Apple loses a U.S. appeals bid in Samsung patent fight

A U.S. appeals court on Thursday rejected Apple Inc's request to revive its bid for a sales ban on Samsung's Galaxy Nexus smartphone, dashing the iPhone maker's attempt to recover crucial leverage in the global patent wars.

Apple had asked the full Federal Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., to revisit a decision in October by a three-judge panel of the same court. The panel rejected Apple's request to impose a sales ban on Samsung's Nexus smartphone ahead of a trial set for March 2014.

An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment. A Samsung representative could not immediately be reached.

The fight in appeals court comes after Apple won a $1.05 billion (£661.75 million) verdict last year against Samsung in a U.S. District Court in California. The same trial judge will preside over the legal battle surrounding the Nexus phone, which involves a patent not included in the earlier trial.

The fight has been widely viewed as a proxy war between Apple and Google Inc. Samsung's hot-selling Galaxy smartphones and tablets run on Google's Android operating system, which Apple's late co-founder, Steve Jobs, once denounced as a "stolen product."

In its October ruling against Apple, the appeals court raised the bar for potentially market-crippling injunctions on product sales based on narrow patents for phone features. The legal precedent puts Samsung in a much stronger position by allowing its products to remain on store shelves while it fights a global patent battle against Apple over smartphone technology.
U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh, in San Jose, California, who has presided over much of the Apple/Samsung litigation in the United States, cited the appeals' court decision in a December order rejecting Apple's request for permanent sales bans on several Samsung phones. Apple has appealed Koh's ruling.

Apple wanted the full Federal Circuit of Appeals, made up of nine active judges, to reverse the earlier ruling. But in a brief order on Thursday, the court rejected Apple's request without detailed explanation or any published dissents.

Several experts had believed that Apple faced long odds, as the legal issues in play were not considered controversial enough to spur full court review.

Apple could still appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. However, the high court has made it more difficult for patent plaintiffs to secure sales injunctions in recent years.

The case in the Federal Circuit is Apple Inc. vs Samsung Electronics Co Ltd et al, 12-1507.

BlackBerry's new Z10 touchscreen

BlackBerry's 'relaunch' isn't going to sink Apple's iPhone, or stop Google's army of Androids in its tracks - but the new, 'fun' face of BlackBerry offers plenty of new ideas.

The ability to 'split' a phone so that a corporate handset can switch instantly into a 'personal' phone filled with apps is a superb idea - and likely to bring a smile to IT departments as much as the workers they cater for.

Corporate IT departments, after all, are going to be some of the biggest buyers of this new incarnation of BlackBerry.

But the addition of 70,000 apps including Angry Birds, music and films, should mean that workers won't slope off and buy their own iPhones - this works perfectly well as an entertainment device, and is very nearly as much fun as anything Google or Apple can dream up.
 

That in itself is a giant leap for BlackBerry. But the Canadian company has not lost its focus on mobile email - an idea it pioneered a decade ago.

The fast-moving 'Hub' inbox which brings together Twitter, Facebook, email, BBM and LinkedIn in one list would probably make a 19th-century person's brain explode - but it's a great centrepiece app for the communication-oriented device, with filters to cut down the flood of messages if it all gets too much.

You can also flip upwards to see upcoming appointments instantly - complete with LinkedIn CVs for people you're meeting.

On-the-go workers will spend a lot of time in Hub.

BB10 has also had the courage to - mostly - get rid of the familiar grids of app icons that first cropped up on Palm gizmos in the Nineties.

Instead, the phone is meant to run lots of apps at once, swiping sideways between them, with 'active frames' displaying information on screen, such as how many emails are in your inbox.

The 'Peek' function also lets users swipe sideways to see alerts such as Facebook messages and emails even while using an app such as video - popping direct back in the app if the user decides not to look at their messages right that second.

Naturally, the phone also offers secure email - and even has the classic 'red flash' to show when there's a new email waiting.

The simple gesture control and always-there keyboard should help to ensure that the famous speed ofBlackBerry users - able to out-email Android and iPhone fans - remains.

It isn't perfect though - there might be 70,000 apps available at launch, but that's less than a tenth of what's on offer via Google and Apple's app stores.

It also remains to be seen whether many game developers will warm to the new platform - if they don't, it won't be easy luring in young users.

The best new photo-sharing apps

Instagram recently caused controversy when it changed its terms of use, seemingly claiming ownership over photos - a claim later denied by the Facebook-owned company. 

The move sparked a huge online backlash against the service. But whether or not you’ve fallen out of love with Instagram, there are some fantastic alternatives.

There are a wide variety of photo apps enabling you remove red-eye, banish sports, crop or go back in time with retro filters, and with a huge selection of filters and sharing options, Instagram is one of the most popular.

Camera+
69p, iOS

Camera+ is a smartphone app for photographs who find Instagram a little too basic.  Tools like Grid, Horizon Level and Live Exposure (which shows you the equivalent ISO, aperture and shutter speed) aid photo composition, but it’s the huge selection of effects you can apply that impresses - including 16 scene modes, 18 frames, 9 crops and 27 filters.  Share options are good too, send photos via email, message, Flickr, Twitter and Facebook or even create a web link.

Camera+ is not the slickest photographic app, but offering the digital equivalent of a darkroom, this is 69p well spent.

Cinemagram
Free, iOS
Nokia’s new Windows Phone handsets offer the Cinemagraph app as a hot new feature, but Cinemagram for iOS was there first. Snap short video clips alongside a still image and you can then animate part or (the whole) image to show a particular action, making for some striking visuals.

The user interface looks for the most part identical to Instagram, with options to share to Facebook and Twitter as standard and there’s also a well developed network of Cinemagram users.

Cinemagram used to be a paid app but it’s now up for grabs on the App Store for free.

 

Flickr photos from the new iPhone app.

Flickr
Free - iOS, Android, Windows Phone
Flickr is the world’s largest photo-sharing library, but now comes with a slick and
user-friendly Android, iOS and Windows Phone experience to boot.

As well as searching the huge library of photos from other users, you can snap
your own photos on the fly by tapping the camera icon in the middle of
the screen and throwing on a filter for a cool effect.

The app also lets users browse photos taken nearby by utilising the phone’s GPS and share
images to Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or an email address. It’s
free, but requires a Yahoo account to sign in.

Facebook Camera
Free, iOS
Originally a compulsory part of the iOS Facebook update, the social network’s dedicated camera app is now an optional download on the App Store which serves as a high quality alternative to Instagram on iOS.

The default view feed is a particularly attractive way of displaying photos from people you are follow, but you can also set filters to show your own pics or general images from your news feed. Upload photos directly from your photo gallery or launch the camera and snap a new image on the fly. After that it’s a case of filtering, cropping, tagging your friends, adding a location and uploading to your favourite social network.

Lomogram
Free, Windows Phone
Windows Phone users might feel left out in the cold with regards to app support, but Lomogram steps in to fit in the Instagram sized hole in the Windows Phone Store with filters and sharing options of its own.

The photo taking experience is designed explicitly around sharing - snap your shot or pick an existing one from your photo library, add a filter, overlay, border or crop your image accordingly, then add a message and share to any one of five different social networks: Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Flickr or Vk.

Snapseed
Free - iOS, Android 
 Snapseed is a versatile app suitable for users with differing photographic abilities.   Novices can use enhance photos with a tap using Auto Correct and have fun with a range of filters, before sharing with friends and social networks.

Advanced photographers can make more precise edits, adjusting the brightness, white balance, saturation and contrast, although the use of motion controls makes the app more suited to the iPad’s big screen.

Snapseed is suitable for novices and more experienced photographers and the tablet version also supports RAW photographic files.

How to pick the best tablet computer for you

Buying a tablet can be confusing, with models ranging in price from £129 to £600, and running Android, Windows or iOS.

Whether you're a reluctant computer user, a hardcore gamer or someone who wants a machine that'll help with work, there are now tablets to fit your needs - and not all of them are made by Apple.

The tablets below are hand-picked out of today's crop of 7-inch and 10-inch tablets - including little-known bargain models including a 10-inch Disgo tablet for just £155.

Best for beginners

iPad Mini: With a starting price of £269, the iPad Mini is the cheapest most portable iPad to date, featuring a 7.9-inch instead of 9.7-inch screen.

With a single home button and apps in regimented rows, it’s near impossible to get lost when navigating the Mini, making it one of the easiest tablets to use.

If you are a tech novice, buy the Mini from the Apple Store and staff will set it up your email and even show you how to download apps.

Amazon Kindle Fire HD

Despite running Android, the Kindle Fire HD doesn’t look like a typical Android tablet and can’t access the Google Play Store - but it's actually must simpler to use.

This means the user experience is more streamlined than some Android tablets and you can buy apps, games, movies and music from the Kindle Store using an Amazon account.

If you don’t mind buying all your content from Amazon, the Kindle Fire HD is an affordable (£159) beginner-friendly tablet.
Best for value

Google Nexus 7

Released at the end of 2012 the Google Nexus 7 was a groundbreaking tablet, running the latest version of Android (Jelly Bean) and packing a powerful quad-core processor for just £159.  Despite the low price, the Nexus 7 feels like a premium tablet, with performance ably matching pricier rivals.

Overall, the Google Nexus 7 offers a lot of features for a relatively small financial outlay and as a Nexus branded device, it’s guaranteed at least two more significant operating system updates, direct from Google adding new features.

Disgo Tablet

The Disgo 8104 runs the slightly older Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system, but you’ll still be able to access email and browse the web on the generous 10.1-inch screen.

There are compromises - you can’t access the Google Play Store and the screen and processor are no match for the similarly priced Nexus 7, but a mini-HDMI output (for hooking the tablet up to a monitor or HD TV), front-facing camera and microSD card slot are surprising inclusions for just £155.

Best for business

Microsoft SurfaceRT/Pro

Competent Microsoft Office users will want to ensure work is easily accessible, editable and compatible across devices and there's no tablet better suited to Office's features than Microsoft's own Surface tablets. The more affordable Surface RT and more powerful (but more expensive) Surface Pro support dedicated versions of the Office suite (Word, Excel, Powerpoint etc), running on Windows RT and Windows 8 respectively.  When paired to the TouchCover or TypeCover keyboards, either makes for a powerful mobile workstation.

Asus Transformer Pad Infinity

One of the most powerful Android tablets around, this HD, quad-core toting device features a hybrid design which lets users navigate via the hardware keyboard and trackpad or the touchscreen. Should the laptop-style form factor not suit your needs, the display undocks and works as a fully functioning, standalone 10.1-inch Android tablet for business on-the-go.
The Transformer Pad Infinity features a professional metal finish and there are a host of apps designed to support files from a range of software including Microsoft Office.
Best for films and TV

Apple iPad

With a bright, sharp and colourful 9.7-inch Retina screen, the Apple iPad 4 is the perfect device for watching movies and TV programmes. 

Download BBC iPlayer, 4oD and ITV Player apps for catch up services, some live streams and thanks to a recent update on the iPlayer app; offline downloads. For a monthly fee Netflix (£5.99) and Lovefilm (£4.89) offer unlimited streaming of movie and TV shows. Alternatively user can download and rent TV shows and movies from the iTunes Store. In short it’s the rich selection of apps from content providers that makes the iPad so good for movies and TV.

Google Nexus 10

With pin-sharp detail and vivid colours the Google Nexus 10 is one of the best Android tablets for watching movies. The Google Play store offers a wide selection of movies to buy and rent, but unfortunately TV shows are only available in the US.

Streaming TV programmes falls to the likes of the ITV Player and BBC iPlayer apps, however there’s no option for offline downloads like on the iPad. Netflix is available for movie streaming but Lovefilm doesn’t currently allow streaming to Android devices.

Despite the Nexus 10’s fantastic hardware, more content is available for iOS uses, so the iPad is our tablet of choice for entertainment.

Best for gamers

Google Nexus 7
The Nexus 7 might not be the most powerful Android tablet you can buy, but thanks to a winning combination of portability, performance and price, it’s our choice for gaming. The quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor ably handles graphically intensive games and the TegraZone app provides access to optimised games like Shadowgun. Weighing just 340g, the Nexus 7 is small enough for gaming anywhere - from a commute to a holiday, but hardcore gamers should opt for 16GB or 32GB iterations.
Apple iPad 4

When Apple introduced the iPad 4 in late 2012 the powerful A6X chip, made it more powerful and responsive than ever, effortlessly running graphically intensive 3D games smoothly. Where the iPad really wins is in the quantity of games available - both free and paid.

From the 3D goodness of Temple Run 2, addictive throwaway Angry Birds Star Wars,  graphically intensive N.O.V.A.3 and Shadowgun -  there’s something for everyone and all look incredibly lifelike on the 9.7-inch Retina display.

Best for creative types

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1

What makes the Note 10.1 stand out from other Android tablets is the built-in stylus - or S-Pen - suitable for writing, drawing and navigating on the 10.1-inch screen. 1024 pressure sensitivity levels provide exceptional control with optimised apps, such as Samsung’s S-Note (for note taking) and Photoshop Touch (for photo editing). For sketching, designing, or editing photos on-the-go, the Galaxy Note 10.1 is the tablet to choose.

Apple iPad

The iPad 4 is one of the best tablets for photo fans.  Apple released a Lightning to SD Card Camera reader (£25), allowing photos and movies to be imported directly for editing, alternatively the iSight camera takes respectable 5-megapixel photos and full HD movies. 

Bright, bold colours and exceptionally sharp, the 9.7-inch Retina Display is fantastic for performing fine edits using optimised apps like Sketchbook Pro or iMovie.

How to get cash for old mobiles

.

Many of us simply forget about old phones - but in the smartphone era, that's a huge mistake.

Working smartphones such as iPhones or Samsung's Galaxy handsets can be worth hundreds of pounds and even broken phones aren’t worthless.

Start by performing a simple Yahoo Shopping search to find out how much your phone is worth new - you won't get the full value, but if you follow our steps, you can get a significant chunk of it.  Check out specialist phone shops such as Expansys, PAYG pricing from networks and Phone Comparison tools.

Once you know how much your phone is selling for, work out where best to sell it - whether via eBay, specialist shops, or companies who specialise in recycling damaged handsets.

Read on for our step-by-step guide to selling phones - and the pitfalls to avoid to ensure you get good value for yours.

Where to sell your phone

There are multiple options for selling working phones -  a dedicated recycling company such as fonebank, network buy back/recycling service like Vodafone Buyback, second-hand shop like Computer Exchange (CEX) or auction website eBay.

Phone recycling is big business, with dedicated recycling companies, networks and supermarkets getting involved. Phones are often sent to the developing world, refurbished and resold or recycled. Get a quote online and send your phone off, where it is checked and money is sent via cheque or bank transfer. Don’t automatically select the company that offers the most money though - shop around and read customer testimonies.  

If you prefer the high street Computer Exchange (CEX) has stores up and down the UK, offering cash or credit and you don’t have to wait to find out how much your phone is worth.

We’ve picked three popular phones are compared the prices at several places.

Computer Exchange offers the most money for the Apple iPhone 4S (16GB) at £243 (£303 exchange). Vodafone Buyback offers £201 (cash) or £233 (vouchers),  Carphone Warehouse Trade in £209, O2 Recycle £230 or £248 (Amazon gift certificate) and fonebank £231.

Prices for the Samsung Galaxy S2 are more consistent. Vodafone Buyback offers £133 (cash) or £154 (vouchers), Carphone Warehouse Trade in £129, O2 £130 (cash), £140 (Amazon gift certificate), Computer Exchange £130 (£173 exchange) and fonebank £120 (cash).

Prices for the HTC Wildfire S vary. Computer Exchange offers £35 (£46 exchange).  fonebank £25, O2 £27.55 (cash) and £29.75 (Amazon gift certificate), Carphone Warehouse Trade in £19.09 and Vodafone Buyback £19 (cash) or £20/£22 (vouchers).*

Bear in mind, depending on the condition of your phone, you may not get the full amount quoted - especially if there is any sort of screen damage.  Each company sets out its criteria online - check out Vodafone’s here or CEX’s here.

What to do with damaged phones

However if your phone has surface wear and tear, don’t throw it away, dedicated recycling companieswill pay for damaged phones.

A damaged Apple iPhone 4S (16GB) is worth £85 from fonebank, £90 or £99 (voucher) from Mazuma Mobile. The Samsung Galaxy S2 will net you £60 from fonebank, or £53 or £58 (voucher) from Mazuma Mobile and the HTC Wildfire S is worth £10 from fonebank or £11 or £12 (voucher) from Mazuma Mobile.

eBay’s auction format means you could get more money for your phone. Buying through eBay is more time consuming though - you’ve got to take photographs, prepare a description and post it. Although the majority of transactions are smooth, there’s a small chance someone unscrupulous could claim the phone is not working and want a refund. So make sure the description is accurate - even down the tiniest scratch - it will help your case in case of dispute.

The best apps to save you money on texting

The text message (SMS) recently celebrated its 20th birthday, but according to Ofcom in the first half of 2012 there was decline in the volume of text messages sent.

More and more of us are using cheap instant messaging services like WhatsApp and Skype and social networking websites like Facebook instead of traditional text messages to keep in touch.

If you’re on a PAYG tariff then using a service like Skype over WiFi (see below) is definitely worth doing, but it’s also worth considering for Pay Monthly users.

Pay monthly mobile phone contracts include an allowance of minutes, texts and data. If you are an avid texter and go over this you'll be charged for each individual message, prices range from 10p (Three) to 15p (T-Mobile), depending on the network.

What you might not realise is that picture messaging isn’t included in the majority of phone tariffs, so you’ll be charged every time you send a photo multimedia message (MMS). 

Network charges vary: O2 and Vodafone charge 35p, Orange 30.6p, T-Mobile 30p, Three 25p and giffgaff 16p, although some offer photo bundles where you pay a fixed amount for a number of messages. Send 10 extra texts and five multimedia messages a month and your bill could increase by nearly £5.

Free or cheap?

Don’t panic - there’s no reason to stop texting or sharing pictures. Whether you’ve got an Android, Apple, BlackBerry or Windows Phone smartphone, there are some fantastic apps for sending messages or photos.

Use WiFi at home or via a free hotspot and the apps won’t cost a penny to use, if you want to use 3G, then factor in the size of your existing data allowance. WhatsApp (for example) uses around 3KB of data for a short message containing text, so you can send around 340 messages and use just 1MB of data - hardly anything. 

Be slightly more cautious when sending a photo message though - WhatsApp uses around 90KB of data, equating to 10 pictures per MB or over 100 pictures per 100MB*
If you're on an unlimited data get messaging, however if your data allowance is very small, use WiFi.

Cheap messaging apps

WhatsApp Messenger
69p, Free
Android, BlackBerry, iOS, Windows Phone

WhatsApp Messenger is an extremely versatile cross-platform app compatible with Windows, iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Symbian and Nokia S60 phones. Use it to send text messages, photos, videos, or voice notes to anyone in the world for over WiFi or 3G, provided they’ve got the app.

There’s no need to invite friends - once installed the app will automatically search your contacts for other WhatsApp users and display them as contacts.

Like Skype and FaceBook Messenger, WhatsApp Messenger runs in the background and push notifications can alert you when new messages arrive.
Priced 69p or free for a year (depending on your operating system) WhatsApp Messenger is the most versatile messaging system we’ve seen and one of the easiest to use.
iMessage
Free
iOS

iMessage is Apple’s proprietary messaging service enabling iPhone, iPad and iPod users to send text messages and photos to other iOS users for free over WiFI. It is one of the easiest messaging apps to use, as long as iMessage has been activated (via the Settings menu) it works automatically when you message other iOS users. iMessages are blue and SMS’s green.

Unlike the other apps here, iMessage integrates with the native Messages app on your iPhone and works automatically when you’re connected to a recognised WiFi hotspot or have a 3G mobile data connection available. It works between devices too - start a conversation on your iPhone and continue it on your iPad.
Simple to activate and seamless to use, if you’re an iOS user turn on iMessage and save your money - it’s just a shame it it only works between Apple devices.

Facebook Messenger
Free
Android, BlackBerry, iOS
If you are one of the millions of people who uses Facebook, Facebook Messenger is worth checking out. Separate to the main app, but with a near identical UI, it’s an expanded version of your Facebook Inbox for sending messages, photos and even audio clips to contacts over WiFi or 3G. Push notifications inform you of new messages, so you don’t have to continually check your phone.
If you are a Facebook fanatic this is the messaging app to use and Facebook is rumoured to be trialling a voice call feature, enabling users to make free voice calls - potentially saving even more money.

Skype
Free
Android, BlackBerry, iOS, Windows Phone
Skype is perhaps most famous for its video calling service, but you can also use it as an IM client to communicate across multiple mobile phone operating systems. Set up an account, search for your friends and you can converse and send files (including photos and videos) over WiFi or 3G.
Skype is easy to use and extremely popular, it’s also the best choice if you want an app that works near-seamlessly between a computer and smartphone.

BlackBerry Messenger

Free
BlackBerry Messenger or BBM is RIM’s instant messaging service. Unlike the other apps here it’s free to use - BlackBerry handsets are sold on BlackBerry data plans that include BBM use.
Register for a BlackBerry ID and you’ll get a PIN code, add BBM contacts by sharing PINs with other BlackBerry users; via your address book or by scanning QR codes. Send messages, photos or voice recordings to individuals or groups and new messages appear as alerts on the homescreen.
BBM uses RIM’s encrypted connections and servers making it the most secure method of communicating and essential for BlackBerry users. However it’s not much use if all your friends and family are Android or iOS users.

Top tips for typing faster on iPhone

OMG! How do teenagers text so fast? Well, of course, they get a lot of practice. I even know kids who are experts at typing without looking – apparently an essential skill for messaging in class, holding your phone under the desk, out of sight of the teacher. But even if you’re beyond adolescence, there are still plenty of tricks you can use to speed up your smartphone typing.

Trick #1: Make friends with Autocorrect

If you painstakingly type and make sure every… word... is… spelled... correctly, you’re wasting your time. Most smartphones’ autocorrect functions are pretty good. Try typing way faster than you’re used to, and keep your eyes more on the subject line than on the individual letters. Even if you think you’re making a mistake, just keep typing; most times, autocorrect will fix it for you. Also, if you see the correct word predicted while you’re typing, just hit the space bar and autofill will fill in all the remaining letters.

I compared my speed when carefully typing each letter and getting every word right to using this fast autocorrect method. Sometimes I did have to go back and fix words, but generally I type twice as fast.

That said, autocorrect won’t catch everything, and we’ve all heard of autocorrect gone horribly wrong, so make sure you proofread before you hit “send.”

Trick #2: Use MLAs
That’s Multi-Letter Acronyms (aren’t all acronyms multi-letter?). IMHO, these are better for making me ROTFLMAO than for conveying actual information, but on the other hand, why type “are” if you can get away with “r”?

Trick #3: Create Shortcuts
And what if you can’t get away with MLAs – either because your recipient won’t understand them, or there simply is not a commonly used acronym for what you want to say? Good news: you can tweak your iPhone to create custom abbreviations that the phone will convert into full phrases. For example, based on a shortcut I made, when I type DIN into a text. It offers, “Do you want me to pick up dinner?” Hitting space bar then replaces my custom MLA with the complete sentence.

Go to Settings, General Keyboard, and tap Shortcuts. You can make any new shortcut you like. Then when you type the shortcut while texting, the phone will offer you the option of inserting the full phrase just by tapping the space bar.

You can also create shortcuts for place names or proper names you frequently type, so autocorrect won’t keep incorrectly correcting them.

Trick #4: Dictate
In your texting keyboard, you’ll notice a little microphone. You can use it to dictate a text in about half the time of typing. But I’ve had limited success with the dictation within the iPhone’s texting app. For example, when I try dictating “Can you grab me a cooler bag and some ice?” It came out consistently (I tried 7 times) “Can you grab a caller begging some ice?” On the other hand, using Siri, I’ve found the accuracy much better. You’d think it was the same exact voice recognition as the option in the texting app but launching Siri and dictating a text through it (her?) works much better for me. I’d love to know in the comments if anyone else has experienced this phenomenon.

Hint: No matter what voice recognition software your phone has, it helps to speak clearly, but you don’t need to speak overly slowly. As long as you enunciate, your phone’s processor is way faster than you are!

Finally, all you Android users are going to gloat and brag that Swype for Android, where you trace the word on the keyboard without picking up your finger, is an incredibly speedy way to type and that it’s not available on the iPhone. Well, you’re totally right, and it drives me crazy. After switching back to the iPhone from the Samsung Galaxy II, I miss Swype more than any other aspect of the Android operating system. Come on Apple, give Swype a chance!

Apple figures show stall in growth

 

•        Apple's revenues for the first fiscal quarter of 2013 - from October 1 to December …

Apple has been dealt a new blow to morale as figures for the Christmas period show its rocket-like growth has continued to stall.

Revenue for the first fiscal quarter of 2013 - from October 1 to December 31 last year - came in at a record 54.5 billion US dollars (£34.4 billion) but fell short of the 55 billion US dollars forecast by Wall Street.

And earnings of 13.1 billion US dollars (£8.2 billion) remained flat compared to the year before, marking the first time tech giant had not boasted double-digit increases in earnings for years. It came as Apple has become increasingly beleaguered amid speculation that demand for its flagship iPhone handset is shrinking in the face of stiff competition.

Announced pn Thursday after the closing bell went at the Nasdaq blue-chip stock market, the numbers showed that Apple had shifted 47.8 million iPhones throughout the quarter. Analysts had predicted the company would sell one million more of the handsets. Apple shares fell 3% to 517 US dollars (£326) in extended trading after the release of the report.
The company's share price last week slipped below 500 US dollars for the first time in 11 months as investors reacted to reports that smartphones running Google's Android software have overtaken the iPhone 5.

Meanwhile, rival electronics firm Samsung recently reported that global sales of its Galaxy S smartphone series had passed 100 million since the first model was launched less than three years ago. It reached the milestone faster than its competitor - it took about four years for Apple to sell more than 100 million iPhones.

The figures showed a record 22.9 million iPads were sold during the quarter and total sales of 75 million devices using Apple's iOS operating system. But only 4.1 million Mac laptop and desktop computers were snapped up compared to 5.2 million in the same period a year ago, while Apple shifted 12.7 million iPod portable media players this year in contrast to 15.4 million during last year's first quarter.

Despite the 18% rise in revenue, the market's negative reaction to the figures continued to pile pressure on Apple chief executive Tim Cook, who took over after visionary co-founder Steve Jobs died of pancreatic cancer in October 2011.

Mr Cook remained upbeat, saying in a statement: "We are thrilled with record revenue of over 54 billion US dollars and sales of over 75 million iOS devices in a single quarter. We are very confident in our product pipeline as we continue to focus on innovation and making the best products in the world."

Providing its forecast for the next quarter, Apple said it expected revenue to be between 41 billion (£25.8 billion) and 43 billion US dollars (£27.1 billion).

How to get cash for old mobiles

Many of us simply forget about old phones - but in the smartphone era, that's a huge mistake.

Working smartphones such as iPhones or Samsung's Galaxy handsets can be worth hundreds of pounds and even broken phones aren’t worthless.

Start by performing a simple Yahoo Shopping search to find out how much your phone is worth new - you won't get the full value, but if you follow our steps, you can get a significant chunk of it.  Check out specialist phone shops such as Expansys, PAYG pricing from networks and Phone Comparison tools.

Once you know how much your phone is selling for, work out where best to sell it - whether via eBay, specialist shops, or companies who specialise in recycling damaged handsets.

Read on for our step-by-step guide to selling phones - and the pitfalls to avoid to ensure you get good value for yours.

Where to sell your phone

There are multiple options for selling working phones -  a dedicated recycling company such as fonebank, network buy back/recycling service like Vodafone Buyback, second-hand shop like Computer Exchange (CEX) or auction website eBay.

Phone recycling is big business, with dedicated recycling companies, networks and supermarkets getting involved. Phones are often sent to the developing world, refurbished and resold or recycled. Get a quote online and send your phone off, where it is checked and money is sent via cheque or bank transfer. Don’t automatically select the company that offers the most money though - shop around and read customer testimonies.  

If you prefer the high street Computer Exchange (CEX) has stores up and down the UK, offering cash or credit and you don’t have to wait to find out how much your phone is worth.

We’ve picked three popular phones are compared the prices at several places.

Computer Exchange offers the most money for the Apple iPhone 4S (16GB) at £243 (£303 exchange). Vodafone Buyback offers £201 (cash) or £233 (vouchers),  Carphone Warehouse Trade in £209, O2 Recycle £230 or £248 (Amazon gift certificate) and fonebank £231.

Prices for the Samsung Galaxy S2 are more consistent. Vodafone Buyback offers £133 (cash) or £154 (vouchers), Carphone Warehouse Trade in £129, O2 £130 (cash), £140 (Amazon gift certificate), Computer Exchange £130 (£173 exchange) and fonebank £120 (cash).

Prices for the HTC Wildfire S vary. Computer Exchange offers £35 (£46 exchange).  fonebank £25, O2 £27.55 (cash) and £29.75 (Amazon gift certificate), Carphone Warehouse Trade in £19.09 and Vodafone Buyback £19 (cash) or £20/£22 (vouchers).*

Bear in mind, depending on the condition of your phone, you may not get the full amount quoted - especially if there is any sort of screen damage.  Each company sets out its criteria online - check out Vodafone’s here or CEX’s here.

What to do with damaged phones

However if your phone has surface wear and tear, don’t throw it away, dedicated recycling companieswill pay for damaged phones.

A damaged Apple iPhone 4S (16GB) is worth £85 from fonebank, £90 or £99 (voucher) from Mazuma Mobile. The Samsung Galaxy S2 will net you £60 from fonebank, or £53 or £58 (voucher) from Mazuma Mobile and the HTC Wildfire S is worth £10 from fonebank or £11 or £12 (voucher) from Mazuma Mobile.

eBay’s auction format means you could get more money for your phone. Buying through eBay is more time consuming though - you’ve got to take photographs, prepare a description and post it. Although the majority of transactions are smooth, there’s a small chance someone unscrupulous could claim the phone is not working and want a refund. So make sure the description is accurate - even down the tiniest scratch - it will help your case in case of dispute.

Opera Ice: New browser for Android and iPhone

Opera Software, the company behind the popular browser of the same name, will launch a new smartphone and tablet browser called Opera Ice in February, Pocket-lint can exclusively reveal. It is an attempt to stay relevant and take the fight to Google and Apple in the mobile browser stakes.

In a video shown to us of an internal "all-hands" meeting held before Christmas, Lars Boilesen, CEO of Opera, outlined the company's strategy for 2013. Afterwards, product managers took to the stage to demo the new browser, which will be run on the WebKit, not Presto, platform.

The new Opera Ice browser will be based around hiding the technology as much as possible and embracing rich applications. It will ditch all buttons and instead use gestures to control key elements like forwards and backwards.

"This is a full touch and tablet-focused browser," said the product manager in the video we've seen. "Most are taking a PC browser and squishing [it] into a tablet, or they are taking a mobile browser and blowing it up to fill the space.

An edited down version of the Opera staff meeting - including a demo of new browser Opera Ice

In the meeting, the creator of the browser showed off a beta version of the software. Tabs will be replaced with icons on a homepage, while new pages are accessed via search or typing in a URL. If users want to bookmark a page they can tap a part of the screen and then place an icon for that page on the opening screen. Nefarious sites will come up with a warning sign, blocking you from accessing them.

"We need to go into a new phase, we need to lift our games on certain areas to ensure we continue to grow," said Boilesen to those present, in what is a rather frank and candid chat to staff in the behind-closed-doors meeting.

Seeing that smartphones are going to be critical for the future of the company, Boilesen stated that Opera will focus its efforts on releasing the new browser on schedule in February for iOS and Android.

"We need to focus on getting strong products out on iOS and Android. These are the two leading platforms we will focus on… They are the ones phones are being sold for," he said.

Boilesen doesn't rule out launches for Windows Phone, however, having stated that it wasn't a priority until sales of Microsoft OS-powered handsets picked up.

The reason for the move is that, while the CEO believes Opera mini is good, it has its drawbacks compared to other browsers on the market.

"Opera mini is great, but it is not a fully-fledged offering like Chrome or Safari. There are too many sites it doesn't work with.

He later stressed in the meeting, however, that the company would not be ditching Opera mini: "Mini is super important … It needs to be a platform where we create users and then migrate those users to over to our smartphone products.

Boilesen also said that there would be a desktop Opera browser launched in March.

How to create a 'hacker-proof' password

More than 90% of passwords used by internet users could be vulnerable to hackers, according to research by consultancy firm Deloitte.

Bad habits such as re-using passwords mean that many passwords can be cracked simply - giving hackers a 'back door' into accounts.

When people create a password of ‘mixed’ capitals, numbers and letters, it often follows a pattern - with capitals at the start and numbers at the end.

This makes passwords easy for criminals to guess - with a recent study of six million passwords showing that 10,000 guesses could have unlocked 98.1% of them.

Because passwords with mixtures of numbers and letters are hard to remember, people also tend to reuse them - with the average person owning 26 online accounts with just five passwords.

But there are techniques which help normal people to remember passwords for dozens of sites easily - and thus keep their private data safe.

“Strong passwords are a necessity for online safety,” says a spokesman for PC security expert Norton by Symantec.

“Always, use upper and lower case letters, numbers, and a special character such as asterisks in your passwords - don’t use your pets’ name unless you’ve named them 80l7*ck2.”

“A good tip is to pick a single master password that you’ll be able to remember, and then customise that password for different websites. The first step is to choose a good master password that uses more than six characters and some combination of letters and numbers (rather than real words).

“For example, let’s use the phrase “My dog is called Rex”. Reduce that phrase to each of the first letters, and you’ll end up with “mdicr”.

“To make this even more complex, you could then add the first and last letter of the website to it (Amazon’s website would be: “AmdicrN”). This little trick helps you to remember all those various passwords and yet keep things complex enough that it’s hard for a computer hacker to crack. This sequence makes sense to only you and not anyone else.”

“The biggest mistake anyone can make, however, is using the same password for each account as it makes you more vulnerable should a cyber-attack occur. Therefore not only having multiple passwords is a must in cyberspace, but it’s also important to make them strong and change them regularly.”

Sharp cuts iPad screen output

Sharp Corp has nearly halted production of 9.7-inch screens for Apple Inc's iPad, two sources said, possibly as demand shifts to its smaller iPad mini.
 
Sharp's iPad screen production line at its Kameyama plant in central Japan has fallen to the minimal level to keep the line running this month after a gradual slowdown began at the end of 2012 as Apple manages its inventory, the industry sources with knowledge of Sharp's production plans told Reuters.

Sharp has stopped shipping iPad panels, the people with knowledge of the near total production shutdown said. The exact level of remaining screen output at Sharp was not immediately clear but it was extremely limited, they said.
Company spokeswoman Miyuki Nakayama said: "We don't disclose production levels."
Apple officials, contacted late in the evening after normal business hours in California, did not have an immediate comment.

The sources didn't say exactly why production had nearly halted. Among the possibilities are a seasonal drop in demand, a switch to another supplier, a shift in the balance of sales to the mini iPad, or an update in the design of the product.

Macquarie Research has estimated that iPad shipments will tumble nearly 40 percent in the current quarter to about 8 million from about 13 million in the fourth quarter, although Apple's total tablet shipments will show a much smaller decrease due to strong iPad mini sales.

APPLE SHARES

Any indication that iPad sales are struggling could add to concern that the appeal of Apple products is waning after earlier media reports said it is slashing orders for iPhone 5 screens and other components from its Asian suppliers.

Those reports helped knock Apple's shares temporarily below $500 this week, the first time its stock had been below the threshold mark in almost one year.

Apple, the reports said, has asked state-managed Japan Display, Sharp and LG Display to halve supplies of iPhone panels from an initial plan for about 65 million screens in January-March. Apple is losing ground to Samsung, as well as emerging rivals including China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and ZTE Corp.

NO BIG CHANGE AT OTHER MAKERS
I
n addition to Sharp, Apple also buys iPad screens from LG Display Co Ltd, its biggest supplier, and Samsung Display, a flat-panel unit of Samsung Electronics.
Both LG Display and Samsung Display declined to comment.

A source at Samsung Display, however, said there had not been any significant change in its panel business with Apple, which has been steadily reducing panel purchases from the South Korean firm.

A person who is familiar with the situation at LG Display said iPad screen production in the current quarter had fallen from the previous quarter ending in December, mainly due to weak seasonal demand that is typical after the busy year-end holiday sales period.
Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu said some of the product cutbacks at Sharp are probably seasonal.

"The March quarter is almost always weaker than the December quarter," he said, adding that Apple also consolidates suppliers of certain components during quarters with weaker demand. "The Korean manufacturers are more efficient and typically have lower costs."
Apple's iPad sales may have also suffered amid a weak Christmas shopping period that hurt other consumer gadget makers as well.

CROWD OF RIVAL PRODUCTS

Apple also faces stiffening competition in tablets from a growing crowd of rival products from makers including Samsung with its Galaxy and Microsoft Corp's Surface. A consumer shift to smaller 7-inch screen devices, which Apple responded to late last year by launching its iPad mini for $329, are adding pressure.

BNP Paribas expects the iPad mini will eat into sales of the full-sized iPad, with the mini rise to 60 percent of total iPad shipments in the January-March quarter.
Looking to cut into Apple's market share in the smaller segment are Amazon.com Inc with its Kindle and Google Inc with its Nexus 7.

CEO Tim Cook, who is credited with building Apple's Asian supply chain, has overseen several gadget launches, including the iPhone 5, the latest iPad models and the iPad mini during his first year, is under pressure to deliver the kind of product innovations that wowed consumers during Steve Jobs' tenure to keep his company's profit growth stellar.

Sharp, which also supplies screens for the iPhone, has been working with its main banks on a restructuring plan after posting a $5.6 billion loss for the past fiscal year. To secure emergency financing from lenders including Mizuho Financial Group and Mitsubishi Financial Group it had mortgaged its domestic factories and offices including the one building screens for Apple.

In December, Qualcomm Inc agreed to invest as much as $120 million in Sharp and the two companies said they would work to develop new power-saving screens.

Sony: High-end Android is the future

Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai has said he plans to make Sony Mobile profitable, with the move out of feature phones and into the high-end of Android.

Talking to reporters in Japan, Harai said: "We basically are out of the feature-phone business and in the Android-based smartphone business.

"We are more in toward the high end of the market as opposed to trying to get into the commoditised portion.

Sony Mobile launched the Sony Xperia Z at CES 2013 in Las Vegas last week, looking to compete with the likes of Samsung for the Android crown.

READ: Sony Xperia Z pictures and hands-on

The Xperia Z has been well received so far, although it probably won't go on sale in the UK until March 2013. But it does outline a commitment, coming soon after the August announcement of the Xperia T, the previous flagship device.

"I believe we still have a lot of room to grow," said Harai, who plans to boost smartphone sales by 51 per cent. "We need to have products that wow people, move people emotionally.

The Xperia Z might just be that device, but the smartphone market isn't going to get any easier. HTC is rumoured to be lining up a rival device, the HTC M7 for a February launch, and there's the dominance of Samsung, which will be looking to stay on top with the next Samsung Galaxy handset.

With Mobile World Congress 2013 coming up in February, it's going to be a busy time for smartphone launches.

Archos Titanium: Affordable tablets at all sizes

Archos has added the Titanium line to its Elements range of Android tablets, introducing a selection of aggressively priced models in a range of sizes.

The Archos Titanium tablets will come in 7-, 8-, 9.7- and 10.1-inches, cutting a broad swathe through just about every screen size out there. They are said to have a "sleek" aluminium design, which at first glance looks a lot like the white iPad.

But the tablets will all have some features in common. They'll all come with a dual-core 1.6GHz processor, 1GB RAM and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Each will have an IPS display, but obviously the sizes and pixel densities differ.

The 7-inch is looking to compete with the likes of the Nexus 7 or the Amazon Kindle Fire HD. It's priced at £99, which is appealing. The 8-inch comes in at £149, giving you a little extra screen size.

Moving up, the Archos 101 Titanium, 10.1-inches, falls in against things like the big Samsung tablet. It's priced at £169, so it's still very affordable.

The star of the show, however, seems to be the Archos 97 Titanium HD. We say it's the star, because Archos is supplying the most information about it and it's detailed fully on its website, whereas the others are barely mentioned.

The 97 Titanium gets that additional HD tag because of the increased screen resolution. It has a 2048 x 1563 display, so although not the highest definition you'll find on a tablet, it's certainly up there.

The price gets up there too: it's £199, which although not hugely expensive, is a step up over the larger 10.1-inch device.

The Archos 97 Titanium has 8GB of internal memory with the option of expanding via microSD. There's a 5-megapixel camera on the rear and 2-megapixel on the front.

With all these tablets offering the same core hardware, we'd expect the experience to be pretty similar across the range, from a performance point of view at least. With these being Archos tablets, you can expect wide support for varied video formats.

No word on exactly when these tablets will be available to buy, but the Archos 97 Titanium is already listed for purchase through the Archos website.

Sony unveils waterproof phone

Great news for everyone - except perhaps mobile phone insurance companies - Sony has unveiled a waterproof smartphone.

The Xperia Z can be submerged in three feet of water for up to half an hour without damage.

Its makers say it can be dropped in the bath, in puddles - or even taken into the shower.

Other phones such as iPhone are easily damaged by water and impacts. Sony's Xperia Z is covered in tempered glass and anti-shatter film to prevent breakages, but is just 7.9mm thick.

The gadget was launched at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, and follows this year's trend for large phone screens with a five-inch Full HD display.

The phone also offers an extremely high-resolution camera - 13 megapixels, far sharper than iPhone 5's eight megapixel camera.

The Android handset also has an app built-in which extends battery life by shutting down non-essential applications.

Sony claims that the app can extend battery life by up to four times.

The handset also offers a super-fast 4G connection, and a five-inch Full HD 1080p screen.

Sony also offers a built-in music app, Unlimited, which offers access to 18 million songs.

“With Xperia Z, we are bringing over half a century of innovation in TV, imaging, music, film and gaming to create a superphone experience that truly stands out,” said Kuni Suzuki, President and CEO, at Sony Mobile Communications.

“With great specifications, Sony’s media applications, One-touch functions and outstanding battery life, Xperia Z is well positioned for leadership in the smartphone market.”

The TV of the future - 'Ultra HD', curved screens

                             Sky video - Panasonic's new 56-inch, 4K OLED television

The television of the future will be far sharper than today's best hi-def sets - and could be voice-controlled and even curved.

This year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas showed off new technologies such as 'Ultra HD' - four times crisper than today's 'Full HD' sets - and gesture controls, as well as ultra-thin 'Organic LED' sets.

There was much less fanfare around 3D, and only a few of the annual headline-grabbing "world's largest" TV sets - instead, Sony, LG, Panasonic, Samsung and Sharp are focusing on improving picture quality and hi-tech new functions such as voice commands and web connections.

Much of the showfloor TV space has been filled with Ultra High-Definition televisions, which will eventually replace that 1080p 'Full HD' set you watch each night from the sofa.

The most common resolution of 'Ultra HD' is 4K, which has four times the number of pixels as HD.

These are the small dots making up the screen image and 4K gives a resolution of 3840x2160 against the current 1920x1080 HD standard.

The TVs can show footage at roughly the same resolution as the cameras used to shoot digital films.

'Ultra HD' won't come on discs - instead, home users will download the films via broadband. Sony is to launch a download service in the U.S. this summer.

Quality though doesn't come cheap. Sony's current 84 inch 4k model costs around £17,000 and despite the Japanese giant promising to make 4K affordable for everyone, its forthcoming 55 and 65 inch UHD TVs are sure to be out of reach of most for a few years yet.

It took at least three years for HD to become affordable and mainstream on the high street from its CES debut and the same is predicted to be true of UHD.

Jonathan Marsh, home technology expert at John Lewis, said: "TVs always spark excitement at CES and this year hasn't been a disappointment.

"Many manufacturers unveiled Ultra High-Definition sets at this year's show – the latest TV innovation tipped to deliver a staggeringly realistic picture and the ability to show 3D content in better than HD quality.

"As with 3D, Ultra HD is likely to suffer from the lack of content available, but that could change quickly. UHD TV will be the standard by 2020."

That lack of content is clear with TV companies only just fully embracing HD and 3D.

Sony is also developing a 4K version of OLED display technology. OLED has been used in mobile phones for years and Apple's Retina display was designed to rival the OLED, which for example is used on the Samsung Galaxy S3.

However, it is very expensive to produce and LG's new non-4K 55 inch OLED itself costs around £8,000.

And there's no price-tag on Panasonic's unique 56 inch OLED created by 3D printing technology, which means if you have to ask, you surely can't afford one.

Mr Marsh added the trend for the next 12 months will see British consumers upgrading their screen size. He explained: "Big screen technology has improved dramatically and as larger TVs become more affordable, they are fast becoming the norm for consumers who want a more immersive entertainment experience at home.

"John Lewis figures show 64% of TV sales have been screen sizes of 40 inch plus since August 2012."

Alongside picture quality and screen size, the other TV evolution at CES continues to be the slow demise of the remote control and further attempts to have Smart TVs with apps and the internet on board take over our lives.

Samsung has enhanced its voice and motion controls letting you swipe through on-screen menus with hand gestures and allowing you to ask the TV to put on shows based on their actors.

It has even brought out a little box called the Evolution Kit that will plug into existing 2012 models to make sure they're not outdated just a year after you bought one.

New S-Recommendation technology learns what you watch and do on your TV to automatically offer personalised content choices while in a bid to battle Apple TV, owners can now "mirror" what's on their Samsung Galaxy tablets and mobile phones, showing it on the bigger screen.

Another attempt to mimic the success of Apple TV sees Archos bringing out a £99 device next month that plugs into any HDTV. It will then turn it "smart" by giving full access to Android and Google Play for games, the internet and streaming online video.

And in a nod to the future, lesser-known TV manufacturer Haier raises the prospect of a telly controlled by your eyes, selecting channels and options by blinking and moving through menus with the direction of your eyeballs. It's also claiming to work on a TV controlled simply by thought and brain waves.

However, the one TV revolution not seen at CES is any attempt by Apple to enter the television market. Experts are widely predicting 2013 will see the iPhone and iPad maker unveil its first purpose-built TV set as it makes a bid to take over our front rooms.

Samsung shows off 'unbreakable' phone which rolls up like paper

Samsung wowed an audience in Las Vegas this week with a working mobile phone screen which can be rolled and unrolled like a sheet of paper.

The screen kept working as it was rolled and unrolled - showing off that it is far more flexible than previous 'bendable' screens.

The screen uses the same OLED - organic LED - technology as many current smartphones, but encased in plastic instead of glass.

The prototype device is built to be "virtually unbreakable", Samsung claims.

The device was shown off by Brian Berkeley, senior vice-president of Samsung Display, at a presentation at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

“Our team was able to make a high resolution display on extremely thin plastic instead of glass, so it won’t break even if it’s dropped,” said Berkeley.

“This new form factor will really begin to change how people interact with their devices, opening up new lifestyle possibilities.”

The new display is called “Youm."

Berkeley also showed off a smartphone prototype equipped with a curved edge, which works almost like a 'second screen' around the edge of the device.

The Korean technology company remained quiet on when flexible phones might go on sale

Dhyanalinga Yogic Temple

The Dhyanalinga is a Yogic temple located 30 km from Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India. The temple was consecrated by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, a yogi and mystic. The temple is consecrated using prana prathista and is dedicated for meditation. Dhyana in the Sanskrit language, means meditation and linga means form.

                                     

The Dhyanalinga Yogic Temple offers a meditative space that does not ascribe to any particular faith or belief system. The unique sunken reception engages the viewer with 17 foot white granite monolith, The Sarva Dharma Sthamba. The back of the sthamba is inscribed with the schematic of the seven chakras in human body. This chakra represents different levels of the consciousness. Symbol of the major religions of the world are inscribed on three sides of this sthamba. The Sarva Dharma Sthamba welcomes all religions as expressions of one common source.

After crossing Sthamba one can enters the temple. On left side we can see statue of Patanjali, is the Father of Yogic Science.This statue depicts Patanjali as half man and half snake. On the right is the Vanashree shrine, the feminine deity of the Dhyanalinga temple.

                                                           Dhyanalinga

Architecture of Dhyanalinga

The elliptical dome that covers the Dhyananlinga. This dome is 76 Feet diameter and 33 feet height. The dome was constructed using only bricks and stabilized mud mortar with lime, alum and herbal additives without steel,cement or concrete. The nature of this design ensures the dome a lifespan of at least 5000 years. Over 13 Feet tall, Dhyanalinga the largest mercury linga in the world. This Dhyanalinga is rises out of the seven-coiled receptacle. The Avudaiyar and Linga  are energized with the qualities of the seven chakras. Around the Linga is the Jalaseema, a pool of water. An akash ganga above the linga keeps it wet always.

Sitting inside the Dhyanalinga

The Dhyanalinga temple is held in total silence. The nature of the Dhyanalinga is such one must sit for a minimum of 15 minutes to absorb the energies of this space. Once inside, one must sit in cross legged posture with palms facing upwards.  A simple way for one to be in the space is to gaze at the linga for few minutes and close the eyes. This temple is open to all from 6am to 8pm every day.

Events and Festivals in Dhyanalinga Temple

1.Nadha Aradhana a Offering of Sound

There is no poojas are rituals are done in dhyanalinga temple. Nadha Aradhana is only offer done twice a day. It is the offering of sound which is done at 11.50 an to 12.10pm and 5.50pm to 61.pm everyday.

Aum Chanting meditation

A powerful Aum chanting meditation initiation is done inside the dhayanalinga complex everyday at 12.30pm to 1.15pm. A well trained sanyasi will initiate this chanting in omkar hall to all visitors of the yogic temple. By doing this chant one can feel tremendous health improvement in his body.

No Moon and Full Moon days

On Amavasya or no moon day and Pournami or Full Moon day, Milk is offered from 6.30 am to 12.30 pm and water from 12.30 pm to 8.00 pm. The temple is opened for men till 01.00 am on Amavasya days, as Amavasya vibrations are favorable for them. Consequently, Pournami vibrations are beneficial for women and the temple remains open up to 1:00 a.m. for them

Dhyanalinga Temple Timings

Dhyanalinga Yogic Temple remains open from 6 am to 8 pm on all days. It is advisable to bring an additional set of cloths if you wish to take a dip in the divine theerthakund (holy tank).