Samsung confirms folding display devices due for 2015 release

We can have smartphones with displays having pixel densities of 560 ppi and 4K resolutions by 2014-15, according to South Korean giant - Samsung. At an event in Korea, the company revealed plans for the next few years including devices with AMOLED panels sporting 560ppi (pixel per inch) pixel density. It also expects to launch phones with WQHD resolution (2560x1440) by next year, though the exact launch timings have not been revealed. Further, the Korean giant intends to launch smartphones with 4K displays sometime in 2015. It is also believed that Samsung is claiming one out of every three patents for flexible displays. That's not it, the Korean giant also revealed that it is working on custom ARM CPU, pretty identical to Qualcomm and Apple. This implies that Samsung will soon be launching its custom CPU architecture licensed from ARM and which will be compatible with ARM instructions for its upcoming devices. Samsung has given assurance to its investors that they will have new technology to take on Apple, and that there will be renewed focus on tablets. A recent report suggests that Samsung's tablet sales would exceed 40 million units in 2013, which is more than double the sales of Samsung tablets in 2012.

Also, top executives at Samsung have also announced new plans for devices, such as devices with foldable displays and foldable phones expected to be launched by 2015.

Of late, Samsung has been putting in a lot of effort in new form factors such as phablets, wearing devices (Galaxy Gear), flexible phones, curved display smartphones (Samsung Galaxy Round) and even foldable phones. However, Samsung did not reveal a time period for devices with folding displays but clearly suggested that the company is working on such devices.

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Nokia 107 dual-SIM feature phone available online for Rs. 1,779

Nokia's new feature phone, Nokia 107, is now available in India via online marketplace Snapdeal for Rs. 1,779.

The Nokia 107, unveiled along with the Nokia 106 in August this year, features dual-SIM support (GSM+GSM) and alphanumeric keyboard. The feature phone weighs 75.8 grams and measures 47.5x112.9x14.9 mm. It has a 1.8-inch display, and comes with 4MB of RAM, microSD slot that supports storage up to 16GB.The phone does not have camera. The phone houses a 1020mAh battery, which is rated to deliver 12 hours of talktime and 576 hours of standby. It is available in two colours – red and black. Prior to the 107, Nokia has launched a slew of ultra low-cost phones. Nokia recently announced the 108, which sports 2MP camera, 4MB of RAM, supports expandable memory up to 32GB using a microSD card, Bluetooth, FM Radio, music player and a 950 mAh battery.

In September, Nokia introduced the 114, which featured support for Urdu language, dual-SIM support, 32GB expandable memory and VGA rear camera. The phone is priced at Rs. 2,579.

Nokia has also launched the 105, priced at Rs. 1,249. The feature phone has a 1.4-inch display with a 128x128 pixel resolution. The Nokia 105 has an 800mAh battery and Nokia says that the phone will last for 12.5 hours of talk time and 842 hours of standby time.

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German agency warns Microsoft Windows 8 PCs vulnerable to cyber threats

A German government technology agency has warned that new security technology in computers running Microsoft Windows 8 operating system may actually make PCs more vulnerable to cyber threats, including sabotage.The warning comes after weeks of public indignation in Germany over leaks related to U.S. surveillance programmes. The spying scandal has become a headache for Chancellor Angela Merkel ahead of a September 22 election.The problem, according to the BSI, is with the use of a computer chip known as the Trusted Platform Module, or TPM 2.0, which is built into Windows 8 computers. TPM 2.0 is designed to better protect PCs by interacting with a variety of security applications. But the BSI, which provides advice on technology and security to the government as well as the public, said the joint implementation of Windows 8 and TPM 2.0 chips could lead to “a loss of control” over both the operating system and hardware, without specifying exactly how that could occur.”As a result, new risks occur for users, especially for federal and critical infrastructure,” it said.The statement concluded: “The new mechanisms in use can also be used for sabotage by third parties”. These risks need to be addressed. Microsoft declined comment on the BSI statement. The company provided Reuters with a statement saying that PC makers have the option to turn off TPM technology, so that customers can buy PCs with it disabled. TPM was developed by the Trusted Computing Group, a non-profit organization backed by technology firms including IBM, Intel, Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft.

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Windows Phone 'Nokia Bandit' Coming Soon

Nokia is said to be planning a big-screen Windows Phone for release later this year. As per The Verge, sources familiar with Nokia’s plans have revealed that the company is currently testing a 6-inch device with the latest version of Windows Phone. The device is Code named ‘Nokia Bandit’ and is said to include a 1080p display and a Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core processor. If this information is true this device will be the first one to get a 1080p display on a Windows based phone. The source further says that the Bandit will ship with a rear camera that is at least 20-megapixels, and with a slight hump at the rear of the device to accommodate the camera. Keeping the device thin and lightweight is said to be a priority and it will be built with a polycarbonate body. Microsoft is currently improving Windows Phone to support devices like the Bandit, with extra changes for 1080p displays, and an additional column of Live Tiles on the Start screen. The latest Windows Phone update includes rotation lock, a Driving Mode option, and some minor UI changes. If all of this information comes out to be true this device might be a good competitor to the other Phablets available. Pricing will be the most important part, specially in a market like India. What do you think ?

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HTC Zara Specs Leak, Budget Device With 4.5" Display And Sense 5.5

HTC is bringing the design language from the One series down to entry level devices, according to an image by notorious leaker evleaks. The HTC Zara has been rumoured before, but its specs never really jumped out at us. With a 4.5-inch qHD screen (960×540 pixels), a dual-core 1.2Ghz Snapdragon 400 processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB internal storage, an UltraPixel camera, a 2100mAh battery and, perhaps most interestingly, Android 4.3 with Sense 5.5. As handsets go, the HTC Zara (a codename and not final shipping designation) looks to be a mix of the lower-end Desire line and the HTC One. You can see two front-facing speakers along with the company’s unique button placement. The main differences are the more rounded corners and that distinctly Desire-like camera ring on the back. HTC Zara is the second phone we hear of that’s going to launch with the updated Sense 5.5 user interface running on top of Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. The HTC One Max is going to debut with the company’s updated UI. Sense is HTC’s differentiator in the Android game, though recently it has been focusing more on hardware improvements than software gimmicks. Whether Sense 5.5 will retain the familiar BlinkFeed home screen remains to be seen, but we don’t think HTC will mess with a good thing.

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Leaked : Samsung Galaxy Gear Specifications

The finer details of Samsung’s upcoming smartwatch are finally starting to leak out. If you’re into extending technology down to your arm, specifically Samsung technology, you might want to consider wrapping the Galaxy Gear around your wrist. Rumours are that Samsung will unveil this device on September 4th at their upcoming Unpacked event. The Galaxy Gear will be a ‘smartphone companion’ and new reports indicate that it’ll sport a 2.5-inch OLED full colour display with a resolution of 320 x 320, plus have the usual touchscreen gestures and accelerometer, but will lack text-input commands. Under the face the Galaxy Gear reportedly has a dual-core 1.5GHz Exynos 4212 processor and Mali-400MP4 GPU. In addition, GigaOM reports that the watch has a camera that is integrated into the strap and even has tiny speakers in the clasp of the watch, plus built-in NFC to allow for bump-to-sync and authenticate. The watch uses Bluetooth 4.0 LE to connect with smartphones for connectivity. As GigaOM reports, the Galaxy Gear watches that have been seeded with the developers are based on Android 4.1 (and in some cases 4.2) and there is very tight integration and syncing between the watch and the phones and tablets. For instance, if one has swiped through notifications, stops at an email blurb and then picks up the smartphone, the phone will display that email message attached to the blurb you were looking at on the watch. The company will feature integration with Twitter and Facebook at launch. The watch will connect to a Samsung watch manager app on the phone to manage the connection between watch and the phone. The connection will use Samsung’s proprietary accessory protocol and will use Bluetooth LE as the network transport. Apparently if there is any app running on the watch, it is its own discreet endpoint and will work directly with the servers. The Galaxy Gear will use apps ‘not from the Google Play store, but instead from the Samsung App store.” Possibly another signal that Samsung is reducing its need on Google’s Android OS – this could mean the watch will only work with Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets. However, popular social media apps like Facebook and Twitter will be heavily integrated, along with a collection of health apps – possibly SHealth – to take on competing watches like the Nike Fuelband. The only major items missing now are the completed design, battery life, and yes, pricing and availability.

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