Nokia Normandy Is an Affordable Smartphone Powered by Android

It appears that Nokia did not ruled out completely the launch of an Android device after all. Although the Finnish company decided to go all out with Microsoft's Windows Phone platform, Nokia fans who would had preferred the handset maker would try its hand on some Android devices will be pleased to know their dream may come true.

The Verge reports the previously leaked Nokia Normandy that we originally thought it will bring the gap between the Lumia and Asha series much closer, is in fact a budget-friendly smartphone powered by Google Android operating system. However, the Normandy is said to run a “forked” version of Android that has little to do with Google's stock variant, much closer to what Amazon is doing currently with the Kindle Fire series. Nokia Normandy has no issues running some of the most important Android applications, Skype including. The smartphone has been especially developed as an Asha equivalent, but with a much larger potential due to access to Android's ecosystem. Unfortunately, there's no telling if the Nokia Normandy will ever get launched on the market after Nokia's acquisition by Microsoft, but The Verge claims all Nokia employees working on the phone have been informed the handset is most likely to get released sometime in 2014.

Moreover, the Normandy project is said to be “full steam ahead,” which might mean that Nokia is really determined to bring its first Android smartphone on the market. It would be interesting to know whether or not Microsoft is already aware of Nokia's plans to launch the Normandy and how the Redmond-based company feels about it. If Microsoft-Nokia deal closes before the Normandy gets to be released, it's unclear if the former would be interested to launch an Android device that will surely compete with its own Windows Phone platform. Stay tuned for more on this one.

Nokia Normandy
Image credits to evleaks

Read more »

Sony Xperia Z Ultra Google Play Edition Released with Android 4.4 KitKat

Sony Mobile and Google have just announced the immediate availability of the Xperia Z Ultra Google Play Edition in the United States.

When we thought Google couldn't surprise us anymore after rolling out two KitKat updates in only two days, the search giant starts selling Sony's phablet on its Play Store. Customers can now purchase the Sony Xperia Z Ultra Google Play Edition for $650 (€470) outright via Google Play Store in the United States. According to Google, the smarpthone ships for free in just 1-2 days, so for now there's enough stock to meet the demand. The fact that it's priced so high is probably one of the reasons the phablet isn't out of stock yet. The Google Play Edition of Sony Xperia Z Ultra ships with Android 4.4 KitKat operating system out of the box, unlike the standard version which is still powered by Android 4.2 Jelly Bean platform. It is also worth mentioning that besides stock Android and the latest Google experience, the Xperia Z Ultra Google Play edition comes with some of Sony's unique tech, including Bravia smarts and X-Reality for mobile picture engine.

Aside from the that, Sony Xperia Z Ultra Google Play Edition features the same specs as the standard version, so expect powerful phablet with high-end capabilities. The Xperia Z Ultra is equipped with a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor clocked at 2.2GHz, an Adreno 330 graphics processing unit and 2GB of RAM. The phablet boasts a huge 6.4-inch full HD (1080p) TRILUMINOUS capacitive touchscreen display, as well as 16GB of RAM, 8-megapixel rear camera and LTE support. “Bringing our first Google Play edition device to the US market represents a milestone in Sony’s on-going developer outreach and work with Google’s Android Open Source Project.”

It’s something our users have been asking for, and now we’re responding – we’re excited to gauge reaction to the latest Android version running natively on our unique product’s hardware,” said Fredrik Ekstrand, Head of Software Product Management at Sony Mobile.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra Google Play Edition
Image credits to Sony Mobile

http://developer.sonymobile.com/2013/12/10/introducing-sony-z-ultra-google-play-edition
We're excited to introduce Sony Z Ultra Google Play edition, released on the latest Android version (4.4; KitKat) -- it's available now through the Google Play™ store in the United States.
Video credits to SonyXperiaDeveloperWorld

Read more »

LibreOffice 4.1 vs. Microsoft Office 2013 Complete Comparison, LibreOffice is The Winner

A complete comparison between LibreOffice 4.1 and Microsoft Office 2013 has surfaced and it demonstrates the similarities and features of both products.

Among the best features of LibreOffice that have no real correspondent in the Microsoft product there is a portable version that runs on USB flash disks (without installation), it’s open source, has full integration of all office components, and it’s completely free of charge. This is probably the most complete comparison ever put together and it shows that LibreOffice is in fact on par with most of the features in the latest Microsoft Office 2013, and it’s even leading in some areas.

Microsoft Office 2013 also comes with some perks. It features advanced support of transitional (default) and strict OOXML files, EXCEL can fit up to 16384 columns, has embedded video edit, and can export straight to video. The complete comparison can be found in a comprehensive wiki, but the number of features is way too big to list. Image comparison below, click for larger image.

Read more »

Possible Nexus 8 (LG V510) Shown in Leaked Photos

It appears that the LG V510 tablet rumors have intensified. Just yesterday we brought you news of a tip reported by @evleaks which claimed the elusive device was a Nexus tablet.

Couple this information with the fact that last week Chinese website Weibo leaked a service manual for the LG V510 showing the device had a 8.3-inch screen and we have the Google Nexus 8 in the cards once again. Now MyLGPhone has stumbled upon a couple of leaked pictures actually showcasing the possible LG Nexus tablet. Apparently, this is going to be a Wi-Fi only model, so speculations claiming this was an LTE version of the LG G Pad 8.3 tablet drop to the ground and transform to ashes.

But before getting all excited, take a look at the photos and you'll see there’s no apparent Nexus branding in the pictures, so at the moment we still don’t have enough to step out of the “another LG tablet” realm. For the time being, we know the LG V510 will come sporting an 8.3-inch TFT LCD screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels, two cameras (1.3MP in front and 5MP on the back), 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory.

Possible LG branded Nexus 8 tablet shown in leaked photos
Images credits to MyLGPhones

Read more »