RockASAP launches Country’s First Ever “Mobile Mall” application

RockASAP today launched country’s first-ever Mobile Mall for high-fashion lifestyle products & services’ enthusiasts.

It gives a ‘shopping mall in pocket’ experience as mobile users can enjoy shopping, anytime, anywhere as per their convenience.

Handygo’s Rockasap application will be available on all Smartphones and Tablets and also on all GPRS enabled mobile handsets, thus reaching out to a large section of mobile phone users.

One can search, select and order for your favorite product and service on mobile and pay either through secure online payment getaway option or opt for Cash on delivery mode.

The biggest advantage of shopping through RockASAP is that the users will get to buy variety of branded high end products, which are latest in the market and are in-sync with the current trend with the special prices.

The best feature of this application is the Location Based tagging, where users can get information of neighborhood deals based on their physical presence at a particular location.

Telenor introduces a global Android Market initiative

In Hong Kong today, Telenor and Google launched a global agreement to stimulate further growth of the Android ecosystem. Telenor’s Android users will be able to access a carefully selected and continuously updated suite of relevant apps inside a fixed destination on the front page of Android Market, in a store-in-store concept. Customers will be able to pay for apps via their mobile operator, considered crucial in driving app adoption. Local developers benefit by the increased exposure of their apps and the potential of increased revenues.

The agreement covers all of Telenor’s 11 international markets, with initial launch in the first quarter 2012 in Thailand, Malaysia, Hungary, Sweden and Denmark. The deal meets the insatiable demand for mobile content in established European markets as well as in the faster-growing Asian economies. While smartphone penetration might be lower on a percentage basis in Asia, they easily beat their European counterparts in absolute user numbers.

“This deal between Google and Telenor is designed to inject even more energy into the Android ecosystem. Most importantly, it means that millions of Telenor customers will experience easier access to more and richer mobile content, as well as flexible payment solutions,”

said Jon Fredrik Baksaas, President & CEO of Telenor Group.An editorial team in each market will be responsible for selecting and presenting up to 5

0 apps – with high local relevance. Operator billing makes it easy for Telenor’s Android users to pay for apps, via prepaid or postpaid subscriptions, and enables developers to more easily monetize on their products. Industry data shows that, given the option of paying via credit card or operator billing, approximately 70% prefer the latter.

The upgrade requires no effort on the part of Telenor’s Android users. All they need to do is to enter Android Market on their handsets and select the Telenor (or local subsidiary, Uninor for users from India) tile on the front page.

Customers in Telenor’s remaining global markets (India, Bangladesh, Serbia, Montenegro and Norway) will be able to enjoy the upgraded Android experience later in 2012.

Windows Marketplace now opens for China and India, improved search options and more

Windows has announced the opening of its Windows Marketplace for developers in China. Now developers from China can register via App Hub and begin submitting apps for availability in any of our supported Marketplace countries (except China). With this now all Windows Phone users in India can purchase their favorite games and apps from the marketplace which now open for all.

Windows has also improved its search for apps in marketplace. It has implemented the 5 keywords per application guidelines so that users are able to get the correct apps which they are looking for in the marketplace. This will benefit both users and developers. So all the developers should now go ahead and review the keywords that they have submitted in the App Hub. Though more than 5 keywords can be given but Marketplace will only use 5 of them.

Visit here for more.

TRAI serious on SMS spam – imposes limit of 100 SMS per day per SIM

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is serious on SMS spamming and hence passes regulation to further address the issue. The Sixth Amendment to related regulation will be implemented from 27th Sep’11 and its mainly focus on controlling spam text messaging activities of tele-marketers. The regulation imposes a limit of 100 SMS per day per SIM with a further limit of 3000 SMS per month for post paid customer. TRAI has also tried to make you sleep peacefully during night by imposing a time band from 9hrs to 21hrs as period of commercial SMS communication by service providers. The salient points included in regulation is given below.

The TRAI amendment says:

• Every Access Provider shall withdraw before the 26th September, 2011 all telecom resources allocated to a telemarketer except those telecom resources which have been allocated in accordance with the provisions of the regulations.
• every Access Provider shall ensure that any commercial communication including SMS, other than transactional messages, is sent to a customer only between 0900 Hrs to 2100 Hrs
• no Access Provider shall permit sending of more than one hundred SMS per day per SIM. Provided that in case of post paid telephone number the Access Provider shall not permit more than three thousand SMS per SIM per month. Provided further that in case of post paid telephone number, the Access Provider shall not permit sending of more than one hundred SMS per day per SIM from a date to be notified by the Authority.
• Read full details

iBall launches Android Tablet in India at Rs.13,995/-

Yet another affordable tablet launched in India. iBall launched the ‘Slide”, its first tablet running Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS. The 7-inch tablet which will cost for Rs 13,995 is not so slim with its heavy-weight design and thickness. The Slide is powered by 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor and 3G ready (on dongle) device is also offer WiFi & Bluetooth as connectivity options. It is equipped with a front facing 2.0MP camera, HDMI port for HD quality video, 8GB of internal memory and expandable memory up to 32GB. The 4400 mAh battery enables 6.5 hrs of music playback time and 5 hours of video playback. iBall has signed Hrithik Roshan as brand ambassador for iBall Slide.

Nokia Sleeping screen gets updated

Nokia Sleeping Screen application, which allows Symbian S6o ^3 users to change their sleeping screen to something more colourful than the ordinary clock, has received an update.

With the new update, Nokia Sleeping screen gets a totally new identity as along with the older stock interfaces. Nokia users are now also allowed to use their own custom images as the sleeping screen. The images will not appear the way they appear in the real world but the software will modify the images and convert it in to something similar to what the stock images looked like.

The Nokia Sleeping Screen was first launched in April as an experimental application.

Nokia developers have added a plain looking clock to the sleeping screen that makes more space available on the screen since users now will be using a lot of custom images. Along with that new stack themes or images for the sleeping screen have been added to the application if users want to use them. And finally the missing link, the orientation change for the sleeping screen has now been enabled so now with the change in the orientation of the phone the sleeping screen also changes the orientation which was obviously missing earlier.

The sleeping screen is available at the Nokia beta labs as a public beta and all those who want to use this on their Symbian^3 devices can download it directly from the Nokia Beta Labs or can follow the link.

Nokia is looking for more suggestion and comments about this so if you have a query or suggestion to make any other improvement that might be helpful to other users then please share the same on the beta lab.

Symbian Anna now available for download

Nokia C6-01, C7, E7 and N8 will get the much awaited major Symbian update. The Symbian Anna (Has nothing to do with anti-corruption movement ;-) ) brings a host of usability enhancements to the desk for these devices. It can be downloaded using the OVI suite or OTA directly to the Smartphone. Exciting news for the C7 users is that the NFC chip will be activated after the update.

Feature Highlights

• Fresh look for the user interface with crisp icons and enhanced usability features
• Split screen typing and the QWERTY keypad in portrait mode
• Enhanced Nokia maps features
• Ability to check-in to Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare from the Nokia maps
• Social networks
• Faster and better browser
• Business-grade security with improved data / hardware encryption on Nokia smartphones
• E-mail enhancements including full meeting request support
• Technically, for the developers, now Symbian Anna supports - Flashlite 4, Java Runtime 2.2, Qt Mobility 1.1, Qt4.7. The exact rollout of Symbian Anna could vary from market to market.

Visit Nokia Care or Priority Partner for a free Symbian Anna upgrade

Nokia already announced that Symbian Anna is available for Nokia N8, Nokia C7, Nokia C6-01 and Nokia E7. Nokia is offering Symbian Anna upgrade free of cost, you can get the latest version by visiting Nokia Care or Nokia Priority Partner. Additionally, it can be downloaded using the latest version of Ovi Suite (version 3.1.1) on a PC, or over-the-air directly to your Smartphone.

Symbian Anna key features:

• Virtual portrait QWERTY
• Split screen view while typing; so you can see message threads, webpages, contacts or email
• An easier to use and faster browser, delivering quicker page loads and improved navigation
• Refreshed Nokia Maps including simpler search, new public transportation routes and the ability to check-in to Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare or local social networks
• A feature to share your location via email and SMS (even to non-Nokia phones)

Features for business users:

• Instant messaging and presence with Microsoft Communicator Mobile
• E-mail enhancements including full meeting request support
• True business grade security with hardware accelerated encryption
• Easy and secure intranet access for business users who want to access their company intranet

Features for developers:

• Flashlite 4
• Java Runtime 2.2
• Qt Mobility 1.1
• Qt4.7

Facebook for BlackBerry updates to v2.0.0.45

Facing App freezing and News Feed update issues on your Facebook for BlackBerry. Not any more, a new version is released which addresses the issue of the application freezing and the News Feed not refreshing. Facebook v2.0.0.45 for BlackBerry is now available for download, it can be downloaded from here.

MyDala launches group shopping app for BlackBerry Mobile Devices

MyDala.com which claims to be the India’ first social commerce portal today launched its Group Shopping App for BlackBerry mobile devices. The app offers hot deals which can be browsed at city level. The MyDala free BlackBerry smartphone application also offers group buying duly supported with geo-location feature which is powered by Google Maps. The MyDala app can be downloaded from BlackBerry App World.

Commenting on the technical aspects of the mobile app, Ashish Bhatnagar, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, mydala.com says, “The mydala mobile application features an in-built-in geo-location feature integrated with Google Maps which allows users to locate live deals nearest to their location. The Graphical User Interface (GUI) of the application is very intuitive and user-friendly and lets you view deals in a single-page format with minimal number of clicks. Another highlight of thw mydala app for BlackBerry smartphones is the integrated payment option that allows users to pay for the deals on the phone itself and receive discounts immediately.”

Now download Anna Hazare Mobile app available on Android Market

Anna Hazare’s movement against anti-corruption and Jan Lokpal Bill now goes on mobile. “Anna Hazare AntiCorruption India” is a free mobile application for Android platform offers latest updates and historical information about Anna and his efforts. The app is available on Andorid Market and aims to take review and collect corruption reports around India with an aim to take common people’ voice. Developers of App ensures low internet Usage while reading all News feeds About Anna Hazare & Anti Corruption Bill. Just have look at screenshots.

Tips on Saving Mobile Data Bill

Mobile internet has gained substantial popularity in India. The companies like Aircel and TATA Docomo created primary demand for Mobile Internet and most of the Indians in non metros have experienced internet for the first time on Mobiles only. With the launch of 3G by operators in India, the popularity and subscription of data services have gone up substantially. The popularity of social networking sites, games, music and e-mail etc. have made mobile internet indispensable for youth. But if you are on tight budget and little frivolous especially with 3G connection you may end up with heavy bills.

Here are few tips on how you can keep your Mobile internet bill in check:

Avoid using pay as you use plans rather take data plan: If you frequently use mobile internet ,then it’s better to subscribe to some data plan. Pay as you use plans are normally very costly for ex. Airtel charges 30 paise/20 KB (Rs.15/MB), Vodafone 10 p/10KB. Rather the data plans are very cost effective and varied options too are available in the market.

Pay as you go plans are good for occasional users.

Switch to wi-fi wherever possible: Now free wi-fi hotspots are available at many cafes, restaurants, malls, Airports, institutions etc. Switch to free wi-fi for internet ,if your handset is wi-fi enabled. Even if at your home

Use browsers which use data compression Technology:

There are some browsers(like Opera mini) which compress the data before delivering to your mobile phone. This way it reduces data usage .

Open mobile versions of websites: Desktop versions of websites are normally very data heavy as these have images, ads etc. While the mobile versions of websites have important contents only and thus these loads in very minimum data download.

Do not keep configured e-mail accounts in Always ON/Update Mode:

If you keep your configured mails in always on mode then it automatcally downloads all the mails on to mobile as and when it is delivered in your mail box. Even spam mails too get downloaded and you are charged for that. It is better to access mails through browser if you want to keep data usage low.

Disable automatic software/ app updates:

Many of the softwares or apps keep running updation in background , if you have kept them in automatic update mode. It is wise to disable automatic update for these.

View Video content judiciously: Watching videos will not be a wise idea if you are on tight budget because 10 minutes of video may eat up data equivalent to around an hour of other normal stuffs. And control the temptation of clicking on View HD Video on 3G connection. Similarly do not upload high resolution images or videos .

Do not leave pages open for long , which automatically reloads periodically: Some of the websites automatically reload/ refresh their pages. Do not keep these open for long.

Xperia Play to get 150 new games

Sony Ericsson has showed a selection of 150 games optimised for Xperia Play at Gamescom (a gaming event) in Cologne, Germany. Among the new titles include games of Gameloft, EA's Need for Speed Hot Pursuit and Dead Space, and the Android Polarbit's driving game - Reckless Getaway.

Sony Ericsson's new developer programme "Stand Out" is also starting to bring content to Xperia Play.

"With new games coming to the ecosystem on a daily basis, Xperia Play is redefining smartphone gaming. Xperia Play is in a whole new category, a unique platform that allows major publishers and independent studios alike to push the boundaries of smartphone gaming and reach new audiences," said Tim Harrison, head of content and marketing strategy for Sony Ericsson.

Some of the Xperia Play Android titles showcased this week include Dead Space, Need For Speed Hot Pursuit and FIFA12 by EA, Reckless Getaway, Reckless Racing 2 and Tanks by Polarbit, Let's Golf 3 by Gameloft, Townsmen 6, Guns & Glory WW2 and Clouds and Sheep by HandyGame.

They Need To Be Fed by YoYo Games, Lame Castle by Be-Rad Entertainment, Hyperlight by Catfishblues Games, Diversion and Crazy Snowboard by Ezone, Gibs & Gore Micronytes, Protoxide and Battle Boats 3D by Herocraft were also in the show. All these titles will be available for Xperia Play users in the Android market in some time.

There are more games to be downloaded including EVAC HD and Radient HD by Hexage, PewPew 2 by Jean-Francois Geyelin, Stellar Escape by Orange Agenda and Jumpy, INC and Meganoid by Orange Pixel

There are more like the Death Worm by PlayCreek LLC, No Gravity by Real Tech VR, Crusade of Destiny by Divide Arts, Desert Winds by Southend Interactive.

Sony Ericsson has also added a new functionality which allows users to recommend games using Facebook inside Xperia. This will also allow users to share top scores or favorite gaming moments by uploading a screenshot from any game to Facebook.

Gamescom will be taking place from August 17 to 21, so we will have more information coming from there are we will keep passing it to.

Google Maps updated to version 5.9

Internet giant Google has announced an updated version of its Maps service. The new Google Maps 5.9 allows users to customize their 'My Places' tab with pictures. Also, users will now be prompted to add a new option to My Places whenever they check in to a place not on their list. Users can also manage their points of interest under the My Places tab on the basis of 'starred' and 'recently visited' as well.

The recently discontinued feature of bubble tags has also been re-activated in Google Maps 5.9, so again users can simply select a particular bubble and use it to navigate to that place or call the person on Google Latitude.

Tablet users will now be able to access transit navigation details using their tablets as well. For better understanding, detailed information has now been added to places.

This update requires an Android OS 1.6+ device and works wherever Google Maps is currently available. You can download Google Maps 5.9 on your Android device manually or from the Android Marketplace. Alternatively, you could follow this link.

Qualcomm launches pet locator device

Qualcomm has launched a new device, named Tagg, which can be easily used on the collars of pets. The Tagg is the first product from Snaptracs, a newly formed, wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm.

The device utilises GPS and cellular triangulation technology to keep a track of your pets' movement and location. The edge that this device provides over several other competitor products is in the form of advanced flexibility that is given to the users while using this device. Users can specify an area where their pets roam and live and as soon as the pet leaves that area an alert is sent to the owner via Email and SMS. And by using their smartphones, users can also see their pets' movement in real-time through the Tagg's online tracking interface.

The Tagg is designed for rugged use as is completely waterproof that allows the pets to stay the way they are while being tracked too. The device has a battery life of up to 30 days so that users do not need to charge the battery often. And whenever the user is taking the pet out, they can simply press the trip button on the device to cancel the alerts.

To use the device, you have to shell out $200 (Rs 9,000) annually that includes email and SMS alerts. It would be available in the USA first from September onwards.

Symbian Anna update starts today

The Symbian Anna update for Nokia N8, E7, C7 and C6-01 will be available for today.While the new icons would be the first thing users would notice after updating to Symbian Anna, but major changes are under the hood including a portrait-mode Qwerty keyboard for the screen. There is a split-screen view as well, which lets the users view web pages and messages they are replying to while they type their own message.

Nokia has claimed in the press release that after updating to Anna browser will become faster and easier to use and supports all the latest standards. The release further states that Ovi Maps will also be quicker and simpler, and will includes public transport routes as well.

Nokia' s flagship phone N8 which has done reasonably well in the market is set to get a face lift after the Symbian Anna update. N8's video support feature with 720 pixels and 30 frames per second, which is perhaps not present in any other phone, is one of the highlights.

Nokia N8 was launched just about one and half years back and has become a big success in such a short duration. It comes armed with a 12 megapixel camera with numerous great features and with the new Symbian Anna update, the phone is likely to become even more useful for the users.

Another smartphone from Nokia's stable E7 which comes with a large touchscreen, is just the right kind of companion for Symbian Anna update, but the new portrait mode on screen keyboard doesn't look necessary edition for E7, as the device has a hardware keyboard as well. The web browser of the phone becomes faster with the update and the revamped calendar is another attractive new feature.

The other Nokia handsets which have received Symbian Anna update include Nokia C7 and Nokia C6-01. The update is likely to do a world of good to the Nokia C7 because it doesn't have the camera of N8 or the hardware of E7, so it needs the looks to stay ahead in the game.

With the smallest touchscreen of 3.2 inches, the Nokia C6-01 is not the right phone to get portrait-mode Qwerty keyboard, but no phone gets hurt by a better looking user interface.

Vodafone, Opera bring new faster browser for mobile phones

Vodafone Essar and Opera Software today launched a co-branded version of the Opera Mini mobile browser, now available for download across Vodafone's network in India.

With the co-branded web browser, Vodafone Essar can offer customers a better and faster browsing experience on nearly any mobile phone capable of connecting to the Internet. The co-branded browser offered by Vodafone Essar will feature customized Speed Dial shortcuts for easy access to unique Vodafone Essar features.

"We are delighted to promote our new co-branded Opera Mini product to our customers. We know that Opera Mini brings a great fast mobile Internet experience to our customers, both new to the Internet and experienced users," said Jonathan Bill, vice president of Internet Services, Vodafone Essar. "The co-branded version brings new, enhanced functionality to Vodafone's customers, giving them easy one-click access to key content and applications."

The Opera Mini browser uses compression technology to save data traffic and adapt to a greater number of devices worldwide.

LinkedIn updates its Mobile Experience

Popular social networking site LinkedIn has updated its mobile site as well as its Android app to make it “Faster, Simpler and Better.”

The mobile site is said to be faster and will be providing a brand new HTML5 experience for use in any modern mobile web browser. The new app has also been improved and is faster across all features, ranging from search to reading your update stream
The app has been re-organized around the following 4 points:

• Updates: View updates from your network and top news from LinkedIn Today
• Inbox: You can view your invitations and messages in one place
• You: Access your profile, connections, share updates, and even more in the future
• Groups & More: Browse and interact with your groups, as well as build your network through our People You May Know feature

The new mobile site has already been rolled out and the application for iPhone and Android is available at the iTunes Store and the Android Market.

Getit launches its local search app on BlackBerry

Getit, India’s information search service has launched its local search app on the BlackBerry. This new Application makes the searching for your favorite pizza or multiplex easy and instant by providing access to search information anytime and anywhere on your Blackberry.

The Application provides an appealing user experience via a rich, interactive and graphical interface. It also has various features such as it can auto detect your current location using GPS, it can provide quick links to top/popular categories, it can refine your search based on attributes and location, it can show interactive maps with directions, it can call any business with a single click/tap, can share businesses via email & SMS and a lot more.

The App can be directly downloaded for free from either the Blackberry store over here or by just visitng www.getit.in.

Polar Mobile to launch over 300 app for Nokia devices

Nokia has made a deal with Polar Mobile to launch over 300 mobile apps for Nokia smartphones over the next 12 months. The apps will be made available to consumers of Nokia’s Symbian smartphones, the newly announced Nokia N9 and future Nokia with Windows Phone. The apps will be from top tier media brands globally, including Wired UK, Kompas, Advertising Age, The Globe and Mail, Shanghai Daily and 7DAYS. The first set of 50 apps under this new partnership will be available on Nokia’s Symbian devices by next month and will be available globally through Nokia’s Ovi Store.

“Nokia is excited about the opportunity to team up with Polar Mobile to bring hundreds of quality apps to consumers around the world. Polar Mobile’s ability to scale and attract a global set of brands is strategic in supporting Nokia’s efforts in offering compelling apps and experiences for our users,” said Richard White, General Manager, Nokia Canada.

“We are thrilled that Nokia has chosen Polar Mobile to provide top tier media apps for their devices. Nokia’s global consumer reach is important for many of our customers, especially in Europe, Middle East and Asia. Partnering with Nokia helps our media customers continue to grow their mobile audiences,” said Kunal Gupta, Chief Executive Officer, Polar Mobile.