Microsoft fixes Windows 8 Rs. 699 upgrade loophole

Early yesterday, word spread that Microsoft's $15 upgrade offer for Windows 8 had a loophole that would allow anyone to get the new OS for dirt cheap. Well, the boys at Redmond were quick to catch on and have patched the loophole.

Microsoft has extended an offer to those who had bought Windows 7 machines after June 2, 2012, allowing them to get the new OS for just $15 as against the regular $40 price. All users had to do was go to the offer website and fill in their details along with the brand, model and date of purchase of their machine and following that, Microsoft would dispatch a promo code to the supplied email which would offer the whopping discount in the purchase stage. It didn't matter whether these details were correct or not, but as long as all the fields were filled in and the date of purchase was post June 2nd 2012, you were on your way to a really cheap upgrade.

Samsung SCH-W2013 pointless Android flip phone for niche market

My first mobile phone was a flip phone, the Motorola RAZR, a handset that had a great feel and good flip action, along with back in those days what was considered a large display, but times move on, and one would have thought that the flip phone form factor had fallen by the wayside, and to some extent this is true. However, it appears there is still a niche market for flip phones that old Sammy wants to exploit.

It appears Samsung is taking a step back in time because according to a report over on Android Headlines, old Sammy has a flip phone up their sleeve for the Chinese Android market known as the Samsung SCH-W2013. However albeit sporting that old style flip phone form factor along with a rather small 3.3-inch AMOLED touch screen, the handset is powered by a quad core chip, the same as the Samsung Galaxy S3.

Google wishes Happy Halloween with a Haunted House doodle

Google wishes every search engine users “Happy Halloween” with an interactive doodle with complete sound on its home page.

Today's doodle shows a Haunted House, with bunch of closed doors which users can open with a click. There are as many as five doors, each featuring a spooky creature/monster depicting the five letters of the Google logo – G-O-O-G-L-E. Users can click on the creatures revealed after opening the doors to interact.

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean Keyboard Review and Install

This video will show you how to install the leaked Android 4.2 Jelly Bean APK on your Android device (4.0 and up). It includes a new feature called "gesture typing" which is very similar to Swype. Be sure to leave a comment below!
APK:
Download

Zip (to be flashed through a custom recovery):
Download


Download and install at your own risk. This may not work on all devices and you will need to use the flashable zip if running an AOSP Rom.

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean release to bring new features

Many owners of Android hardware are currently waiting to see their devices upgraded to newer versions of the operating system, but as many smartphones are just starting to receive the Android 4.1.2 build, Google has just announced another flavour of Android in the form of Jelly Bean 4.2 with the release bringing new features.

It is being reported on Talk Android that the latest version of the operating system will provide users with some typing enhancements, a new camera application, and some other upgrades to Jelly Bean. The biggest changes are to the camera app with the new capability for users to create a ‘photo sphere’, which is promised to take panoramic photos to another level.

Official Google LG Nexus 4, specs, prices and where to buy

The good official news is in and this is exciting, even though Google cancelled its big Playground event today due to Hurricane Sandy. They have just announced 2 new phones and one tablet, but for now let’s talk about the Google LG Nexus 4 specs and price and of course where to buy.

The Google Nexus 4 by LG comes with Photo Sphere and Google Now, this little beauty comes with a quad-core processor, 4.7-inch 320 ppi (1280 x 768 pixel resolution) display, Android Jelly Bean 4.2, 8 MP camera, we love the fact that this smartphone comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 2.

Main Specs Include: WXGA IPS, Qualcomm Snapdragon(TM) S4 Pro CPU, 133.9 x 68.7 x 9.1 mm and weighs 139 grams, it also has a 3MP front-facing camera for those video chats, Unlocked GSM/UMTS/HSPA+, GSM/EDGE/GPRS (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), 3G (850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100 MHz) and HSPA+ 21. The Nexus 4 has 16GB internal storage but the actual formatted capacity will be less, other features include 2 GB RAM, Micro USB, 3.5mm headphone jack, SlimPort HDMI and Wireless charging.

Windows Phone 8 device release dates, early reviews positive

The much anticipated launch of the new Microsoft Windows Phone 8 operating system has taken place earlier today, with the company looking to make a dent in the market share of both Android and the iPhone platforms. It has now been revealed that the first Windows Phone 8 devices will be releasing soon, and early reviews of the operating are positive.


According to TechCrunch the first batch of handsets will become available to European consumers this coming weekend, with the likes of the HTC 8X, Nokia Lumia 920, and Samsung Ativ S arriving in retail stores and online.

iPhone 5 unlock & iOS 6 Jailbreak, SafeRa1n Scam

Now we try and report all the official news as much as we can when its comes to the iPhone 5 and iOS 6, and today we have some more news in from readers about SafeRa1n covering the iPhone 5 unlock and iOS 6 Jailbreak, the new Apple handset and operating system have been on the market now for just over a month and we would like to know if this is all a scam or not.

Xbox SmartGlass for android available, iOS waiting

Quite often users of the Android platform have to wait for successful iPhone applications to be released for them to enjoy, which was the case with apps such as Instagram and Temple Run among others, but the Xbox SmartGlass app for Android is already available with iOS users still waiting.

Need for Speed Most Wanted for Android, 2 days left

If you are an Android gamer that loves to get their car racing, wrecking, and cop avoiding action on, you’ll probably know that the new EA game Need for Speed Most Wanted will be hitting the Android platform, especially when you consider the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 for T-Mobile comes with a pre-loaded demo version of the game.

However although owners of the T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 2 can get a taste of Need for Speed Most Wanted for Android, other Android gamers have to wait, but not all that long as according to an article over on Android Community, Need for Speed Most Wanted for Android will arrive in 2 days time on the 30th of the month.

Zombiewood for Android & iOS, pure Zombie infection

Many gamers love playing games where they need to go round killing wave after wave of zombies, and there are many titles available on a variety of platforms. Today we have news of a just released game called Zombiewood for both the Android and iOS platforms that offers pure Zombie infection.

As it is being reported on Business Insider there have been a number of zombie type games being released, but there may not have been one like Zombiewood. The game uses its movement and firing actions from a variety of rival twin stick shooters, with the blood and gore of Zombie HQ along with hints of Joe Danger as you take the role of a stuntman during the filming of a zombie apocalypse movie.

HTC One X Jelly Bean update starts in Asia, also brings Sense 4+

The team here on Phones Review try and keep our readers up to speed with the latest news regarding the updating of Android hardware to newer versions of the operating system. Users of a variety of handsets are waiting for later versions of Android to be released, and today we have news of the HTC One X Android Jelly Bean update, which has started in parts of Asia and brings with it HTC Sense 4+.

More photos of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Premier hit the web

A couple of day ago @evaleaks posted the first live photo of the upcoming GT-i9260 - Samsung Galaxy Premier and today more photos hit the web showing the back and the sides of the device.

The Galaxy Premier has a 4.65-inch Super AMOLED+, dual-core 1.5GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, 8/16 GB internal storage (upgradable up to 64 GB via microSD card), 8-megapixel main camera and will run the latest Android 4.1 Jelly bean. It’s expected to be available starting December and its rumored to be priced around 400 eur.

GTA V pre-order now print exposed

The creative gamers could certainly design and print a Grand Theft Auto 5 poster, which could hint towards the expected Spring 2013 release date, and this is the image that has made its way online revealing a GTA V launch window most gamers agree on. The question we have now is not the chances of GTA V arriving around this time, but how authentic this marketing material looks?

ou can see the images below that we found via this forum, and clearly state “Grand Theft Auto V” with a small tagline under, which reads “pre-order now” and offers a rough timeline rather than an exact release date. Personally this picture looks as authentic as it gets, so there will be a good chance that this poster is official although it hasn’t been confirmed or denied at the time of writing.

Samsung TecTile 3.0 app update for NFC-enabled devices

Many new smartphones that are being released or in the pipeline are now adding Near Field Communication compatibility to their specifications, except the Apple iPhone 5 of course, but that’s another story. Now Samsung has improved their TechTile app which brings it up to version 3.0 for NFC enabled devices.

The company updated the application only yesterday and the new update brings with it a bunch of new features and improvements that will please owners of NFC capable handsets. For those that have never heard of the app, it’s a propriety application that allows owners of Samsung handsets to write and re-write various activities to NFC tags.

Microsoft Windows 8 event live stream & worldwide times

Many of you will no doubt have heard that today, October 25, is when the big Microsoft event for the unleashing of Windows 8 is being held. It starts in just a few hours time in New York and the event will carry on for most of the day. There will be a Microsoft Windows 8 event live stream and we’ll also give you some details of live blogs available. To make sure you don’t miss a thing we also have information on worldwide times for the event.

The event kicks off in New York at 10am ET and we’re expecting to hear all about the latest Microsoft Windows iteration, which will be used on desktops, ultrabooks, most tablets, hybrids and all-in-ones according to PCWorld. Nevertheless of course we always hope for more so we’re not giving up hope of hearing about new hardware too although we’ve already heard all about the Microsoft Surface tablet which will release tomorrow.

Dragon Mobile Assistant for Android ICS and up

When Apple first released the iPhone 4S the company introduced the world to its Siri voice assistant, but rival platform Android has long had its own versions of Siri unfortunately many of these not cutting the mustard in terms of performance. Google Now has been pretty much well received so far, but we now have news of the Dragon Mobile Assistant for Android devices running ICS and up.

The Siri rival has just launched on Google Play, and as the Android Community are reporting is still in beta so there are still some minor niggles that need ironing out. The application though is available free, and is a great way to interact with your smartphone, and below we have embedded the demo video for you.

Don’t Miss Out On These BlackBerry Apps

Research In Motion’s (RIM) BlackBerry has incurred huge losses since its sever went down in October 2011, bringing the large number of users – mostly professionals and business personnel – to a complete halt. Since then, it has been reported that BlackBerry’s share of the smartphone market has hit devastatingly – statistics given by IDC tells us it has dropped from 13.6% in 2011 to 6.4% in 2012, giving space to its competitors, Android and Apple to grow and prosper.


However, with all the technical problems surrounding BlackBerry, its loyal users still stick to the device because of its secured platform, which is highly resistant to various malware including BlackBerry spy software and BlackBerry monitoring app. The closed nature of its platform ensures users security while downloading apps, which are specially designed for BlackBerry and available at BlackBerry App World. Let’s look at some famous BlackBerry apps meant for business and entertainment.

iPhone 4S vs Samsung Galaxy S3 in Photo Shootout

When the Samsung Galaxy S3 was released, everyone was amazed with its looks and powerful features. Armed with a very cool processor and a considerable amount of RAM, it was supposed to do everything, including taking pictures, extremely fast and without any lags.

Microsoft Introduces Skype For Windows 8

Skype is the application that become popular because of the high-quality of the internet voice-over calls. Since the debut of Skype, the app evolved substantially and now you can make video calls at full HD resolutions. After the company was acquired by Microsoft softwaregiant, many of the users feared that it will become another failure next to Live Messenger, the service that received the Redmond-based company’s full support, but, for some reason it din’t mange to attract the users.

LG Nexus 4 With 16 GB Of Internal Storage Confirmed

LG Nexus 4 is one of the devices that is making the headlines lately, and we already know almost everything abut the smartphone that is underpinned by the hardware platform of LG Optimus G. The unannounced smartphone was already reviewed by a Belorussian publication, and each time the next-gen Nexus smartphone leaked, all the sources were complaining about its 8 GB of internal storage and that it doesn’t feature a microSD card slot.

Well, the @evleaks Twitter account, the one that is always posting press photos of unannounced smartphones like Nokia Lumia 820, Lumia 920 and Huawei W1, have now published the final technicalspecifications of LG Nexus 4. The owner of same Twitter account also posted what it seems to be the press photo of the smartphone, where the you can see clearer than ever how much the smartphone’s design reminds of Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

I remind you not to make plans for October 29th, next Monday, as Google will hold a special pressconference. At next week’s Google event we will probably be able to look at the new Android 4.2, but also see the new LG Nexus 4 in flesh along with a new 10-inch Nexus tablet.

LG Nexus 4 E960 will bring a quad-core CPU, Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064 clocked at 1.5 GHz, a 4.7-inch display with IPS technology and a resolution of 1,280 x 768 pixels, and 8 megapixel camera on the back and 8/16 GB of internal storage. LG Nexus 4 will come pre-loaded with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and it will be powered by a 2,100 mAh battery. Hopefully the price of the 9.1 mm thick smartphone will be reasonable.

Galaxy Note 2 stunning digital painting video

If you already own a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 you will undoubtedly know that the S Pen is more ergonomic and responsive than the S Pen was with the original Samsung Galaxy Note, but just how good is the S Pen when it comes to digital painting on the Samsung Galaxy Note 2?

Well for those that like to draw or paint using the S Pen on the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 you are about to find out just what can be achieved in this video we have for your viewing consideration below that comes our way courtesy of Phone Arena by way of PhonAdroid.

The digital painting in the video has been done by artist Gérémy Arène, so don’t expect to be able to recreate the painting as easily as you think, but does go some way to show what can be done with the S Pen on the Galaxy Note 2.

10 Great Freeware Downloads You Might Have Never Heard Of

It seems like the internet is consistently becoming more regulated, and also more expensive. No matter how bombarded you are with ads for anti-virus software, video and audio tools, photo editors, and more, you might be surprised how many free tools are still available to cover all your online needs – even perform tasks you didn’t know were possible. Here are just a few of the best ways to maximize your PC without even touching your bank account.

1. AVG Anti-Virus

There are many different decent freeware programs to protect you from spyware and malware, but AVG is consistently rated highest when it comes to providing complete virus protection comparable to the kind you’d normally purchase at an expensive rate. AVG is known for its fast scanning capabilities, virus detection and quarantine, and disabling nearly all malware infections. It’s the first stop for protecting your PC without spending money.

Rolltop Amazing Folding Computer Concept

Just amazing! These were my 1^st words when I 1^st seen this concept laptop. I mean laptops that fold in strange shapes are no new thing but this one is the most spectacular so far.

Named the Rolltop, this is a computer system that comes from designer Evgeny Orkin and promises a lot. This is actually a folding computer concept that will have a 17 inch screen for better visibility.

Rolltop

Also things like power cord, loudspeaker, webcam, USB portand and many more are integrated in the design ensuring nothing will be missed by the user. And to add to the level of impressiveness, for a more beauty the back can be decorated with a variety of options ensuring a more beautiful gadget in the inside and on the outside.

Samsung flexible AMOLED displays delayed, Galaxy Note 3 maybe

For some time now we’ve been following the progress of Samsung’s flexible AMOLED displays dubbed Youm. We were hoping to have seen these new screens used by now and at one time it seemed possible they may appear on the new Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (Note II). However this didn’t come to fruition and it now appears that these flexible AMOLED displays have now been delayed. You never know though, they may finally make a debut on the Galaxy Note 3 or Galaxy S4.

Samsung originally planned the YOUMflexible displays to arrive in Q3 this year but it has now been reported that the mass production has met with a problem. In a way though this isn’t an issue for Samsung as its regular glass AMOLED displays are still proving extremely popular and sales of these hasn’t slowed, hence the delay of the flexible displays. The Galaxy S3 has been a phenomenal hit for Samsung and uses a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED HD display with a 5.5-inch version also following to the Galaxy Note 2. Indeed rather than production of these AMOLED displays being reduced, Samsung has actually increased it instead to keep up with demand.

LG Spectrum Android ICS 4.0.4 OTA update, huge changes

We have been reporting a lot recently of Android hardware being treated to the Jelly Bean update, but a lot of devices are still waiting to be upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich with some handsets being left stuck on Gingerbread. Today we have news of the LG Spectrum Android ICS 4.0.4 OTA update, which brings some huge changes.

It was a few months ago now since LG officially said that it would update the Spectrum to Android 4.0, but the months went by without any sign of the new software. Now though as Droid Life are reporting the Android 4.0.4 update has been approved by Verizon for release.

Pinch To Unlock Your LockScreen

Pinch to unlock is a new jailbreak tweak that gives you alternate way of unlocking your lockscreen. If you are willing to change the old way of swiping or sliding the bottom of your lock screen you can install this new Cydia jailbreak tweak and unlock your lockscreen by just pinching you two fingers in either direction i.e. to inside or outside the same way in which we zoom in and zoom out the screens. Although this is a new way but I feel it is difficult as well because in the classical way you are using only one finger to slide to unlock now you will need two fingers means you may need to use both hands so this seems a little hasty but good news you are not loosing the slide to unlock function so you can use either way of unlocking. This becomes more useful especially on iPad because you don't need to move at the bottom of the screen instead you can any place for easy unlocking the screen.

If your device is jailbroken you can install pinch to unlock tweak very easily by just searching in the Cydia, this tweak is provided free by ModMyi repository.

If your device is not jailbroken you can jailbreak by visiting our jailbreak guides for iOS 6.0 & iOS 5.1.1 jailbreak.

Have a look at below video for more details on how this Cydia tweak works.

Buy a Nokia Lumia phone, get a free headset this Diwali in India

Nokia has started Diwali offers with its new promotion Celebrate Holi this Diwali with Nokia. With this new offer you get a headset free when you buy a Nokia Lumia phone. You get a Nokia J Bluetooth Headset free with purchase of Lumia 900, Nokia Purity stereo headsets by Monster free with purchase of Lumia 800, Bluetooth Stereo headset BH-111 free with purchase of Lumia 710 and Philips Headset free with purchase of Lumia 610.

Nokia has partnered with Yatra.com to offer free travel vouchers with select Nokia Asha phones. You get Yatra.com travel vouchers worth of Rs. 4500 with purchase of Nokia Asha 305, 308 and 311 Smartphone. Looks like the Nokia Asha 308 that was announced in September would launch by Diwali. The voucher consists of 4 domestic air ticket vouchers of Rs. 750 each and one Rs. 1500 hotel booking voucher.

This offer is valid till November 20th 2012 only. Hurry!

Byond Mi-book Mi1 7-inch Tablet running Android 4.0 launched for Rs. 4300

Byond Tech has launched Mi-book Mi1 their new Android tablet. This has a 7-inch (800 x 480 pixels) capacitive multi-touch display and runs on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). It is powered by a 1.2 GHz Cortex A8 processor and has a VGA front-facing camera for video calling. It has 3D video and gaming support and comes with free 3D goggles in the box.

Byond Mi-book Mi1 specifications

• 7-inch (800 x 480 pixels) capacitive multi-touch display
• Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) OS
• 1.2 GHz Cortex A8 processor
• VGA front-facing camera
• 3.5mm audio jack
• 3G (via Dongle), WiFi, USB 2.0
• 512MB DDR3 RAM, 4GB internal memory , 32GB expandable memory with microSD
• 3000 mAh battery

It also comes pre-loaded with regional language apps and MS office suite. Byond Tech would also launch 9-inch and 10-inch tablets and tablets with built-in SIM card slots in the Mi-book series that are priced up to Rs. 11,000 and Laplet series of tablets with poratable key pad attachment.

The Byond Mi-book Mi1 comes in Black and White colors and is priced at Rs. 4,300.

LG to roll out Android 4.1 update for select high-end Optimus devices starting from November

LG has announced the Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) update schedule for high-end devices including Optimus LTE 2, Optimus G, Optimus Vu and Vu 2 in Korea. The LG Optimus LTE 2 would be the first device to get the Jelly Bean update, which would start in November. LG’s latest quad-core Smartphone, Optimus G would get the update in December, while the Optimus Vu and its successor Vu 2 would get the update in Q1 2012. Sadly their first quad-core Smartphone, the Optimus 4X HD is not in the list.The Jelly Bean update would bring new features including, Q Slide feature that would offer spit-screen view for multitasking, better browser, Google Now and several UI enhancements. This update schedule is for Korean market only, the global update schedule would vary based on the country and carriers. The rumored LG Nexus device that is expected to launch later this month would come with Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean).

Facebook for Android v1.9.11 update brings Faster photo tagging and Album selection for photo uploads

Facebook for Android has been updated to version 1.9.11 that brings Faster photo tagging which lets you tag a photo just by tapping on it and option to choose an album when you are uploading a photo by clicking the album icon. Unlike the previous update that brought several messaging features, this is just a minor update that has just 2 new features and bug fixes.

This update also includes some bug fixes for errors in photo uploads for people using certain languages. Download Facebook for Android from the Google Play Store for free.

Evernote for Android updated with improved Note Editor toolbar, Redesigned Action Bars for Tablets and more

Evernote for Android has been updated to version 4.3 that brings new features including an improved toolbar in the Note Editor, option to Multi-select notebooks to download for offline access for premium users, redesigned Action Bars for Android tablets and more.

New features in Evernote for Android v4.3

• Simplified note editor toolbar with option to add bullets, lists and checkboxes quickly
• Multi-select notebooks to download for offline access (Premium users only)
• Redesigned action bar in the Android tablets changes depending on which panel is currently open
• Just tap and hold to resize to fit any screen size with the new Evernote Grid Widget
• Jump directly to notes created in Skitch

Download Evernote for Android from the Google Play Store for free. You can download the Evernote Widgetapp separately.

Details of Google October 29 event leaked, include 10-inch tablet

Last month we saw a number of different events being held to showcase new hardware among other things, and now October is looking to be a busy month as well with the likes of Google, Microsoft, and T-Mobile staging events. Now we have some details of Google’s October 29th event being leaked that include a 10-inch tablet.


It is being reported by The Next Webthat Google are set to reveal some software improvements alongside a bunch of new hardware at its upcoming event, which falls on the same day as Microsoft are set to hold their own event.

LG Optimus Vu unleashed now for India

If you are one of our many loyal readers in India and have a preference for smartphones with larger screens then we have good news for you today. The LG Optimus Vu, sometimes described as a ‘phablet’ has now been launched in India with a special press event for it on Monday and in other regions where it has already been released it has been hugely popular. It could be real competition then for the already-released Samsung Galaxy Note 2.

We’ve written many times now about theLG Optimus Vu and its natural competition the Galaxy Note 2 and we think many readers in India will be pleased to see the arrival of the Optimus Vu. It’s priced at Rs 34,500 as opposed to the Galaxy Note 2 at around Rs 39,000 and has some very decent specs as well as looking very sleek and stylish.

iPhone 5 screen problem, glitch caused by keyboard

It would appear that when it comes to Apple latest iOS smartphone all is not rosy in the iPhone 5 owning garden because of a screen problem the smartphone has had ever since the iPhone 5 hit the mobile space last month. It appears that the iPhone 5 screen has a bit of a flickering problem when using the keyboard.

Four Windows In iPad Browser: Quad Screen Browser

Appsolutely Genius developers have brought multiple window browsing to the iPad. It’s now possible to have your cake and eat it too, as the old saying goes. Users can manage Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, and Tumblr all at the same time on the iPad screen using the Quad Screen Browser application. Users can compare prices for an item they wish to purchase on Craigslist and Ebay side by side. The sky is the limit to all the great things users can use Quad Screen Browser app for on a daily basis.

Sony Xperia Jelly Bean updates not due until 2013, official plans

We’ve been attempting to keep on top of operating system updates for various manufacturers devices and if you’re the owner of one of the Sony Xperia phones then you may well have been wondering if or when your device will receive the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update. Sony has been very quiet about this until now but has finally announced plans for some devices. Some of you may not be pleased though as the first phones to receive Jelly Bean won’t be updated until early next year while others will be out of luck altogether.

A while ago we published a roundup of the latest update news from manufacturers about the 4.1 Jelly Bean update and at that time Sony had confirmed that it would definitely come to the Sony Xperia T and the upcoming Xperia V, late 2012 devices. We now know that these will be the first Xperia devices to receive Jelly Bean, along with the Xperia TXbut that these updates are not planned until the middle of Q1, 2013.

Samsung Galaxy S3 Jelly Bean update reaches UK: Update

The team here on Phones Review like to keep you all up to date with all the news regarding software updates on the Android platform, and recently the availability of the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update for the Samsung Galaxy S3 has been hitting the headlines. Now we can tell you that the software upgrade finally reaches the UK.

Recently we told you of clams that Samsung promised to get the Jelly Bean update out to the Galaxy S3 in most regions by the end of this month, and true to their word this is beginning to happen as TechRadar are reporting that UK carrier Three has begun pushing out the software update to its customers.

Motorola Droid Bionic owners get ready to cheer, ICS update approved

Here at Phones Review we’ve been chronicling the saga of the Motorola Droid Bionic and its long awaited Android ICS update for some time. While many device owners are already downloading Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, Droid Bionic owners are still waiting for their first taste of Ice Cream Sandwich. Well, all of you Motorola Droid Bionic owners get ready to cheer, as it seems that Motorola and Verizon have finally got their acts together and the ICS update for the Droid Bionic has now been officially approved.

We’ve been following the sorry tale of theICS update since Motorola first confirmed that it was coming to the Droid Bionic and that was back in December 2011! After many months of waiting Motorola finally informed Droid Bionic users that the update would roll out in Q3 and there were plenty of owners who were disappointed and felt let down that the update was taking so long to come to them. Especially bearing in mind the update, even at that point, was set to arrive many moons after other smartphone users got the upgrade for their device.

Halloween Ringtones pro app, time to be terrified

Well the spookiest time of the year is fast approaching, and no doubt there are many that will be using a mobile app to get their Halloween kicks come the 31st of this month, and if you happen to be on the iOS platform there is a new app available that lets you make use of some spooky Halloween ringtones on your device, and that app is called Halloween Ringtones Pro.

The Halloween Ringtones Pro app for the iPhone, iPod Touch and Apple iPadoffers a built in collection of Halloween tunes along with a music editor, and enables the user to create spooky ringtones along with sounds for Twitter, texts, reminders and alarms.

The best music apps for iPhone users

If you’re an iPhone user and you love music you have a huge combination of music apps to choose from to customise your device to get all the features you want. Several of these apps are frequently top rated by users.

Here is a brief review of the top Apps, please do have a read about each one and then let us know if you have already tried them, if you have not then please search the App Store, download then and then send us your mini reviews.

HTC J Butterfly announced

Today at an event in Tokyo, HTC announced it new Android smartphone, the HTC J Butterfly. Check the specs and promo video after the break.

The HTC J Butterfly features a 5-inch full HD (440 ppi) Super LCD 3 display, a quad-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064 processor, 2GB of RAM, 8-megapixel main camera with an f/2.0 lens, 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera, Bluetooth 4.0 (LE), NFC, LTE and CDMA/GSM/UMTS/GPRS radios and run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

The bad news is that this model will be available only on AU/KDDI network in Japan.

Nokia Lumia 920 and 820 to be Released on November 1st?

While no official release date has been set for the Nokia Lumia 920 or Nokia Lumia 820 German website MediaMarkt has committed to the date of November 1st 2012 as the phonesrelease date on their site.

This date seems pretty reasonable seeing that Microsoft is rumored to unveil Windows Phone 8 on the 29th of this month.

I personally think that Microsoft needs to do the unveil now to give their OEM partners a head start on the all important make or break holiday season. Apple and Google have already released their big guns it's time for Microsoft to do the same.

Galaxy S3 on Verizon update but don’t get Jelly Bean excited

If you’re a regular reader you’ll know we like to keep you informed about software updates heading to devices. Today we have news for Samsung Galaxy S3 (S III) owners on Verizon as a new software update has just been approved. However, if you’re one of the many waiting for Android 4.1 Jelly Bean to hit the Galaxy S3 then please don’t get excited as this is is not Jelly Bean but just a minor update.

LG Optimus G ready to hit AT&T November 2, price and pre-order info

If you’ve been following developments about the LG Optimus G that will be available in the US on both AT&T and Sprint then we have some welcome news if you’re hoping to get one soon. Details for the release on AT&T have just become available and it will be launched on November 2. We also have the information you need regarding price and pre-orders for this smartphone.

HTC One S and Desire V get a price cut in India

HTC has reduced the price of the One S and Desire V, which are now available for Rs. 25,900 and Rs. 16,999 in India. HTC One S was officially launched in India in June, but it got a price cut in Augustfrom Rs. 33,590 to Rs. 28,900. The HTC desire V went on sale in India for Rs. 21,999 in June.

The HTC One S in India has a overclocked 1.7 GHz Snapdragon S3 processor instead of S4 processor and comes with a 4.3-inch (540×960 pixels) display, Beats Audio, 8MP auto focus camera with flash 1080p HD video recording and VGA front-facing camera similar to the One X. It has 1 GB RAM, 16 GB internal memory and 1650 mAh battery.

The Dual SIM HTC Desire V has a 4-inch (480 x 800 pixels), 1 GHz single-core processor and runs on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) with HTC Sense 4.0 UI. It has 512 MB RAM, 4GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 32GB with microSD and a 1650 mAh battery.

The price cut is effective from today, and online retailer Saholic have already started selling the One Sand Desire V at the new rates.

LG Optimus 4X HD price drops to Rs. 27990

LG Optimus 4X HD has got a price cut in India, which is now available for Rs. 27,990. It was announced at MWC 2012 earlier this February and launched in India for Rs. 34,990 in July. The price of the Samsung Galaxy S3 dropped to Rs. 34,900 last month. HTC One X also lies in the similar price range. Now you have lot of choices if you are looking for a quad-core Android Smartphone.

The LG Optimus HD has a 4.7-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) True HD IPS display with 331 PPI and is powered by a 1.5 GHz quad-core Tegra 3 processor. It runs on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and has an 8MP auto focus camera with LED Flash and a 1.3MP front-facing camera. It has 16GB internal memory, 1GB LP DDR2 RAM and 2,150 mAh battery.

The LG Optimus 4X HD is now available in India for Rs. 27990 from online retailer Flipkart.

Micromax A110 Superfone Canvas 2 pre-booking starts, coming for Rs. 11,990

Micromax has started teasing their upcoming A110 Superfone Canvas 2 on their Facebook page and also opened the pre-bThe design of the phone is similar to the A100, but it would come with a 1 GHz dual-core processor and an upgraded 8 Megapixel camera with LED Flash and a 0.3MP front-facing camera for video calling.

Micromax A110 Specifications

• 5-inch (480 x 854 pixels) TFT capacitive touch screen IPS display
• 1 GHz dual-core processor
• Dual SIM (GSM + GSM) with Dual Standby
• Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) OS
• 8MP auto focus camera with LED flash, 0.3 MP front-facing Camera
• 32GB expandable memory with MicroSD
• 3G, Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, GPS
• 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio
• 2000 mAh battery with up to 5 hours Talk time and up to 180 hours Standby

You can Prebook the Micromax A110 from Snapdeal by paying Rs.500 and stand a chance to win tickets to Enrique Iglesias live concert in select cities in India. You cannot cancel the booking once you pay the amount. You can pay the remaining amount while buying the phone .

There are no details about the availability of the phone yet, but it is listed on Maniac Store for Rs. 11,990. Looks like Micromax is planning to launch the device soon.ooking for the handset on Snapdeal. It is the successor of the Micromax A100Superfone Canvas.