Samsung announces dual-SIM versions of Galaxy Y and Galaxy Y Pro

Last week’s leak has turned out to be real, with Samsung announcing not one, but two new dual-SIM devices in the Galaxy family - the Samsung Galaxy Y Duos, and the Samsung Galaxy Y Pro Duos. For now, no information about pricing or availability has been revealed. Notably, the single-SIM Galaxy Y Pro has not yet been officially launched in India.

Both devices are roughly identical two their single-SIM counterparts, with the exception of the Duos branding, as well as slightly larger batteries, slightly different displays, and more RAM. Both Galaxy devices have Android 2.3 Gingerbread onboard, ~830MHz processers, 384MB of RAM, 512MB of ROM, 2GB microSD card (supports up to 32GB), and 3.15MP cameras.

The Galaxy Y Duos has a slightly larger 3.14-inch display compared to its single-SIM variant, with the same 320x240 pixel resolution. It has a 1,300 mAh battery, compared to the earlier 1,200 mAh one, and weighs in 109 grams.

The Galaxy Y Pro Duos on the other hand, has the same sized screen, with a higher resolution than its single-SIM variant, at 400x240 pixels. It also has a front-facing VGA camera in addition, as well as 1,350 mAh battery, and weighs in at roughly 112 grams.

Other common specifications between the two devices include such connectivity options with 7.2Mbps HSDPA, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n with hotspot functionality, GPS with A-GPS support, Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP, microUSB v2.0, a 3.5mm audio jack, and stereo FM radio with RDS.

Both Duos phones also come with the ChatON instant messaging app, as well as Samsung's Social Hub, on the TouchWiz UI. Also onboard, is the Polaris Office document editor, as well as Find My Mobile, for locating or remote locking/wiping the devices.

Source : Samsung announces dual-SIM versions of Galaxy Y and Galaxy Y Pro

HP's Wi-Fi Mobile Mouse

HP launched on Friday an industry-first Wi-Fi mouse for laptop users that may eliminate the frustrations often encountered with other wireless mice and Bluetooth mice. If you don't want to give up a valuable USB port for the mouse dongle or find Bluetooth a bit of a pain to set up (and reconnect), the $50 mouse may be worth the investment to you.

Both Bluetooth and regular Wi-Fi mice have their downsides. With Bluetooth, you'll need to go through some hoops to pair the mouse to your laptop, a process that's sometimes finicky. Many laptops also don't come with Bluetooth installed, unlike ubiquitous Wi-Fi. The HP Wi-Fi Mobile Mouse connects quickly to the PC's built-in Wi-Fi receiver and doesn't require you to constantly pair it again with your laptop. HP says the mouse also boasts up to nine months of battery life, twice that of comparable Bluetooth mice.

There are other wireless mice suitable for mobile users, but the HP Wi-Fi Mobile Mouse has one particular advantage: it doesn't require a USB dongle. Since many laptops only offer two or three USB ports, the Wi-Fi Mobile mouse enables you to save those valuable ports for other accessories. Apparently the mouse doesn't interfere with your Wi-Fi networking, so no worries about having to choose between your mouse and your Internet connection.

Besides the dongle-less connectivity, you'll find typical mouse features here: a scroll wheel, laser sensitivity, and programmable buttons. For those odd usage scenarios when you need to control your laptop from across the room, the mouse has a range of up to 30 feet..

A bit on the small side, the mouse fits in your palm and was designed for mobile use, so it may not be comfortable for all-day computing.Priced at $50 (Rs 2,400 approx), the Wi-Fi Mobile Mouse is currently available in the USA. Hopefully, it won't be too long before it hits the Indian market.

Source : HP's Wi-Fi Mobile Mouse

HTC Salsa Launched

Running Android Gingerbread covered by HTC's polished Sense UI, the Salsa sports a 3.4-inch capacitive touchscreen with pixel dimensions of 320x480. A 800 MHz processor powers the device with 512 MB RAM and 512 MB internal storage. A 5 Megapixel rear camera with auto-focus, face detection, geo-tagging and LED flash lets you snap photos even in insufficient lighting conditions, while a VGA front camera takes care of video calling. You can plug in a standard headphone with 3.5 mm jack to listen to music, while the 512 MB internal storage is augmented by a microSD memory card slot supporting up to 32 GB.

3G is supported with GPRS, EDGE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0 and GPS with A-GPS. This phone can be used anywhere in the world, thanks to quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) and HSDPA/WCDMA (900/2100 MHz) network support. With the 1520 mAh battery, talk time for GSM is specified as up to 585 minutes, while standby time can be up to 465 hours. Weighing just 120 grams with battery, the Salsa measures a rather compact 5.89x1.23x10.91 cm.

This is one of the first HTC phones with a dedicated Facebook button first seen at the MWC 2011, as we had reported earlier. The other such phone was more affordable HTC ChaCha, which may also be released soon. The Facebook button (though HTC prefers to call it widget) grants you one-touch access to the social network, eliminating the need to dig deep inside to do the same. You can then easily post a text message, or even a photo or video made using the front-facing camera without any hassle. This phone will surely strike the right chord in the hearts of Facebook users.

Source : HTC Salsa Launched

LG Optimus Me P350 Creeps into India

We told you about LG launching the Optimus Me way back in January, and it now looks like the phone has stealthily made its way into India, what with the LG India website listing it along with an official price. The launch has been made without much fanfare, a stark contrast to when the LG Optimus 2X and Optimus Black made it here.

The Optimus Me looks to entice those looking for a smartphone on a rather stringent budget. Check out the specs below:

• 2.8-inch capacitive touchscreen at 240x320
• 600MHz processor
• Google Android 2.2 FroYo
• 3G and HSDPA 3.6Mbps connectivity
• WiFi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP + EDR
• 3.15 megapixel camera with Autofocus and Geotagging
• Stereo FM with RDS
• GPS with A-GPS support
• 1250mAh battery
• Storage expansion upto 32GB via microSD slot

As you can see, this phone isn't really going to give the LG Optimus 3D a run for its money, but it will be a decent option for quite a few people. While we’re not sure when exactly the Optimus Me P350 will be available in stores across the country, we’re fairly certain it’s going to be very soon. According to the LG website, the Optimus Me is going to be priced at an MRP of Rs. 8,999.

Source : LG Optimus Me P350 Creeps into India

fring Announces Group Video Chat for Android and iPhone

Mobile communication service provider, fring announced today, the world’s first mobile group video calls for iPhone & Android devices. The app once installed on your device allows for up to four friends to engage in voice and video calls via Wi-Fi, 3G or 4G. fring uses proprietary DVQ technology, that delivers the highest quality video for all four participants.

According to Avi Shechter, Co-Founder & CEO of fring, ‘fring leap-frogs sluggish, expensive PC Group Video Calling solutions by giving users the world’s 1st mobile Group Video service, free. There is no reason why users need to run home to their PC in order to have a ‘spontaneous’ video call with their friends and family. Users love seeing all their friends at the same time, on one screen, but want to be able to do it, when and where they want. Just as fring was the 1st to liberate video calls from the PC back in 2009, we are the 1st to give users the ability to see all their friends on their phone at the same time, anywhere. This video call revolution lets fringsters be free to get together, wherever.

Source : fring Announces Group Video Chat for Android and iPhone