"Plant vs Zombies 2 : It's About Time" official game to be launched this July

A surprise for "Plants vs Zombies" game lovers. It is clear that Plants vs Zombies is a popular game and the users are longing to play its updated version after the announcement by PopCap last year. Now they have officially announced that the game coming out this July. PvZ  community marketing manager Stephanie Bayer announced the launch of new game via Twitter on 6th morning.

PopCap the publisher of Plants vs Zombies just uploaded a YouTube video announcing the sequel of Plants vs Zombies named as “Plants vs Zombies2: It’s about time”. The company makes fun of itself in the video, which shows frustrated gamers yelling and asking for the release of new popular game. Its about time and will be launched by July.

It’s not clear about which platform the new game will support at the time of launch. The original Plants vs Zombies which was launched for Mac and PC in 2009 later made its way to PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, PS Vita, Chrome, iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry and even Bada.

Original Plants vs Zombies is a game in which players must systematically place the plants with different special abilities in their garden to fight against the crowd of zombies. Players should adapt to fight against different types zombies in different environmental conditions (eg. Day time, night time) 

Success of Plants vs Zombies is one of the reason that EA(Electronic Arts) acquired the company in 2011. EA is an American developer, marketer, publisher  and distributor of video games. EA was badly in need of PopCap and acquired the company for about $1 billion plus the acquisition price. 

It’s long gap between the two version of the game and also there is a delay in the release of  updated game version which was about to release last year. As a step to wipe out these drawbacks PopCap has also announced the launch of “Plants vs Zombies Adventures” as a spin-off game which can be played through Facebook. 

As four years has passed it is expected that the new game would contain interesting new features, weapons, plants and zombies. It’s very clear that the game is going to be great interesting popular game once the game is launched.

PopCap's video:

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5 budget phablets sporting large screen below Rs. 15,000

1. Karbonn A30 - Ta Fone

Karbonn is a home grown manufacturer known to launch products in quick succession. It was the first Indian manufacturer to enter the phablet scenario with the A30 Ta-Fone. The device was initially launched for Rs. 12,990 but can now is available at a best buy price of Rs. 11,100.

Specifications:

• 5.9-inch capacitive touch display
• 480x800 pixel resolution
• 8-megapixel rear camera with auto focus and LED flash
• 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera
• 1GHz Dual-core processor
• 512MB RAM
• 4GB internal memory
• External memory up to 32GB
• Connectivity: WiFi, 3G, Bluetooth, USB

2. Swipe MTV Volt

Swipe is a California based company that has many tablets under its brand name. Now the company has partnered with MTV India and launched the MTV Volt boasting a 6-inch (854x480 pixels) capacitive 5-point multi-touch display. The device is priced at Rs. 12,999.

Specifications:

• 6-inch 5-point multi-touch display
• 854x480 pixel resolution
• 8-megapixel rear camera with auto focus and LED flash
• 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera
• 1GHz Dual-core MTK 6577 processor
• 512MB DDR3 RAM
• 4GB internal memory
• External memory up to 32GB
• Connectivity: WiFi, 3G, Bluetooth, USB

3. Spice Stellar Pinnacle Mi-530

Spice is known for its Stellar series of budget priced phones. The company recently added a phablet to the Stellar series in the form of the Stellar Pinnacle Mi-530 priced at Rs. 13,999.

Specifications:

• 5.3-inch qHD IPS display
• 8-megapixel rear camera with auto focus and LED flash
• 5-megapixel front-facing camera
• 1.2GHz Dual-core MTK 6577 processor
• 1GB RAM
• 16GB internal storage
• External memory up to 32GB
• Connectivity: WiFi, 3G/HSPA, Bluetooth4.0, array of sensors

4. Intex AQUA Style

Intex is the latest company to join the above 5-inch range of phablets. The company has launched Intex AQUA Style Phablet sporting a massive 5.9-inch capacitive touch display with a resolution of 480X800 pixels. It was priced at Rs. 11,200 during launch, but now is available for Rs. 10,799.

Specifications:

• 5.9-inch capacitive touch display
• 480x800 pixel resolution
• 8-megapixel rear camera with auto focus and LED flash
• 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera
• 1GHz Dual-core processor
• Dual-SIM
• 512MB RAM
• Android 4.0
• 4GB internal storage
• External memory up to 32GB
• Connectivity: WiFi, 3G/HSPA, Bluetooth, GPS

5. Byond Phablet P II

Byond was the first company to launch a 6-inch phablet named Phablet PIII priced at Rs. 14,999 (now available for Rs. 12,999), completely blurring the divide between smartphones and tablets. The company recently launched the Phablet PII as well at a best buy price of Rs. 14,999 that comes in this list.

Specifications:

• 5.7-inch capacitive touch display
• 1280x720 pixel resolution
• 8-megapixel rear camera with auto focus and LED flash
• 3-megapixel front-facing camera
• 1GHz Dual-core processor
• 1GB RAM
• Dual-SIM [single active]
• Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean
• 4GB internal storage
• External memory up to 32GB
• Connectivity: WiFi, 3G/HSPA, Bluetooth, A-GPS, USB

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Karbonn S2 Titanium Android Jelly Bean Phablet for Rs. 10,790

Karbonn S2 Titanium

Karbonn seems to be launching its S2 Titanium soon in the Indian market. Karbonn S2 Titanium Phablet has been listed on infibeam.com, an online retailer with a retail tag of Rs. 10,790.

As per the information provided, the device will be launched on May 14 and will take about 2-3 days for the shipment. The online retailer is also offering a free flap cover for the device with the purchase in order to sweeten the deal.

Karbonn S2 Titanium sports a 5-inch screen with FWVGA display. The phablet is powered by a 1.2GHz Quad-core processor with 1GB of RAM. Karbonn S2 Titanium has an internal memory of 4GB and can also be expanded using microSD card up to 32GB. The device runs on Android OS v4.1 Jelly Bean similar to other Titanium series devices.

Karbonn S2 Titanium comes with an 8-megapixel rear camera with auto-focus feature and LED flash and a 2-megapixel front camera for video calling. The device supports dual-SIM option.

Karbonn S2 Titanium is the third device in the Titanium series of devices like Karbonn S1 Titanium and Karbonn S5 Titanium.

Karbonn S1 sports a 4.5-inch qHD capacitive display, runs on Androis 4.1 Jelly Bean. It has a 5-megapixel autofocus rear camera with LED flash and a VGA front camera. The device is powered by 1.2GHz processor and 1GB of RAM, with 4GB internal memory and can be expandable up to 32GB.

Karbonn S5 sports a 5-inch multi-touch capacitive display, runs on Androis 4.1 Jelly Bean. It has a 8-megapixel autofocus rear camera with LED flash and a 2-megapixel front camera. The device is powered by 1.2GHz processor and 1GB of RAM, with 4GB internal memory and can be expandable up to 32GB.

Karbonn S2 Titanium key specifications:

• 5-inch capacitive display with a resolution of 854x480 pixels
• 1.2GHz quad-core processor
• Internal memory 4GB
• Expandable memory up to 32GB with micro SD
• 8-megapxiel auto-focus camera with LED flash
• 2-megapixel front-facing camera
• Dual-SIM (GSM + GSM) with dual-standby
• 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth with A2DP and GPS
• 2100 mAh battery
• Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) OS

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Google Now technology available for iPhones and iPads as an update of Google Search App

Google Inc is bringing its Google Now Technology to the iPhone, this would be a primary service that smartphone users rely on to get the updates on weather to traffic forecasts.

Google Now, which came in to effect last year on mobile devices running Google's Android operating system, will be available for iPhones and iPads as a feature in the new version of Google Search App starting on Monday.

Personal assistant technology like Apple's Siri and Google Now plays a vital role in smartphone user's day-to-day life such as surfing on web, handling daily plans, appointments and travel plans.

It is believed that Apple's Siri, which is a pre-loaded technology on iPhones n iPads is a growing threat to Google, the world's No.1 search engine. Analysts say, Apple's Siri provides information on common topics such as sports scores, nearby restaurants, etc., and this reduces the need of visiting Google's search engine.

Johanna Wright, Google's vice president of Search and Assist for Mobile described Google Now as the next generation in the technology of search.

The Google Now technology taps into Google's various services such as Web search, Gmail and Google Calendar to deliver relevant information throughout the day in pop-up windows, which Google refers as "cards". By accessing an email of an user with the details of a flight travel, Google Now can remind the user about the travel by card(pop-up windows) automatically.

In the Android version of Google Now, the users can swipe the smartphone's home screen for the quick access of pop-up cards, whereas in the Apples's iOS version, these cards can be accessed only when the user is using the Google search application.

In September, Apple replaced the Google Maps app with a pre-loaded new maps app that Apple created in-house. The Apple maps service contained embarrassing errors, criticism from consumers and reviewers and forcing Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook to offer a public apology.

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Portronics Handmate Pen turns your Windows 8 laptop into a touch-screen device

Portronics Handmate Pen Windows 8

Now it's so simple to turn your Windows 8 into a touch screen device. Portronics Handmate Windows 8 Pen is one of the smart and stylish little devices that seem to be true when you read about the device. This Portronics Handmate Pen promises to turn your Windows 8 laptop into a touchscreen device. Let's find out how it works.

Setting up the Handmate Pen is very simple. Just connect the device to ant USB port on your Windows 8 laptop and the receiving unit should be fixed halfway from the top on one of the edges of the screen. Then go to Control Panel to calibrate the screen. The device comes with instructions to use and in few minutes, you are good to go. 

A pen shaped stylus comes with this device, put in the batteries into the stylus and that's all done. Start operating your Windows 8 laptop by touching the screen of your laptop, swipe the home screen, start applications, swipe from edge to bring the settings menu just like your laptop is a touch-screen laptop.

The Handmate Pen device promises it's touch feature when it comes to games like Cut The Rope or when you are using paint application.

However, there is more to touch than in games and fun applications. If you are used to super sensitive touch screen devices like smartphones and iPads, this Handmate Pen takes some time to getting used to it. Unlike super sensitive devices, the Stylus in this Handmate Pen requires a slightly heavier pressing that you would probably expect.

The Portronics Handmate Pen bundles with a spare stylus and batteries. Portronics promises 500 hours of battery life. The sensors on the Handmate Windows 8 Pen uses infrared and ultrasound technologies that work on 16-inches screens and below, which means it is good to use with laptops and even desktop monitors of that size. A newer generation product that will work with 25-inches screen is expected soon.

Portronics Handmate Pen offers a decent touch feature for those who looks for adding a touch to their Windows 8 laptop. The Handmate Pen is available for Rs. 4,999 a not-so-expensive option.

Key features and specifications of Handmate Pen

• Plug & Play, turn your existing PC to touch as easy as 1-2-3
• Cost-effective accessory, much better than buy an expensive touch screen laptop
• Slide, swap, drag to operate
• View Web &mail, zoom in & zoom out pictures, playing games, annotate on office document freely
• Activate all software icons with a simple touch like it happens on Tablets
• Slide, swap, drag to operate
• Uses Ultrasonic and Infrared Technologies
• Ultra simple user experience
• Technology: Ultrasonic and Infrared
• Coverage area: up to 17" (MAX)
• Resolution: 100 DPI
• Accuracy:0.2mm
• Communication: USB 2.0 Full Speed
• USB Cable
• 500 hours of battery standby time

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A few tips on how to protect your social media accounts

Although social media are treated as boon in recent days it bring few risks along with it. It is always better to have knowledge of being safe in any social media.

Here are few ways about how one can protect ones social media profiles.

Run a social media virus/malware scan: 

There are now a few anti-virus and anti-malware programs that will scan the content on your Facebook wall. For example Norton offers service to scan all posts on your wall for virus, malware, or links to risky websites and highlights posts, comments and links that you should probably delete.

Increase strength of your password: 

One can increase the strength of password in many ways like increasing the size of password (at least 8 character long), by using few words squashed together (eg.ChickenKittens), by using combination of numbers and letters. Using capital letter in-between also helps to increase the strength of password. Using common real words or your name or user name or your favorite instrument name as password is not a good idea. It will decrease the strength of your password which will be easy for hackers.

Stop answering private questions on social media: 

When creating your secret answers for any website, you should never use the questions and answers that appear on your social media accounts. For example, a commonly used question is your mother’s maiden name. However, on social media such as Facebook, you probably have your mother as a family member. One can see your mother and find her maiden name easily.

Use different email account for different social media account: 

It is good for two reasons. The first is because if your email account is hacked you need not worry about all of your social medias and secondly if someone assume that you use one email address for all your social media. It will result in the trying to conduct brute force attacks on your social media sites with the wrong email address. 

Avoid using password in digital form: 

Type your password only in the small box provided in the social media sites. If password is entered anywhere else (eg. an email, IM chat) it would be easy for the hackers to detect your password. Also make sure same password is not used more than once for anything. 

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Iron Man 3 - The Official Game by Gameloft for iPhone, iPad and Android devices for free

Iron Man 3 - The Official Game

Iron Man 3 - The Official Game developed by one of the greatest game developers Gameloft is now available for iPhone, iPad and Android smartphones for free. It is very clear that the game is based on the most anticipated movie, Iron Man 3.

After the events of Iron Man 3, Tony has become a peacekeeper, but new threats emerge regularly all around the globe and Iron Man is the only one who can take care of them. The game lets you become billionaire Tony Stark aka Iron Man and promises a fast-paced, endless flying adventure.

The official game is now available in Apple's iTunes App Store and Google's Android Play Store for free.

The game has 18 gorgeous Iron Man armor models and that not as simple you think to unlock those armors. Unlike all other games, when you fall in a battle you take, you are taken to Stark industries page and a timer shows how long you should wait for the armor suit to get ready for the next battle. Where other endless runner type games gives you option to retry immediately if u fail to complete the level. But in this Iron Man 3 game, the player has to wait for a while until the armor gets fixed and ready to fly.

There is always options to slip into another armors that are unlocked by the player. The player is provided with three slots to hold the armors assembled. If you like to have a fourth one, you should spend some special currency you earn in the game or there is an option to purchase. Also the player can spend the game currency to skip timers that makes the player to wait when the Iron Man had a fall.

THE OFFICIAL GAME OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED SUPERHERO MOVIE OF 2013

• Fight around the world against rising A.I.M. forces
• Discover 3 different locations offering endless, self-generating levels: Malibu Shores, New York City, and China
• Confront 4 epic villains from the Iron Man comics: Crimson Dynamo, Ezekiel Stane, Living Laser, and the mighty M.O.D.O.K.

BECOME IRON MAN AS NEVER BEFORE

• Complete various missions in fast-paced flying battles, and in epic one-on-one confrontations
• Unleash Iron Man's power with amazingly responsive swipe controls
• Enjoy an outstanding 3D world with cutting-edge graphics and animations

COMMAND STARK INDUSTRIES

• Research and develop up to 18 suits from the different movies (Mark II, Mark 42, Silver Centurion, etc.)
• Upgrade your armors and powers in the research lab to wipe out your enemies

Get Iron Man 3 - The Official Game on iTunes 

Get Iron Man 3 - The Official Game on Google Play

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Asus Fonepad with full telephony support launched for Rs. 15,999

Asus FonePad

Asus FonePad tablet with 7-inch display, a new product from Asus  company has been launched in the Indian with a retail tag of Rs. 15,990. The phone also features phone functionalities. The tablet is expected to be available across Croma stores and selected Asus retail outlets from April 30.

Asus had announced its Fonepad launch at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2013. The tablet has a 7-inch rich display with a 1280x800 pixels of HD resolution. Asus Fonepad also features phone functionality, that includes 3G connectivity for mobile data and full telephonic support. The tablet's display is featured with IPS technology for wide angle views and rich clarity.

The Asus Fonepad is powered by a 1.2GHz Intel Atom Z2420 processor. The device comes with an internal storage of 8GB, which can be expanded up to 32GB with the provided microSD card slot. The Fonepad users also get a free cloud storage of 5GB for lifetime through Asus web storage that enables synchronizing and sharing data with other devices.

The Fonepad sports a 3-megapixel rear camera and a 1.2-megapixel front camera. The device has 1GB of RAM and a PowerVR SGX540 chip that provides high quality graphics. It has a 4270mAH battery, that provides running time up to 9 hours (as said by the company).

This new Asus Fonepad is already on sale in UK market and this device is tagged with a retail price of 179 Pounds (approximately equal to Rs. 14,900)

Asus has already launched its MeMO Pad ME172V and Google Nexus 7 tablets in India.

Asus MeMO Pad ME172V sports a 7-inch display (10 point multi-touch) with resolution of 1024x600 pixels. This one runs on Android OS v4.1 Jelly Bean powered by a 1GHz VIA WM8950 processor. This tablet offers a 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage, which can be expanded up to 32GB via microSD card slot provided.

Asus Fonepad key specifications

• 7-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels
• 1.2GHz Intel Atom Z2420 processor
• 1GB RAM
• 8GB Internal memory, expandable up to 32GB via microSD card
• 3-megapixel rears camera
• 1.2-megapixel front camera
• 3G/Wi-Fi/Bluetooth 3.0
• Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
• 4270mAH battery (9 hours running time)

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Nokia Asha 210 with Wi-Fi and WhatsApp: specifications revealed by Nokia

Nokia Asha 210

Nokia has revealed the launch of a new phone Asha 210 in it's Asha series. The company had put up a teaser image indicating it's new phone physical keyboard and the phone model and specifications are revealed now. The phone comes with a tag "Your social life at your finger tips"

Nokia Asha 210 sports a physical QWERTY keyboard and a dedicated button for the fast access of WhatsApp instant messaging application. WhatsApp is offering its service for free on all Nokia Asha 210 phones for their lifespan. This free service seems to be offered in order to celebrate the Nokia - WhatsApp partnership. The phone comes with social apps like Facebook, Twitter and also with emails accounts like Google. This ensures that the users can reach their friends and family in not more than few clicks.

The new Nokia Asha 210 has a 2-megapixel camera, and a hard key is dedicated to access the camera even when the keypad is locked. The camera application also offers editing and sharing options. The camera options also includes the feature of self-portrait mode. The built-in voice guides the user to make sure they are in the frame, before they take a self-portrait snap.

The phone comes with Wi-Fi options to connect to a network. Also there is a button dedicated to turn on/off the phone's Wi-Fi connection. Nokia Asha 210 features the slam share option, which allows the users to share multimedia files via Bluetooth with no need of pairing the device with the other.

The new Nokia Asha 210 comes with Nokia Xpress Browser that uses Nokia's cloud technology. The phone also has Nokia Nearby, a web app that helps the user to browse or search for nearby places such as restaurants, ATMs, banks and shopping close to their location.

The phone also comes with single and dual-SIM variants, available in yellow, white, cyan, magenta and black colors. The phone is expected to start its shipping in the second quarter of this year and the estimated price of Nokia Asha 210 is around $72 (Rs. 3,900).

Key specifications of Nokia Asha 210

• 2.4-inch QVGA display (240x320 resolution) (169 ppi)
• 32MB RAM
• Expandable storage up to 32GB
• 2-megapixel rear camera with self-portrait feature
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, USB, FM radio
• 111.5mm x 60mm x 11.8mm Dimension
• 99.5 grams
• 1200mAh battery
• Series 40 Asha
• Dedicated key for WhatsApp
• Nokia Xpress Browser and Nokia Nearby application

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UCWeb released the updated version of UC Browser for iPad, Java and Android devices

UC Web has released the updated versions of its UC Web Browser for iPad, Java and Android devices.

The latest version of UC Browser (version 9.0) for java platform now gives the touch screen phones an improvement in the user interface with enabling night mode option. The browser also features UDisk, UC Web's free cloud storage service for its users. It provides a permanent storage of 2GB and a temporary storage of 4GB valid for 7 days. UCWeb browser uses the UDisk feature to download multimedia files in the background that enables faster playback.

UC browser v9.0 for Android, the latest version for Android devices includes multiple start-up screens, improvements in the user interface, unlimited speed dials in the home screen, also the feature of dragging and dropping shortcuts or favourite sites of the users to create folders that are displayed in the home screen.

The latest version of UCWeb Browser also enables its users to cache online videos and those videos can de viewed offline when an internet connection is not available.

The browser offers customized themes and wallapers via UC Theme Center. Now, the browser provides an improved tool to take screenshots of the webpages that the users are surfing, and also enables cropping.

UC Web says that many changes have been made for the latest version of iPad browser (version 2.0). The browser's U3 engine has been given a performance boost and the Graphics options have been improved by 300% with 30 frames per second on the iPad 4. The latest version supports WebGL and can render the pages with heavy graphics even the Apple's Safari browser cannot handle.

UCWeb has also announced that it was opening  its second headquarters in India as it had seen a good uptake of the browser among the Indian users. UC Web claims that it is the mobile browser that ranks second in India with a 25% market share. It also informed that the combine share of active UC Web users on iOS and Android was 250 million.

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Google Fiber TV app now for iPad and iPad mini

Google Fiber TV app for iPad / iPad mini

Google has made its Google Fiber TV app for iPad in Apple's iTunes store. This app is designed for the devices running iOS 6.0 and higher. Google Fiber TV app allows the users to control their television experience through an iPad / iPad mini.

Currently, Kansas City is the only place featured by Google Fiber in certain areas. Google Fiber provides a gigabit speed internet service along with television support.

The Google Fiber TV app allows the users to search for programs, browse the list of channels available, also to access on-demand content and to select shows or recordings to watch. Through this app, the users are able to watch movies or any shows directly on their iPad / iPad mini.

Google Fiber TV app is now available only for iPad / iPad mini and it can be downloaded from the App Store for free. No word on the release of an iPhone version.

The Android version of Google Fiber TV app was released a month ago. And the app instead of only tablets, works on all Android devices running Jelly Bean.

Google inaugurated its Google Fiber - "Ultra-speed internet and TV service" in Kansas City in November. Google says the internet speed can be 100 times faster than the broadband connections in America.

Google Fiber service will also be launching in Provo, Utah this year and in Austin, Texas in 2014.

Related Articles:

Google Fiber (Google's ultra-high speed network) to be launched in Provo

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Firefox Mobile OS phones: "Keon" and "Peak" made by GeeksPhone

GeeksPhone, a Spanish manufacturing company has made phones that runs on Firefox OS. The company has started accepting orders for its two phones, Keon and Peak. These phones are specially made for the developers. The company started shipping the phones, worldwide.

Firefox OS is a new mobile operating system, that is entirely built using open web standards. In Firefox mobile OS, HTML5 applications are expected to bring a new usage of apps.

The Keon is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon S1 1GHz processor with 512MB of RAM. The phone features an internal memory of 4GB which can be expanded via microSD card slot. Keon sports a 3.5-inch HVGA multi-touch display with a rear camera of 3-megapixel.

The peak is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 1.2GHz x2 processor with 512MB of RAM. The phone features an internal memory of 4GB which can ne expanded via microSD card slot. Peak sports a 4.3-inch qHD IPS Multitouch display. The phone features a rear camera of 8-megapixel and a rear camera of 2-megapixel.

These phones were first announced in January this year.

But now the phones are no longer in stock, it took only few hours for the stock to finish. This shows that there is a very good developer interest in Mozilla's Firefox Mobile OS. It is not sure if phones will be available in the coming days.

These phones are targeted at the developers who works on apps for the Firefox Mobile OS. The consumer phones running on Firefox Mobile OS are expected to be launched this summer in places like Brazil, Hungary, Mexico, Poland, Serbia, Spain, Venezula, Columbia and Montenegero. Mozilla plans to reach the US market in 2014.

The Keon model specifications

• CPU Qualcomm Snapdragon S1 1Ghz
• UMTS 2100/1900/900 (3G HSPA)
• GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (2G EDGE)
• Screen 3.5-inch HVGA Multitouch display
• 3 MP Camera
• 4GB internal memory, 512 MB RAM
• MicroSD, Wifi N, Light and proximity Sensor, G-sensor, GPS, MicroUSB
• 1580 mAh battery
• Unlocked, add your own SIM card

The Peak model specifications

• CPU Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 1.2Ghz x2
• UMTS 2100/1900/900 (3G HSPA)
• GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (2G EDGE)
• Screen 4.3-inch qHD IPS Multitouch display
• Camera 8 MP (back) + 2 MP (front)
• 4 GB internal memory and 512MB RAM
• MicroSD, Wifi N, Light and proximity Sensor, G-Sensor, GPS, MicroUSB, Flash (camera)
• Battery 1800 mAh.

Also Sony has revealed plans to launch a Firefox OS powered device in the year 2014.  Bob Ishida - the company's deputy CEO confirmed that their engineers are currently working with Firefox Mobile OS and HTML 5 evolving technologies, which show great potential.

This announcement is a great news for Mozilla. Firefox Mobile OS has a better chance to mark its standards in the competitive market.

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Byond Tech launched Phablet PI with 5.3-inch display running on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

Indian handset maker, Byond Technologies, popular for the Mi-Book series of tablets has launched its Phablet I, in the Byond Phablet smartphone series. The Byond Phablet PI sports a 5.3-inch qHD capacitive display with 540x960 pixels of resolution.It offers an internal memory of 4GB, also microSD card slot through which memory can be expanded up to 32GB. The Phablet is powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor with 1GB of RAM.

 Byond Phablet PI is featured with an 8-megapixel rear camera and a font facing camera of 1.3-megapixel. This Phablet also offers a dual-SIM feature just like the other Byond Phablets. Byond Phablet PI runs on Android OS v4.1 Jelly Bean.

The phablet comes with a 2,000mAh battery on-board. As said by company, the Phablet gives 5 hours of talk time and a stand-by time of 200 hours.

The retail price of Byond Phablet PI is Rs. 10,999. The phablet is available in two colour options, White and Navy Blue. To attract the customers, the company offers a free screen- guard and a cover for the Phablet along with the purchase of this Phablet.

Byond Tech has launched its Phablet PII for a retail price of Rs. 14,999 a couple of months back. This Phablet PII packs a 5.7-inch HD IPS capacitive display with 720x1280 pixels of resolution. The device runs on ANdroid OS v4.1 Jelly Bean. Some key features of Byond Phablet PII are 8-megapixel rear camera, front facing camera for video calling, 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of internal memory, external memory up to 32GB via microSD card.

Byond seems to be expanding as a manufacturer in multiple device domains. Byond offers various tablets under Mi-Book Series, which are tagged with a retail price ranging from Rs. 3,999 to Rs. 12,499. The company also offers five smartphones that runs on Android platform, with price range from Rs. 3,499 to Rs. 11,499.

Key specifications of Byond Phablet PI

• 5.3-inch qHD (540 x 960 pixels) IPS capacitive touchscreen display
• Dimension: 150X78.6X9.7mm
• 1GHz dual-core processor
• 1GB RAM
• Android OS v4.1.1 (Jelly Bean)
• 4GB internal storage
• External storage up to 32GB via microSD card slot
• 8-megapixel rear camera
• 1.3-megapixel front camera
• Dual SIM (GSM + GSM) with Dual Standby
• 2,000 mAh battery
• 188 grams

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Hike, the free messaging app from Bharti SoftBank crosses 5 million users

Hike, the free messaging app launched by Bharthi SoftBank across the world in December last year. The company says that Hike app has crossed 5 million users.

Bharti SoftBank is a joint venture of Bharthi enterprises and mobile communication and broadband services firm Softbank.

"The free mobile messaging app Hike from Bharti SoftBank (BSB), has crossed the 5 million active usersmark in just four months after its launch. This makes Hike one of the fastest growing free mobile apps globally," the company said in a statement.

Hike allows unlimited texting between the users of the app and also to share photos, videos, audio files and location with other Hike users. The app also allows it's users to send free SMS to those who do not have Hike on their phones.

The unique feature in this app among all other messaging apps is that Hike enables the users to send free SMS to friends/contacts who do not have Hike installed in their handset. This unique feature plays a major role that made the app to cross 5 million users.

Bharti SoftBank has released an update for the app. Hike 2.0 has the features of status updates with moods that allows its users to post a status about what they are up to. Users can also make "Circle of Friends" in the app and can customize in showing the status updates with whom the users have added in their friend circle.

"We've been carefully listening to our users and we realized the biggest thing missing in Hike was status updates. With Hike 2.0, we are introducing status updates with moods," said BSB product

and strategy head Kavin Bharti Mittal.

Free Hike SMS seems to be getting very popular in a country like India, where not all the friends in a group has a data-enabled smartphones, he added.

Hike is currently available for Android, iOS, Nokia S40 platforms and Windows phone. And tha app will shortly available on Blackberry and Nokia S60 platforms.

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Salora Fontab: Android Tablet with voice calling feature for Rs. 6,899

Salora International Ltd. the flagship company of Jiwarajka  Group, has announced the launch of its third tablet, "Salora Fontab".

Salora Fontab has a 7-inch capacitive display and a resolution of 1024x600 pixels with 180ppi. The tablet is powered by a 1.5GHz Cortex A9 processor with 1GB of RAM. Salora Fontab comes with 4GB of internal storage, which can be expanded up to 32GB via microSD card slot. The tablet runs on Android OS v4.1 Jelly Bean.

The Salora Fontab tablet comes with voice calling facility. The connectivity options includes Bluetooth, HDMI, Wi-Fi, and USB with dongle support. The tablet has a 2-megapixel rear camera and a front-facing VGA camera. This Fontab comes with a 3,500mAH battery, as per the company, it gives a continuous usage of about 5 hours.

"After our foray into the tablet market we are delighted to introduce Fontab, a high quality , feature rich phone tablet that is set to become a show stopper in its category. The all in one tablet will prove to be value for money for the budget conscious yet tech savvy Indian buyer who vies for best of both the worlds. Jelly Bean and Cortex A9 powered Fontab will leverage connectivity by allowing user to enjoy faster speed while using the tablet and provide the best of tablet experience with phone rolled into a single device." said Mr. G. K. Jiwarajka, Chairman & Managing Director, Salora International Ltd.

Salora International Ltd. marked its entry to the tablet segment by launching Android-based budget tablets "Salora Protab" and "Salora Protab HD". It comes with a range of pre-loaded applications such as Facebook, King soft, IBIBO games, IBIBO browser and some social networking apps.

Salora Fontab key specifications

• 7-inch (1024x600 pixels) capacitive 5-point multi-touch display
• Android OS v4.1 Jelly Bean
• 1.5GHz Cortex A9 processor
• 1GB RAM
• 4GB internal memory
• External memory up to 32GB via microSD card slot
• 2-megapixel rear camera, VGA front camera
• 2G (EDGE), 3G (via USB dongle), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, HDMI out
• 3.5mm audio jack
• 3500mAh battery

The cost of Salora Fontab is Rs. 6,899 and is available in all leading stores and also in online stores.

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The new powerful microbatteries can recharge phones in fraction of seconds

Researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed the most powerful microbatteries ever. The new microbatteries are more powerful than the best super capacitors. These microbatteries are few millimeters in size, yet they are powerful to start a dead car battery and also to recharge phones in fraction of seconds.

The new microbatteries could drive new applications in radio communications and compact electronics.

"This is a whole new way to think about batteries," said William P. King, the Bliss Professor of mechanical science and engineering, the leader of the new microbatteries research.

"A battery can deliver far more power than anybody ever thought. In recent decades, electronics have gotten small. The thinking parts of computers have gotten small. And the battery has lagged far behind. This is a microtechnology that could change all of that. Now the power source is as high-performance as the rest of it," he added.

Users have to choose between the two available power sources: energy and power.

For applications which need more power, like radio signal broadcasting over a very long distance, capacitors releases energy very quickly but stores only a small amount.

For applications that need lot of energy, such as playing a radio for long time, batteries can hold a lot of energy in it, but releases it slowly.

But, the new microbatteries offers both energy and power, the researchers are working for tuning them over a wide range on the power vs energy scale.

In addition to consumer electronics,  lasers, sensors, medical devices and other applications could see a leap forward in technology with such power sources available.

The research team is now working on integrating their microbatteries with other electronics components, as well in reducing the cost of manufacturing. The researchers have published the resuls in the latest issue of Nature Communications.

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Samsung's miniature version of Samsung Galaxy S4 confirmed

The rumors that were spreading highly for the last couple of months is regarding Samsung's plan to release miniature version of Samsung Galaxy S4. Now it is reported that Samsung Galaxy S4 mini has been listed on Samsung's UAPROF website.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 mini will be having a 4.3-inch qHD display with an 8-megapixel rear camera with auto-focus feature. The new Samsung Galaxy S4 mini will be running on Android OS v4.2.2 (latest version of Jelly Bean) with Samsung's own Touch Wiz Nature UX interface. The phone features 3G, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and AGPS.

Samsung has planned to launch it's Galaxy S4 mini in two variants. One will be a single SIM phone (GT-I9190) and the other will be with a dual-SIM option(GT-I9192). The single SIM phone variant is powered by a Quad-Core processor, and the dual-SIM one will have a Dual-Core processor.

We may also expect a release of another variant from Samsung Galaxy S4 mini, GT-I9195 that will support LTE.

According to earlier news reports Samsung will be looking to launch its Galaxy S4 mini shortly after the launch of Samsung Galaxy S4 in the markets.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone is expected to be available in US in the week of April 22, 2013. Telecom operator AT&T has listed 16GB variant of Samsung Galaxy S4 for contract-free price of $640.

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HTC launches its another mid-range smartphone "HTC Desire L" in Taiwan

HTC has launched its another mid-range smartphone, HTC Desire L. The smartphone features a 4.3-inch Super LCD2 display with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels, measuring 128 x 66.9 x 8.9 mm in dimension.

HTC Desire L is powered by 1GHz Dual-core processor with 1GB of RAM. The phone has an internal storage memory of 4GB, that can be expanded through microSD card.

The phone is believed to have Android version 4.1 (Jelly Bean). Also HTC will be adding its own HTC Sense UI in this smartphone. This phone comes with an 1800mAh battery and a rear camera of 5-megapixel autofocus with BSI sensor and LED flash light. The camera in this smartphone is capable of recording videos in 720p.

For now, HTC Desire L smartphone is available only in Taiwan market and ther is no word on whether HTC will be launching this smartphone in other markets and what will be the cost of it.

HTC has recently unveiled its HTC Desire Q and HTC desire P.

HTC Desire Q is powered by 1GHz single-core processor with 512MB RAM and 4GB of internal memory that can be expanded via microSD card slot up to 32GB. The phone sports a 4.0-inch display and 118.5 x 62.3 x 9.3 mm dimension weighing 114 grams.The phone sports a 5-megapixel rear camera with LED flash. HTC Desire Q comes with Beats Audio branding. As of now, this smartphone is also available only in Taiwan which costs NT$6,990 (approximately Rs. 12,750 or $235).

The HTC Desire P comes with a 4.3-inch display and a resolution of 480x800 (WVGA) pixels. The smartphone is powered by 1GHz dual-core Cortex-A5 processor and Adreno 203 graphics along with 768MB of RAM. HTC Desire P also comes with an 8-megapixel rear camera and 4GB of internal storage, which can be expanded through microSD card slot.

HTC Desire L key specifications

• 4.3-inch Super LCD2 display with WVGA resolution
• 1GHz dual-core processor
• 1GB RAM
• 4GB internal storage
• External storage up to 32GB (microSD card slot)
• 5-megapixel rear camera with auto-focus
• 1800mAh battery
• Android OS
• Dimension: 128 x 66.9 x 8.9mm
• Weight: 118 grams

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Idea Cellular launches Aurus II Android smartphone with Jelly Bean

Idea Cellular has launched its new 3G Android dual-SIM smartphone, Aurus II for Rs. 6,490. Aurus II runs on Android OS v4.1 Jelly Bean, which is the latest of Android OS.

The Aurus II, dual-SIM smartphone is powered by a 1GHz processor and RAM of 512MB. It has a 3.5-inch screen with the resolution of 320x480 pixels. Aurus II features a rear camera of 3.2-megapixel and a VGA front-facing camera. It offers an internal storage of 4GB and external storage which can be expandable up to 32GB via micro-SD card.

Idea is also offering a 3G pack with Aurus II smartphone which can be purchased for Rs.261 that offers 1.6GB of 3G data and Idea TV subscription valid of 3 months.

This phone is the successor to Idea Aurus, which was launched in the September 2012. The Aurus II is the sixth 3G Android smartphone launched by the telecom operator Idea, in the Indian market. The other smartphones launched by Idea Cellular includes Idea Ivory, Idea Aurus, ID-280, ID-918 and Idea Blade.

Idea Aurus II key specifications

• 3.5-inch screen display
• 1GHz processor
• 512MB RAM
• 4GB internal storage
• Expandable up to 32GB via SD-card
• 3.2-megapixel rear camera
• Dual-SIM
• 3G and Wi-Fi
• Android OS v4.1 (Jelly Bean)

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New KALQ keyboard layout for touchscreen devices: 34% faster than QWERTY

KALQ layout

Texting got a lot easier! Researchers have developed a new keyboard for touch-screen phones that gives super-fast thumb-typing, that enables users to type 34 percent faster than a QWERTY keyboard.

The team of researchers is said to hav used computational optimization techniques with a model of thumb movement to filter among millions of layout combinations to identify the one that gives superior performance.

Typing on today's smartphones and tablets seems to be slow. since QWERTY layout is not much suitable for tablets and other touch-screen devices when typing with thumbs, researchers said. Thumb typing is very different from typing on a keyboard.

Researchers said that normal users using a QWERTY layout on a touch-screen device is able to type at a rate of 20 words per minute, which is slow compared to the rate achieved on physical keyboards.

The researchers from the "Max Planck Institute for Informatics" and colleagues from the "University of St Andrews and Montana Tech" initiated the process of developing a layout for two-thumb texting with the goal of improving typing performance and reducing the strain for the thumbs.

"The key to optimising a keyboard for two thumbs is to minimize long sequences with a single thumb," lead researcher Antti Oulasvirta said.

"We also want to place frequently used letters centrally close to each other. Experienced typists move their thumbs simultaneously: While one is typing, the other is approaching its next target. We

derived a predictive model of this behaviour for the optimisation method," said Oulasvirta.

The researchers had two goals: To minimise the movement of thumbs and to approximate alternating sides as well.

The new keyboard layout "KALQ" has all vowels with the exception of letter "y" in the area for the right thumb, whereas more other keys are assigned to left thumb.

With this new KALQ layout improvements, users will be able to type 37 words per minute, which is reported as the best rate for two-thumb typing on touchscreen devices. Researchers said KALQ layout will be made available in play store as a free app for Android-based smartphones at the month of May.

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HTC E1 introduces PC style customization to the smartphone world

HTC started shipping its E1 smartphone in China. HTC is offering this smartphone as an affordable dual-SIM smartphone and the specification can be customized.

The user can choose to have either a 8GB or 16GB as internal memory for the smartphone. Also, you can choose this HTC E1 either with a 5-megapixel rear camera or an 8-megapixel one. Lastly, it offers six color options available for the back panel and you can pick the one that suits the best for you.

As per Engadget, HTC made a partnership with a micro-blogging site Sina Webio for suggesting the custom specifications for this HTC E1 smartphone. HTC and Sina offers suggestions on customizing the specifications of HTC E1 based on your zodiac and gender.

For example, if your zodiac sign is Virgo, the site recommends a 8GB internal memory that comes with an 8-megapixel camera. Also, it recommends for a "Lolita White" color for a Virgo.

Though HTC E1 doesn't offer much customization option, this seems to be a interesting marketing initiative and this may catch with other smartphone manufacturers as well.

The other specifications of HTC E1 are,

• - 4.3 - inch Super LCD2 WVGA display
• - 1.15GHz Dual-core processor
• - 1GB of RAM
• - Beats Audio Sound
• - 2-megapixel Front Camera
• - Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
• - HTC Sense 4.0+ UI 
• - Dual-SIM (WCDMA + GSM)
• - Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n
• - Bluetooth 4.0
• - External Storage up to 32GB (microSD card)

As per HTC's China website, HTC E1 costs between 1,699 Chinese yuan (approximately Rs. 14,800) to 1,899 yuan (Rs. 16,500) based on the customization. HTC had officially launched HTC E1 in China about a month ago. As of now, there is no word on whether HTC will be making its HTC E1 available in other markets and whether it will be offering similar set of customization in these markets as well.

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HP bundles Leap Motion: 3D motion controllers for HP's future products

HP will be using Leap Motion's motion control technology in some of its upcoming products, confirmed by both companies this Tuesday.

Selected PCs from HP with Leap Motion's technology will be available in stores this summer, Cherie Britt, HP spokesperson told. Devices embedded with Leap Motion Controller technology will come later.

"At HP, it's all about delivering incredible user experiences," Britt said. "Leap Motion's groundbreaking 3D motion control, combined with HP technology and amazing developer apps, will create incredible user experiences."

HP will be the second major OEM to work with Leap. ASUS made an announcement in January that it will bundle Leap Motion Controllers with its premium All-in-One PCs and high-end notebooks later this year.

"We're still working with ASUS," Michael Buckwald, CEO of Leap Motion, told. The company is also working with "a number of" major OEMs, but HP "is the first OEM to announce plans to embed Leap Motion's technology into unique devices."

About Leap's Technology

The Leap Motion Controller has a 150 degree space of view, it can be able to track all of a user's fingers at a rate of 250 frames per second. The touch-free technology used in this controller uses sensors rather than using VGA cameras to detect motion, synthesizes the information from that sensor data and displays the result.

The technology can track movements smaller than the head of a pin, the company said.

Leap Motion has opened up its application programming interface (API) to developers.

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Twitter launches it's "Music App" for iPhone

Twitter's Music App

Twitter has finally unveiled its much anticipated music application for Apple's iPhone. The application is available to every iPhone users via Apple's iTunes App Store.Users will also be able to use the service on the web later in the day at "music.twitter.com"

Twitter's music application for Google's Android is coming soon. The announcement of Music App was first made on "Good Morning America" program. Twitter launched the service last week exclusively to musicians.

The music app is separate from Twitter's primary social network, though helps users to find music based on the artists and bands they follow.

Twitter's Music App suggests for the bands users might like, also it shows what music the people we follow are currently listening to. Users can also search popular music enjoyed by the universe of other app users, and Twitter surfaces what it calls "emerging" trends and artists.

Through partnerships with Rdio and Spotify streaming music companies, subscribers of those services can be able to listen to music straight from Twitter's new app. Users are also be able to hear previews of music on iTunes and purchase songs.

Twitter said it will be adding new music services to its app.

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The second coming of Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook

Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook Inc made a very bad decision back in 2010. Instead developing separate apps for Androids, iPhones, BlackBerrys, Nokia phones and Microsoft phones, he made his engineers to design a version of Facebook which could be operated on any platform.

In effect, he was confident that as different platforms jostled for control of mobile devices, standalone apps would go away and soon it would be able to surf websites on our smartphones as we do on our PCs.

Zuckerberg was wrong. Apple's iOS and Google's Android started dominating the world of mobile operating systems, and Facebook applications which were built with web-centric worldwide view in mind, didn't work well on either platform. There were bugs, slow in performance and often crash.

A 2011 of Facebook application gathered 19,000 reviews with one-star in the Apple App Store in the first month. "It's probably one of the biggest mistakes we've ever made," Zuckerberg tells during an interview at Facebook's Menlo Park, California headquarters in late March.

Six years after it had been founded, Facebook -- the company that had begun in the social networking era was missing the next big step in technology. Around the world consumers were using mobile devices with array of downloaded applications designed for touchscreen mobile phones.
Meanwhile, Facebook had only one engineer dedicated for iPhone and most of the mobile team were coding for mobile web browsers.

The person, Mark Zuckerberg who tasted enormous success in his career had to come to terms with failure and he had to make cultural and structural changes at the young company. Instead of working for mobile web, they had to develop apps.

And instead of trying to reach the broadest possible audience with a killer product, Facebook ultimately would have to pick one operating system to show off what it could really do in mobile. "I can't overstate how much we had to retool the whole company's development processes," he says.

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Twitter unveils "ad tool" for marketers

Twitter Inc one of the famous social networks unveiled a new tool through which marketers can broadcast targeted messages to the users based on the contents of their tweets. The technology could hike Twitter's effectiveness as an advertiser to a rarefied level demonstrated only by digital leading advertisers like Google Inc.

Twitter's advertising business is modest and according to the consultancy eMarketer, it is likely to generate 2013 global revenue of under $600 million.

The fast-growing social network, which has 200 million users around the world, hailed its new tool as a technological breakthrough. Until now, Twitter has been able to understand a user's interests mainly by analyzing the list of accounts the user follows, also known as "interest graph".

With the use of Twitter's new tool, the marketers are able to make a thorough study of the content of a user's tweets to display most relevant ads.

Early tests of the new keyword-based targeting mechanism showed that in some cases, users clicked on ads 11 out of 100 times they were shown, a remarkably high rate in the realm of digital advertising, according to Kevin Weil, a senior director of product at Twitter.

The new ad tool also has the advantages of the existing features of "hashtags" -- the pound sign that Twitter users include to signify a topic of discussion.

"It's already used today as a way to focus conversation," Weil said. "Now it's also a way for users who are talking about something to see really relevant."

In a blog post Wednesday, Twitter said the new keyword targeting technology would be available globally to marketers in 15 languages.

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Samsung considers SK Hynix Inc. for DRAM chips

Samsung Electronics Co. considers in purchasing memory chips for mobile devices from SK Hynix Inc for its future products including its new flagship Galaxy S smartphone that is to be launched this month. J.K. Shin, Head of Samsung's mobile business, said.

This deal of supply would be a boost to SK Hynix, which relies heavily on Apple Inc who is a customer for its mobile Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) chips.

It is also known that mobile gadget makers are preparing to upgrade their flagship products with increased storage capacity and greater varieties. Mobile DRAM chips' prices have increased steadily this year, that reflected in tightening supply outlook.

Samsung, the world's biggest maker of DRAM chips, has largely depended on internal supplies of memory chips for its Galaxy smartphones, but the market has expected it may also begin looking to outside chip suppliers to ensure there is no supply disruptions for key models of its Galaxy S smartphone.

The Galaxy S4, which will be on sale this month, is expected to outsell its predecessors, with a monthly sales of about 10 million.

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Google Fiber (Google's ultra-high speed network) to be launched in Provo.

Google Fiber is to launch its another branch. Google's ultra-high-speed network is about to launch at Provo, Utah.

Google Fiber offers Internet speeds up to 1 Gigabit per second, which is said to be 100 times faster than the average internet user's service in America.

Google is also offering a Fiber TV service that lets the customers to watch all the TV shows in High Definition, also to record up to 8 shows at the same time and 500 hours of HD video can be stored in the cloud. Customers can watch those stored videos across several devices, including mobile phones and PCs.

The Google-Provo deal is not yet finalized. Google has signed an agreement to buy iProvo, which is an existing fiber-optic network owned by the city. Provo's city council is about to vote on Google's iProvo purchase next Tuesday. If the deal is approved, Google said it will "upgrade the network to gigabit technology and finish network construction so that every home along the existing iProvo network would have the opportunity to connect to Google Fiber."

If the deal is approved, Provo will be the third location to use Google Fiber.

In its blog post, Google stated about the start up scene in Utah and noted that Provo specifically ranks No. 2 in the number of patents granted. Google hasn't yet announced Fiber pricing for Provo or Austin. In Kansas City, the Fiber Internet and TV package costs $120 a month with a two- year contract, and those customers can control multiple televisions using the included Google Nexus 7 tablet. Google also offers an Internet-only option for $70 a month and a free Internet service at"today's average speeds." The search giant is also providing free Fiber service to local schools, community centers,government buildings and libraries.

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