Sony Xperia Z1 is now official

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Today at IFA 2013 Berlin Sony announced its Xperia Z1, company’s next generation flagship device which is all set to give tough competition to Apple’s iPhone 5S, Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3 and Google Nexus 5 which will release next month. Phone is waterproof as the previous generation model is. So does it up to the expectations lets have a quick look at the specsheet and then we will decide.

sony-xperia-z1C&Y

Specifications of Sony Xperia Z1:

  • 2.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor
  • Adreno 330 GPU
  • 5-inch Full HD display with TRILUMINOS and X-Reality technology
  • 2GB RAM
  • 16GB of internal memory with Micro SD card support
  • 20.7-megapixel Exmor RS CMOS image sensor with G Lens
  • 27mm wide angle and F2.0 aperture
  • BIONZ for mobile
  • Info-eye, AR Effect, Timeshift Burst, Social Live
  • 3000mAh battery
  • 144 x 74 x 8.5mm dimensions
  • 170g in weight
  • IP55/IP58 waterproof and dustproof ratings
  • Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with Sony UI on top

sony-xperia-z1C&Y1

Though the device’s form factor is similar to previous Xperia Z series devices. But it eliminates all the cons which those had. We will update you all when we have more information on this.

So will you buy this device or wait for other flagships? Do tell us in comments.

ZTE Open: The First Firefox OS Based Smartphone is Here!

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Firefox is all set to compete with the likes of Android and iOS with its very own Firefox OS for smartphone. The first smartphone featuring the Firefox operating system, ZTE Open, will be available this week in Spain for only $90 (69 euros). Mozilla did say earlier that they are planning to release cheap Firefox OS featured phones but we weren’t expecting a $90 price tag. Let’s see if the first Firefox OS based phone is worth trying or not.

first firefox os based phone

Firefox OS

The user interface looks quite similar to iOS and Android’s user interface. There are four main function buttons in the bottom of the screen to access phone, messages, email and browser. You can customize these icons if you want. Applications are also arranged on a grid style like we see on other smartphones and users have to scroll left and right to see other installed apps.

first firefox phone

All the commons apps like music player, camera, photo gallery, video player, FM radio are available in the OS. Some third party apps are also available like Facebook, Twitter, Accu Weather, Poppit and other necessary apps can be downloaded from Firefox Marketplace. The app store is not filled with apps which is going to be a big challenge for Mozilla if they really want to compete with Google Playstore or Apple App Store.

Hardware

The ZTE Open comes with 256MB of RAM and 512MB of on board memory. It’s not good enough to run a phone without lag but this phone did quite well in the short test. All the installed apps worked quickly and the touchscreen was also good. It’s good comparing to the “Gingerbread” running phones. However, these are just entry level phones so don’t expect the high-end smartphone like smoothness from it.

zte open firefox os

Specs

The first Firefox OS based phone features a 3.5-inch HVGA TFT touchscreen, 3.2 megapixel camera, 4GB microSD card and other common features like FM Radio, email reader and built-in Firefox web browser. Apps like Wikipedia, Time Out and Huffington Post are already available in the app store but you have to wait for a while to get all the popular apps from other stores.

Price and Release Info

Mozilla’s first Firefox OS based phone will be available at an attractive price tag of $90 (69 Euro) in Spain and Telefónica is launching the ZTE Open with another Mozilla OS based set from Alcatel called One Touch Fire. “This is just the beginning as we plan to bring a wide range of Firefox OS devices to our customers”, that’s what the CEO of Telefónica España, Luis Miguel Gilpérez said when launching the device. It’s not confirmed yet when Mozilla is planning to release them in other markets.

Some more Firefox OS based handsets are also on board and big companies like Sony and LG are currently working on it. If you are not interested to try the Firefox OS in an entry level handset, you can wait for the upcoming Firefox OS based high-end smartphones.

Sony’s PS4: Specs, Price and Release date

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Sony unveiled the PS4 back in February before Microsoft showed up with the Xbox One. Microsoft also revealed what the upcoming Xbox has to offer recently and Sony managed to get one step ahead of Microsoft by offering all the features that we were expecting to see in the new Xbox. Unlike the Xbox One, the PS4 is restriction-less and is also cheaper. Let’s see if the PS4 has really something more to offer than the Xbox One or not.

ps4 release date

Specs

As mentioned earlier here, the new PlayStation will feature an 8-core 64-bit x86 AMD CPU called “Jaguar”, 8GB GDDR5 RAM, 6x Blu-ray drive and an enhanced Radeon GPU to give users “the kind of multi-dimensional experiences they expect and deserve”. However, what we didn’t know earlier is that the new PS4 will allow users to play games offline and you don’t have to be always-online or follow daily check-ins to play games.  Last time, the company didn’t reveal any picture of the console either but now we have a picture of the console too.

The design is not really impressive and it looks quite similar to Xbox One. However, we don’t have the exact dimensions yet so we don’t know if it’s really as big as it looked like at E3. You will find two USB connectors on the front, one HDMI out, Aux socket, S/PDIF optical audio out and Gigabit Ethernet socket on the back. Another great feature of the PS4 is, it will let you play used games.

ps4 pricing

Price and launch titles

The next-gen PS will be available for only $399 which is a huge win for Sony as Microsoft’s Xbox will be available for $500. It’s the exact opposite of last time and looks like Sony managed to find all the weak points of the Xbox One this time and went one step ahead of Microsoft.

Sony is planning to feature some exclusives like Final Fantasy 15, Kingdom Hearts 3, KIllzone Shadow Fall, Destiny, Driveclub and Knack as launch titles. The next installment of the famous Infamous series is also ready to release for PS4 in Q1 2013. Some games like Assassins’s Creed, Grand Theft Auto and Elder Scrolls will be available for both the consoles.

PS4 Release date

Sony wasn’t specific like Microsoft about release date so we don’t know when exactly the company is planning to launch the PS4 in “this holiday season”. However, we do know that the Xbox One will be available in November.

Here’s the complete list of specs released after the event:

  • Main Processor: Single-chip custom processor
  • CPU: x86-64 AMD ‘Jaguar’ 8 cores
  • GPU: 1.84 TFLOPS, AMD next-generation Radeon™ based graphics engine
  • Memory: GDDR5 8GB
  • Hard Disk Drive: Built-in
  • Optical Drive (read only): BD 6xCAV, DVD 8xCAV
  • I/O and communication: Super-Speed USB (USB 3.0), AUX  ,Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T), IEEE 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth® 2.1 (EDR)
  • AV output: HDMI, Analog-AV out, Digital Output (optical)

How to Root your Xperia Z, Zl, Tablet Z

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So You have an Xperia flagship device of this year? Wanna, root it? If yes, then you have come to the right place. Today we are going to give you guys a quick guide to root your Xperia device whether it is Xperia Z, Zl or Tablet Z.

SonyRooted

Requirements to root Xperia Z:

So to root the device there are some requirements such as:

  • You need to install ADB drivers ( get it from )
  • Android Rooting toolkit get it from here
  • Download the above files in your system.
  • Close all ADB needing applications like PC Suite, PC Companion, Flashtool, etc because they all will interfere with the rooting process and might damage your device.
  • Extract the toolkit files and save them in one folder and do remember the position where you have saved it like on desktop or some other place.

Steps to root Xperia Z:

NOTE: DO IT AT YOUR OWN RISK. WE ARE JUST PROVIDING AT QUICK AND EASY GUIDE. WE HAVE NO RESPONSIBILITY TO ANY DAMAGE.

Now if you have read the above warning and still ready to root your device then here are the steps to root it:

  1. Enable USB debugging mode. By going to Settings  then Developer options then Enable and Settings then Developer options and at last USB Debugging.
  2. Tick to check box to enable install from unknown sources. Go to Settings then Security then Unknown source
  3. Now connect your device and run “runme.bat”  from the extracted folder of toolkit package.
  4. Press Enter to start the rooting process and as soon as your devices connects with the package process will begin.
  5. When a dialog screen flashes on your computer saying “press the button to restore the data in your phone” then select Restore data option from your device then on the completion of process you will again see a dialog box conveying message restoring completes.
  6. Now dial *#*#7378423#*#* from your device and select “service test” from options given then select “display” option now toolkit will start the rooting process.
  7. Now wait for some time when the process completes phone will automatically reboot.
  8. NOW YOUR DEVICE IS ROOTED

Now enjoy the powers of root and if you want to know what one can do by rooting your device then stay tuned our next How -To  article will be on that only. If you guys need some more help then do ask in comments.

Source

Month Recap: Gadgets Launched In February

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Before we start looking at the next month’s big tech events, let’s take a look at this month’s big and popular tech news. It was certainly a big month for us tech geeks as we saw some great gadgets like Galaxy Note 8, Asus FonePad, HTC One and PlayStation 4.

PS4 Unveiled

ps4 leaked image

Sony officially unveiled the PlayStation 4 this month at its NYC event after months of rumors. The company announced the hardware specs of the next generation PlayStation and also showed the DualShock Controller 4 with some amazing features. The new PS4 comes with an 8-core 64-bit x86 AMD CPU, 8GB GDDR5 RAM, enhanced Radeon GPU and 6x Blu-ray drive.

We don’t have any specific release date yet but you can expect to get the PS4 in the Holidays 2013.

Galaxy Note 8

galaxy note 8

Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy Note 8 at the 2013 Mobile World Congress after lots of rumors and leaked pictures. It’s a tablet version of the company’s successful Note and Note II and is ready to compete with iPad Mini with its 8-inch display. The company didn’t reveal the tablet’s specs yet but it features 8-inch 1280×800 screen, 2GB RAM, 5MP rear camera and 1.3MP front camera. Another notable feature of this device is its S-Pen like other Note devices.

The company is yet to announce its availability and pricing details but you can expect to see an initial Q2 release in Asia and Europe only.

iPhone 5 leaked

leaked iPhone 5S image

A Chinese website has posted some leaked photos of the rumored iPhone 5S recently and they believe it’s a pre-production version of the next iPhone. Apple failed to protect it’s secret last time before the announcement of iPhone 5 so there is a fifty-fifty chance that these rumors are true. According to the rumors, we can expect to see the same taller screen, an improved camera with powerful LED flash, fingerprint sensor, full-HD display and color options like the latest iPod Touch.

Apple refused to comment on these rumors as usual so we have to wait for an official announcement to confirm these rumors.

Asus FonePad

Assus Fonepad ImageAsus announced FonePad, a Nexus 7 like tablet with 3G mobile data and voice-calling feature at the Mobile World Congress this month. The new device looks like a combo of Asus’ docking PadFone mobile and the popular Nexus 7.

The FonePad features 7-inch IPS screen with 1280×800 display, Android 4.1 OS, Intel Atom Z2420 processor, 1GB of RAM, optional 8GB or 16GB internal memory, 3-megapixel rear camera, 1.2 megapixel front camera, voice calling feature and full 3G telephony support. The company is planning to release the FonePad between April and June in the U.K. and in Asia at the end of the June for $249.

HTC One

HTC One

HTC recently unveiled the HTC One at an event earlier this month and called the new flagship smartphone a “game-changer” because of its “innovative features”. The company usually releases several phones using the same name but they decided to drop X or S from this device. The Taipei City-based company also decided to make this device their sole flagship smartphone for this year.

The HTC One features a 4.7-inch full 1080p HD Display with 468ppi, 1.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm processor, 2GB of RAM, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS and a 2,300mAh battery. The flagship device will be available on Sprint, T-Mobile and AT&T in the US next month and is now available for pre-order.

Chromebook Pixel

chromebook pixel price

Google unveiled its premium notebook, at a San Francisco press event this month. The Chromebook features a 12.85’’ inch screen with 2560×1700 resolution and it’s also a touchscreen which is introduced in a Chromebook for the first time.

The Chromebook also features a 1.8GHz Dual –core Intel i5 processor, integrated HD 4000 graphics, 4GB of RAM and Chrome OS. But it’s not these features that attracted tech geeks, it’s the price, $1299 for the 32GB of flash storage and Wi-Fi version and $1449 for Wi-Fi, LTE broadband and 64GB of storage. It’s too much for a Chrome OS based device which is only good for using web-based apps and internet browsing.

ZTE Grand Memo

zte grand memo specs

ZTE has announced the Grand Memo, a phablet with 5.7-inch screen at its MWC 2013 event this month. The flagship device features a big 5.7-inch screen with 720p resolution, 13-megapixel camera, 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, customized Android 4.1.2 and 3200mAh battery.

Looks like ZTE is trying to push the boundaries of phablet and is trying to grab some attention in the phablet arena. The smartphone will be launched in China soon and then in Europe.

Sony Officially Unveils The PS4 Specs: x86 AMD CPU, Enhanced Gaming GPU

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Sony didn’t unveil the actual console at Sony’s two-hour long press event yesterday but we do know what we can expect inside it. The company revealed the hardware specs of the PlayStation 4 and also showed the new DualShock Controller saying that we can expect to see the PS4 in market in the 2013 holiday season.

PS4 images

PS4 Specs

The hardware specs of the PlayStation 4 includes an 8-core 64-bit x86 AMD CPU titled as “Jaguar”, 8GB GDDR5 RAM, 6x Blu-ray drive and an enhanced Radeon GPU that promises to give gamers “the kind of multi-dimensional experiences they expect and observe.” It will also feature 802.11n Wi-Fi, HDMI, USB 3.0, Bluetooth 2.1 and an analog AV out.

“PlayStation 4 will unleash imaginations to create next-gen experiences that surpass gamers’ wildest expectations, while also allowing developers to explore other business models,”  that’s what Andrew House, the president and group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment said at the launch event.

If you wonder what kind of graphics this machine can run, take a look at this video:

DualShock 4

The new PS4 will also come with a nicely revamped controller that features a touchpad, headphone jack, share button and a lightbar for identification of players. Mark Cerny, PS4’s architect believes the new DualShock Controller 4 now comes with an improved joystick and trigger button that can provide “much tighter sense of control over in-game actions.” There is also a stereo camera that can sense the depth of visible objects.

Sony PS 4 DualShock 4

New PS4 Interface

Sony also unveiled a new interface and introduced PlayStation app for iOS and Android. The new interface will try to keep you “seamlessly interconnected” with social life and all your PS4 conversations will be carried “far beyond the living room,” using different apps and web platforms. Cerny said that the new interface is designed to “keep in touch with the evolving world of your game regardless of your location”. He also discussed about using real names on the new interface. Users will be able to use aliases when they want anonymity but most of the interactions in this new console will be done using profile pictures and real names.

Sony PS 4 Social

Upcoming Games for the PS4

Sony announced some upcoming games for the PS4 including InFAMOUS: Second Son from Sucker Punch, Killzone: Shadow Fall from Guerrilla Games and Deep Down from Capcom. The developers behind the Braid puzzle game also showed The Witness at the event and Square Enix is also thinking about bringing a PS4 compatible Final Fantasy game soon. Meanwhile you can see the demo of the gameplay in this video:

The company didn’t unveil any specific release date in the event but they announced at the end of the event that the PS4 will be available in the Holidays 2013.

Leaked Photos Of iPhone 5S Appear Online

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There were rumors about Apple planning to release an iPhone 5S later this year and now a Chinese website has posted some leaked photos of the rumored iPhone to back that up. The website posted a series of pictures showing the dimensions and design of the upcoming Apple device in various stages of production and are allegedly taken at Foxconn’s facility in China.

iPhone 5S leaked images

The leaked pictures show a pre-production version of the rumored iPhone 5S which gives us a pretty good idea of how the device is going to look like. Apple followed the iPhone 5’s design for the upcoming device with the same taller screen. According to the post, iPhone 5S will offer a minor update from the previous phone while the iPhone 6 will feature a trendy 5-inch screen.

leaked iPhone 5S image

Earlier rumors about iPhone 5S said that the upcoming device will feature a better processor, an improved camera with powerful LED flash, fingerprint sensor and color options like the latest iPod Touch. Sharp displayed its IGZO display at the CES 2013 recently in a 32-inch 4K monitor and we are expecting to see this technology in the upcoming iPhone. HTC and Sony have already unveiled their flagship smartphones with full-HD displays and Apple is also planning to feature full-HD screen in the next iPhone.

leaked iPhone 5S images

Apple recently announced a 128GB iPad so we are also expecting to see a storage bump in the iPhone 5S. According to another Chinese website, the successor to the popular iPhone 5 will be cheaper but stockier and will be available in attractive six colors. Foxconn is usually known for its top security within its manufacturing area and there is no way to confirm if the images are real or not. However, the rumor mill managed to predict almost everything perfectly last time before the release of iPhone 5 so there’s a fifty-fifty chance of these rumors coming true.

Apple is refusing to comment on these rumors as usual and according to a report by Business Insider, the next iPhone will go into production next month and will be unveiled in June. We know that the last two iPhones were released at the end of the year but it’s also true that both the iPhone 3G and the iPhone 4 were released in mid-year so we can expect to see the next iPhone in June.

5 Tablets to Look for in 2013

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We saw some surprising tablets last year including the Nexus lineup (Nexus 7, Nexus 10) and the Asus Transformer Pad. We are expecting to see some magical tablets this year too so let’s take a look at the 5 tablets we should look out for this year.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8

Galaxy Note 8.0 leak-580-90

We saw some leaked photos of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 recently via SamMobile and according to inews24.com, JK Shin, Samsung’s mobile chief has confirmed that the new Galaxy device will be unveiled at the Mobile World Congress next month. JK Shin didn’t confirm the rumored specs, but we can expect to see 8-inch 1280×800 display, 5 megapixel back camera, 1.3 megapixel front camera, 1.6 Quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 16/32GB optional storage and the Note lineup special, S-Pen.

The new Galaxy Note device will feature Jelly Bean 4.2 out-of-the-box and 4600mAh battery. We don’t know if the leaked image is real or not but we can expect to see the real device next month.

Sony Xperia Tablet Z

tablet z

Sony announced the 10.1-inch Xperia Tablet Z recently after unveiling its smartphone cousin at the CES. It’s the thinnest and lightest 10.1-inch tablet with attractive features like 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon chip, 1080p screen with Sony’s Mobile Bravia Engine, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, 6,000mAh battery and NFC and LTE support.

Like its smartphone cousin, this tablet also features 8.1-megapixel camera with Sony’s latest Exmor R technology for amazing pictures. You will find Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out-of-the-box and it will be available in two different colors, black and white. We don’t know anything about its availability or price.

Razer Edge

razer edge

The Razer Edge is a 10.1-inch Windows 8 based gaming tablet from Razer. We recently saw this PC gaming tablet in CES with the Gamepad Controller dock. The Razer Edge Pro gaming tablet comes with an Nvidia mobile graphics card for smooth gaming, Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM and optional 128GB or 256GB SSD. There is another version with Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB SSD. You can buy the pro version for $1,299 and the simple Razer Edge for $999.

If you are a hardcore gamer, you can buy the gamepad controller dock for $249.99 and the keyboard dock with illuminated keys for $199.

Vizio 10-inch Tablet

Vizio-10-inch-Tablet

Vizio’s 10-inch tablet is another amazing tablet we saw in CES this year. The tablet features 2560×1600 display in its 10.1-inch screen, Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, 32GB of Storage, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi and front and rear cameras. But the most attractive feature of this Vizio tablet is Nvidia’s latest Tegra 4 processor for pushing the extra pixels.

We don’t know when this device is coming or its pricing details yet.

Google Nexus 7.7

Nexus

LG is currently working on two Nexus devices and the rumored Nexus 7.7 tablet is expected to be one of them.

The tablet is expected to feature a 7.7-inch display like it’s title suggests with 1920×1200 resolution, Tegra 4 processor, 2GB of RAM, 720p HD front and rear camera and optional 8/16GB of Storage. Moreover, the tablet is expected to feature Android’s upcoming OS, Key Lime Pie. We don’t have any solid information yet so we have to depend on these rumors for now before any official announcement.

Sony Announces Xperia Tablet Z: A 10.1 Inch Waterproof Ultra Thin Tablet

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Sony announced the Xperia Z smartphone at the CES recently and now its cousin, the Xperia Tablet Z has been officially announced today. The company is not very influential in the tablet market but looks like they are ready to compete with iPad with its new 10.1-inch waterproof tablet. Sony and NTT Docomo (Japanese carrier) was planning to announce the tablet on January 22 but Docomo accidentally leaked the tablet details on its website and Blog of Mobile, a popular Japanese gadget site reported the leak instantly.

tablet z

Thinner than the iPad Mini

Just like its smartphone cousin, the Xperia Tablet Z is waterproof and can stay alive under 3 feet of liquid. The tablet comes with a stunning 6.9mm thickness which is thinner than the latest iPad Mini (7.2mm thick). Sony’s Xperia S tablet was also a good looking tablet but its price tag failed to compete with the cheaper alternatives.

Specs

The specs of the tablet are also as amazing as the outside of the device. The tablet features a 1080p screen, a Qualcomm 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon chip, 32GB of internal storage, 2GB of RAM, NFC and LTE support. The big 1080p screen comes with Sony’s Mobile Bravia Engine for adding attractive vibrancy and color depth to screen. Like its smartphone cousin, the tablet features an 8.1-megapixel camera with Exmor R technology.

The tablet will feature Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out-of-the-box and with two color options, black and white. It’s really amazing how this tablet is waterproof, features 8.1-megapixel camera with the Exmor R technology, quad-core chip and 2GB of RAM and is still only 6.9mm thick. It’s the thinnest tablet available so far and is both dust and water-proof. This super thick tablet also features S-Force virtual surround sound system. The tablet comes with 6,000mAh battery and weighs only 495 grams which makes this tablet the lightest 10-inch tablet at the moment.

Summary of Features:

  • 1.5GHz quad-core processor
  • 1080p HD 10.1-inch display
  • OS: Android 4.1
  • 8.1MP main camera
  • 2GB RAM
  • Water and dust resistant
  • 32GB internal storage with microSD expansion option
  • Weighs 495 grams and 6.9mm thin
  • LTE and NFC Support
  • S-Force Front Surround 3D technology

Availability

 We still don’t know when this tablet will be available worldwide or about its price tag but we are expecting to see this lightest and thinnest 10-inch tablet in Japanese market next week. We’ll let you know once we get to know more about its availability and pricing details.