New ultra-competitive Angry Birds game is out for iOS and Android; has deep Facebook integration

Another iteration of the addictive Angry Birds game has hit smartphones. Angry Birds Friends, the newest game, is more or less like the previous ones, wherein you have to fling birds to destroy pigs. While the gameplay may remain pretty much the same, the game now comes with a new, interactive social angle. It tracks and stacks up your score against friends via Facebook. You get to compare and pit your score against other players of every platform the game is available on. This means, players on Facebook, iOS and Android can judge each other’s score. The new version is free on both platforms. Get socially interactive with Angry Birds Friends Angry Birds Friends features tournaments offering new levels every week. The interactive angle allows players to brag, send gifts, and invite Facebook friends to play. It comes with four classic power-ups, plus one exclusive to Angry Birds Friends on mobile. You can challenge your Facebook friends for bronze, silver, and gold trophies. Expect daily rewards, and also free bird-coins just for completing the tutorial.  Angry Birds has been one of the most celebrated games of the mobile platform that leverages on the touchscreen. Moreover,  Rovio has kept dishing out several iterations of the game to keep up the entertainment quotient. Early last month, it had teased mobile gaming fiends with a possible Angry Birds Seasons, giving us a hint or two about the forthcoming update. Considering the popularity of the game, Rovio has announced the all-new animated series wherein fans will be able to watch the latest adventures of birds and pigs with the Angry Birds Toons.

Apple could price the budget iPhone around $350 and not lower: JP Morgan

There’s some more discussion around the budget iPhone and this time it is about the price. While many have been speculating that Apple will launch an iPhone with middling specifications for as little as $200, two analysts from JP Morgan think they have worked out what the actual price could be. They claim that the "budget" iPhone could sport a $350-400 price tag. According to AllThingsD, the theory put forth by Gokul Hariharan and Mark Moskowitz, analysts from JP Morgan, has very strong historical precedents. They cite the example of the iPad mini, which was priced at $329 at its launch. Many felt that compared to its competition then, the Nexus 7 and the Kindle Fire, the mini was overpriced as the Nexus 7 started at $249 and Amazon’s media consumption tablet cost $199. They felt that this would make the iPad mini a difficult device to sell to the budget conscious. The roaring success of the iPad mini, however, has proved them wrong with almost 12 million of the smaller tablets being sold in the last quarter, making up almost 55 percent of the total iPad shipments and helping Apple maintain a near 40 percent share of the tablet market. The pricing of the iPad mini has thus helped Apple carve out a new slice of the tablet market with a middle price band of $329 and in the process, also dominate the tablet market as a whole. The plastic back of the rumoured budget iPhone A similar strategy was seen with the iPod nano. The launch price of $199 was again perceived as too expensive as the low-end MP3 players of that time were significantly cheaper. But the iPod nano proved to be immensely successful and ensured Apple’s near monopoly of the MP3 player market. This strategy of sacrificing some of its margins in order to unlock yet another segment of the market has been spelled out by the company’s CFO Peter Oppenheimer. “We are managing the business for the long term and are willing to trade off short-term profits where we see long-term potential,” he said during Apple’s most recent earnings call. According to JP Morgan, we could see this strategy being played out in the smartphone market too. The middle section of the smartphone market is dominated globally by Samsung. The Korean company has a market share of over 35 percent in the $200-500 price range. Apple’s current flagship smartphone iPhone 5 starts at $649. The analysts from JP Morgan opine that launching a new product in the $350-400 level could see Apple secure nearly 25 percent of that market share in a matter of just 12 months. There is definitely a market for Apple phones in that range and the recent sellout of the two-generations-old iPhone 4 priced at Rs 26,000 (approx $480) in India is a good indication of that. A new Apple phone priced in and around Rs 20,000 ($350-400) will be in sync with its strategy thus far and help it grab a chunk of the smartphone pie in the middle segment.

Acer to launch 8.1-inch, 32GB Windows 8 tablet soon

Yesterday, we reported that Microsoft would be working on a 7.5-inch Windows 8 tablet in order to compete with Apple’s iPad mini and Google’s Nexus 7, both of which have been runaway hits. It turns out that this isn't the only small-sized Windows 8 tablet that we’ll be seeing. An "accidental" listing on Amazon.com of an 8.1-inch, 32GB Windows 8 tablet by Acer was reported by PC World. The tablet was listed at a price of $379.99, which is extremely competitive given that a 32GB Wi-Fi-only iPad mini costs $429.00. The listing was spotted during an event by Acer in New York where it unveiled a wide range of gadgets. The Taiwan-based company introduced a 15.6-inch Acer Aspire R7, an 11.6-inch Acer Aspire Ultrabook, the 7.9-inch Iconia A1 tablet and a series of touch notebook computers. The Iconia W3 that was listed on Amazon.com wasn’t unveiled, which is probably why the listing was yanked off in a matter of minutes. The leaked listing (Image credit: PCWorld) The listing of the Windows 8 tablet revealed that the 8.1-inch tablet was running on a 1.5GHz Intel processor and 2GB RAM. The presence of an x86 architecture processor means that the tablet would be running the full version of Windows 8 rather than the Windows RT OS. The leaked listing also showed that the tablet sports a 2MP rear camera, with no mention of a front-facing camera. The screen resolution was listed as 1280 x 800 pixels, which  is on par with the Nexus 7 and higher than the 1024 x 768 reslotion of the iPad mini. The early range of Windows 8 tablets had displays that were 10 inches or larger and recently Microsoft has tweaked a whole lot of features and specs of the Windows 8 OS in order to make its environment compatible with tablets sporting smaller displays. The OS's hardware certification program recently reduced the minimum allowable screen resolution for Windows 8 tablets from 1366 x 768 down to 1024 x 768 pixels. The leaked builds of the Windows Blue update, which will be out soon, all sport a Snap feature that works well on smaller tablets. This is a major tweak as the feature worked only on displays with the approved 1366 x 768 resolution in the earlier version of the OS. This new tablet by Acer is expected to be launched in the coming weeks and this along with the other rumoured smaller Windows 8 tablets will give Microsoft some chance of increasing its share in a market dominated by Android and iOS

Gongkai phone sells for $12

Ever thought of paying as little as $12 (amounts to approximately Rs 650) for a fully-functional phone? Well, we came across the Gongkai phone, which now makes it possible. It's a complete quad-band GSM phone featuring an OLED display, Bluetooth and MP3 playback. It has only basic features, but that's what one could expect at that price. The phone is a great option if you are going on a short trip/vacation or during the monsoon when people don't want to carry their expensive smartphones. Moreover, at $12, the phone is unlocked and contract-free; it also comes with a protective silicone sleeve. A basic phone for $12 (Image credit: bunnie studios) After a teardown, bunnie studios reveals that the low price of the phone is possible due to several factors. The entire case snaps together and there are no screws holding the phone together. There are almost no connections inside and all components, such as the battery and display, are soldered directly to the board. There is a flipping switch that helps hard-disconnect the battery. Further, the battery also has no secondary protection circuit. Despite its slacky built, the phone features a backlit keypad and decorative lights around the edge. It equips the Mediatek MT6250DA chip and a Vanchip VC5276. The CPU clocks at 260MHz, 32-bit. The MT6250 chip is said to sell for less than $2 when bought in bulk. Apparently, the production price of the phone goes below $10.  Last year, we came across the M2 phone from a Chinese handset manufacturer going by the name Ken Xin Da. The phone priced at Rs 1,200 was amongst the tiniest phones one could find in the market. It came with a dual-SIM, dual-standby option, rated talktime of 240 minutes and bundled a 2GB memory card. Affordable tablets and phones are a boon for developing nations like India. In fact, we’ve had our tryst with the Aakash tablet project. We’ve seen this cheapest tablet in the world face a lot of ups and downs. One shouldn't expect superior quality or performance from Gongkai either (considering its price). The price of the device is as low as ordering a highly-loaded large pizza or a nifty pair of earphones. A sub-Rs 1,000 phone could be a great initiative for India, especially as we are looking to connect remote and isolated regions of the country.

Nikon launches new cameras in Coolpix line-up

Nikon has expanded its Coolpix line-up with new cameras. The point-and -shoot cameras have automatic features and are aimed towards making photography more accessible. The cameras feature high-definition video recording and automatic capture and are available in different colours. Alongside the camera, Nikon has launched a new ad campaign, dubbed "Simply Wow". Speaking at the launch, Hiroshi Takashina, Managing Director, Nikon India, said, “Nikon, once again brings excitement to camera industry by rolling out new products and a new campaign which strives to make a strong connect with the consumers. With this launch, Nikon reiterates its commitment to offer products with stylish designs, vibrant colours that are equipped with easy functionality to capture precious moments of life. We really wanted to show consumers what is possible with the new Coolpix series and emphasize the outstanding picture quality it can deliver. We recognize that today’s consumer is looking for technological superiority and it is showcased through the new Coolpix range.” The launch consists of 17 new cameras with 69 colour variants along with Coolpix A. Coolpix A is the first compact digital camera in the line-up to be equipped with a DX-format CMOS sensor. The company claims that its capabilities are comparable to those of a digital SLR camera. It is equipped with an exclusively designed wide-angle 18.5 mm, f/2.8 fixed focal length NIKKOR lens. One of the new members of Nikon's Coolpix A line-up The Coolpix P-series models include the Coolpix P520 and Coolpix P330. The Coolpix P520 is equipped with a 42x optical zoom NIKKOR lens that is capable of super-telephoto shooting at the equivalent of a 1000 mm focal length. The Coolpix P330 comes with an effective pixel count of 12.2 million pixels and a large 1/1.7-inch backside illumination CMOS sensor, which enables high sensitivities and less noise. The S series includes nine new models (Coolpix S9500, S9400, S6500, S5200, S4400, S3500, S3400, S2700 and S31) that are equipped with features like Wi-Fi compatibility and built-in GPS. The Coolpix L-Series comprises of four models (Coolpix L820, L320, L28 and L27) with features including a high-powered optical zoom to automatic shooting functions that makes taking dazzling pictures easy. The new camera in the AW series is the Coolpix AW110, which is an outdoor camera built with waterproof resistance to a depth of 18 m. It comes equipped with Wi-Fi, built-in GPS and world map and is shock-proof upto 6.6 feet. All of the newly-launched cameras are now available in stores. The Coolpix A is priced at Rs 54,950. The price of the P series cameras range from Rs 16,950 to Rs 24,950. The S series camera prices range from Rs 5,950 to Rs 18,950. The L series cameras are priced between Rs 4,990 to Rs 15,450. The Aw series camerea is priced at Rs 16,950. With the new additions, the Coolpix line-up now has 22 different models to choose from.

Add Metro Style Social Sharing Button's for Blogger Blogs

Well I have earlier posted Black Glossy buttons that were similar to these buttons I am posting today, now they had the same zooming effect like these have but that had a different color contrast you can check that too, but now if you love simplicity then these sharing buttons will look awesome on your blog. These buttons have basically 5 social websites, facebook, twitter, google+, youtube and your rss feed.
So now you can add your sites link to every button respectively.Well these will zoom when you will hover over them and then anyone clicks on them will be taken to that site automatically. So now check below steps and have fun.

1. Open Blogger –> Template –> Edit HTML.
2. Now press Ctrl + F and search for ]]></b:skin> tag and paste below code above it..HU-bubblewrap{list-style-type:none;margin:0;padding:0;}.HU-bubblewrap li{display:inline;width: 60px;height:60px;}.HU-bubblewrap li img{width: 40px;height: 40px;border:0;margin-right: 4px;-webkit-transition:-webkit-transform 0.1s ease-in;-o-transition:-o-transform 0.1s ease-in}.HU-bubblewrap li img:hover{-moz-transform:scale(1.8);-webkit-transform:scale(1.8);-o-transform:scale(1.8);}
3. Now Save Template and navigate to Blogger –> Layout –> Add Gadget.
4. Now choose HTML/JavaScript Gadget and add below code into it.<ul class="HU-bubblewrap"><li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/xxxxx"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/6AI7jNU.png" title="Follow Us on Facebook"/></a></li><li><a href="http://www.twitter/xxxxx"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/qWbojzO.png" title="Follow Us on Twitter"/></a></li><li><a href="https://plus.google.com/xxxxx"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/g8dACcy.png" title="Follow Us on G+"/></a></li><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/xxxxx"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/WOWCE5P.png" title="Subscribe Us on Youtube"/></a></li><li><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/xxxxx"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/SgONHEw.png" title="Subscribe Us on RSS Feed"/></a></li></ul>
5. Now just change the links in blue with your own and hit Save.

Format Write Protected USB Drives & Remove Autorun.inf

Sometimes you might face some USB Drives that are write protected to stop theft of some confidential data, or maybe due to some virus attack this could be done well I have already posted on how you canremove write protection from your USB Drive easily but still if you face problem using those methods then I have a simple application that claims to do that work easily in combination to more productive things.
mUSBfixer is a small utility that can format your write protected USB Drive easily, it can even remove autorun.in and other virus created shortcuts from your drive easily. Now you do not need to install it out as it is provided as a portable edition. So it even remove all those shortcut files that are created by the virus attacks, so original icons are restored automatically.

How to use mUSBfixer Tool

1. • 
     
   Download mUSBfixer Tool from their official website.
2. Now run this tool and it will detect your USB Drive if you have attached only one drive, but if you have many drives attached just pick up the one you want to format.
3. Now just choose the option you want execute. If you want to format it just click on that Format Write Protected Drive.
4. That's it will format your drive automatically.

So that's it now you can easily get rid of those virus created shortcuts and even those bad autorun.inf files. So now format your write protect USB Drive easily.

Alleged images of iPhone 5S leaked out of Foxconn factory

Are you ready? Alleged pictures of Apple’s next-generation iPhone, purportedly taken inside a Foxconn factory, have been posted on a Chinese forum. The post, which was put up earlier this week, says this is definitely the iPhone 5S. Chinese gadget blog Gizchina published those photos, which are claimed to have been taken despite Foxconn stepping up security on Apple's insistence. The company has been the original design manufacturer of every iPhone and iPad till date. The front face of the alleged iPhone 5S The pictures show the assembly line for the iPhone 5S, along with close-ups of the screen as well as the tightly-packed innards. Other photos show a bunch of Foxconn workers sitting idly by while the spy continued clicking pictures of the phone.  There are other pictures too, showing the inside of the iPhone 5S, especially the way the battery is affixed and other sundry chips. The phone looks almost identical to the iPhone 5, so we wouldn’t be surprised if it actually is just a production line for the current model. It seems the spy paparazzi had plenty of time with the next-gen model. There are several pictures from all possible angles. One of them shows the mesh cut-out for the speaker grills flanking the cut-out for the Lightning port, just like in the current model. iPhone 5S screens on the assembly line Earlier, Chinese site Sina Weibo reported that both the iPhone 5S and iPhone 6 had been spotted by a supplier. The rumour seemed to confirm that the iPhone 5S is almost physically identical to the current iPhone 5. But more interestingly, it also suggested that the iPhone 6, which may or may not be released this year, sports a 5-inch display, a longer body and is reportedly thinner than the already slim iPhone 5.  Rumours about Apple’s plan for the next-gen iPhone have been coming in thick and fast in recent months. Last month, an upstream supply source revealed that Apple is about to announce three iPhones this year – a regular update to the iPhone 5, an iPhone with a larger display dubbed iPhone Math and a cheaper, more accessible version of the iconic phone for emerging markets and the likes. The company recently announced the 128GB iPad, so there’s a good chance that the new iPhone will also have a fourth size option, besides the current variants.

Motorola X Phone to have Kevlar body, Sony's Exmor RS camera sensor

We can’t wait for Google I/O. The annual Google event, which will begin on May 15, is expected to be packed with surprises. Google is expected to unveil Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie at the event, but with regard to smartphones or tablets, the company is rumoured to announce the Motorola X Phone and one or two new Nexus tablets. After the job posting that confirmed the phone’s existence, PhoneArena has got hold of a bunch of more information about the phone. The website got a tip from one of its readers Sniggly and his contacts allegedly are in possession of an early prototype of the Motorola X smartphone. Can the X Phone revive Motorola's magic? During the last quarterly conference call, Google announced that it is working with Motorola, a company it acquired last year, to produce a phone that will address two issues that smartphones are seemingly lacking today, i.e., battery life and durability. The X Phone is expected to be covered in a Kevlar chassis, a material Motorola has used in phones like the Razr and Razr Maxx. When it comes to having solid battery life, Motorola has some experience thanks to its MAXX series of phones. Sniggly’s contacts reportedly told him that the handset stayed alive for hours on a recent road trip with the GPS constantly on, which could mean it has great battery life. We are happy to hear that the Kevlar coating will be continued by Motorola and it did add a measure of durability to the Motorola Razr Android smartphones.  The phone allegedly has a 4.8-inch display, but we’ve heard that it may have a 5" one. A 2013 flagship is expected to have a quad-core processor and Motorola has obliged. Other details revealed mention internal storage of 128GB, which can be further increased thanks to the microSD card slot. This last rumour sounds like a fantasy spec rather than an actual inclusion, but if true, this would be one multimedia powerhouse.  The website also revealed that besides running stock Android, the phone will supposedly be using a Sony sensor for the back camera. Sony’s "stacked" Exmor RS camera sensor is seen in the Xperia Z currently and it should help keep the X Phone’s side profile slim. It takes up less space inside the phone and has in-built HDR support for both pictures and video. Many other OEMs are Sony’s customers when it comes to this sensor, especially now that the Japanese electronics giant’s exclusive deal with Apple has run out its course. In the past, rumours indicated that the X Phone will be a cross-carrier phone but may not be part of Google’s Nexus series of phones. In fact, the earlier rumours indicate Motorola will be running a propietary skin on top of Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie. Perhaps, Google is wary of alienating rest of the OEMs invested in Android by somehow showing preferential treatment for the X Phone. It is also rumoured to have a 1080p resolution screen.

Facebook will label ads that are based on your browsing behaviour

Facebook will soon let you know which ads shown to you are based on your browsing behaviour, according to an AdAge report. While it won’t be evident just from looking at them, users can figure out if an ad has been targeted by rolling the pointer over the grey ‘X’ displayed next to the ads. This move has been made by Facebook because the social networking giant wants to make users more aware of the kind of ads being displayed to them, allowing them to opt out if it makes them uncomfortable. The social network has agreed to start displaying a tiny blue icon on ads that are served through its FBX ad exchange, even as complaints about privacy issues pour in. This icon is intended to be a shiny pointer towards behavioural targeting and allows users to choose whether they would like to continue seeing such targeted ads. FTC guidelines for online ads state that there must be ‘clear and prominent notice’ when an ad is behaviourally targeted. AdChoice is the right choice (Image Courtesy: Digital Advertising Alliance) As far as Facebook goes, the company has chosen to display this icon, while still not displaying it. The icon will show up only if the user hovers around the grey ‘X’ displayed on the top-right of the ad, which makes us wonder if the social networking website does indeed want to help you make your choices or just added the option because it had no choice. While most people would not worry about what ad is being displayed to them from which source, many won't be familiar with the elaborate action of hovering, noticing and finally clicking on an ad. Facebook refutes this decision by suggesting that the site’s users are accustomed to ad-related information appearing in this format. "We have always given our users the ability to provide feedback on and control the ads they see on Facebook, by hiding, reporting, or clicking through to learn more about why particular ads are being served," said Brian Boland, Facebook's Director of Product Marketing, in a statement to Ad Age, "Giving advertisers the ability to implement the AdChoices icon provides another option, another mechanism of control." Meanwhile, Inside Facebook revealed that Facebook was experimenting with bigger images within advertisements in the US. These new ads will be a tweaked version of the standard ‘marketplace ads’ you see on the column to the right. Traditionally, these ads have always had thumbnail-sized images that largely limit the advertisers’ scope of showing off products and services. Comparatively, sponsored ads and sponsored stories that appear within the news feed are larger and grab more attention. Confirming this, a company spokesperson told CNET, "We have seen that people respond favorably to larger images -- both from people and Pages -- in News Feed, and so we are testing this out on the right-hand side." These ads will now feature images that are larger in width and have text appearing underneath, instead of beside the ads. Since it's being tested on a small scale, only permalink pages—pages that appear when you click on the timestamp of a story—have these ads.