TechTalk: Exploring the Latest Technology News, Updates, Reviews, and Gossip

Google will allow developers to sell applications for its Android cell phone operating system beginning next week in the United States. The move is a further step by the search giant into the mobile phone market, where Apple Inc has encountered success with its iPhone. Developers such as Electronic Arts Inc have been anxious to expand sales of their mobile phone games to the Android Market, which has been limited to free applications until now. Google said in a statement on Friday that consumers will have to pay for the applications via its Google Checkout payment product. Google's Android Market will initially carry paid applications from developers in the United States and Britain, with plans to allow developers in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, France and Spain to participate later this quarter.

Another Android device to-be has begun making waves according to reports. The handset is manufactured by a company called General Mobiles (General Motors affiliated???) that seems to specialize in Dual SIM handsets. The handset called the DSTL 1 is a classy looking touchscreen handset. Other than just Dual SIM technology it’s also equipped with a Linux 2.6 Kernel, hence the Android assumption. Nothing has been made official yet so we’ll have to wait and see. The DSTL 1 also features– * a 3-inch touchscreen with a 240 x 400 pixel, 260K color resolution (WQVGA) * Wi-Fi, EDGE and GPRS support * 4GB of internal memory with external support form microSD cards (up to 8GB) * Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR * Media player with DivX playback support, FM radio * 5 megapixel AF camera with flash * MS document reader * Java support This will be the first Dual SIM Android powered handset of course and it’s possible it’ll be showcased at the Mobile World Congress in Feb this year.

The Storm is here and while I’m sure you're anxious to know how it fared. We were too. So it took us a little while to get through with testing and here’s what we have to say. Form Factor The 9500’s build quality exudes a certain sturdiness with slim chromed lines and who can miss that brilliant 3.5-inch SurePress touchscreen display that is anything but conventional and clearly visible even in broad daylight. It sports a resolution of 360 x 480 (184ppi) pixels and 65k colors with an accelerometer for screen rotation. Though it's 3G ready, video calling might be a bit of a problem considering there’s no secondary camera. The 3.2 megapixel AF camera comes with a single LED for a flash and is located at the back. On one side of this slim device (that we thought to be a lot thicker from the previews) is a 3.5mm standard earphones socket, volume keys and a dedicated camera key. A customizable key that’s usually set to Voice Command is located on the other side with a micro USB p...

For Nokia 5800 fans who were wondering when the company would release applications for the touchscreen handset, the wait is over. Nokia has released six new applications for the handset that include WaveSecure It not only helps you track the lost phone but also ensures full security of the data on the device by allowing you to track the lost/stolen device via Buddy Notification or over the Internet. Remotely Lock the lost/stolen device, so that nobody can misuse the device and data. Backups of your data including Contacts, SMSs, Calendar Entries and Call Logs can be created and users can also erase the data on the stolen device to avoid misuse. You can also be able to restore the data back onto your device once you find it or even restore it on a new device which has WaveSecure installed. SMS Timer SMS Timer allows you to schedule SMS/MMS messages to be sent on a future date and time. The application functions exactly like the standard messaging application allowing you to define multi...

For the video and multimedia generation of today, a large screen is a pre-requisite and with large displays, 'touchscreen' is exactly what you’ll need for navigation. So, for you mobile maniacs interested in multimedia handsets designed with that specification in mind, here are few choices under a Rs. 20,000 budget. Nokia 5800 XpressMusic– Rs. 19, 990 Nokia’s answer to the iPhone craze was to create one of their own from their loyal fan base and the 5800 XpressMusic was the answer. Stirring up hype before the official launch and making an appearance in the Dark Knight movie made it all the more appealing. The handset features a 3.2-inch touch screen display, microSD card support and a standard 3.5mm earphone socket. It's also equipped with an accelerometer for auto-screen rotation, handwriting recognition and a 3.2 megapixel camera. For connectivity the 5800 is also stocked with Stereo Bluetooth, USB (micro) 2.0, GPRS/EDGE, 3G (HSDPA) support, Wi-Fi, GPOS with A-GPS and TV ...

Canon replaces its popular PowerShot A470 with a new 10 Megapixel model: the extra-compact, affordable PowerShot A480 . Redesigned for even more intuitive operation, the PowerShot A480 offers a new build and design that is 25% smaller than that of its predecessor – in a choice of silver, red, blue or black. Every aspect of the PowerShot A480 has been redesigned for ease of use. A new, simplified button layout – with dedicated buttons for zoom, mode and playback and an improved user interface, it’s as easy to operate as it is to carry. Compact proportions make the PowerShot A480 an ideal ‘take-anywhere’ camera, perfect for capturing spontaneous snapshots. The PowerShot A480 uses a 10 Megapixel sensor to capture every scene in detail, ready for printing at sizes as large as A3+. This is complemented by a 3.3x optical zoom, which provides the flexibility to frame everyday shots to perfection. At the heart of the PowerShot A480 is Canon’s Digic III image processor , which is known for its...

Panasonic announced two new additions to its Lumix FS-Series of digital cameras, the DMC-FS7 and the DMC-FS15 . The FS models , a stylish sister line of the highly-acclaimed Lumix FX-Series , combine easy operation with a slim and sleek look, enabling both beginner and advanced users to take beautiful digital photos with a model they can slip in their pockets. The 12.1 megapixel DMC-FS15 features a 29mm wide-angle Leica DC Vario-Elmar lens with a 5x optical zoom. Panasonic has enhanced the Intelligent Auto Mode (iA) on the DMC-FS15 from the previous FS models to now include AF tracking and Intelligent Exposure functions in addition to Mega O.I.S., Intelligent ISO Control , Intelligent Scene Selector and Face Detection. AF Tracking enables the user to “lock” the focus onto a moving subject. The camera then automatically tracks the subject as it moves, keeping it in focus without the need to hold the shutter button halfway down. Additionally, Intelligent Exposure helps capture na...