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Apple iPad Air
Apple's 2013 flagship tablet PCs, iPad Air and iPad Mini 2 which were rumoured to land in India later this month have been postponed to the first week of December.
Earlier reports indicated that Apple would release the new iPad models on 29 November, but now technology blog BGR India in contacts with their sources has claimed that the American firm, facing shortage of inventory has pushed the date to 6 December.
Both the new iPad models were unveiled in US on 22 October. The fifth generation 9.7-inch iPad weighing just little over a pound (469 g) has been titled iPad Air. It features IGZO display with 2,048x1536p resolutions and pixel count of 264 ppi (pixels per inch).
On the other hand, iPad Mini 2 sports 7.9-inch retina display (2048x1536p) with 326 ppi pixel density and packs pretty much the same internal hardware seen on its elder sibling, sans the battery capacity (23.8-watt/hour).The new iPad Air runs on the iOS v7.0 (v7.0.4 update now available) powered by the Apple's 64-bit architecture based A7 chipset with M7 motion co-processor and boasts of 5.-meagpixel iSight camera with 5-element lens, f/2.4 aperture, HDR photos, full HD video recording capability and 3 x video zoom. In the front, it flaunts a 1.2-megapixel camera with HD (720p) video recording and face-detection abilities.
According to reports, Apple's 9.7-inch iPad Air price will be priced ₹35,900 onwards, whereas the smaller iPad is expected to cost a minimum of ₹28,900.
Expected prices of Apple 's new iPad Air and iPad Mini 2 variants in India:
Models
|
iPad Air (Wi-Fi Only)
|
iPad Air (Wi-Fi+ SIM support)
|
iPad Mini 2 (Wi-Fi only )
|
iPad Mini 2 (Wi-Fi + SIM support)
|
16GB
|
₹35,900
|
₹44,900
|
₹28,900
|
₹37,900
|
32GB
|
₹42,900
|
₹51,900
|
₹35,900
|
₹44,900
|
64GB
|
₹49,900
|
₹58,900
|
₹42,900
|
₹51,900
|
128GB
|
₹56,900
|
₹65,900
|
₹49,000
|
₹58,900
|
Key specifications of Apple iPad Air and iPad Mini 2:
Model
|
Apple iPad Air
|
Apple iPad Mini 2
|
Display
|
9.7-inch IGZO display with 2,048x1,536p resolutions and pixel density of 264 ppi (pixel per inch) and comes with finger-print resistant oleophobic coating
|
7.9-inch LED back-lit multi-touch retain display with 2048x1536p resolutions and pixel density of 326 ppi and comes with finger-print resistant oleophobic coating
|
OS
|
iOS v7.0 (out-of-the-box), update v7.0.4 is available now
|
iOS v7.0 (out-of-the-box), update v7.0.4 is available now
|
Processor
|
Apple A7(64-bit architecture) with M7 motion co-processor
|
Apple A7(64-bit architecture) with M7 motion co-processor
|
Storage capacity
|
16GB/32GB/64GB/128GB
|
16GB/32GB/64GB/128GB
|
Camera
|
Main: iSight 5.0-megapixel camera with 5-element lens, f/2.4 aperture, HDR photos, full HD video recording capability, 3 x video zoom,
Front: 1.2-megapixel camera with HD (720p) video recording, face-detection
|
Main: iSight 5.0-megapixel camera with 5-element lens, f/2.4 aperture, HDR photos, full HD video recording capability, 3 x video zoom,
Front: 1.2-megapixel camera with HD (720p) video recording, face-detection
|
Network
|
3G and 4G-LTE
|
3G and 4G-LTE
|
Battery
|
Built-in 32.4-watt/hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery;
Up to 10 hours surfing web on Wi-Fi and 9 hours via SIM
|
Built-in 23.8-watt/hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery;
Up to 10 hours surfing web on Wi-Fi and 9 hours via SIM
|
Add-ons
|
Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n; dual band: 2.4GHz & 5GHz ), MIMO, Bluetooth v4.0, Nano-SIM tray for cellular model, lightning port
|
Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n; dual band: 2.4GHz & 5GHz ), MIMO, Bluetooth v4.0, Nano-SIM tray for cellular model,
|
Dimensions
|
240.0 x 169.5 x 7.5 mm (negligible difference in the SIM based model)
|
200 x 134.7 x 7.5 mm (negligible difference in the SIM based model)
|
Weight
|
469 g
|
331 g
|
Colours
|
Space Grey & Silver
|
Space Grey & Silver
|
Everybody cant afford to have expensive phones with stylish looks and much features. They want to have these phones but the cost a lot of money, so I want to tell you about the top 5 affordable phones with best features which people could buy in a low price
1. Byond B65
Byond is not a much famous company, but it manufactures best feature phones in a low price. Byond B65 is a dual sim phone supporting 3g and has wifi. It has a dual core 1.2GHz processor with 512 mb RAM. It has a 4GB inbuilt memory and big 5 inch display screen, 8 MP Primary Camera and 1.3 MP secondary Camera with flash and supports memory card upto 32 GB and has a android version 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwhich)
Rs. 5,456 at
2. Spice Coolpad 2 Mi-496'
Spice is a much famous company,it has never topped the market because of its low quality phones,but it has shown a improvement by introducing us the latest pinnacle series. Spice Coolpad 2 Mi-496 is a dual sim phone supporting 3g and has wifi. It has a quad core 1.2GHz processor with 1GB RAM. It has a 4GB inbuilt memory and normal 4.5 inch display screen, 5 MP Camera with flash and supports memory card upto 32 GB and has a android version 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
Rs. 5,999 at
3. XOLO a500s
Xolo is a part of Lava, Intel. It hasn't produced too many phones yet but is growing its market. The phones having a brilliant look, features and much more. Xolo a500s is a part of the a500 mobile. Xolo a500s is a dual sim phone supporting 3g and has wifi. It has a dual core 1.3GHz processor with 512MB RAM. It has a 4GB inbuilt memory with a 4 inch display screen, 5 MP Camera with flash and supports memory card upto 32 GB and has a android version 4.2 (Jelly Bean)
Rs. 5,719 at
4. iBall Andi 4.5Q
iBall has came into the world of mobile phones after a long time and it has produced phones at an affordable price. iBall Andi 4.5Q is a dual sim phone supporting 3g and has wifi. It has a dual core 1GHz processor with 512MB RAM. It has a 4GB inbuilt memory with a normal 4.5 inch display screen, 8 MP Camera with flash and supports memory card upto 32 GB and has a android version 4.1(Jelly Bean)
Rs. 6,601 at
5. Gionee P2
Gionee is a chinese company but has shown the ability to produce phones like Gionee Elife E6. Gionee P2 is a dual sim phone supporting 3g and has wifi. It has a dual core 1.3GHz processor with 512MB RAM. It has a 4GB inbuilt memory with a 4 inch display screen, 5 MP Camera with flash and supports memory card upto 32 GB and has a android version 4.2.2(Jelly Bean)
Rs. 5,476 at
1. Byond B65Byond is not a much famous company, but it manufactures best feature phones in a low price. Byond B65 is a dual sim phone supporting 3g and has wifi. It has a dual core 1.2GHz processor with 512 mb RAM. It has a 4GB inbuilt memory and big 5 inch display screen, 8 MP Primary Camera and 1.3 MP secondary Camera with flash and supports memory card upto 32 GB and has a android version 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwhich)
Rs. 5,456 at
2. Spice Coolpad 2 Mi-496'Spice is a much famous company,it has never topped the market because of its low quality phones,but it has shown a improvement by introducing us the latest pinnacle series. Spice Coolpad 2 Mi-496 is a dual sim phone supporting 3g and has wifi. It has a quad core 1.2GHz processor with 1GB RAM. It has a 4GB inbuilt memory and normal 4.5 inch display screen, 5 MP Camera with flash and supports memory card upto 32 GB and has a android version 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
Rs. 5,999 at
3. XOLO a500sXolo is a part of Lava, Intel. It hasn't produced too many phones yet but is growing its market. The phones having a brilliant look, features and much more. Xolo a500s is a part of the a500 mobile. Xolo a500s is a dual sim phone supporting 3g and has wifi. It has a dual core 1.3GHz processor with 512MB RAM. It has a 4GB inbuilt memory with a 4 inch display screen, 5 MP Camera with flash and supports memory card upto 32 GB and has a android version 4.2 (Jelly Bean)
Rs. 5,719 at
4. iBall Andi 4.5QiBall has came into the world of mobile phones after a long time and it has produced phones at an affordable price. iBall Andi 4.5Q is a dual sim phone supporting 3g and has wifi. It has a dual core 1GHz processor with 512MB RAM. It has a 4GB inbuilt memory with a normal 4.5 inch display screen, 8 MP Camera with flash and supports memory card upto 32 GB and has a android version 4.1(Jelly Bean)
Rs. 6,601 at
5. Gionee P2
Gionee is a chinese company but has shown the ability to produce phones like Gionee Elife E6. Gionee P2 is a dual sim phone supporting 3g and has wifi. It has a dual core 1.3GHz processor with 512MB RAM. It has a 4GB inbuilt memory with a 4 inch display screen, 5 MP Camera with flash and supports memory card upto 32 GB and has a android version 4.2.2(Jelly Bean)
Rs. 5,476 at
Overview
Sony Xperia Z is best of Sony in smart phone with the world's sharpest 5" display. It has the worlds first image sensor with HDR video for smartphones. It gives stunning photos and videos in any light from its 13 mega pixel camera.It has the highest level of water resistance in a smart phone
Features
Display
Feel like you’re there with the razor sharp and super bright full HD screen. Xperia Z brings you the highest level of HD available – 1080 progressive scan, for incredibly crisp pictures and no jagged edges. Expertise from our BRAVIA® TV engineers goes into our mobile screens, to bring you the same quality you’d expect from a top quality HDTV. The 5” full HD Reality Display also has very high pixel density – 443 pixels per inch, for razor sharp pictures – and superior brightness. And with the wide colour gamut it gives you the widest colour spectrum, so you can view every detail in vivid colour.
True Screen intelligence – Mobile BRAVIA® Engine 2
The second generation of our acclaimed Mobile BRAVIA® Engine, Mobile BRAVIA® Engine 2 delivers an even better viewing experience by adding new real-time contrast optimisation to the sharpness enhancement, high-quality colour management and noise reduction. Mobile BRAVIA® Engine 2 is also able to analyse content type and adjust the image accordingly. Adding Mobile BRAVIA® Engine 2 to the Reality Display makes for an intelligent screen – one that adapts automatically to display your content in the best way.
(1) Contrast enhancement
Contrast in images and video is enhanced by making the darkest parts slightly darker, which brings out details in the picture.
(2) Colour Management
Colour saturation is increased for specified colour ranges, which makes the colours deeper and more vivid. And the intelligent Mobile BRAVIA® Engine 2 software reproduces skin colour exactly as it appears to the naked eye.
(3) Noise reduction
Distortion and noise is reduced when streaming low-quality video from online sources, such as YouTube. Noise is reduced both to individual frames and between frames, for clearer viewing.
(4) Sharpness filter
Mobile BRAVIA® Engine 2 applies a sharpness filter to increase the overall detail level in the image. This is done by enhancing the edges and contrast without increasing noise.
Less reflective, more responsive – OptiContras & Direct Touch
We’ve eliminated a layer of air in the construction, bringing the touch panel closer to the display. This OptiContrast™ panel makes for less reflection and clearer viewing – even in bright sunlight, as well as creating a seamlessly black surface when the phone is turned off.
By eliminating the sensor layer and integrating the sensor on the lens, we’ve managed to increase the responsiveness of the screen. So your touch is more effective and the experience is more intuitive.
(1) Lens
(2) Removed air layer
(3) Sensor layer
(4) Display
Building something bright and brilliant
BRAVIA engineers have discovered that we remember colours more vividly than they really are. That’s the kind of knowledge they put into creating brilliant colours for our screens. Get a peek at this precision craftsmanship in the video.
Camera
Exmor RS™ for mobile – the world’s first image sensor with HDR video for smartphones
HDR for photos and videos captures natural colours in any light. HDR (High Dynamic Range) is an imaging technology used to capture clear photos against strong backlight. With HDR, the camera captures the same image at different exposure levels and layers them to create one optimised photo.
Xperia Z introduces HDR to video, so that you can film even in high contrast situations, like in front of a window or with the sun behind your subject.
Always the right setting – Superior Auto
Now it’s always easy to get a great shot. With Superior Auto, you don’t have to know the ins and outs of camera settings to make use of them. In Superior Auto mode, the camera combines Scene Recognition with high quality and high performance image processing technology (HDR and noise reduction) to automatically shoot with the optimal settings. And your device is automatically optimised for 36 different scenes, so you always get the best shot.
Stunning shots in any light — 13 MP camera with Exmor RS™ for mobile
The 13 megapixel camera is built with the same modules as leading Sony cameras. Exmor RS™ for mobile is an evolution of our Sony image sensor technology, with a next-generation BSI light sensor. By adopting the technology of luminance and colour noise reduction, we’ve created a camera that snaps highly detailed shots with low noise – even in challenging lighting conditions. You’re now also able to reproduce objects in more vivid colours and capture night images and faces in stunning clarity. Exmor RS™ for mobile includes HDR video, for clear shots even when your subject is backlit.
World’s only dual Exmor R for mobile camera
We’ve included the Sony Exmor R™ for mobile sensor on the full HD front camera, so you can take self-portraits or chat in lowlight conditions as well. And both the front and rear cameras support HDR photos.
Quick benefits:
- Sweep panorama
- Modeless UI gives you instant access to both camera and video mode
- Take pictures in video mode
Design & Durability
Minimal yet distinctive – OmniBalance design
With Xperia Z, we introduce our new OmniBalance design. The design is focused on creating balance and symmetry in all directions. Xperia Z has subtly rounded edges and smooth, reflective surfaces on all sides, which are held together by an innovative skeleton frame.
Both the front and back are made of glass, with a seamless surface. Together with enhanced reflection coating on the top, bottom and sides, Xperia Z actually mirrors the world around you. OmniBalance design balances technology vs. design, letting you get so totally immersed in the content that the hardware disappears.
Quality craftsmanship
Xperia Z was designed in collaboration with Sony consumer electronics experts, for quality craftsmanship and consistent attention to details. Only premium materials were used throughout, like aluminium for the power and volume buttons and durable tempered glass for the front and back.
Super slim
We’ve eliminated a layer of air and brought the display closer to the lens, for added touch sensitivity and a smaller size. This construction, along with a new component layout and skeleton frame allows for a slimness of 7.9 mm.
Premium design, outside and inside – Sony unified UI
Whether you’re on a Sony smartphone or tablet, you’ll meet a consistent user interface on your devices and in all your Sony Media apps.
Water and dust resistant
We tested the Xperia Z to make sure it can keep going even after 30 minutes under water. It can even withstand water jets. The high IP55 & IP57 rating means you can use it in the rain, take photos by the pool and easily clean it off from everyday spills and dirt.
We even put Xperia Z in a dust chamber for rigorous testing, to make sure its operations were unaffected.
Quick benefits:
- Water resistant up to 1 meter
- Resistant to water jets
- Dust resistant
Connectivity
One-touch connectivity from Sony
Sharing with friends and connecting your world has never been easier. Based on NFC (near field communication), our One-touch functions connect one device to another in a single tap. No wires, cables, or fiddling with settings necessary.
One-touch mirroring
See photos from your phone on your TV. Simply touch your smartphone to the remote from your BRAVIA® TV to activate screen mirroring.
One-touch backup
Whether you take pictures on your Xperia Z smartphone, tablet or camera, now you can store them in the same place. The Sony Personal Content Station™ is a wireless hub for photos and videos.
One-touch listening
Play the music on your smartphone through a wireless speaker or wireless headphones.
One-touch sharing
Share photos, music and more between two phones, or between your phone and an NFC-enabled laptop.
How One-touch sharing works
From your smartphone to the big screen
Want to share your memories on the big screen? Or go from headphones to speakers? “Throw” content from your smartphone to your Wi-Fi-enabled TV through screen mirroring or DLNA, or send your tunes to a speaker via Bluetooth. Using “Throw”, your device finds the best way to wirelessly connect your smartphone to other devices. With an MHL cable, you can also mirror your phone’s full user interface on your TV and enjoy movies, games and more while charging.
Smart Connect
Make your life simpler by setting up how your smartphone behaves when it connects to other devices. Open your music player when you connect your headphones, organise your SmartWatch, or activate your alarm clock when your phone touches the charging dock. Smart Connect is the software that lets you manage all your smart accessories.
Connect and drive
Xperia Z supports MirrorLink™, which means you’re able to project your Xperia display onto your A/V receiver and stay safely connected while you drive. Hook up Xperia Z to your Sony MirrorLink™ A/V receiver and use the touch screen on your dashboard to access maps, music, your phone book and more.
Processor & Battery
Lightning speed performance – Quad-core processor
We’ve matched the latest Sony software with the powerful Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ S4 Pro processor. This advanced quad core processor gives you maximum performance and speed without draining your battery – run multiple apps simultaneously, surf the web with no loading time, and stream videos without a break. The Snapdragon S4 Pro processor is asynchronous, which means each core is powered up and down independently. So you get the precise amount of power when you need it, without wasting power when you don’t.
Quick benefits:
- Super-fast performance
- Better battery life
- Improved multitasking
Outstanding graphics
With the Adreno 320 GPU (graphics processing unit) you play the most advanced and visually stunning 3D games, and browse the web quickly and smoothly.
Quick benefits
- Twice as fast for gaming
- Stutter-free web surfing
- Compared to previous version of Adreno
Ultra-fast LTE/4G technology
Snapdragon S4 Pro has a built-in LTE/4G modem. With it there are fewer dropped calls and speeds up to 10 times faster than 3G internet connections. Together with Sony’s expertise in radio technology, Snapdragon S4 Pro also ensures better reception in more places.
Better reception
Fewer dropped calls
Network speed (up to):
Always loud and clear — HD Voice
HD voice*eliminates background noise to improve voice clarity. That means that you can talk normally and be heard clearly, without having to raise your voice, even in noisy environments. Now you don’t have to shout to be heard, or try to find a quiet place for your conversation.
What’s the difference in sound?
Smartphone with super power
The Snapdragon™ S4 Pro quad-core processor gives you super-fast performance, unparalleled graphics and efficient battery use. Find your way on Google maps. Stream the latest YouTube clips with LTE. Or download the newest apps and run them without a hitch. Get it all when you want it – now.
Check out the Snapdragon processors
Significantly improve battery life with Battery STAMINA mode
Smartphones use a lot of power, even when you’re not actively using them. All those apps that you have on your phone may still be running in the background, draining your battery. Battery STAMINA mode saves you wasted battery drain by recognising when your display is off and turning off functions you don’t need, while keeping the notifications you want. As soon as you wake up your Android smartphone, everything is up and running again.
Get only the important notices
With Battery STAMINA mode, Wi-Fi and data traffic are disabled during standby, but you still receive incoming calls, texts, and alarms. And since everyone has different needs, you can easily customise which apps you want to receive push notifications from even in standby mode. Facebook notifications on or off? It’s up to you.
HARDWARETwo years ago, the mobile landscape was quite different than what it is today. Android flagship phones sported 1GHz single-core CPUs and were in the process of upgrading to Froyo, the iPhone 4was the Apple phone of choice and the word "phablet" was sure to be followed by a "Gesundheit." (It still is, arguably.) This is just a brief glimpse at the world in which Microsoft'sWindows Phone 7 was born. Destined to be the replacement solution for an obsolete Windows Mobile 6.x platform, WP7 did its best to disrupt the industry by offering its unique Metro user interface and slick performance across the board.
There was one growing problem, however; the mobile industry was rapidly changing, and the Windows Phone honeymoon didn't last as long as Microsoft would've liked. Today, the company enjoys less than 5 percent of the world's smartphone market share as it prepares to launch its next major revision, Windows Phone 8. The new firmware promises to resolve concerns surrounding hardware limitations and the platform's ecosystem, add a plethora of long-awaited features and integrate the OS with Windows 8. It's a hefty task for Microsoft to undertake, to say the least, but we're hoping that two revolutions around the sun were enough for the software giant to impress us with its struggling mobile platform. Did it pull it off? Take a look at what makes Windows Phone 8 tick after the break.
With WP8, Microsoft has either had a change of heart or found a way to keep its platform running as efficiently as before even with the new additions. Either way, it's a necessary change for the outfit if it hopes to be relevant in today's competitive market. Let's take a look at the most significant changes to the hardware capabilities in WP8.
- Multiple cores. Until now, Microsoft's restriction on multi-core processors has been a move that has frustrated power users for the last two years. Critics have argued that the company wasn't keeping up with the times or matching Android and iOS. Microsoft, meanwhile, repeatedly assured us that the move to two cores and beyond would take place once the company found a way to preserve battery life. No matter which argument you agree with, the fact is that now WP8 can support anywhere from two cores to 64. Devices running the OS will start out with dual-core Snapdragon S4 processors, but we doubt it will be long before Microsoft gives the green light to quad-core chipsets. We'll save performance reviews for when we test out these individual devices. Suffice to say, we were already fans of how smooth and quick the OS was on WP7, and our first impressions of the Windows Phone 8X definitely continues (and improves) that trend with the new specs.
- Screen resolution. With WP7, only one display resolution was allowed: WVGA, or 800 x 480. Again, this was par for the course on flagship Android devices in 2010 (and way behind the iPhone's Retina display). As you can imagine, this has been another sore point for users -- especially since 720p resolution became the norm. Windows Phone 8 devices can now support one of three options: WXGA (1,280 x 768), 720p (1,280 x 720) and the old-fashioned WVGA standard (ideal for entry-level smartphones). This brings WP8's screens back into the modern age for now, but we're already starting to see Android phones with 1080p displays, and it won't be long before that becomes the new standard for flagship handsets. WP8 is off to a good start, but we're hoping that we'll see even more options available in the near future.
- Expandable storage. With the mysterious exception of the Samsung Focus, Microsoft put the kibosh on removable storage for WP7 devices. It was an odd situation, since plenty of phones using the OS actually had a slot for microSD hidden in inaccessible places. The whole thing naturally sparked a controversy when the platform launched, but the issue has finally been resolved; Windows Phone 8 fully supports external storage up to SDXC, allowing you to add as much as 64GB in additional memory. Unfortunately, our particular review unit (the HTC Windows Phone 8X) doesn't include a microSD slot, so we were unable to experience this for ourselves.
- NFC. Windows Phone 8 finally brings native support for Near-Field Communications. This opens up lots of possibilities for both users and developers. In addition to the new Wallet feature, you'll be able to use NFC to transfer plenty of content from your phone to either your PC or another person's device. We'll discuss these features in more detail as we go along through this review. (As an aside, we've seen the tech show up on a Windows Phone before -- namely in the Nokia Lumia 610 NFC -- but it was added in as a software stack on top of the OS, while WP8 will natively support the feature.)
Just as it's done in the past, Microsoft has offered up a list of hardware requirements for each phone to run Windows Phone 8. The list includes:
- Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor
- Minimum 512MB RAM for WVGA phones; minimum 1GB RAM for 720p / WXGA
- Minimum 4GB flash memory
- GPS and A-GNSS; GLONASS is supported if OEMs decide to include it
- Support for micro-USB 2.0
- 3.5mm stereo headphone jack with three-button detection support
- Rear-facing AF camera with LED or Xenon flash, optional front-facing camera (both need to be VGA or better) and dedicated camera button
- Accelerometer, proximity and ambient light sensors, as well as vibration motor (magnetometer and gyroscope are optional)
- 802.11b/g and Bluetooth (802.11n is optional)
- DirectX graphics hardware support with hardware acceleration for Direct3D using programmable GPU
- Multi-touch capacitive touch screen with minimum of four simultaneous points
Another requirement not listed above is that all Windows Phone 8 devices must include the same standard set of buttons: each one needs to have Start, back, search, power, camera and volume up / down keys. All of this sounds promising, given Windows Phone 7's frustrating hardware restrictions, but we're concerned at how often this set of standards will be updated in order to keep pace with the rest of the industry. It's nearly caught up with competing platforms, and we'd hate to see Microsoft fall behind again.
USER INTERFACE IMPROVEMENTS
The initial boot sequence takes you through the usual litany of welcome and setup screens. You'll be prompted to create or log in to your Microsoft Account, set your preferred language and choose if you'd like to back up your pictures, texts and phone settings. From there you'll find yourself on the Start screen, free to roam through various Live Tiles and the app list as you please. If you've used a Windows Phone before, you'll instantly notice that something is different -- very different. As you enter the Start screen you're presented with a familiar checkerboard-like set of Live Tiles as you're used to seeing on a typical Metro Modern UI, but it now extends all the way to the right edge of the screen (in WP7, the tiles only comprised about two-thirds of it, while the rest was simply unused space). This adds a lot more real estate for each tile. Microsoft has also thrown in support for three Live Tile sizes (compared to two in WP7) and has given developers access to all of them. What used to be the smaller tile in WP7 is now considered medium, which means there is an even smaller option available for stuff you want access to but that doesn't require much space. This works well -- we want to have a settings tile pinned to Start, but there's no reason it needs to occupy a large portion of the screen. Same goes for other utilities. You also have the opportunity to change the tile size, a privilege not extended to WP7 users. Third-party developers are required to support small and medium, but it's up to them if they want to accommodate the largest size. To toggle back and forth between all three sizes, just long-press the tile and a new arrow shows up in the bottom-right corner. Press it and presto -- your tile just shrinks or expands, depending on the direction the arrow is facing. The folks in Redmond claim that this new setup makes your phone even more personal than it was before; we just like that we can add more viewable content to the Start screen, and do so in an efficient, well-organized way
Microsoft's Surface RT tablet could be headed for Japan.
(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)
Surface may surface in Japan as early as next month, says a story from the Nikkei news service, as reported by the Wall Street Journal's MarketWatch.
Microsoft is expected to sell the Surface RT edition to Japanese consumers. That version can run certain desktop applications, such as Microsoft Office RT and Internet Explorer 10, but otherwise is restricted to Windows store apps.
The 32GB Surface RT tablet starts at $499 in the U.S. That same model may sport a price tag in Japan of around 50,000 yen ($531).
Surface has been wending its way around the world. The RT version debuted last October in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., France, Germany, Hong Kong, Australia, and China. On February 14, the RT tablet went on sale in 13 additional countries throughout Europe, including Austria, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
Earlier this month Microsoft unveiled Surface Pro, which runs the full flavor of Windows 8 and can handle existing desktop applications.
CNET contacted Microsoft for comment and will update the story if we receive any information.
