Samsung Shows Exynos 5 Octa CPU and Flexible Display for Handsets and Tablets

South Korean mobile phone maker Samsung Electronics appears ready to make the next step in the evolution of smartphones, and came to the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas with new technology in its pocket, set to show that this is indeed possible. During the company’s keynote at the event, Samsung’s Dr. Stephen Woo took to the stage to announce the Exynos 5 Octa processor for mobile devices, which packs no less than 8 cores. This next-generation processor for mobiles sports four Cortex-A7 cores and four Cortex-A15 cores, while being based on ARM’s big.LITTLE technology, thus using the Cortex-A15 for high-performance needs, and the Cortex-A7 for lighter tasks. According to Samsung, the SoC can deliver twice the performance of quad-core Exynos CPUs, while using...

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Windows RT Jailbreak Should Be Made a Feature

A few days ago, a security researcher discovered a way to bypass Microsoft’s restrictions in order to run unsigned applications on the tablet-oriented operating system Windows RT. Even though it involves quite a complex procedure, the hack is very likely to spawn easier to use applications that would allow all Windows RT users to jailbreak their devices with minimum effort. TechNewsWorld has talked to C.L. Roker, the security researcher who found the flaw and who said that this hack didn’t create any security risk for users’ systems. “It cannot at this point be exploited without the user actually wanting it, so it's not dangerous,” researcher C.L. Roker told TechNewsWorld. In addition, Roker notes that users are continuously...

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Windows Phone 7.8 Coming “in a Few Days”, Confirmed by Nokia Italy

Here is a little update for Windows Phone 7.8 release which is expected to happen this month. After Nokia Spain tweeted the upgrade will be available in January, Nokia Italy took it further and confirmed Windows Phone 7.8 is only a few days away. Italian blog Plaffo reports the Finnish company replied to a Lumia 900 owner asking about Windows Phone 7.8’s availability by saying it will be released “in a few days.” Nokia already pulled Windows Phone 7.8 from its firmware repository, also known as NaviFirm, so those who wish to upgrade via this method will not be able to do so anymore. The reasons behind Nokia’s decision are unclear for the moment, but given the fact the update will be live in just a few days it doesn’t matter...

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Nokia Lumia 620 Now Available in Hong Kong for $295/€227

The budget-friendly Nokia Lumia 620 is expected to arrive in Europe this month, but the smartphone has already been launched in some Asian countries. We reported a few days ago the Lumia 620 is available for purchase in China for $320/€240, and now it appears that that the device has been released in Hong Kong as well. However, GSM Insider reports Nokia Lumia 620 is slightly cheaper in Hong Kong, as the phone has been priced at HKD $2300 outright, which is about $295 or €227. The smartphone comes equipped with a dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor clocked 1 GHz, 512MB of RAM, 8GB of internal memory, as well as microSD card slot for memory expansion (up to 64GB). The Lumia 620 also sports a 3.8-inch ClearBlack display with...

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BlackBerry 10 Devices Released at All Price Points, RIM CMO Says

Research In Motion’s BlackBerry 10 smartphones, set to become official starting with January 30 this year, should cover all price points, the company’s CMO Frank Boulben confirmed. For the time being, the company hasn’t provided specific info on the handsets running under the new operating system, but Boulben said that there would be six of them set to hit shelves before the end of this year. On January 30, RIM is expected to unveil full-touch BlackBerry 10 smartphones, while set to announce QWERTY-enabled smartphones soon after. Boulben also said that over 150 wireless carriers all around the world are already testing the new BlackBerry 10 smartphones, but did not provide further details on the matter. RIM’s upcoming...

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Samsung Galaxy S III Mini Now Official in Black, Brown, Grey and Red Color Options

Samsung silently released four new color options for the Galaxy S III mini. These new color schemes have been tipped for quite some time now, so they’re not a surprise at all. Android enthusiasts who wish to purchase the Samsung Galaxy S III mini will be able to choose from no less than six colors, Pebble Blue, Ceramic White, Titan Gray, Amber Brown, Garnet Red and Onyx Black. Keep in mind that the last four colors have been recently introduced and should be available in most markets where the Galaxy S III mini is launched. For those unfamiliar with the smartphone, the Galaxy S III mini packs a 1 GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal memory. It also sports a 4-inch Super AMOLED display and runs Android...

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TP-Link TL-WA3164EA/N600 Universal Wireless Dual Band Entertainment Adapter

While TP-Link's Pocket Router is ready to tackle the needs of people on-the-go, the company has launched a different device for the homes of the well-off. We are referring to a dual-band wireless router called N600 Universal Wireless Dual Band Entertainment Adapter. With the codename TL-WA3164EA, it has four ports, 300 Mbps data transfers over the 2.4 GHz band, and an extra 300 Mbps over 5 GHz. Not exactly as fast as top-tier models, which work at 450 Mbps over 5 GHz (and, thus, have a total of 750 Mbps), but still quite a lot. In fact, the router should be enough for all Wi-Fi-enabled devices in a home, be they PCs, phones, tablets or TVs. The four Gigabit LAN ports will make sure there is enough bandwidth for...

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MSI X79A-GD45 Motherboard Series

Since EVGA and ASUS have both released E-ATX motherboards with LGA 2011 sockets, Micro-Star International has done so as well. The LGA 2011 socket is the one reserved for Intel's mightiest CPUs, the Ivy Bridge-E (which won't be out for months) and the Sandy Bridge-E (which are already out). MSI's motherboard is called X79A-GD45 Gaming and has 8 DDR3 memory slots, six PCI Express slots (one mini, five full) and all the overclocking features people can think of. MSI also decided on a black and gray color scheme, with die-case MOSFET covers and heatsinks for the chipset. Sadly, Micro-Star International did not give an ETA (estimated time of arrival) or a price. Then again, the mainboard is almost identical to the...

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Nano Tru SIM for iPhone 5 Supports Multiple Numbers, Worldwide Coverage

The folks at Truphone today announced the availability of their Nano Tru SIM for iPhone 5 and iPad minis with cellular capabilities. The hardware enables iDevice owners to roam free with multiple numbers and uninterrupted cellphone coverage worldwide.  Now available in nano SIM format, the Nano Tru SIM enables millions of iPhone 5 and iPad mini users to “connect and communicate in and between more than 200 countries - without the pain of paying extraordinary high roaming fees while traveling abroad,” according to the people at Truphone. The company is currently demonstrating its new product at the CES 2013 convention in Las Vegas hoping to attract as many customers as possible. For owners of an older-generation iPhone...

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BlackBerry Z10 Video Demo Feels Intuitive and Impressive

With just three weeks left until BlackBerry 10’s official launch, Research In Motion is testing its first devices with more than 150 carriers around the globe. Some of them have already confirmed they will carry one or both BlackBerry 10 smartphones that will be announced on January 30, while others are still testing these handsets to see if they prove to be tempting enough for their customers. During Consumer Electronics Show 2013 (CES), in Las Vegas, Jeff Gadway, senior manager of BlackBerry Product Marketing, took the wrap off some of the best features of BlackBerry 10 operating system. In a 5-minute demo for Forbes, Gadway highlights the main advantages of the BlackBerry Hub, Peek and Flow technology and virtual keyboard. In fact, RIM claims BlackBerry 10 provides...

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TP-LINK TL-WR810N Pocket Router

Routers are box-like devices, with varying aesthetic value, that use antennas to provide web connectivity by exploiting the principles of electromagnetism. They are, sadly, also a bit complicated to install, and they aren't always easy to take along on a trip. TP-LINK decided to make a router specially designed for travelers: the 300 Mbps TL-WR810N. Basically, it is a small device that gets plugged into a power socket and voila, instant Wi-Fi for everyone. It can even work in AP mode (access point) and has two 100 Mbps Ethernet ports. A USB port is included as well, for device recharging. TP-Link will ship the TL-WR810N from the second quarter onward (Q2 2013) at an unspecified price. Security is ensured by...

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BlackBerry Z10 for Verizon Wireless Pictured

Research In Motion (RIM) bet big on its upcoming BlackBerry 10 smartphones, the Z10 and X10. Also known as L-Series and N-Series, both devices will be unveiled at the end of the month, along with the new BlackBerry 10 operating system. Several Canadian carriers have already opened up pre-registrations for BlackBerry 10 devices, which are expected to go on sale a few days after their official launch. Verizon and AT&T will both carry BlackBerry 10 smartphones and this has been confirmed recently by some leaked pictures of operator-branded devices. The folks over at NerdBerry have just published a few more pics showing the BlackBerry Z10 smartphone for Verizon Wireless. Although this is a dummy unit, at least it’s...

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ASUS Ares II Dual-GPU HD 7990 Graphics Card

Advanced Micro Devices never actually released a Radeon HD 7990 video card, but that hasn't stopped its OEMs from launching dual-GPU boards independently. ASUS has just released the latest such card. ASUS appears undaunted by the fact that the Sea Islands series have essentially been formally introduced by Advanced Micro Devices and, thus, the Radeon HD 8000 graphics card series is almost upon us. The company went ahead and introduced the Ares II video board, equipped with two Pitcairn graphics processing units. Since AMD never introduced a Radeon HD 7990, even though it did launch a Radeon HD 6990 a while ago, the HD 7990 doesn't actually exist as a brand. As such, ASUS has named the Ares II a dual-HD 7970 (HD 7970...

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Lenovo IdeaPhone K900 5.5’’

Chinese mobile phone maker Lenovo has made official at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas a new handset powered by an Intel processor, namely the IdeaPhone K900. The new device sports the new Clover Trail+ processor from Intel, which features two cores clocked in at 2GHz each. Furthermore, it will arrive on shelves with a 5.5-inch touchscreen display that can deliver a 1080p full HD resolution, making it one of the largest smartphones in the world. Lenovo also packed the new handset with a 13-megapixel photo snapper on the back, with dual flash and full HD video recording capabilities, as well as with a front camera that sports an 88-degree super wide viewing angle. The new IdeaPhone K900 comes with 2GB...

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