Meet Sub-Rs 10,000 3G Mobile Phones

3G services are finally set to revolutionize Indian telecom landscape. With 3G spectrum allocation over, telcos are now gearing up to roll out the services to users. And very soon Indian consumers will be able to do so much more than just voice and text messaging.

3G will allow mobile users to watch TV, play online games, download videos and listen to streaming music straight on their mobile screens.

But in case your handset is still not 3G ready or you are struggling to find one that suits your pocket, here are some 3G phones in the sub-Rs 10,000 range.

Samsung S5620 Monte

Samsung recently expanded its touchscreen phone line-up in India with the launch of 3G-ready S5620 Monte.

Featuring a 3-inch TFT touchscreen display, the phone comes equipped with Smart unlock, accelerometer sensor, 3.15 megapixel camera and geo-tagging.

Other features include smile detection capability, Bluetooth, 3.5mm audio jack, Google Maps, Stereo FM Radio and image editing applications.

The phone promises to offer 9 hours, 42 minutes of talk time. The phone's internal memory is 200MB which can be expanded using a microSD card. Samsung S5620 is priced at Rs 8,850 approximately.

LG GU285

Korean electronics giant LG has extended its mobile portfolio with the addition of 3G capable LG GU285. Sporting a 2.2-inch touchscreen screen, the phone packs two cameras - a 1.3 megapixel at the back and a VGA camera on the front side for video calling. The phone supports GPRS/EDGE and is 3G ready.

Other features include expandable memory upto 8GB, music playback, FM Radio and ‘Try & Games’ which has games like Sudoku, and Ferrari GT.

LG GU285 is priced at Rs 6,000.

Nokia 2730 classic

Finnish cellphone maker too offers a low-price 3G phone in its India line-up. Called Nokia 2730 classic, the phone is equipped with Nokia's Ovi Mail, Nokia Messaging, Nokia Life Tools and browsing. The phone also comes with an integrated Opera mini browser.

Available in black and dark magenta colour, the handset measures 109.6 mm x 46.9 mm x 14.4 mm and weighs 87.7 grams. The battery life offers maximum of 7.4 hours talktime and 16.5 days standby time.

The 3G capable phone comes with A2DP Bluetooth, USB port with microUSB but with no WLAN and infrared. The handset also packs a 2 megapixel camera with 1600 x 1200 pixels with video recording of 176 x 144 at 10 fps(frames per second).

As for memory, Nokia 2730 Classic has 30MB internal memory which supports microSD card upto 2GB. The handset is priced at Rs 4,499.

Samsung Metro 3G

Samsung recently added another 3G phone to its India line-up. Called Metro 3G, the phone has metallic exterior and is 11.9mm in thickness.

Samsung Metro 3G provides users with easy access to nine social networking sites, including Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, Picassa, Friendster and Photobucket.

Metro 3G also comes equipped with a chat messenger and supports GTalk, AIM and Palringo chat. Other features include 3.2 megapixel camera, with Smile shot and Panorama shot technology, and Bluetooth 2.1 which offers wireless connectivity to headsets, printers as well as mobile and PC devices.

The mobile phone has 105MB internal memory and a microSD support for upto 16GB. Metro 3G is also the first phone in Metro series to offer support in nine regional languages.

The phone is priced at Rs 8,250 approximately.

LG Cookie Plus GS500v

LG has refreshed its touchscreen lineup in the country with the launch Cookie Plus GS500v.
The 3G-capable model LG Cookie Plus GS500v sports a 3-inch LCD touchscreen display and has a 3 megapixel camera. The phone's key features include one touch social networking, editable screen shot, MMS and a 3-way user interface.

The phone comes with 3.5 mm jack and connectivity options include Bluetooth 2.1 and micro USB. The handset also comes with Facebook auto update feature. The phone has 30MB of internal memory that can be expanded up to 8GB.

LG Cookie Plus GS500v is priced at Rs 7,999.

Nokia C5

Nokia recently added 3G phone to its C-series in India called Nokia C5. Sporting a 2.2-inch display with 240 x 320 pixels, C5 comes with 3.5 megapixel camera with LED Flash and video recording VGA at 15 fps (frames per second).

The phone also offers support for Nokia Ovi Maps which enables free global navigation. Running on Symbian OS 9.3, the phone comes pre-loaded with a 2GB memory card. The memory can be expanded upto 16GB.

Other key features include front-facing VGA camera, Class 32 GPRS and EDGE, FM radio, 3G support, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP and microUSB 2.0 port.

The phone is priced at Rs 7,999.

INQ Mini 3G and Chat 3G

UK-based handset maker INQ recently added two 3G handsets in India -- INQ Mini 3G and Chat 3G. Measuring 114.5 x 61 x 12.8 mm, INQ Chat 3G mobile comes with QWERTY keypad. The device supports push email, Facebook, Twitter and IM.

The other key features include QVGA display, music player and a 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera. The phone has 100MB of internal memory and can be expanded upto 4GB. INQ Chat 3G is priced at Rs 7,600.

The second handset Mini 3G comes with a 2.2 inch QVGA TFT display. The integrated INQ apps boast of Facebook, Skype, Twitter, and Instant Launcher.

The device features a 2 megapixel camera, on board 128MB memory and expandable memory card slot support upto 4GB capacity. It also comes with Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, USB 2.0 and 1150 mAh battery. INQ mini 3G is available for Rs 5,400.

HTC Smart

Priced below Rs 10,000, HTC Smart is the cheapest device ever launched by the company in the Indian market. Sporting a 2.8-inch TFT-LCD touchscreen with QVGA resolution, the phone comes with 3.5 mm stereo audio jack, HTC Sense UI and a 3 megapixel camera.

Other features include GSM/GPRS/EDGE, Bluetooth 2.0, HSDPA/WCDMA and microSD memory card with SD 2.0 support. Smart promises 370 minutes of talktime for WCDMA and upto 450 minutes of talktime for GSM.

The phone has a 300 MHz processor with 256MB RAM and 256MB ROM. The mmory can be expanded upto 16GB. The smartphone is powered by Qualcomm’s Brew operating system.

Smart offers support for Bluetooth withA2DP, 3G, Mini USB connectivity, 3.5 mm headphone jack, FM radio with RDS and music player. However, Smart is not Wi-Fi enabled.

The YouTube Stars Making $100,000 a Year

By William Wei

Natalie Tran probably earned around $101,000

There are 10 independent YouTube stars who made over $100,000 in the past year, according to a study done by analytics and advertising company TubeMogul.

From July 2009 to July 2010, TubeMogul used their viewership data to estimate the annual income for independent YouTube partners, which they define as anyone who is not part of a media company or brand.

Here's how they got their estimates:

• Revenue only comes from banner ads served near content (we ignored pre-roll or overlay since we can't easily isolate by publisher).
  
• Since YouTube banner ads have a two-second load delay, we estimate 2.59% of viewers click away before an ad loads based on separate research.
  
• Ads were served near all videos that loaded (since there are partners, this is generally true).
  
• CPM for the banner ads was $1.50 (Google auctions a lot of this inventory off; we rounded this 2009 estimate down to be conversative).
  
• YouTube is splitting ad revenue with partners 50-50.

Basically, take their views from the past year, assume a few don't stick around long enough for an ad to load, divide that number by 1,000, multiply by $1.50 and divide that number in half.

Conservative estimates? Sure. But with that math, you get a pretty decent estimate of how much these YouTube celebrities are making from just the banner ads on their channel.

So, without further ado, here are the highest earning YouTube stars!

Click Through The Richest YouTube Stars HERE >

via Businessinsider.com

5 Hottest Qwerty Phones

For those looking for a handset that is ideal for using messenger services or writing emails, full QWERTY cellphones offer the comfort of quick and easy typing.

These new breed of phones not only come with dedicated buttons, but also offer spacious keyboard for drafting long messages and emails

Here’s looking into top 5 full QWERTY handsets from Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Acer, BlackBerry and Palm.

Sony Ericsson X10 Mini Pro

The X10 Mini Pro is the smallest here and could be the dinkiest smartphone we’ve ever handled. A flick of a thumb is enough to slide the screen up with a satisfying snap to reveal the surprisingly roomy QWERTY.

In our tests it proved a fine platform for speedtyping, but those with larger digits than ours may find it more challenging. Beneath the responsive capacitive touchscreen is an Android-based interface that’s been tweaked to accommodate the small screen size. If you’ve previously been put off QWERTY handsets by their size, the Mini Pro could change all that.

Verdict: A lesson in smartphone miniaturisation that’s incredibly user-friendly

Specs: OS: Android 1.6; Display: 2.6-in, 320x240 capacitive touchscreen; Camera/video: 5MP/VGA@ 30fps; Storage: 128MB + microSD; Battery: 3.5hrs talk, 360hrs standby

Palm Pixi Plus

Thanks to Palm’s flexible webOS, the entry-level Pixi Plus is a multitasking demon. No rival QWERTY handset can switch between apps and features so effortlessly.

It’s very slim, light and well made, and while the keyboard looks cramped it’s great to use. The soft rubbery domes are very tactile, you get dedicated full stop and comma keys, and the phone’s slender profile means you can easily tap out messages one-handed. This frees your other hand to use the responsive capacitive touchscreen or the gesture pad.

Verdict: This multitasking smartphone has more appeal than its entry-level status suggests

Specs: OS: webOS 1.4.1; Display: 2.63in, 320x400; Camera/video: 2MP/VGA@ 30fps; Storage: 8GB; Battery: 5.2hrs talk, 350hrs standby

Acer neoTouch P300

The Acer’s 3.2-inch widescreen display is a beauty. Unfortunately, this Windows Mobile-powered phone doesn’t follow through with performance to match. The sliding keyboard is spacious and geared for drafting long messages and emails.

Flush to the surface with an almost pressurepad action, each key is distinguishable by a smooth rubberised finish. The same can’t be said of the resistive touchscreen. It copes fine with aggressive taps on the main menu icons, but swipe and scroll and it becomes temperamental.

Go off-road from the main menu and you’ll be grabbing the stylus to negotiate the fiddly sub-menus. Also, the processor seems to have trouble if you throw it a quick volley of taps or swipes, needing time to catch up. Ultimately this lack of response overshadows the fairly impressive set of features.

Verdict: A great QWERTY is let down by a moody touchscreen and sluggish processor

Specs: OS: Windows Mobile 6.5; Display: 3.2in, 240x400; Camera/video: 3.2MP/320x240@30fps; Storage256MB+microSD; Battery: 4.4hrs talk, 400hrs standby

BlackBerry 9700 Bold

In terms of design and ergonomics, the BlackBerry’s keyboard is the finest on test. Inspired by the frets on a guitar, it has reasonable-sized keys that are ridged to help your thumbs keep their bearings.

It’s a pleasure to use and great for instinctive typing, even in the absence of standalone punctuation keys. Like the Nokia E72, the Bold is a traditional messenger, so there’s no touchscreen but there is a touchsensitive optical trackpad. Teamed with its splendid keyboard, for pure messaging the BlackBerry is hard to beat.

Verdict: Its thumb-friendly keyboard makes this BlackBerry a top-class messenger

Specs: OS: BlackBerry 5.0; Display: 2.4in, 480x360; Camera/video: 3.2MP/480x352@30fps; Storage: 256MB + microSD; Battery: 6hrs talk, 408hrs standby

Nokia E72

The E72’s multimedia skills beat all the others here. It’s very stylishly built, flaunting an elongated profile and a robust metallic rear battery bonnet. The keyboard’s domed buttons (which include dedicated punctuation keys) are easy on the thumbs, feeling almost ceramic to the touch, although not as distinct as the BlackBerry’s.

The Symbian S60 interface is a bit dated but highly customisable. The push email set-up rivals the BlackBerry for ease of use, and while Nokia’s Ovi Store isn’t overflowing, it offers a decent choice of apps and games to download.

Verdict: With outstanding media and SMS talents, the E72 is the best all-round QWERTY phone

Specs: OS: Symbian Series 60; Display: 2.4in, 320x240; Camera/video: 5MP/VGA@ 15fps: Storage: 250MB + microSD; Battery 6hrs talk, 576hrs standby

RIM Unveils Touchscreen BlackBerry To Challenge iPhone

The new BlackBerry will compete with the iPhone with touchscreen functionality and a keyboard that slides out of the phone. It will be running the newest BlackBerry operating system, BlackBerry 6.

There are many other features RIM is touting with the new product that can be viewed below.

The phone will be released August 12 on AT&T and will cost $199 after a two-year contract with AT&T.

You can sign up for an email alert for when it is available for sale here.

Touchscreen Display

Slideout Keyboard

Integration Of Social Feeds

An Emphasis On Apps

5 MP Camera

Multimedia Overhaul With 8GB Memory

Cheapest 3G Mobile Phones in India

3G technology is fast changing the cellular landscape of India with high-speed transmission, advanced multimedia access and worldwide roaming.

With government owned mobile service provider BSNL's 3G service India's mobile phone market is pepped up with lightning speed 3G technology.

The arrival of 3G Spectrum auction opens up a new road map for next-generation mobile operators in India. For the consumers 3G service would enable access to a wide range of application right from the mobile phone.

However, most of the 3G mobile phones are expensive enough to burn a hole in your pocket.

What about those on budget and still craving to own a 3G handset?

For those we provide you a list of low cost 3G mobile phones.

1. Nokia 5320

This is again a budget friendly 3G mobile phone. With a sleek design advanced technology and a world of amusement at your fingertips this The Nokia phone is one of the coolest 3G phones till date. The solution is complemented by A-GPS navigation and the latest version of Ovi Maps with aerial images, 3D landmarks for over 200 cities and smooth terrain map views. Not just these, the 3G phone fromNokia includes a host of features - Voice command/ dial, photo editor, Flash Lite 3.0, Document viewer (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), Handwriting recognition feature, Email and IM. It's handset for those looking to mingle on social networks from Facebook to MySpace.

Specifications

• Internal: 70 MB storage, 128 MB RAM
• Card slot: microSD, up to 16GB
• OS: Symbian OS v9.4, Series 60 rel. 5
• CPU: ARM 11 434 MHz processor
• Messaging: SMS, MMS, Email, IM
• Browser: WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML, RSS feeds
• Radio : Stereo FM radio with RDS
• Battery: Standard battery, Li-Ion 1320 mAh (BL-5J)
• Radio : Stereo FM radio with RDS
• 3G HSDPA, 3.6 Mbps

Price: Rs 7799

2. Samsung Star Nano 3G

The 3G phone is one of the latest addition to Samsung's Star series. Samsung Star nano 3G features a 2.6 inch QVGA display, 3G support, 1.3 megapixel camera and TouchWiz UI 2.0. The mobile phone comes with FM Radio, microSD card slot up to 16GB, Bluetooth, e-dictionary, mobile tracker, fake call and mobile player.

The 3G handset boasts of faster data/audio downloads, faster Internet browsing, seamless video streaming as well as excellent sound clarity. The new Samsungmobile phone allows users to be connected with their friends through instant chat messengers: GTalk, AIM and Palringo IM. You also have easy access to social networking with pop-up social networking services (SNS) feature. What's more the 3G phone is packaged with 2GB card, stylus pen and leather pouch.

Specification

• Display: 2.6-inch touchscreen display
• Camera: 1.3 megapixel camera
• Memory Expandable upto 16GB
• 35MB internal memory
• 3G connectivity 384kbps
• Pop Up SNS and fast multimedia downloads
• Touchwiz 2.0 Plus UI
• Instant chat messenger GTalk, AIM, Palringo Chat
• Active Sync Google Push e-mail service and sync calendar and contacts
• Full Screen Video playback facility
• Free applications from Samsung Apps
• Music recognition
• FM radio
• video recording

Price: Rs.7320

3. Micromax H360

It's a fully-features 3G mobile phone with an optimal price. Micromax H360 works on GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz bandwidths and UMTS (850/1900/2100 MHz). The main features of Live TV, Video calling on 3G, High speed mobile broadband, HSDPA (3.6Mbps), 3MP camera, Video recording/Playback (4X zoom), and Memory expandable up to 8 GB. Micromax H360 supports HSDPA/WAP/MMS and allows data connectivity with Bluetooth A2DP

It features a 2.4-inch wide QVGA Touch Screen that offers both responsive and appealing display with 6 K colors with a resolution of 240 X 320 pixels.

Further, the H360 includes user-friendly features such as Tv Out, Conference Call, Speed Dial, Speakerphone, preloaded game etc.

Specification

• Display Type QVGA
• Internal Memory: 52 MB
• Memory Card Type: microSD
• Extensible Memory: 8 GB
• Camera: 3 MP
• Built-in social networking applications like Facebook and Orkut
• Nimbuzz Social Messenger
• SSL compatible email client supports the following – POP3, IMAP4, SMTP
• Bluetooth with A2DP
• JPEG support
• Java support
• Video player and recorder (MP4, 3gp, 3g2)
• Audio player and recorder (AMR, AAC, MP3, IMY, MIDI, MMF)

Price: Rs 5499

4. Nokia 3120C 3G classic

It's the latest release from Nokia with 3G connectivity that is lowly priced. It features a 2 inch QVGA display, microSD slot, FM stereo radio, music player and a 2 megapixel camera. The camera includes a flash to offer best result for pictures. It is a 3G candy barmobile phone that comes with dual band UMTS. The mobile has 24 MB internal memory that can be upgraded to up to 4 GB with the help of microSD.

Specification

• Network:Quad band GSM / 3G
• Dimensions:111 x 45 x 13 mm, 60 cc
• Weight:85 g
• Display:2-inch TFT, 16M colors,240 x 320 pixels
• Memory Internal:24 MB
• Card slot:microSD, up to 8GB
• GPRS/EDGE
• 3G , 384 kbps
• Bluetooth v2.0
• microUSB
• Camera:2 megapixel, 1600×1200 pixels, LED flash
• Secondary camera:VGA videocall camera
• Features:SMS, MMS 1.2, Email, Push Email, IM
• Browser:WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML
• Stereo FM radio; Visual radio
• Colors:Graphite, Plum/Powder White, Deep Red, Chestnut Brown
• MP3/MP4/AAC/AAC+/eAAC+ player
• Standard battery, Li-Ion 1000 mAh (BL-4U)

Price: Rs. 5,769

5. Nokia 2730

In case you wanna own a standard 3G phone without burning a hole in your pocket Nokia 2730 could be a pick. With a fast 3G access you might be on top of the events.

The Nokia 2730 classic lets you take advantage of fast 3G internet access to stay on top of events, keep up with email, and stay connected with friends.

Specifications

• Resolution: 320 x 240 pixel (QVGA)
• 2 megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom
• Numeric keypad
• MicroUSB connector, USB 2.0
• 3.5 mm Nokia AV connector
• MicroSD memory card slot with hot swap, max. 2 GB
• 30 MB internal dynamic memory
• Bluetooth version 2.0
• Java™ MIDP 2.0
• Flash Lite 2.0
• Ovi Share
• Ovi Contacts
• Windows Live Messenger (MSN)
• Support for e-mail attachments
• Nokia Xpress audio messaging

Price: Rs 4199

Buying Smartphone? Here’s What Not to Miss

Smartphones are new-age computers. Almost. With more features and technology crammed into them, they're not used only to make calls and send text messages but to e-mail, for video-conferencing, for social networking, take pictures, shoot videos, play video games and watch high-definition videos on the move.

Smartphones are getting more complex and increasingly mimic computers , but what's inside them matters more than design or looks. Here's what to look out for when buying:

Processor

At the heart of a smartphone is the processor. "These are designed specifically for mobile devices and are not just a smaller version of computer processors," says Amandeep Singh Parmar, moderator of cellphone section at erodov.com, a technology forum.

"Unlike Intel's X86 architecture (technology on which processors are based) in the computer market, in the smartphone market, it's the ARM architecture that rules."

Currently, all high-end smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy S, HTC Desire and Google Nexus One come with a 1Ghz processor. A faster processor means a more responsive phone.
Snapdragon, Qualcomm's 1Ghz processor, would be the ideal candidate. Samsung's Hummingbird too is one of the best. iPhone uses an A4 processor, which reportedly runs at 750-800 Mhz.

RAM

This is important as it allows better multi-tasking . All high-end smartphones now come with at least 512MB RAM, which is likely to be more than on computers that are over five years old.

Screen

This is the most important component of a smartphone. "There are two major types of touchscreens in smartphones – resistive and capacitive," says Parmar.

Highend phones use the latter as they are considered faster. Capacitive screens, unlike resistive ones that can be used with devices like the stylus, only respond to human touch, not gloved fingers. Most display panels are fused with two types of technologies, says Parmar.

"LCD, OLED, AMOLED, SuperAMOLED – all can be found on smartphones. Most OLED and AMOLED screens produce vibrant colours and fantastic brightness indoors but give a washed out picture in sunlight. SuperAMOLED, though, has corrected this issue, to an extent.

TFTLCD screens have poor viewing angle, washed out blacks and poor brightness level. If you watch a lot of videos, settle for nothing less than an AMOLED display," he says.

Another thing to watch for in screens is the size. "If you pick one with a big display, it'll be hard to use with one hand. An ideal size is 3.2-3 .5 inches. This makes the phone easily pocketable and is just big enough to read documents, browse the internet or watch movies without straining the eye," says Bangalore-based engineer Amarendra Bandla.

Keyboard

Virtual vs real. That's the debate among smartphones users who say it depends on personal preference. "Many users are not comfortable with touch QWERTY.

They prefer the tactile feedback they get when they press a real button. Users who send a lot of SMSes, those who never even look at their phones while typing, can never work on touchscreen keyboards," says Bandla.

But many users have no problem with a virtual keyboard, he says.

With technologies like Swype – you don't type words but swipe your finger on the alphabets and the phone predicts the word for you – dictionary and auto correction, typing on a virtual keyboard is no longer as frustrating as it once was.

Platform & Apps

However good the hardware, what finally matters is the software. Currently , Apple's iOS is considered the gold standard for user experience. Google’s Android, an open and free platform, can be used by any cellphone company.

In the last few months, Android has gained lots of traction and Froyo, the latest Android version, has been deemed significantly faster than the competition. It may not be as polished as iOS 4 but those who love to take charge of their devices swear by it.

Android can be customized by anyone and cellphone companies like to give their own special touch to the user interface. If HTC has Sense UI and Samsung TouchWiz for its Android devices, Motorola offers MotoBlur . Each has pros and cons.

Bandla says that while both Android and iPhone are great platforms for devices that can give good multimedia, web-browsing and social networking experience, people who use smartphones for business still find Research In Motion's Blackberry a compelling device.

"Business-class users don't want a phone that has 10MP camera or an outstanding media player. They prefer QWERTY keypads and apps like document editor and exchange email push functionality. Thanks to RIM's internet services, Blackberry phones continue to be very strong in this market."

Facebook Notches up 500million Members... that's 8 per cent of World's Population

More than 500 million people have joined the social networking site Facebook, the company's founder has announced.

It means almost eight per cent of the world's population use the tool to connect with friends, family and colleagues.

The 'important milestone' comes only months after Facebook announced that 400 million users were active on the site.

Popular: Facebook now has half a billion users, according to founder Mark Zuckerberg, which is eight per cent of the world's population

The company's chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, said: 'As of this morning, 500 million people all around the world are actively using Facebook to stay connected with their friends and the people around them.

'This is an important milestone for all of you who have helped spread Facebook around the world. Now a lot more people have the opportunity to stay connected with the people they care about.'

To mark passing the 500 million figure, the company is launching a new application from today known as 'Facebook Stories' which will encourage people to upload their real-life stories to share with others.

Recently Mr Zuckerberg said the company is likely to reach the billion-user mark but technology bloggers are sceptical and have suggested the current figure may be a peak.

Student: Facebook.com's mastermind, Mark Zuckerberg, created the website while at Harvard University

The company - which is based in Palo Alto, California - now employs more than 1,400 people around the world.

The website, which was originally created for college students to keep in contact with one another, was launched in 2004 by Mr Zuckerberg and co-founders Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes and Eduardo Saverin in their dorm room at Harvard University.

Now it is one of the busiest websites in the world - people spend 500 billion minutes a month trawling through the site.

The average member has more than 130 friends and creates 70 pieces of content each month.

In the last five months it has gained more than 100 million unique users - a member who returns to the site more than once in a month.

The large number of users, and the information they post about themselves online, has made the website vulnerable to criticism over its privacy settings.

Online security experts, internet users and the European Commission lambasted the company over alterations of the privacy settings which made it more difficult for users to keep their personal information private.

Recently Facebook, which says privacy is a 'top priority', launched a new 'simplified' setting to enable users to easily safeguard their data.

The rapid growth of users has come as bad news to other social networking sites such as Bebo.

The website, which was launched in 2005, was recently saved from the axe after AOL sold it to Criterion Capital.

It has 4.4 millions members in the UK who were responsible for generating well over half of the social networking site's 1.9 billion page impressions a month.

Online rumours are speculating that web giant Google is planning to take a step into the social networking market and could launch its own site in the near future.

Nexus One DEAD: Google Discontinues Its Android Phone

Google's first-ever phone, the Nexus One, launched to great fanfare earlier this year. There was talk of the Android handset becoming an "iPhone killer" and speculation that Google's direct-to-consumer sales strategy for its unlocked phone would change the mobile market as we knew it.

But now, some six months after its launch, Google is discontinuing the Nexus One.

ReadWriteWeb reports that dismal sales have doomed the phone: "In the same amount of time it took Apple to sell 1 million iPhones, Google only sold 135,000 of the Android-powered Nexus."

Google announced in a blog post that the final order of Nexus One phones had been delivered from HTC, the phone's manufacturer:

This week we received our last shipment of Nexus One phones. Once we sell these devices, the Nexus One will no longer be available online from Google. Customer support will still be available for current Nexus One customers. And Nexus One will continue to be sold by partners including Vodafone in Europe, KT in Korea, and possibly others based on local market conditions.

Verizon, which was to receive the Nexus One, canceled the phone in April. Sprint followed suit in May and Google shuttered its online store for the Nexus One this past May, as well.
What doomed the phone? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.

As a short video by Switched demonstrates (see below), it seems a great deal of consumers were unaware of and unfamiliar with Google's phone, which had "no presence in AT&T or T-Mobile shops or websites, and no television marketing campaign to speak of," notes Switched.

WATCH:

Hottest 3G Phones in India

3G is finally here after years of wait. As the competition rises up in the 3G space with the entry of private players in coming months, Indian consumers will be able to do so much more than just voice and text messaging.

The magic that 3G will add to your mobile communications will let you watch TV, play online games, download videos and listen to streaming music straight from your phone.

But if your handset is not 3G ready and you do not know which model to zero down on, we bring you 3G capable phones already available in India.

Apple iPhone 3GS

Apple recently brought its 3G capable iPhone 3GS to India. Measuring 115.5 x 62 x 12.3 mm, iPhone 3G S comes with 3.5-inch LCD capacitive touchscreen display with 320 x 480 pixels.

The third-gen iPhone has a 3 megapixel camera with video capturing, auto-focus mechanism and editing capabilities. The model runs on iPhone 3.1 OS and is powered by ARM Cortex A8 processor.

As for memory, the iPhone comes in 16GB and 32GB memory options. The phone has 256MB RAM.

In India, Vodafone sells iPhone 3GS ranging from Rs 29,500 onwards. Airtel sells the 16GB version for Rs 35,500 and 32GB for Rs 41,500.

Nokia 6700 Slide

World's top cellphone giant added new 3G phone -- Nokia 6700 Slide -- to its India line-up. Nokia 6700 Slide comes with 5 megapixel Carl Zeiss optics autofocus camera with dual-LED flash.

The phone packs 60MB internal memory and can be expanded upto 16GB. Other features include FM radio and 2.5mm audio port.

The phone offers talktime of 4 hours in GSM mode and 3 hours in 3G mode.

Nokia 6700 Slide is priced at Rs 11,500.

Nokia E52

Another 3G entry from Nokia's camp is E52.

Sporting a 2.4-inch QVGA display, the phone has a 3.2 megapixel camera with flash. For navigation it offers built-in A-GPS and supports Nokia Maps.

The phone packs an internal memory of 60MB which can be expanded to 16GB.

Nokia E52 is priced at Rs 12,400 approx.

BlackBerry Bold 9700

Research In Motion refreshed its Bold smartphone line-up with the launch of BlackBerry Bold 9700.

With a 2.44-inch TFT LCD display, the phone features a full-QWERTY keyboard touch with sculpted keys and chrome accents. Bold 9700 supports 3G HSDPA networks and is equipped with 624 MHz processor and 256 MB on-board Flash memory.

The phone has a built-in GPS, Wi-Fi, 3.2 megapixel camera with auto focus, 2X digital zoom, flash and video recording. As for battery, the phone supports talktime of upto 6 hours and standby time of upto 21 days/504 hours.

Bold 9700 also supports BlackBerry App World which features a catalog of mobile applications.

The phone is available for Rs 31,990 (approx).

Samsung S5620 Monte

Samsung expanded its touchscreen phone line-up in India with the launch of 3G-ready S5620 Monte.

Featuring a 3-inch TFT touchscreen display, the phone comes equipped with Smart unlock, accelerometer sensor, 3.15 megapixel camera and geo-tagging.

Other features include smile detection capability, Bluetooth, 3.5mm audio jack, Google Maps, Stereo FM Radio and image editing applications.

The phone claims to offer 9 hours, 42 minutes of talk time. The phone's internal memory is 200MB which can be expanded using a microSD card.

Samsung S5620 is priced at Rs 8,850 approximately.

HTC HD Mini

HTC recently refreshed its touchscreen smartphone lineup in India with the launch of HD Mini.

Running on Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system, HD Mini sports a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen HVGA display offering 320x480 pixel resolution.

Equipped with 600MHz processor, the phone comes with inbuilt capacity of 384MB that can be extended upto 32GB with microSD card.

HD Mini packs a 5 megapixels autofocus camera with a resolution of 2592x1944 pixels. Other key features include 3G support, Bluetooth 2.1, GPS chip along with HTC Footprints app and 3.5mm audio jack.

The phone offers upto 7.25 hours of talktime, upto 12 hours of music playback and upto 8 hours of video play back.

The phone is priced at Rs 23,490.

Samsung Star 3G

Another 3G phone from Samsung's stable is Star 3G.

Featuring a 2.8-inch QVGA touchscreen display, the handset has a 3.2 megapixel camera with digital zoom and LED flash. The phone comes with 50MB memory capacity which can be expanded upto 8GB with micro SD card.

Other key features include Bluetooth, FM radio, USB 2.0 and music library. The phone's battery offers upto 8 hrs of talktime and standby time of upto 365 hrs.

The phone is priced at Rs 14,500 (approx).

Sony Ericsson Vivaz

Sony Ericsson recently bolstered its India line-up with the launch of 3G capable Vivaz in India.

Powered by Symbian S60v5 operating system, the handset has a 8 megapixel camera which offers HD (720p) video recording.

Featuring a 3.2-inch resistive touchscreen display with 360 x 640 pixels resolution, key features include Bluetooth, 75MB internal memory, 16GB expandable memory, Wi-Fi, A-GPS and 3.5 mm audio jack.

The handset comes for Rs 25,695 (approx).

LG GU285

Korean electronic giant LG has extended its mobile portfolio in the country with the addition of 3G capable LG GU285.

Sporting a 2.2-inch touchscreen screen, the phone packs two cameras - a 1.3 megapixel at the back and a VGA camera on the front side for video calling. The phone supports GPRS/EDGE and is 3G ready.

Other features include expandable memory upto 8GB, music playback, FM Radio and ‘Try & Games’ which offer games like Sudoku, and Ferrari GT.

LG GU285 is priced at Rs 6,000.

The Taranis : Britain Unveils Unmanned 'Combat Aircraft Of The Future'

The UK Ministry of Defence's "combat aircraft of the future" -- a state-of-the-art jet capable of deploying weapons and bringing back intelligence without human guidance -- made its long-awaited debut at a ceremony Monday.

Named after the Celtic god of thunder, the Taranis comes equipped with advanced stealth technology. Unlike the current generation of propeller-driven unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAV), the Taranis would therefore be able to carry missiles into regions where the military does not have air dominance, the AFP reports.

Initially budgeted at 125 million pounds, the Taranis was originally scheduled to enter ground testing last year in time for military use this year. Instead, the aircraft set producers BAE Systems back an estimated 143 million pounds, and flight testing is expected to commence next year.

Taranis "is a prelude to the next generation of fighting capability," Nigel Whitehead, group managing director of programs and support at BAE, told the Financial Times. "If we are not on top of that, there will be no future for UK aircraft capability."

Though the use of UCAVs and other automation of weaponry is a growing military trend as part of a way to reduce budgets, the Taranis' debut has its share of detractors. As the Globe and Mail reports:

"Militaries are spending large amounts of money to develop robots that can locate targets and "destroy them without human intervention," says Noel Sharkey, professor of artificial intelligence and robotics at the University of Sheffield, raising the prospect of a scenario similar to that portrayed in the "Terminator" series of movies, in which robots are self-aware enough to start killing humans.

Photos of the Taranis, via the AP:

The Top 10 Summer Gadgets Of 2010

They can snap pictures and play music, send emails and browse the web, but water and sand are lethal. Let's face it: most gadgets aren't made for the shore.

However, there are ways to protect or improve dry-ground gizmos and make them into beach buddies. There are also some sand-ready devices that can turn any seashore getaway into a high-tech event.

The geekiest beach bums can check surf conditions before arriving at the beach, take a swim with headphones on, read a Kindle while it floats in the water, dive deep and capture photos or video, use a sonar watch to see what critters live nearby, lounge on a towel that plays music, mix tasty cocktails without leaving the sand, charge all their devices using the power of the sun, and rest comfortably knowing that there's a robotic lifeguard patrolling the waters. It's all possible in 2010.

Check out 10 hot summer gadgets that are a must for any tech-obsessed beach bum, then take a look at (and accessorize with) the geekiest bikinis of all time.

Hi-Sun Towel With Built-In Speakers

The Hi-Sun Beach Towel, which can be worn as a backpack, converts into a towel with integrated speakers that connect to an MP3 player. The manufacturers made the speakers removable, so you can wash the towel without damaging the electric components.

Fish Finder Watch

Hammacher Schlemmer's $140 gadget doubles as a wristwatch and fish tracker: the remote sonar sensor (RSS), which comes with the watch, is placed in the water and will send real-time information back on what wildlife is located nearby.

SwiMP3

Take your tunes underwater with you--without damaging your MP3 player. The Finis SwiMP3 underwater earphones can store up to 1GB of music, about 240 songs, and last for up to eight hours. The device transmits sound via "bone conduction" technology, which sends vibrations through the cheekbones to the inner ear.

Waterproof Skin For Your Kindle

For those who like to use their eReader under the sun, on the beach, or by the pool, it's a good idea to spring for a waterproof skin--just in case. The M-Edge Guardian Case, for instance, protects devices like the Kindle that have a 6-inch display. Coated in non-reflective plastic, the M-Edge protects eReaders in up to a meter of water. It also floats on the water's surface for hands-free reading. Its $79.99 price tag may discourage some users, but it will save the accident-prone from replacing a water-damaged Kindle.

The Oakley Surf Report App

This free surfer app (for iPhone) reports surfing conditions at thousands of beaches around the world. It can track current conditions and provide two-day forecasts for wave height, surf temperature, swell direction and commute information. The Surf Report also delivers news about professional surfers and stats for surfing teams.

Hamilton Beach Thermal Cooler Plus Blender

After you've pruned in the surf and baked under the summer sun, quench your thirst with a fresh smoothie with a portable blender. These battery-powered devices can be life-saver on a hot day. As an added plus, they come with an insulator skin to keep drinks frosty.

Freeloader Solar Charger

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Wouldn't it be great if you could keep all your devices charged during a visit to the shore? Now you can. The Freeloader recharges or runs small devices using solar energy. It comes with 11 adapters that are compatible with iPods, cell phones, small cameras and GPS devices. Best of all, the Freeloader comes with a CamCaddy charger, which connects to larger battery packs for digital cameras, camcorders or digital SLRs. (Available for $50 at ThinkGeek.)

Robot Lifeguard

EMILY the Robot Lifeguard is a motor-powered flotation device that uses sonar to locate drowning persons. Human lifeguards control the device remotely from shore, but it could be independent as soon as 2011. Lifeguards can also communicate with the victim via EMILY's on-board camera and speakers. Although EMILY currently patrols only Malibu's Zuma Beach, famous for its excellent surfing conditions and occasional rip currents, 24 more beaches will soon employ the device, according to PopSci.

Eco Extreme Case

The multipurpose Eco Extreme waterproof case will protect a range of devices, from an iPhone or iPod Touch to a BlackBerry or Droid. At $50 it doesn't come cheap--but for hikers, bikers, and beach bums who are hard on their gadgets, it may be worth the investment.

Waterproof Camera Case

A $55 waterproof camera cases turns ordinary digital cameras into scuba equipment. Aquapac also makes cases in many sizes for different types of cameras, smartphones, iPods and other gadgets.