Lenovo S650, Lenovo S930 dual-SIM Android smartphones launched

Lenovo has expanded its S range with the introduction of new mid-range smartphones, the Lenovo S650 and Lenovo S930. The Chinese manufacturer announced the new S series smartphones in Russia, and also revealed the prices for the new phones, although it has not detailed the global availability of the Lenovo S650 and Lenovo S930 smartphones.
The Lenovo S650 will be available at 11,990 Russian rubles (Rs. 22,600 approximately), while the Lenovo S930 will be available at 13990 Russian rubles (Rs. 26,500 approximately).
The Lenovo S650 runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and is a dual-SIM device with support for GSM+GSM. It comes with a 4.7-inch qHD (540x960) display. It is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6582 processor with 1GB of RAM. There is 8GB of inbuilt storage which can be expanded via microSD, though there is no word on the maximum storage supported. There is 2000mAh battery onboard, and the phone measures 138x69.8x8.7mm, while weighing 126 grams. Unfortunately, there is no word on the main camera and front camera.
The Lenovo S930 on the other hand is an Android 4.2 Jelly Bean dual-SIM (GSM+GSM) phablet and features a 6-inch HD (720x1280) display. It is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6582 processor with Mali-400 MP and 1GB of RAM. The Lenovo S930 sports an 8-megapixel rear camera and also includes a 1.6-megapixel front-facing camera. The phablet includes 8GB of inbuilt storage, and support expandable storage (unspecified maximum storage). It packs a 3000mAh battery and weighs 170 grams. It comes with dimensions 170x86x8.65mm.
In November, Lenovo expanded its Vibe smartphone line-up and announced the Vibe Z in China.
The Lenovo Vibe Z is powered by a 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, the same processor found on flagship devices such as Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Sony Xperia Z1. The Vibe Z comes with 2GB of RAM, Adreno 330 GPU and runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. It features a 5.5-inch full-HD display and is a dual-SIM device. The phablet sports a 13-megapixel rear camera with f/1.8 aperture and dual-LED flash. It also includes a 5-megapixel front-facing camera.

Nokia offers Lumia phone to user who posted burnt Samsung Galaxy S4 video

In a recently reported incident of a Galaxy S4 catching fire, Samsung had allegedly asked the user to remove the video showing the incident, before it would provide a replacement device. It now seems the user will get a new phone even if he doesn't remove the video, but not from Samsung.
Apparently Nokia USA has offered a Lumia to Richard Wygand (@ghostlyrich), who had recently uploaded a video of his Samsung Galaxy S4 catching fire. Ghostlyrich's video on YouTube showed a Samsung Galaxy S4 catching fire while charging with what the user claimed to be an original Samsung charger. While the phone did not explode, its charging port was supposedly burnt out.
The Galaxy S4 user claimed his phone was under warranty, but when he initiated the process to have the device replaced, Samsung customer care reportedly sent a reply that it would provide a replacement only if the user removed the video from YouTube. In response, the user uploaded a video about the letter he'd supposedly received from Samsung.
Since the matter was reported widely, Nokia USA interestingly tweeted the user with an offer.
In its tweet, Nokia USA said, "@ghostlyrich we want to help you out. Let me send you a Nokia Lumia so you can experience how customer service should 'really' work."
The move by Nokia refreshes our memory to a similar incident back in 2011, when a Microsoft evangelist had offered free Windows Phones to five users who reported the best story about malware problems they were experiencing on their Android smartphones.
So far, Samsung has kept silent about Nokia's offer, just like it had refused to confirm what it had reported initially asked the Galaxy S4 user to do.

Microsoft considers Qualcomm COO Mollenkopf as CEO candidate

Microsoft Corp is considering Qualcomm Inc Chief Operating Officer Steve Mollenkopf as a candidate for its new chief executive officer, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, as it reaches the final stages of a four-month search process.
The world's biggest software company is down to a "handful" of candidates with no clear leader, including a hitherto unconsidered technology executive, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters this week.
In the past few months, most attention has focused on Ford Motor Co CEO Alan Mulally, a friend of Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's current CEO who announced his plans to retire earlier this year. Mulally is credited with rescuing the beleaguered auto giant, but sources said an external tech executive is in the running, plus one or two internal executives.

Microsoft declined comment on its CEO search, and Qualcomm declined comment on Mollenkopf's potential candidacy.
People familiar with the process expect Microsoft to select a new CEO before the end of the year, although the committee formed to find Ballmer's successor gave itself 12 months to do its work when it was formed in August.
Mulally, who helped Ballmer create his 'One Microsoft' overhaul and has seemed so far to be the most likely candidate to succeed him, is under pressure this week from Ford's board to clarify his plans.

"I love serving Ford," Mulally told Reuters on Thursday, without addressing the speculation surrounding him.
Mollenkopf, an engineer who holds several wireless patents and has risen to the top management ranks at Qualcomm since joining the company in 1994, appears to meet the requirements of the Microsoft CEO job laid out by Chairman Bill Gates last month.
According to Gates, Microsoft needs a CEO who can run a "complex global business" and "work with our top technical talent."

US reconsiders ban on mobile phones on planes

"I'm the last person in the world who wants to listen to somebody talking" while flying across the country, FCC chief Wheeler said

The US communications agency has taken the first step toward lifting a ban on mobile phone calls during flights.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted on Thursday to launch a public review of the ban, even as its commissioners expressed reservations.
Separately, the head of the Department of Transportation said the department was weighing its own ban.
A recent poll suggested 59% of Americans who flew in the past year opposed allowing calls on planes.
The FCC on Thursday voted 3-2 to open a months-long public comment period.
"There is a need to recognise that there is a new technology,'' Chairman Thomas Wheeler said. "This is a technical rule. It is a rule about technology. It is not a rule of usage.
"Nothing will be different on your flight tomorrow. We're seeking comments on a proposal."

 

Thomas Wheeler FCC chair

Use of mobile phones on flights has been prohibited for 22 years out of concern the calls would interfere with cellular networks on the ground, but technological changes have resolved those issues.

Attendant opposition Mr Wheeler has said he personally would oppose calls on planes, because he was "the last person in the world" who would want to listen to others' phone conversations on a plane.
But lifting the decades-old ban was "the responsible thing to do", he said.
"When the rationale for a rule doesn't exist, the rule shouldn't exist," he said ahead of the vote.
Mr Wheeler said he had called the chief executives of major airlines to assure them the firms would not be required to allow calls on their flights.
He said the decision to ban phone calls on flights should be left to the airlines.
Separately, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx on Thursday said the Department of Transportation was inclined to institute its own ban, under its authority to protect aviation consumers.

Mobile phones have been banned on flights in the US ever since they came into widespread use

"Over the past few weeks, we have heard of concerns raised by airlines, travelers, flight attendants, members of Congress and others who are all troubled over the idea of passengers talking on cell phones in flight - and I am concerned about this possibility as well," he said.
A recent poll by the Associated Press news agency suggested that 48% of Americans opposed allowing mobile phone calls during flights. Among those who flew at least once last year, it was 59%.
And 78% of Americans who flew more than four times in the past year said they were against mobile use.
A labour union representing flight attendants opposes the ban's removal, arguing calls could provoke fights among passengers.
In a statement, Delta Air Lines said it would not allow voice calls if the ban were removed, as the airline's customers showed an "overwhelming sentiment" against such a move.
However, the Telecommunications Industry Association, a lobbying group for US mobile phone providers, supports removing the ban, arguing where mobile phones are allowed on planes, calls typically last one to two minutes and often involve only checking voicemail messages.

German 'porn users' told to pay up

 

Thousands of Germans are reported to have been sent letters asking them to pay a fee for porn they are alleged to have streamed illegally online.

Law firm Urmann (U+C) is acting on behalf of Swiss copyright protection firm the Archive, and is asking for one-off payments of 250 euros (£210).
It confirmed to the BBC that the letters have been sent but would not say how many.
A growing number of affected people are claiming to be wrongly accused.
According to a German news site, more than 10,000 people are affected.
The German case is one of the first to target people accused of streaming rather than downloading pornography.
In this case U+C is targeting users who, they claim, have viewed content from porn-streaming site Redtube.
The law firm was unwilling to speak about its work to the BBC. Neither was the Archive available for comment.
In a twist, its campaign appears to have been taken up by cybercriminals who are sending out fake emails purporting to come from U+C but containing malicious software.
It led the law firm to issue a warning on its website urging people not to open the emails.
"Fake warnings on behalf of U+C have been sent by email. This email does not come from the law firm. Warnings on behalf of our clients are shipped exclusively by mail," it said.
Real evidence The practice of law firms pursuing alleged copyright infringers has become a growing concern in recent years.
"In previous cases like this, we've seen some people pushed into paying up when they may have done nothing wrong," said Peter Bradwell of the Open Rights Group.
"It can seem more expensive or embarrassing to challenge the accusation.
"If a company wants to write to people it claims have infringed their copyright, a court needs to at least make sure the evidence they have is of a high standard and that letters being sent are fair and easy to understand."

 

Asus Padfone mini 4.3

Asus Padfone mini 4.3 with quad-core Snapdragon 400, Android 4.3 launched

After much speculation, Asus' latest smartphone-tablet hybrid, the Padfone mini 4.3, is now official. Asus launched the Padfone mini 4.3 at an event in Taiwan. The device has been priced at 11,990 New Taiwanese dollars, which translates to roughly Rs. 25,000.
As of now, the Asus Padfone mini 4.3 will be available in Taiwan only, and there is no word on the availability of the latest Padfone in other regions. However, Engadget claims that the Padfone mini 4.3 is expected to be rolled out in China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Russia, and Singapore.
The Asus Padfone mini 4.3, much like its predecessor the Padfone Infinity, comes with a tablet docking station, which in this case features a 7-inch HD (720x1280) Super IPS display. Like previous iterations, the smartphone fits into the tablet dock, powering the tablet with its hardware.
The Padfone mini 4.3 runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean out-of-the-box, and comes with dual-SIM (GSM+GSM) functionality, which makes it the first smartphone-tablet hybrid from Asus supporting dual-SIM.
It sports a 4.3-inch qHD (540x960) Super IPS display which boasts a pixel density of 256ppi. Internally, the Padfone mini 4.3 packs a 1.4GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 (MSM8226) processor along with 1GB of RAM. It sports an 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and also includes a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. The Padfone mini 4.3 comes with 16GB inbuilt storage and can be expanded up to 64GB with the help of microSD card. Connectivity options on the Padfone mini include WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, AGPS, GLONASS and 3G.
The Asus Padfone mini 4.3 smartphone packs a 1500mAh battery, while the 7-inch tablet dock equips a 2200mAh battery. Interestingly, the smartphone can be charged by docking into the station. The Asus Padfone mini 4.3 will be available in Black, Pink and White colour variants.
In September, Asus launched the refreshed version of the Padfone Infinity.

Google opened its first ever data centres in Asia

Google has opened its first ever data centres in Asia as it looks to boost its growth further in the region.

The move comes as a growing number of people in Asia - which is home to more than half of the world's population - are getting connected to the internet.
Google said that having data centres in Asia will help it to provide faster and "more reliable" access to its tools and services to users in the region.
The two new centres are based in Taiwan and Singapore.
"The growth in Asia's Internet has been amazing," Joe Kava, vice president of data centres at Google, said in a blogpost.
"Between July and September of this year alone, more than 60 million people in Asia landed on the mobile internet for the first time. That's almost two Canadas, or three Australias.
"And this growth probably won't slow for some time, since the majority of people that have yet to come online also happen to live in Asia," he added.
The rapid speed at which internet users in the region have been growing, has turned Asia into a key market for internet firms.
China - Asia's largest economy - has more 500 million internet users, making its the world's biggest internet market.
Meanwhile, India - the world's second most populous country after China - has seen the number of users double to 200 million just in the last two years.
It took six years to achieve a similar growth in the US, according to Google.
The firm said it plans to invest $600m (£365m) in the long run in the Taiwan data centre - the bigger of the two facilities in the region.