Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2 Compare Price and Specs - Best Mid-Range Android Phone 2014

Based on specs, phones that are similar to the Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2 include Samsung's Galaxy Ace 3 and the Sony Xperia L.

Comparable specs include 2G and 3G network bands, microSIM sized cards, Dual SIM usage, CPU speed and the amount of RAM, internal memory, display resolution, touch screen, and features like Bluetooth, camera, and battery capacity.

Compare Promo Codes and Specs

The Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2 averages a price of $270USD while the Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 averages $280USD and the Sony Xperia L averages $290USD. All three phones were released in 2013 and have similar specifications. They have the same networking capabilities for 2G and 3G, the option to use Dual SIM cards, and the use of microSIM cards. The Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2 has a dual-core 1.2 GHz CPU speed while both Sony Xperia L and Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 (LTE) employ 1 GHz Krait dual-core CPU, however if the Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 is 3G, it uses a Dual-core 1 GHz Cortex-A9 CPU. Both Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2 and Galaxy Ace 3 (3G) use Broadcom Videocore IV, while the Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 (LTE) and the Sony Xperia L uses an Adreno 305 GPU.

The Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2 lacks in RAM at a mere 768 MB compared to the Galaxy Ace 3 and Sony Xperia L which have 1GB RAM each. The internal memory for the Galaxy S Duos 2 and Galaxy Ace 3 (3G) phones are 4GB, while the Galaxy Ace 3 (LTE) and the Sony bumped up to 8GB. Each of the phones use TFT capacitive touchscreens with 16M colors. Each of the phones have 4.0 inch screens with both the Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2 and Galaxy Ace 3 having 480×800 pixel displays and the Sony Xperia L at a 480×854 pixel display. All of the phones include the multitouch feature as well as Bluetooth v4.0 with A2DP, though the Sony Xperia L also has ANT+ Bluetooth. All three phones have 5MP cameras with 2592×1944 pixels, LED flash, and autofocus. The phones cameras are all capable of shooting video with 720p quality at 30fps and secondary VGA video. Sony Xperia L also features video stabilization and HDR.

Discounts and Deals

The prices of each phone matches the specifications for the individual features for the Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2, Galaxy Ace 3, and Sony Xperia L. The phones are all new enough that it is difficult to find prices marked down unless purchasing a used phone, but the price for the features of each are enough of a discount as it is. If buyers have extra to spend on more features, the Sony Xperia is a good bet with larger memory, camera, and Bluetooth capabilities. The Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 is a strong medium for consumers who are undecided on whether or not they want a more functional or fancy phone.

The Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2 is a great choice for people who want a functional smartphone and not a lot else for a reasonable price. It takes a careful consumer to research and come to terms with what they want out of their phones, and these three phones make the choice tough due to their similarities.

Websites allow travelers to compare true hotel pricing

You can expect some new ways to arrange hotel accommodations this year, as well as a few changes in the old ways. And, as usual, along the way you'll have to watch out for gotchas.

The biggest change this year is a new website that allows you to compare hotel prices, side-by-side, posted in terms of what you actually have to pay. Until now, the big metasearch engines have used only the base room rates, as supplied by individual hotels, either directly or through the Global Distribution Systems, in their initial side-by-side Amazon Deal comparisons. They may show taxes and mandatory fees somewhere along the purchase process, but do not include them in the first comparison, and sometimes they state only something to the effect that "taxes and fees may be extra." This approach, of course, greatly distorts price comparisons:

* Taxes can add more than 20 percent to the total cost of a hotel, and they often vary substantially within a single metro area that may encompass many different taxing venues.

* Some (far too many) hotels carve out a part of their real prices, present the carve-outs as mandatory fees with such plausible labels such as "resort" and "housekeeping" fees, and initially post a phony base price reduced by the carve-out. In popular tourist destinations such as Las Vegas and Hawaii, these mandatory fees can understate the true price by up to $50 a night.

Department of Transportation rules prevent airlines from understating their true prices in these ways, but hotels do it routinely. Now, however, a new metasearch website, the Suitest (thesuitest.com), allows you to filter price comparisons to include taxes, mandatory fees, and, if you want, Wi-Fi and parking rates, into the initial price comparison postings. It also assigns a "deal grade" to each posting and other details; it links to the online agency with the best price, where you actually buy the deal. So far, it lists only a limited number of domestic upscale hotels, but it finally breaks the "hidden fee" barrier.

Worried about arranging a hotel reservation in advance, only to find out that the price later dropped? Trip Rebel (triprebel.com), currently alive in beta, makes an intriguing offer: Book through its system, then it tracks your reservation; if the rate drops, it rebooks you at the new rate and refunds 100 percent of the difference to you. The problem here, of course, is that the system does not work with nonrefundable room rates, and with Trip Rebel, you pay the first reservation in advance. Many of you would be better off with a pay-when-you-get-there reservation, which you can rebook yourself. Still, it's an interesting idea.

For some reason, the "flash sale" business model for hotel deals seems to be contracting. Two years ago, I monitored a half dozen such websites, but today, the main survivors seem to be Jetsetter (which combined with Sinqueaway) and Vacationist, along with Groupon and Eversave for discount coupons. Flash sale websites still offer good deals, largely on upscale properties, and the coupons offer some good pricing on budget-class accommodations, as well as more expensive spots. But these days you find fewer places to look.

A reader booking a European driving tour encountered a recent gotcha. He made a "Free Cancellation, pay later" reservation on Booking.com, only to find a notice in the confirmation email calling for a 50 euro fee for cancellation. This seems to be a problem with the hotel rather than with Booking.com, because I couldn't replicate the process. No matter what dates I chose, the site noted that no rooms were available, which I suspect was a way of handling the problem until it could be fixed with the hotel. Still, always check any link to special conditions and details before you make a final buy on any hotel accommodation.

email: eperkins@mind.net

There are fewer places online these days to find flash sales for hotels.

Operation Stop World Cup hits Brazil

Demonstrations against the world cup draw time Cup descended into street riots in Sao Paulo yesterday (Sunday) as a Brazilian anti-inequality protest movement launched a campaign against public spending on sports extravaganzas.

Cars were burnt in the streets, shop fronts were vandalised and bank windows were smashed as Brazilian chapters of the worldwide radical activists Anonymous called for support for "Operation Stop the World Cup". Police clashed with the crowd of up to 2,500 in running battles that at one point forced bystanders to seek refuge from the fighting.

The protest forced the Sao Paulo authorities to call off an event to mark the city's 460th anniversary. As many as 128 people were detained by the security forces.

While the rally was dominated by the middle class at the outset, it was joined by an anarchist group known as Black Block as the violence started. Solidarity protests were also staged in Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia, the capital, as organisers attempted to set in train a series of mass demonstrations in the run-up to the World Cup, which opens in June.

Last year the country was racked by some of the worst violence it has seen since the dictatorships of the 1980s when it staged the Confederations Cup, the lesser tournament traditionally regarded as a prelude to the World Cup. Social unrest ranks alongside shoddy infrastructure as leading concerns for teams and supports planning to travel to Brazil for the tournament.

While the country has won the World Cup five times, many Brazilians resent the scale of spending poured into hosting the tournament. Banners carried in the business districts of Sao Paulo proclaimed "No rights, No World Cup" and "Fifa go home".

Despite the popularity of the game, some demonstrators took aim at the earnings of players. "Wake up Brazil, a teacher is worth more than [footballer] Neymar" was one slogan. It is not just the disparity of income between rich footballers and public sector employees that took the brunt of anger.

"By rights we mean the people's right to decent public services," said Leonardo Pelegrini dos Santos, a university student. "We are against the millions and millions of dollars being spent for the Cup. It is money that should be invested in better health and education services and better transportation and housing."

Demonstrators staged a sit-in along a line of lavatory bowls set along Cocabana beach in Rio to highlight that 70 per cent of the city's sewage was untreated before it was dumped in the bay. "The Olympics are coming, the World Cup is coming, it's a chance to draw attention and maybe the world can talk about what's happening here in Rio," said Leona Deckelbaum, an activist.

"To me it is unbelievable that there's not basic sanitation in a city like Rio." Another pointed out the contrast between the images in tourist brochures and the consequences of lack of city services. "It's really dirty. The sand, everything," said Ruth Ferreira. Separately Brazil has been hit in recent weeks by generalised unrest targeting commercial areas.

Almost a dozen shopping centres in the country have been hit by "rolezinhos" - mobs, composed primarily of young people from slum areas, going on the rampage in upmarket shopping malls in sRio and Sao Paulo.

Dilma Rousseff, the president, has seen her government's popularity hit even as she prepares to launch her campaign for re-election in October.

2014 Bridesmaid Dresses With Discounts At Discount-Dress.com

Recently, Printable Coupons-Dress.com has released its collection of 2014 bridesmaid dresses. Today, the CEO of the company has announced a special offer on these fashionable outfits.

(PRWEB) January 13, 2014

Recently, Discount-Dress.com, a renowned wedding dress manufacturer and retailer in China, has released its collection of 2014 bridesmaid dresses (see more details at http://www.discount-dress.com/2014-bridesmaid-dresses-716). Today, the CEO of the company has announced a special offer on these fashionable outfits. During the promotional time, all new and old clients can enjoy a discounted rate, up to 66% off. The deadline is February 8, 2014.

The fashionable assortment of 2014 bridesmaid dresses covers many popular styles, including mermaid, ball-gown, empire, A-line, strapless, chiffon, V-neck beading, floor-length, elastic, woven, satin, one shoulder and so on. The company is a reliable outfit supplier in the global market. In addition to the top quality gowns, the company also offers fast delivery.

What's more, the company has its own design team, which can always design what customers actually need efficiently. Custom made products are also available at its website. Customers can get wonderful tailored dresses with any extra costs.

True enough, Discount-Dress.com is always ranked as one of the most popular suppliers at many commentary websites. The professional company can always keep pace with the latest fashion trends. The CEO says that the company will release more new designs to enrich its product line in the near future.

Now, it its offering great discounts on its other products: prom dresses, evening dresses, party dresses and many others. Discount-Dress.com hopes that its low-priced outfits will help it expand its market share in the present economic environment.

About Discount-Dress.com
Discount-Dress.com is one of the leading dress companies in the world. With much experience in the dress industry, the business has a great knowledge of craftsmanship and customer needs which has helped it develop a wide range of women's dresses and fashion accessories. It aims to provide the best shopping experience for its customers worldwide.

For more information, please visit http://www.discount-dress.com.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/01/prweb11483360.htm

Bulls sign forward Cartier Martin to 10-day contract

<Promotional Codesp>

MILWAUKEE - The Bulls have found their replacement for Luol Deng, at least technically.

The team signed Cartier (pronounced like the fine jewelry manufacturer) Martin to a 10-day contract, and the veteran forward was in uniform Friday night.

"We're excited to have him," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "He has worked his way into the league (as an undrafted player). He came up the hard way. We like that about him. He can play multiple positions, and he has shown he can shoot the 3."

The 6-foot-7, 220-pound Martin has played for the Warriors, Wizards and Hawks in his six NBA seasons. He appeared in 25 games (two starts) for the Hawks this season, averaging 6.6 points and shooting 40.5 percent from 3-point range. He is a career 38.5 percent 3-point shooter.

Martin, wearing uniform No. 15, becomes the third Kansas State alumnus in Bulls history, joining Bob Boozer and Ed Nealy.

Tough Taj: One second, Taj Gibson was scrambling for a loose ball with the Bucks' Khris Middleton. The next, he was holding his right wrist and wincing in pain.

Gibson left the game with less than two minutes left in the first quarter and got medical attention on the bench. But he returned for the start of the second quarter.

Thibodeau praised Gibson before the game, citing him as a player who is equally adept at starting and coming off the bench.

Asked if he was ready to anoint an every-game starter to replace Deng, Thibodeau replied: "The more important question is how are we going to finish. I don't get caught up in who starts. We need both units to play well. We have a number of guys who do both well. Like Taj, you can start him or bring him off the bench and he will play the same. Mike Dunleavy is one of those guys."

Layups: Thibodeau said he likes what point guard Marquis Teague has done for the Iowa Energy of the Development League, and he might send forward Erik Murphy there. Entering Friday, Murphy had logged just five minutes in the last 10 games. In six games with Iowa, Teague is averaging 12 points on 45.6 percent shooting with 5.2 assists and 3 turnovers per game. ... Friday's Heat-Nets game featured nicknames on the back of jerseys, such as "J. Shuttlesworth" for Ray Allen and "King James" for LeBron James. Does Thibodeau like the idea? "Well, I'm waiting for them to do that with the media," he replied. Does he have nicknames in mind? "Oh, I do," he said.

Cheap Stocks for 2014: The Best Buys in Defense Companies

It's that time of year again. There's a chill in the air, snow on the ground, and among investors, questions abound -- questions like: "What's the cheapest defense stock I can buy in 2014?"

I was recently asked that particular question. But as it turns out, it's a trick question -- because after a remarkable run-up in valuations over the course of 2013, there really are no cheap defense stocks left out there. Or at least, not very many.

Good news turns into bad news
Let me explain. Last week, if you recall, we took a look at valuations in the defense sector. However, we soon came to the disappointing realization that after turning in a very strong performance in 2013, there are very few true " value stocks" remaining among defense stocks. Huntington Ingalls ( ) probably qualifies, based on its 20 P/E ratio, strong free cash flow, and industry-leading anticipated growth rate of 27%. But subpar, single-digit growth projections at defense contractors like General Dynamics ( ) , Lockheed Martin ( ) , and Northrop Grumman ( ) appear to knock all of these companies out of contention as "bargain" candidates.

Thus, after crunching the numbers, I concluded that among traditional defense contractors, Huntington was really the only stock worth considering as a value investment.

Back to basics
Turns out, there's another good reason to consider Huntington a potential value candidate. Some years ago, I argued that defense contractors in America have a certain "natural valuation." Occasionally overvalued, occasionally undervalued, as a general rule, defense stocks tend to gravitate back toward a market cap equal to the value of their annual sales.

This argument was controversial at the time -- because of its timing. Most of these defense contractors had been circling the "equivalent-to-sales" valuation during the years of rapidly accelerating spending on defense, necessitated by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It remained to be seen, however, whether these valuations would hold up in the post-war era.

Yet what do we see here, two years after the Iraq war's end, and on the eve of a U.S. exit from Afghanistan? Shares of Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin once again sell for 1.01 times sales each. Shares of General Dynamics cost 1.06 times sales. Raytheon's ( ) only a bit more expensive at 1.17 times sales.

Once again, this leaves Huntington Ingalls, and its 0.67 price-to-sales ratio, looking like "Deal News in show."

Beyond the numbers
Aside from valuation, though, is there any other reason to prefer Huntington Ingalls over its defense contractor peers? I believe there is.

Consider, for example, Barack Obama's ballyhooed " pivot to Asia," in which the president promised to shift defense spending and reallocate military resources from Europe and the Middle East toward the Pacific. A de-emphasis on purchases of ground weapons needed to blunt a Soviet armored thrust into West Germany, or topple Middle East dictators, sounds like bad news for companies like General Dynamics, BAE Systems, and Textron, which make much of their bread and butter from building tanks and armored personnel carriers for the Army. It's probably neutral for Boeing and Lockheed Martin, whose fighter planes and bombers are just as useful in any setting.

A pivot to the Pacific really helps a company like Huntington Ingalls, though, whose whole raison d'etre is building warships to patrol the seas. Huntington's products run the gamut from Virginia-class nuclear attack submarines, to Arleigh Burke- and Zumwalt-class guided missile destroyers, to the USS Gerald R. Ford, America's newest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. The company is absolutely crucial to building the newest generation of American warships -- Littoral Combat Ships excepted. As such, there's every reason to believe that even an ambitious target like "27% earnings growth" is not out of reach for Huntington -- even as spending elsewhere in the military trends down.

And there's also every reason to believe that even in a generally fully valued defense sector, Huntington Ingalls remains the one defense stock you can still buy in 2014.

Oh, and one more thing Did I mention that Huntington Ingalls pays a dividend, and has plenty of room to pay even more? A good dividend can mean the difference between an overvalued stock, and one that just might be worth buying after all -- because dividend stocks can make you rich. It's as simple as that. While they don't garner the notability of high-flying tech stocks, dividend-paying stocks are also less likely to crash and burn. And over the long term, the compounding effect of the quarterly payouts, as well as their growth, adds up faster than most investors imagine.

With this in mind, our analysts sat down to identify the absolute best of the best when it comes to rock-solid dividend stocks, drawing up a list in this free report of nine that fit the bill. To discover the identities of these companies before the rest of the market catches on, you can download this valuable free report by simply clicking here now.

Iran: Initial deal on implementing nuke agreement

By JOHN HEILPRIN
Associated Press

GENEVA (AP) - Iran's nuclear envoy in Geneva said Friday that an initial agreement has been reached on how to implement a nuclear Deal News with six world powers.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in comments to the official IRNA news agency, said world powers and the Iranian government should respond within two days about whether they accept the terms, which he did not reveal.

It maps out a first-step agreement for six months as diplomats from Iran and the so-called P5+1 - the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany - negotiate a permanent agreement. The five veto-wielding Security Council members are Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States.

The European Union, whose negotiators Catherine Ashton and Helga Schmid represent the P5+1, reported on Twitter that Araghchi and Schmid made very good progress "on all pertinent issues" related to implementing the Nov. 24 deal - which would require Iran to stop some of its nuclear activities in exchange for some sanctions being dropped.

Araghchi told IRNA that "technical and political differences were settled through a solution" that must go to capitals for approval.

"The result will be announced within next two days," said Araghchi, after which "the first step will be taken for implementation" of the November deal.

Iran insists it has no interest in nuclear weapons, only nuclear power, but the United States and its allies are skeptical. Limiting uranium enrichment is one of the core aims of the six-month interim deal.

Enriched uranium, depending on its grade, can be used either for reactor fuel or - at levels above 90 percent - for the fissile core of a nuclear warhead.

The details of the initial agreement were not clear. But two officials have told The Associated Press that Iran was coming to the table with demands to exempt a facility used for research and the development of uranium enrichment from the overall curbs on its enrichment.

That is something that has been opposed by the six powers.

____

Associated Press writer George Jahn in Vienna contributed to this report.

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