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  • Windows Phone 7.8 features comparison

    A  few weeks ago Microsoft unveiled Windows Phone 8 to the world. The brand new OS is all set to replace Windows Phone 7 as Microsoft’s mobile offering. There’s a lot to love about Windows Phone 8 like the new NT kernel. What there isn’t to like so much is the lack of any upgrade path for current Windows Phone 7. So it’s effectively a reboot from Microsoft, yet again.

    173062 image Windows Phone 7.8 on Lumia Windows Phone 7.8 features comparison

    Not to leave current Windows Phone users completely in the dust, Microsoft is offering an interim update, Windows Phone 7.8 to current Windows Phone 7 users. The update will be available alongside Windows Phone 8 release. We already know it brings in the new start screen. But what about the rest of the features? While Microsoft has remained mum about it, here’s a list of  features in 7.8 compared to WP8 according to a Russian website.

    Function Windows Phone 7.8 Windows Phone 8.0
    Browser IE9 IE10
    Skype A separate application Integrated
    Voice commands Yes Yes, an extended set
    DataSmart A separate application Yes
    Bing Аudio Yes Yes, improved recognition TV
    RCS-e A separate application Integrated
    Cloud OneNote, Office 365 Synchronization of all content
    Updated startup screen Yes Yes
    OTA No, only the notification Yes
    Visual Voicemail Only for some countries Yes

     

    As expected, there’s not a whole that 7.8 has to offer compared to 7. Skype still isn’t built in and you still get the old IE10. Windows Phone 8 is where the real magic happens. Newer IE10, integrated Skype experience, OTA update on the phone and a whole lot more.

    It’s not looking pretty for those tying their hopes on 7.8. It’s effectively the same as Windows Phone 7 with a few added features like Data Smart. The fact is if you want a true upgrade, you’re going to have to shell out for a new phone.

  • “The Arrival” – Another PlayStation Advertisement

    Sony has revealed another short video, titled “The Arrival”.

    Just a few days ago, Sony revealed “The Reload” video and this new short video seems to be a continuation of it, or a direct link.

    You can watch the video here:

    First thing’s first, the date that is show at the end of this video and the end of the Reload video was initially speculated to be a reference to the introduction of the new PlayStation Store in North America. But since the premise of the store has been delayed, this speculation is now invalid. Therefore, we can now easily assume that this is either a continuation of Sony’s “Michael” advertisement or a promotional video for PlayStation All Stars Battle Royale. The dates at the end could be for the release of the complete video.

    In “The Arrival”, we see the same woman at the same desk as in “The Reload”. This time, she is typing a letter with symbols from the Ratchet and Clank series, which have been identified to read:

    “Dear Copernicus we have received your letter and regret to inform you captain…”

    Copernicus could be Copernicus L. Quark, a character from the Ratchet and Clank series. This character did not make it to the roster of PS All Stars Battle Royale, so perhaps that’s why this letter was being written to him. He does appear as a NPC in one of the maps though. This further supports the speculation that this video could be for PlayStation All Stars Battle Royale.

    A jeep is later shown in the video which has a propane tank, similar to that in the Uncharted series, stored at the back. Then, a silhouette of a figure is seen, who can easily be identified as Nathan Drake as he gets out of the jeep.

    The previous advertisement had us thinking about inFamous 3. But with this, it’s pretty clear that we were wrong. Everything points towards PlayStation All Stars Battle Royale, but can we be completely sure? It’ll all come to light soon.

    Expect more videos like this soon.

  • 13 inch Retina MacBook Pro prices leaked

    The existence of a 13 inch Retina MacBook is all but officially confirmed now. The 15 inch rMacBook has garnered positive reviews for its splendid design and an even more impressive display. It’s only natural for Apple to bring the same features in the smaller MacBook Pro. Though it’s obvious what the 13 inch Retina MacBook Pro will be notable for, what’s not known is the price Apple will charge.

    macbook pros 13 inch Retina MacBook Pro prices leaked

    Fortunately for potential buyers, 9to5Mac has started getting information on the price. According to this information the base model of the 13 inch Retina MacBook Pro will sell for $1699. The normal 13 inch MacBook sells for $1199 so this is a $500 premium for the Retina version. As a comparison the premium for the 15 inch Retina MacBook Pro is $400 over the normal version. However in this case you get all flash storage and a thinner profile. Whether the 13 inch Retina MacBook Pro will get the same treatment is still to be known. And if Apple does make it thin, where does that leave the MacBook Air?

    We will find out all about this next week when Apple officially takes the covers off this rather well kept secret. We will also get to see the iPad mini unveiling.

     

  • Purported Nexus 10 manual leaks ahead of expected October 29th announcement

    When it comes to leaking before launch, LG Nexus 4 is the king of all Nexuses and Android smartphones at large. But now we have something interesting to show you related to upcoming Nexus 10 tablet. As TheVerge reports, a hard copy of a manual for Nexus 10 device has leaked before the launch of the the device.

    nexus10manual2 Purported Nexus 10 manual leaks ahead of expected October 29th announcement

    The manual book i.e titled as ‘Nexus 10 – Quick Start Guide’ is small in size just like any other manual you have seen before. Inside it details the design of the upcoming Nexus 10 tablet while showing users about the ports, speakers, cameras, buttons, and LED present on the device. The device as seen in the photo of leaked manual below looks very different than the Nexus 7, which comes as a surprise for us, as we too like everyone else were expecting a Nexus 7 like design, that is liked by almost everyone. On the back the device has a strip of an unknown material (could be metal or plastic) in which the camera and flash is located – it is a good news if you were expecting the Nexus 10 to lack a camera like its smaller 7 inch cousin.

    nexus10 manual Purported Nexus 10 manual leaks ahead of expected October 29th announcement

    Google is going to have an Android event on October 29th in which it will announce the LG Nexus 4, the 32GB Nexus 7, and may be the Nexus 10 too. Nexus 10 is rumored to feature a 10.1-inch display with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels. It this rumor turns out to be true then Nexus 10 will be the first and only tablet feature the display of that high resolution.

  • Apple posts apology over Samsung Galaxy Tab UK case

    Apple vs. Samsung cases over who copied who and which device looks like the other has lost the edge it had when it bursted on scene nearly a year ago. Whatever happens, there does not seem to be an end to what is now looking like a never ending battle that no one really cares about anymore. That being said, there are a few times when these battles take a turn for the mildly interesting. Recently we saw Apple lose an appeal in the UK over the Galaxy Tab case. The result? Apple posts apology on its website saying Samsung did not copy. And now they have.

    Here’s what it says

    On 9th July 2012 the High Court of Justice of England and Wales ruled that Samsung Electronic (UK) Limited’s Galaxy Tablet Computer, namely the Galaxy Tab 10.1, Tab 8.9 and Tab 7.7 do not infringe Apple’s registered design No. 0000181607-0001. A copy of the full judgment of the High court is available on the following link www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Patents/2012/1882.html.

    In the ruling, the judge made several important points comparing the designs of the Apple and Samsung products:

    “The extreme simplicity of the Apple design is striking. Overall it has undecorated flat surfaces with a plate of glass on the front all the way out to a very thin rim and a blank back. There is a crisp edge around the rim and a combination of curves, both at the corners and the sides. The design looks like an object the informed user would want to pick up and hold. It is an understated, smooth and simple product. It is a cool design.”

    “The informed user’s overall impression of each of the Samsung Galaxy Tablets is the following. From the front they belong to the family which includes the Apple design; but the Samsung products are very thin, almost insubstantial members of that family with unusual details on the back. They do not have the same understated and extreme simplicity which is possessed by the Apple design. They are not as cool.”

    That Judgment has effect throughout the European Union and was upheld by the Court of Appeal on 18 October 2012. A copy of the Court of Appeal’s judgment is available on the following link www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2012/1339.html. There is no injunction in respect of the registered design in force anywhere in Europe.

    However, in a case tried in Germany regarding the same patent, the court found that Samsung engaged in unfair competition by copying the iPad design. A U.S. jury also found Samsung guilty of infringing on Apple’s design and utility patents, awarding over one billion U.S. dollars in damages to Apple Inc. So while the U.K. court did not find Samsung guilty of infringement, other courts have recognized that in the course of creating its Galaxy tablet, Samsung willfully copied Apple’s far more popular iPad.

    If you were looking for Apple to have a heart to heart with Samsung then you’d be sorely disappointed. The above ‘apology’, if it can even be called that, is essentially a very drab looking passage from Apple. The original case was turned against Apple by the judge because the Galaxy Tab wasn’t as cool as the iPad. In this ‘apology’ Apple agrees that is indeed the case.

    It’s a positive sign to see Apple complying with the judgement. They had the choice to take the appeal to the Supreme Court, but instead opted for the middle ground.

  • TechDeville’s iPad Mini Giveaway

    We have another giveaway for our readers today. We’ll be giving away a 16GB WiFi iPad Mini in a color of the winner’s choice (choice between black and white) . Our iPad Mini giveaway starts right now and will end Sunday 9th of November.

    hero 390x480 TechDevilles iPad Mini Giveaway

    Use the tool below to enter the giveaway:

    Good luck! We’ll be updating the post with the winner on the 9th of November.

  • Is GTA V Coming in Spring 2013?

    We’ve all been waiting for some news on Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto V ever since the first trailer came out. Now, we’ve received an unofficial confirmation that might just be a little more than your regular rumor.

    gtafive.pl gtav spring2013 1 610x421 Is GTA V Coming in Spring 2013?

    A leaked image of a European poster for Grand Theft Auto V is pointing towards Spring 2013 as the release window. This image and news comes from the Grand Theft Auto fan forum, GTA-Five. However, Rockstar itself has still not confirmed this. Also, it is unclear whether or not this will be the release for all regions. The last Grand Theft Auto game released in Japan 6 months after it’s American release. We do not know if this is to be the case with GTA V as well.

    It is also interesting to note that the images do not contain the logo for the Wii U. Does this mean that Nintendo’s new console will not see the marvel that is GTA V? Or has Rockstar got other plans for it later?

    More Grand Theft Auto V news is expected in November. Visit TechDeville then for we will have the hottest news at your disposal.

  • Install Ubuntu on Nexus 7

    Nexus 7 is one of the best Android tablet ever released and those who already own it wouldn’t disagree. Nexus 7 runs Android by default which is a great platform, but if you want to try something new on your device and don’t mind installing Ubuntu OS on it then we have got you covered. In this post we are going to show you how you can install the official build o7 Ubuntu on Nexus 7 device.

    Before beginning make sure you back up all of your data so you don’t loose it in the process. Also, before you begin please note that this guide is taken from the official Wiki of Ubuntu and works properly. However if you do any sort of damage to your device during the process, TechDeville will not be responsible for your loss. If you are fine with that then begin with the procedure.

    Here are the things you will need for this installation:

    • A Nexus 7 device.
    • A microUSB cable that you use to sync with your PC
    • A PC running Ubuntu 12.04 or later
    • Ubuntu Nexus 7 Desktop Installer installed on your development system

    Unlocking your Nexus 7 tablet:

    First of all before you install Ubuntu on Nexus 7 you will need to unlock your device so that you can flash certain images to your device. You will only need to do this once, but be warned as the process of unlocking will erase all of your data and will restore your Nexus 7 to default or factory settings. It may also void your device’s warranty.

    To unlock you Nexus 7 reboot your device and while it is at the Android boot loader screen hold the volume button and the power button. Keep these two buttons pressed until the boot loader UI appears on your screen. The boot loader UI can be seen in the image below.

    bootloader Install Ubuntu on Nexus 7

    To Verify that the fastboot lists the device enter:

    1. $ sudo fastboot devices
    2. 1234567891234567 fastboot

    Afterwards you can start the bootloader unlock process by entering:

    sudo fastboot oem unlock

    After you have entered the command above you will be asked if you want to unlock the bootloader of your device. Simply tap the Yes button and proceed.

    Install Ubuntu on Nexus 7

    After tapping on the Yes button reboot your device by entering or pressing the power button of your device.

    sudo fastboot reboot-bootloader

    Ubuntu on Nexus 7

    After you have unlocked your Nexus 7 by performing the steps above you can install Ubuntu on your Nexus 7. Before proceeding to the installation process make sure your device is in fastboot mode. Plug Nexus 7 to your computer. Remove all other devices that are connected to your computer because they will get erased too, if not removed.

    Now on your computer, type nexus in the search field of your dash and from the search results launch Ubuntu Nexus 7 Installer  This installer will help you in installing Ubuntu on your Nexus 7.

    dash3 Install Ubuntu on Nexus 7

    The installer will download the latest available version of Ubuntu for your device automatically. It will also flash your Nexus 7, which will take up to 2 minutes. After getting flashed your Nexus 7 will reboot. Then the process of Ubuntu installation will start. This process will take up to 10-15 minutes.

    Installing Android back on your Nexus 7

    Nexus 7 android Install Ubuntu on Nexus 7

    After installing Ubuntu on Nexus 7 you would want to return to Android. You can do it quite easily if you follow the steps below. Be warned that all the data present on your Nexus 7 will be erased. Remove any other device that is attached to your computer before proceeding as it will be flashed too if not removed.

    You can download the official ROM of Android for your device from here. After downloading, uncompress it by entering the following command.

    tar zxvf nakasi-jro03d-factory-e102ba72.tgz

    After that connect your device to computer and put it in fastboot mode and run the resulting script.

    cd nakasi-jro03d/
sudo ./flash-all.sh

    If you get any errors related to boot.sig, recovery.sig, or system.sig simply ignore them as they would not affect the installation.

  • Google postpones October 29th Android event

    Google had announced a special Android event for media and had already sent out invitations to major media outlets for the event. The company was expected to announce the new LG Nexus 4 smartphone, the new Nexus 10 tablet, 32GB Nexus 7, and Android 4.2.

    We just like everyone were pumped with excitement for the new products that have been leaking on the internet from past few weeks and were hoping to get the official announcement, sadly that announcement isn’t happening anymore – not on October 29th as scheduled. Google has postponed the Android event due to Hurricane Sandy.

    The company has yet to announce the new date for the event in which it will announce the new lineup of its flagship Nexus devices and new version of Android. We will let you know as soon as more details are available to share.

    Meanwhile you can read our extensive coverage of the postponed Android event and of the devices that are expected to get announced in this media event by Google.

    LG Nexus 4

    Nexus 10 tablet

    Android 4.2

    32GB Nexus 7

  • Update Galaxy S III i9300 to Android 4.1.1 XXDLJ4 official firmware

    Galaxy S3 is currently one of the best Android phones money can get. With a 4.8-inch SAMOLED HD screen and a blazing fast quad-core CPU, it can hold its own against the very best of other platforms. In this guide we will tell you how to upgrade your Galaxy S III to Android 4.1.1 XXDLJ4 firmware, the most up to date version of Jelly Bean.

    Firmware Details

    • Android 4.1.1
    • PDA: I9300XXDLJ4
    • CSC: I9300OXADLJ4
    • Version: 4.1.1
    • Date: 2012-10-23
    • Regions: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom

    Make sure you have a factory unlocked version of S3. Fully charge your battery and backup all important data. Note that if your phone was previously rooted, it will be unrooted after installing this firmware.

    Step 1- Download the firmware

    Step 2- Download ODIN

    Step 3- Boot your phone into download mode. Do this by switching it off and then pressing and holding the Volume Down + Home buttons together, and then pressing the Power button. You’ll see a triangle and an Android logo.

    Step 4- Open ODIN on your PC. Make sure USB drivers for the phone are installed. Upon successful connection one of the ID:COM boxes will turn yellow with the COM port number.

    Step 5- Select all files you downloaded in step 1.

    • Click the PDA button. Select the file which has CODE in its name
    • Click the Phone button and select the file which has MODEM in its name
    • Click on the CSC button and select the file which has CSC in its name
    • Click the PIT button and select the .pit file

    Step 6- In ODIN select Auto Reboot and F. Reset Time options. Select repartition only if your selected the PIT file

    Step 7- Click on the start button. Installation process will start which will take 5 to 10 minutes to complete. Upon restart your phone will be updated to Android 4.1.1 XXDLJ4 official firmware.

    Root the firmware using the steps detailed here.