Nokia to launch dual-SIM handsets soon

Mobile handset market leader Nokia plans to launch its dual-SIM phones in the Indian market very soon.

“The new phones will be produced in our Chennai facility,” said Mr Prakash Katama, Operations Director (Chennai Factory), Nokia India, said.

Announcing the rollout of the facility's 500 millonth phone, he said that number of phones in a span of five years is the fastest achievement in the world – “going by our own facilities elsewhere in the world”, he said.

Nokia expects to double this number, and its current turnover of Rs 2,500 crore in the next few years. It exports 50 per cent of its total production to various countries.

Nokia has manufacturing facilities in China, Brazil and India. It is planning to set up one more in Vietnam.

The company initially produced only its basic model phones in the facility. “Now, we produce more than 20 models of basic and middle-level phones in the facility,” he said.

Though Chennai facility is the largest and best in terms of productivity for Nokia, he said there is still a lot of scope for more indigenisation of the product. “Currently, only 20-30 per cent of the product components are sourced internally.” Besides, the company has also brought the Shah Rukh Khan-signed 500 millionth phone under the hammer. The phone is available for bidding through e-auction at www.nokia500million.com

iPhone 4 to Launch in India on May 12

Airtel & Aircel may launch it in black and white color.

Last month, two Indian Mobile Operators - Airtel and Aircel promised to introduce Apple iPhone 4 "in coming months" for India. As per the recent rumors from "insider sources", Indians can expect to see iPhone 4 in Black as well as White colors on May 12. There's no official confirmation on this information and hence we take this information with a grain of salt.

Officially, Airtel and Aircel would be introducing  iPhone 4 for India which would be available as both carrier locked and unlocked, hopefully. Apparently, Airtel has starting registration for iPhone 4. So far, from the details what we could infer from a Twitter update by user named Sunny Chahal. Further he added that the information was limited only to GSM handsets and no word was out on CDMA version of iPhone 4.

Sony Ericsson releases another Walkman Android phone Next month in China

Sony Ericsson today launched another Walkman series Android device. The phone sporting Chinese version of Android OPhone 2.5 will be available with China Mobile shortly.

The phone will support all the Android app runs compatible with Android 2.2. Dubbed as WT18i, this smartphone features 3MP camera, Marvell PXA920 806MHz processor, 3.2 inch HVGA display, 150MB of internal memory, GPS, FM Tuner, and microSDHC slot.

China Mobile has not announced a specific availability date or pricing as of now.

Intel Launches 3D Chip

Intel has introduced a 3-D transistor design called Tri-Gate, first disclosed by the chip giant in 2002, into high-volume manufacturing at the 22-nanometre (nm) node in a chip codenamed Ivy Bridge. Intel said it has been working on the technology since 2002. However, the products will not appear in new computers, tablets and mobile phones until towards the end of this year. The three-dimensional Tri-Gate transistors represent a fundamental departure from the two-dimensional planar transistor structure that has powered not only all computers, mobile phones and consumer electronics to-date, but also the electronic controls within cars, spacecraft, household appliances, medical devices and virtually thousands of other everyday devices for decades.

"Intel's scientists and engineers have once again reinvented the transistor, this time utilising the third dimension," said Paul Otellini, president and CEO, Intel. "Amazing, world-shaping devices will be created from this capability as we advance Moore's Law into new realms."

Intel's 3-D Tri-Gate transistors enable chips to operate at lower voltage with lower leakage, providing a combination of improved performance and energy efficiency compared to previous transistors. The capabilities give chip designers the flexibility to choose transistors targeted for low power or high performance, depending on the application.

The 22nm 3-D Tri-Gate transistors provide up to 37 per cent performance increase at low voltage versus Intel's 32nm planar transistors. This gain means that they are ideal for use in small handheld devices, which operate using less energy to 'switch' back and forth. Alternatively, the new transistors consume less than half the power when at the same performance as 2-D planar transistors on 32nm chips.

"The performance gains and power savings of Intel's unique 3-D Tri-Gate transistors are like nothing we've seen before," said Mark Bohr, Intel Senior Fellow. "This milestone is going further than simply keeping up with Moore's Law. The low-voltage and low-power benefits far exceed what we typically see from one process generation to the next. It will give product designers the flexibility to make current devices smarter and wholly new ones possible. We believe this breakthrough will extend Intel's lead even further over the rest of the semiconductor industry."

Sony Ericsson Acro debuts in Japan

Sony Ericsson announced a tweaked version of Xperia Arc for Japan – Xperia Acro.  Designed for Japanese market, Acro comes with infrared port, mobile wallet, and mobile TV functionality.
It comes with other features similar to Xperia Arc like 1 GHz processor, Android 2.3, 4.2 inch display, 8.1 megapixel camera. Acro will start shipping in Japan starting this summer in Black and White colors.
We are delighted to be introducing this flagship model to Japan. In this sophisticated market, we are listening to consumers and are happy to adapt our products to fit in with requirements which they believe to be an essential part of the mobile experience. We expect that they will be pleased to have such a uniquely adept premium smartphone and look forward to a new wave of consumers experiencing the world of Xperia.

U.S. not to release bin Laden photo

Speaking on an American television news program, Obama said that he concluded that the images of bin Laden, bloodied by gunshots, could do more to incite tensions in the Muslim world, posing problems for America’s national security, than persuade skeptics.

“We don't trot out this stuff as trophies,” Obama told Steve Kroft of 60 Minutes on CBS News. “That's not who we are,” he said.

The President said that he wanted to make sure that “very graphic photos of somebody who was shot in the head are not floating around as an incitement to additional violence, or as a propaganda tool.”

Obama’s stand came even after Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director Leon E Panetta, said he did not think “there was any question that ultimately a photograph would be presented to the public.”

Officials in the Pentagon and the State Department, however, were divided over releasing the 'gruesome' photos of bin Laden’s bloodied corpse. Some lawmakers and officials argued that releasing the photo could endanger U.S. forces in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Acer Iconia Tab A500 launches in India for Rs. 27,990

Acer has unveiled Acer Iconia Tab A500 in India, India’s First Honeycomb tablet. Acer Iconia Tab A500runs on Android 3.0 Honeycomb and is powered by 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2processor.

Acer Iconia Tab A500 features a 10.1 inch display, 5 megapixel camera, 2 megapixel camera, 720p video recording, 16GB internal memory, 1GB RAM, expandable memory via microSD card slot, HDMI, 3G, GPS and 3260 mAh battery.
Acer Iconia Tab A500 is priced at Rs. 27,990 in India.