| Sharp to produce smartphone screens in TV production plant Oct 18th 2013, 07:03, by Juan Carlos Torres One of the signs of growing demand for smartphones and mobile devices is when electronics manufacturers start reallocating resources to the production of smartphone components. Such seems to be the case with Sharp who will be producing smartphones screens in a plant that’s originally designed to make large TV displays. 
Sharp has put out several Android smartphones but isn’t considered one of the big players. Its biggest market is LCD TVs and even there the company has been struggling to make a profit in the face of decreasing LCD TV demands. Its next big bet is to use its technology and resources in order to produce smartphone displays for two of the biggest players in the mobile device industry: Apple and Samsung. And, indeed, it might have an edge over its competitors. Sharp’s ace in the sleeve is IGZO, or indium gallium zinc oxide, the special material that it uses to create LCDs that have already been used across a myriad of consumer electronics, including its own and other manufacturers’ smartphones and tablets. IGZO’s selling factor is its power-saving feature since it does not need to be refreshed as much as regular LCDs to prevent flickering. According to the company, the technology results in two times longer battery life as well as higher touch sensitivity for smartphones and tablets. Those are definitely two features that no smartphone manufacturer can ignore. Using its Kameyama no. 2 TV plant in Japan, Sharp plans on producing large sheets of 8th generation glass substrates measuring 8.53 ft x 8.07 ft. From these sheets it will cut out the smaller smartphone displays, allowing it to churn out more of its IGZO LCD screens faster in order to outdo the competition, particularly Japan Display Inc.’s WhiteMagic LCDs that are supplied to Amazon and Google. SOURCE: The Wall Street Journal |  | ZTE Grand S and Nubia 5 now under new extended protection plan Oct 18th 2013, 06:31, by Juan Carlos Torres ZTE has just announced a new protection plan that will cover two of its most recent smartphones headed for the US, the ZTE Grand S and the ZTE nubia 5. This plan covers a period of 18 months from the date of purchase in addition to the standard 12-month limited warranties. 
This extended protection applies to out-of-warranty damages that the smartphone might incur during the covered period, including broken LCD screens or damage from liquids. Unlike other such protection plans, owners do not need to pay for anything up-front or even a monthly charge. Instead, they only need to pay no more than $79.99, which is still deductible per occurrence depending on the problem, allowing consumers to make multiple claims. The regular 12-month warranty for manufacturer defects will still apply. Early this month, ZTE announced the US availability of the two unlocked smartphones. We got a chance to get our hands on the ZTE Grand S, which you can read about here, last January at CES, and ended up quite impressed by the thin yet durable feel of this 5-inch Full HD smartphone that ran on a 1.5 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro. We also clocked in some time with the ZTE nubia 5, particularly the especially-branded model made in partnership with the House Rockets, which you can read about here. The nubia 5 sports rather similar hardware with the Grand S, except for the presence of an LED flash for its 13 megapixel camera and Dolby Digital audio technology. Both smartphones are already available for order from Amazon and a few retailers. The ZTE Grand S has a price tag of $399.99 while the fancier ZTE nubia 5 sells higher for $449.99. SOURCE: ZTE | | Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Mobile released to secure your Android devices Oct 18th 2013, 06:01, by Juan Carlos Torres Security is not something one can afford to take for granted so easily anymore, especially considering how much our lives and identities have become tied to our mobile devices. That is why anti-malware company Malwarebytes is bringing its expertise and tools to Android with the Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Mobile app. 
With its ever-rising popularity and ubiquity, Android has become an even bigger target for miscreants hoping to make a buck or two or do even worse damage with sensitive information contained within smartphones and tablets. Even with Google insisting on the inherent security of the platform, there will definitely be those who can’t be too careful and would want to have an independent safety measure installed. It is for these and for other security-conscious Android users that Malwarebytes has made available its PC security system for Android. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Mobile has your standard security features such as a catalog of over 200 malware types and variants, automatically updating malware database, and proactive scanning of third-party applications and files. But more than just an anti-malware detector and cleaner, the app features other interesting abilities. It has a Privacy Manager that helps users analyze which apps are accessing which personal information or network features that could be costing you monthly charges. A Secure Audit feature detects and warns users about potential vulnerabilities in device settings such as GPS tracking or insecure WiFI. There is also an Application Manager which keeps tabs on running apps and services in order to identify and terminate suspicious activities. For all these features, the Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Mobile app is, surprisingly, available free of charge and can be downloaded now from Google Play Store through the link below. Download: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Mobile on Google Play Store
SOURCE: Malwarebytes | |
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