New Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga Launched- starting Rs. 61,790

Lenovo has launched the IdeaPad Yoga series of hybrid devices in India. The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga series features hybrid devices that double up as laptops as well as tablets. The two models launched are the IdeaPad Yoga 13 and IdeaPad Yoga 11.

The Windows 8 running Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 features a 13.3-inch 1600x900 multi-touch display. It is powered by 3rd generation Intel Core processors alongside 4GB RAM (upgradable to 8GB) and integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000.

Google Play ahead of Apple's App Store

Google's online Play shop of applications for Android-powered smartphones or tablets is growing fast.

The aggregate daily revenue at Google Play shops across the 20 largest countries where they are available climbed 43 percent during the past four months, while sales at Apple's online App Store increased 21 percent.
Apple's App Store catering to its iPhones, iPads, and iPod touch devices took in more than $15 million dollars a day in November, while daily revenue at Google Play was just shy of $3.5 million.

Leaked:BlackBerry Z10 reportedly set to be unveiled as first BlackBerry 10 smartphone

As per the leaked news RIM plans to ditch 4 digit names (like BlackBerry Curve 9300) and call the forthcoming full-touch BlackBerry 10 smartphone the 'BlackBerry Z10'. So far we've known this phone as the BlackBerry L-series smartphone. BlackBerry Z10 will be available in black and white colour options.

QWERTY BlackBerry 10 device, expected to be unveiled later next year, might be called the BlackBerry X10. As the January 30 launch date draws closer, we've seen several leaks, but this is the first time we've heard an official name for the phone being mentioned. We've also heard rumours that RIM plans to release two BlackBerry 10 smartphones on launch, so it'll be interesting to see if details of the second device pop-up in the near future.

Apple striving hard to implement ban on sales of Samsung devices

Tech giant Apple Inc, battling Samsung Electronics Co over patents in several countries, argued on Thursday that a U.S. appeals court should reconsider its decision to overturn a pretrial sales ban on Samsung for infringement.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in October overturned a pretrial sales ban ordered by a lower court in California. The order was to stop sales of Samsung's Galaxy Nexus smartphone.
Apple argued that this was inappropriate and asked for an "en banc review," which means that a larger panel of judges would reconsider the decision made by the three-judge panel in October.

RIM reports decline in BlackBerry subscribers

Research In Motion's stock plunged in after-hours trading Thursday after the BlackBerry maker said it plans to change the way it charges fees.

RIM also announced that it lost subscribers for the first time in the latest quarter, as the global number of BlackBerry users dipped to 79 million.

Karbonn launches Cosmic Smart Tab 10 tablet with Android 4.1 for Rs. 10,490

Karbonn has launched Cosmic Smart Tab 10 tablet in the Indian market. The tablet comes with 9.7-inch 1024x768 capacitive touch display and runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

Rs.10,490/-

Cosmic Smart Tab 10 is powered by 1.5GHz dual-core processor alongside 1GB DDR3 RAM. The internal storage is not clear from the specs but it does include a microSD card for up to 32GB of additional storage. Karbonn claims the tablet is capable of 1080p video playback. It comes with a 2-megapixel rear camera and a VGA front-camera.

Great Deal: Up to 90% off on EA Games for Android, iPhone and iPad

Electronic Arts have started their big holiday sale. Over 55 games for iPhone and iPad at Rs. 55 / $0.99. 
EA Mobile, Chillingo and PopCap are spotlighted in Apple’s Best of 2012 App list. EA has also launched EA Daily Spin that would let iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Users get Exclusive Chance to win games such as Tetris, Mass Effect: Infiltrator, The Sims 3, and more games for free  with the Daily Spin. EA also offers discounts on select Android games that are available for as low as $0.99.

Google launches free music service to rival Apple's $25 a year iTunes Match

Google is turning on a "scan and match" service for Google Music users to store copies of their songs online, offering for free what Apple charges $25 a year for.

The service, which launched Tuesday, cuts uploading time for those who want to save their music libraries online. It scans a user's computer and gives them online access to the songs it finds, as long as they match the songs on its servers. Otherwise, it will upload songs to a user's online locker.
The service is similar to Apple Inc.'s iTunes Match, which includes online storage for 25,000 songs.

Nokia's 10-inch Windows RT tablet could debut at MWC

Nokia is reportedly set to resume work on a 10-inch Windows RT tablet that may be unveiled as early as MWC in February, a report in Digitimes has revealed.

Nokia originally planned to develop a 10-inch Windows RT tablet equipped with Qualcomm's S4 processor in first-quarter 2012, with Compal to undertake ODM production and initial shipments of 200,000 units to test the market, the sources indicated. But because Microsoft later announced Surface, and the market for Windows 8/RT tablets needed to be proven, Nokia internally focused on smartphones, and delayed the development of the 10-inch Windows RT tablet, the sources pointed out.

Amazon launches Kindle store in China

Amazon.com Inc has launched a Kindle store for China, the company said on Thursday, selling Chinese electronic books for the mobile Kindle application, in a move that could soon see the device launched in China.

The launch of the store could pave the way for a roll-out of Amazon's Kindle device that has already received authorisation from China's radio regulator.
"Amazon is a well-regarded brand both in terms of quality of its products and in terms of its service," Natkin said.

Twitter 4.0 available for BlackBerry Smartphones

Twitter v4.0 for BlackBerry smartphones is now available on the BlackBerry App World storefront. This update features a new, enhanced navigation experience allowing users to discover friends and content quicker. Here are the details:

The new Twitter for BlackBerry version 4.0 includes:

- Enhanced navigation bar - With Twitter v4.0, you will enjoy an enhanced navigation experience, keeping you connected to your friends and content that matter.

- New tabs with a familiar feel - Twitter v4.0 showcases the 'Connect' and 'Discover' tabs, which active Twitter users will recognize from Twitter's website.

Sony Yuga C6603 reveals 5-inch full-HD display, 12-megapixel camera

The phone apparently features a 5-inch full-HD display at 440 PPI with Sony's Mobile Bravia Engine, which means Sony will join HTC in having a smartphone with a 1080p display, with the likes of Samsung, LG and ZTE expected to follow suit soon.

The phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor with 2GB RAM and 16GB internal storage, which is expandable by another 128GB, unless there's something lost in translation here.

Samsung emerges as 2012's top mobile brand leaving behind Nokia

Samsung has overtaken Nokia as the top mobile phone brand for 2012 and has opened up a decisive lead over Apple in the smartphone market, a research firm said Tuesday.

This will mark the first time in 14 years that Finnish-based Nokia will not sit atop the global mobile phone business on an annual basis, according to IHS iSuppli.

Samsung is expected to account for 29 percent of worldwide cellphone shipments, up from 24 percent in 2011, according to the IHS, which said Nokia's share dropped to 24 percent from 30 percent.

This will mark the first time the South Korean electronics giant will occupy the top on a yearly basis, IHS said.

Nokia unveils Lumia 505 with Windows Phone 7.8, 8-megapixel camera

 

The Nokia Lumia 505 sports a 3.7-inch 480x800 display, 4GB internal storage and a paltry 256MB RAM. There's no word yet on the processor inside the Lumia 505. The standout spec of this otherwise modest smartphone is perhaps its 8-megapixel camera that is also capable of recording 640x480 video at 30fps. There's no front camera on the Lumia 505.

Nokia claims 7.2 hours of talk time and 600 hours of standby time (both over 3G) from the 1300mAh battery that the Lumia 505 sports.

iPhone 5 crossed 2 million sales in China in the opening weekend

Apple Inc sold more than 2 million of its new iPhone 5 in China during the three days after its launch there on Friday, marking China's best-selling iPhone rollout ever, the company said late on Sunday.

"Customer response to iPhone 5 in China has been incredible, setting a new record with the best first weekend sales ever in China," Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said in a statement.

BlackBerry maker dropped out from Nasdaq as part of annual revision process

Canadian company Research in Motion, the makers of BlackBerry telephones, will no longer be part of the Nasdaq 100 index, the market operator said Saturday on its web site.

The index which includes the 100 largest non-financial companies listed on the electronic exchange said Research in Motion (RIM) was one of ten companies to be removed from the index in its annual revision process.

Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos and Galaxy S II Plus surface online

There have been rumours in regards to the Korean handset maker working on Samsung Galaxy Grand   Duos and Galaxy S II Plus.

Samsung Galaxy S II

Both Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos and Galaxy S II Plus are expected to feature Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

According to Unwired.com Samsung Galaxy S II Plus is expected to feature a 4.3-inch WVGA display, dual-core 1GHz processor, 8-megapixel rear camera with flash, and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. Earlier reports had indicated the Galaxy S II Plus will come with Android 4.0, 4.52-inch qHD display, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 8-megapixel rear camera and 16GB of internal storage.

Blackberry 10 kept abide from Whatsapp

RIM has been doing its part to keep the excitement and the anticipation levels high for the upcoming release of BlackBerry 10 next month.With the launch of BlackBerry 10 imminent the big question that most people want to know is which of the big, popular apps will be supported. 

Unfortunately, WhatsApp will not be one of those applications. WhatsApp is a nicely executed cross-platform instant messaging service that provides delivery confirmation.  It also has proven to be a consistent performer and has about 20 millions users.

WhatsApp is the best selling iPhone app : Apple

According to the 'best of 2012' list, messaging app WhatsApp was the best-selling iPhone app of the year, while Apple's Pages word processor was the best-selling iPad app of the year.

Tech giant Apple has released a list detailing the best selling apps of the year as well as the firm's own favourites.   The number one free iPhone app of the year was YouTube app, released in September after Apple dropped the version of the app which came pre-installed on the iPhone until iOS 6. 

The top free app for the iPad was Skype, the video calling service, the Telegraph reports.

Facebook for Android goes native, Now twice as fast

Facebook for Android has always  struggled with performance issues and particularly laggy scrolling due to its dependence on web views instead of native code. The company has now finally rolled out a native build of the app for Android which promises to double the performance of the application. The application is expected to be twice as fast at looking at photos and opening up the timeline.

Launch timings to have been worked at according to Phillip Fung, a Facebook engineer. The popular social network has decided to keep the interface the same while making extensive under-the-hood changes to create a solid foundation for the app moving forward. There’s much improved memory efficiency and garbage collection to ensure that the performance is right in line with the updated iOS application which shipped a few months ago. Facebook has built its own scrolling engine and is using it instead of the one built into Android. The update will go live later today on the Play Store and should show up on your devices as well.

Eric Schmidt: Android is winning the war with iOS pretty clearly

In an interview with Bloomberg yesterday, Google's CEO Eric Schmidt said Android is quite clearly winning its war against iOS. Schmidt compared the rivalry between Android and iOS in the mobile OS space to the Microsoft versus Apple debacle 20 years ago.

This is a huge platform change; this is of the scale of 20 years ago -- Microsoft versus Apple. We're winning that war pretty clearly now.

He also added that now new users are activating more than 1.3 million Android devices a day. In the third quarter alone, Android took 72 percent of the market, while Apple's iOS managed just 14 percent.

"The core strategy is to make a bigger pie," Schmidt said. "We will end up with a not perfectly controlled and not perfectly managed bigger pie by virtue of open systems."

Sony Xperia V goes on sale in Russia

The Sony Xperia V, a water-proof version of the international Sony Xperia T flagship has gone on sale in Russia today.

The smartphone's initial pricing is pretty steep, though. It will set you back 24999 Russian rubles (around $815/€623/£505) off contract, though.

The black Xperia V can be ordered online right now and shipped to your doorstep tomorrow. The phone will also arrive in the brick and mortar stores of the seller starting December 16.

The white Xperia V is still on pre-order with no word on when it will beging shipping.

The Xperia V was already delayed in France and is expected to launch with Jelly Bean in January. It also has launched as Xperia VL and Xperia AX in Japan.

The smartphone runs on a dual-core Qualcomm MSM8960 Snapdragon chipset with two 1.5 GHz Krait CPU cores, the Adreno 225 GPU, 1 GB worth of RAM and a 4.3" 720 x 1280 screen at the front.

LinkedIn for BlackBerry v2.1 update brings features of Groups and Contact Sync

LinkedIn has updated the BlackBerry app to version 2.1 that brings new features including option to sync and merge LinkedIn connections with existing BlackBerry contacts, Groups and More tab to view saved and recommended jobs and access, add, view and participate in the groups. The LinkedIn for BlackBerry v2.0 update brought major UI changes and new features back in October.

New features in LinkedIn for BlackBerry v2.1

• Groups and More lets you access saved jobs and browse ones that are recommended for you
• Access groups, join in new groups, view pending group memberships and view recommended groups from Groups and More
• Connect and Sync your existing BlackBerry contacts with your LinkedIn connections with Contact Sync

Download LinkedIn for BlackBerry v2.1 (only for BB OS 6 and later) from the BlackBerry App World for free.

UC Browser recorded 400 million users of it globally

UCWeb, china-based company has announced that their UC Browser has crossed 400 million users globally. The company has announced it at AppFest 2012, organised by Internet And Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) in Hyderabad. UC Browser has gained 100 million new users in less than a year and is on the top position among mobile browsers in India with market share of over 25%. It has 50% market share in China and more than 10% market share in 4 other countries.

UC Browser’s global Android user mark has crossed 100 million. UC Browser is available on several mobile platforms including Java, Symbian, Android, iOS, BlackBerry and Windows Phone.

UCWeb has been concentrating on Indian market and has been focusing on the localization of its products for Indian users. The company launched a Hindi version of UC Browser in September and will soon release its Urdu version for better localization experience.

Good News India; Enjoy free roaming from 2013

It's celebration time for Indians. Visit any place within the country without paying any extra tariff as roaming charges.

Putting an end to all speculations, Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal on Wednesday, Dec 12 announced that mobile phone users will not have to pay any charges on roaming from 2013.

The decision of free roaming is expected to come into force by March-April, 2013. Both Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and Department of Telecommunications (DoT) are discussing the issue with the government. According to sources, DoT has already set up a committee under a technical adviser and is expected to submit the report by Feb 2013.

Attending a press conference on Wednesday, the telecom minister was quoted as saying, "Roaming will be free in 2013. We have to get Cabinet approval and then it comes back to us. And then it will be floated."

However, experts believe that governments' move to implement free roaming all over the country has left the Telecos with little option prompting a tariff hike. The industry estimates show there will be eight to ten per cent reduction in the revenue margins if free roaming materializes, although it impacts only five to eight percent of the subscribers.

The Samsung Ativ S will hit UK tomorrow

The Samsung Ativ S will be available and in stock in the UK starting tomorrow, December 13, while the Windows RT-running Ativ Tab could be bought on Friday.

The Ativ S became available in Austria yesterday and will soon come to Sweden as well.

Clove UK has priced the Ativ S at £442.80 with VAT included and the Ativ Tab at £538.80.

You can get the WP8 smartphone for less from Unlocked-Mobiles, where it costs £424.98 SIM-free. Currently, the phone can be pre-ordered but stock is expected to arrive tomorrow.

Finally, Phones4U has the Ativ S listed for pre-order with a Vodafone or O2 contract which lets you get the smartphone for £30 or even free. Expected delivery there is December 21.

The Samsung Ativ S shares the 4.8" Super AMOLED HD display, 8 MP camera, general appearance, etc. of the Galaxy S III but runs on a dual-core Krait processor. The Ativ Tab is a direct Surface RT competitor and runs Windows RT, features a 10.1" 1366 x 768 display and a dual-core Krait processor.

Google Maps application arrives on the iPhone

It's finally here, folks. After taking an exit from the iOS platform with the arrival of iOS 6, the Google Maps application started journey as a standalone app that had to be downloaded from the App Store. And although it did take some time coming, the app is now finally available for download.

Google did take its own sweet time but the app seems every bit as good as the Android version on paper and is even better than the one you previously had on iOS. Not to mention the current Apple Maps.

Aakash tablet price to come down to Rs1900 soon: Sibal

NEW DELHI: Telecom and IT Minister Kapil Sibal said that the price of Aakash tablet will soon come down to $ 35 (about Rs 1,900 approximately) from $49 at present. 

"Aakash is a tablet which at the moment costs $49. It will come down to $35 very soon. It has all the amenities of any modern tablet," Sibal said at Reverse Buyer Seller Meet (RBSM) here organised by Telecom Equipment and Service Export Promotion Council. 

The Minister added that next version of the tablet will also have Skype, an application used for making voice calls using Internet connection and does not necessarily require a SIM. 

"It performs the same function as a $150 tablet," Sibal said, adding that Aakash is kind of product that two- third population of world needs as they don't have enough resources to buy tablet costing $150. 

Butterfly sells very well, HTC decided to increase shipments

HTC became the first manufacturer to out a 5 inch FullHD-display wielding smartphone, and it seemed to have caught everyone by surprise, including themselves. While other companies are busy announcing 5" 1080p devices of their own, HTC is already running out of units to sell.

The Butterfly, which retails as the DROID DNA for Verizon in the US, was launched on HTC's homeland, Taiwan, yesterday. At the launch event, the president of HTC North Asia Jack Tong said the company will ship "a large number" of devices by the end of this month, due to the success of the HTC Butterfly J in Japan.

Tata DoCoMo launched 'Always Plus' Plan of RC 98, 99 & 222 in A.P.

    Tata DoCoMo has announced the launch of 'Always Plus' prepay offer for its GSM     Customers in the Andhra Pradesh telecom circle.

The Always Plus prepay offer is valid on three recharge denominations which include: Rs.98, Rs.99 and Rs.222 offering low call rates along with data usage of full talktime.

 

If Tata DoCoMo users opt in for the recharge of Rs.98, they will be able to make all local Tata-to-Tata calls at just 10paise/minute or 1paise/6 seconds and along with this lower call rate will get 1 GB of data usage and unlimited Tata-to-Tata free local SMS benefit.

Samsung Galaxy Note II gets Android 4.1.2 update

The Note II has been selling very well for the Korean tech giant, so it's understandable that Samsung has been hard at work at getting all of the kinks out of the 4.1 Jelly Bean release.

This latest update is being pushed out now to both the international Galaxy Note II and international Galaxy Note II LTE models.
What's included in the JZO54K update are new notification toggles and customizations, smoother browser performance, and the new Ink Effect lockscreen and Group Cast app, among other bug fixes and optimizations.
You can get the latest version either through Samsung's KIES utility, or via OTA software update.

BlackBerry L-Series leaks out in live photos

Barely a day after we caught a glimpse of it in a teaser image on RIM's website, the upcoming BlackBerry L-Series smartphone emerged once again. A rather extensive photo session of the device has made the rounds, this time leaving nothing to imagination as far as hardware goes.

The live images of the previously seen, likely BlackBerry 10 flagship reveal what appears to be a well-built handset with a massive touchscreen. Connectivity looks to be well-covered with microHDMI port and NFC antenna present on the device. We also get to have a peak under the back cover of the device, which reveals a removable 1800mAh battery, microSD card slot, and the microSIM compartment.
With the hardware on the photos looking expectedly solid, it is up to the OS to deliver the goods and meet all the high expectations. We will likely find out on January 30, 2013, when BlackBerry 10 is scheduled to go official.

Great online Shopping Festival is on its way- Grab it

Today is the day- 12.12.12

Google has tied up with 50 online shopping websites where anything will be available for sell and that too in a discount much more than your expectations.

The offer is valid till tonight 12 AM. So Hurry UP!!!!

BlackBerry Messenger 7 out of beta, brings BBM voice, New Emoticons and more

RIM Released BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) 7 beta last month that brought new features including option to make free voice calls over WiFi, new emoticons, BlackBerry ID Integration and more. BBM voice lets you initiate a BBM Voice Call directly or switch over to one from a BBM text chat. It also has split screen feature to chat while talking .

New features in BlackBerry Messenger 7

Facebook app for BlackBerry updated to v3.3, bring in BBM integration & more

The Facebook for BlackBerry app has received an important update which brings in loads of new features including deep BBM integration.

With this update, the Facebook for BlackBerry app has moved up to version 3.3 and bring in options like PIN sharing, Un-Friending too.

The new features that arrive with the Facebook for BlackBerry App 3.3 are:
 

BBM Integration – Facebook 3.3 allows you to discover and add BBM friends and initiate BBM chats right from within the Facebook for BlackBerry app. You can now easily share your BlackBerry PIN with Facebook friends and discover which of your Facebook friends also have BBM. By simply clicking on the new BBM Icon within the Facebook app, you can invite a friend to become a BBM contact and then launch a BBM chat right from within the app.

Galaxy S VI with a breakthrough of unbreakable screen

Samsung Electronic's much anticipated Galaxy S VI expected to be launched in April 2013 may come with a breakthrough unbreakable screen, according to a Reuters report.

SamMobile, a prominent Samsung-related blog recently broke the news of Samsung Galaxy S IV, codenamed as 'Project J' with the April, 2013 launch hint.

Reuters adds that Samsung, a major backer of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, is a frontrunner in developing unbreakable screens, as OLED panels can replace glass substrate with plastic material. Down the road, mobile gadgets could be flexible as well as unbreakable.

"Eventually, they'll have unbreakable and flexible displays. Either the Galaxy S IV or S V will have unbreakable and even possibly flexible and foldable displays by 2014. That's going to be a game-changer," said Mark Newman, an analyst at Stanford Bernstein in Hong Kong.

Telcos to physically verify SIM buyers address

MUMBAI: Buying a sim card, hitherto a fairly painless task, is set to get more complicated. In a high-level meeting convened by joint commissioners Himanshu Roy and Sadanand Date on Monday, the police laid down a new rule: that subscribers' addresses be physically verified before they are sold a sim card by mobile companies or retailers. They also suggested a number of additional security measures such as the setting up of CCTV in shops and recording the voices of subscribers when their sim cards were activated.

"A huge number of sim cards are being bought under fictitious names to carry out terrorist activities in India," said Roy. "We asked mobile service providers to follow the telecom ministry's stringent guidelines prescribed on August 9, 2012."

Cops rue cell service providers' laxity 

Joint police commissioners Himanshu Roy and Sadanand Date on Tuesday briefed mobile service companies on the government guidelines to prevent misuse of sim cards. The meeting was attended by the representatives of over a dozen mobile service providers.

Google Android powers 68% smartphones sold in 2012: IDC

WASHINGTON: Google's Android operating system will power more than two-thirds of smartphones sold worldwide in 2012, and will remain the dominant platform for at least the next four years, a survey showed Tuesday.

The survey by the research firm IDC showed Android will be the platform for 68.3 percent of smartphones shipped in 2012, far ahead of 18.8 percent for the iOS platform used on Apple's iPhone.

"IDC forecasts Android to be the clear leader in the smartphone mobile operating system race, thanks in large part to a broad selection of devices from a wide range of partners," the market tracker said.

"Samsung is the leading Android smartphone seller though resurgent smartphone vendors LG Electronics and Sony, both of which cracked the top five smartphone vendors during the third quarter, are not to be overlooked. IDC believes the net result of this will be continued double-digit growth throughout the forecast period."

Galaxy S III outsells Apple iPhone 5 in UK

For a seventh consecutive month, the Samsung Galaxy S III is the most popular smartphone in the United Kingdom. The data compiled by uSwitch is based on live searches, pre-orders, as well as postpaid sales.

Curiously, Apple's current smartphone flagship is not even second. The iPhone 5 is outperformed by its predecessor, whose lower price and improved contract offers helped it remain appealing. The Samsung Galaxy S II completes the quartet at the top.

Jelly Bean update is now available on AT&T Galaxy S III

AT&T owners of the Galaxy S III, rejoice! The wait is finally over - the Jelly Bean update for your favorite droid is now available.

Unfortunately, there is no over-the-air option for now, and you will have to use Kies to get the update. Just install the latest version of Samsung's proprietary software, connect your Galaxy S III and check for updates. It should be there waiting for you.

After the update procedure is done, your Galaxy S III will be running on Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean and the latest TouchWiz UI on top of it. If you want to learn about every new feature coming with the update just head over to our review.

This makes AT&T the third major US carrier to release Jelly Bean to its Galaxy S III units, after Sprint at the end of October and T-Mobile last month.

Verizon is the last one left, as the procedures required to approve the update for distribution are obviously more tedious at the Big Red. We are hoping they will be over soon, though.

Cracking News- Nokia sells its HQ in Finland, to stay there on a lease

Nokia's financials aren't what you'd call great lately, and as a result the company is selling its headquarters building in Espoo, Finland for €170 million.

The deal is expected to be finalized by the end of the year, but the company has no plans to move out afterwards. Instead it will lease it back and continue its operations there. The building offers 48,000 square meters of office real estate and has been housing Nokia's HQ since 1997.

Here's what the chief financial officer of Nokia, Timo Ihamuotia had to say.

We had a comprehensive sales process with both Finnish and foreign investors and we are very pleased with this outcome. As we have said before, owning real estate is not part of Nokia's core business and when good opportunities arise we are willing to exit these types of non-core assets. We are naturally continuing to operate in our head office building on a long-term basis.

Nokia is obviously in dire need of money and is trying to cash in on just about everything valuable it holds. In June the company sold its Vertu subsidiary and now its the HQ turn to go. Hopefully, the cash will help the company continue normal operating until the WP investment pays off. That Q4 report will make for a pretty interesting read.

Apple iPhone 5 to hit 55 more countries this month

Apple is expanding the iPhone 5 availability to 55 new countries this month. On December 7 the Apple's thinnest and lightest is coming to the Samsung's homeland - South Korea.

A week later, on December 14, the iPhone 5 will land in 33 more markets. Those include Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Ecuador, Grenada, Indonesia, Israel, Jamaica, Jordan, Kuwait, Macedonia, Malaysia, Moldova, Montenegro, Panama, Paraguay, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela.

December 21 is when another wave of countries will get to join on the iPhone 5 fun - Barbados, Botswana, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Egypt, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Niger, Senegal, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St.Vincent & the Grenadines, Tunisia, Uganda and Vietnam.

The iPhone 5 is already available in 47 countries and with these new addition the list grows to 102, making this the quickest rollout of any iPhone to date.

9 out of 10 smartphones sold in China are powered by Android

China is a very important market for smartphone makers and mobile software developers with its vast cellphone user base. China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology reported that there are nearly 1.1 billion cellphone subscribers as of October.

Moре importantly, according to a report by Analysys International, 9 out of 10 smartphones purchased in Q3 2012 was running Android. Apple's iOS had 4.2% market share, while Symbian accounted for 2.4% of all purchases.

Emergency Alert Service by Airtel

Airtel has launched Emergency Alert Service for their customers. This new 24×7 service lets them alert a pre-defined group of up to 10 mobile numbers automatically during emergency. Instead of sending messages to everyone during an emergency, subscribers can SMS SAFE to 55100 to let their loved ones know that they are safe along with their location. You can also SMS HELP to 55100 that will inform them that you need help.

Both the Airtel pre-paid and post-paid subscribers can call 55100 or type START or START <1stMobileNumber> <2ndMobileNumber>…. and SMS to 55100 to activate this service. The subscriber’s family and friends should verify their numbers if you add them to the service.

Facebook Photo Sync feature started rolling out in Smartphones Like Android, iPhone and iPad as apps

Facebook started testing Photo Sync feature for their Android, iPhone and iPad apps back in August. Now they have started rolling out the feature to everyone. There is no app update for this feature, you just get a notification when you open the Facebook app to enable Photo Sync feature. This automatically uploads entire photos in your phone as you capture. You can also sync your entire phone photos, and you get 2GB of storage for it. The auto photo upload feature is already available on Google+ as instant upload and in Dropbox as Camera Upload.

IIT-Bombay to power up Aakash-2 tablets for Indian classrooms

MUMBAI: Amid the unending debate over whether Aakash-2 was made in China, Canada or India, the tablet's first consignment sent to the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay is ready to be powered with stacks of applications for Indian classrooms. The government has bought the first batch of 10,000 shoe-size Aakash-2 tablets, each costing $40 (2,200). 

Since 2000, the government has been trying to change the stationery in the country's classrooms. It started with the $10 (550)computing device launched in Tirupati in 2009. Then came the $35 (1,925.20) Aakash-1 device that was touted to be India's iPad killer (Aakash was originally called Sakshaat— 'right in front of you') or it's bigger globally-created brother, launched at the UN yesterday. 

As a part of that exercise to "revolutionize education", A-2 will not be sold in the market. Instead, close to 20,000 engineering students will be given A-2 to build a fuller machine for the higher versions of Aakash. Head of Kanwal Rekhi School of Information Technology at IIT-Bombay, Deepak Phatak, is piloting this project with 11,000 teachers and 20,000 students. 

It could take Apple 12 to 18 months to break ties with Samsung

In light of all the recent legal drama between Apple and Samsung, it's rumored that the Cupertino-based tech giant could be in the search for someone else to manufacture the proprietary Ax SoCs found in its smartphones and tablets.

Tech analyst Amit Daryanani says that the steps need to overhaul the production and manufacturing process are numerous and complicated, and could take between a year and a year and a half, with products not becoming commercially available until 2014.

Two major players will most likely be in contention as replacements to Samsung, should Apple go that route: Intel and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). Both companies have expressed interest in the past to a potential partnership with Apple.

Daryanani says that Intel's case will be a harder sell, as it has moved beyond ARM architecture, which the iOS platform is heavily invested in.

TSMC could begin manufacturing chips for Apple as early as 2014, after it completes the transition to a 20nm production process. Capital expenditures are estimated anywhere from $1 - $3 billion, but an Apple co-investment is not out of the question.

Two other less likely scenarios exist, one which sees a merger with Global Foundries, and the other involves Apple creating its own chip fabrication plants. The latter would be an unprecedented move by Apple, who has always kept manufacturing out of house.