Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu's chopper still missing

Itanagar:  A helicopter carrying Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu and four other people on board, missing since Saturday morning, is still untraced.

Indian Air force teams resumed their search operations this morning to locate the missing Pawan Hans AS350 B-3 helicopter that had taken off from Tawang at 9.50 am on Saturday. It lost communication with the ground after it flew past the Sela Pass along the Chinese border about 20 to 25 minutes later.

Congress vs Jagan Reddy in Kadapa

Hyderabad:  Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency elected YSR Reddy as its MP several times, now his son Jaganmohan Reddy's political future will be determined in the by-election on May 8. The ruling Congress party is a formidable rival and the party is now putting all its resources to defeat YSR's son.

With ceiling fan allotted as an election symbol Jaganmohan Reddy is hoping to pick up the right political wind for the YSR Congress party.

Drunk Railway ticket checker allegedly rapes woman on train

Mount Abu:  This 25-year-old woman has become the victim of a shameful assault. While travelling from Ajmer to Abu Road on the Ajmer-Dadar Express a 52-year-old ticket checker, DD Mishra, allegedly raped her in a lonely AC compartment on Friday night. The ticket collector was allegedly drunk and he got the chance to overpower the victim as she was alone and the berths around her were vacant.

The woman broadly described the incident and what happened to her.

India has 25 million Facebook users

The number of Facebook users in India has crossed the 25-million mark, the social networking site said Thursday.

"Facebook currently has 25 million users in India," said David Fischer, vice president advertising and global operations, Facebook at an interactive advertising and digital marketing exhibition, Ad-tech.

William, Kate put off honeymoon

London:  Royal officials say Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge have decided to take their honeymoon at a later date, and William will return to military duty after this weekend.

Officials said on Saturday this is the couple's "personal preference."

NATO strike kills Gaddafi's son but leader escapes

Tripoli:  Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi escaped a NATO missile strike in Tripoli on Saturday, but his youngest son and three grandchildren under the age of 12 were killed, a government spokesman said.

The strike, which came hours after Gaddafi called for a cease-fire and negotiations in what rebels called a publicity stunt, marked an escalation of international efforts to prevent the Libyan regime from regaining momentum.

8-year-old sells loaded pistol to classmate for $3.50

New York:  An eight-year-old in US brought into school his father's loaded 9-mm pistol and sold to a classmate for USD 3.50.

The third-grader from Queens, New York, took the gun from the top of a shelf where his father hid it for protection, police officials said yesterday.

Barcelona to fine bikini-wearers on the streets

Barcelona:  Tourists in Barcelona who wander off the beach onto the streets in just their swimming costumes -- or even less -- will now face stiff fines.

The city hall voted yesterday to ban "nudity or virtual nudity in public places" and limit swimming costumes to swimming pools, beaches, adjacent roads and beach walks.

Nudists who stray off their designated areas of the beach will be subject to fines of 300 to 500 euros ($450 to 750).

Gaddhafi offers truce as NATO strikes in Tripoli

Tripoli:  Libyan leader Moammar Gaddhafi called for a mutual cease-fire and negotiations with NATO powers in a live speech on state TV early Saturday, just as NATO bombs struck a government complex in the Libyan capital.

The targeted compound included the state television building and a Libyan official alleged the strikes were meant to kill Gadhafi. However, the TV building was not damaged and Gaddhafi spoke from an undisclosed location.

Syrian protesters defy Assad government; 42 killed

Beirut:  Thousands of defiant Syrians chanting "We are not afraid!" were met by security forces firing bullets and tear gas Friday in a crackdown on nationwide protests that left 42 people dead -- many of them villagers trying to break an army blockade of the southern city where the six-week uprising began.

President Bashar Assad again unleashed deadly force in a determined effort to crush the revolt, the gravest challenge to his family's 40-year ruling dynasty.

Rush on for affordable copies of royal wedding dress

New York:  The Faviana design house in New York specialises in reproducing "hit" dresses worn at events such as the Oscars and selling them at a fraction of the cost of the original.

On Friday morning its team of designers awoke early and began sketching the dress worn by Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, at her wedding to Prince William in London.

Butler who served British royals opens school

New York:  Butler Christopher Ely has done it all: served dinner to the queen at Buckingham Palace, brushed the bearskin atop a royal guard's helmet, sat on a carriage carrying Princess Diana.

On Friday, the former royal footman watched from afar as Prince William and Kate Middleton got married -- festivities hosted by the palace where he once took care of the tiniest details.

AT&T 3G compatible HTC Wildfire S is seen over at the FCC

AT&T has been seeing its fair share of respectable high-end Android powered devices of late, but as usual, not everyone will be particularly gung-ho about picking up a premium $200 on-contract device to experience Android for the very first time. For those who find themselves in that exact predicament, you might be amused to know that the entry-level Android powered HTC Wildfire S just might be on its way to AT&T.

In fact, the HTC Wildfire S just recently received its FCC approval, but more importantly, it’s a version that supports AT&T’s 850 and 1900MHz bands. Obviously, one of the surprising things about the handset is the fact that it’s still one of the few devices to run Android 2.3 Gingerbread out of the box. However, it’s still unknown whether or not this is a model specifically bound for AT&T – or potentially the other host of similarly compatible Canadian carriers.

Regardless of that, we’re sure that AT&T customers are itching to see something in the entry-level category from HTC’s camp aside from the less desired HTC Freestyle feature phone.

source: FCC via Engadget

T-Mobile pokes fun at Verizon's LTE outage in a tweet

There was a time when companies would abide by an unwritten code of gentlemanly behavior toward each other. In other words, if a chicken beak was found in a Chicken McNugget, Wendy's wouldn't put a full page ad in the papers about it. In fact, competitors just did not talk about each others failures or mistakes.

But times have changed. In the cut throat world of the cellphone industry, we have seen finger pointing, law suits and name calling just to name a few things. Verizon became a target when its 4G LTE service went down on Wednesday. And who better to poke fun at Big Red's woes than T-Mobile. The nation's fourth largest carrier had ironically poked fun at its merger partner AT&T and Apple in a series of television commercials that are still in rotation on some stations.

This time, T-Mobile resorted to sending out a tweet that mentions some of the wonderful things that took place on its 4G pipelines during the time that Verizon's 4G network was kaput. According to T-Mobile, 22 million photos, 17 million eBooks and 1 million apps were downloaded over T-Mobile's 4G network while Big Red's LTE customers had to make do with [shudder] 3G.

source: Twitter via AndroidCentral

T-Mobiles tweet points out some of the things that took place on it's 4G network while Verizon's LTE service was down

Samsung Droid Charge Review

source:phonearena

Introduction:

It has been a little over a month since we reviewed Verizon’s first 4G LTE smartphone, the HTC ThunderBolt, as we were impressed by its data speeds, software, and overall performance, though we are still having an issue with the device cycling through 4G, 3G, and 1x for no apparent reason, which we discussed here. Now with the new Samsung Droid Charge approaching release, we have high hopes for it, as it comes packed with a Super AMOLED Plus display, 1GHz Hummingbird processor, an 8MP camera, and of course 4G LTE. Let’s see if it has what it takes to steal away customers from buying the ThunderBolt.

Included in the retail box is the Samsung Droid Charge SCH-i510 phone with a 32GB Class 2 microSDHC memory card pre-installed, 1600mAh battery, wall charger with a 1-meter detachable microUSB cable, and user guides.


Design:

Even though the Samsung Droid Charge is not in the “Galaxy” line, its overall design does remind us some of the Samsung Fascinate and Samsung Continuum for Verizon, as it has a plastic construction with chrome around the edges, and a gray colored back that is slick to the touch. When compared next to the HTC ThunderBolt, the Samsung Droid Charge doesn’t feel quite as thick, and is also not as heavy, though we do wish it had the soft-touch coating on the back to give it more of a grip.

The Samsung Droid Charge has a plastic construction with chrome around the edges

You can compare the Samsung Droid Charge with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

Sony Ericsson Xperia neo Review

source:phonearena

Introduction:

The Sony Ericsson Xperia neo aims to find the sweet spot between price and functionality, but in a world crowded with Android offerings, will the 3.7-inch screen enhanced with Mobile Bravia technology and an 8.1-megapixel sensor manage to stand out? The Xperia neo comes with a robust connectivity package and the latest Android 2.3 Gingerbread, all woven in a curvy rounded body which manages to be elegant in carrying a distinct Sony Ericsson look and feel. Actually, the Xperia neo somewhat resembles the Sony Ericsson Vivaz in terms of design, while in terms of functionality it borrows a lot from the high-end Sony Ericsson Xperia arc. But before we jump into any conclusions, let's take a closer look at the design and performance of this handset.


Design:

First and foremost, a 3.7-inch LED-backlit LCD capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 480 x 854 pixels defines the experience on the Xperia neo. Dubbed Reality Display, it comes with Sony's Mobile Bravia engine, which is a software enhancement bringing punchier, more saturated colors to your screen when viewing pictures or video. You can turn it off in the settings menu, but we doubt you would – it offers a noticeable improvement in overall image quality.

The body of the Sony Ericsson Xperia neo is curvy and rounded, fitting well in the hand

You can compare the Sony Ericsson Xperia neo with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

FCC documents uncover the Boost Mobile branded Motorola i420

If there’s one company that’s known to produce push-to-talk devices like it’s their job, it has to be none other than Motorola, and rightfully so yet again, we’re seeing another one coming to fruition.

This time around, recent FCC documents uncovered photos of the Boost Mobile branded Motorola i420 clamshell handset donning a blue and black exterior. Fittingly, the handset sports some of the design cues that most would agree to be the familiar Motorola style. Obviously, the snapshots of the handset show that it features two displays and a camera. Meanwhile, the draft user manual says that it packs along features like a 2.5mm headset jack, FM radio, group calling, and push-to-talk – albeit, they haven’t been explicitly confirmed by the FCC.

As much as we continue to see push-to-talk devices from Motorola’s camp, there is still no official word from them or Boost Mobile regarding the device in question.

source: FCC via Phonescoop

Motorola ATRIX 4G and HTC Inspire 4G both receive an AT&T upgrade that turns on their HSUPA radios

The Motorola ATRIX 4G  received two upgrades from AT&T on Friday. The handset had various bug fixes and improvements including having its HSUPA radios turned on. The model should now benefit from faster mobile data upload speeds since the ATRIX 4G had been shipped with HSUPA capabilities disabled. The carrier said that it had to wait to a refinement of certain software before turning on the radio.

The Motorola ATRIX 4G upgrades must be done over Wi-Fi and in a certain order. You can check the sourcelink for the information. As far as fixing the little things, one upgrade for the ATRIX 4G should improve battery life, enhance the performance of the fingerprint reader, and turns off the display while charging, while the other upgrade enables Yahoo! email over Wi-Fi, turns on the HSUPA radio, and allows for 2G/EDGE mobile hot spot capabilities.

AT&T also announced that they have also sent an OTA upgrade to users of the HTC Inspire 4G that turns on that unit's HSUPA radio. Inspire owners can check to see if they have received the download by going to Home>Menu>Settings> AT&T Software Update> HTC Wi-Fi software update. Besides increasing the phone's upload data speed, the HTC Inspire 4G upgrade also makes it easier to set up email accounts and includes the most up to date settings for each type of email and updates email auto configuration for Hotmail, Live and MSN.

source: AT&T, HTC via Phonescoop

Both the Motorola ATRIX 4G and the HTC Inspire 4G (pictured above) will soon receive an upgrade from AT&T that will turn on each handsets' HSUPA radio

Adobe Flash Player 10.2 will support 'hardware accelerated video' in Android 3.1

An update for Adobe Flash Player 10.2 in the Android Market gives Android tablet users something to look forward to in the future. According to the small changelog for the update, the software upgrade included 'hardware accelerated video' presentation for devices running the so far unannounced Android 3.1.

The download will not yet work on any current Android tablet. For example, the Motorola XOOM currently runs Android 3.0.1 and Adobe made it clear in their blog that this accelerated video enhancement will only work once the newer 3.1 build of Google's open source OS is installed.

The enhancement is expected to improve 720p HD video playback on Honeycomb flavored tablets that are eventually upgraded to Android 3.1. We should hear about that Android OS build sometime during the Google I/O conference being held in San Francisco May 10th and 11th.

source: Adobe via DroidLife

Adobe's latest upgrade to Flash Player 10.2 brings an enhancement for HD video on Honeycomb tablets once they install Android 3.1

HTC ThunderBolt very close to receiving OTA update from Verizon

Even a handset that is outselling the Apple iPhone 4 could use an update every now and then. Verizon is about to grace the HTC ThunderBolt with an OTC update. Big Red's new flagship device will be getting some minor improvements and bug fixes, all listed on a pdf file posted on Verizon's web site.

Owners of the LTE enabled HTC ThunderBolt will see "Enhanced data connectivity when accessing the Verizon 3G network" which is interesting since it was the carrier's 4G network that went out the other day. Some owners of the device must have had a hard time finding the SMS or MMS that they just sent because the upgrade will make sure that messages are stored in the right application (Inbox, Sent, etc.). Also, it is important that when checking the weather on your ThunderBolt, it shows the conditions outside for the proper city. The upcoming update will make sure that the weather widget displays the correct location.

There are more things that the upgrade will improve. Check out the sourcelink for the list. A precise date for the upgrade has not been announced yet, but it could come to your unit at anytime.

source: Verizon via AndroidandMe

An OTA software upgrade is coming to the HTC ThunderBolt at any time

Tablets with AMOLED displays are not planned for this year, says Samsung

We hate to break this news to you, but it seems that Samsung won't be anywhere near ready to mass produce larger AMOLED displays this year, even with the plant opening up in June.

That was possibility we were hoping for ever since we heard that Sammy's R&D labs have managed to produce a 7" Super AMOLED screen. It was shot down at the Q1 earnings call by the head of Samsung, who said that we won't be seeing tablets with AMOLED displays this year.

We know that Sammy is moving to the laser-based LITI production method this year, which is cheaper, and allows for 300ppi+ resolutions on the AMOLED displays, so maybe this one still has to be developed further for larger displays.

Oh, well, next year, we hope.

source: DelighIT (translated) via Samsung Hub

Samsung DROID Charge could launch as soon as Tuesday on Verizon

The Samsung DROID Charge should have already been launched by Verizon, But as we reported, the handset was delayed for an unknown reason. The announcement of the delay coincided with Big Red's LTE outage. Combined with the fact that the DROID Charge is Verizon's second 4G enabled phone, some felt that the handset was delayed due to the 4G outage and would be launched just as soon as Verizon's 4G network was back up and running. This, of course, never happened.

But we do have a clue when to expect the Samsung DROID Charge to be released and the good news is, it could be as early as this Tuesday. A leaked screenshot that apparently was meant for Verizon eyes only says that kiosks will start receiving inventory of the phone on Monday with all locations "fully stocked" by Wednesday. According to the document, the Samsung DROID Charge cannot be sold before Tuesday and Costco has placed a "Do not sell" red flag on the phone. It also says that "Confirmation of a revised launch date will be sent Monday."

It all adds up to a launch for the Samsung DROID Charge as soon as Tuesday, perhaps no later than by the end of next week. By Monday, we could know the official details.

source: AndroidCentral

The delayed Samsung DROID Charge could launch from Verizon as soon as this Tuesday

Samsung Galaxy S II vs LG Optimus 2X benchmark tests - guess who scored 3732 on Quadrant

The second after we learned that Samsung is developing its own dual-core chipset, hot on the heels of last year's finest - the single core Hummingbird - we were itching to benchmark its performance on a production device.

This day has finally come, so we pit the 1.2GHz dual-core Exynos chipset with ARM Mali-400 quad-core GPU, against the 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 chipset with octo-core GeForce ULP GPU, in a titanic battle between the Samsung Galaxy S II, and the LG Optimus 2X.

We have all the tests run live for you in the video below, but just to summarize - the Samsung Galaxy S II scored consistently higher on general and overall productivity tests. In the graphics component of Smartbench 2011, the LG Optimus 2X had the upper hand, which proves that Sammy might have been better off sticking with the PowerVR GPU family that it used in the Galaxy S, instead of switching over to ARM's Mali-400 solution.

PowerVR is a child of Imagination Technologies, though, and there are rumors that they might be the next Apple acquisition - PowerVR543 is used in Apple's new dual-core A5 chipset - so maybe there were some legal or cost considerations for Samsung to go with the ARM Mali-400 GPU. Still, on a pure graphics test - Nenamark1 - the Samsung Galaxy S II achieved higher average fps result than the LG Optimus 2X, and that should count for something.

In the browser benchmark test (we used Browsermark, as it has a mobile mode) both handset scored results that are too close for a definitive winner, but way more than any single-core handset we've tested. Both phones are updated to Adobe Flash 10.2.

Oh, we almost forgot - the Samsung Galaxy S II scored the crazy 3732 on the second run of Quadrant - the highest result on this test we've ever seen on a stock handset! For more details on the silicon powering those two beasts, you can look into our article on the mobile dual-core chipsets.

Sammy plans to sell 10 million Samsung Galaxy S II units this year

JK Shin, the head of Samsung Mobile Communications, announced at the official launch of the Samsung Galaxy S II in South Korea, that the company aims for a target of 10 million units of the high-end Android smartphone sold.

Sammy had a ten million units target for the Samsung Galaxy S last year, too, and it was met right after the holidays; the company has sold about 14 million of last year's Android hit to date. It's totally achievable, provided they roll out the SGS II in subsidized form with carriers worldwide as soon as possible, because we are playing around with one in the office, and it is really the Android phone to beat this year. Unless, of course, you have baby hands, but that's a topic we'll discuss in the review.

The interesting part is the rumor that Eldar Murtazin spread this week in regards to the Apple-Samsung lawsuit, about a Samsung Galaxy S3 upgrade that is coming late fall, with 4.5" edge-to-edge Super AMOLED Plus display of high resolution, and touchless gesture area. These same features Apple is said planning to introduce in the iPhone 6, which will appear many months after the SGS 3, which must have annoyed Cupertino to no end.

If true, this will leave the Samsung Galaxy S II just about six months to achieve the ten million quota, but it's nice to have goals. Moreover, the Samsung Galaxy S managed to pull this off last year.

source: SamsungHub

In Tajikistan you can divorce your wife with an SMS

Men in Tajikistan are allowed to divorce their wives the easy way - via an SMS containing only three words.

All they have to do is to write the word "talaq" three times and then send the message - according to Muslim law, saying the triple talaq is just enough to divorce your wife, but it seems sending a message with it does the job as well.

Tajik men may be facilitated by this divorce option, but clerics in the country are actually divided on the issue - some say it's "too impersonal" to leave your wife with a message and have issued a fatwa against it.

Singapore has banned this practice, while it's allowed in UAE under certain circumstances. A scholar in Qatar has ruled out it's fine to divorce your wife via an e-mail.

source: Mobiledia via textually.org

RIM puts picture of BlackBerry Bold Touch on its web site prior to introduction

Someone slipped up at RIM, giving us an "unofficial" official look at the upcoming BlackBerry Bold Touch. The device wasn't supposed to be made public until next week's BlackBerry World Conference in Orlando, but somehow the device was outed with a couple of images on the BlackBerry home page, which have since been removed. "Touching is believing" said the copy which also gave away the news that the Bold Touch would have BlackBerry 7 (formerly 6.1) under the hood.

For those who wonder what RIM did with the BlackBerry Bold Touch that makes it different from the Canadian based company's past attempts to score with a touchscreen phone, the answer goes all the way back to the BlackBerry Bold 9000. That device captured the attention of 'Berry fans and other smartphone buyers thanks to its size which allowed RIM to build one of the most highly regarded QWERTY keyboards on the face of the device. Unlike the BlackBerry Torch 9800, the BlackBerry Bold Touch has the same QWERTY found on the Bold 9000 thanks to the dimensions on the new touchscreen handset which is wider than the Torch and the Bold 9700. In fact, the Bold Touch has the same width as the Bold 9000.

RIM is running out of chances to catch up with Apple and Android. Improvements seen on the BlackBerry Torch 9800 with the WebKit browser and more responsive touchscreen need to continue. RIM just can't afford to take short cuts like they did with YouTube on the Torch. Instead of having a YouTube client, pressing the icon on the phone re-directs you to the video sharing site's mobile page. "Pinch to Zoom" needs to be made as buttery smooth as possible. It's rather simple, if BlackBerry is to provide the same user experience as its competition, RIM needs to make sure that every little thing is either done as well as the competition or better.

The BlackBerry Bold Touch 9900 is the GSM version of the phone while the CDMA model is the 9860. They have been codenamed the Dakota and Monaco respectively and while we now have seen the first official word that the BlackBerry Bold Touch is coming soon, we should find out a lot more about the handset next week at BlackBerry World.

source:Crackberry

RIM accidentally put this image of the BlackBerry Bold Touch on its home page before the expected introduction of the device next week

HTC Trophy will be a global device, according to a leaked Verizon document

A couple days ago, we told you about the short-lived presence of the HTC Trophy on Best Buy's website. And while the Trophy isn't exceptional among the WP7 lineup, it is exciting to see it on Verizon. Verizon's enormous customer-base might be just what Windows Phone 7 needs to round the corner into mass popularity.

And now an anonymous tip has us even more excited. A leaked Verizon document shows that the HTC Trophy will be a global device. Combining global capability with both Verizon's and Microsoft's reputations could make the Trophy incredibly popular among Verizon's business users.

And with corporate acceptance might come the large-scale adoption that Microsoft has been craving. The only question might be the level of promotion which Verizon is prepared to offer. They've devoted so much attention to their beloved Android lineup, and now their iPhone, that we might not see as much collaborative marketing as Microsoft would like.

source: Engadget

Motorola's EX130 is another dual-screen Android device

Some of the greatest leaks come from the most unlikely sources. The FCC is usually the go-to repository for unannounced devices in the pipeline, but the Bluetooth Special Interest Group site is responsible for this one. They revealed the Motorola EX130, which is a dual-screen Android device, like the Samsung Continuum.

Like the Samsung Continuum, the EX130's secondary display is a basic ticker, with 96x16 resolution and a monochromatic display. The primary screen is a 2.8-inch QVGA display. Other stats include 128MB of internal memory and 64MB of RAM.

Given the pretty basic specs, the EX130 looks like a budget-friendly device. But it's unique styling and novel ticker display might set it apart from other budget Android devices. According to the Bluetooth S.I.G. page, the EX130 is bound for Europe, Asia, and South America, but not the U.S.

Thanks, Philip!

source: Bluetooth SIG

AT&T to offer HP Veer 4G in white

The pint-sized HP Veer 4G appears ready to break a tradition. Up to now, there has never been a webOS offered in white, but a leaked photograph reveals the Veer 4G offered in white for AT&T.

Equipped with a 2.6 inch screen offering resolution of 320 x 400, the HP Veer 4G also comes up a bit "short" (pun intended) when it comes to its specs. An 800MHz processor powers the device which features a slide-out portrait QWERTY keyboard and will have webOS 2.2 under the hood. The HP Veer 4G will be the subject of a launch party on Monday as we reported. It is unknown when the white variant of the phone will be available at AT&T.

source: Pocketnow

It looks like a white variant of the HP Veer 4G will be available at AT&T