Dhanush at Nokia Lumia smartphones launch

[postlink]https://tenderhub.blogspot.com/2011/12/dhanush-at-nokia-lumia-smartphones.html[/postlink]

Dhanush

True to the theme of 'Amazing Everyday', Nokia celebrated the launch of its Nokia Lumia smartphones in the city with a grand and surprise bash for consumers with an energetic performance by Dhanush and Mir with Bandage at a mall.

The campaign reached its peak with a series of impromptu concerts that were kicked off in Delhi a few days back with the music composer duo Vishal and Shekhar. In Bangalore and Mumbai, consumers were treated to performances by artists Raghu Dixit and Indian Ocean and KK and the evergreen band Parikrama at a mall respectively.

Consumers welcomed and cheered Dhanush and encouraged encores of his popular "Kolaveri Di". A cold Christmas turned out to be fun with audiences singing and dancing to it. A few even quickly captured Dhanush's appearance on their mobiles and shared it with friends online.
Additionally, residents of Delhi were treated to a surprise cricket match with Indian cricketerHarbhajan Singh with shoppers at a mall on Christmas Eve. The match was a modified version of the original sport. Harbhajan Singh chose two players to play with. The match had four balls in an over with runs being awarded for placement of the ball on the net. Finally, team members got to take a picture with the celebrity cricketer post the match. It was an evening of both unexpected delight and amazement that when they realized that they could play cricket with their favourite cricket star.

As part of the 'Amazing Everyday Campaign', Nokia also organized impromptu treats for consumers like a surprise 40 minute helicopter ride over the river Hooghly for some lucky early buyers of the Lumia smartphones and a luxurious BMW pick up and drop between their homes and the nearest Nokia Priority Partner, for consumers who had pre-booked the device. Nokia is invading cities with fascinating and surprising elements making the enthusiasm around the Lumia range contagious. The company is creating, for consumers, unique and interesting moments in their daily lives by adding a bit of a thrill to their mundane routine.

Dhanush at Nokia Lumia smartphones launch

DROPBOX 2.0 APP

[postlink]https://tenderhub.blogspot.com/2011/12/dropbox-20-app.html[/postlink]

Dropbox released version 2.0 of its Android app this morning, and it’s a complete revamp of the last version. The update includes a total redesign of the app as well as plenty of welcome features for faster and easier file management.
Dropbox did a fantastic job with the new design. It’s simple, clean, and it’s one of the very few Android apps I don’t find ugly in the least. The new navigation bar at the top has three tabs: Dropbox, Uploads, and Favorites. Each of them have their own new features.
Every file in your Dropbox folder now has an arrow to the right of it. Tap it, and you’ll bring up a pop-over menu with options to share, favorite, delete, etc. The option to favorite a file is a new feature in Dropbox. It’s saved in the Favorites tab and you can access it any time even without an Internet connection because it saves locally. You can rename specific files from the app now, too.
The Uploads tab has been streamlined and includes support for uploading files from (and exporting files to) local storage — and not just one file either. Bulk upload is a nice addition in Dropbox 2.0 if you have a lot of files but only a little time.

DROPBOX 2.0 APP

NOKIA LUMIA 900

[postlink]https://tenderhub.blogspot.com/2011/12/nokia-lumia-900.html[/postlink]

A leaked image that appeared on My Nokia Blog suggests that the Finnish giant is expected to unveil another top-end Windows Phone called Nokia Lumia 900 at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES) to be held in Las Vegas in January second week. The company is also expected to announce several other smartphones along with the Lumia 900 at the event. 


According to Web reports, Lumia 900 which resembles Lumia 800 in looks, will come with a 4.3-inch ClearBlack AMOLED display and will include the new Windows Phone Tango update. The smartphone is also likely to feature a front-facing camera and is expected to come in a variety of colour options. 


Lumia 900 is also said to sport a 1.4GHz processor, an 8 megapixel rear camera with single LED flash. It is also rumoured to pack support for 4G LTE networks. 

NOKIA LUMIA 900

The Top 30 Android Apps And Games Of 2011

[postlink]https://tenderhub.blogspot.com/2011/12/top-30-android-apps-and-games-of-2011.html[/postlink]

Editor’s note: Contributor Brad Spirrison is the managing editor of mobile app discovery services Appolicious,AndroidApps and AppVee.  Spirrison now turns his attention to the best Android apps of the year.

---

Android apps come in all shapes and sizes – literally.

Unlike iOS applications, which are basically created for two form factors, Android apps need to be developed with dozens (if not hundreds) of device-types in mind. This is on top of the inconsistent operating system releases still mucking things up. While all of this fragmentation is a headache for developers, ignoring a platform with 50 percent market share would ultimately lead to their peril.

The best Android apps are thus the ones that can both push the technological envelope while also remaining accessible to the vast majority of users. This is no easy feat.

We divided our list of the best 30 Android apps into four distinct categories. The top ten apps come from third-party developers, and, if not exclusive to Android, were created primarily for the platform. Additional sections include the best new or significantly updated apps from Google, as well as the best apps and games that appeared first on iOS but later arrived to Android in 2011.

As is the case with our lists of best iOS apps and games of 2011, hundreds of additional titles are worthy of consideration. Our top 30 showcase the growth and maturation of Android apps over the last year. They are also worthy downloads.

1. Any.DO: To Do List | Task List (full AndroidApps review)

Funded by Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt, Any.DO is the best productivity and to-do application tailored specifically for Android devices. The app’s elegant interface is optimized to limit actual typing through voice-driven commands. Users can swipe each task when complete, and shake their phones to clear them from the screen. The app also offers (mostly) seamless integration with Google accounts.

2. Lightbox – Photos & Effects (full AndroidApps review)

More than just an Instagram for Android, Lightbox offers features like photo journals and the ability to arrange pictures by personal timelines that make it unique and, to some, indispensable. The app’s stunning visual display and compatibility on multiple Android devices set the standard moving forward for photo-sharing apps on the platform.

3. Amazon MP3 (full AndroidApps review)

Along with Google Music (see below), Amazon MP3 is the best way for an Android smartphone and tablet owner to kick an iTunes habit. The app provides access to a library of nearly 20 million songs, 5GB of free storage, and reliable offline listening. Subscriptions to Amazon’s Cloud Drive service start at a reasonable $20/year for 20GB of storage, but you can store as much of your own music as you like with that subscription.

4. AirDroid (full AndroidApps review)

Android devices offer so many customization features that sometimes using a larger screen, mouse and full-sized keyboard will help you get the most out of your smartphone or tablet device. This free app lets users operate their smartphones from a PC with a Wi-Fi connection. Additionally, AirDroid emphasizes privacy protection with password changes for each use.

5. SwiftKey X Keyboard (full AndroidApps review)

After launching a beta app last year, SwiftKey X arrived on Android smartphones and tablets in 2011. The app has larger keys as well as superior word and sentence prediction algorithms than what is typically found on Androids. SwiftKey also learns from previously typed emails and messages, and offers three color schemes to simplify the process and brighten things up.

6. Skitch (full AndroidApps review)

Acquired by Evernote, Skitch lets users annotate photos with sketches, images and words. The app has dead simple editing tools and the ability for users to draw with multi-colored crayons. Skitch is a great app for kids in addition to serving as a functional and unique photo-sharing service.

7. BlueStacks Cloud Connect (full AndroidApps review)

While still in Alpha, BlueStacks is demonstrating how Android applications can run on Windows-based PCs. The Android app works in concert with the Windows-based BlueStacks App Player to run mobile applications on PCs. The venture-backed company and application, which has attracted more than 500,000 early adopters since launch, expects to debut a Mac OS version in 2012.

8. Qello (full AndroidApps review)

Available as separate applications for Android smartphones and tablets, Qello offers a great catalog of high definition concerts (mostly rock, but with other genres sprinkled in). Users can sample the 500+ titles for free, or lease any of them on a weekly ($1.99) or monthly basis ($4.99).

9. AccuWeather for Honeycomb (full AndroidApps review)

Developed specifically for Honeycomb-based tablet devices, this all-inclusive weather application showcases the beauty and utility of Android on larger form factors. The Lifestyle section, which informs users on things like whether it is a good day for biking or bad day for allergies, is a nice humanized touch.

10. HD Widgets (full AndroidApps review)

Android is all about customization, and there is no better and more comprehensive widget app available than this one. Optimized for Android tablets and smartphones, HD Widgets is great for Android experts and first-timers alike. Users will also appreciate the “fanatical” customer service of the developers.

Here are the five best Android apps developed by Google that were released or received significant updates in 2011.

11. Google Currents (full AndroidApps review)

As long as Flipboard remains exclusive to iOS devices, this new release from Google serves as the premier news reader on Android smartphones and tablets. More of a fast and elegant aggregator than social magazine, Google Currents benefits from an organized layout and dead simple third-party publisher platform. There is also — shockingly — nice integration with Google+, including curated content from the likes of Robert Scoble and Guy Kawasaki.

12. Google+ (full AndroidApps review)

Google became a relevant player in social networking this year with the successful launch of Google+. While the service is also available as an iPhone app as well as a web app through BlackBerry, Windows and Symbian platforms, Google understandably treats its own platform as first among equals. Check-ins for business, for instance, rolled out first on the Android app.

13. Google Maps (full AndroidApps review)

A November update to this trailblazing application introduced indoor mapping functionality to mobile devices. Google Maps 6.0 helps users more easily navigate within airports, shopping malls and other locations where GPS technology is spotty.

14. Google Docs (full AndroidApps review)

While no mobile application matches the utility of Google Docs on a desktop or laptop, this official version for Android is pretty close. If you’re a hardcore Google Docs user, this app will help you break free from your desk and still read and edit docs and spreadsheets on the fly.

15. Google Music (full AndroidApps review)

Like Amazon MP3 cited above, Google Music is a way for Android users to comfortably cut the cord (or cloud) on iTunes (at least on their mobile devices). The app lets users store up to 20,000 songs for free in the cloud, with a portion available for offline access.

These next 10 apps were initially released for iOS devices. They are included here for their utility, entertainment value and impact on the Android ecosystem.

16. Price Check by Amazon (full AndroidApps review)

When Amazon unveiled this price-comparison app to Android devices just before Black Friday, the company’s retail Death Star became fully operational. Sure, Price Check was available to iPhone owners a year earlier, and there are similar apps across all major mobile platforms. But having an Android app gives Amazon critical mass in this category, and allows the company to (again) upend physical retail as we know it. This includes offering discounts to consumers on their phones during the point of comparison.

17. Netflix (full AndroidApps review)

There were a lot of things that Netflix did horribly wrong in 2011. Releasing a killer Android app for smartphones and tablet devices was not one of them. As Android tablets become ready for prime time and more plausibly compete against the iPad, entertainment apps like Netflix will flourish.

18. SoundTracking (full AndroidApps review)

The most innovative music detection and discovery app of the year finally arrived to Android in December. SoundTracking not only identifies a song a user is listening to, but shares it with Facebook, Twitter and foursquare friends and followers. The advantage of the Android app, relative to the iOS version which launched earlier this year, is that users with Spotify and Rdio can listen to entire tracks (as opposed to 30-second snippets from iTunes).

19. Hipmunk Flight Search (full AndroidApps review)

Hipmunk differentiates from the run-of-the-mill flight search applications by predicting how painful your traveling might be. The app’s “Agony Index” takes into account factors beyond price including flight duration, Wi-Fi access and other variables. Once users choose the least painful flight, the app accommodates direct booking and provides access to third-party services.

20. Fooducate Shopping Scanner (full AndroidApps review)

This app translates nutritional information found on food packaging into plain English, and offers a letter grade as to how healthy or harmful an item can be. The app offers comprehensive coverage of both mainstream brands and niche delicacies via the scanning of barcodes. Best of all? The app suggests healthier, similar alternatives to the worst offenders.

21. Marvel Comics (full AndroidApps review)

Reading classic comics within this app works on virtually any size Android screen — which is no easy feat. Marvel Comics also offers panel-by-panel viewing that features beautiful art and more legible word balloons. While most titles require a subscription, there are an ample amount of classic comics available for free.

22. Syncplicity (full AndroidApps review)

For digitally promiscuous users who store and share files on multiple devices and operating systems powered by Android, iOS and Windows, Syncplicity is a useful way to manage libraries found within all of them. Unlike many cloud-based alternatives, Syncplicity uses encryption to secure files.

23. Starbucks (full AndroidApps review)

After launching initially on iOS and BlackBerry smartphones, the official Starbucks app finally arrived on Android earlier this year. Better late than never. The app lets users manage their Starbucks Cards and purchase coffee and the like at nearly 7,000 U.S. locations.

24. LinkedIn (full AndroidApps review)

After what seemed like an eternity in beta, LinkedIn finally launched an Android app ready for prime time in the spring. While not perfect, the LinkedIn app is a much better alternative than the company’s more limited mobile site. Finally, this indispensable professional networking service found a full-time gig on Android.

25. Path (full AndroidApps review)

A significant December update to this social blogging app on Android and iOS devices served as an early holiday present to its passionate and vocal adherents. Beyond sharing photos, users can now tell the world about what music they are listening to and other activities they are doing. The app’s new design and “Automatic” feature, which recognizes when users deviate from routine schedules, also separate Path from the pack.

And finally, we present the five best games to arrive to Android devices in 2011. Notably, they all first appeared on the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

26. Cut the Rope (full AndroidApps review)

While not a household name like Angry Birds, Cut the Rope is among the most addictive and popular mobile games of all time. The graphics and music are superb, and Cut the Rope is optimized and plays very well on larger Android tablet devices. This is another multi-platform grand slam for (Angry Birds) publisher Chillingo.

27. World of Goo (full AndroidApps review)

One of the most original and well-crafted physics-based puzzle games around finally made its way to Android devices in late November. Originally an indie hit on PCs, World of Goo is a construction game in which users must connect goo balls together to build structures so that other goo balls can get to the end of each stage. The abstract art and imagery alone make it worth the five bucks to download.

28. Where’s My Water? (full AndroidApps review)

A clever and addictive puzzle game by Disney, Where’s My Water? combines whimsical design with killer gameplay. Players are tasked with keeping a sewer-dwelling alligator named Swampy clean and pristine while guiding him through urban terrain. Easier said than done, particularly with Swampy’s alligator buddies standing in the way.

29. Plants vs. Zombies (full AndroidApps review)

This classic title from PopCap, which was acquired by Electronic Arts in July, first came to Android earlier this year via the Amazon App Store. It was sold exclusively on Amazon until early December. Fans of the cartoony tower defense game will enjoy tapping into Plants vs. Zombies on Android devices.

30. Asphalt 6: Adrenaline HD (full AndroidApps review)

The best racing game available for Android devices, Asphalt 6: Adrenaline HD combines plenty of cars and game modes — including a psychedelic “Adrenaline” boost — with superlative visuals and gameplay. This one deserves the checkered flag.

The Top 30 Android Apps And Games Of 2011

DROID 4

[postlink]https://tenderhub.blogspot.com/2011/12/droid-4.html[/postlink]

The most awaited Droid 4 of motorola launched. The youth here after face their mobile al time.

Motorola DROID owners have upgraded to Verizon’s Galaxy Nexus now that many of them are past their two-year upgrade point. But there’s still something to be said for physical keyboards, and those waiting for a high-end QWERTY phone have been largely ignored on Verizon for the last several months. The DROID 4 has been eagerly awaited by those wishing for some LTE goodness mixed with RAZR styling, but the latest rumored date (yesterday) didn’t pan out. In the meantime, have a gander at these renders dug up by Droid Life, covering every digital millimeter of the upcoming phone

DROID 4

MOST EXPENSIVE MOBILE IN THE WORLD

[postlink]https://tenderhub.blogspot.com/2011/12/most-expensive-mobile-in-world.html[/postlink]

Goldvish “Le million” is officially the most expensive mobile phone in the world, according the Guiness Books of Records. There has even been talk of a $1.3million phone, but this has fewer diamonds than the Goldvish so I can’t see where the extra expense comes from! The “Le million” is a one off piece featuring a blinding 120 carats worth of VVS-1 grade diamonds, according to designer Emmanuel Gueit. If $1 million is out of your price range the Geneva-based Goldvish also offer several other diamond-encrusted 18k gold models in your choice of rose, yellow or white starting at a much more reasonable $25,600 (£13,837)

MOST EXPENSIVE MOBILE IN THE WORLD

NO ICE CREAM SANDWICH IN GALAXY S AND GALAXY TAB

[postlink]https://tenderhub.blogspot.com/2011/12/no-ice-cream-sandwich-in-galaxy-s-and.html[/postlink]

 Samsung named the devices that were due to get Ice Cream Sandwich in early 2012. They've now confirmed that the Galaxy S and 7-inch Galaxy Tab definitely aren't in line for the update.


According to Samsung's announcement, the phone and tablet lack sufficient RAM and ROM to run the new OS alongside TouchWiz and other "experience-enhancing" software.


Disappointing news for 10 million Galaxy S users out there — especially if you stop and think about the fact that the processor and memory specs of the Galaxy S are pretty much the same as the ICS-toting Nexus S.


Samsung skirts that issue by pointing to the fact that the Galaxy S has to run TouchWiz, carrier services, video calling software, and, in some markets, mobile TV.

NO ICE CREAM SANDWICH IN GALAXY S AND GALAXY TAB

XPERIA PLAY

[postlink]https://tenderhub.blogspot.com/2011/12/xperia-play.html[/postlink]

The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play smartphone, which is targeted directly at mobile gamers, has a new twist that could add even more appeal. The Android handset, which already supports Sony PSP titles and has slide-out game controls, is fully supported by the OnLive cloud gaming service. Xperia Play owners could already use OnLive with on-screen controls, but can now play OnLive games with the phone’s unique, dedicated hardware controls.


While playing games on a touchscreen certainly works, support for the Xperia’s Play hardware game buttons is a smart move by OnLive. The handset may not be the most popular Android handset available, but for hardcore gamers and fans of the PlayStation Portable, it’s a nice compromise between capable smartphone and portable game machine. I’m actually surprised that OnLive didn’t launch with such support for the Xperia Play when it released its Google Android app earlier this month.


For those not familiar, OnLive is a cloud gaming service currently available for Windows PCs, Mac OS X and, most recently, Google Android smartphones and tablets. The games are played on servers in the cloud and displayed on the host computer or mobile device. Essentially, gamers can get a console experience on a smartphone because the games run on a high-powered server.


I’ve played some OnLive games on my Galaxy Nexus and it works well, provided you have a solid, stable web connection. However, I’m not a huge fan of playing complex console titles on a touchscreen: They often require multiple buttons and controls, which can be difficult to use on a small screen.

XPERIA PLAY

India: cellphones generate radiation, send a text message instead

[postlink]https://tenderhub.blogspot.com/2011/12/india-cellphones-generate-radiation.html[/postlink]

Is your cellphone bad for your health? India's government seems to think so, because it's planning a law that will require all phones to display how much electro-magnetic radiation they generate. Radiation is measured in SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) and the Indian limit has been lowered to match the USA's 1.6W/kg, whereas before it followed the European ceiling of 2W/kg. But even handsets that meet this criterion may have to declare their SAR level, and also carry a message asking people to keep their calls or short or use SMS instead -- implying that the Indian government regards radiation as dangerous atany level.

India: cellphones generate radiation, send a text message instead

FREE PREMIUM GAMES FOR GALAXY

[postlink]https://tenderhub.blogspot.com/2011/12/free-premium-games-for-galaxy.html[/postlink]

Samsung mobile owners can now download premium games absolutely free of cost as Samsung has begun its 'Get best game for free' promotion for select countries all around the globe. During this promotion, Samsung Galaxy owners will get to download and play their favorite paid games absolutely free of cost through the Samsung app store. Samsung has chosen 16 popular games for Android based Galaxy devices and will be making them available for its users for free but only for a limited period. The information was reported by Pocket Gamer.
The promotion will continue till the end of January 2012 and users will be able to download paid applications through the Samsung application store. This promotion is currently going on in the UK, US, India, France, Spain, and any other countries that have access to Samsung Apps.
The games chosen for this promotion are all popular and high selling games that otherwise carry a bigger price tag. The games included are Air Penguin, Air attack HD, Artillery Brigade, Riptide GP, Sprinkle, Trial Extreme, Grow, Roboto, Big Bang Racing, Bubble Fish and several other titles.
While Galaxy Note and Galaxy S devices get the majority of these free apps, Galaxy Ace users can only download Air Penguin. Users interested in downloading these titles can head to the Samsung app store.

FREE PREMIUM GAMES FOR GALAXY

GERMAN COURT REBUFF APPLE'S CLAIM

[postlink]https://tenderhub.blogspot.com/2011/12/german-court-rebuff-apple-claim.html[/postlink]

A German court rejected Apple's claims that Samsung Electronics' reworked tablet PC still looks like a copycat version of the iPad, in a preliminary assessment.
Apple is fighting several rival makers of smartphones and tablet PCs in courts worldwide over intellectual property.
Its battle with Samsung, which is Apple's supplier as well as a competitor, has been especially bitter, with some 30 legal cases in 10 countries.
"According to the court's assessment, the defendant has moved away sufficiently from the legally protected design," Judge Johanna Brueckner-Hofmann said in court on Thursday.
Brueckner-Hofmann added that a ruling was slated for February 9. In response to an earlier court ruling in Apple's favour, Samsung had redesigned its Galaxy Tab 10.1 for the German market only and named it Galaxy Tab 10.1N.
But Apple challenged the reworked version as well, seeking an injunction that would ban Samsung from marketing the product in Europe's largest consumer market.

GERMAN COURT REBUFF APPLE'S CLAIM

MANGO SMARTPHONE RELEASED IN KOREA

[postlink]https://tenderhub.blogspot.com/2011/12/mango-smartphone-released-in-korea.html[/postlink]

A smartphone running on Microsoft's new mobile operating system Mango has been released on the Korean market. 


Microsoft said  that it started to accept pre-orders for the Nokia Lumia 710, the first Mango phone it has developed in conjunction with the Finnish mobile phone maker, via mobile service provider KT.


The Lumia 710 will officially be released here on Monday. It was first introduced overseas in October. 


The new phone has a 3.7-inch screen and a five megapixel camera. Notably, users can work on Microsoft Office programs like Word, Excel and PowerPoint, which are not available on other smartphones.

MANGO SMARTPHONE RELEASED IN KOREA

GALAXY Y AND GALAXY Y PRO ON DUOS

[postlink]https://tenderhub.blogspot.com/2011/12/galaxy-y-and-galaxy-y-pro-on-duos.html[/postlink]

Both single and dual sim devices are roughly identical two their single-SIM counterparts, with the exception of the Duos branding, as well as slightly larger batteries, slightly different displays, and more RAM. Both Galaxy devices have Android 2.3 Gingerbread onboard, ~830MHz processers, 384MB of RAM, 512MB of ROM, 2GB microSD card (supports up to 32GB), and 3.15MP cameras.
The Galaxy Y Duos has a slightly larger 3.14-inch display compared to its single-SIM variant, with the same 320x240 pixel resolution. It has a 1,300 mAh battery, compared to the earlier 1,200 mAh one, and weighs in 109 grams.
The Galaxy Y Pro Duos on the other hand, has the same sized screen, with a higher resolution than its single-SIM variant, at 400x240 pixels. It also has a front-facing VGA camera in addition, as well as 1,350 mAh battery, and weighs in at roughly 112 grams.
Other common specifications between the two devices include such connectivity options with 7.2Mbps HSDPA, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n with hotspot functionality, GPS with A-GPS support, Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP, microUSB v2.0, a 3.5mm audio jack, and stereo FM radio with RDS.
Both Duos phones also come with the ChatON instant messaging app, as well as Samsung's Social Hub, on the TouchWiz UI. Also onboard, is the Polaris Office document editor, as well as Find My Mobile, for locating or remote locking/wiping the devices.

GALAXY Y AND GALAXY Y PRO ON DUOS

ANTI-SUICIDE APP

[postlink]https://tenderhub.blogspot.com/2011/12/anti-suicide-app.html[/postlink]

 U.S. soldiers facing emotional problems and contemplating suicide may soon be able to use a smart phone application to connect them to help.

   
The Tennessee National Guard, the state's reserve military force, launched a pilot program of the "Guard Your Buddy" app that was spearheaded by Clark Flatt, president and CEO of the Jason Foundation.

Major General Terry "Max" Haston, the commander of the Tennessee National Guard, approached Flatt, who launched the app in October 1997 after his teenage son Jason committed suicide, about using the app for his soldiers.

Flatt said suicides in the National Guard have risen 450 percent since 2004. He and Haston hope to spread the app nationwide in National Guard units.

"We hope soldiers will download this smart phone application and pass it on to their fellow troops to ensure they have someone to talk to in times of trouble," Haston said. "It's difficult to predict if or when a member of our guard family will face suicidal thoughts, but we want them to be able to get help if they need it."

The National Guard Bureau's suicide prevention program shows that 362 National Guard members nationwide committed suicide since 2007, and another 23 cases are under investigation.

Haston convinced Flatt that the Jason Foundation's goal of addressing youth suicide also applies to the National Guard.
"A lot of the people we're talking about as having these issues are young guardsmen, 18-24 years old," Flatt said.

ANTI-SUICIDE APP

SPOTIFY FOR BLACKBERRY:FESTIVE OFFER

[postlink]https://tenderhub.blogspot.com/2011/12/spotify-for-blackberryfestive-offer.html[/postlink]

Musically inclined RIM handset users have reason to cheer this festive season as premium music service, Spotify for BlackBerry has made its debut onto the scene. This offering is a music on demand software which gives access to millions of tracks anywhere, anytime.


According to the Spotify blog, the list of mobile phones capable of lending support to the new application include the Bold 9780, Bold 9700, Curve 9300, Curve 8520 and Bold 9000. The app is currently compatible with only those devices running on GSM networks and is not functional on CDMA-network phones.


This premium music service allows BlackBerry device owners to listen to innumerable tracks instantly, without wasting time on downloads and occupying unnecessary space in the hard drive. They are even able to discover and share music with their friends and family via Facebook. Users can view as well as hear what their friends are listening to by merely hitting play on any music post.






With a tap of a button, songs can be shared on various social networking websites. To get started, music lovers have to create an account, then proceed to downloading and installing Spotify on their BlackBerry handsets. Additionally, music can be enjoyed when offline as the software syncs the users’ playlists, enabling them to groove to the tracks even while on the go.

SPOTIFY FOR BLACKBERRY:FESTIVE OFFER

StumbleUpon (for iPad)

[postlink]https://tenderhub.blogspot.com/2011/12/stumbleupon-for-ipad.html[/postlink]

Service and Social Networking SetupStumbleUpon isn’t a new service, but the iPad app is the definitive version of the service. The iPad’s 9.7-inch touchscreen display (which is roughly the size of a book, newspaper, or magazine) is an excellent venue to explore the Web with StumbleUpon’s app, as it lets you kick back on a sofa or relax in a bed while reading—no monitors, mice, laptops, or desktops necessary. After leaping from site to site on the iPad—initiating each leap by bring a finger to the “Stumble!” icon—I found the desktop version clunky when I returned to my PC. StumbleUpon on the iPad is a terrific experience.

When you first fire up StumbleUpon on your iPad, you’re presented with the option to log in with an existing StumbleUpon account, sign in with your Facebook credentials, or create a new StumbleUpon account. After signing in, I granted the app permission to send notifications, use my location, and find my StumbleUpon friends (culled from either Address Book, Facebook, or Twitter). This let me see the Web pages, photos, videos, and profile information that they’ve shared. The app even gave me the opportunity to invite non-StumbleUpon users into the fold. Overall, the setup process was swift and simple.

The Adventure Begins
The Home screen features a dark black background with the StumbleUpon logo and various content categories highlighted in a light-gray font. The upper-left portion of the screen is a help box that explains the gist of the StumbleUpon experience: “Each tap of the “Stumble” button takes you to a new discovery.”

So tap I did. My first Stumble took me to the Bronx Zoo’s “Boo at the Zoo” Halloween celebration page; a second brought a page about World War II dogfighting to my attention. I gave interesting pages the thumbs up by tapping the “I like it!” icon in the upper-right corner of the screen (this helps the app learn your interests and appropriately tailor content that it delivers). To the left of that icon is a thumb’s down icon that let me ban a page. You can return a positive or negative vote back to neutral by tapping the icon again. Overall, I was quite pleased with the content that StumbleUpon pushed to my iPad—it was well within the interest categories that I selected when I created my account—and found the discovery process more passive and relaxing than Digg or Reddit’s as pages came to me.

Tapping the sharing icon opened a drop-down box that let you share a page via e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, Google Reader, and other avenues. A gray bar above the content area displayed the name of the StumbleUpon user who liked the presented pages, images, and video. When I tapped a user’s name, StumbleUpon opened that person’s profile page which displayed favorite links, followers, and a button that lets you stumble only within that person’s favorites—a nice touch. I found it especially useful when rifling through a user profile that contained many links. Tapping “Comments & Info” displayed the number of users who liked a link and the comments left. You can also leave comments of your own.

StumbleUpon  lead me to dozens of interesting reads, both obscure and mainstream, that I may have never found had I not had the app. Everyday Mysteries and Dark Room are just two of the manysites I’ve stumbled upon that are now part of my daily rotation.

Customizing Content
You can filter the content that’s delivered to the iPad by tapping “All Interests,” to open a drop-down menu. There you can choose to view content only from StumbleUpon friends, or a particular media type such as photos, videos, or news. Tapping “Interest” at the bottom of the drop-down menu showed the subjects that you added when you created an account. I wanted to remove a few of the categories I added, but there wasn’t any obvious way to delete them. I swiped subjects, pressed and held categories—nothing.  I tapped “Add Interests” in a moment of curiosity, which let me not only add new categories (such as Action Movies, Quotes, and Weight Loss), but  swipe to delete pre-selected items. I was completely befuddled why the option to remove content would be buried in an area where you add content; “Add Interests” should be renamed “Edit” (as it is on the home screen) to cut confusion.

If you long to explore the breadth of the Web, StumbleUpon for iPad is a near-perfect companion. It brings unfamiliar, but interesting, links to your attention in a way that search engines cannot—after all, when was the last time that you performed a search and ventured beyond page two? StumbleUpon very nicely adds to the iPad reading experience, making it an app that’s very worthy of our Editors’ Choice Award.

StumbleUpon (for iPad)

ANDROID 4:ICECREAM SANDWICH WHEN WILL ARRIVE?

[postlink]https://tenderhub.blogspot.com/2011/12/android-4icecream-sandwich-when-will.html[/postlink]

A lot of people want an ice cream sandwich these days. But they’re going to have a little patience.


But it’s not food they’re after. Ice Cream Sandwich is the name of the newest version of the Android operating system. And many of the people waiting for it might end up disappointed.


Android Version 4.0 has been tempting smartphone users with its polished user interface and a few new functions. But a dpa survey of manufacturers says it might be a while yet. And not every new model is necessarily going to get an update.


The delay is a function of variety. A whole series of manufacturers are making Android mobiles, and each of them builds upon the Google software to create its own interface or add special features.


“This breadth of functions separates our products from the competition,” explains Ralf Gerbershagen, head of Motorola in Germany. Motorola, for example, has an Android business-ready package.


But that means before a new version of Android can be installed, a company’s own programmers have to have a crack at it.


“When there’s an update, then the appropriate project team has to take the time to make the new version of Android match, to make sure that everything functions seamlessly,” says Gerbershagen.


New functions possible with Ice Cream Sandwich include one that allows the camera to be activated out of standby mode, meaning it can recognize upon startup whether the person holding the phone is the owner. The function is called Face Unlock.


In the new version phones with integrated near field communication systems will be able to swap data easily. There’s also something new in apps. Since Google has merged the software for smartphones and tablets, developers no longer have to make two versions of everything, which should increase variety and allow hardware makers to focus on only one set of compatibility issues.


Google has a history of naming its new mobile operating systems after deserts. Version 1.5 was dubbed Cupcake, while 2.3 was named Gingerbread. Version 3.0, which hit the market at the start of 2011, for tablets, is Honeycomb. Ice Cream Sandwich is the logical extension.


Samsung will have the first Ice Cream Sandwich mobile. A Galaxy Nexus presentation in October showed what Android 4.0 can do. But the South Korean company still isn’t saying which device will get the new system, although its British subsidiary has said via Twitter that the lucky machine will be the Galaxy S II.


Motorola expects an update to its flagship Droid Razr “probably in the first half of 2012.” But earlier versions of the trimmed-down mobile will only have Gingerbread. Other details won’t be available until six weeks after publication of the source codes.


Since Google only recently starting uploading those, users will have to at least wait until the new year. From Motorola, there will only be Gingerbread through the end of 2011.


Google is set to take over Motorola’s Mobility mobile division, meaning that Motorola phones might soon get updates faster. But until the deal is done, Motorola users will have to be patient.


HTC is also being coy, saying various of its devices will start using Ice Cream Sandwich “starting in the spring of 2012.” Models slated for the new system include the XL and XE, as well as the HTC Evo 3D. But the Wildfire and Desire are not listed for a system update.


At the same time, the Taiwanese company promises to “continually improve its product portfolio and to announce as early as possible updates with Ice Cream Sandwich for additional devices.” Meanwhile, Sony Ericsson wants to update all Android smartphones introduced in 2011 from Version 2.3.4 to 4.0. The company will announce in its blog when it plans to upgrade the Xperia series, which will help out users of the Xperia X10, Xperia Neo and Xperia Play.

ANDROID 4:ICECREAM SANDWICH WHEN WILL ARRIVE?

INTEL SMART PHONES

[postlink]https://tenderhub.blogspot.com/2011/12/intel-smart-phones.html[/postlink]

Intel promised smartphone effort for a long, long time now. The few desultory pushes by the likes of Acer and niche OEMs has done little to dent the dominance of rival ARM, whose low-power chips have become an indispensable part of smartphone architecture.


Just last week, though, Intel gave a private showing of a smartphone prototype that appears to be more or less feature complete and ready to be established as the basis for a platform. The device was running Gingerbread (Android 2.3), but funnily enough actually resembles an ice cream sandwich.


The choice of OS is probably just indicative of the test environment; Intel has professed their interest in the newest version of Android, and will likely want their debut to involve it. Look at that phone, though, the similarity really is uncanny. Anandtech has a few more pictures like the one above.


In addition to showing off the reference design, which is just a starting place or example for manufacturers and may not be representative of future products,

INTEL SMART PHONES

World's Top 10 Smallest Mobile Cell Phones!

[postlink]https://tenderhub.blogspot.com/2011/12/world-top-10-smallest-mobile-cell.html[/postlink]

Cell phones have become a major part of human lives today. One can’t imagine life without a cellphone nowadays. cellphones keep you entertained all the time and connected with friends around the globe. As the technology has changed rapidly now companies have come up with the smallest cell phones that are easily manageable, powerful and have all the relevant features. Plus the prices is not very high depending on the features and functions in a small phone.

I have come up with 10 of the world’s most thinnest and smallest cell phones that are leadingmarket today.

1. Modu Phone

Modu Phone created by Modu Mobile, holds the Guinness world record for the world’s smallest cell phone. Modu has a remarkable 0.3 inch thickness and weighs of 39grams. It measures 72mm x 37mm x 7.8mm. Also it has the feature of expandable functionality that allows users to transform Modu cell phone in to a Gaming Smartphone or Music player mobile.

2.  Haier Elegance

The Haier Elegance is a GSM phone with a great appearance, performance and sound quality. It weighs an amazing 64 grams and has dimensions of 90x35x17.8mm. It features a 1.1 OLED colour display, FM radio, MP3 player, Bluetooth and can extend memory through micro SD card up to 1 GB. This mobile phone has 3 hours of talk time and 11 hours of media play time.

3. NEC N930

NEC N930 is a very slim and compact handset at 54 x 85 x 11 mm and 72 grams. It has a TFT touchscreen with 65k colors. The color display is bright and crisp, and is a far step above the recent NEC models. The display resolution 176 x 220 pixel is ideal for small and smart phone. It has talk time upto 2hrs and standby time of upto 100 hrs.

4. Xun Chi 138 Phone

Xun Chi is a popular Chinese phone that is not only small but also a cheapest cell phone with better features and attractive different colors. It is equipped with a 1.3 megapixel camera. You can also use a normal battery to charge the cell phone! The cost of Xun Chi is well below $150 and has great demand in Asian countries.

5. Cellwatch M500 Watch Phone

Named as the world’s smallest mobile watch, the M500 has a 1.5-inch (128×160) color OLED touchscreen, 128 MB Memory, 80 hours standby time, plus web-browsing, Bluetooth, MP3 and video playback capabilities. It is designed by SMS Technology Australia. Cellwatch also features full sms functionality, USB connectivity for software uploads, downloads, 300 contacts memory storage and 40 embedded tones in a slim-line, 60 gm package that looks like a standard watch… it even tells the time.

6. Samsung SGH-E888

Samsung e888 is good looking small slide phone.

7. UTStarcom Slice

This is a thin, affordable CDMA phone featuring speakerphone and Java downloadable games.

8. LG Migo

The LG Migo VX1000 has an attractive design and a speakerphone, and it is easy to use. the LG Migo VX1000 is the best cell phone for young kids.

9. EV-K130 Cell Phone

EV k130 is a slim cell phone with 1.3 megapixel camera and almost the size of the lipstick outer case.

10. Firefly Mobile

World's Top 10 Smallest Mobile Cell Phones!