It seems a day simply does not go by without some new BlackBerry-related leak. Not that we’d mind, anyway; BB10 is shaping up to be one of the more interesting releases in the industry for 2013. This time, the leaks are focusing on what appears to be a new UI for BB10, as well as displaying some of its native apps such as Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare.

Hit the break for more screenshots, as well as one that might not go well with Apple.

Seeing as mobile phone screen real estate is reaching a point where the line between phone, tablet and phoneablet and if left unchecked, phoneablets may just be the next standard phone form factor. There has to be a limit to how big a phone can get before it bulges your pockets to lewd proportions. Taking a page (kinda) out of some of the hybrid devices in the market, the guys over at Yota Devices have either gotten it horribly wrong or have found the next big thing in Mobile devices with a dual-screen 4.3Inch Smartphone.

The Yota Phone is an android based handset that has reached the fully working prototype stage and features a 4.3Inch 720×1280 LCD display in the front and a cool 200dpi e-Ink display in the rear. The phone is powered by a 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 and has 2GB of RAM and 32GB storage. Rounding up the specs list is a 2,100 mAh Battery, 12MP rear camera, 720p front camera and Gorilla Glass all around.

The cool thing about this concept is that the e-Ink display will be powered by an open API which will allow apps to throw whatever information to the rear panel while the pre-installed software will pull notifications from the OS and allow them to stay on the panel for as long as their needed, only drawing power when refreshing. This way, the battery is not completely eaten by the second screen. I don’t know why this wasn’t thought of earlier!

The Yota Phone is set to be released to Russian carriers in Q3 of next year, with undetermined international release dates. If this takes off, it could definitely be the next big thing in the industry.

(Source: Engadget)

What is the best way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of one of the most iconic character in video games world? Well, how about a crossover game featuring both the character with another legendary video game title who is also celebrating its 25th birthday this year? Say hello to the Street Fighter x Mega Man!

Interestingly, the idea of the game actually came from a Capcom’s fan – Seow Zong Hui of Singapore – who developed a basic version of the game and then showed it to the company’s senior VP, Christian Svensson at EVO 2012. The idea then managed to grab Capcom’s interest and the rest is history. Furthermore, the game’s soundtrack is created by the well-known 8-bit musician A_Rival who mixed together themes from both Mega Man and Street Fighter for the game.

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The Street Fighter x Mega Man can be downloaded for free over at Capcom-Unity. Yes, FREE OF CHARGE. Go on, click the link – we insist.

Fujitsu Malaysia has recently launched a Windows 8 tablet that they’re touting to be the world’s first water- and dust-resistant tablet called the Stylistic QH582. Featuring superior certification such as IPX8 (it can still function after submerged 1.5m underwater for 30 minutes) and IP5X (it can still function after being left in a harsh environment with fine dust particles for eight hours, the Stylistic QH582 also has some pretty decent specs.

Sporting a 10.1-inch five-point multi-touch IPS screen with a resolution of 1366 x 768 that is also scratch-resistant (although it is not made from Gorilla Glass), the Stylistic QH582 is powered by an Intel Atom Z2760 dual-core processor running at 1.8GHz. There’s also 2GB of RAM that should keep the tablet buzzing quickly between apps, while there is an ample 64GB of flash storage, which is expandable via MicroSD.

There’s also the standard suite of connectivity options such as WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, and GPS. In addition, the Stylistic QH582 also has an 8MP rear camera and a 720p front-facing one. There are also two micro USB ports, as well as a HDA-out port on the device – all in a slim 9.9mm frame that weighs 574g that is made in Japan. And, with reported battery life of 10.5 hours, this is one tablet you’ll be able to bring around with you anywhere without fear of the battery dying out or worrying if it can handle your rough lifestyle.

The Fujitsu Stylistic QH582 tablet is now available in Malaysia, but its price has not been disclosed just yet. For more information on the tablet, head on to Fujitsu Singapore’s product page here. For more information on Fujitsu’s other products, head on to its Malaysia page here.

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Now that Google has finally answered the desperate prayers of the majority of iOS users with the new Google Maps app for iOS, many would now be wondering if Siri would then natively use this app for all navigation queries instead of the official Maps app, which is…unreliable, to say the least. The answer, bless the stars, is a resounding “yes”. And, the sugar coating on top is that there is no complicated hack or workaround needed, much less to jailbreak it.

Each time a user wishes to use Google Maps for turn-by-turn navigation on iOS via Siri, they’ll just have to end their query with a “via transit”, e.g. “Take me to KL Tower via transit”. Instead of opening the Maps app immediately, a new window will pop out, with a selection of navigation options for the user to choose from based on the navigation apps that they have. They then only need to press on Google Maps, and voila, you’re good to go.

(Source: GSMarena)

Want the new iPad and iPad mini but can’t seem to get it anywhere, and shipping takes 2 weeks on Apple’s Malaysian online store? Get it with DiGi then because the telco has just announced the availability of both devices on its Store Online from RM1,899 and RM1,399 respectively (Wi-Fi + Cellular flavor of course). DiGi is offering the device with four of its tablet plans with no contract (but advance payment ties you up to 5 months otherwise your fee will be forfeited) ranging from 500MB to 3GB, and a contracted iPad Pro plan that can get you 6GB of data at only RM68/month.

The breakdowns of the offering are as follows:

As you can tell from the device price, DiGi provides no subsidy. The perks of getting it from the telco is that if you take the iPad Pro plan with a 12 months contract, you can enjoy 6GB of data at RM68/month for the first 12 month; the normal price for the plan is RM83/month.

Also, if you sign up with the Tablet 2GB plan before 3 February 2012, you get 3GB worth of data.

The bad news is though, when you sign up for any plan for either device, you’ll need to pay an advance payment, so even if you sign up for a contract-free postpaid plan, you’ll need to keep your line activated for five months for DiGi to credit it back to you (RM10/month).

So, anybody buying the new iPads from DiGi? It’s available on DiGi Store Online though, the telco made no mention as to how long they will take to deliver it to your doorstep. More information over at DiGi.

(Source: DiGi Facebook)

Although it is unknown why the region was not included from early on, Nokia Malaysia has just announced that customers in East Malaysia are now able to pre-order the new Nokia Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 through selected dealers – just four days before the devices are scheduled to be released in our shores. The dealers are:

Kota Kinabalu
Metro Electronics, Center Point
Phone Master, Wisma Merdeka
Kuching
Allied Marketing, Wisma Saberkas
East Malcom, Wisma Saberkas

That is a really short list, to be honest. In addition to that, Nokia Malaysia also didn’t specify if there are any pre-order requirements or promotions related to the new Windows Phone 8-based Lumia devices. Not to forget, the delivery time is quite vague as well – “before Christmas” according to a reply in Nokia Malaysia’s Facebook page.

Do let us know if there is any further information that we should be aware of once you successfully pre-ordered the new Nokia Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 with any of the dealers above and we will then update this post accordingly.

In light of Google’s botched pre-order system for the Nexus 4, where the Google Play Store website was brought to its knees due to high traffic resulting in plenty of criticism from consumers, Google has finally responded with a statement. The company’s UK managing director, Dan Cobley, had his Google+ page flooded with unsatisfied UK customers venting their frustration over the poor handling of the pre-order service for the new Nexus devices. After replying with a promise that he will look into the matter, he admitted that the company had let its customers down with its “flawed communication” and “unacceptable” customer experience.

His statement in full:

Dear all, I know that what you are going through is unacceptable and we are all working through the nights and weekends to resolve this issue. Supplies from the manufacturer are scarce and erratic, and our communication has been flawed. 

I can offer an unreserved apology for our service and communication failures in this process. 
I am optimistic that we will be able to share some positive news shortly, but I do not want to cause any more disappointment by making a commitment until we are 100% sure we can deliver on it. 

I realise that the people who ordered the Nexus 4 so early are among our most committed and loyal users and we are doing all we can to put things right. 

He also implied that the company is not fully at fault for the shortage in devices. He states that supply from the manufacturer – Korean manufacturers LG – has been “scarce and erratic”. Nevertheless, his reply brought about plenty of relief, as Google has not commented over the matter.

Let’s just hope that stocks for the device will pick up in time to see the Nexus on this side of the world before the end of the year. Seeing as the LG Malaysia Fan Page on Facebook has been teasing subscribers on the Nexus 4, and – crucially – with the device also appearing on LG Malaysia’s product page, we might be seeing it soon.

(Source: The Next Web, LG Malaysia Fan Page, LG Malaysia)