HTC reveals list of handsets that will get Ice Cream Sandwich ...

The last time HTC commented on the Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade situation they left everyone in doubt as to how they will go about doing it, if at all. However, the latest bit of information from the company makes things a lot clear.

As we had guessed before, the phones that will be getting Ice Cream Sandwich will mostly be high-end devices released after the Sensation. This includes phones like the HTC Vivid,Sensation, Sensation XL, Sensation XE, Rezound, EVO 3D,EVO Design 4G and Amaze 4G. No information on the no-so-latest but not-quite-old phones such as the Incredible S, Desire Sand Rhyme getting the update but we won't be holding our breath for them.

Here's the full statement from the company.

HTC knows how excited our fans are to get their hands on Google's latest version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich, so we're thrilled today to announce the first wave of HTC phones that will receive upgrades: We can confirm the brand new HTC Vivid is upgradeable to Ice Cream Sandwich. In addition, Ice Cream Sandwich is coming in early 2012 to a variety of devices including the HTC Sensation, HTC Sensation XL and HTC Sensation XE, as well as the HTC Rezound, HTC EVO 3D, HTC EVO Design 4G and HTC Amaze 4G through close integration with our carrier partners. We're continuing to assess our product portfolio, so stay tuned for more updates on device upgrades, timing and other details about HTC and Ice Cream Sandwich.

Source

Google puts users in a spin ...

Easter eggs from the search engine giant ........

Google's latest 'Easter egg' has put users in a spin this week.

Typing 'barrel roll' or 'do a barrel roll' into Google's search box leads to the users screen doing a 360 degree spin amusing Googlers around the world.

Google has added many Easter eggs to it's search engine to entertain it's users, below are a few more;

Type 'tilt' in to the search bar, and watch your page slant. Similarly, this happens when you type 'askew'

Enter 'Google Gravity' in to the search bar, hit 'Im feeling lucky' then watch everything fall down.

Search for 'Chuck Norris' and get the suggestions; 'Run, before he finds you' and 'Google wont search for Chuck Norris because it knows you wont find Chuck Norris, he finds you.'

For a more complex egg, Go to Google Reader, then use your cursor keys thus: up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A. A ninja then pops onto your screen and into your search box. Thankfully, this still works in the new version of Google Reader.

Mashable has published a few more eggs, check them out at; http://mashable.com/2011/11/03/google-easter-eggs-2/#view_as_one_page-gallery_box2991

Story Source: http://mashable.com/2011/11/03/google-easter-eggs-2/#view_as_one_page-gallery_box2991

Here it is ... The Expected official Trailer ... GTA V

Gta V official Trailer ..........

GTA 5: Trailer Secrets Revealed -

Grand Theft Auto V is Going to be launched ..........
The Next World Episode is Coming ......
Trailer Will launche Soon ...

GTA V reveal trailer, exposed and examined.

Published on Nov 2, 2011

GTA V has been officially revealed by Rockstar Games, and you can watch the official trailer here. We've gone through the video with a fine-toothed comb to weed out details of what will surely be one of the biggest games of the generation.

We will update this page as soon as we find more details and clues, so keep checking back for more juicy information.

It's set in San Andreas

The trailer opens with several scenes of the San Andreas beach front, complete with palm trees, and scenes of the Vinewood sign. So yep, GTA V will indeed be set in San Andreas. The song in the trailer is called Ogden's Nut Gone Flake by Small Faces. 

It's set in the present day

GTA V will be set in the present day, as seen by the vehicles and architecture of the city, there also appears to be an emphasis on the present-day recession. Speaking of which...

It focuses on the recession

...the trailer also shows scenes of homes being sold, homeless people begging for change on the streets, and people sleeping rough in tents beside an underpass. This fits into the five-dollar bill motif of the 'V' in the GTA V logo.

Could the character's monologue suggest that his wealthy lifestyle falls apart amid the recession, that forces him to turn to a life of crime? It's anyone's guess right now, but that would make for a superb plot.

The main character wants to escape crime

The male voiceover explains that the chaacter moved to San Andreas to escape 'that life', and is quickly followed up by a scene of masked men bursting out of a truck and robbing a bank. 

In true GTA tradition, the lead character looks to make amends for his past life of crime, but we can probably assume that this won't work out. The main character is blatantly wealthy and wants to live a lush life in San Andreas.

This is a family story

The lead character talks about his kids, and it has often been rumoured that the plot will focus on the De Silva family; three of them to be precise. This little line actually lends credibility to the rumour, which first originated during a casting call for the GTA V voice actors.

If the rumour is true, then according to the casting call, the names of the De Silva brothers will be Simon, Albert and Kevin. 

Multiple playable characters?

There have been many GTA V rumours over the last few months that seem to suggest that the game will be played out across three central characters, which again lends the De Silva rumour plenty of credibility.

The fact that there is no central character shown in the trailer suggets that the focus will be split across mutliple personas. Every GTA trailer since GTA III has focused on, and shown extensively, the main character. So why not this one? However...

One character does get more screen time

The middle aged man seen looking out across the city about halfway through the trailer is presumably one of the main characters. He is also seen working in a crop field and robbing a bank.

Both of which could be results of the recession causing him to lose all of his money.

There will be golf carts again

Not seen since Vice City and the GTA IV expansions, GTA V will feature golf, and if you look to the left of the golf scene, you can spot a golf cart that is just ripe for stealing. 

Mt. Chilead will return

The massive mountain range from GTA: San Andreas, Mt. Chilead will return, as seen in a brief scene showing a trio of hikers walking towards the summit. So  base jumping will hopefully return as well.

The countryside can be explored

There is also a scene that show a group of farmers working in a field of crops, as a crop dusting plane flies overhead. Combined with the scene of Mt. Chilead, it seems that the countryside can be explored.

Jets and choppers will return

Shown a few times throughout the trailer, jets and planes can be seen flying above the city, and in true San Andreas style, it would be superb if the lead character can pilot them. 

There are jetskis

This isn't a mssive deal, but just imagine insane jumps on the water. Yeah, now you're keen right?

There are outdoor gyms

Seen in the trailer on the San Andreas version of muscle beach, there is an outdoor gym full of guys working out. Could this signify a return of the skinny-buff-fat exercise system from San Andreas.

There might greater character customisation

Throughout the trailer there are shots of piercing shops, and a range of other outlets that suggest that the San Andreas customisation mechanic might be making a return in GTA V. 

Hookers will return

Yep, they're in the trailer, seen approaching a parked car. But to be honest, this was always going to happen wasn't it?

HP to hold on to PC division – but sources say it will finally kill webOS

Internal review decides not to spin off world's largest PC maker, but operating system developed for short-lived TouchPad to be closed along with 500 jobs

Hewlett-Packard is to keep its PC division rather than selling it off, the company has announced, reversing a plan first aired by former chief executive Leo Apotheker - who was fired in September after a boardroom row over his plans for the business.

But the Guardian understands that HP is to shut down its webOS division, acquired for $1.2bn in April 2010 when it bought Palm, and make the staff there redundant or shift them elsewhere inside the company. That could mean losses of up to 500 jobs as the business which created the short-lived HP TouchPad and smartphones is closed.

The dramatic reverse comes in a statement on its website, where HPsays that the "continued combination of HP and its Personal Systems Group [is] expected to deliver greater customer and shareholder value".

"HP objectively evaluated the strategic, financial and operational impact of spinning off PSG. It's clear after our analysis that keeping PSG within HP is right for customers and partners, right for shareholders, and right for employees," said Meg Whitman, HP president and chief executive officer, in a statement. "HP is committed to PSG, and together we are stronger."

Under Apotheker, HP had been considering selling or spinning off its PC division, which is the biggest in the world with around 17.7% of the global market. Despite its dominance, the PSG is also the least profitable division within HP.

But new chief executive Meg Whitman has reviewed the wisdom of the plan and decided against it as part of a strategic review. HP's statement says: "The data-driven evaluation revealed the depth of the integration that has occurred across key operations such as supply chain, IT and procurement. It also detailed the significant extent to which PSG contributes to HP's solutions portfolio and overall brand value. Finally, it also showed that the cost to recreate these in a standalone company outweighed any benefits of separation."

No such statement has been made about the webOS group - but top-level staff have been leaving it and the Guardian understands from internal HP sources that staff within the group expect imminent closure. "There's a 95% chance we all get laid off between now and November, and I for one am thinking it's for the best," one webOS employee told the Guardian. That would affect more than 500 jobs.

HP has already suffered losses from the top of the webOS division, with Richard Kerris, who resigned earlier this week as HP's vice-president of webOS worldwide developer relations, moving over to mobile phone company Nokia to do essentially the same job.

Despite HP's attempts to find a potential buyer or licencee for webOS - which ran on the short-lived TouchPad - there has been no apparent interest outside the company. Sir Howard Stringer, chief executive of Sony, told the Guardian on Thursday that he had no immediate interest in buying or licensing it after completing the acquisition of the rest of the Sony Ericsson business. And early suggestions that HTC might purchase it have also fallen away.

Some have suggested that Amazon might buy webOS, seeing the presence on the Amazon board of ex-Palm chief executive and HP executive Jon Rubinstein, who previously worked for Apple. But there is no indication that Amazon is interested in acquiring another operating system; it is using its own version of Google's Android software for its new Kindle Fire device.

Some analysts cheered HP's decision as the right move, adding they were happy that Whitman made the announcement so rapidly. She had previously said the company would make a determination about the business by the end of the year.

"The fact that Meg pushed this decision very quickly is absolutely cleaning up the mistakes of the past," said Gartner analyst Mark Fabbi.

Forrester Research analyst Frank Gillett said HP never should have considered removing its PC unit, and the move to keep it "seems like the right decision for the business given market conditions."

"Hopefully it's the beginning of showing they've got the process and people in place to work these things through," he said. "But it is puzzling that it was hard for them to figure out."

Gillett thinks HP may now be able to thin out its PC family similar to what Steve Jobs did at Apple in order to resuscitate the company in the '90s and focus on just a few devices with attractive features.

"It's something they have the potential to do that few others do," Gillett said.

Wipro profit beats forecast at Rs..1301 cr

BANGALORE, INDIA: Wipro Ltd, country's No. 3 software services exporter, on Monday posted a 1 per cent rise in quarterly profit, beating street estimates, helped by a weaker rupee and rise in spending on outsourcing by overseas clients.

Bangalore-based Wipro forecast third-quarter revenue of $ 1.50 billion to $ 1.53 billion from its IT services unit, which accounts for three-quarters of its total revenue, a rise of 2 per cent to 4.1 per cent from the second quarter.

Country's showpiece $76 billion industry gets more than 90 per cent of its revenue from providing technology services to overseas clients and counts the United States and Europe as its biggest markets.

Europe is the second largest market for the software firms, and the euro zone debt crisis is a worry for the sector that has been looking to increase its sales to the region to hedge against their excessive exposure to the United States.

"Macroeconomic sentiments continue to remain uncertain," Wipro's billionaire Chairman Azim Premji said in a statement. "(But) we have seen growth momentum build up in our IT business with healthy volume growth."

Wipro , also listed on the New York Stock Exchange, has been lagging its bigger rivals in earnings growth in recent quarters that led to a reorganisation of its key IT outsourcing business earlier this year.

As part of the restructuring, the company removed the joint chiefs of the IT business and named company veteran T K Kurien as the new chief executive.

Outsourcing services firms including Wipro are also facing fierce competition from bigger global rivals including IBM and Accenture.

Wipro, which develops software applications, integrates IT systems and manages call centres, said net profit in the quarter rose to Rs. 1301 crore ($267 million) under international accounting standards from Rs. 1285 crore, a year ago.

Total revenue rose 18 per cent to Rs. 9094 crore, as the company added 44 new clients in its IT services business.

This compares with a media poll forecast of Rs. 1276 crore on net sales of Rs. 8928 crore for the company, which counts Citigroup, Cisco and Credit Suisse among its clients. Top software exporter Tata Consultancy Services Ltd posted a slightly lower-than-expected rise in quarterly profit earlier this month, while No. 2 Infosys met street forecasts in its earnings.

The top two outsourcing companies, however, sounded caution about the business outlook in the near-term due to the global economic uncertainty.

Wipro's shares, valued at about $18.30 billion, have fallen nearly 24 per cent this year, compared with a 16 per cent drop in the sector index and a 12.6 per cent fall in the Mumbai index.

Facebook blocks 6 lakh hacking attempts daily

LONDON, UK: Social networking website Facebook has said it prevents at least 6,00,000 attempts every day by hackers trying to break into user accounts, using stolen usernames and passwords.

Facebook has an estimated 800 million users and receives over a billion login attempts every day, the Daily Mail said.

The hackers try to steal user information, spread frauds or send bogus offers and malicious messages, and also try to sell counterfeit goods to members' friends.

Facebook recently issued a security announcement promoting its new "Trusted Friends" password restoration technique.

Many of the hackers are caught by additional authentication questions, such as asking users to identify friends in pictures.

"At least 600,000 times a day, we stop a bad guy from getting access to an account even though he has guessed, phished, or stolen the login and password of an account. This is something we're very proud of," Facebook spokesman Barry Schnitt was quoted as saying.

Razer introduces Synapse 2.0

Razer also wants in on the cloud bandwagon with their latest release for gamers and gamers only – if you’re looking to stash all your extra files from your hard drive online, look somewhere else. We’re talking about the Razer Synapse 2.0 which is touted to be the world’s first application for storing your personalized peripheral settings in a cloud environment, so that your gaming settings are always accessible to you just about anywhere and anytime. This is clearly a vast improvement compared to the late 1990s when I carried around my Quake config file on a 3.5″ disk so that I need not re-bind all the relevant keys with each new computer I use.

Glad to know that the next iteration of Synapse is an improvement over its predecessor, where that proved to be the world’s first onboard memory feature for gaming peripherals which was introduced half a decade ago. Basically, with version 2.0, you are now able to store gaming macros, key binds, and profiles directly to the cloud – letting you gain full access to your entire repertoire of peripheral hardware settings. Just make sure that there is a decent Internet connection in the vicinity before you are able to harness the power of Synapse 2.0, of course.

You might not think much of Razer Synapse 2.0 at the moment, but to know that your entire Razer peripheral settings for any next generation Razer gaming device is automatically stored in a cloud server makes plenty of sense – imagine bringing your mouse to a LAN event, where you can right away synchronize your custom settings by logging into Razer Synapse 2.0. Heck, you can still access your custom settings even when gaming with Razer peripherals that are not yours but host provided, leaving you with more time to psyche yourself up for the next match instead of wasting time setting up controls.

In fact, Razer Synapse 2.0 does more than that, including automatically downloading drivers, game add-ons, and firmware updates the moment they are released by Razer so that your device remains updated at all times.

Sony has software update for Google TV platform

The Google TV platform that delivers a special kind of entertainment experience which can be found on Sony Internet TV, in addition to the Sony Internet TV Blu-ray Disc player. Just what does the latest version of Google TV deliver? For starters, it will not only deliver all that the current Google TV has, it will also throw into the mix the Android Market to satisfy your lust for more apps. At launch, you will be treated to hundreds of apps, where many of them have been specially designed and optimized for TV use.

This particularly exciting update will roll out to all connected Sony Internet TV devices as early as next week, so do keep a keen eye out if you fall under the “receiver” category.

This update is said to deliver a simpler and cleaner interface, alongside the mandatory “improved performance” which is often associated with any software update. Not only that, Google being Google has also injected this update with better search functionality to all currently installed Sony Internet TV and Sony Internet TV Blu-ray owners. Apart from that, future consumers of Sony Internet TVs and Blu-ray Disc players will also be on the receiving end of the update during the initial start-up installation.

Steve Haber, EVP, Sony Electronics says, “Connected experiences are a pillar of Sony’s value to TV consumers and Sony Internet Television powered by Google TV certainly brings ‘smart’ connectivity to the highest level. We very much look forward to the possibilities the Android Market will create for customers to personalize their experience. Users will enjoy the new features that this update brings to their interactive engagement with home entertainment programming, either through Sony Internet TVs or Bu-ray Disc players.”

During launch, original Sony applications will also sport TrackID that will be able to search and identify music heard on TV broadcasts, packaged media or streaming video. Not only that, Sony Select will also offer a curated collection, where it highlights featured applications to consumers in an easy-to-browse manner.

Is this the new X Box?

Face of the 720?

Speculation about the new X-Box 720 has been ignited by this alien looking model shown in a trailer for the new Hugh Jackman film, Reel Steel.

The new console is not due for release untill 2012, although some sources speculate that it will be launched at E3 in 2013.

As for spec? Well, again, rumours are rife as to what will be included, an LCD screen for the controllers? Integrated wireless controller? Cloud storage? Blu-Ray? These are among some of the suggestions that will be included in Microsoft's next model.

As for Microsoft? A search on their official site shows no details of the X-Box 720 apart from a few mentions in their forum so we will all just have to wait and see!

Story Source: http://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/consoles/xbox-720-every-rumour-about-the-new-xbox-937167

Acer quietly announces the Windows Phone running Allegro

In the quietest fashion, Acer announced the Windows Phone 7.5 running Allegro handset. The company's first device running Microsoft's mobile OS aims (as always) for a piece of the mid-range market.

 

In terms of specs, you get a 1GHz single-core Qualcomm CPU and 8GB of built-in storage. The screen is a 3.6" LCD unit with WVGA resolution. A 5MP camera with LED flash can be found on the back of the device. The usual connectivity suite is on board. The Allegro is powered by a 1300 mAh battery. Its measures stand at 116 x 59 x 13mm, and its weight is 126 grams.

The smartphone will hit the shelves in France mid-November in the above shown color schemes. In case you are interested, it will cost you €299.

Source(in French) | Via