News this week: No Micromax A120 Canvas HD, Nokia Asha 501 unveiled, The Sims 4 announced and more!

We know your world is a very busy place and it’s hard to keep track of everything that goes on in the tech world. So here’s a handy recap of the top news stories from this past week.
 

Linux users rejoice! Valve’s popular interactive puzzle title, Portal, is now available on Linux via the Steam client. This comes as very good news for gaming on Linux, as both the Portal games were very popular and were received positively by critics.

  Samsung has launched yet another Galaxy device – this one is a budget affair called the Galaxy Core. It runs on Jelly Bean and has a 4.3-inch display.

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The Galaxy Core has a 4.3-inch screen

The much-awaited and written about Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone launched in India late last month for an official price of Rs 41,500. However, at Delhi’s Gaffar Market in Karol Bagh, you can get the smartphone for Rs 38,800 including taxes.

Electronic Arts has officially announced that the latest game in its people-simulation franchise is under development. Titled The Sims 4, the game is being developed by series veteran Maxis and will be seeing a release in 2014.

The Sims 4 will be out in 2014

With everyone making a tablet based on Windows 8, it was only a matter of time before HTC tried getting into the game. Rumours are floating around that the Taiwanese company is working on a 7-inch and 12-inch tablet that will run on the upcoming Windows RT Blue.

Ever heard the phrase, “All smoke, but no fire?” Well, that’s what the case is with the rumours regarding Micromax A120 Canvas HD Pro. We saw the tech press go all out with rumours and “leaks” about a new Micromax phone called the A120 Canvas HD Pro.

BlackBerry’s upcoming QWERTY smartphone, the Q10, is now available for pre-booking on SnapDeal. The website, though, doesn’t reveal any new information, such as the actual price of the handset. To pre-book the device, you have to pay Rs 1,000 in advance, and then pay the rest when the smartphone is launched.

The Asha 501 is the first phone in the overhauled Asha series to be unveiled, and it will be priced at $99 (around Rs 5,370). The Finnish giant will be launching the phone in India sometime in June this year.

The Asha 501 is a complete overhaul of the Asha series

Xolo’s next phone may be quite a beast. Benchmarks have popped up from an anonymous submitter on Nenamark for a handset named the Xolo T1000. Rumours of a second Xolo phone - the Q2000 - have also been revealed. Since the Q2000 will be a phablet, Xolo will be competing with the likes of Samsung and LG.

Indian government is reportedly launching an investigation into equipment manufactured by the likes of Huawei, ZTE and possibly other companies as China’s role in recent acts of cyberspionage is being scrutinised.