Apple to unveil Intel-powered MacBooks

WELL PREPARED!

SAN FRANCISCO: Apple is preparing a new lineup of thinner MacBook laptops running on more powerful chips made by Intel, people with knowledge of the plans said.

The MacBook Pro machines, to be unveiled at Apple's annual developers conference starting June 11, also will feature high- definition screens like those on the iPhone and iPad, as well as flash memory to cut startup times and extend battery life, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans haven't been made public.

Apple's Mac sales are growing faster than the personal- computer market, benefiting from the popularity of its mobile devices. Since 2007, when the iPhone was introduced, Apple's Mac sales have more than doubled, reaching $21.8 billion last year. As Apple's share has grown, competitors such as Hewlett-Packard, Dell and Samsung Electronics have followed suit in making thinner, aluminum laptops that start up more quickly.

Apple's new laptops will run on Intel's new processors, code-named Ivy Bridge, and will have a slimmed-down body design from the current 0.95-inch thickness, the people said.

Bill Evans, a spokesman for Cupertino, California-based Apple, declined to comment, while Chuck Mulloy, a spokesman for Intel, referred questions to Apple.

Apple shares fell 1.5 per cent yesterday to $558.22 at the close in New York. The stock has risen 38 per cent this year.

Mountain Lion
At the developer conference, Apple also may announce the debut date of its latest Mac operating system, called Mountain Lion, one person said. The new software, which Apple previewed in February, more closely aligns Mac computers with its mobile devices -- the operating system includes many elements of the iOS mobile software that runs the iPhone and iPad. One feature lets users send a text message to an iPhone from a Mac.

Mountain Lion also expands Apple's iCloud digital-storage service to let Mac users access and share saved documents across the internet. It also allows users to create and access reminders and notes, and receive notifications, on all their Apple devices. Another new iCloud feature will make it easier to share photographs, the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday.

The emphasis on the Mac at next month's conference suggests that Apple will concentrate on the iPhone later in the year. Analysts, including Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray, have predicted Apple will release its next smartphone model by October. The iPhone is Apple's top-selling product, accounting for 58 per cent of its revenue in the most recent quarter.

New Mobile Software Apple is expected to preview some of the new mobile software features that will be part of that release at the developer conference in San Francisco.

While Mac computers account for just 13 per cent of Apple's sales and are no longer the main sales engine for the company, the machines are steadily gaining market share. Apple controlled 11.6 per cent of the PC market in the US in the fourth quarter of last year, compared to 6.1 percent in the same period of 2007, according to Gartner Inc.

Apple last redesigned the body of the MacBook Pro in 2008. The devices have more memory and stronger graphical and computing capabilities than MacBook Air laptops. The MacBook Pro now costs $1,200 to $2,500, depending on the size and components.

The new models come as Apple looks beyond Intel for chips to power its iPhone and iPad. While Intel provides the semiconductors for Apple's new laptops, the chipmaker is facing questions from investors about why it hasn't made better inroads into the market for components that power phones and laptops. Instead of using the Santa Clara, California-based company for chips inside its mobile devices, Apple uses competing components based on the designs from ARM Holdings.

Intel's Goals At an investor meeting last week, Intel Chief Executive Officer Paul Otellini was asked whether the company was at risk of losing the Mac business altogether if Apple moves its computers to an ARM design. He said Intel's plan is to improve the performance of its designs to the point where Apple will use its products more widely.

Intel, the world's largest chipmaker, also is helping boost Apple's competitors in the PC market, who are seeking to respond to the popularity of Apple's iPads and laptops by introducing their own new products. Intel has been promoting a new type of thinner laptop, called an Ultrabook, that uses its components. Ultrabooks are less than an inch thick, have days of battery life, start up in seconds and sell for less than $1,000. The features are similar to those of Apple's MacBook Air.

Intel also has been working closely with Microsoft on the release of its Windows 8 operating system, which was designed to work on both PCs and mobile devices. The Ivy Bridge processordesign is made with an updated manufacturing process, resulting in more powerful chips that use less battery life. The technology website 9to5Mac.com reported earlier yesterday that Apple is working on a thinner version of the MacBook Pro with a sharper screen.


Courtesy: The Times Of India

iPhone 4S vs HTC One X vs Lumia 900 vs Xperia S

iPhone 4s,Sony Xperia S, Samsung Galaxy, HTC One X, Nokia Lumia 900

The battle for the smartphone marketshare is getting hotter. While Apple continues its dominance with iPhone, Samsung is slowly increasing its share. Nokia too aims to make an impact with flagship Lumia series. Smartphones form a key part of Sony's turnaround strategy too. HTC too has just launched a slew of new smartphones. 

As the marketshare battle goes on, here's comparing the hottest smartphones of these four companies against each other. So, here's how HTC One X, Nokia Lumia 900, Sony Xperia S and Apple iPhone 4S stack up against each other.


Display:

iPhone 4S vs HTC One X vs Lumia 900 vs Xperia S

iPhone 4S: iPhone 4S features a 3.5-inch LED-backlit TFT screen with 960x640 resolution. 

HTC One X: The phone sports a large 4.7-inch display with a Super IPS LCD2 capacitive touchscreen that offers 720 x 1280 pixels. The display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass. 

Lumia 900: Nokia Lumia 900 sports a 4.3-inch screen with 480 x 800 AMOLED capacitive touchscreen with 217 ppi. The phone also has Corning's Gorilla Glass protection. 

Xperia S: Xperia S has a 4.3-inch scratch resistant TFT touchscreen with resolution of 1280x720 pixels


Operating System:

iPhone 4S vs HTC One X vs Lumia 900 vs Xperia S

iPhone 4S: The phone uses Apple's iOS 5.1. with iOS 5, Apple has overhauled the notification system, thereby removing one of the biggest drawbacks its mobile OS had. 

HTC One X: The phone comes with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. 

Lumia 900: The phone features the latest version of Windows Phone 7.5 Mango. 

Xperia S: The phone bundles Android 2.3 Gingerbread, but is upgradable to Android 4, Ice Cream Sandwich.


Processor:

THE NOKIA LUMIA 900

iPhone 4S: iPhone 4S is powered by dual-core A5 processor. The company claims that two cores in A5 chip deliver up to two times more power and render graphics of up to seven times faster than iPhone 4. The dual-core graphics offer faster and improved 3D experience. iPhone 4S has a 512 MB RAM and the device is available in three models 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. 

HTC One X: One X comes with a 1.5GHz Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processo and packs 1GB RAM and 32GB of internal memory. The phone also packs 12 core GeForce GPU for games and applications. 

Lumia 900: The phone packs a 1.4GHz Scorpion single core processor with Qualcomm APQ8055 Snapdragon chipset. The phone features 512MB of RAM and Adreno 205 GPU. 

Xperia S: The phone has a dual core 1.5GHz Qualcomm MSM8260 Snapdragon with an Adreno 220 GPU. The phone comes with 32GB of internal storage and 1GB RAM.


Camera:

iPhone 4S vs HTC One X vs Lumia 900 vs Xperia S

iPhone 4S: The phone packs an 8 megapixel camera with f2.4 aperture. Apple has also included other camera improvements like backside illuminated sensor which Apple claims gets 73% more light than the iPhone 4 sensor. 

HTC One X: The smartphone includes a 8 megapixel rear camera with autofocus, LED flash, geo-tagging, face and smile detection and 1080p@30fps video capture. There's also a front 1.3 megapixel 720p camera. 

Lumia 900: The phone sports a 8 megapixel 3264 x 2448 rear camera and can capture 720p video. Camera features include autofocus, dual-LED flash and geo-tagging. For video calling, Lumia 900 comes with 1.3 megapixel VGA camera. 

Xperia S: The smartphone comes with a 12.1 megapixel with 1080p camera on the rear. There's also a 720p front facing camera for video calling.


Connectivity:
iPhone 4S: iPhone 4S can run both on CDMA and GSM networks. With AirPlay feature, iPhone users can wirelessly stream the data phone to HDTV and speakers via Apple TV. In addition, with AirPlay Mirroring, whatever you do on your iPhone appears on the HDTV at the same time. 

HTC One X: The phone supports aGPS, stereo FM radio with RDS, Wi-Fi, DLNA, Bluetooth v4.0 with A2DP and microUSB. 

Lumia 900: Nokia's flagship Lumia 900 provides HSDPA, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, NFC (Near Field Communication), and microUSB v2.0 support. 

Xperia S: The phone comes with HSDPA support, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, NFC (Near Field Communication) and microUSB v2.0.


Battery:
iPhone 4S: Apple claims iPhone 4S offers as much as 8 hours of 3G talk time, 6 hours of browsing (9 on Wi-Fi), 10 hours of video playback and 40 hours of music. 

HTC One X: The One X packs a Li-Po 1800 mAh battery. However, the company doesn't specify the battery life. 

Lumia 900: The phone includes a Li-Ion 1830 mAh (BP-6EW) battery which promises seven hours of talk time. 

Xperia S: The phone provides up to 7hrs 30 min (2G)/up to 8hrs 30 min (3G) talktime.


Price:
iPhone 4S: : Airtel sells iPhone 4S 16 GB model for Rs 44,500, 64GB model for Rs 57,500 and 32GB model for Rs 50,900 (approx). 

HTC One X: The phone is available at a market operating price of Rs 37,899. 

Lumia 900: Xperia S: Xperia S handset is priced at Rs 32,549.


Courtesy: The Times Of India

Samsung Galaxy S3 vs HTC OneX vs iPhone 4S

 Samsung Galaxy S3 vs HTC OneX vs iPhone 4S

The unveiling of Samsung Galaxy SIII recently has further fueled the ongoing smartphone war. One of the most-awaited phones of 2012, Samsung Galaxy SIII is designed to take the fight to the new crop of quadcore superphones. 

The smartphone takes on Apple's iPhone 4S and HTC's recently launched quadcore smartphone HTC OneX. Here's how the three compare in specs.


Processor:

Samsung Galaxy SIII: The phone has Samsung's new Arm-based processor Exynos 4 Quad. The 1.4 Ghz quadcore chip is based on ARM Cortex A9 and enables more tasks in a shorter period of time claims the company. 

Apple iPhone 4S: iPhone 4S is powered by dualcore A5 processor. The company claims that two cores in A5 chip deliver up to two times more power and render graphics up to seven times faster than iPhone 4. 

HTC OneX: HTC One X runs on a 1.5GHz Nvidia Tegra3 quadcore chip.

Operating System:

Samsung Galaxy SIII: Samsung Galaxy S-III runs on Android 4.0 or Ice Cream Sandwich OS. 

Apple iPhone 4S: iPhone 4S comes pre-loaded with iOS5. 

HTC OneX: HTC OneX also runs on the latest Android operating system Android 4.0 or Ice Cream Sandwich.

Camera:

THE IPHONE 4S CAMERA

Samsung Galaxy SIII: Samsung Galaxy S-III boasts of an 8MP rear camera and a 1.9 megapixel front camera. 

Apple iPhone 4S: iPhone 4S has an 8MP camera with back illuminated CMOS sensor, wider aperture and higher quality lens. It also records video in 1080p full HD resolution now. It has a VGA-quality front camera. 

HTC OneX: HTC OneX has an 8MP autofocus camera with LED flash. There's also a 1.3 MP front camera for video conferencing.


Display:

Samsung Galaxy SIII: Galaxy SIII boasts of a 4.8 HD Super AMOLED display, with ultrafast response time. 

Apple iPhone 4S: iPhone 4S retains the same 3.5-inch (diagonal) Retina display as found in iPhone 4. 

HTC OneX: HTC OneX has a 4.7 inch Super IPS LCD2 screen.


RAM & Storage:
Samsung Galaxy SIII: Samsung Galaxy has a 1GB RAM. It comes in three storage capabilities 16, 32 and 64GB. The smartphone weighs 133 gm. 

Apple iPhone 4S: Though Apple did not disclose iPhone 4S RAM, as per teardown tests of the device it is 1GB. 

HTC OneX: HTC OneX also has 1GB RAM. The smartphone has internal memory of 32GB. It weighs 130 gm.


Battery:
Samsung Galaxy SIII: Samsung Galaxy SIII has a removable 2100mAh battery. 

Apple iPhone 4S: Apple claims iPhone 4S offers battery life offers 8 hours of 3G talk time, 6 hours of browsing (9 on WiFi), 10 hours of video playback and 40 hours of music. 

HTC OneX: HTC OneX has a non-removable 1,800 mAh battery.


Courtesy: The Times Of India

iPhone 5: 8 'new' features

Like all Apple launches, speculations on next-generation iPhone are running high. Cyberspace is abuzz with rumors on the expected device's launch date, likely features, price, versions and more. 

Though iPhone 4S smashed the Apple's sales records with its roaring success, it still left Apple fanboys disappointed who were hoping for a completely redesigned iPhone. 

Speculations are hight that the coming iPhone will be a complete redesigned version. Some even suggest that it is the version late Apple founder Steve Jobs really worked on. 

So, here's all that Apple's sixth-generation phone will pack as per the rumor mills.

Display

The new iPhone is likely to have a sharper and bigger 4.6-inch "retina" display. Several reports claim that the high-definition "retina" display -- containing several times as many pixels within the same area -- used in the new iPad will make its way in the new iPhone also. 

However, Topeka Capital Markets' analyst Brian White predicted in a note to investors, "In our view, this will be the most significant iPhone upgrade with a four-inch screen and a new, sleek look that we believe will require a Unibody case." He wrote, "This new, sleek look will be the most important reason that consumers decide to upgrade to the iPhone 5, while we believe the addition of 4G will also attract buyers of the new device."

Processor

Several reports claim that Apple is testing the dual-core A5X processor found in the latest new iPad. This, however, is contrary to earlier reports that the next-gen iPhone 5 could have a quad-core A6 processor. 

The iPhone 5 is also likely to have 1GB of memory which will promise smooth multitasking.

iOS 6

According to web rumour mill, iPhone 5 will ship with iOS 6 update. The new update is expected to be released at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June. Apple had announced iOS 5 software at last year's event.

Camera

There's a strong possibility of a 12 megapixel camera making its way in the next iPhone. Considering rivals are adding pixels to their phone's camera, Apple is expected to upgrade from a 8 megapixel in iPhone 4S to 12 megapixel.

Siri update

It is expected that the new OS will bring updates to Siri, Apple's voice-controlled personal assistant software which made its debut last year with the launch of iPhone 4S. Going by the rumours, Apple is likely to make improvements in the way Siri analysis connotation and meaning. 

According to iOS 6 News Blog, Apple's improved voice recognition system will be activated by simply shaking the phone and website search, navigation and social media sharing will all be possible through a simple voice command.

NFC

Like in case of iPad, rumor mills are speculating on a possibility of NFC (Near Field Communication) support in the upcoming version of iPhone. 

NFC is a technology that allows mobile users to use their handsets as digital wallets. The technology enables users to pay for retail goods or services such as transit rides by waving their handsets across a reader.

4G LTE

Like the new iPad, the next-gen iPhone is likely to get high-speed network 4G LTE. LTE promises higher download and upload speeds compared to 3G technologies. 

The new iPad's high-end model is capable of opera

Bigger battery

Going by the rumours, one can expect a bigger battery in next iPhone. This is likely to make up for high-definition screen as well as for the inclusion of 4G/LTE radios.ting on a high-speed 4G LTE network, at speeds roughly 10 times faster than the current 3G technology.


Courtesy:  Times Of India