Nokia Lumia 630: First phone to run Windows 8.1

Nokia has unveiled its range of Windows Phone 8.1 smartphones.

The Lumia 630 and Lumia 635 were announced by Nokia during the first keynote at Microsoft's Build 2014 conference. The Lumia 630 and Lumia 635 are identically phones on the outside, but have a few slight variations internally. The Lumia 630 series as a whole is meant to be an inexpensive handset for emerging markets. The Lumia 630 is either a single-SIM or dual-SIM model. While the Lumia 635 is a single-SIM phone, but has 4G/LTE connectivity that the Lumia 630 omits. Other than that, the Lumia 630s are packing the same specs on the inside and out.

Up front is a 4.5-inch display where you'll spend most of your time interacting with the Lumia 630/635. It's not full HD, but it is still a high quality display. You get an IPS ClearBlack display running at a 854 x 480 resolution. Inside is a Snapdragon 400 quad-core processor running at 1.2 GHz.

The Lumia 630 and Lumia 635 are packing 512 MB of RAM in the memory department. You also get 8 GB of internal storage, but can expand that space with a MicroSD card.

The Lumia 630 and Lumia 635 feel relatively nice in the hand but don't fell premium. Both of them are affordable phones with Nokia stating that the 630 costs around $169 and the 635 at $189.

There are a few other changes which are different from other. The Lumia 630 is the first phone to run Windows phone 8.1 and has the distinction of being the first device to feature on-screen buttons on a Windows phone. Moreover, it is the first Lumia phone that is available in a dual-SIM avatar. In that vein, the Lumia 630 - despite being run-of-the-mill - could usher a change.

Windows 8.1 has some cool new features. The keyboard now supports shape writing (similar to Swype). You can set an image of your choice as the start screen background (it shows through the tiles). Pull down from the top of the screen to see the Action Center, sort of like the notification bar in Android. Microsoft's digital assistant Cortana, another feature of 8.1, is US-only for now.

Specifications
4.5-inch (854 x 480 pixels) Clear Black IPS LCD, 1.2Ghz quad core Qualcomm processor, 512MB RAM, 8GB + micro SD (up to 128GB), FM, A-GPS, WiFi, BT 4.0, 1,830mAh battery, 134 grams

Good: Pre-loaded with Windows 8.1, interchangeable back panel in bright colours, nice display, built to last

Bad: No front camera, does not record 1080p video (max 720p), 512MB RAM is limiting but no lag on windows 8.1, low screen resolution

WhatsApp: Now available for Nokia Asha 501

WhatsApp, one of the most popular messaging services is finally available for the Nokia Asha 501. The hotly anticipated app will be available to download, following the over-the-air software update, which will roll out this week. It is already available for Android, iOS, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, and Symbian platform.

"Starting November 21, all Nokia Asha 501 users can download the IM (instant messaging) application through a software update," the company said in a statement. The messaging service is already available on other Asha phones, which run on the older platform.

Launched in May, Asha 501 is the first device to run on the new Nokia Asha platform. Nokia said the new software also comes with a one-touch social sharing and a more intuitive home screen.

The WhatsApp app will allow the users to connect with their contacts and the app can be used over 2G networks, 3G networks and WiFi Connection. The app also offers message notifications and the activity with WhatsApp will get featured in the Fastlane of the Asha 501.

Nokia said the updated software with WhatsApp will come pre-installed in all new Nokia Asha 501 handsets, set to hit stores on December 5, 2013 and the existing users can update the software through an over-the-air update.

You may have already received a notification to update your Asha 501's software, but if not, we've got a few steps:

1. Go to "settings" then "phone update".
2. Use mobile data to check for the update. Make sure you're on Wifi to make the process as fast and smooth as possible.
3. Press "update" and presto – you will see the download progress, which takes just a few minutes.
4. When the update is done, a WhatsApp launcher will appear on your home screen. Press this to download and install the full app.
5. Still unsure? Learn more about the SW update here.

And there you have it. The features you need to be your most social self, directly from your Asha 501 smartphone.

WhatsApp currently has over 350 million monthly active users. It will also come pre-installed on the Nokia Asha 500, Asha 502 and Asha 503 Dual-SIM when they hit the stores later this year.

How to install Android 4.4 on LG Nexus 4

All of us are waiting for the Kitkat update and to feel that I am writing few steps which will help you to install the Android 4.4 on your Nexus 4.

Here are *steps. Please follow these steps only if you have good knowledge of what you are doing.

1. Download the latest version from ROM from this XDA thread here. If latest version doesn't work for you try downloading older.
2. Connect your Nexus 4 to your computer with a microUSB cord, go to File Explorer, and open up the internal storage folder of your Nexus 4.
3. Drag the Android 4.4 KitKat ROM you just downloaded into the root of the storage (inside no folders)
4. Power down the Nexus 4.
5. Boot into recovery mode by holding the Power and Volume down buttons at the same time.
6. When in recovery, use the volume up and volume down buttons to move and the power button to execute.
7. You should see an Android laying down, with the word START above it. Press the Volume Down button until it says Recovery Mode and press the Power Button. You’ll then be booted into the recovery.
8. First backup your device.
   
   
   
   You will lose everything on your phone when you wipe the device later, so backup your phone in the Backup and Restore section of the recovery first.
9. After the backup is completed,  go to wipe data/factory reset and follow the prompts until the phone has been reset.
10. Go to wipe cache partition and follow the prompts.
11. Go to advanced and select wipe Dalvik cache and follow the prompts.
12. Now let’s install your ROM.
13. Go down to Install Zip > Install Zip From /sdcard > 0/ and then select the ROM. (4.4_mako_odexed.zip or something similar)
14. Wait until the installation is completed and reboot your device. The initial boot will take some time, so be patient.
15. Great, you are now running Android 4.4 KitKat. Enjoy!

*NOTE: It looks like the 4.4 ROM won't install with the stock TWRP custom recovery, so be sure to have either the modified TWRP recovery or Clockwork Mod (CWM) recovery installed before you continue. We're using Clockwork Mod, so the installation process will be based off of this recovery.

Android Mini PC MK808B

This little gadget is an Android mini TV box capable of turning your boring, standard TV into a fully-functional all-singing, all-dancing Smart TV. TV boxes and dongles are becoming an increasingly popular choice for consumers as they achieve a lot for the price in comparison to fully fledged Smart TV’s.

You can use the MK808B to access apps and widgets like BBC iPlayer, Netflix, YouTube and even the radio. You can stream television, watch movies or even play games – all on your TV in stunning 1080p HD. This could even be a replacement to your freeview box if you usually watch stuff on demand, although you may find it difficult to stream live TV on most channels.

For less than $50, the MK808B Android Stick PC provides enough power to do almost anything from surfing the web to playing the games. If you want to more like video calls then you should consider spending $10-$15 more. However, if you want the best value around, the MK808B is a strong choice, as long as you're willing to flash a new ROM.

Pros: 

Best performance

Up to date Android with Root Access

Awesome build quality

1080p Support

Bluetooth capability

Low cost

Cons: 

Android can be best experienced using touch devices where it lacks.

Specifications

• OS: Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
• WIFI: 802.11B/G
• Chip: Rochip RK 3066, Cortex-A9
• Display: HDMI OUTPUT(TV)
• RAM: 1GB DDR3
• Video support: M-JPEG,MPEG-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4,H.263,H.264,VC-1,DivX, Xvid, RealVideo,VP6,Sorenson Spark

• Audio support: AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, QCP, MP3, WMA, WAV, MIDI, M4A

• Flash: 8GB Nand Flash
• Power Supply(Adapter): DC 5V 2A (Providing more stable electric current)
• Power Indicator (LED) Power ON: Blue

• 2.4G: Support 2.4Ghz wireless remote keyboard and mouse
• Hard Disk: SUPPORT SD Card: 1GB-16GB ; Hard Disk: 1GB ~ 5TB
• Built-in Bluetooth

• I/0 Port:
  USB2.0 host X 1;
  OTG micro USBX1 ;
  HDMI OUTPUTX1
• Port
  HDMI Socket: 1pc
  USB Socket: 1pc
• Application software: Google Search/Email Gmail/Video Player/Audio Player / Alarm/ Clock /Apk Calculator Calendar/ES file/Explorer/Google Maps Market/NC Manager PDF/Reader /Photo Browser
• Android APPS: YOUTUBE,FACEBOOK,ANGRY BIRDS,Skype,NETFIX,etc.

You can download the games and play them on this device. Just check out blog entry about android game blogs right here.

Mozilla releases its latest stable version of Firefox 6

Mozilla just released its latest version of its popular Firefox 6 browser today. The updated software is available for download for the Windows platform, Mac, Linux and Android. This is the second stable version of the browser to arrive under the new rapid-release cycle. As expected, some of the changes to the browser are smaller in nature, and are more likely to be about stability and security concerns. But nevertheless, Mozilla still took the opportunity of this second stable rapid release to address a few complaints from users who want version numbers to mean something.

And Firefox fans aren't the only users with a few worries. Rivals such as Opera have a vested interest in opposing the rapid-release cycle, which puts the browser in the news cycle far more often than before. "In the last few months, web developers and IT administrators have expressed some concern about the pace of new browser releases from Chrome and Firefox. We believe in a more balanced pace," said Jan Standal, vice president of desktop products for Opera Software.
And Standal's view on the matter is perfectly understandable, being in the same market as Google's Chrome is as well as the other open source browser: Firefox. Opera still has a very slim market share of the browser market, especially in North America. The majority of its users are in Europe.
And while Mozilla didn't address the complaints directly, it did release some details on how the rapid-release cycle works. It also made several statements focusing on the future of Firefox.
"Overall, the next generation of innovation on the Internet will be made possible by a browser that is an honest broker committed to the interests of the individual user and developer, providing a good experience that match those offered by proprietary platforms, and user control that is superior to proprietary platforms. As Firefox has transformed the browser landscape before, it must do so again," wrote Jay Sullivan, vice president of products for Mozilla.
Now whether Mozilla can do that or not is of course another story alltogether. But the company's recent announcement about making a Firefox-based mobile operating system will play a large role in its own attempts. "There's no reason why mobile apps can't incorporate the characteristics that are important about the Internet. They don't today because Apple didn't build them that way. There's no reason Apple should. Apple has a different view of the world. But we can," said Mitchell Baker, chairman of the Mozilla Foundation.
As for the version of the browser that was released today, Firefox 6 for desktops and laptops contains a number of important stability fixes, as well as some feature improvements, most of which are aimed at app developers.
There's also a new Web Developer menu in Firefox 6, which collates tools for building and debugging Web sites into one single location.
These include the new Scratch Pad tool, which browsers like Opera and Chrome have had for some time. It allows Web developers to test JavaScript before implementing it. The Web console feature also has a new auto-complete option and can have its location customized.
Firefox's visual tab-grouping feature that was introduced in version 4 now only loads the active tab group. Mozilla said in the blog post announcing Firefox 6 that this will cut down on overall browser load times. The identity block, the colored left-most section of the URL, has been given a refresh to better call out the Web site you're on, and the URL bar itself now changes the text color of the URL you're on so that the domain is black, for easier identification, while the rest of the URL is grayed out.
This is a small security modification, and one that's been previously available to users who are comfortable changing their about:config, but it's definitely a strong visual cue that helps you avoid getting spoofed.
Several security flaws labeled "critical" have also been fixed, repairing security issues related to memory management, heap overflows, and unsigned scripts.
And HTML5 also gets some attention in Firefox 6, with some improvements and additional support for the new Window.matchMedia API for Web optimization, WebSockets and server-sent APIs for building more interactive real-time Web-based apps and games.
While some minor improvements were made to Firefox's memory management in this release, users will have to wait another update cycle to see the significant gains that Mozilla programmer Nicholas Nethercote wrote about last week.
The Android version of Firefox 6 includes a new Welcome page and a new look for phones running Android 2.3 (so-called Gingerbread). The browser now supports Indexed DB for storing Web pages in a local database, enabling the Android version to work better when offline.
Mozilla also says that its newly updated browser will start up faster and use less RAM. And the first of several planned changes to support tablets have arrived in this version as well, including font and icon optimization for tablets.
Mozilla's new rapid release cycle promises new versions of Firefox avery six weeks.
Source: The Mozilla Software Foundation.

The Japanese version of the iPhone 5 will include an earthquake warning system

Apple said earlier today that the Japanese version of iOS 5, Apple's latest mobile operating system, will let you know in advance if an earthquake is coming at least a minute or two before it hits. You might say that just a minute or two isn't much, but it's still better than nothing.
Such functionality is common in natively produced mobile handsets, but imported brands have been very slow to integrate the warnings which use a standardized tone and go off even if the phone has been set to silent-- there are some things worth interrupting any meeting for, and a major earthquake even smaller than the one that devastated Japan last March certainly is one of them. With its latest iOS 5 operating system, Apple has now integrated its service. Not that users get much of a warning, as Time reported when looking at how the early-warning system operates. The service isn't based on predictions but rather on early warnings signs that an earthquake has already happened.

Smaller vibrations travel faster than the building-toppling shocks of the quake itself, so depending on your distance from the epicentre, you might get 90 seconds or a couple of minutes' warning.
That's long enough to pull a car over to the side of the road, or step back from the open heart surgery you're performing, or hide under the desk which is the recommended procedure for most people.

And there have been mobile apps linked to the service before, but with iOS 5 it's fully integrated into the iPhone's Notification control panel. The new OS features a new notification center from where the user can define what's important to them and in the Japanese version that includes local earthquakes.
Apple's new operating system is expected to power the next iPhone, and to be launched in the next few months. It was announced in June, but various features have emerged in the developer releases as the product gets finalized ahead of the launch.
It will be interesting to see if the Cupertino company will include the same feature or variants of it in versions that will be shipped to other countries. We will keep you posted.