Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2 (GT-S7582) Emerges

South Korean mobile phone maker Samsung Electronics will bring to the market a successor for its Galaxy S Duos in the not too distant future, namely the Galaxy S Duos 2. The smartphone has yet to be officially confirmed, yet a photo that allegedly depicts it has already leaked online, courtesy of Hungarian website Tech2. The new smartphone was spotted with model number GT-S7582 attached to it, and with hardware specifications similar to those of its predecessor, SamMobile notes. The entry-level device will be launched with 768MB of RAM, up from 512MB on Galaxy S Duos, and with a 1.2GHz dual-core processor. It will also feature a 4-inch WVGA display and 4GB of internal memory, paired with a microSD memory card slot. Furthermore,...

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Android 4.4 KitKat (Unofficial) Now Available for Google Nexus One

Google Nexus One owners rejoice, as Android 4.4 KitKat is not an impossible dream for them. Although unofficial, the latest version of the operating system is now available for the first Nexus smartphone launched by Google. The custom build was released courtesy of XDA Recognized Developer texasice, along with his team, and is based on AOSP. However, this unofficial Android 4.4 KitKat ROM for Nexus One also contains extra features that enhance functionality even further, which can be disabled. The bad news is that some things are not working yet and there’s no telling whether they will be fixed anytime soon. Developers of the ROM have confirmed that the ART compiler in KitKat does not work, so it should not be used as it causes bootloops....

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Jolla's First Sailfish OS Smartphone Starts Shipping

Last night marked an important event in the evolution of Jolla, a Finnish startup that dreams of changing the mobile market, as the first device designed by it has arrived in users’ hands. The company held the phone’s launch event in Helsinki, where it also handed out the first 450 units of its smartphone, which runs under Jolla’s own Sailfish OS. The phone was launched in Finland in partnership with wireless carrier DNA. Built based on MeeGo, the mobile OS that Nokia has started to develop a few years back in collaboration with Intel, Sailfish promises a different experience than what other mobile OSes out there can deliver. The platform’s UI is gesture-based, and the device comes with no buttons on the front, featuring an “original...

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Titanium Backup Adds Support for ART Runtime on Android 4.4 KitKat

An updated flavor of the Titanium Backup is now available for download for the owners of Android-based devices, namely version 6.1.4.1. The new application release brings along initial support for ART runtime on Android 4.4 KitKat, while also packing a series of updated translations. Titanium Backup was made available for Android devices as a simple to use tool for backing up and restoring applications, user data, and Google Play links. “This includes all protected apps & system apps, plus external data on your SD card. You can do 0-click batch & scheduled backups,” the application’s description reads. However, users will need to be rooted to enjoy the features of this application. The software works with all devices running...

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Jolla's Sailfish OS Smartphone Launches Today

Today, the first Jolla smartphones become available for purchase in Finland, at a launch event set to kick off at 7pm in Helsinki. Jolla, a Finnish startup that has designed its smartphone around Sailfish OS, a brand new platform based on Nokia’s MeeGo OS, has partnered with wireless carrier DNA for the launch, and also plans on bringing the phone to more markets in the near future. Today, the first 450 Jolla phones will be handed to users who pre-ordered the device, at a pop-up store in central Helsinki, ZDNet notes in a recent article. The smartphone was put up for pre-order with a price tag of €399 attached to it, and should start shipping to users who reserved it in the not too distant future. For those out of the loop, we should...

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Lenovo Vibe Z Confirmed to Arrive on November 28

Unveiled two weeks ago, Lenovo Vibe Z is about to go on sale in China. The smartphone’s specs sheet has already been revealed and judging by what’s on the paper, this should appeal Android fans looking for a high-end device. According to GizChina, Lenovo is expected to release the Vibe Z in China on November 28. However, no details on the phone’s price have emerged yet, though the latest rumors point to a price tag between 3000 yuan ($490/€365) and 3700 Yuan ($605/€450) outright. Lenovo Vibe Z, also known as K910, will ship with Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean operating system out of the box and a powerful 2.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor inside. The smartphone also boasts a vibrant 5.5-inch capacitive touchscreen display that...

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Kingston HyperX Predator DDR3 Memory Operates at 2800 MHz

The normal frequency for mobile RAM (laptop DDR3) is 1333 MHz, and the one for desktops is 1600 MHz, both most people can make do with less too. So memory at 2800 MHz will stand out any day. That goes doubly for the new HyperX kits from Kingston, even though some might say that the opposite is true. After all, HyperX has always been associated, as a brand, with high performance, so a clock of 2000 MHz or more shouldn't raise too many eyebrows. Still, 2800 MHz is a lot no matter what anyone says. It's no wonder Kingston is so gung ho about the HyperX Predator and the many overclockers and “extreme system builders” it is supposed to sell to. “We are proud to offer our flagship 2800MHz memory kits to overclockers, benchmarkers and extreme...

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BBM Will Come Pre-Installed on Select Android Devices

We’ve heard it before from various OEMs in India and other emerging market, but now it’s confirmed by BlackBerry as well. The Canadian company has just announced that BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) will come pre-installed on a wide range of Android devices. Well-known OEMs from Africa, India, Indonesia, Latin America and the Middle East will be allowed to pre-load BBM for Android on their devices. BlackBerry has confirmed that, starting next month, the following devices will have the popular instant messaging application pre-installed: Be, Brightstar, Celkon, EVERCOSS, IMO, Micromax, Mito, Snexian, Spice, TECNO, TiPhone and Zen. Furthermore, BlackBerry has reiterated the fact that BBM will continue to be available as a free download from...

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Dual-SIM ZTE Grand S II Dual Spotted in AnTuTu Benchmarks

It looks like Chinese handset maker ZTE plans to launch a sequel to the Grand S, but this time, the name of the device suggests that it will offer dual-SIM support. GSMInsider reports that an unannounced ZTE Grand S II Dual has been recently spotted on AnTuTu Benchmark database. The smartphone scored 33,357, but other than that, there aren’t any additional details available for the moment. If ZTE plans to launch an improved version of the current ZTE Grand S, which comes equipped with a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro, then it will add a more powerful Snapdragon 800 chipset into the mix. Hopefully, the ZTE Grand S II Dual will not be limited to the Chinese market and Android fans in other regions will be able to take advantage...

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BlackBerry’s COO and CMO Leave, CFO Gets Replaced

Today, Canadian mobile phone maker BlackBerry has announced new changes in the executive team, as the company’s chief operating officer and chief marketing officer will leave the company. As part of the re-organization plans that the handset vendor is undergoing, Kristian Tear, BlackBerry CFO, and Frank Boulben, the company’s CMO, will leave BlackBerry. Furthermore, the smartphone designer has announced that Brian Bidulka, currently chief financial officer at the company, will be replaced by James Yersh, but that he will remain with the vendor as a special advisor to the CEO for the remainder of the fiscal year. "I thank Kristian and Frank for their efforts on behalf of BlackBerry. I look forward to working more directly with the...

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HTC M8 Specs Unveiled via AnTuTu Benchmark: Android 4.4 KitKat, 5-Inch Full HD Display

Earlier today, information regarding an unannounced HTC smartphone leaked online via AnTuTu and judging by the benchmark results, we though the device in question was the previously rumored M8. Well, it looks like the information was accurate, as Pocket-lint reports that the HTC M8 specs sheet leaked on the same AnTuTu benchmark database. However, until HTC comes forward with an official statement on the M8’s availability, we can’t be sure that these details are legit, so take them with a grain of salt. The first thing that pops up is the fact that HTC M8 is powered by Android 4.4 KitKat operating system. We’re pretty sure this is just a prototype that’s being tested on AnTuTu, so it’s hard to believe that Google and HTC have already...

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Intel Atom Tablet SoC Roadmap, 64-Bit Android Tablets Revealed

Right now, the Intel Atom system-on-chip line is at the Bay Trail generation, but the company is, of course, working on the next range, and preparing for what will come after. A roadmap for 2014 and 2015 has emerged actually. Not too many years ago, it was doubtful that Intel would ever really get heavily involved in the system-on-chip market, but here we are. The Atom line already includes some platforms of that sort, even though they don't measure up well against ARM-based chips, marketing-wise. Intel isn't letting that deter it. In fact, it is quite determined to power many tablets in the coming two years. Moreover, it hopes to boost CPU prowess by a factor of five by 2016, and improve GPU performance by 15 times during the same...

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Microsoft Wants to Buy and Save Winamp

AOL recently announced that it would discontinue Winamp on December 20, 2013, but it turns out that the media player could get a chance to live on. In a pretty unexpected twist of the story, Microsoft is reportedly interested in acquiring AOL’s media player and the Shoutcast service, even though no confirmation from Redmond has until now been released. TechCrunch is reporting via unnamed sources that Microsoft and AOL are already talking of a potential deal that could be announced by December 20, the date when Winamp is set to go dark. While it’s hard to tell what Microsoft would actually do with Winamp, this could really be the only way to see the media player living on beyond the AOL era, as millions of users across the world...

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Apex Launcher 2.2 Brings Android 4.4 KitKat UI and Visual Improvements

One of the most popular third-party launchers for Android devices, Apex has just received a major update that will bring some Android 4.4 KitKat love to more devices. The most important improvements is the addition of the entire Google Experience Launcher, which is now exclusive to Nexus 5. The transparent bar for Nexus 5 has been included in this version of Apex Launcher as well, so those who wish to make their Android device look like the latest Nexus smartphone released by Google should install this launcher. Keep in mind that Apex Launcher 2.2 is still in beta, so it cannot be downloaded via Google Play Store yet. Those who wish to take advantage of its new features must opt in as Apex Launcher beta testers. Soon after you...

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Zopo ZP998 Scores 28,118 Points in AnTuTu Benchmark

Zopo ZP998, the first smartphone from the Chinese mobile phone maker to arrive on shelves with a true octa-core processor inside, can deliver appealing performance capabilities, benchmarking results for it show. As GizChina reports, the phone’s 1.7Ghz MT6592 processor from MediaTek has managed to top 28,118 Points in AnTuTu, which puts the smartphone in line with some of the most powerful devices out there. The handset’s 5.5-inch 1080 display should make it even more appealing, as well as the 14-megapixel camera that Zopo included on its back. The device model that was tested is said to feature 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal memory. Zopo ZP998 is already available for pre-order with a price tag of $299.99 (€224) attached to it,...

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Rumor: iPhones with 4.9-Inch Screens Enter Testing

Apple is now testing 5-inch iPhones for next-year’s refresh, according to sources in Asia. Both the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 5c will be superseded by handsets sporting larger displays, according to this new rumor. A machine-translated Chinese-language C Technology report says, “We have just received a message from insiders is that Apple has started testing iPhone6 prototype for some time, and its size is 4.9 inches.” There will be two new iPhones on the tablet for next year’s refresh, just like this year, only the screen size for at least one of the models will be capped at 4.9 inches. This would be the high-end model, or the iPhone 6 (the successor of the iPhone 5s). The lower-end model will also get a bigger screen, but the sources...

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Intex i17 Goes Official with 1.7GHz Octa-Core MT6592 CPU

Today, Intex has officially announced the upcoming availability of the first smartphone running under the 1.7GHz octa-core MT6592 processor from MediaTek, namely the Intex i17. The new device will be released in India in January 2014 with a 6-inch, 1280 x 720 pixels IPS screen, in two flavors, with 16GB and 32GB of internal memory. Intex i17 will also sport 2GB of RAM, a 2300mAh removable battery, and 3G HSPA+ connectivity. Furthermore, it comes with Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth capabilities, as well as with GPS receiver. On the back, the new smartphone features a 13-megapixel camera with full HD video recording, complemented by a 5MP front camera for making video calls. Intex i17 runs under Google’s Android 4.2 Jelly Bean...

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8-Core MediaTek MT6592 Scores 32,000 Points in AnTuTu Benchmark

Soon after MediaTek has officially launched its MT6592 octa-core processor, info on the first benchmarks for the chipset has started to emerge, proving the high performance levels that it can offer. According to MediaTek, the CPU has managed to score no less than 32,606 points in AnTuTu, which is pretty impressive, that’s for sure. The chip had its cores clocked in at 2GHz, as GizChina reports. However, it appears that the MT6592 can offer increased performances even at lower speeds, as the 1.7GHz model is said to have reached almost 30,000 points in the same benchmark. MT6592 was made official with eight Cortex-A7 cores inside, and it is the first mobile chip in the world to be able to use all of them at the same time. Smartphones...

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Qualcomm New Snapdragon 805 Ultra HD Processor

Today, chip maker Qualcomm has officially announced a new processor for the mobile market, in the form of Qualcomm Snapdragon 805, which has been designed to provide users with the highest-quality mobile video experience. The new CPU, the successor of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800 chip, will also offer support for Ultra HD (4K) resolutions, and should offer great imaging and graphics experiences as well. The new chipset arrives with the new Adreno 420 GPU inside and is capable of delivering up to 40 percent more graphics power when compared to its predecessor. Furthermore, the new CPU is the first in the world to come with system-level Ultra HD support, 4K video capture, and playback capabilities. Additionally, it sports enhanced dual...

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Samsung SM-G7106 Emerges in China with 5.25-Inch Screen

A new Samsung smartphone has received the necessary approvals in China, featuring model number Samsung SM-G7106 and packing a 5.25-inch LCD touchscreen display. The mobile phone hasn’t been officially announced as of now, but the specifications that emerged over at Tenaa in China suggest that it will hit shelves as a mid-range device. The aforementioned screen will deliver a 1280 x 720 pixel resolution, while hiding a 1.2GHz quad-core processor beneath it. The phone will also sport 1.5GB of RAM when launched. Furthermore, info uncovered by Ameblo unveils that the new handset will pack an 8-megapixel rear camera, along with a 1.9MP front camera, and that it will run under Google’s Android 4.3 Jelly Bean operating system right...

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Winamp to Be Discontinued on December 20, 2013

Winamp, once one of the most popular media players on the market, will be officially discontinued on December 20, 2013, due to yet to be disclosed reasons. AOL announced the decision in a brief statement on the official Winamp.com website, saying that the webpage and the downloadable media player will be removed on December 20. “Winamp.com and associated web services will no longer be available past December 20, 2013. Additionally, Winamp Media players will no longer be available for download. Please download the latest version before that date. See release notes for latest improvements to this last release. Thanks for supporting the Winamp community for over 15 years,” the notification reads. While nobody can tell for sure what the...

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ASUS ROG MARS 760 Dual-GPU Graphics Card

After a surprisingly low period of leaks and rumors, ASUS has formally launched the ROG Mars 760, which is not, in fact, another overclocked GTX 760 card, but a dual-GPU adapter. ASUS wanted to see what it took to merge two GTX 760 cards until they shared the same PCB. This is the result, a video card with 4 GB of GDDR5 VRAM running at 6600 MHz and GPUs with core clock of 1008 MHz, or 1072 MHz when GPU Boost technology engages. There's 512-bit interface too, 256 bits for each of the two graphics processing units. Compared to NVIDIA's normal GeForce GTX 760, these specs are precisely double portions, although the clocks are higher on both counts. On the single-chip card, the GPU operates at 980 MHz most of the time, and 1033 MHz when...

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MediaTek Officially Intros MT6592 True Octa-Core CPU

Today, MediaTek has finally made official a mobile processor that many have been expecting for a few months now, namely the MT6592, the first chipset to offer true octa-core capabilities for smartphones. The processor, set to arrive in commercially available devices before the end of this year, features eight low-power Cortex-A7 cores, and is capable of firing up all of them at the same time. The new CPU takes advantage of a Heterogeneous Multi-Processing model and ARM's big.LITTLE architecture so as to have all eight cores operating simultaneously, something that other octa-core CPUs available on the market today cannot. Furthermore, MediaTek claims that MT6592’s cores can clock in at between 1.7GHz and 2GHz, and that the processor...

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Samsung and ARM to Put 64-Bit CPU Inside Galaxy S5

Samsung’s next Android-based flagship smartphone, supposedly the Galaxy S5, is expected to be powered by a 64-bit processor when launched next year, a recent report from South Korea suggests. According to koreaherald, Samsung and ARM are currently settling down the final details of the deal, and the next high-end smartphone from the company is sure to pack a 64-bit CPU inside. Following the launch of Apple’s latest iPhone in summer with a similar processor, Samsung said that its next-generation phones could include similar chipsets, though no other details have been provided as of now. Galaxy S5 might become official in the first quarter of the next year, and it could also sport a 5-inch or larger AMOLED screen capable of delivering...

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What’s New in iOS 7.1 – The First Set of Changes in a New Development Cycle

Apple this week rolled out the first iOS 7.1 beta to developers, and while the software is accompanied by a formal set of release notes, the documentation hardly mentions any of the visual tweaks. And there are quite a few of those tweaks, according to developers who were quick to download and install the beta, as Cultofmac notes. One notable change noticed by most testers is that you can actually opt to use a permanently-dark keyboard. By default, iOS 7 switches between a white keyboard and a dark keyboard, depending on the UI of the app you’re currently using (i.e. Mail, Twitter, or Facebook). Now, you can just flip a switch and use a dark one all the time. When iOS 7.1 is released via software update (something that won’t happen...

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Huawei Octa-Core Glory 4/Honor 4 to be Launched in December

In addition to planning the release of the true 8-core Ascend P6S smartphone this year, Chinese mobile phone maker Huawei is also looking into the launch of other octa-core devices as well, with the Glory 4 / Honor 4 included. The company’s CEO Richard Yu has already confirmed this on Sina Weibo, suggesting that the two devices will prove great competitors against Xiaomi’s smartphones when landing in December. However, as UnwiredView notes, Huawei has been using the Glory 4 and Honor 4 names for the same device in different markets, so we won’t see two different handsets launched next month. Apparently, Huawei will pack the new device with MediaTek’s MT6592 “true” octa-core processor, which should make it a high-end smartphone,...

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New API to Bring Camera RAW to Android Devices

Soon, Android might be able to enjoy brand new camera capabilities on their devices, including support for Camera RAW, the latest reports on the matter suggest. Apparently, Google has been working on enhancing the camera capabilities of the OS for quite some time now, and was even ready to bring said improvements to Android 4.4 KitKat, but opted out of this at the last minute. However, the company has been working on new camera API for the platform since December 2012, and might arrive in the not-too-distant future. As Arstechnica found in the commit for the feature, a new API class called “Android.hardware.photography” was planned for Android, capable of delivering brand new functionality to users. “Full-capability devices allow...

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Google Engineer Explains Some Graphical Tweaks in Android 4.4 KitKat

Android 4.4 KitKat, the latest version of Google’s mobile operating system, comes with a series of small tweaks to the interface, including whitened icons in the status bar, and a Google engineer now explains why this has happened. Apparently, the idea of turning all icons white was an aesthetic one, making the System UI a more neutral one and allowing apps to better manage their own color palettes, Dan Sandler explains on Google+. Another change made in the new OS flavor was the removal of network connectivity indicators from the status bar, and their appearance in the Quick Settings menu. The network indicator is still present on the homescreen next to the clock, but it appears only in white, without letting users know whether they...

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Need for Speed Movie Gets Full Length Trailer

The Need for Speed movie starring Aaron Paul has just received a full length trailer that shows a lot more footage from the upcoming film, after the rather short teaser one that came out several weeks ago. The Need for Speed game franchise has been around for many years and has spanned console generations but, rather surprisingly, no movie adaptations were ever devised. Things changed last year when EA partnered with Dreamworks to create a film based on the series, which rapidly went into production after signing big stars like Aaron Paul, of Breaking Bad fame. Now, after a short teaser video some weeks ago, a full length version of the Need for Speed movie trailer has been released to coincide with the launch of the next game in the series - NFS: Rivals. As you can see above,...

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NVIDIA Tesla K40 is World's Fastest Graphics Accelerator

NVIDIA made a big splash on the supercomputing front when it launched the Tesla K20 last year, much more so than any previous GPU compute accelerator, and now it hopes to repeat the feat. The company has introduced the Tesla K40, a Kepler card featuring 2,880 CUDA cores and 12 GB of RAM. It should be able to crunch numbers 40% faster than Tesla K20, despite its only having 192 more processing cores. Don't be shocked by the distinct lack of video ports. This card is specifically made for parallel computing. It won't be displaying images anytime soon. Servers using the card already exist, and the University of Texas at Austin intends to use it in the Maverick remote visualization supercomputer (which will be put online in January...

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