Ouya adds recruits more developers to its cause

Android touting console, Ouya seems to be shaping up for its retail launch in March, next year. The company recently announced through its Twitter account that they have dispatched 10 more developer kits to interested parties. These developers have expressed interest in porting or developing new games specifically for Ouya system.

Ouya will begin shipping out development units by December 28, alongside the necessary SDK. The retail model is scheduled to ship out in March, which will also effectively be a development console. Here are a list of titles they're working on.

Fist of Awesome
MechKnight Chronicles
Syder Arcade
KidElectro
Space Runner
Legend of Dungeon
iMech Online
DustyRevenge
HolyShield!
Starbound

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Khan Academy made available to non-Internet users

Khan Academy has introduced a new service called Khan Academy Lite (KA Lite) that acts as a servers to distribute content over wireless LAN, using peer-to-peer sharing techniques. This will allow content on Khan Academy to be available to those that do not have access to the internet. The project has been designed to be compatible across wide-range of systems, and kinds of internet access.

Khan Academy intends to work on developing the system to enable creation a chain of peer-to-peer systems, with just one or few machines with internet access. KA Lite currently works along the same lines, with a central server synching information across clients. The server was originally designed to run-off a laptop; however, the developers discovered that the servers runs quite smoothly even on a Raspberry Pi with a Wi-Fi radio.

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Karbonn launches SmartTab 10, priced at Rs. 10,490

Karbonn Mobiles has previously launched quite a few 7-inch Android based tablets in the Indian market, and now the company has launched a 10-inch variant called SmartTab 10 and it is priced at Rs. 10,490 as an introductory offer.

The SmartTab 10 has a 9.7-inch capacitive display with a 1024x768 pixels resolution and it come pre-loaded with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. It is powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core MediaTek processor, 1GB of DDR3 RAM and has a 6,000 mAh battery.

Apart from this it sports a front facing VGA quality camera for video calling and has a 2 megapixel rear camera. It also supports 3G connectivity via USB dongle (no built-in 3G radio), Wi-Fi and supports expandable memory up to 32GB via a microSD card.

The Karbonn SmartTab 10 comes preloaded with a few applications which include Saavan, Angry Birds Season, Turbo Fly 3D, Flipboard, Google Chrome, Kingston Office, Facebook, JustDail and others. Most of these applications are available for free on the Google Play Store.

The only close competitor to the SmartTab 10 is the Micromax Funbook Pro and the former undoubtedly tops the latter at just Rs. 490 more.

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Sony reveals its update schedule for Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

So Sony has finally revealed its plans on updating its existing device to the latest version of Google’s mobile operating system. Android 4.1 Jelly Bean was launched earlier this year and has since been rolled out to quite a few devices.

According to Sony’s schedule the Xperia T, Xperia TX and the Xperia V are more likely to receive the Jelly bean update sometime between February to March. There is a possibility that there might be delays as we have already seen in the past.

Xperia P, Xperia J and Xperia Go are scheduled to receive the update sometime in the end of March and in the subsequent weeks this new update will arrive on Xperia S, Xperia SL, Xperia Ion and the Xperia Acro S.

Android 4.0 ICS will be the final update for devices including Xperia U, Xperia Miro, Xperia Tipo and the Xperia Sola. However, if you have a knack for hacking your smartphone then some folks at XDA Developers might have already figured out ways to get the latest version of Android running on these devices.

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THQ files for bankruptcy protection

Game publisher THQ has made it known through a press release that they have filed for protection against bankruptcy, and it will be selling off its studios and games in development. Furthermore, THQ has secured backers from Clearlake Capital Group, that has put forth about $60 mil. They have also managed to get financing from Wells Fargo to the tune of $37.5 million.

While THQ will invariably go through some changes, the company assured that customers will not be affected by this transition, nor will it lay-off any staff. THQ’s top management has assured that they will continue to develop and publish games, with Jason Rubin calling the situation “a new start for our company.”

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Apple may be moving chip production to US

AppleInsider has dipped into its source of informants that four states in US are all wooing to get a chipmaker to set up shop in their territory. The chipmaker has been identified simply as Azalea, and the states of New York, California, Texas and Oregon are all competing to host its fab operations.

The same website has also picked up on rumors that the company behind the name Azalea may be Taiwan Semiconductor. TSMC has been rumored to take chip manufacturing for Apple, over from Samsung.

Source: AppleInsider Photo: PCper.com

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Facebook cashing in on to-be-mums by selling info to advertisers

Social networking giant Facebook is reportedly minting off money from pregnant women by selling access to private information about their due dates and the gender of their unborn babies to advertisers. Women who pass on the happy news of their pregnancy to loved ones on the site can be bombarded with promotions for baby clothes, nappies, prams, and toys as a result of the policy. The move has now been condemned by parenting experts who warn it could make expectant mothers feel as though they are being ‘cyber-stalked’ by big business, the Daily Mail reports.

According to the paper, it has also fuelled concerns over Facebook’s willingness to exploit the private information of its one billion users to make a profit. The US social networking site set up a ‘Life Events’ section on users’ pages in the summer of last year to allow them to tell friends about major news, which allows to announce details of their pregnancy, including predicted due date and – based on scans – the gender, the paper said. However, it has been learnt that the firm has secretly changed this policy and is selling access to information posted by expectant mothers on the Life Events section to advertisers. This is potentially lucrative for Facebook, which was floated on Wall Street last year and is looking for ways to cash in on the treasure trove of personal information it holds, the paper added. The founder of the Netmums.com website for parents said many people would be alarmed by the development. “While many women willingly give away personal details about their pregnancies to marketing firms, they do this knowingly and usually in return for free product samples or discount vouchers,” said Siobhan Freegard. Facebook, however, has denied selling personal information directly to advertisers. -ANI Photo: Thinkstock/Gettyimages

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RIM records first-ever decline in subscriber base after losing over million users

Troubled Canadian mobile maker Research In Motion (RIM) has lost over a million subscribers in the last quarter, the first drop in user base in the firm’s history. It comes despite RIM posting better than expected revenues of 2.7 billion dollars, sending its shares soaring more than 7 percent. RIM’s first-ever decline in its subscriber base comes with just a month remaining before the crucial launch of the new BB10 smartphone line. RIM reported a loss of 114 million dollars or 22 cents a share, excluding one-time items, in contrast to analysts’ average, who had forecast a loss of 35 cents a share, Fox News reports.

According to the report, the Waterloo, Ontario-based company hopes to reinvent itself and revive its fortunes with the BlackBerry 10. It also reported a surprise net profit in its fiscal third-quarter, reflecting a one-time tax gain from restructuring of its international operations. In the period ended December 1, RIM reported net income of 9 million dollars, or 2 cents a share. That compared with a year-ago profit of 265 million dollars, or 51 cents, the report said. The decline in its subscriber base is a disconcerting marker in the history of RIM, which virtually invented the concept of on-the-go email. In recent years, RIM''s user base has grown, even as the BlackBerry lost ground in North America and Europe, boosted by gains in emerging markets, the report added. -ANI

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