Almost all Android manufacturers have some kind of user interface customization that allows them to differentiate it from the competition and LG today, has announced the Optimus UI 3.0 that promises to enhance the user experience of Ice Cream Sandwich-based phones.

The first recipients of the new user interface will be Optimus LTE II and Optimus 4X HD and will bring in features like Quick Memo, ability to unlock the phone by dragging anywhere on the screen, improved app navigation, new Pattern Unlock that will unlock directly to an app (for instance, camera), voice-activated camera shutter, best photo, icon customizer and an improved Download category.

Honestly, we heard murmurings of a larger-sized iPhone long before iPhone 4S was a reality and now we’re hearing it again for the next-generation iPhone, courtesy Wall Street Journal. According to their sources, Apple has started procuring larger-sized display panels, believed to be at least 4-inches in size for their upcoming iPhone.

Understandably, Apple declined to comment on the rumor but an iPhone with larger display and Retina Display makes sense since majority of smartphones now boast a display more than 4-inches.

Nvidia at the GPU Technology Conference announced GeForce GRID that will allow gaming-as-a-service companies to stream and host games efficiently while gamers will be able to play the high-end games at virtually any internet connected device.

For an end consumer, its working is similar to the OnLive service but for service providers, Nvidia GeForce GRID will help to streamline the available resources.

The Nvidia GRIDGPUs are based on Kepler architecture GPU which in combination with the encoder and 3,072 CUDA technology cores helps to reduce the load on the CPU and simultaneously run more game streams. Additionally, Nvidia’s tech is equipped with Fast Streaming that claims to reduce server latency to 10ms, thus enabling an almost real-time gaming experience.

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LG last weekend revealed its 2012 range of Smart TVs for the Indian market. The new LED TVs ranging in various sizes will make its way to the retail stores from this month with the flagship LM9500 series expected in June.

All the TVs support full HD 3D functionality while the top-tier TVs pack some interesting features like Intel Wireless Display (WiDi) support, MHL, Wi-Fi ready, video upscaling, web browser, smart apps support, DLNA and 3 Mode Magic Motion Remote Control support.

As for the 3D prowess, LG 3D TVs use FPR technology that promises to give superior quality than active 3D tech and more importantly supports lightweight and affordable 3D glasses. The TVs also support 2D to 3D conversion with depth control and Dual Play that makes two-player gaming possible without the conventional split screen technique. For Dual Play to work, users need to wear special Dual Play glasses that show content specific to Player 1 or Player 2.

Check out the pricing and availability of all the upcoming LG Smart TVs below.

Intel has announced third-generation of Core vPro processors targeted at businesses and intelligent systems. Since security is one of the major criteria for businesses, Intel has managed to embed security at every layer, including the silicon. The chips are equipped Intel Identity Protection with public key infrastructure, OS Guard and Secure Key that helps to protect the PC and safeguard the confidential data.

The Intel Core vPro processors are also equipped with Intel Active Management Technology that allows remote management and diagnosis. Intel says remotely solving issues will help organizations save money in service calls.

Finally, its the improvement in the overall performance that according to Intel will enable organizations to crunch the data more effectively and efficiently.

The 3rd Gen Core vPro CPUs will be integrated in various devices like Ultrabooks, AIOs, desktops, laptops and workstations.

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Google Chrome’s tab sync is a really nifty feature and today they’ve extended it to the stable version of Chrome 19. The desktop version can sync opened tabs in real time so that users can access those sites from any other PC or device running Chrome browser.

A user needs to associate his Google account with the browser and access those tabs under the New Tab page on the desktop version or under Other Devices when accessing on Android.

[Via Chrome Blog]

Nokia unwrapped two devices today in a bid to connect the “next billion to the Internet.” Its the Nokia 110 (above) and Nokia 112 (below) that are spec’d similarly but differ on the design front and talk time. Both phones support dual-SIM functionality with Easy Swap technology that allows switching of SIM cards without having to open the phone, features 40 games from EA and comes with Nokia Browser that compresses data and reduces data consumption by 90 percent. The Nokia 112 also comes pre-loaded with eBuddy instant messenger app.

Both phones have a 1.8-inch 128×160 pixel display, FM Radio, improved VGA camera, 3.5mm headphone jack, Bluetooth and microSD card slot supporting up to 32GB. Nokia 110 will offer a talk time of 10.5 hours whereas Nokia 112 boasts a talk time for up to 14 hours.

Nokia epxects to ship Nokia 110 in this quarter for 35 euros while Nokia 112 will arrive in next quarter for 38 euros.

Press Release

Well that didn’t take long. After the leak yesterday, HTC has decided to come clean on the Desire C. It will be HTC’s first low-priced handset to boast Beats Audio integration. Running Android 4.0, HTC Desire C will offer a vastly improved audio performance mainly due to the combination of Beats Audio and the underlying hardware.

Clad in a metal frame, the Desire C features a 3.5-inch HVGA display, 5MP camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and an unspecified “powerful battery.”

Orange UK has confirmed to bring the device to their network in early June for free on a 2-year contract or 170GBP on prepaid.

Consider this: You’re on a work trip abroad and your favorite TV show’s finale will be aired while you’re away. The possible solutions to watch the finale will be to watch it once its uploaded online or watch the rerun when you’re back in the country. But if you had Sling Media’s Slingbox PRO-HD in your home, you’d be able to enjoy the TV show live from anywhere in the world.

For the uninitiated, Slingbox PRO-HD is a device that is attached to the user’s TV, set-top box or DVD player and the router and allows to stream the content from the TV to a web browser or a mobile app.

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Read the rest of Slingbox PRO-HD Review (568 words)

The confusion over the Sense 4 multitasking methods is about to come to an end, albeit in a way that many of you aren't going to like. While we were pretty confident that our investigation into the matter gave us the answers, we reached out to HTC about the issue, and it has responded with the following.

"HTC is aware of some questions in the enthusiast community about how the HTC One X handles multitasking and memory management for background apps. We value the community's input and are always looking for ways to enhance customers' experience with our devices. That said, right now multitasking is operating normally according to our custom memory management specifications which balance core ICS features with a consistent HTC Sense experience."

So there you have it. HTC has taken open-source Android, and customized it to its liking. We're not surprised, nor should you be. HTC places more emphasis on the front-end user experience, at the expense of background tasks, and has modified the source code to better suit its software. This is how open-source operates, and HTC should deliver what it  feels is best for their customers.

I think the real issue here is users' expectations. Sense 4 is as far from stock Android as iOS is from BSD. The core code was made available, and HTC has spent three years refining it, adding to it, and making it its own. From the user standpoint, only the very nerdly few are going to be up-in-arms about HTC's changes, and all of us knew ahead of time that HTC's phones would be running HTC's software. Our option is to purchase what suits us the best.

I've been using Sense 4 on the HTC One S for a bit now, and I think HTC has done a bang-up job with it. It's certainly not stock Android, and there are a few things I miss from vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich, but as mentioned, I knew that going in.

We often say Android gives everyone a choice — let's not get out our pitchforks and write those petitions to try to take one away.