Microsoft open source Chakra JavaScript

Software giant Microsoft will open source the core components of its Chakra JavaScript engine used for its EDge browser next month. The ChakraCore sources will be made available on GitHub under the MIT license next month.

Motorola to launch Moto G Turbo Edition

Motorola is all set to launch Moto G Turbo Edition smartphone in India. In a series of tweets on microblogging website Twitter, Motorola India has been teasing the upcoming launch.

Motorola had launched the new variant of its third-generation Moto G smartphone in Mexico last month. The new Motorola smartphone has a 5-inch screen as the standard variant but the resolution has been bumped up from HD (720x1280p) to Full HD (1080x1920p). Another addition is the faster Snapdragon 615 octa-core chipset, which replaces the quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor.

The 2,470mAh battery now supports Motorola's Turbo Power technology for fast-charging. Other than these upgrades, the new Moto G Turbo Edition, which was first spotted by The Gadgets Freak, remains the same as the standard version of Moto G (Gen 3). The two share features like Android 5.1.1 (Lollipop) operating system, 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage, microSD card support, 13MP rear camera and 5MP front camera. The dual-sim smartphone is also water-resistant (IP67 rating).

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Li-Fi (Light Fidelity) about 100 times faster than Wi-Fi

Li-Fi (Light Fidelity) is a bidirectional, high speed and fully networked wireless communication technology similar to Wi-Fi. Coined by Prof. Harald Haas,  Li-Fi is a subset of optical wireless communications (OWC) and can be a complement to RF communication (Wi-Fi or Cellular network), or a replacement in contexts of data broadcasting. It is so far measured to be about 100 times faster than Wi-Fi, reaching speeds of 224 gigabits per second. It is wireless and uses visible light communication or infra-red and near ultraviolet (instead of radio frequency waves) spectrum, part of optical wireless communications technology, which carries much more information, and has been proposed as a solution to the RF-bandwidth limitations. A complete solution includes an industry led standardization process.

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World's first washable smartphone to debut in Japan

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A Japanese firm says it has the solution with what it describes the world's first smartphone that can be washed with soap and water.

Waterproof smartphones have been on the market for a while. But telecom company KDDI says its new "Digno rafre" phone—to be launched in Japan next week—is the only one that can withstand a soapy bath.

"Our development team washed the smartphone more than 700 times to test its durability," a company spokesman told AFP.

An online commercial aimed at proving its credentials features a child dropping the phone onto a plate of food topped with ketchup.

His mother assures her shocked family that those red globs are nothing to worry about as she soaps up the phone under a running tap.

The 21,600 yen ($175) gadget is mainly aimed at parents who want to keep their smartphones clean for their small children, a KDDI spokesman said.

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Samsung has agreed to pay smartphone rival Apple

Samsung has agreed to pay smartphone rival Apple just over $548 million in a years-long patent battle in federal court in California.

The South Korean electronics colossus said in a legal filing Thursday it will pay Apple the partial judgement awarded but reserves the right to get money back if the amount is modified or overturned on appeal or if the validity of patents at issue is successfully challenged.

Apple said in the joint filing that it disagrees with Samsung's contention that it has a right to be reimbursed.

A court in September awarded Apple the partial judgment. Samsung's options narrowed to simply paying the money or trying to take its fight to the US Supreme Court.

The hefty sum is significantly less than the billion dollars Apple sought at the outset of the 2012 patent trial in Northern California, and doesn't put to rest an argument over who should pay Apple's legal costs said to total $1.8 million.

"Samsung has confirmed to Apple that it will pay Apple the $548 million partial judgment directly," attorneys representing the companies said in the court filing.

The payment was to be made within 10 days of Apple delivering an invoice to Samsung on Friday, according to a joint filing.

In another sign that the long-running legal fight would drag on, Apple also asked the court for a green light to file a motion asking for supplemental damages for products that weren't calculated into the award.

Arch-rivals Samsung and Apple decided last year to drop all patent disputes outside the United States, marking a partial ceasefire in a long-running legal war between the world's two largest smartphone makers.

The companies have battled in close to a dozen countries, with each accusing the other of infringing on various patents related to their flagship smartphone and tablet products.

But neither has managed to deliver a knock-out blow with a number of rulings going different ways, and an announcement they agreed to drop all litigation outside the United States suggested a line was finally being drawn.

However, the agreement came with one key caveat, with the two giants stressing that they would continue "to pursue the existing cases in US courts."

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