Nokia is planning a new line of Lumia Windows Phone devices for 2013. Sources familiar with Nokias plans have revealed to The Verge that the company is planning to switch to an aluminum construction for at least one high-end Lumia Windows Phone planned for release this year. The change is a move away from Nokias traditional polycarbonate body for its Lumia devices and will mean the new device, codenamed Catwalk, will be a lot lighter and thinner than the existing Lumia 920.

We understand that Nokia is also planning another two Lumia handsets that will debut as part of a new line up this year. Nokias Catwalk device is designed as a successor to the Lumia 920 and will debut as a replacement to the companys current Windows Phone 8 flagship with similar internal hardware specifications. A move towards aluminum brings Nokia back to the pre-Windows Phone days when the company launched its first Symbian 3 device, the N8, in a range of vibrant colors. It will also allow the Finnish company to compete against Apples iPhone size and weight, something that it was unable to do with the polycarbonate body used in the Lumia 920.

Expect to see Nokias Catwalk device debut later this year.

Sorce:the verge

There is a pretty good offer from Verizon for people who want the WP8 device, the HTC 8X. Big Red is give a price cut this holiday season for this HTC Windows Phone 8 smartphone for just $99.99 on a new 2-year contract. Initial price is $199 so it’s half the amount that the carrier has been offer HTC’s ‘premier’ Windows Phone.

As considering, Amazon and Best Buy have also low price for Verizon’ HTC 8X smartphone. Both retailers are selling the HTC 8X for $49.99 on new 2-year term.

Apart from the 4.3-inch 720p HD Super LCD2 touchscreen display with 341 ppi and Corning Gorilla Glass 2, the HTC 8X smartphone sports a 1.5GHz dual-core processor.

This handset has 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. As camera term, there are an 8MP autofocus camera on the back with 1080p Full HD video recording and LED flash, as well as a 2.1MP front-facing camera.

Running on Windows Phone 8 operating system, the HTC 8X is pre-loaded with VZ Navigator. Moreover, it delivers Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Mobile Hotspot capable, and Bluetooth 3.1.

source:gadget folder

Apple’s Passbook feature of iOS 6 has become a surprise hit for developers.

Passbook is virtual file folder for all those bits of paper you accumulate in your wallet: tickets, boarding passes, coupons and so forth. The Apple-built app aggregates them from third-party apps like Fandango and Starbucks in one convenient place. Each app gets a pass that then, based upon your GPS location, pops up on the lockscreen to, say, remind you that you’ve got a $50 gift card at Target or nine bucks left on your Starbucks card as you’re walking past the store.

American Airlines and cosmetics retailer Sephora are among the big-name companies that have developed apps for Passbook and seen them downloaded by the tens of thousands since it was announced in June. Passbook also plays nicely with Eventbrite, Ticketmaster and Square. Apple doesn’t say how many apps have been developed for Passbook, but 22 are featured in the curated “Apps for Passbook” section of the App Store.

“We were amazed at the high uptake,” Phil Easter, American Airlines’ director of mobile apps said. “Apple has allowed an app developer like us is to put features right in front of the user where before, that space was off limits.”

Passbook isn’t really a digital wallet like Google Wallet, which uses NFC technology to let you pay retailers. But the upside is retailers only need to be able to scan QR or ticket codes for the feature to work — whereas NFC technology requires many businesses to upgrade their checkout systems. Passbook is meant to remind consumers of deals or gift cards they have at nearby retailers, make using them super fast and streamline the iOS app experience. Although you can use it to make payments at some retailers, like Starbucks, its strength lies in quickly and easily displaying coupon or ticket codes.

Belly is one company that’s come to love Passbook for the ease it provides customers and retailers.

“When Passbook was originally announced, we looked at it as a potential threat to our business,” Belly CEO Logan LaHive said. “Instead, we found it was the perfect complement to what we were doing.”

Belly is a digital loyalty program for small businesses. Users earn points and rewards using the company’s app or loyalty card, which businesses process with an iPad and software Belly provides. LaHive quickly realized Passbook could provide an even easier way for customers to earn rewards at retailers because retailers can scan codes presented by Passbook passes. Every store using Belly has had pass-based transactions, and 83 percent have had multiple passes added to their location, meaning more than one customer using Passbook. The startup has seen 40,000 visits to retail locations where retailers used Belly’s pass.

Arguably the straight to DVD release of the smartphone world, BLU Products Vivo 4.3 is getting a second act in the form of the Vivo 4.65 HD. Aside from the 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED display its named after, this up-and-comer ships with Android 4.0, a 1.2GHz A9 dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM and an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera. If you can get past less than stellar specs -- and resist waiting for the Nexus 4 to be back in stock -- BLUs future flagship can be yours outright for $300 sometime in January.

source:engadget