Microsoft sends invites for Oct. 29 Windows Phone 8 event

Hello, hello, hello

Microsoft isn't hibernating this fall as it's gearing up for the Oct. 26 launch of the Windows 8 OS and, TechRadar learned Thursday, the Oct. 29 reveal of Windows Phone 8.

Press invites are going out and TechRadar will be on hand to "Meet Windows Phone 8," as the company's save-the-date note suggested.

The event's going down at 10 a.m. PDT in San Francisco, nearly 3,000 miles from its W8 New York City event a few days before.

We've tinkered with the mobile operating system before and our hands on review is here, but Microsoft is sure to reveal some juicy details come that Monday.

Joining the party

A basketful of Windows Phone 8-running machines have seen the light of day recently, from HTC's Windows Phone 8X and Windows Phone 8S to Nokia's Lumia 920 and 820.

Samsung's even in on the fun with its Ativ S smartphone.

Now, Microsoft's actually letting the world in on what these manufacturers have apparently already seen.

TechRadar heard word Oct. 29 would be WP8 birthday, so to speak, and now we can't wait for the festivities.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/microsoft-sends-invites-for-oct-29-windows-phone-8-event-1102015

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iPad Mini apparently enters production, instantly hits supply problems

A new report suggests the Apple iPad Mini has gone into production, and that it's already plagued by supply problems.

Sources speaking to the Wall Street Journal have said that components for the device we currently know as the iPad Mini have entered mass production. As with everything iPad Mini related, the sources are anonymous but “familiar with the situation.”

The report says it’s the device’s touchscreens that are being built, and again speculates that they will measure 7.85-inches, and have a lower resolution than the 9.7-inch iPad.

However, previous rumors have suggested the iPad Mini will share the new iPad’s 2048 x 1536 pixel Retina screen, and that production was supposed to start in August.

This news comes soon after a quote from an anonymous Apple investor, who in turn was quoting from a gaggle of unnamed sources, said invitations to the press event for the iPad Mini’s announcement would appear on October 10. An October launch has been on the cards for a while, but then, so was a joint iPhone 5/iPad Mini event.

Supply problems

But, nobody said making a hypothetical product was going to be easy, as no sooner had the elves begun working on the iPad Mini, than those ever problematic supply problems arrived. This time it’s Brian White, an analyst for Topeka Capital Markets with the inside gossip, saying that suppliers had found the iPad Mini’s specification a “challenge” and that the production had suffered because of it.

This, White says, is the reason for the iPad Mini’s delayed launch.

He goes on to talk about “continued yield challenges” — supply chain geek talk for producing the right number of products, at the right time, to make the most profit — before adding that while the iPad Mini is “on track to reach acceptable volume levels for launch,” there will be supply problems “during the first month or so.”

In other words, demand will likely outstrip supply, which is just the way Apple likes it.

The iPad Mini is supposed to be Apple’s response to the popularity of budget tablets such as Amazon’s Kindle Fire and Google’s Nexus 7. For this reason, if it does ever arrive, the price will most probably be the primary talking point, and it’s expected to be no more than $300.

We’ll know more on October 10, or not, as the case may be.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/ipad-mini-production-supply-problems/

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Google to cut even more jobs at Motorola Mobility

Google continues the plan to bring its newly acquired Motorola Mobility back to profitability by optimizing the way the company operates. Unfortunately, for the Motorola employees, who still haven't been given the boot, Google plans to continue with the job cuts.

This means that the budget Google will have to set aside for severance packages will also increase. In fact, it'll go up to $300 million from the $275 million the company initially planned it'd need.

The search giant will spend another $90 million on closing down Motorola facilities and exiting non-profitable markets.

Here's hoping that the painful measures, along with the newly released RAZR line-up will do enough to bring Motorola back in the black.

Source | Via

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/google_will_continue_the_job_cuts_at_motorola_mobility-news-4900.php

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Nokia Lumia 920 and 820 are AT&T exclusives in the U.S.

AT&T will exclusively carry the Nokia Lumia 920 and 820 in the United States.

AT&T just announced that the Windows Phone 8 smartphones, the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820 will be exclusive to the carrier in the States.

The flagship Lumia 920 is Nokia’s first Windows Phone 8 device, which also means its one of the first Windows Phones to pack some impressive hardware. It has a 4.5-inch curved glass touchscreen, a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 chip, 32GB of storage, and an 8-megapixel camera. The Lumia 820 is a little smaller with a 4.3-inch display and is being billed as a mid-range smartphone. The stand out feature for both is wireless charging support.

Jeff Bradley, senior vice president of Devices and Developer Services at AT&T Mobility said, “Exclusive to our customers and featuring unique innovations in imaging technology, wireless charging and a bright, sensitive display – all on the nation’s largest 4G network – the Lumia 920 will be one of the hottest phones for the holidays,”

AT&T continues to position itself as the leading Windows Phone 8 carrier and reminded us in its press release that it has sold more Windows Phones than any other carrier to date. It will also offer the HTC 8X.

Both the Lumia 920 and 820 will feature Nokia’s City Lens AR overlay and benefit from all the new features Windows Phone 8 has to offer. The 920 comes in red, white, black, yellow, and cyan; the 820 comes in black.

There’s no word on release date or pricing beyond the fact that the new devices will hit shelves sometime this autumn.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/nokia-lumia-920-and-820-are-att-exclusives-in-u-s/

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AT&T to get US dibs on Lumia 920 and 820 in November

AT&T will be the US carrier to go to this holiday season if you are after Nokia's latest Windows Phone 8 smartphones.

With AT&T the Nokia Lumia 920 will be available in various colors including cyan, yellow, red, white and black. As far as we know, the cyan color was not part of the originally announced range of colors for the Lumia 920 so perhaps it will be exclusive to AT&T.

The Nokia Lumia 820 will only come in black, but you will be able to accessorize it with wireless charging battery covers in various colors.

Both phones will be exclusive to AT&T in the US and will become available in November. Pricing is yet to be announced.

Source | Via

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/at_t_us_to_get_the_lumia_920_and_820_in_november-news-4899.php

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First impressions of the Windows 8 Acer Iconia W700 tablet

Acer announces its latest tablet, the Iconia W700, complete with a cradle dock, Bluetooth keyboard, and of course, Windows 8 compatibility.

As Acer continues to roll out its announcements on its latest Windows 8 lineup, we give you more hands-on impressions of the fresh new products right off the presses. Today, Acer unveils the Iconia W700 tablet complete with an 11.6-inch display in full 1080p high definition at a resolution of 1920 x 1080. The Iconia W700 will come in your choice of Intel Core i5 or i7 Ivy Bridge processor, and of course, the 10-point touch capacitive feature that will allow you to make the most out of Windows 8′s Metro UI.

One of the first things we noticed about the Iconia W700 is how modular the system is. The full set comes with a standing dock and a separate Bluetooth keyboard, both of which will allow you to use it like a PC at home or in your office. You can tilt the cradle dock up from 20 degrees to 70 degrees, depending on your viewing preference. Of course, you can also adjust the dock to stand vertically or horizontally.

Take it out of its cradle and you’ve got a tablet that’s approximately half an inch thich and weighs 2.3 pounds — not too much lighter than the Acer Aspire S7 ultrabook announced two days prior. However, the Iconia W700′s got a few more integrations that make it more of a mobile device than the Aspire S7. Case in point, the built-in G-Sensor, E-Compass, and Gyro-Meter — all of which are meant to help with location-based apps so you can check into a Foursquare joint, find your friends on Google Latitude, search nearby restaurants on Yelp, or the like, in as small amount of time as possible.

Spec-wise, you’ve got your choice of 64GB or 128GB SSD with 4GB of memory, a back-facing 5 megapixel camera that can record 1080p HD videos, and a 1-megapixel front facer that can capture 720p videos. The tablet also has a MicroHDMI and a VGA adapter if you want to hook it up to a projector. One of my personal favorite components of the set is that it comes with its own leatherette case that can pack up the dock, keyboard, and tablet all in a neat place. This makes it perfect for travel, and it’s nice to not have to spend extra on a decent case that can store all the little components and accessories.

The Acer Iconia W700 will be available on October 26 starting at $800.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/first-impressions-of-the-windows-8-acer-iconia-w700-tablet/

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HTC One X+ goes on pre-order in the UK, to arrive in late October

The HTC One X+ went official a couple of days ago and the first pricing and launch info for the UK is in - Clove announced it is taking pre-orders for the flagship smartphone and that they expect to have it in stock near the end of October.

Their pre-order price is set at £474 ($764, €600) for the 64GB version (no info on the 32GB version yet). This is pretty much what the leaked O2 UK brochure showed, though the HTC One X+ is not available on O2 website yet.

Expansys UK is the only other etailer that's offering the One X+ at the moment - the price there is a bit higher at £490 and there's no estimated availability date.

In case you missed it, the HTC One X+ brings a faster quad-core processor - Cortex-A9 at 1.7GHz instead of 1.5GHz - with its updated Tegra 3 chipset, a version with 64GB of storage (in addition to the standard 32GB option) and a bigger 2100mAh battery (up from 1800mAh). It also got red accents a la Sensation XE.

The One X+ will be travelling across the pond too, with AT&T already talking it up.

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_one_x_plus_goes_on_pre_order_in_the_uk_to_arrive_in_late_october-news-4898.php

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