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Lenovo Slashes Price of Vibe X Smartphone to Rs. 22,999

Lenovo has announced today that it will start rolling out the Android 4.4 KitKat update to its Vibe X and Vibe Z smartphones in a phased manner starting from the last week of May.

Lenovo has also slashed the price of the Vibe X to INR 22, 999/-, which was launched in India at Rs. 25,999/- in the month of December, 2013. This phone is available for Rs. 20,000 at the flipkart.com.

Lenovo-vibe-x

The Vibe X sports a 5-inch full-HD display, having a resolution of 1080×1920 pixels and a pixel density of 440ppi. The display of this smartphone has Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. This smartphone is powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core CPU, coupled with 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of internal storage. It runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. The Lenovo Vibe X is equipped with a 13-megapixel auto-focus rear-facing camera with a back-illuminated sensor and an LED flash. The phone also comes with a 5-megapixel front-facing camera with a wide-angle 84 degree lens. For connectivity options, it has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AGPS and 3G. The Vibe X is packed with a 2,000mAh battery. Vibe X is incredibly thin at 6.9 mm and weights just 121 grams.

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Google Buys Language Translation Camera App Word Lens

Google has acquired Word Lens, the mobile app that can translate text in real time using your smartphone’s camera, along with its development team at Quest Visual. The impressive technology will now make its way into Google Translate. Word Lens and its various language packs have been made free on both iOS and Android “as a thank you” to supporters, but don’t expect to see much in the way of updates moving forward. Quest Visual makes it very clear that the plan is to transition to Google as quickly as possible.

Quest Visual updated the Word Lens Web page to confirm the acquisition.

“Quest Visual is joining Google! With Word Lens, we’ve seen the beginnings of what’s possible when we harness the power of mobile devices to ‘see the world in your language.’ By joining Google, we can incorporate Quest Visual’s technology into Google Translate’s broad language coverage and translation capabilities in the future,” the company said.

Description

Instantly translate printed words with your phone’s camera!

Word Lens gives you translation on the go:
– NO NETWORK required – results appear immediately on your video screen when you need it, anywhere in the world.
– Easy to use, like the regular camera
– Look up translations by typing them in, or clicking on a word.

Available language pairs:

+ English ⇆ Russian
+ English ⇆ Spanish
+ English ⇆ French
+ English ⇆ Italian
+ English ⇆ German
+ English ⇆ Portuguese

 

Notes for getting the best quality out of your translations:

– Best used on clearly printed text (e.g. signs, menus)
– DOES NOT recognize handwriting or stylized fonts
– It’s not perfect, but you can get the general meaning!
– Keep text in focus by holding it at least one hand-length away and tap-to-focus if autofocus is struggling.
– Turn on the flashlight (if available on your device)
– Zoom in (if available on your device)

 

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Microsoft Launches The Nokia Lumia 630 Smartphone In India

First unveiled by Microsoft at the BUILD 2014 conference, the Nokia Lumia 630 has finally arrived in the Indian market. The single-SIM variant of this smartphone has been officially priced at Rs 10,500 while the dual-SIM variant has been priced at Rs 11,500. Both will be available for purchase starting May 14.

The Lumia 630 is an entry-level smartphone which comes pre-loaded with Windows Phone 8.1 and is one of first affordable Windows Phone smartphones to boast dual-SIM card slots.

Like other smartphones in the Lumia line-up this device has a polycarbonate body with multicolored replaceable back panels.

In terms of the specifications, the device sports a 4.5-inch ClearBlack FWVGA resolution display and it is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 quad-core processor which is clocked at 1.2GHz and coupled with 512MB of RAM. It has 8GB of built-in storage capacity can one can expand this using a microSD card slot up to 128GB in size.

 It further has some interesting features like Sensor Core low-power motion sensor with Bing Health and Fitness app, Microsoft Office, Nokia Camera app, free Nokia Mix Radio streaming, and Nokia HERE maps amongst a few other pre-loaded applications.

This affordable smartphone further has a 5 megapixel rear camera with Auto Focus and burst mode, however it does not come with a front camera. It is equipped with a 1,830 mAh battery which the company claims lasts for 13.1 hours of talk time and 25 days on standby mode.

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Samsung Galaxy K zoom with 20.7MP camera, 10x Optical Zoom, Android 4.4 announced

Samsung has just announced the Galaxy K zoom, the company’s latest camera-centric smartphone at an event in Singapore. It has a 20.7-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor, 4.4-44mm lens with 10x optical zoom, Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) and Xenon Flash. It has a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED screen, powered by a Hexa-Core processor (1.7 GHz Dual Core Cortex A15+ 1.3 GHz Quad Core Cortex A7) and runs on Android 4.4 (KitKat) with the latest Samsung Touchwiz UX.

It uses a new retracting lens technology that provides 10x optical zoom in a 20.2 mm slim body. It weighs 200 grams. It has AF/AE Separation (Auto Focus/ Auto Exposure Separation), Pro Suggest with 5 optimized filter settings, Selfie Alarm to take timed selfies, object tracing and more.

Samsung-Galaxy-K-zoom1

Other features include, Ultra Power Saving Mode, S Health Lite, Studio app and more. As you can see, the phone has voice calling capabilities as well, similar to the Galaxy S4 Zoom.

Samsung Galaxy K zoom specifications

  • 4.8-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD Super AMOLED display
  • 1.7 GHz Dual Core + 1.3 GHz Quad Core Exynos (5260) processor with Mali-T624 GPU
  • Android 4.4 (KitKat)
  • 20.7MP rear camera with Xenon Flash, BSI Sensor, OIS and 10x optical zoom, 1080p video at 60 fps
  • 2MP front-facing camera
  • 3.5mm audio jack
  • 2GB RAM, 8GB internal memory and expandable up to 64GB with microSD
  • 4G LTE/3G HSPA+, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Bluetooth v4.0 LE, aGPS + GLONASS and NFC
  • 2,430mAh battery

The Samsung Galaxy K zoom comes in Charcoal Black, Shimmery White and Electric Blue colors with nice textures for a comfortable grip. No word on pricing or availability yet. We will bring you the hands-on impressions from the launch event later today.

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Lava Launches Iris 504Q+ With A 10 Megapixel Camera For Rs 13,999

Lava Mobiles is on a smartphone spree as there is a new device from the company which is powered by a quad-core processor and it is called the Lava Iris 504Q+.

This Lava smartphone, sports ‘stylish looks’ and is the successor to the Lava 504Q which surface in the market last year. This new successor has been officially priced at Rs 13,999.

lava-iris-504q-plus

The camera on the Iris 504Q+ will turn a few heads as it now comes with a 10 megapixel Sony Exmor RS sensor as its primary rear camera. The camera app also supports gesture and voice controls, enabling users to capture images by saying words like “Cheese” or “Capture, this is something new for a Indian brand and might help increase the sales.

The gesture motion technology on the camera can be used for clicking photos, changing tracks or videos, switching betweens screens, tuning FM channels and browsing the gallery. The smartphonecomes with Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean pre-installed.

The rear 10 megapixel rear camera sensor is 1/3.2-inch in size and has a pixel size of 1.4 micros. Itsupports autofocus, touch-to-focus, High Dynamic Range (HDR), vertical and horizontal panorama capture and face detection. On the front the smartphone has a 2 megapixel camera for video calling and not-so-high-quality selfies.

The smartphone comes with a 5-inch 720p resolution IPS display built with OGS technology and also includes Asahi Dragontrail scratch-resistant glass protection. It is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek MR6582 processor which is supported with a Mali 400 MP2 GPU clocked at 500MHz.

The Iris 504Q+ is a dual-SIM capable smartphone which comes with 1GB of RAM and built-in storage capacity of 8GB which is expandable up to 32GB using a microSD card. In terms of the connectivity it supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, A-GPS and 3G capabilities, the device is powered by a 2,000 mAh battery.

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Google Launches Standalone Camera App In Play Store

Google has finally revamped its camera app for Android and at the same time it’s also releasing it to the Play Store for easier updating in the future. This one is available for any phone running Android 4.4+ KitKat.

google-app

Google has made a number of improvements and refinements here, introducing a much cleaner interface “that gets out of your way” with a prominent shutter button.  A brand new Lens Blur mode promises to achieve “SLR-like photos” offering a shallow depth of field.

Lens Blur replaces the need for a large optical system with computer vision algorithms and optimization techniques that are run entirely on the mobile device, simulating a larger lens and aperture in order to creating a 3D model of the world,” Google said. Google Camera packs in signature Mountain View features like Photo Sphere, and also brings the viewfinder back to 100 percent, meaning what you see will always be what you get in your final shot.

Google has also cranked up the stitching algorithm in the Photosphere and Panorama mode. Photospheres can now be up to 50MP in size, which is great for pixel peepers. Panorama resolution can also be adjusted between low, high and maximum with the processing time increasing as you go up from low.

Description

Google Camera snaps quick and easy photos and videos, and has creative picture modes like Photo Sphere, Lens Blur and Panorama.

Features
• Photo Spheres for immersive 360º views
• Lens Blur mode for SLR-like photos with shallow depth of field
• Panorama mode with high resolution
• 100% viewfinder for getting the maximum resolution from the sensor (no dropped pixels)
• Updated UI that gets out of your way and is centered on an extra large capture button
• Works on phones and tablets running Android 4.4+ KitKat

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Boeing Black: This Smartphone Will Self-destruct

Boeing Co on Wednesday unveiled a smartphone that appears to come straight from a James Bond spy movie.

In addition to encrypting calls, any attempt to open the casing of the Boeing Black Smartphone deletes all data and renders the device inoperable.

The secure phone marks an extension of the communications arm of the Chicago-based aerospace and defense contractor, which is best known for jetliners and fighter planes.

boeing_black_smartphone_screenshot

Such a phone might have prevented damage to Washing-ton’s diplomacy in Ukraine from a leaked telephone call. A senior US State Department officer and the ambassador to Ukraine apparently used unencrypted cell-phones for a call about political developments in Ukraine that became public.

Boeing’s tamper-proof phone is aimed at government agencies and contractors who need to keep communication and data secure, according to Boeing and filings with the US Federal Communications Commission.

Made in the United States, the phone runs on Google Inc’s Android operating system. The 5.2-by-2.7-inch (13.2-by-6.9 cm) handset, slightly larger than an iPhone, uses dual SIM cards to enable it to access multiple cell networks instead of a single network like a normal cellphone.

Due to the phone’s security features, Boeing is releasing few details about the wireless network operators or manufacturer it is working with, and has not provided a price or date by which the phone might be widely available, but said it has begun offering the phone to potential customers.

Boeing’s website says the phone can be configured to connect with biometric sensors or satellites. Other attachments can extend battery life or use solar power.

The phone can operate on the WCDMA, GSM and LTE frequency bands and offers WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity.

The company has been developing the phone for 36 months, said Boeing spokeswoman Rebecca Yeamans.
“We saw a need for our customers in a certain market space” that Boeing could meet with its technology expertise, she said.

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Gionee Elife S5.5 Smartphone Claims To Be World’s Thinnest

A company called Gionee is on hand at MWC 2014 and it has rolled out a new smartphone that it claims is the thinnest in the world. The device is the Elife S5.5 and it is 5.5 mm thick. The phone was unveiled at Mobile World Congress 2014.

gionee-elife-s

The 145.1 x 70.2 x 5.55 mm (5.7 x 2.76 x 0.22 in), 130 g (4.6 oz) Elife S5.5 has a 5-inch, 1920 x 1080 resolution Super AMOLED+ capacitive multitouch LTPS display, runs the company’s Amigo 2.0 operating environment (based on Android 4.2), and is powered by an octa-core 1.7 GHz MTK 6592 processor backed up by 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of solid state storage.

“The Elife S5.5 is crafted with a distinct metallic frame and Corning Gorillas Glass Uni-Body,” says William Lu, President of Gionee. “It uses the world’s thinnest AMOLED Screen, thinnest PCB board with a 0.6 mm and 0.4 mm glass rear cover.”

The single-SIM smartphone features a rear-facing 13 megapixel autofocus camera with up to ISO1600 sensitivity, and a 5 MP snapper with a 95 degree ultra-wide-angle lens at the front.

Despite its slim profile, it boasts a non-removable 2300 mAh Li-ion battery, with the promise of an even more capacious 2450 mAh battery available in the next upgrade. Configurations will support 3G and 4G/LTE networks, there’s Bluetooth 4.0 and micro-USB 2.0 with support for OTG.

The 3G model is due to be released shortly in 40 countries for around US$370, with the LTE version following in June.

Source: Gionee