Angry Birds Star Wars Releasing Soon

It looks like Rovio hasn't devoted all of its time to developing Bad Piggies (check out Bad Piggies Review here!), as the latest Angry Birds game is right around the corner. Come November 8, gamers will be able to once again take control of the birds and wreck havoc on the pigs' encampments.

Rovio has been teasing the new title for some time now and has finally come clean, releasing a teaser video announcing the release date. While no specific details about the game are available, this latest Angry Birds title will likely combine elements from the first Angry Birds games and Angry Birds Space. While the birds will look like heroes from Star Wars, the pigs will take the role of the evil Sith and the imperial forces. Their defensive constructions will likely resemble famous buildings and vehicles from the Star Wars universe.

Whether Rovio has added some fresh elements to the gameplay of Angry Birds Star Wars, we'll know on November 8. Until then, may the birds be with you!

Galaxy Note II Kernel Code Released

Samsung has just released the source code of the Jelly Bean kernel of its Galaxy Note II phablet. This will presumably open the floodgates and custom ROMs and kernels for the device will now start appearing at a rapid rate.



All the open-source bits of the Samsung Galaxy Note II code are now available for download from the company’s website and if you happen to be a developer interested in the device you might get them right now. Just follow the source link below.

And if you happen to be just a regular owner of a Galaxy Note II, you might want to keep an eye on the XDA-Developers forums, where helpful hackers will start working their magic on the Samsung code and will probably have a host of interesting new ROMs for you to try out soon.

Apple replies To Complaints About Iphone 5 Camera

Many iOS users have complained that there is a purple haze in the images whenever a bright light source is visible in the frame.Apple has finally responded to these complaints on their support website, saying that the purple haze seen in the iPhone 5 camera images is normal for small cameras and is present in every generation of the iPhone.

The reason for the haze and the lens flare is said to be the reflections of the light inside the camera assembly. Apple's solution to this problem is to not point the camera directly at a bright light source, which is something every good photographer should ideally know.

As we have reported before, even the experts at Digital Photography Review have dismissed this as a non-issue, asking users to not worry and avoid putting bright lights near the edges of the frame while shooting.

Sony Xperia TX Available In Three Colours In Hong Kong

The Sony Xperia TX goes on sale today in Hong Kong.The device comes in three vobrant colours-pink,white and black.The Xperia TX is an almost exact match to the international Xperia T. The difference is the slightly lower battery capacity (1750 mAh vs 1850 mAh), but on the up side it has a thinner body. Otherwise both feature a Snapdragon S4 chipsets with a dual-core Krait processor clocked at 1.5 GHz, 13 MP snappers, Android ICS 4.0.4, NFC, etc.

Problem With Apple Maps-A Boon For Third Party Apps

The problems that Apple has had with its heavily anticipated Apple Maps application for iOS 6 has turned many to the App Store where they could purchase a third party mapping application. Johan-Till Broer, who is a representative of GPS giant Garmin and its Navigon subsidiary, said that sales have increased over the last two weeks because of "the recent interest in map and navigation apps for the iPhone." Till Broer said that Garmin has the advantage of being one of the first third party mapping apps to integrate with Apple Maps and provide public transit information, as well as having a recognizable name thanks to its leading position in the GPS market. Additionally, once it became apparent that Apple Maps needed more work, Apple CEO Tim Cook suggested that iOS 6 users turn to third party services like MapQuest for an alternative to Apple Maps.

The Sears Tower is mis-labeled in Apple Maps

The Garmin rep noted that while free mapping applications have been around well before Apple debuted its mapping service, paid mapping apps have always done very well. Even on Android, where Google Navigation is a native application on the OS, paid mapping apps like Magellan, CoPilot Live, Garmin and Navigon have all been able to ring the ol' cash register. Garmin and its Navigon subsidiary both use Google Local Search and Google Street View although both can be downloaded for free from the App Store and Street View is now a feature of the mobile web version of Google Maps.

The bottom line is that third party mapping providers, especially those paid apps offering premium services, have always done well even before iOS 6 brought the beleaguered Apple Maps. Now, the money is flowing in faster and we could see this trend continue even when Apple Maps is re-launched.

Lava XOLO X900 Receives Ice Cream Sandwich Update

The first Intel Medfield based smartphone, the Lava XOLO X900, has finally received the Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich update that was it was promised.

The update can now be downloaded over the air or from Lava's website.

The current price of this handset in India is INR 17500.Quite a lucrative deal,isn't it?

Galaxy Note II Firmware Update Brings Split-screen Multitasking

Samsung has released a firmware update for the Galaxy Note II, which enables the much anticipated split-screen multitasking feature.

Multi-View enhances the multitasking capabilities of the Galaxy Note II, allowing you to run two apps on the screen simultaneously. Mind you, not all Android apps are supported, but unlike the Galaxy Note 10.1, where only Samsung apps could be brought up to the screen, Multi-Window supports Google apps as well (Gmail, YouTube, Chrome and Talk).

The update version is XXALIJ1 and comes with a new baseband, as well as an update to Google Chrome.

If you own a Samsung Galaxy Note II, you can check for the new firmware from About device -> Software update. While waiting to download, you can see Multi-Window in action on the official Samsung Galaxy Note II ad below (around the 2 minute mark).