Icons for Audio, Phone, Nav, Pandora, OnStar and Weather allow for quick access to those applications, and the system uses the powerful central processor and internet access supplied by your favorite smartphone to stream music, access your contacts and integrate GPS navigation data. David Szczepanski is the head Connected Customer Specialist at General Motors, and he recently stated that the interface will look and feel like a traditional Android smartphone or iPad. He also said that GM conducted “a lot of research” before they decided to reinvent the way that you interact with your vehicle and smartphone.

At the top of the integrated operating system is located an application tray for frequently used items. This is similar to the dock that you see on a Mac computer or iPhone. Szczepanski went on to state that if you link your Android smartphone or iPhone via Bluetooth wireless technology, you can then download all of your contacts and other information into the MyLink system for immediate access.

He stated that his company had designers work on creating a much more natural voice recognition unit that is equally more accurate, as well as less robotic when it responds to your requests. That will obviously be important when using the hands-free dialing feature, and the systems Favorites feature is typical of the same application on most in-car radios. But instead of just storing your top radio stations, you can also add your favorite destinations, phone numbers, multiple phone numbers for a single person, and integrate OnStar technology as well.

And one pretty cool piece of James Bond-like technology uses the OnStar RemoteLink app, available for iOS and Android devices, to allow you to start your Chevy Impala from down the street by entering your code into the application. You can also use it for more common situations, such as starting the warning lights on your car to locate it in a crowded parking lot. As you are approaching your vehicle, you can also enter a destination on your smartphone and send it to the Impala. As soon as you step into your car and switch on the engine, the MyLink system asks you if you would like to head to that destination. Look for Chevrolet Impala test vehicles to appear at your local car dealers soon.

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Lumia is Nokia’s big bet in the mid-range smartphone market – a market that the Finnish phone company dominated in the mid-2000s. The phone’s latest model, Lumia 620, was just rolled out in Asia and is expected to make its Europe debut within a few weeks. The timing of this release is impeccable as it comes ahead of RIM, Samsung and LG. RIM’s new line of affordable Blackberry phones, priced at $300 and less, is not expected until the summer. Samsung and LG, also Windows 8 Phone partners, will probably present their mid-price phones in autumn. Apple was rumored to have plans to enter this market with a cheap iPhone in September, but company representatives have denied those plans.

So what do you give up for the lower price? Nothing really. The phone supersedes HTC’s 8S with a dual camera that supports video calling and self-portrait, double the internal memory, NFC support, dual band Wi-Fi and noise cancellation for radio/music. The screen is slightly smaller compared to that of the 8S, at 3.8 inches v. 4. The display resolution is the same in both phones, and Lumia 620 wins in terms of pixel density. After accounting for these differences, the 620 clearly comes across as the more worthwhile product. In both Malaysia and Thailand, the phone is about $70 cheaper than its Taiwanese competitor.

Over the years, Asia has been the main market for Nokia and Asian behavior has deeply affected its worldwide results. The company has been taking some strong steps this year, but it needs to really deliver an outstanding product if it hopes to return back to the 70% market share position. A lot of hopes are pegged on the Lumia 620, so watching its performance for the next two months will bring more clarity on the future of the one-time world leader in cheaper smartphones. Pre-results from Q4 of 2012 do show some upwards movement. The challenge for Nokia lies in sustaining and enhancing it.

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This year Samsung has decided to take big even bigger, and the Samsung Galaxy Note II provides a large 5.55 inch display, the largest currently for any 4G smartphone. Less than an inch and a half smaller than many popular tablet PCs, the Samsung Galaxy Note II bucks the smartphone trend of keeping phone displays in the 4.0 to 4.3 inch range. It returns the native handwriting recognition technology and S Pen smart stylus that was popular with the original Galaxy Note, doubles the number of processor cores and improves the operating system to Jelly Bean 4.1.

The large smartphone/tablet was instantly popular with smartphone shoppers around the world, launching on the Sprint wireless network in the United States on October 25 of last year. Sprint has since debuted their first ever 4G LTE system in the US, and that is the speedy home to the Samsung Galaxy Note II currently. Jelly Bean 4.1 brings a smoother and faster user interface, less clutter to the Android home screens and an improved Google Now service.

You may have seen commercials of the Samsung Galaxy Note II where the ability to multitask is discussed throughout. The quad core processor on board the handset allows you to text while watching movies, and surf the web, send e-mails or download an application without interrupting a voice call. The brand-new Sprint 4G LTE network is allegedly up to 10 times faster than their previous system, and despite the amount of hardware and software packed into the handset the Samsung Galaxy Note II is slim at 0.37 inches (9.3 mm).

The 5.55 inch Super AMOLED display delivers a resolution of 720 x 1,280 pixels, arranged in a “true HD” aspect ratio of 16 to 9. Talk time is impressive at 15.0 hours from a single battery charge, and the CPU is a quad core 1.6 GHz ARM Cortex A9 chip. 2.0 GB of RAM memory are on board, as is 16 GB of built-in storage, which can be expanded with the on board microSD slot. A rear facing 8.0 megapixel camcorder provides video capture at 1,080P HD resolution, and a Stereo FM radio with RDS joins a YouTube video player in the multimedia package.

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One of the first things that the Canadian with experience in companies like Microsoft and Macromedia did was to force Nokia employees to face the music. He sent out a rather grim memo to the staff, comparing the company to a person standing on a burning oil platform. Another drastic move that has marked his career so far is the dumping of Symbian for Microsoft’s Windows 8. Both these steps have received a mix of appreciated and criticism, but Elop did what he had to do and the results have started to show.

The company downsized significantly, sold its headquarters, closed factories and got rid of a huge array of perks. Then the Lumia came along and sparked new hope for those that had totally given up on the one-time market dominator. Just last quarter, Lumia’s sales ascended by 50%.  Francisco Jeronimo, an analyst with the International Data Corporation in London, was quoted saying that Lumia starkly stands out from its Symbian-run predecessors, and could be seen as a harbinger of revival for Nokia. The top-of-the-line models in the Lumia series, 920 and 820, have been closely compared with iPhone 5 and Galaxy S III.

As everyone awaits the figures from last quarter, Elop gladly announced that the company will breakeven or make a 2% profit. This is in stark contrast with the 10% loss that analysts were expecting. This doesn’t mean that Nokia is quite there yet. January and February are usually low-buy months, and it’s hard to predict what will happen after. Right now, Elop can look back at his severe measures with some relief and gratification, but his uphill battle has only just begun. As Pete Cunningham, an analyst at research firm Canalys put it – there is a lot of work to be done!

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Sneaking in for just a few pennies for the on contract price tag on the Sprint 4G LTE system at the Amazon Wireless store, the 16 GB Galaxy S III 4G is a slim and light phone. Compared to other mobile handsets with a 4.80 inch display, the 5.38 x 2.78 x 0.34 inch (136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6 mm) dimensions and 4.70 ounce (133 g) weight make the handset slimmer and lighter than the competition. NFC wireless support is present out-of-the-box, as are popular social networking destinations Facebook, Twitter, Picasa and YouTube.

The handset delivers a large 4.80 inch Super AMOLED screen, and also a high-end pixel density. 306 pixels are located over every inch of display space, and this creates an overall screen resolution of 720 x 1,280 pixels. The Sprint Galaxy S III displays an impressive 16 million separate colors, standard capacitive, multitouch gestures are supported for handset navigation, and standard light and proximity sensors help preserve battery life.

Single charge talk time supplied by the 2,100 mA battery on board the Sprint Galaxy S III runs approximately 15% higher than the industry average, at 9.20 hours. The chip package handling device operations is a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8960 suite, and at its centerpiece is a dual core Krait CPU that has been clocked at 1.5 GHz. The handset delivers twice the usual amount of RAM system memory, at 2.0 GB, and the on board microSD slot supports storage expansion up to 64 GB.

Both custom and preset equalizers are present on the built-in music player, and the Sprint Galaxy S III 4G Android smartphone can also simultaneously collect high-resolution snapshots while recording HD video. That video is captured at a rate of 1,080P HD resolution and 30 frames per second, and the rear facing camcorder is an 8.0 megapixel model. That rear snapper contains an extensive customization set and special effects package, and is joined in the camera combo by a front facing 1.9 megapixel chat cam which offers video call support.

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The handset launched October 18 on the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE system in the US, and is a very secure smartphone. The Droid Razr MAXX HD sporting the Jelly Bean 4.1 OS upgrade offers a remote hard drive wipe should your handset ever become lost or stolen. There is also a personal identification number lock so you can restrict access to your handset, and government grade data encryption is automatically applied to your e-mail, calendar and contacts.

For you sports fans, the National Football League playoffs are about to begin, and the Droid Razr MAXX HD for Verizon delivers the Verizon exclusive NFL Mobile application. Offered in your choice of either black or white handset, the Droid Razr MAXX HD is slim at 0.37 inches (9.3 mm). That is a really impressive stat when you consider how much hardware is on board, and factor in the size of the 3,300 mA extended life battery.

The screen is large at 4.70 inches, with built-in light and proximity sensors offering auto brightness adjustment, auto display dimming and battery conservation. A scratch resistant Corning Gorilla Glass overlay is present on the Droid Razr Maxx HD and protects against everyday wear and tear, with DLNA and microHDMI video out options offered. Resolution runs high at 720 x 1,280 pixels, delivered at 312 pixels per inch, and more than 16 million separate colors can be found on the display. The handset offers possibly the best overall battery performance package of any smartphone, with 21.0 hours of talk time and 13.0 hours of video playback offered from a single battery charge.

The oversized cell also delivers 15.5 days of standby battery power, 10.0 hours of streaming video and an incredible 27.0 hours of streaming music when located in Verizon LTE coverage zones. The system chip is a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8960 model, with a dual core 1.5 GHz Krait processor at its core. All graphics processing is handled by an Adreno 225 GPU, 1.0 GB of LP DDR2 RAM is on board and 32 GB of storage is built-in. A microSD slot has been provided for storage expansion, and the rear facing 8.0 megapixel camcorder provides video capture at 1,080P HD resolution.

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Samsung has included their popular TouchWiz UX UI Android overlay to mesh with Jelly Bean 4.1, and the handset is available in a multitude of color choices. Slim at 0.34 inches (8.6 mm), the handset is also light when compared to other large screen 4G smartphones, weighing only 4.70 ounces (133 g). Popular Applications Picasa, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook have been pre-installed, and the handset offers NFC wireless support out-of-the-box.

With a large 4.80 inch display protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 2, the Verizon Galaxy S III 4G Android smartphone delivers a high-end resolution. Display resolution runs 720 x 1,280 pixels, delivered at 306 pixels per inch. That Super AMOLED display accepts the typical capacitive, multitouch gestures for device navigation, and renders visuals in more than 16 million colors.

In both 16 and 32 GB versions, the Galaxy S III delivers a 2,100 mA battery. That cell offers a full 15.0 hours of talk time from a single charge, as well as 8.3 days of battery standby power, to the 16 GB Verizon Galaxy S III. With double the typical amount of RAM memory, the Verizon GS III offers a full 2.0 GB of RAM. The hardware package contains a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8960 microchip set, which is built around a dual core 1.5 GHz Krait central processor. An Adreno 225 GPU is also on board, and the microSD slot built in provides storage expansion.

The Verizon Galaxy S III camera combo includes both a front facing chat cam and rear facing camcorder. That rear device is an 8.0 megapixel model, capable of simultaneously snagging still snapshots while recording high definition video. Video is recorded at a rate of 1,080P HD resolution, and that rear snapper offers features like exposure compensation, ISO control, multishot burst mode and a special effects package. The front facing chat cam supports video calls, and you can export whatever is on your display by way of DLNA wireless.

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InterDigital has alleged that the four companies have engaged in unfair trade practices by selling 3G and 4G wireless devices, including mobile phones, USB sticks, mobile hot spots, laptops and tablet computers and, as a direct result, have violated seven of the company’s patents. Lawrence Shay, president of InterDigital’s patent holding subsidiaries, has stated that the company’s contribution to core-connectivity technology, funded by nearly one billion dollars of research and development and manned by hundreds of wireless engineers over decades, continue to advance wireless technology. While some companies choose to acknowledge and appreciate these efforts and license the company’s portfolio, there are other companies that don’t and, as a result, legal action needs to be taken.

This isn’t the first time the company was compelled to defend its patents though. In the past, the company established firm patent agreements with Samsung and Apple, the former being one of the four companies accused of violating its agreement with InterDigital. In 2011, InterDigital filed an ITC complaint against the remaining three companies accusing them of infringing 3G patents. There is, however, one major company that hasn’t been included in InterDigital’s list of patent violators – BlackBerry maker, Research in Motion (RIM). RIM has even expanded its patent agreement this week itself, so that it can incorporate InterDigital’s technology in the upcoming BlackBerry 10 devices.

Aside from protecting its patents from infringement, InterDigital and Sony have formed an alliance, dubbing it ‘Convida Alliance’, to develop wireless machine to machine technologies, also known as M2M. These technologies will enable handsets to wirelessly transmit data between them, which is similar to the Bluetooth procedure for data transfer aside from the fact that M2M performs the transfer instantly without the need to pair devices. Toshimoto Mitomo, executive vice president of entrepreneurship and innovation for Sony Corporation of America, has expressed the company’s enthusiasm regarding the joint venture and is confident that InterDigital, a company having expertise in the area of M2M, will make an excellent partner.

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Made slim and light in comparison to other 4G smartphones with such a huge display, the tough polycarbonate unibody bears distinctive red side grills, a seamless display which is laminated to eliminate reflection, and a sleek ultra-matte finish. The handset looks very distinctive, and is capable of built-in wireless charging so it is as portable as possible. The display is a 1,080P true HD arrangement, and the multimedia package includes the exclusive Beats Audio sound enhancement software.

Beats Audio delivers dedicated speaker amplifiers and a 2.5 volt headset amp, giving your sound a significant boost. HTC has also preloaded the HD mobile game Reign of Amira to showcase their quad core processor and Adreno 320 GPU, and a built-in music player joins a built-in YouTube video player in the multimedia package on board the handset. The HTC Droid DNA 4G offers NFC wireless support out-of-the-box, and provides HDMI video out functionality via its microUSB slot.

It appears that every major piece of software and hardware the company has at its availability is on board the HTC Droid DNA, and this includes the popular Sense 4+ user interface that meshes with Jelly Bean 4.1 and accepts standard multitouch, capacitive gestures. Slim at 0.38 inches (9.73 mm), the handset is also light for a smartphone with a 5.0 inch display, weighing 4.87 ounces (130 g). The 5.0 inch ImageChip ISP S-LCD 3 display delivers an extremely high resolution, at 1,080 x 1,920 pixels, and that is delivered at an industry-leading 441 pixels per inch.

16 million separate colors are used to produce visual displays, and a scratch resistant layer of Gorilla Glass protects the screen. Talk time runs approximately 50% better than the 4G average at 12.6 hours provided from a single battery charge. The central processor is a quad core 1.5 GHz CPU, and 2.0 GB of RAM memory join 16 GB of built-in storage in the hardware package. The HTC Droid DNA 4G contains a rear facing 8.0 megapixel camcorder with f/2.0 lens which records video in 1,080P HD resolution. Both that camera and the front facing 2.1 megapixel chat cam offer extra-wide video and image capture at 88 degrees.

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The HTC Droid DNA 4G also delivers the Jelly Bean 4.1 operating system out-of-the-box, and arrives with a sleek black profile. That tough polycarbonate unibody delivers a unique ultra-matte finish and distinctive red side grilles, with the seamless laminated screen designed to effectively eliminate reflection. The Droid DNA 4G also delivers the exclusive Beats Audio sound enhancement package, including a 2.5 volt headset amp and dedicated speaker amps.

Mobile gamers will appreciate that the Droid DNA 4G includes the Reign of Amira fantasy game pre-installed, and by stretching that display over as much space as possible on the front of the handset, the HTC Droid DNA 4G is as small as possible for a smartphone with a 5.0 inch screen. The handset measures 5.55 x 2.78 x 0.38 inches (141 x 70.5 x 9.73 mm) and weighs 4.87 ounces (138 g).

The display referenced above is a 5.0 inch ImageChip ISP S-LCD 3 model that takes mobile handset pixel density to an extreme high. 441 pixels are located over every inch of display space, giving the HTC Droid DNA 4G an industry-leading 1,080 x 1,920 pixel resolution. That true HD 1080P screen uses more than 16 million separate colors to offer visuals, and is protected by a scratch resistant layer of Gorilla Glass. Capacitive, multitouch gestures are supported, and built-in proximity and light sensors help conserve battery power.

The 2,020 mA extended life battery delivers roughly 50% better single charge talk time than the typical 4G smartphone, at 12.6 hours. Standby battery power runs 14.6 days, and the handset offers NFC wireless support out-of-the-box. The hardware package is built around a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064 microchip suite, which itself contains a quad core 1.5 GHz Krait CPU as its cornerstone. The handset delivers 2.0 GB of RAM system memory and 16 GB of built-in storage. The HTC Droid DNA offers a rear facing 8.0 megapixel camcorder, delivering a special effects package and capable of 1,080P HD resolution video recording.

article from: Mobile Bloom