Zune 4.8 adds Mango support, 48-hour movie rentals

Microsoft has released an updated version of its Zune software that works as a companion utility for Windows Phone​ handsets and the company's media players. Version 4.8 is mostly focused on under-the-hood changes that bring support for the upcoming Windows Phone update, known as Mango. Users that have not kept up to date with their WP7 software will only need to click the update button once to install multiple updates.

The backup process has also been streamlined, with media separated from other phone content to help reduce backup times. The backup file is also more compact, while users have the choice to skip the phone backup step and update the phone if they do not have enough space on their computer drives.

Aside from the Windows Phone changes, the Zune software also brings support for 48-hour movie rentals and parental controls for M-rated content.

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China outraces the US to become largest PC market

New IDC research showed that China has just managed to outgrow the US to become the world's largest PC market. The US will hold on to the lead for all of 2011, but China this spring just pushed past the US to claim 22 percent of all PCs shipped, 18.5 million, to the 21 percent (17.7 million) going to Americans. In the long term, researches saw China getting 21.8 percent for all of 2012 where the US would slip to 19.6 percent.

The catch-up in the populous but poorer country may have come from government plans. Its 12th Five Year Plan was encouraging very large companies at the heart of China's foundations to keep spending at a time when the US was still struggling. China was also working to improve technology in poorer cities where the US was much more saturated and has less room to grow.

China did face problems as it was fighting to control inflation and minimize the ripple effect from problems created in the US. It was still enough of a sign that developing countries were getting enough momentum to outperform countries where individuals were wealthier but had less need to buy in.

The shift is likely to heavily favor China-native companies such as Lenovo and Hanvon that are already established in the country and know how to appeal to an audience with a lower income and different needs than in Europe or North America. American companies focusing on premium hardware may have an advantage, however. Apple is already making more money than Lenovo by a wide margin despite prices that mostly limit it to the upper-middle class and above in China.

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Facebook responds to Google+ with inline profile controls

Facebook has introduced new profile controls that appear to mimic Google's approach with Google+. Although Facebook users have had access to custom controls over post distribution to different groups, the options were buried in a series of settings pages. The site is introducing inline profile controls, enabling users to make global changes from the main page or choose individual privacy options for each post as it is entered.

The drop-down menus appear directly next to the Post button and in the Edit Profile interface. Users can quickly pick public or friends, while a custom choice leads to additional options. The updates bring functionality similar to Google+ circles, which provides direct control over post routing to various groups.

Facebook has also introduced an option to review and approve tagged photos taken and posted by other users. In the past, images that a user might not post themselves on a public profile, such as partying snapshots, would nonetheless arrive on their profile if they happened to be uploaded and tagged by friends. The site also now enables users to review and approve tags that other users try to add to their photos and posts.

To help users determine how their profile appears to others, Facebook has also moved the "View Profile As..." button to the top of a profile rather than deeper in the settings menus.

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Microsoft starts taking Windows Phone 7 Mango apps

Microsoft is now ready to accept apps from developers for its upcoming Windows Phone 7​.5 (Mango) release. The company has let developers know through an update on its developer blog that the system for submitting apps is now up and running. Accordingly, a release candidate SDK download is available so that programmers can compile their apps to adapt to the final version of Mango and test it to make sure it works.

Microsoft officially released Mango to manufacturers in late July. It takes manufacturers time to integrate the software into phones. The first device, the Toshiba-Fujitsu IS12T, ships Thursday.

This much awaited OS release should help bring Microsoft closer to par with rivals with multitasking, HTML5 support, Twitter integration, and other features that iOS and Android based devices already have had for awhile or will be getting shortly. But to be really successful, Windows Phone devices must be able to match the extensive library of apps already available for these other OS environments. For this, Microsoft must rely on apps from third party developers.

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AT&T roadmap: two WP7 Mango phones, two Samsung Androids

An AT&T roadmap surfacing Tuesday has given clues as to the network's non-iPhone launch strategy for the late summer and fall. Along with known quantities like the Torch 9860, it shows at least two Windows Phone 7 Mango devices. One fall release, the "Kupua," is Samsung's i937, is believed to mostly be a take on the Galaxy S II using Microsoft's OS. The other seen by PocketNow, the HTC "Bunyip," is most likely the Eternity 4.7-inch flagship.

Samsung would play more of a role in the Android lineup than thought. The "Singa," or i777, has the high-end specs and summer release window to suggest it's AT&T's version of the US-spec Galaxy S II. The "Gidim," or i927, could be the unnamed QWERTY slider and might ship at the same time.

Other devices are few and would all be ready by the fall. The Motorola "Fuath," or MB865, should be Motorola's LTE smartphone. Pantech is due to have two budget phones, the "Nuli" (P9060) and "Onza" (P7050), with five- and three-megapixel cameras respectively. Huawei should bring up the rear with an entry-level phone, the "Jengu" (U8652), with Android 2.3 but a 320x480 screen, a three-megapixel camera, and just 256MB of RAM. RIM's BlackBerry Curve 9360 would have to wait for the fall as well.

The roadmap is plausible and lines up with rumors. The codenames may all be AT&T-only, though, as none of them are used by the hardware makers themselves.

At least one of the Samsung Android phones should be made public next week, at Samsung's August 29 Galaxy S II event.

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ASUS Eee Pad Transformer price cut to $350

ASUS appears to have dropped the price for its first-generation Eee Pad Transformer tablets. The 16GB variant is now listed through Walmart's website for $350, which represents a $50 reduction from the $400 retail price, however several other online retailers still show prices ranging from $470 to $500 for the 32GB variant.

The company has yet to announce specific reasons for the price reduction, however recent reports suggest the company may be clearing out inventory ahead of the Transformer 2 debut. The second-generation model is rumored to be on its way sometime in the next month.

Owners of the first-generation Transformer have continued to receive attention from ASUS, with regular updates that have kept the tablet up to date with Android 3.1 and 3.2. The original is based on NVIDIA's Tegra 2 platform, while its successor is expected to be based on the quad-core Tegra 3 platform.

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Korea making own mobile OS to offset Apple, Google-Motorola

South Korea's Ministry of Knowledge Economy deputy minister Kim Jae-hong stated late Monday that the country was looking to develop its own mobile and desktop operating systems to reduce dependency on outsiders like Apple and Google. A plan due to start before the end of 2011 would see Korean companies, presumably LG, Samsung, Pantech, and others, make their own open-source platforms both for mobile and a Chrome OS​-like desktop. It would also hope to establish a "habitat," Kim told Yonhap and other media outlets, where locals were encouraged to pick their own OS over others.

The move would give Samsung an out should the worst happen in its legal battle with Apple and it requires an alternative. Samsung already has Bada but has largely treated it as an entry-level smartphone platform, with little app and sales support.

The actual threat, however, might be Google. Its buyout of Motorola could lead to Google itself competing against its own hardware partners, leaving Korean phone makers at an inherent disadvantage, Kim suggested. Google has publicly promised that Motorola would be kept as a "separate entity," but leaks have suggested it plans to emulate the Apple model and have Motorola make official Google phones.

Google would likely be safe in the near term. "Because Google is an open-source system, it cannot just switch over to a closed-source system overnight," Kim said.

Apple would most likely welcome a Korea-made OS. As Samsung and LG are two of the largest Android supporters, their lowering dependence on Android would mostly feed into reduced market share for Google, particularly in South Korea. Self-developed platforms, even custom OS variants like China's Android-based Open Mobile System, rarely gain relevance outside of their home countries.

A home web-based OS would be unusual given their poor uptake. Although market share is still unknown, relatively few have bought into Chrome OS so far and instead have opted for either Macs or Windows PCs. Korea would would be trying to take on two of the largest software developers with an OS that might not reach other areas.

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VooMote One iPhone case/remote control ships in US

Introduced at the end of last month, Zero1.tv's VooMote One has begun shipping in the US. Available at Amazon, among others, the device costs $100 and turns an iPhone 3GS or 4, as well as third- and fourth-generation iPod touch devices, into a universal remote control. It does require a corresponding app (free, App Store).

The device doesn't require a PC setup and will control TVs, DVD players, stereo systems and other consumer electronics that use infrared remotes. The app can be customized to control all of the devices in one room and command chains/macros can be programmed like many of the universal remote controls out there with a single click. This could involve powering up a DVD player, turn on the TV and switching to the right TV source, and turning on the AV receiver, for example.

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USB 3.0 On-the-Go arrives, lets mobile devices communicate

USB 3.0 On-the-Go arrives, lets mobile devices communicateThe USB 3.0 Promoter Group on Wednesday added the USB On-the-Go (OTG) 3.0 and Embedded Host supplement to the USB 3.0 Specification. It allows compatible SuperSpeed USB portable devices to communicate without the need for a PC. They can act either as USB host or USB peripheral through the same connection.  The new capability will speed up synchronization or streaming of rich data. The new spec is also more energy efficient than USB OTG 2.0 while being backwards compatible with the older standard.  Before consumers can take advantage of the benefits of USB 3.0 OTG, companies need to begin implementing it into their hardware and ship it first. No one has yet announced any products using the new spec.

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LG Optimus Sol named after the Sun in Spanish features an Ultra AMOLED which makes it more visible in sunlight and will make its trip to Europe this mid- September followed by Central & South America . The device also features some power consumption tech called 'DARK UI' which is expected to increase your battery by 20-30%.

Highlights:

• 3.8-inch WVGA "Ultra AMOLED" Display 
• 9.8mm Thick 
• Android Gingerbread
• 1GHz CPU
• 5MP camera
• VGA Front Camera

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Dell inspiron 13z finally arrives in India

Dell Inspiron 13z is the new breed of slim and ultraportable laptops from Dell featuring 2nd generation i3 processors.There are two variants with 2GB/4GB RAM that are up for order on Dell's India website.Rest of the specs are same , plus the absence of an optical drive.

Specs:

2nd generation Intel® Core™ i3-2330M processor 2.20 GHz

Genuine Windows® 7 Home Basic 64bit (English)

2GB (1 X 2GB) 1 DIMM DDR3 1333Mhz or4GB (1 X 4GB) 1 DIMM DDR3 1333Mhz

Intel® HD Graphics 3000

13.3"(33.78cm) HD WLED True-Life (1366x768) 720p

320GB hard drive (7200RPM)

4-cell Li-Ion 44 WHr (std) / 6-cell Li-Ion (65Whr)

1.0MP HD webcam

Intel® Centrino® Wireless-N 1030 with Bluetooth v3.0+HS

Dimensions & Weight:Height 22.2 – 22.7 mm (0.87” – 0.89”)Width 332.0 mm (13.1”) Depth 241.3 mm (9.5”) Weight: starting weight of 1.76kg (3.9lbs)5

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