls while in roaming is very costly in normal plans of almost all the operators. But New Telecom policy may put an end to roaming charges concept as reported by Mint. Kapil Sibbal ,Minister for Telecom & IT had announced the framing of New Telecom policy for infusing more transparency .

DoT is working on the nuances for the New Telecom policy which will replace the eleven year old NTP,99. DoT is mulling on abolishing the roaming charges which customers pay when they move out of home network. Operators charge roaming charges for covering extra carriage and termination costs. Although the home network call rates are very low but the roaming charges are still on higher sides and thus this is one thing customers dread most. If it’s implemented ,the customers would be happy as their mobile bill will get slashed substantially if they are frequent travelers. But mobile service providers will get further affected.

DoT is also contemplating on reducing the number of circles from 22 to 4 0r 5 . Apart from that the new policy will delink license and spectrum which means that merely grant of license will not guarantee free spectrum along with.

Sony Ericsson unveils Xperia Ray & Xperia Active Android smartphones

In Communic Asia event at Singapore, Sony Ericsson has announced its two new Android smartphones. The newly introduced Android devices are Xperia Ray and Xperia Active. These Xperia family members will be made available in selected markets starting Q3 this year. Xperia Ray running Google Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread OS is well designed with 3.3 inch scratch resistant display with Mobile Bravia Engine. Xperia Ray is powered by 1GHz processor, 8 megapixel camera with Exmor R sensor. Sony Ericsson Xperia Active with a rugged desing is dust and water proof device. Xperia Active sports with a 1GHz processor, 5 megapixel camera and runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Add-ons include, an arm band support to go with GPS and Barometer.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray Features

• CPU : 1GHz Processor
• OS : Android 2.3 Gingerbread with Sony Ericsson Timescape UI
• 8.1-megapixel camera with HD recording
• Front-facing camera
• Display : 3.3-inch screen (854 x 480 pixels) with Bravia Engine & scratch-resistance
• Colors : Black, gold, white and pink

Sony Ericsson Xperia Active Features

• CPU : 1 GHz Processor
• OS : Android 2.3 Gingerbread
• 5MP camera
• Display : 3-inch (320 x 480-pixel) scratch-resistant
• Water-resistant (under 1m of water for up to 30 minutes) and dust proof
• GPS, Bluetooth and barometer
• Wrist strap, an arm case, and replaceable back covers

Apple launches unlocked iPhone 3GS 8GB

Since last year, Apple’s locked iPhone 3GS is being sold as its is already bundled with mobile service providers like AirTel & Vodafone.

Now Apple has introduced factory unlocked version of iPhone 3GS 8GB in India at an affordable price. So now you can own an Apple iPhone 3GS 8GB just for Rs 19990. The 8GB iPhone 3GS device packs a 600 MHz ARM Cortex processor, 3.5-inch Capacitive touchscreen with 320 x 480 pixels, 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS with A-GPS support, EDGE/GPRS, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP, 3.15 megapixel camera with autofocus, 3.5 mm audio jack, 256 MB RAM.

TaxSpanner to offer ITR filing service from mobile

Filing tax returns will now become more easier as you can do that from your mobile device. TaxSpanner, an online income tax return filing company, for the first time in India has launched mobile version of its most popular service ‘eFile by eMail’ that will enable users to file income tax returns from their mobile handset. TaxSpanner, which boasts of having the largest customer base in the income tax e-filing space, plans to offer this service from first week of July, 2011. TaxSpanner offers range of online tax filing services for individuals and corporates.

Users of this service will have to visit TaxSpanner site on their mobile device which gets directed to “eFile by eMail” application page of the mobile site. They will then be required to fill up a form with some personal details and upload Form 16 on the same page. Soon after that ITR will be filled and generated automatically.

TaxSpanner.com has been developed using open source technologies – Linux, apache, postgres, python, django and its eFile by mobile will use the same tested technologies which TaxSpanner has used in its already popular eFile by eMail application.

Vodafone launches 3G Services

Vodafone announced that 3G services will be made available to customers in cities of Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Vizag along with 49 other prominent towns of Andhra Pradesh.

Vodafone customers can experience 3G at 2G rates under an introductory trial offer till 20th July 2011.

To experience 3G at no extra cost over and above their current 2G data charges. To enjoy this offer, just sms TRY 3G to 111 toll free to get started.

Maxx Mobile launches Maxx Vista

Maxx mobile, one of the most popular the Indian mobile manufacturer recently introduced with their newly produced Maxx Vista(MS502) which is especially dedicated for the woman who are bit tech-savvy as well as fashionable.

Maxx Vista has a glossy trendy look which will surely snap the attention of your surroundings. No doubt its going to be the next heartthrob after Micromax Bling for girls. Also has the enough capability to be a perfect gift for your nearest & dearest one.

After the Micromax Bling and Bling 2, its going to be another mobile only for the ladies segment. The Maxx Vista is also a QWERTY slider phone like Micromax Bling.

It has a dedicated music key n side by side a dedicated Facebook quick launch key in the main panel. The Maxx Vista MS502 is well designed with a 3.2 MP camera. It has a 1000mAH Li-On battery for 4hrs long calling support.

There is inbuilt Opera Mini for fast browsing. Its dual SIM facility will allow user to enjoy affordable calling rate from different operators. Its 3.5 mm AV jack is present here to give better audio listening from your favorite headset. Maxx Vista also supports Bluetooth and USB connectivity for easier file transfers from your friends or from your Laptop whereas it supports upto 8 GM expandable memory. It also supports 3GPP/AVI/MP4 playback to woo multimedia crazy college girls.

Maxx Vista MS502 is currently available now in three colors i.e. Pink, Orange and Blue. And it is marked with a price tag of Rs.4200 (approx).

BSNL launches free SIM card offer

In a bid to boost the GSM Mobile services, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) announced the launch of FREE SIM Card offer.

BSNL offers FREE SIM (32K) to the all prospective customer who enroll into any of the 6 NEW prepaid 2G plans- Saral Anant, All@49, Bandham, Nestham & Vennela Match.

The above FREE SIM CARD Offer will be valid for 10 days from 21st June 2011 to 31st July 2011.

This 32K FREE SIM Card offer also applicable to MNP ‘Port IN’ customers as described above. On the specific demand of 128K SIM card (USIM) for 3G service by the customer, he/she will be charged the cost of 128K SIM card @ Rs.59/-

MTS launches Wi-Fi Pocket Router

MTS India, the mobile and data services from Sistema Shyam Teleservices, has introduced a new product for its data customers – MTS MBlaze Mobile Wi-Fi Router.

It is in the same league of TATA Docomo Wifi Hub (supports CDMA and GSM/3G networks of TTSL) and Vodafone MiFi router (GSM/3G only).

MTS is offering RUIM Based ZTE AC30 as MBlaze Pocket WiFi Router. It is the same device which Tata Docomo offers as Dual Mode WiFi Router (GSM-3G/CDMA-EVDO). But it has been confirmed that GSM facilities are not available on the MBlaze WiFi Router.

MBlaze Pocket Wi-Fi router is the smallest OS-independent RUIM based Mobile Broadband Wi-Fi router, which has no connection hassles – just switch on and select Wi-Fi network; you can provide Up to 5 simultaneous Wi-Fi connections to any Wi-Fi enabled devices including iPod and iPad. It is a portable battery operated pocket router – can serve up to 4 hours working time / up to 100 hours standby time.

Technical Specifications of MTS MBlaze WiFi Router:

• EVDO Rev.A 800/2100 MHz
• WiFi 802.11b/g
• Wi-Fi Security WEP/WPA/WPA2
• USB 2.0 HIGH SPEED
• Speed: download upto 3.1Mbps & upload 1.8Mbps
• Dimension: 99mm × 53mm × 14mm
• Weight 80g
• Operating system Windows 7, Windows Vista(32bit or 64bit), Windows XP (SP3 or later), MAC(10.4 or later)
• Power Adapter 5V/700mA
• Battery capacity : 1500mAh
• Working time : About 4 hours
• Standby time : About 100 hours

Currently MTS is offering the WiFi Pocket Router in selected cities only. MTS MBlaze Wi-Fi Router is priced at Rs 5499/-

Micromax introduces Van Gogh X450 mobile phone

Micromax has announced the world’s first mobile with a dockable bluetooth headset dubbed as Van Gogh aka Micromax X450, the device supports a yellow back panel – drawing on from dutch painter Van Gogh’s painting sunflowers.

Micromax X450 comes in a bar style form and supports a dual GSM band. Sporting a screen size of 6.1 cms, Micromax X450 comes in the dimensions of 116.7x52x20.3mm.It also comes equipped with dual speakers and FM radio.

In addition Micromax Van Gogh also comes packed with video player and recorder. It’s sharing options, like GPRS and bluetooth enable you to share pictures with family and friends anytime and anywhere.

The handset equipped with a 2 Mega-Pixel Camera, supports video player and recorder, FM radio, Messaging and games. Its preloaded with opera mini web browser and e-buddy Mobile Messenger for fast mobile Internet and best social networking experience. VanGough also comes with a document reader, Micro-USB (5 Pin) and a phone book memory of 250 per SIM and SMS memory of 150. Supported with 8GB expandable memory to store in all your favorite songs, family pictures and vacation videos.

The Van Gogh X450 comes equipped with a standard battery life of 1000 mAh and offers talk time of upto 4 hours and standby time upto 13 days.

Micromax Van Gogh joins Micromax X235 world’s first mobile with remote control for AC/TV and DVD and G4 Gamolution, world’s first mobile with motion sensor gaming console.

Micromax Van Gogh is priced at Rs 3,500 and is expected to be officially launched by June end.

Vodafone launches R101- 3G Sharing Dock

Vodafone Essar, one of India’s leading GSM Mobile service providers, in its endeavor to launch exciting and innovative propositions for a Faster, Smarter and Better 3G mobile experience for its discerning customers, today announced the launch of yet another Vodafone Sharing Dock R101- a unique mobile Wi-Fi device in India.

The Vodafone’s 3G Sharing Dock allows to share a USB Stick 3G Mobile Broadband network connection between Multiple WiFi enabled devices.

To Share 3G Mobile Internet connection with your colleagues just plug in your dongle and the connection is then shared between up to four 3G phones, net books or laptops. It is easy to use and secure, including advanced router security options and is WPS enabled for Vista and Windows 7.

Priced at Rs. 5999, Vodafone R101 3G Sharing Dock is the 2nd innovative 3G product introduced by the company in India after the R201- MiFi Device to provide customers with an advantage of connecting and communicating on-the-go.

Vodafone R101 3G Sharing Dock- Product Details :

The Vodafone 3G Sharing Dock is an accessory for Vodafone Mobile Broadband 3G Data Card (USB Stick), and allows several WLAN-enabled devices (for example PCs, mobile gaming devices, digital music players) to share a secure mobile Internet connection. The Sharing Dock allows you to position your USB Stick for best mobile coverage, and then shares this coverage between devices via WLAN.

The Sharing Dock can be used with many Vodafone Mobile Broadband USB Sticks too.The device will be set up automatically based on the settings in your SIM,but if you need to modify a setting for your specific circumstances, then all changes are available from the device management page.

System Requirements :To use the Vodafone Mobile Broadband Sharing Dock you need a Vodafone Mobile Broadband USB Stick, a device with WLAN capability (supporting WiFi 802.11 b/g/n) and an Internet browser.

Device Over View :

AirTel launches new broadband plans

AirTel announced the launch of new broadband plans with minimum Broadband speed at 2mbps in its Top 10 cities and from 1mbps onwards for all other cities across the country.

In the new AirTel broadband plans the minimum Broadband speed that will be offered in Top 10 markets – Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Pune, will be 2mbps.

For all its other markets, across its service areas in the country, the new plans offer a minimum Broadband speed of 1mbps. [The availability of these high speed plans is subject to technical feasibility]

Now AirTel Broadband customers can choose their Plans that suit their High Speed Data Usage needs starting from 3GB right upto 150 GB! To add to this, in select markets, customers can double their speeds to 4mbps for just INR 100 more! The 4mbps plans start at Rs1099.

New AirTel Broadband Plans:

Top 10 cities- -2mbps

Alpha (3GB, 6GB plans at Rs 649 & 799)

Max (10GB, 30GB, 75GB, 150 GB plans at Rs999, 1299, 1599, 1999)

Rest of India- -1mbps

Ace (3GB, 6GB plans at Rs549 &699)

Mega (10GB, 30GB, 75GB plans at Rs899,1499,1999)

4 mbps plans (Select markets)

Turbo (10GB, 30GB, 75GB, 150GB plans at Rs 1099, 1399,1699,2099)

All Alpha and Ace plans have Unique Bill Cap of Rs 1999.

AirTel Subscribers can connect with AirTel Presence 24X7 and they will be happy to assist you with a swift resolution to your queries on all products and services on Twitter – http://bit.ly/fKcSxc and on Facebook – http://on.fb.me/cECyvS

HTC Salsa officially announced

Two social networking or rather Facebook phones were announced by HTC a few months ago. One of them, called the ‘Salsa’ has been officially announced for the Indian market. The device is priced at Rs. 22,000/-

The HTC Salsa has a Facebook dedicated key at the bottom that lets you post updates on your wall and profile instantly. The new handset will run Android Gingerbread 2.3 with an overlay of HTC Sense 3.0 which looks pretty impressive and has a neat screen-lock ring. Other features include a 3.4-inch touch screen display (480 x 320 resolution), an 800MHz processor, 5MP camera at the back and a VGA camera in the front, Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi and micro USB.

Faisal Siddiqui, Country Manager, HTC India said, ““HTC has always understood that different people want different things and the new HTC Salsa offers special new ways to socialize through a mobile device. With Indians increasingly getting hooked on to the social web, we wanted to create the ultimate socially connected phone which makes this experience simple and convenient.”

Easy access and integration of Facebook is a neat feature, as almost everyone is Facebook-ing. The handset will surely be a hit among the younger generation and the ones who love their social networking as the handset delivers a good experience with a nice UI.

Apple and Nokia has come into License Agreement

Nokia has come into a license agreement with Apple by signing a patent license agreement which is for the settlement of all patent litigation between the companies, including the withdrawal by Nokia and Apple of their respective complaints to the US International Trade Commission.

The financial structure of the agreement consists of a one-time payment payable by Apple and on-going royalties to be paid by Apple to Nokia for the term of the agreement. The agreement is said to have a positive financial impact on Nokia's recently revised outlook for the second quarter 2011 of around break-even non-IFRS operating margin for Devices & Services.

Stephen Elop, President and CEO of Nokia happily said, "We are very pleased to have Apple join the growing number of Nokia licensees. This settlement demonstrates Nokia's industry leading patent portfolio and enables us to focus on further licensing opportunities in the mobile communications market."

Both the companies have been under the legal-wars since the past 2 years and after numerous cases the final agreement should settle the patent and legal issues.

Toshiba Thrive Tablet gets a price-tag

Toshiba has entered the tablet market with its Thrive tablet which is now up for pre-order in the US at $430 for the 8GB version. There are also 16GB and 32GB models priced at $480 and $580 respectively.

The Thrive has a NVIDIA 1GHz Tegra 2 dual-core processor, Android Honeycomb 3.1 OS, 10.1 inch touch screen display, a full sized HDMI port, a full-sized SD card slot, 5-megapixel camera at the back and a 2-megapixel camera in the front, WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS, a USB 2.0 port and a mini USB as well. The company is also offering a docking station for $59.99 that has power, HDMI, two USB 2.0 ports and a 3.5mm audio output. The Thrive will be available in 6 different back covers (Black, Blue, Purple, Grey, Green, Pink) which is covered in rubberized plastic material for better grip.

Hopefully we'll be getting the tablet in India too and we can expect the 8GB model to be around Rs. 20,000/-, which could be a good deal. Toshiba has a big laptop and netbook market in India, and the introduction of the tablet could be a major addition to the company's portfolio in the country.

MSI launches new 10 inch tablet

MSI, which makes notebooks, motherboards and VGA cards, has launched a new 10 inch tablet in India.

The new WindPad 110W 10 inch tablet features ARM Cortex-A9 dual core processor architecture and the latest Google Android operating system. It also features 1GB DDRII of memory, 802.11 b/g/n wireless, G-Sensor, ALS, and an SSD hard drive with up to 32GB of memory to meet the entertainment needs of users.

It weighs only 740 grams and offers more than eight hours of battery power, claimed the company in a press release.

The product was launched by Bollywood actress, Malaika Arora Khan, in a press conference in New Delhi on Friday.

Commenting on this occasion MSI India general manager Eric Kuo said "India, currently, is just about two per cent of our global revenues. Going ahead, we see a huge opportunity here and we would bring in the latest technology through our products. Our aim is to be among the top three brands in India, in the next two years and for that we need to have monthly sales of 20,000-30,000 units, so I would say that is the sales target that we have set for ourselves to achieve in the next two years"

Kuo said that MSI will be soon introducing two new series of tablets in India by early July. MSI also displayed new products like GX780 (part of its latest gaming series) and N580GTX Lightning Xtreme graphics card.

The GT780 and GT683 both sport the latest nVidia discrete graphics card. The X460 comes with Intel 2nd generation Core i7 processor and MSI's own heat dispersion technology, giving it performance unprecedented in an ultra-slim computer. In addition, the CX670 packs AMD's new generation, power-sipping, high-performance CPU produced using nano technology.

Pricing details of the products has not been revealed by the company so far.

Nokia N8 set to get Symbian Anna update very soon

Nokia N8 users across the globe would be getting a Symbian Anna firmware update in coming few weeks. All those who love the Nokia N8's 12-megapixel camera would finally be able to make the best of it.

Damien Dinning, Nokia's mobile camera guru, confirmed it via Twitter saying that the Symbian Anna update will bring continuous auto focus and 30FPS camera recording capabilities.

Symbian Anna is expected to bring better and smoother user interface for Symbian smartphones. In Nokia N8's case, it will bring number of tweaks out of which few for the camera get confirmed. With the Continous Auto-Focus, users can shoot smoother HD quality videos at 30 frames per second with the Carl Zeiss lens.

Though Dinning has been refraining to confirm a date or release, we can anticipate Nokia to give out official word anytime soon. So if you have held on to your Nokia N8, your patience is finally going to pay off with Symbian Anna release.

Last month, the Finnish handset maker announced Symbian Anna loaded Nokia N8 in Pink Colour in several countries. With this the Symbian^3 based handsets N8, E7, C7 and C6-01 will get the new Anna update in following months as promised by Nokia.

HTC Flyer coming soon

HTC is going to enter the Indian tablet market with its Android 2.4 based 7 inch tablet Flyer. The neatly designed tablet with aluminum uni body construction (single piece of metal cast as full body) will be launched in India by the end of this month.

The tablet is already available online at Letsbuy.com for a price of Rs 37,500. Although it is more expensive than other tablets in the market, it has the features to justify its price. The only negative aspect of this tablet is the absence of Android 3.0. However, it comes with a unique tablet-optimized 2.4 version of Android, which is yet to be seen in the Indian market.

Flyer will come with an all-new HTC Sense user interface that has been redesigned for tablets. It will also have a special stylus which, according to the company, will give a "ground breaking pen experience". The stylus will enable an improved writing experience on the screen and better note taking by integrating with other apps like calendar and voice recorder.

The tablet has a 1.5 GHz processor and 1 GB of RAM (very good for a tablet,) along with a 5 megapixel camera at the rear and a 1.3 megapixel camera on the front, as well as A-GPS support for mapping.

The battery has 4000mAh capacity and delivers up to 4 hours of continuous video playback.

HTC also announced HTC Watch Service, a new connected video service that will debut with Flyer, and which enables on-demand progressive downloading of hundreds of high definition movies from major studios.

The company has collaborated with On Live to launch the first cloud-based mobile gaming service on a tablet so that you do not have to download the games to your device. The tablet will support both Flash 10 and HTML 5.

HTC claims that the tablet is ultra-light, weighing as little as a paperback book, and compact enough to fit in a jacket pocket. Another thing special about this tablet is that it is the only device with 2.4 version of Android in the Indian market so far.

Vodafone introduces ‘Vodafone Webstore’ on Facebook

Vodafone has taken social networking to next level by integrating a host of new functions on its Facebook channel and allowing its users to do much more than social networking. Vodafone has introduced ‘Vodafone Webstore’ which allows its customers to recharge prepaid Vodafone , pay postpaid bills, access Vodafone M-shop and enjoy plethora of VAS services like full song download, cricket, caller tunes etc. Vodafone has taken a leapfrog to leverage the reach and advantages of social networking and use it to add more value to their customers by reaching out to them in innovating ways.

Vodafone Webstore offers

• Recharge for any value
  Recharge Vodafone mobile with just few clicks online
• Make quick bill payments
  Pay Postpaid bills in 3 simple steps
• Stay updated
  Keep pace with all the Cricket updates
  Download latest MP3 songs on your Vodafone mobile
  Get to know the top caller tunes before making a selection
• Make life easy with Vodafone M-Shop
  Pay utility bills
  Book rail and airline tickets
  Buy movie tickets
  Send flowers to your loved ones
  Get exclusive offers and much more

Nokia N8 now in pink

After much dilly-dallying, the Nokia N8 Pink limited edition smartphone will finally be available in the Indian market from today. The Nokia N8 in Pink features a sleek, aluminium casing and an elegant design, coupled with high power multimedia capabilities.

Viral Oza, director of marketing, Nokia India, said, "The N8 in Pink is introduced especially for our women consumers who are tech-enthusiasts and yet love to flaunt their vibrant, stylish side. It comes with a perfect combination of great looks and high powered multimedia capabilities coupled with one of the best cameras on a smartphone, making it this season's must have for the new age woman."

The Nokia N8 in Pink also includes the latest version of Ovi Store, from where ladies can get a variety of applications and games. In addition to this, the N8 in Pink will also have the Pink Note widget which leaves reminders on the homescreen in a colour that suits them.

The new device features a 12 megapixel camera, Carl Zeiss optics and Xenon flash that can record HD videos. It also has a built-in editing suite. Users can upload the pictures and videos to social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter straight from the homescreen.

It allows users to enjoy HD-quality videos with Dolby Digital Plus surround sound by connecting it to home theatre systems. Besides, it has a 3.5 inch capacitive touchscreen, and Ovi Maps which includes free global walk and drive navigation, information on public transport lines, traffic updates, local reviews and more. It will be available for Rs 23,867/-

Motorola to drop Motoblur brand name

Last week, Motorola Mobility's chief executive officer, Sanjay Jha, noted that several improperly tested third-party Android applications are responsible for the poor performance of smartphones. Instead, he said that the Motorola Motoblur user interface would offer better power management for Android devices. At a recent launch of a smartphone with Sprint and Verizon, the company's executives refrained from talking about using the Motoblur user interface for next generation devices.

Last year, Jha stated that the company will "focus on the value proposition of products and not Motoblur as a brand name." It was later confirmed by the company's spokesperson at the launch of Photon 4G and Triumph.

As reported earlier, the company is working on a new user interface that will focus more on the interface skin and on social networking for the next generation of Android devices. It is precisely the reason why not many devices and in fact no Motorola device available in India runs it.

Motorola India's spokesperson shared, "currently there are no plans of introducing Motoblur in India."

Motorola seems to be warding off Motoblur as a name but will continue to use the optimized custom interface for the next generation of Android smartphones.

The new interface is said to be more focused on social networking. The custom interface constantly checks with Motorola's servers if the user's social network account has any updates.

Last week HTC announced the opening of its custom user interface HTC Sense to the developer community for developing apps. Many industry observers are expecting Motorola to follow in the lines of HTC and do the same for the benefit of users.

We can rest assured that all future devices from Motorola will get the UI update, but we are not sure if the same updated user interface would be made available in India as well.