Micromax launches A116 Canvas HD with quad-core processor for Rs. 13,990

  Micromax has launched its much awaited Micromax A116 Canvas HD smartphone in the Indian market. The smartphone will be available through the company's official website starting February 14, 2013 for Rs. 13,990.The company is claiming that it will take about 5-7 working days to ship this smartphone.   Just to recap, the Micromax A116 Canvas HD is powered by MediaTek's MT6589 quad-core processor that clocks 1.2GHz. It will run on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) out of the box. It packs in a 2000mAh battery. Micromax A116 Canvas HD come with 5-inch HD IPS screen that sports 1280x720 resolution and a colour depth of 16.7 million.   For camera, there is an 8-megapixel rear shooter with LED flash and 4X zoom and a VGA front camera. Other features of the smartphone include 1GB RAM and 4GB of internal storage, which can be expanded to up to 32GB via microSD card. It is a dual-SIM smartphone, which supports GSM frequency on both the SIMs.   This smartphone will be competing head-on with the recently launched Karbonn S1 Titanium smartphone that is available for Rs. 10,990. This smartphone too has 4.5-inch qHD (960X540) multi-touch capacitive touch display and runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box. It comes with a 5-megapixel autofocus rear camera with LED flash and a VGA front camera.    Internally, Karbonn S1 Titanium is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor with 1GB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage (expandable to up to 32GB via microSD). It is also a dual-SIM smartphone, which comes with 1,600mAh battery.    Micromax A116 Canvas HD specifications •5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD IPS display •1.2 GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6589 processor •1GB RAM •4GB internal memory, expandable up to 32GB •8-megapixel rear camera •VGA front camera •Dual-SIM (GSM+GSM) •2000 mAh battery •Android 4.1   Courtesy: NDTV    

Google focuses on going mobile with AdWords revamp

  As people increasingly turn to mobile devices for their Web consumption, Google has decided to revamp its keyword advertising service to make it easier for marketers to reach target audiences on different devices.   Google's AdWords Enhanced Campaign aims to make it easier for advertisers to manage bids for ads across a variety of device platforms, locations, and times, the Web giant announced in a company blog post today. AdWords allows advertisers to bid on a given keyword and win premium placement with search results.   Google's goal in retooling AdWords -- a chief money maker for the company -- is to boost its mobile revenue at a time when the Web giant has seen its cost per click fall for five consecutive quarters after two years of gains. Like Facebook before it, Google is grappling with how to get users to keep clicking on ads when accessing the Web via a variety of devices.   "This is a first step to help you more simply and smartly manage your ad campaigns in today's multi-device world," Sridhar Ramaswamy, senior vice president of engineering, wrote in the blog post.   Google gave the following example of how it envisions the new campaigns working:   A breakfast cafe wants to reach people nearby searching for "coffee" or "breakfast" on a smartphone. Using bid adjustments, with three simple entries, they can bid 25% higher for people searching a half-mile away, 20% lower for searches after 11am, and 50% higher for searches on smartphones. These bid adjustments can apply to all ads and all keywords in one single campaign.     The enhanced campaigns will also feature ads that are optimized for devices, complete with appropriate ad copy, links, and app or extension, Google said. They will also allow companies to analyze the performance of their campaigns.   The new tools are expected to roll out to advertisers during the next few weeks.   Courtesy: CNET News  

Acer launches Intel Lexington-powered Liquid C1 with Android 4.0

  Acer has announced the launch of Liquid C1 smartphone powered by Intel's Atom Z2420 chipset (codenamed Lexington). Powering the phone is a 1.2GHz single-core processor, but the amount of RAM isn't known yet.   The Acer Liquid C1 comes with a 4.3-inch 960x540 display and 4GB internal storage, expandable of another 32GB via microSD card. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, GPS, Bluetooth, Micro-USB. The phone comes with a 8-megapixel rear shooter with auto-focus and LED flash capable of burst-mode shooting of 5 frames per second. A 0.3-megapixel front camera is included as well.   The phone runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, with no upgrade roadmap shared. It comes with a 2,000mAh battery. The phone has been launched in Thailand as of now with Black and White colour options, and is expected to go on sale for a price of 9,990 Thai Baht or around 18,000 rupees.   India's Lava had earlier launched the Atom Z2420-based Xolo X500. It is a dual-SIM smartphone, which runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The device has a 3.5-inch display with a resolution of 480X320. It comes with 512MB RAM, 4GB of internal storage, 5-megapixel rear camera capable of shooting 6 frames per second in burst mode. The phone is available for Rs. 8,999.   Acer Liquid C1 technical specifications •4.3-inch 960x540 display •1.2GHz processor, Intel's Atom Z2420 chipset •4GB internal storage, expandable by 32GB via microSD card •802.11 b/g/n, GPS, Bluetooth, Micro-USB •8-megapixel rear shooter, 0.3-megapixel front camera •Android 4.0 •2,000mAh battery •127.3 x 65.5 x 9.95 mm, 140g   Courtesy: NDTV

WickedLeak launches 5.5-inch Wammy Titan for Rs 13,000

    WickedLeak has launched a new Android Smartphone—the Wammy Titan. The Smartphone runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and features a 5.5-inch QHD display. The device is priced at Rs 13,000.   It is powered by a 1.2GHz processor and 1GB of RAM. The memory of the device can be expanded via microSD slot up to 32GB.   The device measures 144 x 89 x 12 mm and runs on a 2,500 mAh battery that the company claims will provide up to 8 hours of talk time and 260 hours of standby time. The Wammy Titan is available in black and white colours.   The WickedLeak Wammy Titan looks a lot like the Samsung Galaxy Note II   Here is a quick look at some of the highlighted features of the Wammy Titan:  •5.5-inch screen with a resolution of 960 x 540  •3G, EDGE, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Hotspot  •GPS  •Bluetooth  •8 megapixel camera, 2 megapixel front-facing camera  •Memory expandable up to 32GB via microSD   "The different form-factor, features and price point makes Wammy Titan unique even in the 5.5-inch smartphone category which we expect will catch on once they become more widely available," said a company spokesperson at the launch.   The Wammy Titan will be available for pre-booking starting Jan 19, 2013 on the WickedLeak Website.   But hey, if you found the Titan identical to Samsung's ambitious smartphone, the Galaxy Note II, be assured you're not the only one. The Samsung branding, obviously is absent on the Wammy Titan. If we were to go back by just a month, we had a similar thing to say about the company's Wammy Sensation, which looked identical to Samsung's Galaxy S III.   Back in December, WickedLeak had announced the Wammy Sensation for Rs 16,000. The Wammy Sensation has a 4.7-inch screen and runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.   The smartphone is powered by a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, has dual-SIM capabilities (2G and 3G), a 12MP rear camera that will allow for a panoramic shot upto 260 degrees and is fuelled by a 2,000 mAh battery.    In addition to this, according to the official statement, the Wammy Desire has also been re-launched with an enhanced resolution model. The new model will have a resolution screen enhanced from 800 x 480 pixels to 1024 x 600 pixels screen resolution for improved user experience for watching movies, eBook reading and 2D/3D capabilities for gaming.    Wammy Desire with 800 x 480 pixel resolution and Wammy Desire with 1024 x 600 pixel resolution have been priced at Rs 6,499 and Rs 6,999 respectively.  

Agni 4 test flight

The stage is set, probably for the final developmental test-flight of one of India's longest range missiles the nuclear weapons capable Agni 4 from the Wheeler Island off the Odisha coast on Wednesday. The trial was planned for Tuesday, but recent heavy rains caused a delay in carrying out checks to various sub-subsystems of the 4,000 km range surface-to-surface missile. This will be the third trial of Agni-IV, with the first one ending in failure and the second hitting the target on bang. Hectic preparations are on at the Wheeler Island for the launch by missile technologists of the DRDO. Two naval ships are anchored near the target point in the Indian Ocean to record the terminal event. Agni 4  is expected to be inducted into the Services early next year after the completion of the developmental trials. The two stage solid fuel propelled missile is lighter than Agni-III because of the composite rocket motor casings. It is designed to carry a payload of 1,000 kg. Its re-entry vehicle is equipped with heat shield to enable the payload withstand searing temperatures of more than 3,000 degrees Celsius. The missile’s advanced ring-laser gyro based INS ensures a high degree of accuracy. The Agni 4 trial will be followed by Agni-III's test-firing by the personnel of Strategic Forces Command on September 21. DRDO scientists are also planning to shortly conduct the first trial of the subsonic cruise missile, Nirbhay. The terrain-hugging missile, with a range of 1,000 km, could be launched from multiple platforms. A top DRDO official said the advantage with the “fast-reaction” Nirbhay was that it would be difficult for enemy radars to detect it.