Major Asha update hits now with Mix Radio and new camera

Just as promised Nokia is issuing the second major update to its Asha lineup. The update brings Mix Radio, an improved camera with audible selfie assistance, Panorama, OneDrive support, Facebook likes, Twitter re-tweets and birthdays in Fastlane and built-in parental controls.

The update is being pushed over the air as we speak and should appear as a push notification but you can also do a manual check. The new firmware is meant for the single and dual-SIM versions of the Asha 500, 501, 502, 503 and 230.

Among the more notable features is the new camera with the addition of Panorama mode. In the event of taking a selfie with the back camera the phone will give you voice instructions so that your face is at center when you take the shot.

Microsoft's OneDrive is now available on the Asha lineup and can handle automatic uploads.

Finally parental controls will allow you to request a PIN code or password for browser and Store access.

LAVA introduces midrange Iris Pro 20 smartphone

New Delhi's LAVA has just outed its new Iris Pro 20 smartphone, which fits a 4.7" screen in a slender 7.7mm body that weighs in at just 112 grams.

The Iris Pro 20 comes in behind the company's recently-launched Iris Pro 30 flagship, which sports largely the same specs with the notable difference that its 4.7-inch screen sports 720p resolution, while the Iris Pro 20 manages just qHD (960x540 pixels).

Otherwise, the Pro 20 is virtually the same device: a quad-core 1.2GHz processor, 4GB of internal storage, 1GB RAM, 2,000mAh battery, and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. It even comes with the same dual-SIM support as its elder.

Unfortunately, the front-facing camera has been downgraded to VGA - likely to cut down on costs - but the 8MP primary camera still comes with dual-LED flash, and should provide largely the same quality.

We got a look at the Iris Pro 30 last month, not long after its release, and the device impressed us with its design with the exception of the fingerprint-prone back panel. The software had its share of bugs, and the performance was laggy at times.The Iris Pro 20 should provide largely the same impressions, except for the inferior screen resolution.

Pricing is likely what the Iris Pro 20 will live or die by, and its currently set to launch "soon" for INR13,999 ($250).

Octa-core Galaxy S5 tops S801-packing model in AnTuTu

The octa-core Samsung Galaxy S5 went through another round of the AnTuTu 4 benchmark and passed with flying colors, improving on the score of its Snapdragon 801-powered twin.

Screenshots of AnTuTu 4 running on the octa-core Galaxy S5

It scored over 38K, while the S801 model does 36K. With the Galaxy S4 generation, Samsung made sure both Snapdragon and Exynos versions are on par so users and devs get the same level of performance.

However, this time around the Exynos version of the Galaxy S5 generation might have a lead, especially in the CPU department.

Oppo Find 7a is now on pre-order for €399

Oppo has put the Find 7a with a full HD display for a pre-order on its website. Available internationally, the phone can be yours for €399.

Oppo is feeling quite generous and for every Find 7a pre-order, it will throw in a free Easy-Cover in Navy Blue, a spare 2,800mAh battery as well as a free 32GB microSD card.

Oppo will commence the Find 7a shipping as soon as it stocks the first batch of phones. It expects this to happen before the end of the month.

The Oppo Find 7a packs a 5.5" full HD display, a Qualcomm MSM8974AB Snapdragon 801 chip with a quad-core 2.3 GHz Krait 400 CPU and 2GB of RAM. At the back, the phone features a 13MP camera with daul LED flash and 2160p video recording.

Twitter introduces photo tagging and multiple image upload

Taking a page from Facebook (pun definitely intended), Twitter has added two new features to its service regarding the way you upload and share features. Now you can tag people in photos and also upload up to four at once. Before, you had to manually add usernames in a tweet to tag people, which took up precious characters (some of which were already taken by the photo). Now, you can tag up to 10 people in a photo without using any additional characters for the usernames, leaving more room for your tweet. You can also choose who can tag you in a tweet from the Settings.

Secondly, you can now also upload more than one photo at a time, which was so far impossible on Twitter unless you used a third party image uploading service and added links manually. Now, you can choose up to four photos at a time to add to your tweet. The feature currently is available only on the iPhone and will be available soon for Android and other platforms. Even on the iPhone, the feature may not be available immediately after downloading the update, so you’ll have to wait for some time for it to roll out in your region.

Samsung unveils LED Smart Bulb that works over Bluetooth

Not to stay too far behind its domestic rival LG, today Samsung
unveiled a smart LED bulb of its
own. It’s called simply “Smart Bulb” and unlike most of the competition,it’s utilizes Bluetooth in order to connect to smartphones and tablets.
Samsung says you can control up to 64 bulbs via the dedicated app
without any additional equipment or set-up. The bulbs can be dimmed down to 10% and lasts up to 15,000 hours or 10 years if used normally. Home automation is possible if you use a ZigBee Bluetooth hub, but Samsung doesn’t seem to be including it in the bulb’s package.The Smart Bulb has already been awarded a Design Plus award by iF Design, which is noteworthy if you care about the design of your bulbs.
Pricing and availability are yet to be confirmed. We hope going for
Bluetooth instead of Wi-Fi will allow Samsung to place its Smart Bulb below the $32 threshold established by LG’s Smart Lamp.

Samsung Galaxy S5 hit Korea todayto preempt sales ban

South Korean regulators caught the country's carriers violating laws that impose the maximum subsidy for a phone. The resulting 45 day ban of acquiring new customers that starts on April 5 would interfere with the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S5 on April 11. The Galaxy S5 is going to be one of the hottest sellers for both Samsung and the carriers, so SK Telecom "strongly asked" Samsung to launch the flagship earlier. Starting today,SK Telecom stores and website willbe offering the Galaxy S5 at KWR 866,800 ($810) off contract.The other two major carriers – KT and LG Uplus – will also be able to sell the Galaxy S5 under some restrictions. Samsung is "very puzzled" by SK's decision to move up the launch. The phone maker adds that the international launch of the device remains on April 11. Even if the company doesn’t entirely agree with the carrier's decision, investors are obviously quite happy as its stock went up 3.7%.

HTC One (M8) Google Play Edition now available,old One gets a $100 discount

The HTC One (M8) Google Play Edition was announced yesterday alongside the base device and it's
already in stock. The price of GPe phone is $700 - $50 more than the Sense version and the unlocked
Developer edition. Anyway, the HTC One (M8) GPe is unlocked and compatible with the
GSM networks of AT&T and T-Mobile in the US. It's not currently available outside the US but when
(if?) it is, it should work on most GSM networks around the world. Despite running stock Android, HTC
has made sure that the innovative Duo Camera works. You can get the HTC One (M8) Google Play Edition from the Google Play Store for $700. It will ship in 1-2 business days. If $700 is too much or you're fine
with the old HTC One, then you'll be glad to hear it's $100 off – $500 , the same price as the Sense model
(actually a bit cheaper than in somestores).