Tethered Jailbreak Already Available For iOS 5.1 With Redsn0w

Well, that was quick. Despite iOS 5.1 being available for less than 24 hours, developers at the iPhone Dev-Team blog have already managed to get a tethered jailbreak working, using redsn0w, for non-A5 jailbreakers.

The team originally posted a warning pre-Apple event, stating that those with jailbroken iPhones, iPods and iPads should not update, due to the possibly of a firmware update undoing your hack. Since Apple's keynote yesterday however, developers have worked out a ways of jailbreaking the latest iOS update for different handsets.

Anyone with an iPad 2 or iPhone 4S using iOS 5.1 can do a tethered jailbreak using Redsn0w 0.910b6, thanks to the limera1n exploit by "geohot". Those with previous models or an iPod Touch can also try the Redsn0w jailbreak, but with caution. If you still have an old-bootrom iPhone 3GS, rejoice! You can jailbreak without needing to tether your device.

Ultrasn0w jailbreakers can also take advantage of this method until the jailbreaking software updated, but remember to use a custom IPSW rather than Apple's (IPSW files are how iOS handsets update software). It's worth noting that iBooks also won't be working for a little while, until Redsn0w is updated further.

Head over the the iPhone Dev-Team blog for the Redsn0w download files and be sure to follow the instructions carefully.

Samsung Galaxy Smartphones get free Norton Mobile Security subscription for 90 days

Norton and Samsung  has partnered to offer Norton Mobile Security with 90-day free subscription for Galaxy Smartphone users worldwide. Norton Mobile Security was launched last August and it combines anti-theft features with powerful antimalware to protect users’ important data from loss, theft, viruses and other threats.

The Remote lock feature lets you remotely lock your phone if it’s stolen, Remote location feature shows the location of your phone if it’s stolen, Remote wipe feature lets you remotely erase your personal information on your phone ( including memory card), It Detects and removes threats and also automatically scans downloaded apps and app updates for threats and blocks fraudulent and phishing websites that tries to obtain your personal information, You can also block unwanted calls and text messages from specific people or phone numbers.

Norton Mobile Security supports all Samsung Galaxy Android smartphones and could be downloaded fromSamsung Apps. After the 90-day subscription is over, users can purchase one-year license at $29.99 or continue using the lite version.

iOS 5.1 now available for download

Apple announced the new iPad today along with a new Apple TV. Along with these announcements came the news that iOS 5.1 is finally rolling out today to compatible devices. While the update is still not showing up in iTunes , it is available through OTA (Over The Air).  Make sure you back up your device before updating it. One good news for iPhone 4S users is that battery life is reportedly improved with this update. We observed the same in a beta build. Good news for folks in India and in other countries where 3G coverage is spotty is that the 3G toggle is back (we will confirm this in a bit)

Here is the change log for the iOS 5.1 update

• Japanese language support for Siri
• Delete photos from Photo Stream
• Camera shortcut now always visible on lock screen for iPhone 4S , 4 and 3GS and iPod touch (4G)
• Camera face detection now highlights all detected faces
• Redesigned camera app for iPad
• Audio for TV shows and movies on iPad optimized for being louder and clearer
• Addresses bugs affecting battery life
• Updated AT&T network indicator
• Podcast controls for playback speed and a 30 second rewind iPad
• Genius Mixes and Genius playlists for iTunes Match subscribers.

Google launches Google Search App for Windows Phone

Google has launched it’s native Google Search app for Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) devices that has new design and features. The new features include, Autocomplete, My Location, and Voice Search.

Features of Google Search for Windows Phone

• Search by voice and skip the typing, simply press the microphone and begin speaking your query.
• Google Instant and Autocomplete predicts the words as you type, making search entry easier and faster
• Find relevant results and places near you with the my location feature.

Download Google Search for Windows Phone from the Windows Phone Marketplace for free. Google says it’s available worldwide, but looks like it’s available in limited markets only.

Apple iPad 2 Price Drops to Rs.24500 in India

 

Apple announced the next-gen iPad last night at an event in San Francisco and also reduced the price of the iPad 2 16GB version to $399 in the US. Today morning we heard from Apple India that the price cut is effective in India as well. The 16GB WiFi only version of the iPad 2 is now available for Rs.24500. The 16GB WiFi+3G version now retails for Rs.32900.Apple has not yet declared the Indian pricing for the third generation iPad which packs a Retina display. It will reveal the Indian pricing closer to the launch. Don’t head out to the stores now and expect the new pricing for the new iPad 2 to be effective immediately as it might take a few days for the news to be communicated to the retail network. Couple of Apple Stores we spoke to were selling the iPad 2 at the same old price as of today morning. 

Android 4.0 ICS update for Samsung Galaxy S II coming on March 15

Good news for the Samsung Galaxy S II users! The much-awaited Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update will arrive on the Galaxy S 2 devices on March 15, suggests a post on Samsung's Israel Facebook page. Samsung is likely to roll out the update in phases, therefore some users may receive the update after March 15. The Galaxy S 2 users, however, can also upgrade to the ICS manually via Odin, after the official ROMs are released.

The news of the ICS update comes from an Israel-based Samsung importer, called Sunny Communications. They revealed on the Facebook page that the update will be coming out on March 15. Here is the translated quote from Facebook:

“We promised that we're working on it. You waited patiently. On 15 March it comes: the Android version 4, ICS, tens of thousands of the devices purchased GALAXY SII cellular companies in the country or directly from us. We here are very excited for the launch, hope you :)”

Since that the post was later removed, we wouldn't take this as an official announcement, but it's still important information regarding the Samsung Galaxy S II ICS update. If Android 4.0 does come to Israeli phones on the 15th, it'll likely to be released in other markets very soon. 

Android Market and more unified as the Google Play store

Google is taking a leaf out of Apple’s and Amazon’s book and unifying its digital content under one roof for Android devices.

Called the Google Play Store instead of theAndroid Market, the store will bring Google Music, Movies and the Google Books in addition to the existing library of apps.

Users will be able to manage their content with greater ease and an app downloaded on one Google powered device will reflect on your other Google powered devices thanks to the power of the cloud (sounds like iCloud?).

Users will be able to store 20,000 music files on the cloud. You can store both the files you purchased from the Google Play Store and your own collection. You cannot store movies though.

The expansion of the library will help Android device users find a larger variety of content in one place making it a one stop shop for apps, books, music and movies.

Genius DeathTaker MMO RTS gaming mouse launched at Rs. 3,195

Genius has launched a new MMO/RTS gaming mouse in India, called the Genius DeathTaker, part of its GX gaming series of peripherals. It has been priced at Rs. 3,915, and comes with a warranty of 3 years.

The Genius DeathTaker gaming mouse features a 5700 DPI laser, and features a 1.8 metre braided cable with a gold-plated USB connector. It supposedly features a “full speed CPU”, coupled with a memory chip to prevent macro settings from game block. It apparently gives gamers 1ms response time, reportedly 8x faster.

The DeathTaker MMO/RTS mouse features switched rated with a lifespan of eight million clicks. It features adjustable weight, with six 4.6 gram metal weights. Apart from individual X/Y axis DPI adjustment, the DeathTaker features Scorpion UI suite to manage macros, programmable buttons, advanced settings, and light settings – the DeathTaker features RGB LED backlighting system, up to 16 million colours.

Intex launches sound bar home theater systems, starting Rs. 9,999

Intex has launched its first wireless sound bar home theatre system, the Sound Bar Marvel 250, priced at Rs. 12,999. The 80W Intex Marvel 250 Sound Bar comes with a wireless 100W subwoofer.

Commenting on the launch, Vikram Kalia, GM- Product Management, Intex Technologies (India) Ltd. said:

Intel unleashes Xeon E5 family of server chips

Intel on Tuesday lifted the curtain on its Xeon E5-2600 family of processors, promising that the new dual-socket server and workstation chips will provide up to 80 percent better performance than the company's previous generation of dual-socket Xeon 5600 series processors.

The 17 new processors range in price from $198 for the quad-core, 1.8GHz E5-2603 to the top-of-the line, 2.9GHz E5-2690, which boasts eight cores, 16 threads, 20MB of L3 cache, and will set you back $2,057.

Bose introduces its first ever soundbar home theater systems

Bose India has unveiled two home theater setups in India, both in the soundbar family. In the event in New Delhi, Bose showed off the Lifestyle 135 and the CineMate 1 SR systems. These are the first soundbar type home theater setups from Bose.

“Most conventional soundbars are bulky and hard-to-place, or thin but unable to deliver lifelike sound,” said RatishPandey, Director Bose India. “The new Lifestyle 135 and CineMate 1 SR systems deliver a powerful audio experience that defies their size and elegant design -- whether you’re watching a movie, playing a video game, or listening to music.”

Samsung unveils Galaxy Pocket, a budget Android smartphone with 2.8-inch display

Samsung has announced another budget Android smartphone called Galaxy Pocket. The new Samsung smartphone will join the series of Galaxy Y and other entry-level Samsung smartphones. The Samsung Galaxy Pocket will be initially launched in Europe later this month and will be gradually rolled out in other markets.

The Samsung Galaxy Pocket features a 2.8-inch display and runs on Android 2.3 platform with upgraded TouchWiz user interface. The device comes pre-loaded with Samsung's ChatON messenger. The Galaxy Pocket is powered by an 832 MHz processor. It has a 2GB of user memory. The Galaxy Pocket sports a 2MP camera and 1,200 mAh battery. For connectivity, the device supports 3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi, GPS with A-GPS support, Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP and USB 2.0.

There is no word on pricing of the smartphone yet, but speculations are rife that the Pocket will be even cheaper than the Galaxy Y, which sported a 3-inch screen.