Xolo Q600 Club With A 4.5-Inch Display With DTS Audio

Xolo has unveiled the Q600 Club in India for a price of Rs. 6,499. The company listed it online on its official website, however, the device is already available through many third-party online retailers at a lower price tag.

The Xolo Q600 Club is a Dual SIM smartphone and runs Android 4.4 KitKat out-of-the-box. It comes with a 4.5-inch FWVGA display with a pixel density of 218ppi and 480×854 pixels resolution. It is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek MTK6582M processor with 512MB of RAM along with a Mali-400 MP2 GPU.

The phone sports a 5-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, and a 0.3-megapixel VGA front camera. It features 4GB of internal storage, which can be further expanded up to 32GB via microSD card. The Q600 Club supports connectivity options such as 3G, GPRS/ EDGE, A-GPS, Wi-Fi, microUSB, and Bluetooth 4.0. There are also many sensors on-board such as accelerometer, ambient light sensor, and proximity sensor. It is backed by a 1,800 mAh battery, which is touted by the company to deliver up to 8.67 hours of talk time on 3G and up to 19.69 hours of talk time on 2G. The device measures 131.5 x 66 x 9.7 mm.

Moreover, the Q600 Club is integrated with special box speakers, which supports DTS audio, smart remote solution and Hot-Knot technology to enable data sharing.

Xolo Q600 Club specifications

• 4.5 inch FWVGA IPS display with 480×854 pixels resolution
• 1.3GHz quad-core processor paired with 512MB RAM
• Android 4.4 KitKat out-of-the-box
• 5MP rear camera with LED flash and VGA front camera
• 4GB internal storage, expandable up to 32GB via microSD card
• 3G, GPRS/EDGE, A-GPS, Wi-Fi, microUSB, Bluetooth 4.0
• 1,800 mAh battery

View the Original article

The Real Deal Behind Nokia Lumia 925 And 625 Exchange Offers

Since times immemorial, Nokia has been one of the most trusted mobile handset brands in India. It is known as much for its dynamic pricing tactics as for top notch, durable handsets. However, recently something transpired on the marketing communication front which makes the claims made be Nokia look fishy. 

In order to match up with the schemes offered by rest of the smartphone makers and to boost the sales during the festive season, the company has brought out exchange offers on its Nokia Lumia 925 and Nokia Lumia 625, arguably the most popular smartphones by the Finnish maker. According to this offer, if you exchange your old smartphone for either of the above mentioned two smartphones, you can get a discount of up to Rs 10,000 on the former and up to Rs 7,000 on the later one.



If you go by this calculation, you may get the Nokia Lumia 925 for Rs 28, 529 and Nokia Lumia 625 for Rs 14,919, depending upon the valuation of your old smartphone. The fishy part here is that in this scheme, the original price of these smartphones is considered to be their MRP but it is needless to say that these phones are rarely sold on the MRP. You can get these phones on many online as well as brick-and-mortar stores for as much as 20 percent discount to the MRP. Hence, the whole scheme is exaggerated to lure customers with a luscious discount value. 

The Lumia 625 can be bought for around Rs 15,500 from the market whereas the Lumia 925 can be bought for around Rs 29,500. If you see, Nokia is offering a discount you'd be better off without. 

Our Take: Nokia however, is not the only one to have such schemes. In case you have your old smartphone and you are considering buying a new one in its place, we suggest you not to let someone else decide the price of your old smartphone. You better bargain for the old device separately and then look for some deal for a new phone.

Original Article 

4G India: Reliance Jio, TranSwitch, Rancore, Airtel, Tikona, Google, Videocon, Nokia

This week’s biggest 4G news is Reliance Jio Infocomm has applied for unified license to offer any type of communications over its 4G/BWA spectrum won in 2010. That means Reliance Jio can offer voice and messaging services as well as data services over its 20MHz of 2300MHz spectrum.

Govt recently has come up with unified license policy to open up new opportunities to telecom sector of the country. The new policy will delink the spectrum from the license to offer different services. Reliance Jio, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries will pay Rs 1,658 crore to the department of telecommunications to get unified license.

There are another two companies applied for unified licenses. One is probably Tikona Digital Networks.

Reliance Retail Grows

Reliance Industries’ retail subsidiary Reliance Retail has become the country’s topmost retail chain. Earlier country’s retail market was dominated by Future Group. I earlier predicted that RIL may use its Retail chains as launchpad as well royalty programs for promoting its 4G products. It seems RIL is going this way.

Rancore Associates with TranSwitch

Rancore Technologies, the technology and development arm of Reliance Jio Infocomm has announced a deal with TranSwitch, a global leader in IC production. TranSwitch provides innovative integrated circuit (IC) and intellectual property (IP) solutions, which help the customer and network infrastructure segment in delivering core functionality for video, voice and data communication equipments.

Rancore will use TranSwitch’s Atlanta 80 communication processor to launch Reliance’s next generation broadband services. The processor will enable Rancore’s new analog terminal adaptor (ATA) to support multiple services and applications simultaneously, including 4G high-speed data and high quality Voice over LTE (VoLTE) (Long-Term Evolution) without undermining performance. Additionally, the processor will offer 100 Mbps wire speed router throughout for Ethernet frames and will support virtual private network (VPN) services as well.

Airtel 4G may be in Delhi by Next Month

Country’s largest mobile operator and first 4G-LTE operator, Bharti Airtel continues expanding its 4G market, as Delhi is probably their next 4G market. If all go right, Delhi, country’s one of the most lucrative data market will get Airtel 4G by September.

Google Digital to Buy Shares in Tikona

There is strong rumor in the market that Google is looking to enter India’s high-potential-but-yet-to-mature data market. As per reports by EconomicsTimes Google Capital is in talks with Tikona Digital to buy a stake. Tikona has 4G licences in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh East and West, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh.

The publication also reported that Yahoo and Microsoft are also showing interest to buy shares in Tikona. But officially no one confirmed this development. If Google-Tikona deal materializes, it could change India’s digital landscape considering Google’s Fiber services in United States. However we guess it’s very early stage to forecast anything.

Videocon 4G by March 2015: Promises Ultra Cheap Data

Videocon mobile services is in an advanced stage of discussion with Nokia Solutions and Networks (NSN, earlier Nokia Siemens Networks) to roll out 4G services. Videocon has 5 MHz spectrum on 1800MHz band in 7 circles and will use FDD-LTE technology to offer 4th generation high speed internet access over this band. Videocon expects to start roll out of 4G services by the end of this financial year in a phased manner city by city based upon the market potential.

“We are known for providing value for money to customers. Our tariffs for 4G will be among the lowest in the country,” said Arvind Bali, director and CEO, VTL.

Huge 1800MHz Spectrum Sale Coming: FDD-LTE Dominance?

Govt of India is in plans to put up 285 MHz spectrum of 1800 MHz in next auction as Supreme Court asked to sell all spectrum released by February 2012 license cancellation.

However 285 MHz spectrum is available separately across 22 circles. But with unified spectrum and license policy many operators are definitely use this band for rolling out 4G services. Idea and Vodafone, major telecom players without any BWA spectrum may look into it. Globally LTE-FDD over 1800MHz accounts for more than one-third of total LTE roll out; hence ecosystem is better than any combination.

Nokia Readies for 4G in India

Nokia is gearing up for upcoming 4G device market in India. Globally Nokia has launched several 4G smartphones – but those handsets are compatiable with HSPA+/DC-HSPA+ or FDD-LTE technology. But Indian 4G operators are using LTE-TD technology. It seems that Nokia is in talks with Indian 4G operators to bring LTE-TD smartphones.

Recently the company launched two new Windows 8 smartphone – Lumia 925 and Lumia 625. Nokia, the fallen king before Android dominance is offering EMI and buy back options to promote Windows Phone 8 smartphones. Nokia’s Lumia 520 becomes cheapest WP8 smartphone at Rs 8500 approx.

Micromax, Karbonn, Lava/Xolo – 4G Device Market will have Many Choices

Karbonn Mobiles, another Indian handset company has expressed its plans to bring 4G devices to Indian market. Earlier Micromax and Lava (and its premium sub brand Xolo) also cleared the fact they will not leave no stone untouched and will eventually bring 4G/LTE devices as the ecosystem becomes stronger. With attractive pricing in a price-sensitive market domestic handset companies are putting international brands like Samsung, Nokia, LG, Sony in a tough turf.

Original Article 

Facebook Partners With Shutterstock To Offer Free Stock Images In Its Ad Creator

When ads look bad, Facebook, users, and advertisers all lose. So Facebook today announced a partnership to bake Shutterstock into its ad creator, allowing marketers to select from millions of free stock images for their ads. Facebook today also started letting advertisers upload multiple images at a time to build ad variants for A/B testing. Both could make Facebook ads more interesting.

On the mobile side, Facebook updated its Pages Manager app to let admins edit who else controls their page, and publish multi-photo feed posts. Android Page Manager users can tag people in comments and browse a Page Feed of other relevant Pages, while the iOS app now allows for creation of new Pages and events.

So what’s the point of all these updates? To make marketing content on Facebook as interesting as possible so it’s not a turn off for users. No one wants to see bland ads shoved in between fun photos from their friends. Facebook has to make money, but it shouldn’t disrupt the user experience.

Original Article 

LG Optimus G Pro 1.7 GHz Quad Core 5.5 Inch Display

LG Has launched its much awaited Optimius G Pro in India, Optimus G Pro has a 1.7GHz Snapdragon 600 quad core processor, and runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

The phone has 2GB RAM and 32GB in built memory, LG has included a 13MP camera with LED flash on the back, while the front is 2.1MP resolution and the phone is priced at Rs 42500.The Optimus G Pro is equipped with the swift Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor, which features a 1.7GHz Quad-Core CPU and Adreno 320 GPU.

Combined with other industry-leading features such as a long-lasting 3,140mAh battery and 2GB RAM, LG’s Optimus G Pro is one of the most advanced smartphones currently on the market today. With its expansive 5.5-inch 1080p Full HD IPS display delivering a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels at 400ppi, the Optimus G Pro provides razor sharp images and wide viewing angles as well as a comfortable in-hand experience and great pocketability.

LG Optimus G Pro comes with additional software feature like Dual Camera recording that shoots from both the cameras simultaneously as well as 360-degree panorama photographs.The Dual Camera and Dual Recording functions allow users to capture pictures or videos with both the front and rear cameras simultaneously for a unique picture-in-picture experience;
It aslo has the VR Panorama which allows shots of entire horizontal and vertical environments for a full 360° view; Pause and Resume Recording: The Pause and Resume Recording feature allows for the recording of short snippets of video which can then be viewed as one continuous file.

Key Specifications :

• Operating System: Android Jelly Bean 4.1.2
• Camera: Rear 13.0MP / Front 2.1MP
• Battery: 3,140mAh (removable)
• Processor: 1.7GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 Processor
• Display: 5.5-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels / 400ppi)
• Memory: 16GB / microSD (up to 64GB)
• RAM: 2GB DDR
• Size: 150.2 x 76.1 x 9.4mm
• Colors: Indigo Black, Lunar White.

Launched in India at Rs 42500

How To Use IRCTC Sms Based Ticket Booking

India’s Rail passengers can now book their tickets through SMS, Railway Ministry launched the SMS-based ticketing system. The SMS system is likely to come handy and easy to use for people who do not have access to Internet or smartphones as tickets can be booked from non-Internet-enabled phones too.

Presently Railway’s SMS based ticket booking system launched with two dedicated numbers — 139 and 5676714 as a pilot project by Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), will also help railways overcome the menace of touts who fleece unsuspecting passengers.

The key features of SMS Based Rail ticket booking on mobile phone:

· Ticket can be booked within minutes;

· basic mobile phones are sufficient; no internet connection is required;

· The user will get ticket details on SMS instantly.

· SMS along with valid ID in original can be used for travel, no printout is required.

HOW TO USE IRCTC SMS BASED TICKET BOOKING:

Book your ticket through USSD (as of now for Airtel users) :

USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) based booking for Airtel subscribers*

Registration

• Register for Airtel money by dialing *400#.

• Load cash on this or recharge from any Airtel money outlet.

Booking Flow

• Dial *400# and select book tickets option.

• Select Reservation.

• Enter your IRCTC User ID.

• Enter the details of ticket (station, train no. date of journey, class etc.).

• Enter mPIN for authorizing payment.

• Booking confirmation SMS is sent by IRCTC and same can be used during journey along with valid ID proof.

• Fare & IRCTC service charges are debited from your Airtel money account.

• Charges: No PG Charges.

• Agent / IRCTC Service Charges: As applicable

Helpline No.: 121

Helpline Email : 121@airtelmoney.in

Book your ticket through SMS:

1. SMS based booking through 139*

Registration

• Register your mobile number with IRCTC as well as with your bank.

• Bank provides MMID (Mobile Money Identifier) & OTP (one time password) for authorization of payment. (More than 25 banks are providing this facility.

Booking Flow

• Send SMS, in the following syntax, to 139

BOOK <M/F>

• You will receive Transaction ID alongwith other details.

• Make payment through sending an SMS, in the following syntax, to 139

PAY <OTP, your one time password received for this transaction> and your ticket is booked.

• Service is available to all mobile subscribers.

• SMSes @ Rs 3/- per SMS (2 SMSes are required for each booking).

• PG charges Rs 5/- for ticket amount Rs 5000/- (as applicable by bank).

• Agent / IRCTC Service Charges: As applicable

Helpline No.: 139

2. SMS based booking through 5676714*

Registration

• Register your mobile number with IRCTC as well as with m-wallet

• Send SMS, to 5676717, in the following syntax START for user authentication (first time only)

Booking Flow

• Send an SMS to 5676714 to book a ticket in the following syntax:

BOOK,, , ,,

,,<M/F>

• You will receive the Transaction number.

• Send the 2nd SMS, for payment, in the following syntax.

1. “PAY , MPAY, ” for authorizing payment through MPAY

or

2. “PAY ,,, ,” for authorizing payment through IMPS.

• After payment is made booking confirmation is sent to your mobile.

• Charges: No PG Charges. Agent / IRCTC Service Charges: As applicable. SMSes @ Rs 3/- per SMS (2 SMSes are required for each booking).

Helpline No. : 8882001001

Helpline Email : support@saarthii.com

3. SMS based Railway ticket booking through BSNL*

User should have the following:

1. BSNL SIM card installed.

2. Java enabled mobile phone.

3. Andhra Bank Prepaid card.

This is a menu driven application where user has to enter the details asked for in simple step-by-step process to get the ticket.

Registration

• Install the BSNL Prepaid Card Application.

• Select the Register option to get the mPIN.

Booking

• Click the icon BSNL Prepaid Card

• Select Ticketing > Train (IRCTC)

• Fill up the journey details such as From stn, To Stn, Train No, DOJ, Class, Quota, passenger details.

• Enter the mPIN to get the ticket information.

• Charges: No PG Charges. Agent / IRCTC Service Charges: As applicable. SMSes without charges.

Reliance Offers Free Unlimited Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, BigFlix & 3G Data With Galaxy Mega

Samsung, currently country’s largest smartphone seller has introduced two new models in India under Galaxy Mega brand. As the name suggests Galaxy Mega smartphones are shipped with larger than 5 inch display.

Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 comes with Android 4.2.2, 5.8 inch display, 1.4GHz dual core processor, Adreno GPU, 1.5GB RAM, 8MP main & 1.9 MP front camera and 2600mAh battery.

Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 comes with Android 4.2.2, 6.3 inch HD display, 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 dual core processor, Adreno 305 GPU, 1.5GB RAM, 8MP main & 1.9 MP front camera and 3200mAh battery.

Reliance Offer Details (Prepaid and Postpaid):

1. 2GB 3G data free per month for 3 months.
2. Unlimited movies free for 3 months on BigFlix with Galaxy mega. (no extra data usage charge is applicable)
3. Unlimited Whatsapp for 3 months.
4. Unlimited Twitter for 3 months.
5. Unlimited Facebook for 3 months.

As a part of reverse bundling offer you have to buy Galaxy Mega separately and activate this offer by calling Reliance Customer Care or visiting local Reliance World.

Reliance Communications Offer iPhone 5 In India

Reliance Communications today announced it will offer iPhone 5 in India starting today. iPhone 5 will be available for a suggested retail price of Rs 45,500 for the 16GB model, Rs52,500 for the 32GB model and Rs59,500 for the 64GB model in Reliance World outlets. In addition, iPhone 4S will be available for Rs38,500 for the 16GB model and iPhone 4 will be available for Rs26,500 for the 8GB model. Reliance Communications will allow iPhone 5 customers to connect to its fast, reliable & superior 3G network with data speeds up to 21 Mbps.

Reliance iPhone 5 tariff details:

Plan	PLAN 1	PLAN 2	PLAN 3	PLAN 4
Monthly fee (In Rs.)	304	504	804	1,004
Voice minutes(all local min)	100	200	400	500
SMS	–	–	–	–
Data (MB)	2,048	3,072	6,144	10,240
iPhone 5 (16 GB) – Rs.	45,500	45,500	45,500	45,500
iPhone 5 (32 GB) – Rs.	52,500	52,500	52,500	52,500
iPhone 5 (64 GB) – Rs	59,500	59,500	59,500	59,500
iPhone 4S (16 GB) – Rs.	38,500	38,500	38,500	38,500
iPhone 4 (8 GB) – Rs.	26,500	26,500	26,500	26,500

Telephone Directory Launches For Android Mobile App By MTNL Mumbai

In view of providing convenience to its customers, Mumbai’s number one Landline and Broadband service provider Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL today announced the launch of an Android Mobile App for its Telephone Directory search.

The MTNL Mumbai’s Telephone Directory Enquiry App for Google’s Android OS based smartphones provides various search options like Telephone Number by Name, Address or Old and New Numbers.

With the help of this App, users can search details of any MTNL Telephone numbers (Land-line Phones) by Telephone number.

The search option also enables getting list of all MTNL Telephone Numbers based on name and location in Mumbai.

MTNL Telephone Directory Enquiry Android App works in two different modes like Internet / data connection mode and SMS mode. In Internet / data connection mode the search results will be fetched through mobile data connectivity while with SMS option, it will sent through SMS on customers mobile phone.

MTNL Mumbai’s Telephone Directory Search Android app can be downloaded from http://mtnlmumbai.in  for free.

Direct Download Link :    MTNL Telephone Directory Enquiry Android App

Aircel 3G Mornings Offers Unlimited Access To 3G Data

Aircel today announced an outstanding 3G trial offer for new subscribers as well as existing who wish to experience 3G. ‘Aircel 3G Mornings’ will offer unlimited access to 3G data from 6.00AM to 9.00AM for 30 days absolutely free exclusively for Tanjavur subscribers first time in Tamilnadu..

To activate this offer, the subscriber will be required to dial the short code *122*456#.

‘Aircel 3G Mornings’ is an initiative which will give subscribers who own 3G handsets, a unique data experience without any terms and conditions relating to speed or price. Aircel, a young brand which has positioned itself as a data led telecom player, has been constantly innovating products & services and is credited with making 3G affordable to masses by launching the unique Pocket Internet Smart which offers best value 3G packs.

Airtel Launches Zero Data Cost For Google Services

Airtel and Google today announced the launch of Free Zone powered by Google, which will give Airtel mobile customers access to mobile web search and feature-phone-friendly versions of Gmail and Google+ in India. The first page of a website linked from search results is provided at no data cost.

Airtel mobile customers will be able to access the following services from mobile phone browsers through Airtel Free Zone powered by Google:

Gmail: Users have unlimited access to Gmail from their mobile browser. If users click on a link or attachment within the email they are directed to a page where they can purchase a data package.

Google+: Users can share online photos and messages with circles of family, selected friends or the public; follow updates on the things they are passionate about – from cricket to photography, music to news; and follow people they’re interested in.

Google Search: Users can search the entire Internet and access the first page of websites from the results for free. If they click further into a website after that, they are directed to a page where they can purchase a data package.

When users leave the Free Zone to navigate deeper into a website or download an attachment they are informed about the data charges and given the option to purchase an appropriate data package.

Nokia Lumia 800 and 710 jail-broken

Got a Nokia Lumia 800 or the budget-minded Lumia 710? Wishing you had a way to load unofficial apps or otherwise tinker with Windows Phone on your device? Well, you’re in luck: forum contributors at XDA have posted instructions that could possibly allow you to jailbreak (or Interop-unlock) your device.

There are a couple catches, however. If you own a Lumia 710, you’re probably good to go. You’ll need to first flash an unlocked Qualcomm bootloader before you can proceed with the unlock, but it’s definitely possible. For the Lumia 800, things get a bit more complicated.

Not all 800s can be jailbroken by following the procedure outlined at XDA. If your 800 sports hardware revision 2.3 and firmware 11141 or lower, you’re good to go. Phones that shipped with revision 2.4, or that have been upgraded to more recent firmware, can’t be unlocked yet as they’ve got a different bootloader and can’t be downgraded the way the Lumia 710 can.

Now that some Lumia 710s and 800s have been unlocked, the real fun begins. There’s a distinct possibility that we’ll see the usual round of operating system ports — Android seems likely, and someone in the Linux community may even try to shoehorn Ubuntu or a derivative onto one of the Nokia phones.

It’s safe to assume that neither Steve Ballmer or Stephen Elop envisioned Lumia owners installing an OS other than Windows Phone on the devices when they released them last year. They’re supposed to be the standard bearers for Microsoft’s operating system, after all.

As always, a word of warning before you attempt to unlock your Lumia: results have been mixed thus far, and there’s a possibility you could end up with a non-functional phone if you decide to flash.

Free 18GB Dropbox account now possible through referrals

If you sign up for a Dropbox account you are guaranteed 2GB of free storage for life. But there are several ways to increase that limit without paying any money for a Pro account upgrade. And now Dropbox has made it even easier to up your storage by revising the amount of bonus space you get for a referral.

In the past, coaxing your friends into joining Dropbox resulted in an additional 250MB of storage being added to your account. That has now doubled to give you 500MB for every successful referral. Dropbox promises to honor the bonus space offer for up to 32 referrals, meaning in theory you could earn yourself a free account with 18GB of space (2GB free and 16GB through referrals). That’s assuming you know 32 people willing to sign up to Dropbox.

The reward is even better if you already pay for a Pro account. Each referral earns you 1GB of extra space, meaning 32GB of extra storage is there for the taking on top of the 50GB or 100GB you already have.

Realistically, you may have a handful of people who will happily accept some free cloud storage. And with 500MB a pop, you’re still going to gain an extra gigabyte or two for yourself.

Depending on how real the rumors of Google launching the GDrive this month are, Dropbox may have to react. If the GDrive comes with 5GB of free storage, Dropbox’s 2GB doesn’t look so great anymore. Would they match it?

Dropbox Referrals, via Lifehacker

Opera Mobile adds extension support

Opera remains one of the most popular mobile browsers in the world, and now they’re offering up a fresh experimental build for Android users who want to further personalize their browsing experience. The new release offers support for the many extensions that can be installed from Opera’s gallery.

Developer Andreas Bovens notes that this is an early Opera Labs release they’re making available, and there are still plenty of bugs to work out. More surprisingly, he says that there’s no guarantee as of yet that extension support will be officially added to Opera Mobile.

While that may be the truth, it contradicts something Bovens mentions later in the post: that every aspect of the original extensions API for Opera’s desktop browser was designed with mobile in mind. If that’s the case, it seems  highly unlikely that Opera would really leave Mobile users out in the cold.

If you decide to take the Opera Mobile Labs build for a spin, there are a few caveats. Speed Dial extensions aren’t supported and extensions that rely on keyboard or mouse input may not function as expected when hooked into your device’s touchscreen. Extensions that utilize pop-up windows can also behave a bit strangely since they’re forced into tabs at the moment — though Opera will be implementing a different behavior in future iterations of the browser.

Several of Opera’s most popular extensions work just fine, including recognizable names like Ghostery and LastPass. Opera AdBlock works nicely too, and it’s certainly worth installing if you like to be frugal with your mobile bandwidth usage.

Don’t have an Android device to test the new Opera Mobile on? They have also posted emulators for Windows, Mac, and Linux that let you launch it in a window that can simulate the screen sizes and pixel density of several popular phones and tablets.

More at Opera

Chrome Web Store hit by Facebook hijacking extensions

Faithful Geek readers who surf with Google Chrome wouldn’t be fooled by the extension listed above. But  the fact that it’s pretending to be Adobe Flash Player coupled with the fact that it’s hiding out in the official Chrome Web Store is more than enough to trick some users — about a thousand so far.

Security researchers at Kaspersky Labs spotted this wave of malicious extensions in Brazil, where Chrome has become the most popular web browser in the country. Fraudsters took that into account when hatching their scheme, which involves selling Facebook likes to unscrupulous types who want to give their brands a boost and don’t care to play by the rules. The going rate is about $27 for 1,000 likes.

To push their cash-for-likes system, the people behind these extensions are sneakily advertising them on Facebook. As is the case with a lot of social imaging malware, the ads claim to offer users a way to re-color their profiles or track who’s looking at them — or even to remove the “virus” that’s infecting their profiles. Once installed, the extensions begin spamming likes and posting messages to walls enticing other users to download.

As long as you’re paying attention, you’re not likely to get caught in a snare like this. If you’re after a Facebook profile customizer, a Chrome extension that appears to be Flash Player obviously isn’t what you were looking for and you should skip installing it. That goes double since you’re using Chrome, which already has its own built-in Flash Player anyway.

Malicious extensions in the Chrome Web Store aren’t a new thing, but this activity in Brazil shows that the bad guys are hatching more elaborate plots and employing techniques similar to those used by Android Market/Google Play malware. Guess it’s time for Google to turn Bouncer loose on the Web Store, too.

This tank-like iPhone case is perfect for outdoorsy Apple fans

The iPhone is a slick, attractive device. It’s light, relatively small, and has an appealing combination of glass and steel. Have you ever wanted to take all of that and wrap it in a thick, heavy, camouflaged hunk of polycarbonate? No?? Well, in case you ever change your mind, a new Kickstarter project has you covered.

Meet the new Aqua Tek S from Snow Lizard Products. It will take the smart design of your iPhone and hide it inside of a tank-like case that could be mistaken for an Autobot.

It’s easy to mock the phone’s appearance, but there are plenty of good reasons to give your iPhone the Zack Morris treatment. What the Aqua Tek S lacks in svelte design, it makes up for in practical purpose. Hikers, campers, snowboarders, and extreme sports athletes will love it (Rollerman might be first in line).

This bad boy will keep your iPhone protected from water (waterproof up to 20 feet). It will protect it from drops. The project’s creators even claim that it will shield it from dirt. It has an extended battery hiding inside, with a solar charger on the outside; under the right conditions, this could keep an iPhone charged for days (or longer?) without a power outlet.

Despite its monstrous appearance, the Aqua Tek S could be a crucial accessory for a niche audience. It’s not as if anyone is going to put his iPhone in one of these to go to work or go shopping. It’s simply a way to take the device that you already use, and prepare it for your more extreme outings.

The Aqua Tek S has raised $3,271 of its needed $75,000 with 24 days remaining. You can find out more at the Kickstarter link below.

SanDisk claims Extreme SSD drives are 10x faster than HDDs

SanDisk has today announced a new super-fast consumer SSD drive carrying the name Extreme SSD. The drive comes in both 120GB and 240GB capacities. The name Extreme is earned through the sequential read and write speeds of 550MB/s and 520MB/s respectively over a SATA III 6Gb/s connection.

According to SanDisk, the Extreme SSD is 10x faster than an equivalent 7200rpm 2.5″ HDD. A typical computer, meaning a Windows machine we have to assume, boots in an average of 16 seconds apparently, and shuts down just as quick.

Adding one to your laptop is sure to have a noticeable effect on performance, especially if you currently use a 5400rpm HDD. SanDisk also say it will be more reliable and durable than a HDD, uses 30% less power, runs cooler, and because it has no moving parts there won’t be any noise either.

As for price, the 120GB model will cost $189.99 and the 240GB is $399.99. There’s also a 480GB model planned to arrive later this year, but it will carry an extortionate price of $749.99.

One of the main concerns about opting for an SSD is how long they will last. Even though the failure rate should be much lower than a HDD due to no moving parts, the reliability of SSDs from different manufacturers varies greatly. SanDisk backs up the Extreme SSD with a 3 year warranty and claims between 1.4 and 2.5 million hours of use before failure depending on the model chosen. That should put your mind at rest somewhat–but always backup your data regularly regardless of what storage you use.