Tuesday, January 8, 2013

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Ascend D2 formally announced by Huawei with “dream phone” specs in tow

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 03:38 PM PST

There’s no better way to make an impact on a market than by offering two high-end, desirable products to shake things up. Huawei’s announced their second elite device today, and the specs on this thing are just about as good as you can squeeze into a phone right now. Underneath the 443 ppi 1080p 5-inch screen, there’s a quad-core processor, a 13 megapixel camera, and a 3,000 mAh battery. It also supposedly charges 25% faster than the flagship standard Galaxy S III, and is built out of an extremely durable aluminum frame that is both splash and shock resistant. Huawei’s chairman wasn’t just blowing smoke when he called this a dream phone. No word on pricing yet, but I’d be surprised if Huawei wanted to limit where this phone was available. Hit the break for the press release, and be sure to check out the rest of our CES coverage.

Huawei Launches Flagship Ascend D2 at CES 2013

The quad-core 5-inch HUAWEI Ascend D2 is a must-have for people seeking smartphone perfection

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, unveiled the HUAWEI Ascend D2 at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) today. The latest hero product in Huawei’s Ascend series of smartphones, the HUAWEI Ascend D2 runs on Android 4.1 and features a 5-inch FHD IPS+ 443 PPI Super Retina LCD display, Huawei’s K3V2 1.5 GHz quad-core CPU and a 13 MP BSI camera. With its 3000mAh battery and Huawei’s proprietary Quick Power Control (QPC) and Automated Discontinuous Reception (ADRX) battery efficiency technology, the Ascend D2 has a stand-by time of six days on WCDMA.

“The HUAWEI Ascend D2 has the style, power and all-round performance capabilities you would expect from a HUAWEI Ascend smartphone, but with a revolutionary FHD screen, unsurpassed camera quality and power saving technology to maximize your enjoyment,” said Richard Yu, CEO, Huawei Consumer Business Group. “We are excited to introduce the HUAWEI Ascend D2, the latest addition to our series of Ascend range of smartphones, as we continue to put great technology into the hands of more people around the world.”

The HUAWEI Ascend D2 has a 5-inch Super Retina fast response IPS panel display and a resolution of up to 1920 x 1080, perfect for full HD 1080 video playback. With its 443 PPI, the Ascend D2 provides unprecedented color accuracy and clarity. Protected by the anti-scratch Corning® Gorilla® glass, and the dust and water resistant IPX 5/4, the Ascend D2 is tough enough to withstand everyday use.

The HUAWEI Ascend D2 features a 13MP BSI rear-facing camera with detail capturing technology and an ISO sensitivity level higher than other smartphones in this category. HUAWEI Ascend D2 also has a tailored manual color temperature adjustment function to provide a professional-level photography experience.

HUAWEI Ascend D2′s 3000mAh battery is optimized by Huawei’s QPC and ADRX smart power-saving technology. Leveraging Huawei’s more than 20 years of telecommunications know-how, QPC technology lowers battery consumption by automatically turning off the transmitter circuit when data transmission is not in use. Its ADRX technology identifies and automatically adjusts the DRX cycle based on the network status, reducing power consumption during standby mode by over 20 percent. In addition, Huawei’s proprietary fast battery charging technology enables the HUAWEI Ascend D2 to be fully charged in 30 percent less time than its takes other smartphones under the same electricity conditions.

The HUAWEI Ascend D2′s ‘swift sharing’ makes it easier than ever to share. With a Wi-Fi connection, uploading pictures, videos and other files is two- to three-times faster with the Ascend D2 than other smartphones in the market. Its ‘super hands-free’ function transforms the Ascend D2 into a conversation sharing portal to receive sounds within a radius of 1.5m. The Ascend D2 also supports Dolby® surrounding sound and stereo recording.
The HUAWEI Ascend D2 has a stylish and elegant design with an aluminum body and metal frame. Weighing just 170g and measuring 9.9mm thin, its curved design fits comfortably in the hand. Available in pure white and crystal blue, the HUAWEI Ascend D2 will also be produced in a 4.7-inch screen version. The HUAWEI Ascend D2 will be on sale in China in January 2013, and in Japan in the future.

PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1y5co)

Hands on with the ASUS Transformer AiO All-In-One (P1801)

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 03:30 PM PST

ASUS already unveiled the Transformer (AiO) All-In-One last year at Computex, but we finally got a chance to play with it. It’s a dual boot Windows 8 / Android Jelly Bean 4.1.1 computer/tablet. It’s a complete desktop, but you can remove the 18.4-inch display and it becomes a behemoth tablet. It features a Tegra 3 and has a button on the side that switches the OS in seconds. It will be available by the end of the first quarter, but we still don’t have any idea on price. I don’t think anyone is expecting this one to be cheap, but for those that want it all, this one might be for you. Hit the break for the hands on video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

For all the latest CES news, click here.

Huawei launches Ascend Mate, packs quad-core CPU and 6.1 inch screen

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 03:16 PM PST

Huawei’s Ascend Mate was a pretty highly anticipated device leading up to CES this year, and now Huawei’s made it official. The monster of a phone packs a 720p, 6.1-inch display, a Huawei-manufactured quad-core chip, and an extremely generous 4,050 mAh battery. Because it’s no fun to have a big phone if it dies within three days off the charger, right? On top of that, the Ascend Mate will feature dual-band antennas for WiFi, which helps quite a bit when dealing with data caps. This beast will hit Chinese shelves in February, and other countries in March. No word on what other countries that’ll be, but hopefully this device gets the attention it deserves. Hit the break below for the press release, and be sure to check out the rest of our CES coverage here.

Huawei Unveils Smartphone with the World’s Largest Screen
The 6.1-inch HUAWEI Ascend Mate launched at CES 2013

Las Vegas, U.S.A., January 7, 2013: Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, today launched the smartphone with the largest screen in the world, the HUAWEI Ascend Mate, at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The HUAWEI Ascend Mate features a huge 6.1-inch HD display, a 1.5 GHz Hi-Silicon quad-core processor and a 4050 mAh battery. Together with Huawei’s proprietary Quick Power Control (QPC) and Automated Discontinuous Reception (ADRX) battery efficiency technology and fast sharing technology, the HUAWEI Ascend Mate is proof that bigger is better.

“The HUAWEI Ascend Mate breaks barriers to deliver a supercharged entertainment, communication and creative experience for all your personal and professional needs,” said Richard Yu, CEO, Huawei Consumer Business Group. “The HUAWEI Ascend Mate is an industry-leading smartphone and showcases our innovation as we continue to make great technology available to more people globally.”

HUAWEI Ascend Mate has a screen-to-body ratio of 73% – the highest in the industry – which maximises your viewing pleasure for emails, documents, video or games. The 6.1-inch HD IPS+ LCD screen has a resolution of 1280 x 720 for unsurpassed clarity and colour accuracy, and ‘Magic Touch’ which provides enhanced screen responsiveness even with gloves. The Ascend Mate is slim and stylish, designed to fit comfortably in a single hand at just 6.5mm thin at its narrowest part.

HUAWEI Ascend Mate features a 4050 mAh battery and Huawei’s Hi-Silicon 1.5 GHz quad-core processor. With Huawei’s QPC and ADRX smart power-saving technology, the smartphone provides up to two days of ordinary useage on a single charge. It has the fastest battery charging capability of smartphones in its range, which saves over 30% of battery charging time.

Together with global roaming functionality, the HUAWEI Ascend Mate supports five frequency bands making this smartphone perfect for international travellers. Its dual-antenna design supports high power data transmission and is optimised with maximum ratio combining method, to increase network reception by up to 2.5dB and providing an increase of 20 to 30% of overall network coverage.

Operating on Android 4.1 and featuring an 8.0-megapixel AF rear-facing camera with HDR and 1.0-megapixel HD front-facing camera, HUAWEI Ascend Mate also provides dual MIC noise reduction technology, Dolby® sound system and stereo recording. HUAWEI Ascend Mate features an Augmented Reality navigation application to help reach your destination, ‘smart reading’ functionality allowing quick reference to dictionaries, Wikipedia and Google Search pages, and ‘swift sharing’ to upload pictures, videos and other files two- to three-times faster than other smartphone users in a Wi-Fi environment.

Available in crystal black and pure white, the HUAWEI Ascend Mate will be on sale in China in February 2013.

Hands on with the ASUS Qube Google TV

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 03:06 PM PST

As we expected, ASUS unveiled the Qube Google TV box. It’s not only shaped like a cube, but the UI is cube-like. It’s the first Google TV product that has Version 3 of the software, which give you voice support and Google Primetime. It seems to be feature-rich with a nice remote and DLNA, but it appears to lack Miracast. It will be available in February for $129. Hit the break for the hands on.

Click here to view the embedded video.

For all the latest CES news, click here

Hands On With the LG Smart Refrigerator LFX-31995

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 03:01 PM PST

It seems as though “Smart” is the rage this year at CES. It’s going to be Smart appliances and Smart homes, and LG is going all in with appliances. Many of their top appliances such as washers, dryers, ovens, and refrigerators will have NFC tags for connecting your Android phone and controlling them. They also showed the LFX-31995 smart refrigerator that has a built in display that will allow you to look at recipes, check your Google calendar, build your shopping list, and so much more. The rep wasn’t sure if it was built on Android, but he did say it’s compatible with both Android and iOS, so I suspect not. What it does mean is that your Android phone will be compatible and will sync with it so that you will be able to see your grocery list when you’re at the store. It’s pretty cool, but not sure if it’s worth the extra bucks as you could just buy a Nexus 7 for $199 and slap it on your fridge and save $2,000. Hit the break for the hands on video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

And be sure to click here for all the latest CES news.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 headed to Verizon with 4G LTE this month

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 02:48 PM PST

Just moments ago at its press conference at CES 2013, Samsung announced that the Galaxy Note 10.1 would be making its way to Verizon with 4G LTE in tow. Unsurprisingly, the tablet will ship with Android 4.1, meaning users can expect the same slew of productivity applications as the Wi-Fi model. No specific release date was given, though Samsung says we can expect to see the device hit carrier stores later this month. More information as we get it.

For all of our CES 2013 coverage, head to our official CES 2013 Hub.

Unlocked HTC Butterfly shows up for pre-order on MobiCity for $849

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 02:39 PM PST

While Verizon customers may be the only ones lucky enough to get a variant of the HTC Butterfly on contract, GSM users can now get in on the 1080p action too. The unlocked international model is now available for pre-order from MobiCity for just $849. That may seem like a hefty price to pay, but keep in mind you’ll be getting the only 5-inch full HD display currently on the market.

No officially supported carriers are mentioned, though the included bands are GSM 850, GSM 900, GSM 1800, GSM 1900, 3G 850, 3G 2100. You’ll be able to pick out your model in either red or white. If you do pick one up, you can expect shipments to begin on January 18th.

Source: MobiCity

 

ZTE And Nuance Enter Into A Multi-Year Agreement To Bring Voice-Enabled Android Devices

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 02:37 PM PST

 

As the Android platform continues to take a major assault against Apple’s Siri personal assistant, it’s only natural that we have events like CES to see new Android-based alternatives. With that in mind— famed voice to text company Nuance has entered into a multi-year partnership with Chinese manufacturer ZTE to bring voice-activated services for owners of ZTE devices that’s aimed to be used while owners are on the road. ZTE will be introducing its Car Mode feature, which allows for hands-free operation of the device– which shows that ZTE is certainly committed to safe operation for all on the roadways out there. What’s even better is the fact the specialized mode should be available in a multitude of languages— allowing for Nuance’s technology to shine by implementing its voice to text technology which grants access to text messages, calling features and music control— all without the need for needing a cellular data connection, so users can use all the awesome features offline.

ZTE has pledged that the newly announced Car Mode will be available on future ZTE devices released this year, though there’s no indication of when we will see an update for legacy devices.

Be sure to check out our continuing coverage of CES 2013.

 

 

 

Nuance and ZTE to Collaborate on Portfolio of Voice-Enabled Android Devices

Multi-Year Agreement to Bring Advanced Voice Applications to ZTE Android Devices, Including ZTE’s New Car Mode App for Smarter, Safer In-Car Experience

Burlington, Mass. and Las Vegas, CES 2013 – January 7, 2013 – Nuance Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: NUAN) and ZTE Corporation today announced a multi-year collaboration where Nuance’s voice capabilities will be integrated as part of a new portfolio of ZTE Android devices worldwide. The result will be a diverse set of mobile applications and devices that foster a more natural, human interaction between people and their ZTE phone – in more than 25 languages. Among those applications is ZTE’s new Car Mode application unveiled at CES 2013 in Las Vegas.

Car Mode integrates Nuance’s powerful voice capabilities to let users speak to stay connected to people and the content they love, without bringing additional manual-visual distractions into the car. Taking advantage of Nuance’s automotive-grade voice technology and expertise, ZTE’s Car Mode application is embedded within the device to provide people with reliable, always available hands-free, eyes-free access to the phone functions that are used the most while driving, such as making phone calls, reading text messages and accessing music – no network or data connection required and in noisy automotive environments.

People simply engage Car Mode with a hands-free wake-up word, and the app is at their command to dial contacts and numbers, launch navigation apps, get the local weather, and play music on the device. Further, Car Mode announces incoming callers and reads incoming text messages aloud with Nuance’s natural text to speech, and allows people to barge in with new voice commands or cancel incoming audio when needed. Car Mode also features a “Do not disturb” mode where drivers can further minimize distractions by blocking all incoming calls and text messages until they arrive at their destination – with notifications available of those calls and text messages missed.

“Mobile means being connected at any time, any place. By integrating Nuance’s voice technologies as a core part of our Android device lineup and mobile applications, our consumers can simply speak to elicit an intelligent response from their phone – no hands required,” said Mr. Kan Yulun, Corporate Vice President of ZTE Corporation and CTO of the ZTE Mobile Device Division.

“Working closely with ZTE, Nuance will further humanize and simplify the way people interact with ZTE devices and applications through voice,” said Michael Thompson, executive vice president and general manager, Nuance Mobile. “The results of our collaboration will yield a new global portfolio of intelligent and intuitive Android devices and applications that keep people connected on the go and wherever life takes them.”

Availability
ZTE’s Car Mode application will be available pre-loaded on ZTE Android devices in 2013.

Nuance’s portfolio of voice, touch and natural language understanding innovations that are defining a new generation of intelligent systems and personal assistant technologies, which include Dragon NaturallySpeaking, Dragon Dictate for Mac, Dragon Assistant for Intel-inspired Ultrabooks, Dragon Dictation, Dragon Go!, Dragon Drive, Dragon TV, Dragon ID, Dragon Voicemail to Text, and Swype. With Nuance technology, people experience more humanized interactions with the world’s best phones, tablets, computers, cars, TVs, apps and services from leading manufacturers and operators. To learn more visit www.nuancemobilelife.com.

About ZTE Corporation
ZTE is a publicly-listed global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions with the most comprehensive product range covering virtually every sector of the wireline, wireless, service and terminals markets. The company delivers innovative, custom-made products and services to over 500 operators in more than 140 countries, helping them to meet the changing needs of their customers while achieving continued revenue growth. ZTE’s 2010 revenue led the industry with a 21% increase to USD10.609 billion. ZTE commits 10 percent of its revenue to research and development and takes a leading role in a wide range of international bodies developing emerging telecoms standards. A company with sound corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, ZTE is a member of the UN Global Compact. ZTE is China’s only listed telecom manufacturer, publicly traded on both the Hong Kong and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges (H share stock code: 0763.HK / A share stock code: 000063.SZ). For more information, please visit www.zte.com.cn.

About Nuance Communications, Inc.
Nuance Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUAN) is a leading provider of voice and language solutions for businesses and consumers around the world. Its technologies, applications and services make the user experience more compelling by transforming the way people interact with devices and systems. Every day, millions of users and thousands of businesses experience Nuance’s proven applications. For more information, please visit www.nuance.com.

Nuance and the Nuance logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Nuance Communications, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States of America and/or other countries. All other company names or product names may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

LG Unveils Panorama Note Mode For The Optimus Vu II

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 02:35 PM PST

LG announced a new “Panorama Note” mode for the Optimus Vu II which will let users write memos and/or draw on a ‘panoramic’ 3:1 ratio canvas. Users can scroll both vertically and horizontally or zoom in (up to 5.8x) on the scrolling pad. LG is surely hoping this new feature can help set the Optimus Vu II apart from other stylus-equipped devices like Samsung’s Galaxy Note II, and purportedly the Galaxy S IV.

We’ll post any updates or hands-on with the Panorama Note on the Optimus Vu II from CES. Get your CES 2013 news fill with our complete coverage here.

Press Release after the break.

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 7, 2013 – LG Electronics will introduce a new feature, Panorama Note, on the Optimus Vu: II for the first time at the 2013 International CES, held in Las Vegas, Nevada. Panorama Note allows users to create extra wide 3:1 ratio memos and drawings directly on smartphone displays.

Panorama Note feature was developed from the analog philosophy of scribbling freely on a large canvas and allows users to write, draw or jot notes while navigating the wide 3:1 ratio image. Panorama Note features 5.8 times zooming capability, easy navigation of the screen both vertically and horizontally via cursors and a Mini Map that shows the location of the viewed image in the original image.

"Panorama Note is just one of many user experience features that LG will be introducing this year to differentiate our mobile devices," said Dr. Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. "Our UX features will be deeply integrated with our devices to take advantage of the smartphones' specific hardware. The battle of smartphone specs will continue but we're going to take the competition to the next level."

At CES LG will provide an experimental zone where visitors can personally experience LG's innovative UX such as QSlide, Live Zooming and Dual Screen Dual Play on LG handsets. The new Vu: Talk feature will also make its international debut at CES on Optimus Vu: II. The Panorama Note will be available on specific target devices in 2013.

Lenovo brings Android applications to Windows 8 computers with Bluestacks

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 02:11 PM PST

With AMD already being the first major company to team up with Bluestacks in an effort to bring Android applications to the PC, Lenovo has followed suit.  The computer manufacturer has announced a partnership with Bluestacks to bring the Android App Player to all current and future Windows 8 PCs. This means users will have the ability to sync their most-used applications and even swap SMS messages between their computer and smartphone. Unfortunately, there’s no word on when the new software will launch, so it looks like we’ll have to keep our fingers crossed. In the meantime, you can catch the company’s official press release below.

For all of our CES 2013 coverage, head to our CES-2013 hub.

 

Mobile Apps go Windows 8 on Lenovo PCs

BlueStacks + Lenovo strike global distribution agreement to preload App Player on Consumer PCs.

Las Vegas, NV (PRWEB) January 07, 2013 – BlueStacks continued its OEM winning streak by announcing a global distribution deal with Lenovo, the world’s largest PC maker, for preloading the App Player software and service on Lenovo’s Idea-branded consumer PCs.

“Innovation is vital to leading in the PC+ world, and we’re winning by continuing to push the limits in both software and hardware,” said Lenovo’s VP of Worldwide Marketing. “Our alliance with BlueStacks puts us in a unique position to offer the most popular games and apps on flagship PC products like the Horizon Table PC in order to give our customers engaging user experiences.”

BlueStacks has signed a series of major distribution deals with global brands and manufacturers including Asus, MSI and AMD with more than 100 million PCs preloaded with the App Player software in 2013. Recently, BlueStacks also announced that it has exceeded 5 million organic downloads from its web site, BlueStacks.com. At CES 2013, BlueStacks is showcasing the latest version of the App Player designed and optimized for Windows 8 Ultrabooks, laptops and tablets. With the BlueStacks App Player, Lenovo’s end users can now use the same top apps on Win8 PCs that they already enjoy on their smartphones. With BlueStacks’ unique ability to link the smartphone to the PC via the cloud, Lenovo’s end users can seamlessly sync their favorite apps, data and SMS text messages between their smartphone and PC.

“As the PC market leader and a growing smartphone maker in China, it’s huge that Lenovo is implementing our vision of creating a blended experience across smartphones, tablets and PCs,” said Rosen Sharma, CEO of BlueStacks. “Consumers want access to all of their apps across all devices. Artificial barriers and silo-ed ecosystems have long been a source of confusion and frustration. The digital world is a celebration of heterogeneous devices. My PC, tablet, smartphone and TV may or may not be from the same brand, but that does not mean that my apps should not work across devices. To take it a step further, my game state and app data should also sync.”

“BlueStacks brings an innovative software solution for merging mobile and PC with cloud-based services to create continuous user engagement,” said Tim Bajarin, renowned industry analyst and President of Creative Strategies. “Lenovo’s leadership in the PC market and their growing strength in smartphones and TVs positions them perfectly to leverage the unique capabilities of BlueStacks.”
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