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According to TechCrunch, the startup has now raised $7 million from Benchmark Capital in hopes of turning this once hobby into a full-fledged business. Steve Kondik, Cyanogen’s cofounder, explained, “This is something that I kind of started for fun when the first generation of Android devices came out. But it just took off and snowballed. And soon people started giving me advice about features that they wanted.” Cyanogen Raises $7 Million to help Transform Custom Android Firmware  The real allure of the Cyanogen firmware is that it maintains the familiarity of the traditional Android software, while providing users with enhanced security, improved response speeds, and a slew of customizable features. The latest version of the mod includes a brand-new camera app, a better protected messaging system, and literally thousands of different themes. A secondary advantage is that new 'experimental' versions are released on a daily basis, while more stable mo...

Jolla had unveiled its first smartphone based on the Sailfish OS back in May. And now the specifications of the first Jolla smartphone, running the gesture-based Sailfish OS, have been detailed officially.  Jolla Sailfish OS Smartphone As per the post, the smartphone will boast a 4.5-inch Estrade (540x960 pixel) display and will be backed up by a 1.4GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. It includes 1GB of RAM and has 16GB of inbuilt storage which is expandable via microSD card (no maximum capacity mentioned). Moreover, Jolla announced that its first Sailfish smartphone OS will be compatible with Android, in terms of app and hardware compatibility. While the company had previously mentioned that phones running the Sailfish OS would be able to run Android apps, by announcing support for hardware which will be compatible with Android, the company aims to reach a large number of OEMs that produce Android devices. Jolla Smartphone Key specifications 4.5-inch Est...

Sony's New Walkman Headphones with Built-In MP3 Player, Speakers Sony has announced a new Walkman device, and this new product may just be a must-have from music lovers on the go. The 3-in-1 WH series headphones look like a simple set of over-ear headphones, but the sleek design hides a built-in MP3 player as well as an external speaker. The device comes in two different models, a baseline NWZ-WH303 model and a high-end NWZ-WH505 model. For the most part, the two versions of Sony’s new Walkman headphones are pretty much the same. Both are compatible with Mac and PC, both offer the same built-in stereo surround-sound speakers, and both boast 20 hours on a full charge. You’ll even get an hour of battery life after just three minutes of charging. However, the WH505 offers 16GB of music storage, enough for about 4,000 songs, while the WH303 is restricted to 4GB or about 1,000 tracks. The WH505 also offers a slightly better bass with its 40mm headphone driver unit, compared to ...

Celkon Launches Monalisa ML5, Signature Swift A112 And Campus A10 Indian mobile phone manufacturer, Celkon has launched three new smartphones, namely Monalisa ML-5, Signature Swift A112 and Campus A10. Celkon Monalisa ML-5 key specifications Celkon Monalisa ML-5 >> 4.5-inch qHD (f 540x960 pixel) display >> 1.2GHz quad-core processor >> 1GB of RAM >> 512MB of inbuilt storage, expandable up to 32GB >> 8-megapixel rear camera >> 2-megapixel front-facing camera >> Dual-SIM (GSM+GSM) >> 1800mAh battery >> Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean Celkon Signature Swift A112 key specifications Celkon Signature Swift A112 >> 5-inch FWVGA (480x854 pixel) display >> 1.2GHz dual-core processor >> 512MB of RAM >> 4GB of inbuilt storage, expandable up to 32GB >> 8-megapixel rear camera >> 1.3-megapixel fr...

Galaxy Tab 2 With Breezie: A Tablet For Beginners A UK company has come up with what it hopes is the perfect tablet for beginners. Breezie is a custom interface for Android tablets that hides all the clutter and customisation and cuts to the chase -- and it's sold pre-installed on a Galaxy Tab. Technically, Breezie is a launcher, a kind of uber-app that changes the tablet's interface, like Facebook Home. It's a bit more than that though because it has a range of popular apps like Chrome and Skype preinstalled -- which the user never sees as icons. Instead they're hidden behind more intuitive menus based around the people you want to talk to. If you go into the address book, for example, if a person you want to contact is available on Skype, you'll be able to hit the video call button. The tablet will then fire up Skype and ring that person, without you having to know what Skype is or how to find a contact on it. "Our goal was to design softwar...

HDMI 2.0 The introduction of the HDMI 2.0 specification represents a major milestone for the HDMI Forum. According to Robert Blanchard of Sony Corporation, president of the HDMI Forum. “Our members collaborated closely to take the highly successful HDMI Specification to the next level by expanding audio and video features for consumer electronics applications.” The new HDMI 2.0 spec was accidentally leaked when details of Panasonic’s first-ever consumer-grade Ultra HD TV were prematurely displayed on one of its US websites. Most importantly, HDMI 2.0’s extra bandwidth of up to 18Gbps will allow 4K (2160p) pictures at 50Hz and 60Hz frame rates (3,840 x 2,160 resolution video at up to 60fps), which is four times the clarity of existing 1080p at 60Hz video resolution. The new functionality also includes 32 audio channels, dynamic auto lip-sync and extensions to the Consumer Electronics Control (CEC). Although a year late, the timing of the HDMI 2.0 introduction is appropriate...

HTC One Vs iPhone 5 Here is a comparison between Apple’s top-selling iPhone 5 and HTC One. We compare the specs and other features of both the devices. SIZE comparison of sizes WEIGHT comparison of weight DISPLAY comparison of display PROCESSOR comparison of processor RAM comparison of ram STORAGE comparison of storage WIRELESS comparison of wireless BATTERY comparison of battery CAMERAS comparison of cameras SOFTWARE comparison of software HTC is emphasizing its custom software skin – Sense – and its intriguing new features. The most memorable part is BlinkFeed, a Flipboard-esque feed reader that sits front and center as a sort of home screen. It’s a bold departure from the standard grid of icons. Hidden as it may be, the One still runs Android: 4.1.2 Jellybean to be exact (one full version behind Google’s latest major release). Like most Android devices, you’ll get your apps from Google...

New ASUS PadFone Infinity To Launch On Sept. 17 Asus finally confirmed the rumors today, unveiling a Web site and short YouTube video to promote the updated PadFone Infinity . The refreshed smartphone-tablet hybrid will launch next week on Sept. 17 at a special event hosted by CEO Jerry Shen in Taipei. We already have a pretty good idea of what to expect from the new device. The updated PadFone will likely boast a Snapdragon 800 processor, a microSD slot, a noise canceling microphone, and come in black and white models. The Padfone Infinity is expected to sport a full-HD display with 1080x1920 pixels resolution; however there is no word about the size of the display, yet. The tablet is codenamed PadFone T004 and runs on Android 4.2.2. The device is likely to include expandable storage and a noise-cancelling microphone. The refreshed A86 model offers the same dimensions and design as the current A80, and will likely fit right into its accompanying tablet. Asus continues to ...

Kawasaki Launches New Ninza ZX-10R And ZX-14R Bikes Japanese Bike maker Kawasaki Motors which is known for it's super bikes today launched new Ninza Models - Ninza ZX 10R and Ninza ZX 14R, priced at 15.70 lakh and 16.90 lakh. The bikes will be imported  as Completely Builts Unit (CBU) from Japan and sold through Kawasaki's upcoming exclusive outlet in Pune, a press release said here. Shigeto Nishikawa, deputy managing director, India Kawasaki Motors, said, "We are presently studying what more brands could we launch in India. We have many brands in our portfolio and we need to see which category can we enter" Stating that Kawasaki had carefully studied the 1000 plus cc segment before rolling it out in the domestic market, company's deputy managing director Shigeto Nishikawa said the segment has seen a healthy growth of 25-30 per cent year-on-year in the last two years. "Kawasaki has carefully monitored the 1000 plus cc market in India for the past...

Apple gets a license for iPhone to run on China Mobile Network Apple Inc. on Wednesday hosted its first-ever iPhone product introduction in Beijing and gained approval to offer the device with China's largest carrier, indications of how important the world's largest smartphone market has become for the Cupertino, Calif., company. The approval could open a huge market for Apple. China Mobile has seven times the subscriber base of Verizon Wireless, the biggest carrier in the U.S., the Wall Street Journal reports. The license was granted by China’s Telecom Equipment Certification Center, which is overseen by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). If China Mobile does indeed start supporting the iPhone, this will be the first time the device has been released by all three major carriers in China. Landing an agreement with China Mobile is especially important to Apple because it has 740 million users, or more than half of the estimated 1.2 billion mob...

LG unveils world's largest 77-inch 4k OLED TV KOREAN HARDWARE MAKER LG unveiled the "world's largest" Ultra HD OLED TV at IFA in Berlin on Friday, putting it one up on rival Samsung. Clearly targeting people with deep pockets and large living rooms, LG has upped the ante in the 4K TV arena with its 77in Ultra HD curved OLED monster, as it looks to overshadow Samsung in the market. As well as being the "world's largest," the TV features the most advanced screen the firm has ever developed, LG boasted, combining WRGB OLED with 4K resolution to deliver an "infinite contrast ratio" and "resolution four times greater than regular full HD". LG clearly is looking to win over film buffs with the TV's "IMAX-like" curvature, which it said offers a more immersive viewing experience than regular flat TVs with its ability to completely fill the viewers field of vision. “LG was proud to be the first company to commercia...

Sony HMZ-T3W, A Next-Gen Head-Mounted 3D Video Viewer HMZ-T2A there were two small OLED screens that give the impression of a much larger display, optional 3D, and the privacy of your own virtual screening room. This time around, however, at least one of the cords has disappeared, though it’s not quite the wireless nirvana Sony might like you to believe. At IFA 2013, the company is hoping to launch the new HMZ-T3W. It's completely wireless, though you'd have to be very brave to take this thing on the bus. Sony promises "hours" of battery life, meanwhile. The 1,280x720-pixel OLED displays mimic a giant screen, and are 3D-capable. Flexible headbands are one-size-fits-all, and have cushioned pads to keep things comfy. Its lenses are adjustable via two sliders under the set, so in theory even wearers of glasses can get involved, but in practise, the fit is quite snug, so we're not convinced you'd fit any spectacles comfortably into the viewing area. ...

First Time for Android, Trojan Spreading Via Mobile Botnets Kaspersky Lab is reporting that "For the first time malware is being distributed using botnets that were created using completely different mobile malware." Kaspersky describes the malware culprit, Backdoor.AndroidOS.Obad.a, as the "most sophisticated Android Trojan yet." The Russian antivirus company also has said that Obad.a is looking "closer to Windows malware than to other Android Trojans, in terms of its complexity and the number of unpublished vulnerabilities it exploits. Roman Unuchek, a Kaspersky Lab Expert, wrote that while Obad.a uses the usual Android infection routes of SMS, aka texting, spam; fake Google Play stores; and cracked or otherwise untrustworthy Android software downloads sites — its latest trick make it more infectious than the usual Android Trojan. What happens is that Obad.a is distributed along with another mobile Trojan, SMS.AndroidOS.Opfake.a. This uses the...

LG D820 Could Be G2's CDMA Variant We have been hearing rumours for quite some time that LG will be the official Nexus manufacturer for a second year in a row. Recently, an alleged LG branded device with model number D820 popped up at the FCC website and appeared to have the same dimensions as the mysterious Nexus smartphone that was spotted in the Android KitKat video released by Google. Some fine points exposed by the LG D820′s FCC listing include the firmware M8974A running on the device and the software version listed as, “aosp_hammerhead-userdebug KyeLimePieFACTORY eng.sangjoon84.lee.20130618.015154.” The device is expected to come with connectivity options like GSM, CDMA, WCDMA, NFC, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and various LTE bands, as per the listing. However, @evleaks is the latest to suggest that the rumoured LG D820 is just a CDMA variant of the flagship, the G2 and is not a Nexus successor. The tweet said, "Sorry Nexus fans: LG D820 is just a CDMA G2 variant....

Nissan's Coming Smartwatch To Connect Car And Driver Like many other smartwatches, the Nissan Nismo not only measures the user's heart rate, temperature and other biometrics but it also allows users to keep an eye on their car's performance - including average speeds and fuel consumption. This watch could be an important step towards greater connectivity in cars. "Connectivity is the new battleground for car manufacturers," said Chas Hallett, editor-in-chief of What Car? "In-car internet is coming and now with consumer electronics focusing on watch-based connections, Nissan is getting ahead of the game and joining the two together very cleverly." The Nismo watch can be connected to the car's on-board computer system to allow users to monitor vehicle telematics and performance data. Users can also receive tailored messages from Nissan via the gadget. It was unveiled ahead of the Frankfurt Motor Show, which runs until 22 September....

The 'world's thinnest' touch-sensitive surface from Cambridge Silicon Radio A flexible computer keyboard has been developed by scientists at Cambridge Silicon Radio (CSR) which is paper thin and is capable of transforming any area into a touch-sensitive surface. The company describes its creation as the world's thinnest wireless touch surface at 0.5 mm thick, and offers consumers a low-power Bluetooth technology featuring "the latest in printable, flexible electronics and touch screen sensing." CSR’s ultra-thin touch surface will be unveiled to customers for the first time this week at IFA 2013 in Berlin. The ultra-thin surface is wirelessly connected to an iOS 7 or Windows 8 device using CSR’s brand new CSR1010 chip, which is optimized solely for Bluetooth Smart, a recent technology that ostensibly extends battery life and has a much smaller form factor than standard Bluetooth. With a touch latency of under 12 ms the user experience is reporte...

The Ring Clock needs charging regularly, with the charging station also being used to set the time The team behind the Ring Clock has launched a crowdfunding campaign to bring the idea to market. The Ring Clock is a watch that you wear as a ring rather than a bracelet. It was originally designed in 2011 by Gusztav Szikszai as part of a competition to create a product that was impossible to make now, but may be feasible in 10 years. Given that the The Ring Clock is becoming reality just two years later, it might already be ahead of its time. The Ring Clock at the conceptual prototype stage, with LEDs revealing the time Specifications The final product is a chunky stainless steel finger ring made up of an inner ring and an outer ring. The outer ring has three distinct bands on it i.e. the top one has the 24-hour clock markings, the second has minute markings, and the third has dots showing the seconds ticking away. The Ring Clock at the conceptual prototype...

Microsoft still has its eyes set on BlackBerry after acquiring Nokia’s handset business, Bloomberg reports citing anonymous sources. BlackBerry recently announced it was open to strategic partnerships including a sale and its presence in the enterprise segment could be of interest to Microsoft. Microsoft buys Nokia Microsoft first approached Nokia in February at this year’s MWC in Barcelona to discuss the acquisition. Both companies were of the opinion that the two-year partnership between Nokia and Microsoft wasn’t working. Both the companies’ marketing campaigns were overlapping and Nokia’s Lumia smartphones still had just 3 percent of overall smartphone market share. Nokia was the sole handset vendor dedicated to Windows Phone and a situation, where Nokia felt that its Lumia smartphones are not worth the time and money being poured into it, would have killed Microsoft’s smartphone dreams for good. Nokia’s codename in the talks was Nurmi, after the nine-time gol...

An all-new high performance external sound card - The Sound Blaster Omni Surround 5.1 has been announced by Creative. Sound Blaster Omni Surround 5.1 The Sound Blaster Omni Surround 5.1 (with enhancing audio playback via Creative’s SBX Pro Studio suite of processing technologies) comes with a 600ohm headphone amplifier that allows listeners to hear every enhanced audio detail through powerful studio-grade monitoring headphones. It also features recording capabilities that will be appreciated by today’s new generation of audio content creators, including podcasters and budding YouTube musicians, housing a built-in dual array microphone that records clear audio, and all recorded audio is further enhanced and cleaned up via Creative’s CrystalVoice technologies. Connecting to laptops, PCs, and Macs via a simple USB cable, the device also offers conveniently accessible controls and input options. Creative also revealed the Sound Blaster Audigy Rx and Sound Blaster Audigy...

After the announcement of the Xperia Z, the Z1 comes with a similarly sized 5" screen, a faster Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core 2.2Ghz processor, a larger 3000 mAh battery, 4G LTE support, is also dust and water resistant (rated IP55 and IP58), built with tempered glass and a single piece aluminium frame.  From left to right; the Sony Xperia Z, Z1 and the Z Ultra. The Z1 features a fast f/2.0 G lens with a wide-angle view of 27mm. The 5" screen features Sony's TriLuminos display for mobile, and it looks good in real life, with none of the washed out viewing angles which plagued the Xperia Z. The key draw for the Z1 however, is definitely its camera. It's not just about the 20.7 megapixels, the 1/2.3" Exmor RS CMOS sensor inside is as big as sensors found in most digital compact cameras today. Sensor size matters when it comes to image quality, and the Z1's sensor size makes it the third-largest found in smartphones today, on par with...

A translucent speaker has been developed by Material scientists at Harvard University, which is made out of a thin sheet of rubber squished between two membranes of saltwater gel. Transparent loudspeaker | Harvard School of Engineering and Applied  By running a high voltage ionic signal across the surfaces, the rubber can be made to rapidly contract and vibrate, producing sounds that span the audio spectrum between 20 hertz and 20 kilohertz. The technology was used to play Edvard Grieg's Morgenstimmung in a demonstration video embedded in this post. This is an important proof of concept for ionic conductors, since speakers require both a high voltage and high-speed vibrations i.e.  two criteria that are important for a wide range of applications, but have been ruled out of previous tests of ionic materials. This is because high voltages tend to set of electrochemical reactions, which cause damage to the materials. This demonstration could pave the way for...