Low-cost Aakash Tablet 3 to have SIM card slot, faster processor and Android & Linux platforms

The next edition of the low-cost Aakash tabletwill have a SIM card slot, a faster processor, higher memory capacity, and will be able to function on both the androidoperating system and Linux.

But IIT Bombay, which is spearheading the effort, would like to ensure that improved offerings don't result in a higher price for the tablet.

The tablet is available for students at subsidised rate of 1,130 while the government purchases it at 2,263. The initial plan is to roll out 50 lakh units of Aakash 3 tablet and a global tender is expected to put out in February. Members of the committee in charge of Aakash 3 indicated that they would like to access mutiple vendors for the tablets instead of tying up such a large order with one or two vendors.

Those associated with the Aakash project said that computer majors were amazed with the device and there is a keen interest among several vendors to participate in this venture. The focus on indigenous component of the tablet comes in the light of the use of the "made in China" tablets for the current Aakash 2 version.

The decision by Datawind, the company, which was to manufacture the Aakash 2 tablets, to source the instrument from China came in for intense criticism as the $35 made in India tablet had been touted as a manufacturing revolution.

However, Deepak B Phatak is not unduly concerned about the use of Chinese hardware. Phatak is a member of the committee in charge of Aakash and professor in Department of Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Bombay.

"Where are Apple's iphones manufactured?" Phatak asked when the question of using Chinese hardware is raised. "Today most of the hardware is made in China. At present, India has manufacturing capacity of about 300 tablets a day, and we are talking about increasing it to 1,000 a day, meanwhile China has manufacturing capacity of 1 lakh tablets a day. Our manufacturing capacities are only beginning to be set up. I see the Aakash as a catalyst for manufacturers," Phatak said.

But Phatak and other committee members stressed that the aim is to ensure that maximum manufacturing for Aakash 3 happens in India.

The IIT- Bombay professor, who is pointsman for Aakash, is clearly excited about the possibilities that the low-cost tablet presents.

"Earlier, the big players refused to participate in the project, now companies like Intel and others all want to be part of this low-cost tablet," Phatak explained.

Another member of the Aakash team explained the lack of interest partly as concerns about the manner in which India's success with the low cost tablet would affect pricing," an IIT professor involved in the project explained, "today after the IIT Bombay-Government of India tablet we can spot changes in the tablet pricing."

Providing a SIM card slot is also on the cards for Aakash 3. "It could also have a SIM card slot so that people can use it as a communication device," Phatak said. Apart from Phatak, Ashok Jhunjhunwala of IIT-Madras and his team and other partners are also involved in making the new Aakash 3.

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Invisible Smartphone on the Horizon?

An invisible smartphone may be on the horizon. Using technologies developed for displays, a Taiwanese company is showing off prototypes of a phone made of glass.

Polytron Technologies has released a phone that is invisible, nearly, with electronics that are so tiny they are too small to see. The phone’s circuitry is made up of ultra-thin wires sandwiched between two glass layers.

Polytron has a long history with display technology, and markets a product as “privacy glass.” The liquid crystal molecules in the glass are arranged randomly when the current is off, but when it is on they line up and allow light to pass through. So this phone would be invisible until it is turned on. Polytron has said that several mobile phone companies are interested in using the technology.

That said, the phone is at an early stage yet. There are also parts of the phone that can’t be transparent, such as the SIM card and the battery. And the demonstration video, from Mobile Geeks, doesn’t show it running with an operating system.

Cool as it is, it seems that a phone made of glass would have to be shatterproof at the very least. And it might give a new twist to finding your misplaced phone.

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New databases may help identify stolen smartphones in US

If you have a smartphone, it’s probably become an indispensable part of your life. Losing it or having it stolen is a major inconvenience.
Until recently, if you reported your phone missing, your carrier would cut off service. But whoever ended up with your phone could easily have the phone reactivated with a new account.
On Oct. 31, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, and Verizon activated stolen-phone databases that enable customers to report and block stolen wireless devices. By Nov. 30, 2013, the carriers will be able to share data on stolen phones.
The system works by keeping track of each phone’s unique identification number. In the past, SIM cards were blocked in an attempt to make the phone useless, but those were easily replaced with another SIM card. Now, cellphone service providers are supposed to check the database before reactivating a phone. If the owner finds the phone, it can be reactivated if he or she provides proof of identity.
Here is some advice from the industry and the Federal Communications Commission about protecting yourself from smartphone theft:
■ Use your device discreetly. It’s best to not call attention to your smartphone. Don’t leave it on a restaurant table or use it while walking or taking public transportation. Don’t let a stranger borrow it.
■ As soon as you get a smartphone, set a password and change it regularly.
■ ­Make your screen display contact information, such as an e-mail address or alternative phone number, so the phone can be returned to you. Avoid using sensitive information such as your home address.
■  Record the make, model number, serial number, and unique identification number. This information can help police in identifying your phone.
■ There are apps that will remotely track, lock, and/or erase your smartphone’s data. Some apps trigger an alarm so people will know the phone is stolen, or take a photo of the thief so you can send it to police.
■ If you have photos, e-mails, contacts, videos, or anything else you want to protect, save them somewhere else, such as on a computer, on a USB drive, or in a cloud service.
­■ If you are prone to losing things, consider insurance.
■ If your smartphone is lost or stolen, immediately notify your wireless provider so you can avoid usage charges. If your device is lost, put a ‘‘hold’’ on your account so that if it is stolen, you have prevented unauthorized use.
■ Never attempt to recover your smartphone on your own if an app shows its location.
■ If you have sensitive information, such as financial, health, or work-related data, or you believe your smartphone won’t be returned, it’s best to remotely erase, or ‘‘wipe’’ it. Essentially, wiping your smartphone is similar to resetting it to its factory-installed settings. If you stored passwords on your smartphone, change them.
To report a lost or stolen phone:
AT&T: att.com or  800-801-1101 
MetroPCS:  888-863-8768 
Sprint Nextel:  888-211-4727 
T-Mobile USA: t-mobile.com or  800-937-8997 
US Cellular:  1-888-944-9400 
Verizon Wireless:  1-800-922-0204

Source:Internet 

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High charges discourage smartphone use abroad trips

High roaming charges, data protection concerns, or simply a lack of an Internet-compatible device – according to a recent survey, these are the reasons why many travelers reject smartphone use abroad. Together with ITB Berlin, Hochschule Heilbronn polled a total of 4,000 people from Germany, France, the Netherlands, and the UK to find out their willingness to make use of local services abroad with their smartphones. These services identify a subscriber’s geographical position, which make it possible to access navigation systems, maps, special information, and booking services in the area. The representative survey was carried out by IPSOS, an international market research institute.
According to their findings, unpredictable roaming charges discourage travelers from using phone services abroad. Overall, 66 percent of the respondents in all the countries put together said that charges abroad were the main reason for not using local services when on holiday. Fifty-five percent of those polled lacked a suitable device to even access these services. The high cost of these phones prevented them from buying one. Forty-one percent voiced data protection concerns and for that reason would rather not use local services.
Dr. Manfred Lieb, Dean of Studies at the Faculty of Economics 2 and in charge of the survey, said, “What is interesting is that people in every country display a positive attitude towards modern technology, the Internet, and mobile devices and that they accept desktop capabilities which have been transported to mobile devices.”
David Ruetz, Head of ITB Berlin, said: “The survey does, however, show that people’s use of smartphones on holiday is determined by costs and not by a non-availability of service apps. In order to achieve broader smartphone use, charges must become more transparent. At the same time, users’ data protection concerns must be taken seriously, and online services must be made as secure as possible. These are some of the topics we will be examining at the newly-enlarged eTravel World section at ITB Berlin 2012.”
A look at the various European countries reveals individual differences: for the majority of respondents from Germany (68 percent) roaming charges were the main reason for not using local services abroad. Around 70 percent of the men and 67 percent of the women polled would rather not use smartphones due to costs. In second place were data protection concerns, voiced by 50 percent of both men and women. This was followed by the high cost of purchasing a suitable device.
In the Netherlands, the high purchase cost was the main reason discouraging smartphone use abroad. Both men and women, as well as older respondents, gave this as their reason. For younger people aged between16 and 29 who took part in the survey, it was high roaming charges that counted most. The second and third-place responses were high roaming charges and data protection concerns.
Respondents in the UK and France said high roaming charges discouraged them from using smartphones abroad. This was followed by a lack of a suitable device, due to the purchase cost, and data protection concerns when surfing the Internet abroad.

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Asus Padphone – A Tablet with a Kangaroo Pouch

With the launch of iPad, Apple introduced a new category of computing devices that were light and portable like mobile phones but more powerful than most netbook style computers.
Taiwanese computer maker Asus is taking a step further by marrying these two different devices into one. They have introduced Padphone, an hybrid device that looks like any other touch tablet but with a kangaroo pouch for carrying a smartphone. In other words, the tablet body itself acts as a case for the phone.
Why would anyone want an Asus Padphone? Well there are a few innovations listed in the specs that really impress.
One, you can have a single SIM card and share the data connection with both the phone and the tablet. The tablet can be used as a standalone charger for the mobile phone. The Padphone runs on Google Android and you don’t ever have to worry about transferring your files and other from the phone to the tablet or vice-versa.

The ASUS Padfone is a device that explores one possible convergence between two popular mobile devices - the smartphone and tablet. The Padfone solves the problem of data transfer hassles and multiple SIM cards when both a smartphone and 3G tablet are used.
With the Padfone, the smartphone docks inside the tablet to give users an expanded view to suit their tasks. With the phone docked, it can recharge from the tablet's larger battery and the tablet can also make use of the smartphone's 3G internet connection. The dual interfaces for both the pad and phone ensure an enhanced user experience as the layout is automatically adjusted for all activities such as video conferencing, web browsing and emailing.

There’s no word on pricing or availability yet but it will interesting to see how it shapes up in the coming months. Watch the following videos to get some more idea of Asus Padphone.

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