Sony Xperia S the first Sony branded device

The first Sony branded device that Sony hopes will revive the company’s relevance in the smartphone space. Kaz Hirai has already pointed out mobile is going to be a key area of focus for the company and Sony smartphones will be backed up with content and services owned by Sony Corporation. In our first impressions, we pointed out some positives and negatives of the device, but we took it around for a longer drive. Read on to find out if the Xperia S has what it takes to stand against the likes of the iPhone 4S, HTC One X and the Samsung Galaxy S II.

BlackBerry Curve 9220 Review

The Curve 9220 takes over from the 8520, which has been a run-away success for RIM. Being the cheapest BlackBerry on offer, the 8520 attracted youngsters who simply wanted BBM and little of RIM’s other features targeted at enterprises. It is also responsible for the company’s popularity in consumer segment, which had not been the case earlier.

The 9220 takes design cues from the 8520 and there is very little to differentiate the two from the front. Still the designers have managed to make it sleeker while adding a bigger battery, added a new BBM shortcut key on the left edge and removed the music keys on the top. The exoskeleton still remains plastic though I like the quality of plastics RIM has used unlike what we see even in most high-end Samsung smartphones. Overall, if one has used the 8520, one will feel right at home with the 9220.

Attitude daksha From Telmoco development labs Pvt. Ltd.- Android 4.0 ICS-based tablet at Rs. 5399

Indian Company telmoco development labs pvt. Ltd. launched their tablet named Attitude daksha a New low budget Android 4.0 ICS-based tablet at Rs. 5399. The tablet is targeted at schools and other institutions and will be available for order from May 15.

According to the company, the Daksha features a 7-inch  WVGA (480×800 pixels) 5-point capacitive touchscreen. Other specs include a 1.2GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor (1.5GHz) with 512 MB DDR3 RAM. It has an HDMI port, microSD slot, 3.5 mm audio out, micro USB port and an OTG connector for 3G USB dongle. It is capable of 1080p full HD video streaming and has dedicated 400 MHz GPU. Daksha is powered by 3,800 mAh li-Pol battery which gives a back up of over 6 hours with Wi-Fi switched on. It comes with a 0.3 MP front facing camera with an option of getting a 2.0 MP camera.

Apple to create 500 jobs in Ireland

US technology giant Apple intends to create 500 support jobs in Cork, southern Ireland, the government said on Friday.

The move by the multi-national, which has generated huge sales of its iPads and iPhones rocket worldwide, will bring total employmentat Apple's Cork operation to about 3,300.

Enterprise and Innovation Minister Richard Bruton described the development as a "huge boost for the country" which is looking to recover from an international bailout.

"It is a great testament to the company's workforce, a great vote of confidence in the future of our economy, and it shows what is possible for Ireland at the heart of a stable Europe," Bruton said in a statement.

Cork government lawmaker Dara Murphy said most of the jobs at the Apple operation in the city -- which caters for business in Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa --- comprise tech support and online sales positions.

The Apple news follows an announcement on Wednesday that the Pittsburgh-based Mylan pharmaceutical manufacturer also plans to expand its Irish operations by creating 500 new jobs by 2016.

The Irish government, led by Prime Minister Enda Kenny, is looking to create 100,000 jobs by 2016.

"This is just the first step in an annual plan to help rebuild our economy," Kenny said on Friday.

Kenny's government is battling to reduce Ireland's unemployment rate of 14.3 per cent, which has led to more than 434,000 people being without work.

Ireland has been battered by the international financial crisis, but the economy is slowly recovering after it was forced to seek an 85-billion-euro ($112 billion) EU-IMF rescue package in November 2010.

Soon, mobile phones to be turned into credit cards

Under a payment system unveiled any mobile phone can be turned into a 'tap and go' credit card.

Advocates of the technology argue it could mean the end of small cash payments within five to 10 years.

The system, which can be used to make purchases up to 15 pounds, involves sticking asmart card or PayTag - about a third of the size of a normal credit card - to the back of ahandset.

To make a payment, the phone is tapped on a specially adapted till. The tag, which contains a microchip, communicates with the till terminal via an antenna to confirm the credit card account of the customer and authorise a payment without the need to enter a PIN.

The system is being launched by Barclaycard, which says it comes with 100 per cent fraud protection, but is likely to be adopted by other major banks.

Previously, only a few hi-tech handsets could be used for tap and go payments, but the new tag means any phone could be.

An increasing number of retailers offer or are introducing tap and go tills, including Waitrose,McDonald's, Boots and Tesco. By the end of this year, London buses will also accept these so-called contactless payments.

"More than half of us say that the item we're most lost without is our mobile phone, so we're giving people the option of using them to make easy, convenient, everyday payments," the Daily Mail quoted David Chan, chief executive of Barclaycard Consumer Europe as saying.