Coming this summer: Plummeting phablet prices

Samsung Galaxy S III

Samsung (005930) stared down an army of critics when it launched the Galaxy Note in 2011. The 5.3-inch screen was viewed with deep suspicion by many industry experts. By August 2012, Samsung had sold 10 million units. Now the handset industry is set to face the onslaught of an armada of copycats. Huawei?s Ascend P2. ZTE?s Grand Memo. UMI?s X2. HTC?s (2498)?One. Sony?s (SNE)?Xperia ZL. And on and on. These smartphones all have display sizes ranging from 4.7 inches to 5.7 inches, and most of them are fairly close copies of the Note concept.

[More from BGR: Report outlines ?5 biggest problems facing Apple?]

The handset market often gets flooded with a glut of models when a new technology or a design approach starts to get trendy. It happened with the first generation of 256-color displays more than a decade ago; and with the massive waves of first 1.3-megapixel camera phones and then 5-megapixel camera phones; and with touchscreen phones in 2008, a year after the first iPhone became a sensation.

[More from BGR: Apple eyes intuitive iPhone features with new ?situational awareness? tech]

But what may be different this time around is that there is considerable doubt about the grace period of premium pricing. A decade or even five years ago, handset vendors tried to hold the line on pricing when it came to new product niches. Relatively high-end vendors like Nokia (NOK), Motorola and Sony Ericsson had enough clout with operators to keep the overall pricing environment relatively benign.

In 2013, the handset market looks radically different. Low-end vendors from Asia have far more clout and their power is growing rapidly. Huawei?s global smartphone market share has already hit 5%. A trio of low-end Asian vendors tripled their smartphone market share in urban India between June and December, reaching 12%. ZTE is making major inroads in Western Europe. Latin America is getting flooded by budget brands from Spice to Micromax.

This time around, there may not be much time for high-end vendors to capitalize on the growing popularity of smartphones equipped with 5- to 6-inch displays. Micromax is already selling a 5-inch phone in India for under $220. UMI is now launching its X2 model with an ambitious 13-megapixel camera?at $260. The quality of phones from budget vendors has improved radically over the past three years, partly because phones can now be designed so easily from off-the-shelf component suites. Nobody needs advanced in-house antenna design anymore.

This sheer number of jumbo smartphones is intimidating also because nobody really knows how great the demand is. Samsung?s?Galaxy Note models did great business in 2012 partly because there was very little competition. The fact that Samsung managed to sell more than 15 million phablets in a year does not mean that the global market can absorb a dozen new models in the same category ? particularly if Apple debuts an iPhone with 4.8-inch screen in early summer.

The industry clearly underestimated the demand for phablets in 2011 and 2012. If the past is any indication, it will now cheerfully swing to overestimating phablet demand in 2013. Once all these models ramp up over the spring, we are likely to witness truly eye-popping prices over the summer ? unless the overall consumer demand really shifts decisively towards the phablet. As cool as a 5-inch display looks, it is hard to envision it as the dominant form factor.

This article was originally published on BGR.com

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/coming-summer-plummeting-phablet-prices-203500378.html

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After Cosmetic Surgery | Fitness and Beauty Tips

You have to understand that follow-up treatments are highly necessary to accommodate the possible existence of side effects after cosmetic surgery. The doctors will tell you different factors that determine the follow-up procedures necessary based on your personal data and any underlying medical condition. In many cases, some common factors such as age, lifestyle, and the type of cosmetic surgery you have done will be the main considerations. Indeed, almost all surgery will need follow-up treatments to bring the optimum results. Especially after cosmetic surgery, doctors and the patients will want to make sure that the results from the treatment will last longer and possibly for life.

Follow-Up Care after Cosmetic Surgery

You need to work closely with the doctors before and after cosmetic surgery. You have to understand the risk, the cost, and of course, the side effects. In terms of side effects, doctors will prescribe some medications or drugs to help you recover your fitness quickly. Normally, doctors will also recommend staying in a complete rest without any activity that can cause bleeding, swelling, or depending on the type of cosmetic surgery, anything that will probably tear the stitches. You may need a week or more to heal and have your stitches out.

Once again, depending on the procedures that have been done during the cosmetic surgery, the period of the recovery process or the length of time that you can see optimum result is different. Your doctors will inform you about the follow-up treatments necessary as well. However, patients must ask basic questions related to after cosmetic surgery follow up treatments. How long will the surgery last? Will you need to return for additional injections if you have had injections? Alternatively, how often you will have to return for treatments. Is there any additional surgery necessary? If you have had a face-lift, neck lift, or any facial work, will you have to have them again? What about your health insurance and your premiums, will the surgery affect these issues?

Many times, you also need to consult lawyers as well in order to understand the legal issues related to the insurance policies that you have.

Hiding Surgery Results

Normally, you cannot see the results after cosmetic surgery in an instant. The period of the healing procedures of the scars or side effects from the treatments may be a week or more depending on the types of surgical operation that you have had. If you want, you can cover, hide, or camouflage the swelling, bruises, or scars with cosmetics. Your doctors should be able to tell what kinds of cosmetic to use. Cosmetic can cover the bruises perfectly, but on the other hand, they can affect the length of time required for recovery process. You should remember is that some types of cosmetics are not very friendly to the skins especially after cosmetic surgery. In many cases, you need to clean up the cosmetics very carefully to make sure that the recovery process can go naturally. Clean the cosmetics at night or anytime you need to go to bed.

Consult doctors, professionals and dermatologist to determine the best follow-up treatment after cosmetic surgery to get optimum results. If you do the suggestions and recommendations from the licensed professionals properly, you get big possibility that the results last longer even for life.

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Source: http://makeufits.com/2013/02/after-cosmetic-surgery.html

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SpaceX on verge of 3rd supply run to space station

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) ? The International Space Station is about to get another commercial shipment.

The California company known as SpaceX is scheduled to launch its unmanned Falcon rocket from Cape Canaveral on Friday. On board is a Dragon capsule filled with more than a ton of tools, computer hardware and science experiments. The freezers are filled with stem cells and other research items. There's no room this time for ice cream for the six-man station crew.

Forecasters put the odds of good weather at 80 percent. Launch time is 10:10 a.m.

This will be the third space station visit for SpaceX. NASA is paying the company to supply the orbiting lab. Russia, Europe and Japan also provide delivery services. NASA's shuttles used to be the main haulers, but they retired two years ago.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/b2f0ca3a594644ee9e50a8ec4ce2d6de/Article_2013-02-28-Private%20Space/id-9cb6f78366864f97894f4d70310d9f63

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Editorial: Google Glass contest elicits mild uses for wild tech

Google's #ifihadglass contest advertises for "bold, creative individuals" to start carrying pre-production builds of Glass later this year. Since most people flatter themselves as dauntless and inspired, Google's challenge casts a wide net and applications are piling into Twitter. The contest apparently also seeks prosperous individuals willing to pay $1,500 for the prize, plus travel expense to pick it up. There might be good fiscal reasons for Google's parsimony, but I can't help noting that the $12 million of revenue generated by eager beta testers represents five-thousandths of 1 percent of the company's market cap, or one-tenth of a percent of its liquid cash.

Putting aside whatever demographic-shaping is in play, the more interesting question is whether Google will find its desired 8,000 bold creative types. The applications do not foretell blazing originality among foaming early adopters. If there is a depressing strain of mediocrity in the #ifihadglass Twitter stream, perhaps it speaks less to human limitation and more to intrinsic constraints of the device as it is currently understood.

Filed under: Peripherals, Wearables, Google

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/27/Google-Glass-contest-elicits-mild-uses-for-wild-tech/

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T-Mobile Q4 2012 revenue drops 5.2 percent to $4.9 billion, customers and income also fall

It might be a good thing that T-Mobile's in the crosshairs of a MetroPCS merger, as the company again shed revenue, customers and profits. Total revenue dropped to $4.9 billion from $5.2 billion last year, while profits were down a whopping 25.1 percent over Q4 2011 to $1.05 billion. Meanwhile the company dropped 515,000 branded contract customers compared to 492,000 last quarter, representing a 'churn' rate of 2.5 percent, a slight improvement over last year. All that culminated in a rather miserable year for the carrier, which despite showing income of $4.9 billion for the year, took a whopping $11.3 billion in depreciation and impairment charges, resulting in a full year loss of $6.4 billion. Meanwhile, Deutsche Telecom said recently that T-Mobile would soon fall under its umbrella along with MetroPCS as early as April -- which sounds like it can't come soon enough.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, T-Mobile

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Source: Business Wire

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/28/t-mobile-revenue-drops-5-2-percent-to-4-9-billion/

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Arkansas Senate passes bill on concealed guns on college campuses

LITTLE ROCK, Ark (Reuters) - Faculty and staff members in Arkansas are one step closer to legally carrying concealed handguns on the state's college campuses.

The Republican-controlled Arkansas state Senate voted 31 to 4 on Monday to allow colleges and universities to decide themselves whether to allow concealed weapons on their campuses. The bill previously passed the Republican-controlled Arkansas state House 70 to 11.

The bill now goes to Governor Mike Beebe, a Democrat. He is expected to sign the legislation.

The governing board of individual institutions will decide annually whether to allow guns on campus. Many state universities have already said they would not allow concealed weapons on campuses.

Discussion of gun control and gun rights has surged in the United States since a gunman shot dead 26 people at a Connecticut elementary school in December, 20 of them first-graders.

Arkansas would join 23 states that allow individual colleges or universities to decide whether to ban or allow concealed carry of weapons on campus, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Some states also allow students to carry concealed weapons.

Earlier this month, Beebe signed the Church Protection Act, which allows individual places of worship to decide whether to allow concealed handguns and who could carry them. Last week, Arkansas became the latest state to exempt from public disclosure the names and zip codes of gun owners.

(Editing by Corrie MacLaggan and Eric Walsh)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/arkansas-senate-passes-bill-concealed-guns-college-campuses-073816678.html

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ABC?s Handling Of Oscars? Online & Mobile Streaming May Set Precedent For Future ?Event TV? Airings

If you listened to the online chatter about last night's Oscars' telecast, you might come away with the impression that the show tanked. Well, maybe it hit a lot of sour notes in terms of its questionably comedic, and in some cases downright offensive, bits, but in terms of advertising, it has nothing to be ashamed of. ABC sold out its ad inventory at $1.7 million-$1.8 million for a 30-second spot - the highest prices in the last five years. The network is also maximizing the ad spend associated with the Oscars, too, by putting the show online immediately after it aired.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/tx7if5ZGlj8/

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Qualcomm shows off Snapdragon 800 voice activation and photo editing abilities (video)

Qualcomm unveiled its new Snapdragon SoC flag bearer at CES, and here at MWC 2013 we got to see some of what the 800 series can do. Last week, the company revealed the chip's voice activation feature that allows users to wake the chip up using a voice command. We got to see one application of this technology used to launch Google Now using the keywords "hey Snapdragon," though when it makes its way into consumer devices, that keyword will be customizable. It was a limited demo, but the ability to wake your phone and launch apps without having to press a button (see: Siri and Google Now) is certainly an attractive proposition.

We also got to witness the 800's image processing capabilities when paired with one of Pelican Imaging's array cameras. Using images taken with that plenoptic shooter, changing the focal plane of an image or cropping out individuals from a group photo was easily handled by a Qualcomm prototype tablet packing a Snapdragon 800. Enough chatter on the matter, however, you can see for yourself in the video after the break.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/25/qualcomm-snapdragon-800-voice-activation-plenoptic-photo-editing/

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Kerry urges Syrian opposition to attend Rome talks

BERLIN (AP) ? Skeptical Syrian opposition leaders agreed Monday to attend an international conference in Rome after first threatening to boycott the session that was to be the centerpiece of Secretary of State John Kerry's his first overseas mission in his new job.

Opposition leaders had protested what they see as inaction by other nations in the face of violence from Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime.

Kerry not only made a public plea at a joint news conference Monday with British Foreign Secretary William Hague, he also called Moaz Khatib, leader of the Syrian Opposition Council, "to encourage him to come to Rome," a senior U.S. official said. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak publicly on the matter, described the conversation as "good" but declined to offer more detail.

Spokesman Walid al-Bunni said the council had decided to send a delegation to Rome after all.

Al-Bunni told Al-Arabiya TV the decision was made based on guarantees al-Khatib heard from western diplomats that the conference would be different and that the opposition would receive real commitments this time. "We will go and we will see if the promises are different this time," he said.

After speaking with Khatib, Kerry flew to Berlin from London, the first stop of his first trip as secretary of state ? a hectic nine-country dash through Europe and the Middle East.

Kerry had also dispatched his top Syrian envoy to Cairo in hopes of convincing opposition leaders that their participation is critical to addressing questions from potential donors and securing additional aid from the United States and Europe.

"We are determined that the Syrian opposition is not going to be dangling in the wind, wondering where the support is, if it is coming," Kerry told reporters in London after meeting British Prime Minister David Cameron and Hague. "We are not going to let the Syrian opposition not have its ability to have its voice properly heard in this process."

For his part, Hague said the violence in Syria, especially recent scud missile attacks on the city of Aleppo, was unacceptable and that the west's current position could not be sustained while an "appalling injustice" is being done to Syrian citizens.

"In the face of such murder and threat of instability, our policy cannot stay static as the weeks go by," Hague told reporters, standing beside Kerry. "We must significantly increase support for the Syrian opposition. We are preparing to do just that."

Kerry agreed.

"We are not coming to Rome simply to talk, we are coming to Rome to talk about next steps," Kerry said, adding that he was sympathetic to opposition complaints that they were not getting the support they need to defend themselves against the Assad regime or oust him from power.

"I am very sensitive to that frustration," recalling that as a U.S. senator he was one of several who pushed the administration to consider military aid to the Syrian opposition.

"But I am the new secretary of state ... and the president of the United States has sent me here and sent me to this series of meetings and in Rome because he is concerned about the course of events.

"This moment is ripe for us to be considering what more we can do," he said, adding that if the opposition wants results, "join us" in Rome.

Meanwhile, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said Monday the Assad regime was ready to hold talks with opposition leaders, the first time that a high-ranking Syrian official has stated publicly that the government would meet with the opposition. Al-Moallem made his comments after meeting in Moscow with Russian officials.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said Moallem's remarks appeared positive but expressed caution about the seriousness of the offer.

"I don't know their motivations, other than to say they continue to rain down horrific attacks on their own people," Ventrell told reporters. "So that speaks pretty loudly and clearly."

If the Assad regime is serious, he said, it should inform the U.N. peace envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi of its readiness for talks. Ventrell said the Assad regime hasn't yet done that.

Obama administration officials have debated whether the U.S. should arm the rebels, with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey having said they urged such a course of action. The White House has been unwilling to do so for fears the weapons could end up in the wrong hands. Currently, the U.S. provides only non-lethal support and humanitarian aid.

The United Nations says at least 70,000 people have been killed in Syria's 2-year civil war, which began as an uprising against Assad's regime.

Kerry said the Syrian people "deserve better" than the violence currently gripping their country as he stood alongside Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague.

___

Associated Press writers Cassandra Vinograd in London and Bradley Klapper in Washington contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kerry-urges-syrian-opposition-attend-rome-talks-144755191--politics.html

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LG Optimus G Pro: hands-on with the new Snapdragon 600 processor and 5.5-inch 1080p display (video)

The Pro version of last year's Optimus G comes in two flavors: Japan gets a 5-inch 1080p phone, while Korea (and the US) is treated to a 5.5-inch phone at the same resolution, but with Qualcomm's latest mobile chip, the Snapdragon 600. We're getting to grips with the Korean flavor here at MWC and while we're still waiting on a launch dates more specific than Q2, we couldn't help taking this particular G Pro for a spin.

While the original wasn't particularly lacking in the battery department, that increase in resolution has been fortunately accompanied by a bigger battery, up from 2,100mAh to 3,140mAh in the Korean edition and 3,000mAh in the Japanese. Design-wise, the lines are softer, more curved and -- if we're honest -- more like the Galaxy S III. There's now a curved physical home button lodged beneath the screen, with capacitive back and menu buttons either side of it that light up with the faintest glow. The back of the phone now gently curves into the rest of the phone, with that eye-catching "crystal reflection" effect now subtly shading into the sides. We've been aching to try out another phone with a next generation Snapdragon processor, and the 1.7GHz quad-core beast didn't disappoint in our brief time with the device. Navigation and basic tasks were buttery smooth, even with LG's slightly gaudy 3D animations and Emotion UI. While we're reserving full judgement for a review, we are impressed with how LG's decided to move forward with one of its most well-received smartphones in recent memory.

Terrence O'Brien contributed to this report.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, LG

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/xkyBPDrSLw4/

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Cleared For California Ride Sharing, UBERx Recruits More SF Drivers To Drop Wait Times And Prices

It?s no big secret that Uber wants to get into the ride-share game, in an effort to compete directly with upstarts like Lyft and SideCar. After reaching a deal with the CPUC, the company announced plans to contract unlicensed drivers as part of its driver fleet. It announced today on its blog that it will begin on-boarding drivers to be part of its UberX service.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/g0Uk6vYRXV0/

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Senator: 'Give and take' needed between US, Cuba

U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy arrives to the Hotel Parque Central in Havana, Cuba, Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013. U.S. lawmakers confirmed on Wednesday that they visited an American man whose detention and long sentence in Cuba has hampered efforts to improve ties between the countries, but they gave no details on his condition or what was said. The seven-member delegation led by Leahy also met with Cuban President Raul Castro and other senior officials. (AP Photo/Franklin Reyes)

U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy arrives to the Hotel Parque Central in Havana, Cuba, Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013. U.S. lawmakers confirmed on Wednesday that they visited an American man whose detention and long sentence in Cuba has hampered efforts to improve ties between the countries, but they gave no details on his condition or what was said. The seven-member delegation led by Leahy also met with Cuban President Raul Castro and other senior officials. (AP Photo/Franklin Reyes)

In this picture released by Cuba's state newspaper Granma, Cuba's President Raul Castro, right, talks with U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy at Revolution Palace in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2012. U.S. lawmakers confirmed on Wednesday that they visited an American man whose detention and long sentence in Cuba has hampered efforts to improve ties between the countries, but they gave no details on his condition or what was said. (AP Photo/Granma, Estudios Revolucion )

WASHINGTON (AP) ? A senator just back from Cuba says it will require "give and take on both sides" and "quiet negotiation" to secure the release of an American man imprisoned in Cuba.

Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont says that Alan Gross isn't going to be released by the Cuban government because of pressure from the United States.

Leahy tells CNN's "State of the Union" that it's time to re-examine the overall U.S.-Cuban relationship and move on from the "Cold War mentality" of the 1960s and 1970s.

Leahy met last week with Gross and raised his case during a meeting that a congressional delegation had with Cuban President Raul Castro.

Gross, who's from Maryland, is serving a 15-year-sentence for bringing communications equipment to the island illegally while on a USAID-funded democracy-building program.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-02-24-Cuba-Imprisoned%20American/id-10c32ad1420f46bc9c8c51e5bb54b6f4

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John Lackey on his spring debut: ?I missed playing baseball?

A relaxed and happy John Lackey after Saturday's spring debut. (Mike Petraglia/WEEI.com)

FORT MYERS, Fla. ? John Lackey is a changed man.

After allowing one run on one hit, one strikeout, one walk and one hit batter in his spring debut Saturday, the 34-year-old right-hander admitted to being his age, laughed about his 20-pitch outing and expressed appreciation for feeling no pain in his elbow for the first time since signing with the Red Sox before the 2010 season.

?I?ve lied, for sure, about that,? Lackey said when asked if he hid arm pain from the Red Sox in the first three seasons with the team. ?There?s definitely some pain. There were a few times when I said there wasn?t but it?s been a few years, for sure.?

Despite loading the bases with none out on the first 10 pitches he threw, he was enjoying the experience all the while on the JetBlue mound.

?I did,? he said. ?I kind of took a second before I went out on the mound and reflected on the bench on the past year and a half. It?s been a lot of work and have to thank a lot of trainers, a lot of people that helped me get back to this point. I was excited to be back out there.

?[I was] excited. It was fun. I missed playing baseball for sure. It was good to be back out there. The arm felt fine. I didn?t feel any pain in the elbow. Just keep moving forward.?

Lackey allowed one run, one hit, one walk, struck out a batter and hit a batter in a 20-pitch first inning of work, his only inning of the day.

?Results stuff I really wasn?t real concerned about today,? he said. ?Just glad to be back out there and get things going in that direction. Next time out we?ll get to working on a few other things.?

What did his manager think?

?The ball got out of his hand as we expected today,? John Farrell said. ?It?s a big step, and it?s one over the last 16 months, he was on his program, and at times, he probably felt like he was the only one going through it. And today was the first step for his building block for spring training and getting back to being a regular member of this rotation.

?I think there was a lot of anticipation on a number of people?s part, and mostly John?s. But now, he?s able to get into his five-day rotation, normal sides, normal turns through the schedule. But a good first step for him.?

Farrell said the plan is to increase to two innings for his next outing, likely in five days against the Pirates in Bradenton, and increase by one inning in each subsequent start.

?That?s the plan,? Farrell said. ?He?ll build with each consecutive outing, an inning at a time.?

Lackey admitted he had some nerves taking the mound.

?There?s definitely some for sure,? Lackey said. ?It got better as I got a little bit more tired. The ball started coming down a little bit but first couple of hitters, I was up in the zone. I was just going to throw all fastballs today just trying to build arm strength. I think I tried one changeup, that?s it. The rest of them were all fastballs. It?s a little different than throwing on the side for sure.?

Lackey said he wasn?t worried about velocity in the first game of the spring, a game in which he threw no breaking balls.

?The first game after Tommy John? No. I was just trying to hit the glove in the air today. The plan was one inning all along. I look forward to the next time for sure,? Lackey said.

Source: http://fullcount.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/2013/02/23/john-lackey-on-his-spring-debut-i-missed-playing-baseball/

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Mozilla to bring marketplace to Firefox OS later this year, allow payment through operators

Mozilla has just announced live at its MWC 2013 event that it'll launch its marketplace for Firefox OS "later this year," and that you'll be able to pay for apps directly through your mobile operator. That's obviously different from Google and Apple's approach, perhaps to entice carriers to jump on board with devices packing the new mobile OS. You'll be able to grab apps in categories like games, news and media from outfits like EA, Disney, Facebook and Twitter. Mozilla's also touting "one-time use and downloadable apps" to let users test out apps before they buy them. The organization said that developers will be able to use "web technologies at the core," to create HTML5-based apps, in order to populate the new ecosystem quickly. The marketplace won't arrive to Firefox OS until later this year, but you can get a preview on Firefox for Android Aurora. For more info, check the PR after the break.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/ICWWXWotheQ/

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UFC 157 picks from Kevin Iole, Maggie Hendricks and Cagereaders like you

After months of build-up, we're almost to the historic bout between Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche, which headlines UFC 157 in Anaheim. Here is how we think the fights will go. A big thank you to all the Cagereaders who contributed their picks.

Kevin Iole ?Ronda Rousey SUB1 Liz Carmouche: Scottie Bowman, the greatest hockey coach ever, always would say he'd stick with the hot hand. In this case, the hot hand is Rousey. She's got a far better athletic pedigree and she's looked unbeatable against elite competition in Kaufmann and Tate. First-round arm bar win for Rousey

Maggie Hendricks ? Ronda Rousey SUB1 Liz Carmouche: The thing about Rousey's armbar is that it's going to be unstoppable until someone stops it. Brilliant, right? Because of the move's unpredictability, it's equally difficult to predict who will be the one who can stop it.

[Also: Ronda Rousey doesn't want to touch UFC title belt before fighting]

Cagereader ? My pick: Ronda Rousey by first round armbar. Yes, again. I don't think anyone's got her figured out yet, and her aggression is too much to deal with for anyone at this point. -- Dan Butera

Cagereader ? Rousey. She has more to offer than Carmouche. I think it will be Rousey's longest fight ever since Carmouche is a scrappy chick. She definitely has her work cut out for her. -- Charlotte Petroskey

***

Kevin Iole ? Dan Henderson TKO2 Lyoto Machida: Henderson is going to grind on Machida and wear him down until he gets enough space to land his big right hand.

Maggie Hendricks ? Dan Henderson W3 Lyoto Machida: As Kevin Iole points out in his column, Machida is not the elusive fighter he once was. Henderson will wear him down and take the bout.

Cagereader ? I'll take Machida over Henderson. Machida's height, reach, and long torso is going to make it very hard for Hendo to impose his will. Throw in Machida's speed advantage, faster punches, better cardio, and youth, and this one could end up being lopsided. Dan Henderson, as always, does have a puncher's chance, but that is about it in my opinion. -- Buddy Kreutzer

***

Kevin Iole ? Urijah Faber SUB3 Ivan Menjivar: Faber hasn't fought like a star in a while and the pressure is on him to do so. He's primed for a good performance and I think he delivers it.

Maggie Hendricks ? Urijah Faber SUB2 Ivan Menjivar: Fighting in California, Faber should be able to get back on the winning track and outgrapple Menjivar for a win.

[Also: How Dana White's about-face on women's MMA became official]

Cagereader ? Though both Faber and his opponent are very dynamic and multidimensional, predict the intense energy will lead to an unpredictable TKO with Faber winning! -- Ernie Brewer

***

Kevin Iole ? Josh Neer W3 Court McGee: This is a flip-a-coin match so I'm going to go with the guy with more experience.

Maggie Hendricks ? Court McGee W3 Josh Neer: Yep, pretty much what Kevin said, so my coin flipped to McGee.

Cagereader ? Hard not to like McGee's drop to 170. His smothering style should win the day. McGee by Decision. - John Wilcox

***

Kevin Iole ? Josh Koscheck W3 Robbie Lawler: Lawler is simply not the same fighter he once was. I think Koscheck wins a pretty wide decision here.

Maggie Hendricks ? Josh Koscheck W3 Robbie Lawler: Though Koscheck is coming off of a loss, Lawler hasn't done much to show he can stop Koscheck's wrestling or striking.

Cagereader ? I think Koscheck to beat Lawler. Kos will be desperate to get back into the win column and I see him wearing down Robbie with his outstanding wrestling ability and finishing him late on as Lawler tires. Koscheck by RNC round 3. - Craig Donaldson

Forgot to make your picks on Facebook in time for this post? That's OK. Post them here, on Facebook or on Twitter.

UFC video on Yahoo! Sports:

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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-157-picks-kevin-iole-maggie-hendricks-cagereaders-171043268--mma.html

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Android 4.2.1 update for international Galaxy S3 leaks

 

Frequent firmware leaker SamMobile has just released what it believes is a build of the Android 4.2.1 update for the international (i9300) Samsung Galaxy SIII (S3). What we're looking at here is someone testing the new firmware -- Android 4.2.1 JOP40D -- that has chosen to give a system dump for others to try. It looks like many of the new features such as lockscreen widgets and Daydream are included, but this is certainly not final firmware.

SamMobile has re-packaged this firmware into an ODIN Flashable file that other users with the device can try out if they wish. There are of course risks involved, above and beyond the binary counter being increased and the device reporting as "modified" when running the firmware. If you're interested, you can give it a look at the source link below.

Source: SamMobile

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/watGuYopgNs/story01.htm

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Playground Sessions Exits Beta To Teach Budding Pianists How To Play

While education startups like Khan Academy and Coursera are democratizing access to primary and secondary-level instruction, there are plenty of other hobbies where face-to-face teaching could be disrupted (or enhanced) by software. Music could be one of them — at least at the beginner level. Playground Sessions, a New York-based startup that spun out of a ventures division of creative advertising agency BBH, is launching a new way to teach piano today. It uses a MIDI keyboard, video demonstrations, and software that provides instant feedback on how well you’ve matched every note. This is desktop software that you have to download from Playground Sessions’ website, but a proper tablet app is on its way. I’ve spent more than 20 years playing piano and competing, but I had to learn from a very hardcore Russian piano teacher (who I’m immensely grateful for). While it would be hard to get to play Chopin’s Revolutionary etude all on your own, Playground Sessions could reach a more beginner-level player who isn’t quite ready to fork over more than $40 or 60 an hour to an individual teacher or who wants to play pop songs, not Bach partitas. It works, as you might guess, through several ‘Bootcamp’ tutorials on basic musical concepts like chord progressions, notation and key signatures. These are designed by a New York University music instructor Alex Ness. Then there’s interactive sheet music and complementary video lessons on how to play specific songs like Katy Perry?s ?Firework,? or David Guetta?s ?Without You.? The pieces are sold in an iTunes-like store for about $5.99 a pop. “One of the reasons students drop out early is that they don’t really love the sound. They’re not motivated or engaged by the songs they’re playing,” said Chris Vance, who co-founded the company. “One of the things we wanted to address was giving people more choice and ownership over what they play.” When a student picks up one of these songs, they can play into a MIDI keyboard and get feedback on how well they’ve picked up a song based on how many notes they’ve played correctly. Playground Sessions also shows them how much they’ve improved compared to the last time they played and where they’re seeing problem areas. Playground Sessions’ membership will go for $9.99 a month with an annual plan or $14.99 per month with a quarterly plan. Vance signed on Quincy Jones, the famed

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/X7N3XqVQE34/

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Video: Family of Carnival passenger: ?We just want our mom home?

>>> and now to what has become a very unsavory story about conditions on board a cruise ship deteriorating very rapidly. it is no carnival tonight on board the carnival vesicle "triumph" after a fire, a power failure , a bathroom failure, an air conditioning failure, a foot shortage and now a tow into port in mobile, alabama, to end the suffering on board what was supposed to be a nice escape for over 3,000 passengers. our report tonight from nbc's janet shamlian in mobile.

>> reporter: these are the passengers who have been toughing it out on the crippled "triumph," living four days now without power, working toilets or enough food. the photos were taken from another carnival vessel as it delivered supplies. a third tug was summoned late today to help tow "triumph" into mobile, where family members are waiting.

>> your heart sinks, your stomach knots up. you just want to keel over in a feat tal position and go why. why now? you know? but you get stronger.

>> reporter: carnival has apologized to customers, and today cancelled 12 more "triumph" cruises, docked now until at least mid april. it's little consolation for natalie ware, whose mother is on board.

>> it's awful. we want our mom home. we want to make sure she is safe and hear from her.

>> reporter: ware and others have lost contact with family in the last day or so, as cell phones have died. carnival has said it's made arrangements to get passengers home as soon as possible. 1,500 hotel rooms booked for thursday night and charter flights to houston friday.

>> every decision we've made since sunday morning is to ensure the safety of our guests and to get them home as quickly as possible.

>> reporter: he drove from texas to meet his fiancee who he says has been anything but comfortable.

>> carnival gives you a number to call but the information they give you makes it sound like for the most part it's okay but when you actually hear from someone on the ship, you realize what kind of situation they're actually in.

>> the final hours of a vacation nightmare, as "triumph" limps home. janet shamlian , nbc news, mobile.

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/50802618/

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Foul odors, inoperative toilets reported on Carnival Triumph

Janet Shamlian ? ? ? 58 min.

Passengers on the Carnival Triumph will get an additional $500 in compensation, the cruise line said late Wednesday. The cash payout is in addition to a full refund and future cruise credit Carnival announced earlier in the week.

Passengers on board the Triumph, stranded since Sunday, have faced tough conditions including foul odors, inoperative toilets and long waits for food.

?The worst part is the bathrooms,? passenger Donna Gutzman told NBC News. ?There?s no water. You can?t really flush so everyone?s going in little plastic baggies and putting it outside their rooms.?

Fewer than two dozen public toilets are working, Carnival said.

The ship is being towed to port in Mobile, Ala., and is expected to arrive some time Thursday. A third tugboat was dispatched from Louisiana Wednesday to help the towing efforts.

Lani Corbett?s daughter, Shannon Dobbs, is on the Triumph with a group of co-workers. ?She sounded scared, angry, exhausted, miserable,? Corbett said, who last spoke to her daughter on Monday afternoon.? She was OK, but it was basically pandemonium.?

Corbett set up a Facebook page where friends and family members of cruise passengers had a place to get and share information. ?People are thankful I set it up,? she told NBC News. ?While we know everyone is safe, we still have the right to be scared for them.? By Wednesday, the page had more than 400 ?likes.?

Lindsey Peterson, whose parents are onboard the Triumph, said she?s hearing conflicting reports. ?Carnival is telling me that all the passengers are safe, the boat has 40 percent power, they have one dining room working with hot food and hot coffee, that the sleeping conditions are fine,? Peterson said. ?Everything that Carnival has told me thus far has not matched up with what my mom has said.?

Tess Hester, whose daughter is on the ship, received this message: ?This is honestly the worst experience ever. I?m not sure I can take two more days at sea with no food, water or power.?

Health concerns
One of the biggest concerns crew members will have until the ship docks is the potential for disease outbreak, particularly norovirus, which causes vomiting and diarrhea, Jay Herring, a former senior officer for Carnival Cruise Lines, told The Associated Press.

"Housekeeping, others are probably working double shifts to keep the mess clean and wipe down and sanitize all the common areas," said Herring, who worked for Carnival from 2002 to 2004 and spent four months on the Triumph.

?I think it?s very important that I apologize to our guests and to their families that have been affected by this very difficult situation,? Carnival CEO Gerry Cahill said. The cruise line has reserved 1,500 hotel rooms for passengers in Mobile and New Orleans, and 20 chartered flights will transport passengers to Houston, Cahill said at a press conference on Tuesday.

The Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the engine-room fire. The fire broke out Sunday morning as the Triumph -- with 3,143 passengers and 1,086 crew members on board -- was sailing about 150 miles off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. The flames were put out without any injuries to passengers or crew.

The disabled ship was originally going to be towed to the Mexican port of Progreso, but strong winds pushed them 90 miles north. Carnival decided to tow the ship to Mobile instead, making it easier for passengers traveling with passports to get home.

The ship left Galveston, Texas, on Thursday, and was scheduled to return on Monday.

The ship?s next 14 voyages, the earliest of which were scheduled to depart Monday and Saturday, have been canceled through April 13. Passengers scheduled to sail on those voyages will receive a full refund and a discount on a future cruise.

The incident comes more than two years after another Carnival ship, the Splendor, was crippled at sea by a fire in the engine room.

NBC News' Joe Myxter and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/travel/carnival-triumph-passengers-cite-foul-odors-worsening-conditions-1B8325828

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LL Cool J To Future: MCs Pick Greatest Hip-Hop Love Songs Of All Time!

'LL, 'I Need Love,' that's first and foremost,' Fabolous argues to MTV News, but we want to hear your picks using #hiphoplovesongs.
By Rob Markman, with additional reporting by MTV News staff

LL Cool J in his video for "I Need Love"
Photo: Def Jam

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1701952/valentines-day-greatest-hip-hop-love-songs.jhtml

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Obama's State of the Union address both bold and modest

Little in the president's State of the Union address was new ? he's touched on the ideas many times before ? but he didn't seem to be in a mood to bow to Republicans.

By Peter Grier,?Staff writer / February 13, 2013

President Obama, flanked by Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, gestures as he gives his State of the Union address during a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington Tuesday.

Charles Dharapak/AP

Enlarge

President Obama in his 2013 State of the Union laid out an expansive vision for government efforts to help boost the American middle class, called upon Congress to finally pass comprehensive immigration reform, announced that the US effort in Afghanistan will end next year, and made an emotional plea for greater restrictions on firearms that invoked the heartache bullets have wrought in Newtown, Conn.; Aurora, Colo.; Tucson, Ariz.; Blacksburg, Va.; and every other town in the nation touched by gun violence.

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The speech was modest in the sense that it touched upon many of the president?s longstanding proposals, as opposed to new, sweeping initiatives.

As he did in the campaign, Mr. Obama offered some reductions in the nation?s big health-care entitlement programs in exchange for raising more revenues by closing tax ?loopholes.? He repeated his push to raise the minimum wage, this time to $9 an hour, instead of the $9.50 per hour he asked for in 2008 as president-elect. The president called for preschool to be affordable for all US parents, and said the nation needed to revamp its high schools to better prepare students for jobs in the burgeoning high-tech economy.

?It is our unfinished task to restore the basic bargain that built this country ? the idea that if you work hard and meet your responsibilities, you can get ahead, no matter where you come from, what you look like, or who you love,? said Obama.

But the address was bold in another sense: a reelected chief executive did not appear in the mood to bow in the direction of the other party. While he refrained from criticizing Republicans by name and generally steered clear of obvious partisan shots, he outlined a government-centric approach to improving the US that could have been compiled from 2012 stump speeches.

That?s the theme Sen. Marco Rubio (R) of Florida hit in his GOP response.

?More government isn?t going to help you get ahead. It?s going to hold you back. More government isn?t going to create more opportunities. It?s going to limit them,? said Senator Rubio.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/politics/~3/R4Qa_-kNJe8/Obama-s-State-of-the-Union-address-both-bold-and-modest

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HBO Go enables AirPlay for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch apps

HBO Go's iPhone and iPad apps were updated Tuesday with Apple's AirPlay feature, letting it stream content to the Apple TV. (Apple / February 12, 2013)

'; jQuery(document).ready(function(){ jQuery('#story-body-text').append(rodriguezsig); });

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/latimes/technology/~3/TPKjIEOJ07I/la-fi-tn-hbo-go-airplay-ios-20130212,0,3329750.story

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Oregon Coast Chamber Music Society Concert: March 2, 3pm ...

Jonathan Dubay, Cary Lewis, Gregory Dubay
The Three Centuries Ensemble
OCCMS Concert, March 2, 3pm, Depoe Bay

Story from:
Oregon Coast Chamber Music Society

Oregon Coast Chamber Music Society (OCCMS) continues its mission to bring world-class Oregon musicians to home audiences by presenting ?The Three Centuries Ensemble? with violinist Jonathan Dubay, cellist Gregory Dubay and pianist Cary Lewis at their next concert on Saturday, March 2 at 3:00 p.m. in Depoe Bay.

Since its founding in 1995 by Jonathan Dubay, this talented trio has been dedicated to making connections in chamber music across the centuries. Their concert on March 2 will feature three chamber works which are influenced by Hungarian music. Franz Haydn brings a gypsy style as a humorous diversion in the last movement of Piano Trio No. 39 in G major. Zoltan Kodaly?s Duo for Violin and cello, Opus 7, shows inspiration from true Hungarian folk music as collected and studied with his colleague Bela Bartok in the early 20th century. Finally, Johannes Brahms? Piano Trio in C Major, Opus 87, exhibits a Hungarian flavor in its poignant second movement but leaves music lovers wondering if the melody is truly Hungarian.

Violinist Jonathan Dubay has performed chamber music throughout the United States as a member of the Essex Quartet, including performances at Alice Tully Hall and the Aspen Music Festival. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Yale University, a Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music and was a Julliard String Quartet Teaching Assistant. He has also taught at Pacific University, Lewis and Clark College and the University of Oregon. He is in his 20th season as a violinist with the Oregon Symphony.

Gregory Dubay is a freelance cellist in the Portland area and director of the Community Music Center in Southeast Portland. Gregory received a Bachelor and Master Degree in Cello Performance from the Manhattan School of Music and then continued his studies in England. Highlights of his professional career include a year in the Bergen (Norway) Philharmonic Symphony and thirteen years ? half as principal cellist ? in the Honolulu Symphony.

Cary Lewis is a collaborative pianist for soloists and chamber music groups and has performed in music capitals of both the United States and Europe. He holds a degree from the University of North Texas and a doctorate and performer?s certificate from the Eastman School of Music; he was a Fulbright scholar for two years in Vienna. He appears in numerous musical festivals annually and can also be heard on numerous recording labels.

The March 2 concert will be held in an ocean view home in Little Whale Cove, Depoe Bay. Call 541-645-0409 to make reservations and get directions. Tickets are $25 per person. Make checks payable to OCCA and mail to OCCMS, 1410 Walking Wood, Depoe Bay, OR 97341. Taft High Culinary Club will prepare and serve light refreshments.

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Source: http://www.newslincolncounty.com/?p=74541

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Branden R. Williams, Business Security Specialist ? Want to learn ...

February 12th, 2013 by Branden Williams

The Phoenix Project

So The Phoenix Project has been out for about a month now (read an excerpt here), and it has been the talk of IT and IS professionals all over the place. I?ve been pestering Gene to release some of the underlying research that went into the book for people that want to learn more. The fable is a GREAT place to start, but when you go to implement the concepts in the book, it?s nice to have some of the underlying theory behind it when you go change your operations.

So here?s the first installment of the core concepts in The Phoenix Project. If you are affiliated with a university (as a student or alumni) you may be able to get access to some of the elements that Gene refers to.

If you still want more, come see us at RSA Conference! We will be presenting on Wednesday, February 27th at 9:20am in room 309. We will go over how you can use many of the concepts of lean manufacturing in a security organization. We will be drawing from this book as well as the resources listed on the page above. We hope to see you there!

?

In other news, I am currently looking for my next exciting opportunity! For my full CV and a quick two-pager, please go to hirebranden.com!

Possibly Related Posts:

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. For information on my book and other publications, click here.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 12th, 2013 at 9:29 am by Branden Williams and is filed under Enterprise Security. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Source: https://www.brandenwilliams.com/blog/2013/02/12/want-to-learn-more-about-the-research-behind-the-phoenix-project/

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Vertu Ti Android smartphone goes on sale for $10,500

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Includes sapphire glass front, titanium shell, concierge button

Vertu, the luxury handset maker formerly owned by Nokia, has released it's first Android-powered handset. The Vertu Ti, leaked at the start of the month, will cost potential customers 7,900 euros ($10,500), despite the company's head of design claiming that "Vertu will never be at the bleeding edge of technology."

Hutch Hutchinson, the head designer at the British firm, told the BBC that the Vertu Ti "has to be about relevant technology and craftsmanship ? it's not a disposable product." The materials used to construct the Vertu Ti reflect this, with a titanium shell providing a higher level of protection than more mainstream handsets, while the name and signature of the employee that assembled the device are inscribed onto the lid of the SIM holder by a laser.

The specifications list for the Vertu Ti are considerably modest despite it's cost. Using a 1.7GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor with 1GB of RAM, it has a 1,250mAh battery, 64GB of storage, a rear 8-megapixel camera with 1.3MP front-facing counterpart, no LTE support, and a sapphire glass screen with a low 800x480 resolution touchscreen display. Despite the average internals, the Vertu Ti does offer customers access to a concierge service using a dedicated concierge button.

The Vertu Ti is on sale at 500 retail outlets globally, including 70 company-owned stores.

By Electronista Staff

Source: http://electronista.feedsportal.com/c/34342/f/626172/s/287b48be/l/0L0Selectronista0N0Carticles0C130C0A20C120Cincludes0Bsapphire0Bglass0Bfront0Btitanium0Bshell0Bconcierge0Bbutton0C/story01.htm

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First Impressions: Samsung Galaxy S III Mini

Banking on the success of the Galaxy S III and all that came before in the series, Samsung seems to be in the mood to make sure that their loyal customers are well provided for in all price segments. With the Galaxy Grand being somewhat of a lower end Note II, we now have the Galaxy S III Mini, due to hit the market soon in an official capacity, making its way into the lives of today?s hungry-for-more consumers. We managed to get our hands on the S III Mini and here are my first impressions of the new mid range Samsung Smartphone.?

?

Here's a quick unboxing and run through some of the features of the handset -?

?

?

Design

Love the design in this small form factor. Samsung?s not-so-unique-anymore-because-we?ve-seen-it-too-often design works for the smaller devices. The Mini is a slick looking handset and looks especially classy dressed in its Blue shade. The White option is getting a little pass? now. We still wish Samsung would actually bother to tweak their now, rather generic design.?

?

Sporting a 4-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen with a 480 x 800 pixel resolution, you should have no issues with viewing from all angles. Although the S III Mini comes equipped with 8GB of onboard storage, it can be expanded via microSD cards up to 32GB. However, the card slot is under the battery, which was not a good idea. A 5 megapixel camera with an LED flash also features on the rear of this device with a front facing VGA counterpart for video calls.?

5 megapixel camera and LED flash

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?

On the whole, the handset felt quite comfortable to use for the short time we had it and weighing in at just 111g (approx) the S III Mini is sure to appeal to those looking for something small and chic against the Grand?s large form.?

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Features

The S III Mini ships with Android 4.1.1 aka Jelly Bean bringing with it a host of Samsung?s new features that you?d find even in their higher-end options. This was a great idea on the company?s part, to give users an experience of a high-end device within a reasonable budget. Samsung?s thrown in their host of motion and Sensor-based features along with their TouchWiz UI.?

?

The Mini comes with enough power to ensure that all your basic smartphone needs are met and then some. With 1GB of RAM and Cortex A9 1GHz Dual Core processor you should have all operations running smoothly irrespective of how loaded the device is.

What?! No Hot Swap for memory?

?

?

From the media perspective, the handset come preloaded with plenty of video codecs to support instant non-converted playback of files. There?s also an FM radio added to the list and hopefully the audio via the native music player will hold up to Samsung?s prior quality. The music player also supports FLAC.

?

The S III Mini is teeming with connectivity options. You?ve got it all from a wide range of Wi-Fi related offerings ? DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, Hot-Spot ? to full 3G capabilities, Bluetooth with A2DP GPS with GLONASS. The MINI is also touted to be shipping with NFC but whether or not Samsung will launch that edition here is unconfirmed.

?

We also noticed quite a few menu pages loaded with a bunch of apps for all occasions. What you can?t find, you can always get from Samsung?s own App store or the Google Play Store that are always on hand.?

A miniature Galaxy S III

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The Mini is loaded up with a 1500mAh battery. It seems a tad short on power, but we?ll able to tell you more after the full review when we?re done putting it through its paces.

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First Impression

With a price tag of Rs 17,500 in the grey market, it seems like the S III Mini?s only major competition will be its bigger brother the Galaxy Grand. For a couple of thousands more you?ll get a 5.0-inch screen with an 8MP camera and Dual SIM support if that?s what you need. It?s also just a little more powerful. But, if further comfort of portability is your concern, then the Samsung S III Mini seems like a great option for the price, if you're looking at Android as your OS. There's a good chance that Nokia's Lumia 620 might just be a tough act to beat as well. More on that after we've actually tested both handsets. ?

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Stay tuned to tech2 for the full review of the handset post the official launch that?s due anytime now.?

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Product sourced from - Sound Electronic, Heera Panna,?

Phone No. - +91 9821 303 300?

Email ? soundelectronic12@gmail.com

Source: http://tech2.com.feedsportal.com/c/34190/f/619583/s/287a9c97/l/0Ltech20Bin0N0Cfeatures0Csmartphones0Cfirst0Eimpressions0Esamsung0Egalaxy0Es0Eiii0Emini0C752942/story01.htm

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