Kyocera's dual-touchscreen Echo smartphone

                Kyocera's dual-touchscreen Echo smartphone is now available through Sprint in the U.S. The standout feature of the Echo is the extra screen real estate provided by the two 3.5-inch WVGA touchscreen displays connected by a pivot hinge that allows the device to be used in the traditional single screen configuration or folded out so each display can be used independently, side-by-side or combined to form a 800 x 960 pixel 4.7-inch display – albeit divided by a black bar formed by the frame.
              When it announced the Echo earlier this year, Kyocera was touting what it called "Simul-Task Mode" that allows a different app to be displayed on each screen. Unfortunately the list of compatible apps is limited to the phone's seven core apps that have been optimized for this mode, including messaging, email, Web browsing, phone, gallery, contacts and VueQue – a preloaded Kyocera app for queuing YouTube videos.
                  Although the company released an SDK to allow third party developers to include dual-screen support for their apps, at launch there doesn't seem to have been much action on this front with third-party apps needing to be displayed in "Tablet Mode" which spreads a single app across both screens. However, Kyocera says several developers are working on dual-screen compatible apps for the device. There is also an "Optimized Mode" which optimizes a single app for dual screen use.
              With dual-touchscreen displays not really taking off on larger devices such as Toshiba's Libretto W100, you'd have to question whether it will prove any more attractive on a smartphone. With text input still a major part of the smartphone experience and the bottom display likely to spend a lot of time as a touch keyboard, many are likely to prefer a phone with a dedicated slide out keyboard instead of relying on the less user friendly touchscreen keyboard.
              The Kyocera Echo runs a custom version of Android 2.2 and is powered by a 1Ghz QSD8650 Snapdragon processor. It sports a 5-megapixel camera that can capture 720p video and comes with an 8GB microSD card with support for cards up to 32GB. The battery should provide up to seven hours of talk time. Weighing at 6.8 oz (193 g) and measuring 4.5 x 2.2 x 0.7 inches (115 x 56.5 x 17.2 mm), the device is a little bulkier than most smartphones – as you'd expect with the addition of another display.
The Kyocera Echo is available now for US$199.99 with a new two-year contract or eligible upgrade through Sprint.

Apple iPhone 5 launching on 4th October

               Seems the wait of Apple aficionados is about to end. According to a report, quoting "sources familiar to the matter," Apple is going to hold a media event on October 4, where the company is likely to unveil its next-generation iPhone.
               AllThingsD is rather certain that October 4 is the day next iPhone will be unveiled. According to the report, Apple's new CEO, Tim Cook, is expected to be showing off the phone (or may be phones). The announced phone is expected to be available weeks after the event.
             In a recent report, A JP Morgan analyst Mark Moskowitz said that Apple will be launching not one but two models of the next-generation iPhone: a revamped iPhone 4 called iPhone 4-plus and a slimmer model iPhone 5.
             The analyst expects the iPhone 5 to be a "world phone" device with GSM and CDMA support, while the iPhone 4-plus will target the midrange of the market, as well as China.

Beetel launches touchscreen Dual Sim mobile @ Rs 3300

             Beetel Teletech, a Bharti Enterprises group company and one of India's leading manufacturer and distributor of telecom and IT products, announced the launch of GD-470, a dual sim 2.8" full touch screen mobile phone for the Indian market. Beetel GD 470 will be available in India at an MRP of Rs 3300.

            Beetel GD 470 is a dual sim 2.8" full touch mobile device with a 1000mAh battery which gives 3-4 hrs of talk time and 200 hrs of standby time.

           It has an attractive stylish design and excellent sound quality with features like bluetooth, video play of .3GP, .AVI, .MP4 formats up to 25fps and MP3 playback facility. GD 470 supports MIDI, AMR, and WAV formats of music making it a perfect combination of features and style.

           Beetel GD 470 is equipped with a 1.3 MP camera, FM Radio and it can support expandable memory up to 8GB storage capacity. GD 470 offers "Beetel World" packed with a number of social networking and infotainment features like Facebook, Snaptu, Mig 33, Yahoo, ibibo, Vuclip, Reuters, Hungama and Penguin. The mobile has Indian calendar for users to check Indian festival and Tithis on the move.

Sony Android-Powered Tablet S:

                The Sony S Tablet is a new Android tablet that is looking like a great buy for anybody interested in a tablet PC with a lot of features and a great design. Sony claims that it is “like no other” and this isn’t far from the truth.

               The first thing you notice when you look at the Sony Tablet S is its wedge design. This makes it look very different from any tablet out there, but the Tablet S design isn’t just about looks. The curvy, wedge design makes the tablet easy to hold and gives it a new degree of portability, while still making the device look very slim, streamlined, and attractive. The design, Sony says, was influenced by the appearance of a folded magazine, and that’s what the tablet resembles and is, in essence, what a tablet is – a digital magazine with more features, lots of interactivity, and a high degree of portability. Because the Tablet S has an accelerometer and the display flips depending on how it is held, both left-handed and right-handed people will find the tablet equally easy to hold. The incline also makes typing on the Tablet S feel simple and natural, like typing on a computer keyboard, and the keyboard is indeed one of the features Sony has altered.

             Sony has replaced the standard Android keyboard with one of its own designs, which is a refreshing change. A number pad appears to the right of the keyboard in certain fields, such as password entry. The Android interface has also been changed around, making it more intuitive. A favorites screen has been added, and there are new widgets and shortcuts. Apps are also easier to navigate through than they were with the standard Android interface.

             The Sony Android Tablet is definitely targeted at gamers. Sony’s popular PlayStation Network is integrated into the Tablet PC, and there exists the possibility that interactivity with the PlayStation 3 or PlayStation Portable may be introduced. With the wide variety of games sure to be released for the Tablet S, it’s looking like something that gaming freaks should be keeping an eye on.

            Overall, although Sony is late to tablet development, having been preceded by the iPad, other Android tablets, and even kids tablets, what the Tablet S has to offer may be worth the wait. It’s definitely different from other tablets out there, and those differences are the tablet’s big selling points – and, indeed, some of its best features.

iBall Launches Android Tablet For Rs. 13995:

               iBall popularly known for its digital life-style products, enters the tablet space with the launch of Android powered iBall Slide with 1 GHz ARM Cortex – A8 processor for  Rs. 13995 in Indian market.
iBall has also roped in, the Superstar Hrithik Roshan as brand ambassador for iBall Slide.
             The trendy 7 – inch ‘iBall Slide’ incorporates a ultra smooth capacitive touch with Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS. It provides 8GB built in- with 32GB expandable memory. Equipped with 2.0 megapixel front Camera and HDMI output, Wi-fi, Bluetooth and 3G on dongle support gives complete flexibility for connectivity to the user.

            USB host and OTG port allows copy to and from the pen drive. A keyboard or a mouse can also be attached through USB port and of-course the product can be attached to the PC. Bluetooth devices like headphone, keyboard and mouse can also be used with the product iBall Slide.
           The product comes with BIG 4400 mAh lithium-ion-battery supporting up to 6.5 hours of music and 5 hours of Video. High quality real 2.0 megapixel front Camera and HDMI output for HD quality video completes the packaging of the product. HD quality video and 3D games are supported on iBall Slide.
With its startling features the tablet provides the facility of Visual search, Voice actions, web browsing, e-mail, chat, social networking, Music and HD video, gaming, e-book, news, weather and several applications from the Android market.
          It also provides several pre-loaded applications which are apt for the Indian market. Loaded with “Documents to go” builds the conveniences for the Business users to work on MS Word, MS excel, MS PowerPoint and PDF attachments.

Sony Notebook Screen Provides 3-D Without Glasses:

              Sony’s just come out with a thin panel that lays over the screen of Vaio laptops to produce 3-D images without glasses. The software uses a built-in webcam to judge your distance from the screen and optimize the graphics.
              It’s nothing new, but still pretty cool. Toshiba debuted similar technology with the Qosmio F755 3-D notebook last month. Sony and Toshiba use similar facial depth technology, where two images are projected simultaneously, one for each eye.
              Sony unveiled the 3mm panel, the VGP-FL3D15A, at the International Funkausstellung (IFA) trade show in Berlin. The panel arrives on the heels of an announcement that Sony, Panasonic and Samsung will unite behind standardized 3-D glasses.
              Sony’s IFA spread was all about 3-D. The company also announced a touch-screen PC with 3-D screen, a 3-D capable media player and a 3-D projector.
              The sheet will be available next month in Europe for $183. The Vaio S series laptops will retail for around $1,000.

Lenovo Launches Bright Blue $200 A1 Tablet:

                 If you're on the hunt for a low-cost tablet, look no further than the $200 Lenovo IdeaPad A1. This seven-inch Android 2.3-running tablet will be stocked with an A8 processor, dual cameras (the rear said to be 3MP), and have 8GB of on-board memory. There will be a few other versions to choose from — 16GB at $249 and 32GB for $299 — but since you'll have expandable SD memory on all models, upgrading for more storage will be pretty simple.
               The A1 will be WiFi-only, but you'll be able to download apps from the Android Market or the Lenovo app market. The bright blue backing puts it at risk for looking cheap, but according to those who've already had some hands-on time with the A1 say that it's got some pretty solid construction.

Samsung Introduced 16.1 megapixels MultiView MV800 digital camera:

               Samsung has introduced the MultiView MV800 digital camera ($280), which comes armed with a three-inch-wide flip-out display. Flip the LCD touchscreen out 180 degrees to expertly frame a self-portrait shot. Adjusting the screen also allows for more graceful low-angle shots on the ground without crouching down and high-angle shots far above your line of sight.
               With 16.1 megapixels, 5X optical zoom, 26mm wide-angle lens, and HD video technology, image quality is likely to match the cool body of the camera. The camera packs tons of photo software in its slim body as well. Activate the camera's live panorama by holding down the shutter and capturing a scene; instantly, see the panoramic results. In addition to basic in-camera editing and touch-up functions, there are photo add-ons like Magic Frame, which features 12 templates that place faces in images. One option is adding a friend's face to a panda bear body —a bit random, but it could be fun. The Funny Face feature bends or warps images and Smart Filter 3.0 adds effect filters to a picture, no smartphone app necessary.

Sony Ericsson announced Xperia Arc S

                  Sony Ericsson has recently announced an upgraded version of its existing Xperia Arc, and this upcoming Smartphone is called Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S. The device is scheduled to hit global markets in Q4 2011, but the company has not been very specific about it.
                  Sony Ericsson claims that the Xperia Arc S would include 25 per cent faster camera start up and media conversion, along with 20% faster web page rendering when compared with its predecessor. A key feature of the device would be its camera.
                 The Xperia Arc S will be able to shoot 2D and 3D panoramic images which can be viewed by connecting to a Sony 3D BRAVIA TV.
                 The Xperia Arc S would be powered by a 1.4 GHz processor, and run Android 2.3 Gingerbread. The device will sport a 4.2-inch Reality display with Sony's mobile BRAVIA engine.
                  It will also include an 8.1 megapixel camera and 320MB of built-in storage. The company has mentioned that it will come in five colors including Pure White, Midnight Blue, Misty Silver, Gloss Black and Sakura Pink.

Spice launches Mi-720 tablet @ Rs 11,990

                The budget tablet category seems to be getting hotter. The last few weeks have seen a slew of tablets launched in the category, the latest entrant is Spice Mi-720.  

               Spice Mi-720 runs on Android platform and is available for purchase with online retailer Letsbuy. The device is priced at Rs 11,990.

Key Features:

• Display : 7-inch
• Processor: 800Mhz
• Ram:512MB

             Spice Mi-720 has a 7-inch display like most of the new affordable Android tablets in the Indian market and is powered by an 800 Mhz processor. Additionally, the Spice Mi-720 includes a 2 megapixel rear camera, a secondary front facing VGA camera, 512MB of RAM, 3G connectivity and a 3240 mAH battery.