Rescue workers find tons of cash in rubble in Japan

TOKYO: Hit by world's worst calamity in recent times, the Japanese haven't lost their honesty even in adversity.

Rescue workers and ordinary people have been turning in millions in 'lost' cash found in the rubble in mud-covered coastal areas in the northeastern region of the country.

Police in Iwate and Miyagi Prefectures, which were the worst-affected in the recent giant tsunami, are saying that they are receiving tons of cash everyday from the people engaged in clearing the rubble.

Though under Japan's laws people who find money can keep it, the quake and tsunami-hit people, most of whom have lost all their life earnings, have not been tempted by wads of currency notes found in the rubble.

Kyodo news agency quoted rescue agencies as saying that the survivors are urging the government to use the found piles of cash for reconstruction of the ravaged areas, till the owners were found.

Police say that only 10 per cent of the cash found had been returned to the owners of the total cases.

It is not only the piles of cash, but rescue workers often come across giant safes during their work and now the residents of the prefectures are telling the police and the government that they should give the nod to allow opening up of these safes for funding reconstruction work.

India to launch remote sensing satellite April 20

 
Bangalore: India will launch an advanced remote sensing satellite April 20 to study and manage natural resources, the space agency announced Saturday.

Preparations to launch the 1.2-tonne Resourcesat-2 spacecraft onboard the polar launch satellite vehicle (PSLV-C16) were progressing well at the Satish Dhawan space centre at Sriharikota, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said.

Sriharikota, in Andhra Pradesh, is about 80 km northeast of Chennai,


The polar orbit rocket will also carry a 92 kg Youthsat, a joint Indo-Russian nanosatellite for stellar and atmospheric studies, and a 105 kg microsatellite X-sat for imaging applications, built by the Singapore-based Nanyang Technological University.

"The launch authorisiation board will review the readiness of the rocket, satellites and ground stations April 16. The countdown will begin April 18 for the scheduled lift-off April 20 at 10.12 a.m.," the statement said.

The upcoming event will be the space agency's first launch mission after the failure of its geo-satellite launch vehicle (GSLV) Dec 25 due to snapping of 10 connectors within a minute after the 418-tonne rocket took off from the spaceport, carrying an advanced communication satellite.

Celebrity tracker 'app' for Android smartphones

San Francisco: Startup Scoopler was inviting owners of Android-powered smartphones to install an application that promises to alert them every time a celebrity is sighted nearby.


The free JustSpotted software was available online at the Android Market.

"There is no other application that gives you real-time alerts like this with thousands of spottings on our website every day," Scoopler co-founder AJ Asver told AFP in an email.

"If you are in a metropolitan area, you are going to be pleasantly surprised by how close you are to the celebrity world."

JustSpotted.com launched in October with an online map that pinpoints celebrity whereabouts in real time based on public updates from social networking star Facebook and microblogging service Twitter.

JustSpotted members also contribute sightings.

While branded by some as a potential resource for stalkers, JustSpotted billed itself as "celebrity friendly" and said stars can make deals to use the service to promote their images or messages.

"We have not had any complaints from celebrities," Asver told AFP. "We've actually been approached by people about promoting upcoming films."

He said that a version of JustSpotted tailored for iPhones was undergoing an Apple approval process and was expected to be available in the App Store by the end of the month.

Chandrayaan-2 to cost Rs 426 crore

Chennai: ISRO will spend Rs 426 crore for the country's second unmanned moon mission, Chandrayaan-2, a senior scientist of the space agency said here today.


This is an additional Rs 40 crore from Rs 386 crore spent earlier on the first mission, Project Director Mylswamy Annadurai told reporters here on the sidelines of a function.

Chandrayaan-2, which is expected to be launched in Sept 2013, is a lunar landing mission,while the earlier one (Chandrayaan-1) was only an orbiter, Annadurai said.

ISRO had terminated Chandrayaan-1 odyssey launched in October 2008 the following year on August 30 after it failed to re-establish contact, lost the previous day, with the lunar craft.

The second mission, which will have an orbiter, a lander and a rover, is planned to be launched onboard Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.

Google launches ad campaign for display advertising platform

Mumbai: Google India today announced the launch of an advertising campaign titled "Watch The Space" to raise awareness among Indian agencies and marketers about its display advertising platform.

The campaign, which will include online, print, direct mail, and outdoor advertisements, underscores Google's commitment to display advertising and its aim to improve the industry for advertisers, agencies, publishers, and users, a press release issued here said.

"With the campaign, we want to explain how Google is helping to make display advertising even better and to showcase the opportunities in this space for agencies and marketers in India," Head of media and platform for Japan-APAC, Shailesh Rao said.

The complexities in the display landscape can be addressed with better technology--similar to search advertising, a field that Google has been investing in for over a decade, he said.

Soyuz docks 50 years after Gagarin's voyage

Moscow: A Soyuz craft adorned with a portrait of the first man in space docked with the International Space Station Thursday, days before the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's pioneering flight.

U.S. astronaut Ron Garan and Russian cosmonauts Alexander Samokutyayev and Andrey Borisenko floated through the hatch to the warm welcome of three crew already aboard the orbital station after the docking, which NASA said took place at 3:09 a.m. Moscow time (2309 GMT Wednesday).

Space Station Commander, cosmonaut Dmitry Kondratyev, called it an honor for all on board to be "on the front lines" for the anniversary fanfare.

"Gagarin is more than just an idol now, but a symbol of the beginning of a new era," Kondratyev said from orbit, in comments posted by the Russian space agency Roskomos.

"Gagarin's name is a symbol of the conquest of space, a symbol of the dreams of generations of people to fly from our planet beyond the bounds of what is possible," he said.

The Soyuz TMA-21, with a picture of Gagarin on the side, blasted off hours before dawn Tuesday from Russia's long-secret Baikonur launch pad in Kazakhstan, where the cosmonaut's flight began on April 12, 1961.

Egypt: Tension between Army and protesters result in the death of one

Cairo:  Demonstrators burned cars and barricaded themselves with barbed wire inside a central Cairo square demanding the resignation of the military's head after troops violently dispersed an overnight protest killing one and injuring 71.

Hundreds of soldiers beat protesters with clubs and fired into the air in the pre-dawn raid on Cairo's central Tahrir Square in a sign of the rising tensions between Egypt's ruling military and protesters.

Armed with sticks and other makeshift weapons, the protesters vowed not to leave until the defense minister, the titular head of state, has resigned.

The soldiers swept into the square around 3 a.m. and waded into a tent camp in the center where protesters had formed a human cordon to protect several army officers who had joined their demonstration in defiance of their superiors.

At least 20 killed in Syria protests

Beirut:  A mass protest calling for sweeping changes in Syria's authoritarian regime turned bloody on Friday, with the government and protesters both claiming to have sustained heavy casualties in a restive southern city as the country's three-week uprising entered a dangerous new phase.

Human rights activists and witnesses, speaking to The Associated Press by telephone, said Syrian security forces opened fire on tens of thousands of protesters in Daraa, killing 16 and wounding hundreds.

But state TV said 19 policemen and members of the security forces were killed when gunmen opened fire on them. It was the first significant claim of casualties by the government, which has contended that armed gangs rather than true reform-seekers are behind the unrest - and it could signal plans for a stepped-up retaliation.

Protest organizers have called on Syrians to take to the streets every Friday for the past three weeks, demanding change in one of the most authoritarian nations in the Middle East. The protests have shaken the regime of President Bashar Assad, whose family has ruled Syria for nearly 40 years.

Court orders halt to Zimbabwe grave exhumations

Harare:  A court has ordered militant supporters of President Robert Mugabe to stop exhuming hundreds of skeletons they say were the victims of colonial-era massacres, a project that critics say is stoking racial hatred in Zimbabwe.

The High Court in Bulawayo ruled that the group must immediately cease digging out human remains from a disused mine shaft where officials have bused schoolchildren to view the remains as militants denounced whites and sang revolutionary songs.

Thursday's ruling by Judge Nicholas Mathonsi says some surviving former guerrillas from the independence war had demanded a halt to exhumations that were not being carried out by experts. Government ministers in charge of police and security must enforce the order, he said.

The judge said the exhumations violated all international protocols on investigating suspected human rights violations and amounted to "interference or tampering with crime scenes."

Jantar Mantar turns into carnival site as Hazare breaks fast

New Delhi:  Waving tricolour and singing and dancing to the tunes of drums, people today made Jantar Mantar a carnival site as Gandhian Anna Hazare broke his fast after the government gave into activists' demands on Lokpal Bill.

Youth and old, men and women, poor and rich -- all stood shoulder to shoulder at the nerve-centre of the anti-corruption protest shouting 'Vande Mataram', 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and 'Inquilab Zindabad' as Hazare sipped juice offered by a girl to end his fast which lasted 98 hours.

A group of tribals from Maharashtra erupted into a folk dance at the venue as soon as Hazare ended his fast, while some priests performed a havan at the site. Strangers hugged each other and shouted slogans hailing Hazare.

As Mahatma Gandhi's favourite hymn 'Raghupati Raghava Rajaram' played in the background, Hazare appeared on the dais at 10:25 am to loud cheers from the people who were jostling for space to have a glimpse of the 72-year-old Gandhian who ignited a nationwide protest for a strong anti-graft law.

Busy Mumbai takes out time to lend support to Hazare

Mumbai:  The people in Mumbai, a city known for its busy and fast-paced life, did their bit in the success of the Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption stir that culminated in the Centre accepting most of the veteran social activist's demands over an effective Lokpal Bill.

Supporters of Hazare, who had gathered at the Azad Maidan here since the last five days, celebrated as the noted Gandhian ended his fast.

From processions to candle light marches, people from all walks of life took to the streets in large numbers in the last four days to express their solidarity with the 73-year-old social activist and the campaign led by him from Delhi.

In a novel protest, people sent postcards filled with messages to the Prime Minister. One of them requested him to "rise above party politics" and pass Lokpal Bill immediately".

Another piece of message, written by one Lalvani, read, "Enough is enough. Get the Lokpal Bill passed the way Anna Hazare wants. It will solve the country's problems."

The idea was the brainchild of Amit Chatterjee, an ex-ICICI banker, who along with his friends distributed postcards to people in cities like Chennai, Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai.

"We gave postcards asking common people to write their messages that would be sent to the Prime Minister's Office. We wanted to ensure that our message of fight against corruption is heard loud and clear," Chatterjee told PTI here.

Some other postcard messages were - "Stop preaching people and start listening to them", "Dear PM, please help us out of this mess and help us live a better life." A nine-and-half-year-old student, Rohan Bansal, requested the PM "to give us a better and corruption-free India".

Hazare's village erupts in joy; residents hail victory

Ralegan Siddhi:  Residents of this village, glued to TV sets since morning, erupted in joy as one amongst them, Anna Hazare, called off his five-day old hunger strike after the Government issued a gazette notification constituting a panel to draft an effective Lokpal Bill.

"Anna is expected to reach here in the next few days. We have planned a grand welcome for him. A victory procession will be organised," Datta Awari, who handles Hazare's office at the village, said.

The villagers observed a bandh on Thursday to express solidarity with the social crusader, who was on an indefinite hunger strike in New Delhi to press for the enactment of the anti-corruption bill.

Ralegan Siddhi villagers hoisted black flags or tied black cloth on 'gudis' (sticks) in 'Gudi Padva' (Marathi New Year) as a mark of protest against the government on April 4, a day before Hazare began his fast.

"Now we will celebrate the real 'Gudi Padva' after Hazare arrives here," Awari said.

Since the last five days, around 2,000 inhabitants of Ralegan Siddhi in Ahmednagar district, 79 km north of Pune, were worried about the health of the anti-corruption crusader.

On Thursday, the work in the fields came to a standstill and every shops remained shut as people expressed their solidarity with Hazare.

Since April 5, locals in groups had observed a relay hunger strike at Yadavbaba temple, where Hazare stays while in the village.

Meanwhile, supporters of Hazare, gathered at Azad Maidan in Mumbai since the last five days, celebrated as the noted Gandhian ended his fast.

Lokpal Bill drafting committee: Pranab Chairman; Shanti Bhushan co-Chairman

New Delhi:  The Joint Committee for drafting the Lokpal Bill shall consist of five representatives of civil society, including Mr Hazare, and five ministers.

The Chairperson of the Joint Drafting Committee shall be Pranab Mukherjee.

The Co-Chairperson of the Joint Drafting Committee shall be Shanti Bhushan.

Here's a list of the members of the committee:

Government representatives:

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee (Chairman)

Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal

Law Minister Veerappa Moily

Water Resources Minister Salman Khursheed

Home Minister P Chidambaram

Representatives of civil society:

Former Law Minister Shanti Bhushan (Co-Chairman)

Anna Hazare

Eminent lawyer Prashant Bhushan

Retired Supreme Court Judge Santosh Hegde

RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal

Govt issues notification on Lokpal Bill joint panel

New Delhi:  Following is the text of the Gazettee Notification issued by the government constituting the Joint Drafting Committee comprising ministers and civil society activists to prepare the draft of the Lokpal Bill:

Joint Drafting Committee shall consist of five nominee ministers of the Government of India and five nominees of Shri Anna Hazare (including himself).

The five nominee Ministers of the Government of India are as under:-
Pranab Mukherjee, Union Minister of Finance,
P Chidambaram, Union Minister of Home Affairs,

M Veerappa Moily, Union Minister of Law and Justice,
Kapil Sibal, Union Minister of Human Resource and Development and Minister of Communication and Information Technology, and
Salman Khursheed, Union Minister of Water Resources and Minister of Minority Affairs.

The five nominees of Anna Hazare (including himself) are as under:-
Anna Hazare,
Justice N Santosh Hegde,
Shanti Bhushan, Senior Advocate,
Prashant Bhushan, Advocate and
Arvind Kejriwal.

The Chairperson of the Joint Drafting Committee shall be Pranab Mukherjee.

The Co-Chairperson of the Joint Drafting Committee shall be Shanti Bhushan.

The Convenor of the Join Drafting Committee shall be M Veerappa Moily.

The Joint Drafting Committee shall commence its work forthwith and evolve its own procedure to prepare the proposed legislation.

The Joint Drafting Committee shall complete its work latest by 30th June, 2011.

Anna Hazare ends his fast

New Delhi:  After single-handedly provoking a people's revolution, 72-year-old social activist Anna Hazare, who launched what he calls "India's second freedom struggle," ended his hunger strike today.

It took Mr Hazare almost five days of fasting to accomplish every point of an agenda that seemed preposterously ambitious when the week began. Till India pitched in, expressing its solidarity with rallies around Mr Hazare's cause - to force the government to introduce a new tough law to combat corruption, and to ensure that politicians alone are not entrusted with its conception.

The government has agreed that a committee will be set up with five representatives of civil society, including Mr Hazare, and five ministers. Mr Hazare said this is a "victory of the people".  Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will be the Chairman of the panel; and former Law Minister Shanti Bhushan, who has been picked by Mr Hazare, will be the co-Chairman.

Sources have told NDTV that Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily, Home Minister P Chidambaram, Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal and Minister for Minority Affairs Salman Khursheed, are likely to be the other government representatives on the panel.

PM issues statement on breakthrough in Anna-govt talks

New Delhi:  Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has issued a statement on the breakthrough in the talks between the government and social activist Anna Hazare.

Here is the full text of the statement:

Press Release

PM says agreement to combat corruption augurs well for democracy. 

I am happy that the Government and representatives of civil society have reached an agreement in our mutual resolve to combat corruption. This is a scourge that confronts all of us. The Government intends to introduce the Lokpal bill in Parliament during the monsoon session. The fact that civil society and Government have joined hands to evolve a consensus to move this historic legislation augurs well for our democracy. I am pleased that Anna Hazareji has agreed to give up his fast.

The interaction between the Government and representatives of Anna Hazareji was productive. I hope that the process of preparing  this legislation will move forward in a constructive mode so that after consultation with a wide spectrum of stake holders the legislation is placed before the cabinet for introduction during the monsoon session.

Anna Hazare to end his fast on Saturday

New Delhi:  After single-handedly provoking a people's revolution, the 72-year-old activist who launched what he calls "India's second freedom struggle" will end his hunger strike on Saturday at 10 am.

Mr Hazare said this is a "victory of the people".
It took Anna Hazare almost five days of fasting to accomplish every point of an agenda that seemed preposterously ambitious when the week began. Till India pitched in, expressing its solidarity with rallies around Mr Hazare's cause - to force the government to introduce a new tough law to combat corruption, and to ensure that politicians alone are not entrusted with its conception.

So the government has agreed that a committee will be set up with five representatives of civil society, including Mr Hazare, and five ministers. At the head will be a chairman - a senior minister, most likely Pranab Mukherjee, and a co-Chairman, former Law Minister Shanti Bhushan, who has been picked by Mr Hazare.

Sources have told NDTV that Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily, Home Minister P Chidambaram, Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal and Minister for Minority Affairs Salman Khursheed, are likely to be the other government representatives on the panel.

2G Scam: Protection for 7 star witnesses in Delhi, Mumbai

New Delhi:  As the untimely death of two persons with alleged links to 2G scam raised questions, the Union Home Ministry asked Mumbai and Delhi Police to provide security to seven people who have given "confessional" statements in the case.
     
Government sources said today that an urgent letter was sent following a request for the same by the investigating agencies including the CBI and Enforcement Directorate.
     
The sources said Union Home Secretary G K Pillai had written to both Mumbai Police Chief Arup Patnaik and Delhi Police Commissioner B K Gupta, asking them to provide security to the seven "witnesses" who had recorded their "confessional" statements under section 164 CrPC before a magistrate.
     
The move came amid reports that underworld gangs might try and target these witnesses to subvert the probe.

     
Sadhick Batcha(30), a close aide of former Union Telecom Minister A Raja, died in Chennai last month under mysterious circumstances while 30-year-old Deepak Pushpanathan, Raja's wife's cousin, died on Wednesday. Deepak was working with Etisalat DB, a firm under the scanner in connection with the 2G spectrum scam.
     
Batcha, who was quizzed by CBI regarding the 2G scam, was found dead at his home in south Chennai.

His wife had claimed he committed suicide as he was unable to cope up with the pressure of the probe.

The CBI has taken over the probe into the death of Batcha.
     
CBI and ED had conducted searches at Batcha's official and residential premises in December. He had been called for questioning four times since then.
     
CBI in its chargesheet filed on April 2 had alleged that the money connected with the 2G spectrum scam was routed through Batcha's company to Kalaignar TV Pvt Ltd in which Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's wife Dayaluammal was one of the owners.

Govt agrees to Anna's demands: Sources

New Delhi:  After single-handedly provoking a people's revolution, the 72-year-old activist who launched what he calls "India's second freedom struggle" is likely to end his four-day hunger strike tonight.
It took Anna Hazare about 82 hours of fasting to accomplish every point of an agenda that seemed preposterously ambitious when the week began. Till India pitched in, expressing its solidarity with rallies around Mr Hazare's cause - to force the government to introduce a new tough law to combat corruption, and to ensure that politicians alone are not entrusted with its conception. So the government has agreed that a committee will be set up with five representatives of civil society, including Mr Hazare, and five ministers. At the head will be two chairmen - a minister and an unelected representative.

The government's unprecedented concessions were thrust upon it partly by Sonia Gandhi, who in a statement last night spelled out her support for his stand and urged him to end his fast. An equal amount of pressure was applied by lakhs of Indians online and offline, who dared the government to ignore the power of a people who swapped cynicism for a determination to be the change.
The turning point came this evening at 6 pm, when Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal met this evening with social activists Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi and Swami Agnivesh. At Jantar Manatar in Delhi, a short drive away, 6000 men, women and children sang "We shall overcome". A few minutes later, Mr Hazare addressed them, reassuring them that he was in good health. "You are my strength," he said.

Motorola ATRIX 4G just $49.99 from Amazon this weekend

Imagine picking up "The world's most powerful smartphone" for a ridiculously low price. This weekend, the Motorola ATRIX 4G can be yours for just $49.99 from Amazon. While AT&T offers the dual-core powered handset for $200 with a 2 year contract, Amazon normally has a $99.99 price tag on the model. And while that price seems low, cutting it in half this weekend might just leave you stunned.

Your $49.99 will buy you a device with a 4 inch qHD display, running a dual-core Tegra 2 processor. The 5MP camera on the back captures video at 720p with a 30 fps rate. And the .3MP front-facing camera allows you to see who you are talking to with video chat. All of this is powered with a 1930 mAh battery. Android 2.2 is on board and there is 1GB of RAM under the hood. Storage can be increased by up to 32GB with a microSD card.

If you have been waiting for a price break to pick up the Motorola ATRIX 4G, things won't get much lower than the $49.99 that Amazon is selling the device for this weekend.

source: Amazon via Gizmodo

This weekend, Amazon is selling "The world's most powerful smartphone", the Motorola ATRIX 4G, for just $49.99

Gingerbread to be served this summer for the T-Mobile G2?

It looks like owners of the T-Mobile G2 will finally be receiving their Gingerbread this summer according to a story in ComputerWorld. The report, written by JR Raphael of Android Power, said that Raphael had spoken with a representative of HTC who told him that the G2 is on track for a Q2 upgrade to Android 2.3.

It is somewhat surprising that so much time will have expired between the launch of Gingerbread last December, and the eventual date that the T-Mobile G2 receives the software upgrade. After all, the handset runs stock Android which shouldn't make it too difficult to come up with the upgrade.

What exactly will Android 2.3 bring to the G2? How about improved battery life, faster speed, an improved keyboard and a better cut and paste system. And if that is not enough to make you happy, Google is said to be working on Android 2.4.

source: ComputerWorld

HTC ThunderBolt having 4G connection issues

We've been using the HTC ThunderBolt for a little over three weeks now, and even though it has a lot to offer....not everything has been roses. As we mentioned in our review, the first unit we recieved had a defective earpiece speaker that made a buzzing/rattling sound, which was replaced with a new unit. This solved the issue (mostly) as long as the volume isn't turned up too high.

Since then, we've mostly used the data part of the ThunderBolt, and under heavy use we are having to charge the phone every 4-6 hours. Otherwise if it just in standby mode without much use, we can get about 18-20 hours on a charge. Some people have reported that their units are overheating, though our demo unit has not experienced this.

But there is one problem that we've been having on-and-off, and it appears we're not alone. For some (unknown) reason, the ThunderBolt will cycle from using 4G LTE, to 3G, to 1x (as shown on the top of the display) and then eventually go back to 4G LTE.  We've seen this happen with the phone just sitting on our desk, at our friend's house, or if we are out driving. This started about a week after our review, and has continued since then. We've looked some on-line forums, and found a few posts from other people on the Verizon Wireless Community forums (here, here, and here), and also on the HTC Forums (here and here) that are having similar problems.

What's interesting is that some people, who use their phone in a 4G area, are having the same issue as us, with it not staying on 4G, and cycling to 3G and 1x. But for people who only use their phone in a 3G area, it is having problems staying on 3G and sometimes changes to 1x.

One fix that we have tried is to launch the phone's dialer and type in *#*#4636#*#* and select Phone Information. At the bottom it will have "CDMA + LTE EVDO auto" by default. If you change it to "LTE mode" the phone should stay fixed more on 4G. We have tried this and have noticed that it stays on 4G most of the time, though will occasionally change to 3G and then back to 4G, but far less frequently than it did before. If you only use the ThunderBolt in a 3G area, then you could change it to "CDMA auto PRL" as that should keep it locked on 3G more and lessen the amount of times to changes to 1x.

If you have a ThunderBolt and use it in a 4G area and have seen it change to 3G and 1x (while in the 4G area), please let us know in the comment section below. The same thing goes for people who use the ThunderBolt in a 3G area and have seen it change to 1x.

We have reached out to Verizon Wireless about the connection issue, and were told they would look into it and get back to us. We will update you if we learn anything new.

BlackBerry Orlando is no Mickey Mouse handset

A leaked photo of a new BlackBerry handset codenamed Orlando has been released. The handset resembles the BlackBerry Sedona/Apollo, but adds a touchscreen to the phone. Overall, the Orlando is expected to be a higher-end device than the Sedona/Apollo and speculation has the handset launching with BlackBerry OS 6.1 on board.

The BlackBerry Orlando did not show up in the Q2 roadmap that we reported on recently, which could indicate that this phone will see the light of day sometime in the second half of the year. The Apollo, on the other hand, is expected to launch late in Q2 or early in Q3.

Outside of the photo, there really isn't much about the BlackBerry Orlando. Hopefully we will learn more about this model during BlackBerry World which runs from May 3rd through May 5th. The location of the conference this year? Orlando, of course.

source: N4BB

Spec Sheet for BlackBerry Bold Touch Dakota leaked

A leaked spec sheet for the BlackBerry Bold Touch Dakota reveals that the phone will be humming with a 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor on board. With a 2.8 inch LCD VGA display and a 35-key QWERTY keyboard, the handset will be another attempt by RIM to compete with the Apple iPhone and Android handsets.

Besides using a touchscreen, an optical keypad will be available to navigate the screen and a 5MP camera on the back, equipped with flash, will capture video in 720p. The BlackBerry Bold Touch Dakota will have a 1230mAh battery although talk and standby times were not yet determined. The device is expected to have 8GB in internal storage with 768MB of RAM on board.

Earlier today, we showed you a picture of the BlackBerry Torch 2 with it's upgraded VGA screen and 1.2GHz processor. It would seem that the BlackBerry Bold Touch Dakota will have similar specs in a more traditional BlackBerry form factor.

source: Crackberry

Leaked specs reveal a 1.2GHz processor for the BlackBerry Bold Touch-Dakota

Bell & Virgin Mobile Canada quickly shaves $50 off the pricing of the HTC Incredible S

Well that surely didn’t take that long, especially when the HTC Incredible S recently became available in Canada, but the incredible looking handset is already getting a surprising price drop.

Currently, both Bell and Virgin Mobile Canada are reducing the price of the smartphone by $50 – which isn’t too shabby since it just literally launched. However, it’s still worth mentioning that the handset still requires a grueling 3-year contract – but now places the handset at an easier $50 on-contract price. Strangely though, there is no movement whatsoever with other pricing structures; such as no-contract, 2-year, and 1year-pricing.

Regardless of that, it should nonetheless appease anyone who vaguely shows interest in the device since its price has been literally slashed in half. Just possibly, we may very well potentially see the device priced all the way down to free in the near future.

source: Bell & Virgin Mobile Canada via MobileSyrup

Promotional material shows off Multimedia Desktop Dock for the Samsung Droid Charge

You can utterly smell the scent of the Samsung Droid Charge in the air signaling that its eventual launch is hopefully nearing, but you know that things are sure to move quickly when promotional materials starts to infiltrate Verizon Wireless locations.

Even though there’s going to be plenty of face time available for the upcoming high end device, we find that there will be an available accessory that closely follows what's offered with the Motorola ATRIX 4G. Planted straight with the Samsung Droid Charge in the leaked promotion material is nothing more than a Multimedia Desktop Dock. Similar to the one for the Motorola ATRIX 4G, the dock makes for a descent pedestal stand for the handset, but adding to its arsenal is the ability change a spare battery simultaneously.

However, it’s not clear from the material whether or not the dock will be able to output video to an HD television, but as always, this is increasingly something that’s becoming standard for most high caliber smartphones on the market.

source: Engadget

Some Verizon iPad 2 owners are reporting some 3G connection blues

Just when things were beginning to look like everything was going well for the iPad 2, especially after obtaining top honors on Consumer Reports’ rankings, there seem to be some nagging issues affecting Verizon iPad 2 owners.

Specifically, the issue relates to the 3G enabled version of Verizon’s iPad 2 unable to connect to Big Red’s 3G network. Although it doesn’t necessarily have any ties with any death grip issues, the problem is only resolved by performing the taxing process of resetting the tablet completely with the help of iTunes. Moreover, it’s unable to connect properly by resetting the network settings – so the only resolution is going through with that hard reset.

From the sound of it all on Apple’s discussion forums, one user started a thread regarding the problem on their iPad 2, and from there, it’s obvious from other owners that this isn’t an isolated issue. Increasing now to 6 whole pages of people conversing and attempting to troubleshoot the issue, it’s still yet to be conclusive whether or not this is indeed a widespread problem affecting many tablets.

source: Apple Support Forums via BGR & Business Insider

Leaked screen shot indicates that a 16GB version of the Motorola XOOM is on the way

At this point, it’s anyone’s guess as to how well the Motorola XOOM is selling, but knowing that it sports a hefty cost of ownership, some just might be naturally turned away by it – even if it’s the sole Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablet in the US right now.

If you happen to be the many people patiently waiting to see prices drop, you might be surprised to find that a potential 16GB version of the tablet will be making its way to Verizon some time down the road. Glancing over a recently leaked screen shot from Verizon’s Device Management system, it indicates that the carrier will be selling a 16GB version of the XOOM – of course, it’ll be enabled for 3G right now, but it’ll get 4G whenever that happens.

Aside from that revelation, the rest of the tablet appears to be the same – so we’re all clamoring to see what kind of price point it’ll grace. However, it wouldn’t surprise much people to see it placed at $100 less than the current 32GB version. Let’s hope!

source: Droid-Life

House approves change to lithium battery shipping standards

President Obama's administration is attempting to pass a law which would classify lithium batteries as hazardous materials, as they could overheat and ignite. That law would force manufacturers, retailers, and airlines to change their packaging, training, and handling methods.

But the House has passed a law which prevents limitations on air shipments of lithium batteries. According to the Rechargeable Battery Association, those limitations would cost $1.3 billion in the first year alone.

Japanese suppliers are probably relieved to hear that the House is preempting President Obama's proposition. As Japanese suppliers make up the lion's share of international battery suppliers, and they are still struggling to recover from the earthquakes and tsunami, the extra cost would be especially damaging.

We'll know more about the potential limitations in the coming weeks, as a House-Senate committee is meeting to rectify the differences between the two bills. But our concern, as end-users, is more for the potential cost-increase of our favorite electronics.

Concerns over lithium batteries first gained attention in 2006, when Apple and others had to recall products using lithium ion batteries, after there were reports of overheating, and even fires. Have you ever owned a defective/dangerous lithium-powered device?

source: Bloomberg via AppleInsider

LinkedIn client for Android out of beta as official app hits the Android Market

Now out of beta and into the Android Market is the official app for LinkedIn. With over 100 million members and growing at a rate of better than 1 million new accounts every week and a new account every second, the organization allows members in over 200 countries to network, broadcast credentials and find a job or find an employee. Now, you can have access to all of this career-boosting information while on the go.

The Android app for LinkedIn is a free download. Android 2.1 or higher is required. Other platforms that have a LinkedIn app include iOS, BlackBerry and webOS.

source: LinkedIn via AndroidGuys

The LinkedIn app for Android can help you find a job, network with others, or help a company find an employee

Froyo treatment is about to grace Virgin Mobile's Samsung Intercept

Sprint Samsung Intercept owners have been reaping all the rewards and benefits coming from their recent Android 2.2 Froyo update, but it shouldn’t be long now before Virgin Mobile’s variant will get in with the same thing.

Apparently, some handset owners have been receiving text messages alerting them about the upcoming tasty frozen dessert update saying, “VMFreeMsg: Starting 4/11/11, you will be notified of a phone software upgrade available for your Intercept. Click http://msg4u.us/isr for more information.” Naturally, this bodes very well, especially when we’re a mere few days before the first batch of notifications hit handsets; indicating that the software update is ready for download.

Also, the link provided by the free text message sent from Virgin Mobile notates all of the juicy details expected out of it. These include:

• Exchange Active Sync updates
• Ability to install applications to external memory card
• Improved Bluetooth device support
• Bluetooth Voice dialing
• Improved operating system performance
• Dedicated phone, application and browser icons on every home screen

source: Virgin Mobile via Android Central

WatchESPN app streams live sports to your iPhone or iPod Touch

ESPN has released their free WatchESPN app for the iPhone and iPod Touch, which allows you to watch live broadcasts from ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, and ESPNU from your iOS device.

Unfortunately, the service requires that you are a customer with one of their current partner networks: Bright House Networks, Time Warner Cable, and Verizon FiOS TV. If you are an Internet-only customer with Verizon FiOS, you only have access to ESPN3. Curling, anyone? ESPN does note, however, that they will be gradually adding supported TV providers.

The current version of the app isn't optimized for the iPad, but a tablet-specific version is expected in May. WatchESPN is also expected on other operating systems, but they've provided no specific timeline.

If we were forced to guess, we'd say the Android version is arriving in May along with the iPad version. Is anyone else surprised that they didn't debut this before March Madness?

source: iTunes via Redmond Pie

AdMob survey: tablet owners primarily use their devices for gaming

According to a survey by AdMob, a subsidiary of Google, tablet users primarily utilize their devices for gaming. They found that 84% of tablet owners play games. And that's no surprise, considering the sales of tablet gaming applications. But the real surprise was how gaming dwarfed other activities.

Tablet gaming even trumped information searches (78%), email (74%), and reading news (61%). Were it not for this survey, we would have assumed that searches and email would be the most frequent use of tablets. Most surprisingly, only 51% of the respondents said they use their tablets for music and videos. Seriously?

And here's some bad news for desktop and notebook makers: 28% said that their tablet has effectively replaced their primary computer, and another 43% said they spend more time on their tablet than on their traditional computer.

Even TV has fallen victim to the allure of the tablet. Thirty-four percent said they use their tablet more than they watch TV. And we're shocked to see so many people shirking their couch-potato responsibilities. But we're not shocked at all to hear that 59% of respondents use their tablet more than they read a paper book.

So what does this all mean? First of all, the tablet is obviously becoming more of an entertainment source, rather than a productivity tool. But more importantly, console/computer makers and game designers are in trouble if the low-cost mobile gaming model continues its stellar growth.

source: AdMob via Guardian