Author: Abhinav Mishra

Major MacBook Pro, Air Announcements Which Got Overshadowed By The Apple Watch
At last night night’s event, Apple unveiled several new developments in its ever growing ecosystem. We’ve already discussed the amazing new MacBook and the Apple Watch in detail. But here’s something we missed out on.

Apple has updated the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display with the new Force Touch trackpad, fifth generation Intel Core processors and Intel Iris Graphics 6100. Apple also updated the 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Air with fifth generation Intel Core processors, Intel HD Graphics 6000, and Thunderbolt 2.

The 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display features the Force Touch trackpad, which features built-in force sensors. The updated 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display also features fifth generation Intel Core processors up to 3.1 GHz, with Turbo Boost Speeds up to 3.4 GHz, integrated with Intel Iris Graphics 6100, and flash storage that is up to two times faster, with throughput up to 1.6GBps, says Apple. In addition, Apple claims the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display now delivers up to 10 hours of battery life and up to 12 hours of iTunes movie playback.

The updated 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Air now feature fifth generation Intel Core processors up to 2.2 GHz, with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.2 Ghz, integrated Intel HD Graphics 6000, and Thunderbolt 2, delivering up to 20Gbps, which Apple says is twice the bandwidth of the previous generation. The 13- inch MacBook Air also features faster flash storage that is up to two times faster than the previous generation.

The updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are now available via select Apple authorised dealers across India. Have a below for pricing and models.

Mac Book Air
- 13 inch with 128 GB flash storage – Rs.72,900
- 13 inch with 256 GB flash storage- Rs.86,900
- 11 inch with 128 GB flash storage – Rs.65,900
- 11 inch with 256 GB flash storage – Rs.79,900
MacBook Pro
- 13 inch with 128 GB flash storage – Rs.94,900
- 13 inch with 256 GB flash storage- Rs.109,900
- 13 inch 2.9 Ghz with 512GB flash storage – Rs. 129,000
In addition, customers can also avail configure-to-order options. For more information head over to Apple’s official India page here.
March 10, 2015
Top 7 Coolest Features of the New Apple MacBook

Apple launched their first Macbook seven years back in 2008, showcasing an unimaginable super slim laptop to the world. Now the legacy lives on with Apple announcing its newest Macbook, which surprisingly will be called just the ‘Macbook’. Apple has yet again pushed the boundaries of laptop innovation which are simply commendable, though might have negated certain aspects.

One can’t deny that the new Macbook reinforces Apple’s philosophy yet again that computers are an extension of the person itself. Here are the coolest features of the new Macbook:

Edge to Edge Retina Display

The latest Macbook gets a 12-inch Retina display with a very small bezel, with a resolution of 2304×1440, and an aspect ratio of 16:10. The display quality is certainly quite a notch up compared to the new Macbook’s predecessors, with the screen built into something that is as thin as a file folder. Apple has again manged to pull of something unimaginable bearing in mind the technical limitations with making something so skinny.

Thinnest and Lightest, Ever

Talking about thin, the new Macbook redefines the concept of slim, it’s as thin as 13.1mm, compared to 17.3mm of the MacBook Air. It’s 24 percent thinner than the Air, the company mentioned at the event. The new Macbook weighs mere 2 pounds (lightest ever), which is amazingly only half a pound over the original iPad.

Redesigned Keyboard

The new Macbook gets an entirely redesigned 12-inch keyboard. A welcome change compared to the Macbook Air which is less than the full size. The keys have been revamped to a new butterfly mechanism that Apple claims offers more stability with improved keystroke force distribution.

Death of the Right Click

Steve Jobs had a vision years ago that the mouse needed only one button, and it seems his vision is finally realised as Apple has added the Force Touch trackpad. One of the most nerdy aspects about the newly unveiled device is the fact that it comes with a Force Touch trackpad. Force Touch was introduced with the Apple Watch, it is the mechanism which senses pressure. The Force Touch trackpad has force sensors that detect how much pressure you apply on its surface. So basically, it can tell the difference between a light tap and a deep press.

Death of the USB Ports

The new Macbook has a single USB-C which does everything from charging, to transferring data, sending videos etc. There’s only one port which means you cannot simultaneously charge your laptop or your phone. This is probably a byproduct of their quest to make the thinnest Macbook possible (and make our lives tange-free.)

Apple has yet again gone against industry standards. In 1998, Apple surprised everyone as its iMac G3 did not include a floppy drive.

Improved Battery Performance

Apple claims to have added a new, custom-shaped battery that maximizes every millimeter of space, helping the MacBook achieve an all-day battery life. It gets a slightly beefier battery unit than the 11-inch Macbook Air and can deliver 9 hours when on Wi-Fi, and 10 hours watching iTunes video.

What Lies Beneath

Barring all the phenomenal exterior changes, significant changes have been made under the hood. For starters, the new Macbook gets Intel’s Core M processor, which consumes less power and produces less heat. The exact model of the chipset is yet unknown but its likely a tweaked 1.1 Ghz Intel Core M, which offers slightly less processing power than your standard Core i5 or i7, though offer better and efficient power management.

Pricing

Okay this might be a “cool” feature, but for most of us pricing would play a major factor. The words ‘Apple’ and ‘budget’ don’t blend in so well, and this holds true for the new Macbook. It comes in two variants, 256GB (1.2GHz Intel Core M) priced at $1299, which is notably higher than the 11-inch Macbook Air. And the second configuration for $1599 features the 12-inch Retina display, 1.2GHz Intel Core M, Intel HD Graphics 5300, 8GB memory.

The new Macbook certainly has features that would give Mac buyers more than one reason to upgrade. The new Retina display, better power management, ultra portability and with significant price cuts, the new Macbook should attract new potential buyers.

March 10, 2015
Huawei’s Forthcoming Flagship Officially Teased, Likely to Feature a Massive Battery

Chinese manufacturer Huawei is all set to announce its next flaghsip the Ascend P8. The company has officially released a teaser image of the upcoming flagship, which primarily focuses on the smartphone’s battery.

The teaser image was posted on Huawei’s Weibo account, with the battery icon appearing within the numeric ‘8’ itself. However, we’ve seen super sleek flagships from Huawei in the past, hence the P8 featuring a colossal battery unit is highly unlikely.

Though going by the teaser, we can expect the P8 to get something big in terms of battery and power saving features. It could be that Huawei has managed to fit in a huge battery unit in a relatively slim device.

Official sponsors for the North London football club Arsenal, the Huawei P8 will be unveiled in London on April 15th, while rumour mill suggests that the phone will get a 5.2-inch Full-HD display, an octa-core Kirin 930 processor bundled with 3GB of RAM, a 13-megapixel camera with a dual LED flash and OIS.

March 9, 2015
Apple’s Music Streaming Service Expected to Arrive in June

Sources close to Apple suggest that the Cupertino based giant is prepping the launch of its own version of Beats Music streaming service. Apple is currently planning to unveil the service, most likely in its beta form at its Worldwide Developer’s Conference (WWDC) in June.

The service will be based on the technology acquired by Beats Music, though with a slightly different user interface for Apple apps. Moreover, the service will no longer get the Beats brand name and will be integrated with OSX, Apple TV, and iOS, while pricing is expected to be around $7.99 per month, slightly cheaper than Beats Music, Spotify, and Rdio.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”9to5 Mac”]

Apple currently plans to launch the new music service as part of an iOS 8.4 upgrade for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch following WWDC, but a final decision has not yet been made. It’s possible that the service will be bundled into iOS 9 this fall, which is expected to have a significant focus on bug fixes and stability improvements.

[/quote]

Meanwhile, the service will be available on Android as well, making it Apple’s first in-house Android app. Apple is aiming at expanding its user base with its new music streaming service. As of now, Spotify has 60 million clients and 15 million paid endorsers. While Beats Music streaming launched in January last year far behind the likes of Spotify in terms of the number of subscribers, but it is likely that some of that ground could be made up with lower rates.

March 9, 2015
Micromax Teases Lollipop for Yu Yureka, Devices to Receive Update Shortly

The Yu Yureka smartphone will soon be getting the Android Lollipop 5.0 update, as the company has posted a Lollipop teaser on its Facebook page. This could only indicate that the devices will be receiving the update in the next few days. The handset was launched with Android 4.4 KitKat based CynagoenOS 11, and with the new firmware update it will get CyanogenOS 12.

Meanwhile, the company has assured that the Yu Yureka will be the first handset to get Lollipop based Cyanogen update. The new update should bring with it a plethora of new features and customisation options. Owners of Yu Yureka can expect usual software updates from Google, but we’re sure it’s the updated CyanogenMod features that everyone would be looking forward to.

Yu Yureka’s Lollipop teaser on its official Facebook page

The image uses a dot-to-dot game to tease the update, with the numbers ending at ’26’. Does this indicate that the update starts rolling out on March 26? We have a feeling that we’ll know sooner than later.

The device already boasts an impressive set of specs at a very attractive price point, and the latest software update should attract more customers to an already great performing device.

Do check out our review of the Yu Yureka below:

March 9, 2015

Xiaomi Redmi 2 Expected to Arrive in India this Week

Xiaomi is apparently prepping the launch of its Redmi 2 smartphone in India with the expected launch date as March 12. The device is being teased through an online contest which allows interested customers to win priority passes to purchase it without the hassle of going through flash sales. The contest is a puzzle of sorts asking people to find hidden keywords inside it. Check out the image below:

It seems a lot of Facebook users have already cracked the code with words such as Snapdragon, wideangle, expandable and matte. Which suggests that the device may be the Redmi 2. Essentially because the Redmi 2 runs on a Snapdragon 410 chipset and also supports quick charging functionality. In addition, it also features expandable storage and a 28mm wide-angle lens with f/2.2 aperture on its rear camera.

iGyaan spoke to the Xiaomi’s spokesperson, who refused to confirm the arrival of the handset. We do hope the cyberspace isn’t jumping to quick conclusions. We’ll have to wait for a few more days for an official confirmation.

The contest is still open and interested users can head over to the company’s official website or Facebook page for more details. We can expect the Redmi Note 2 to be priced somewhere around Rs. 7,000.

Check out the key specs below:

Display	4.7-inch IPS LCD, 720p HD
OS	Android 4.4.4 KitKat
Processor	1.2GHz quad core Snapdragon 410
RAM	1GB with Adreno 306 GPU
Memory	16GB storage (expandable up to 32GB)
Camera	8MP rear, 2MP front
Battery	2200mAh

March 9, 2015

OnePlus to Start Shipping to 16 European Countries

OnePlus recently announced they’ll be venturing into a new product category, and now surprisingly the company has announced that it’ll be debuting in more European markets for its One smartphone. No specific launch date or prices have been announced, though they have mentioned countries where the smartphone will be launched which includes 16 European countries.

OnePlus will be holding event an in Warsaw on March 9, followed by Prague on March 10 and finally Budapest on March 12. Meanwhile, OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei announced at MWC 2015 that the company is all set to venture into a new product category next month.

He also said that it’ll neither be a smartwatch or a tablet, while word is that the next OnePlus smartphone is likely to get a metal frame, replacing the polycarbonate body its 2014 One smartphone that was simply avante grade.

In addition, those of you interested to get the OnePlus One without those pain staking invites can buy the device every Tuesday on the company’s official website.

March 5, 2015
Best of MWC 2015 : The Gadgets to Get Excited About

This year’s MWC in Barcelona was no different, we saw a slew of innovative devices – from curved to waterproof smartphones to super-thin tablets and trendy smartwatches. With the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona coming to a close, we have handpicked some of the best moments from this year’s edition.

Here’s our pick of some the best products showcased at this year’s MWC.

Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge

As expected, Samsung announced two versions of the flagship – one with the standard screen while the other one is a curved display. Samsung has certainly improved upon certain aspects of its current flagship. Despite having a non removable battery, the design is certainly a notch up compared to its boring bland predecessor. And how can we miss out on the S6’s curved sibling, the S6 Edge is one weird looking thing you might actually want. Do check out our exclusive hands on with the S6 and S6 Edge here.

HTC One M9

The latest flagship from the Taiwanese manufacturer gets an all new classy outer shell. A slightly beefier 64 Bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 runs this handset along with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage. Some would argue HTC has brought the same design aesthetics with its latest flagship, we quite like the device. Everything runs on a highly optimized 2800 mAh battery, bundled with Android Lollipop 5.0.2 out of the box and HTC’s new Sense 7 promises a major improvement in the battery life, and out of experience there is a big difference. The quick charge also improves the charge times and you will be on the go in just a few.

Check out our exclusive hands on with HTC’s latest flagship here.

Sony Xperia Z4 and M4 Aqua

Sony pretty much surprised all of us by not launching a successor to the Xperia Z3. Though they did announce a super sleek Xperia Z4 tablet along with a IP68 certified Xperia M4 Aqua smartphone.

The Xperia Z4 tablet is about as slim a tablet can get, with thickness at a mere 6.1 mm and weighing a meager 393g. The device will work with PlayStation 4 Remote Play, allowing users to stream the games straight on the console. The tablet will launch in two variants – LTE and Wi-Fi-only.

Here’s our exclusive hands on with the Xperia z4.

Meanwhile, the M4 Aqua, as the name signifies is a IP68 certified water proof device, which prevents it from any damage until 1.5m underwater for up to 30 minutes. It’s got everything you would ask of a mid range smartphone. We were left quite impressed with device during our initial hands-on.

HTC Vive

It seems we finally have a headset that really matters. HTC and gaming giant Valve tag team to bring out their own Occulus competitor – the HTC Vive. Everyone’s going bonkers over its dual 1200x1080p resolution display experience, which according to iGyaan’s Editor-in-Chief isn’t easy to describe.

HTC has collaborated with many game developers such as Vertigo Games, Wemo Labs, Google, Owlchemy and others to generate content for the HTC Vive. The headset is slated for a launch this year, it seems the VR war gets more intense by the day.

Do check out our exclusive heads on with the HTC Vive.

Microsoft’s Folding Keyboard

Microsoft has been coming up with some great accessories recently, and the Redmond giant yet again showcased a nifty little folding keyboard for iOS and Android. A great alternative for those constantly on the move, it certainly redefines the whole concept of a portable keyboard.

Huawei Talkband B2

Huawei announced its Talkband B2, an enigma of sorts as it acts as a fitness band, an earpiece, all merged into one. It can make calls when paired with an Android device or an iPhone, act as a fitness tracker, but what is really amazing is the fact that it can transform into an earpiece.

Sandisk’s 200GB Memory Card

Sandisk announced a massive 200GB microSD Card at MWC 2015, claimed to be the largest commercially available microSD card. The card will sell for about $400 when it arrives in Q2 of this year, and your phone should be compatible with SDXC standard to make the card work. It is claimed to have transfer speeds of about 90MB per second, or approx. 1,200 photos per minute.

March 5, 2015
Sony Unveils a Beautiful Limited Edition PS4 Inspired by Metal Gear Solid 5

Sony has announced a limited edition PlayStation 4 inspired by the wildly popular stealth action title Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. The limited edition version has been announced in Japan for now, though we’re not sure whether it’ll be announced globally.

The limited edition console is one hell of a looker, made in collaboration with Konami’s Hideo Kojima. The console gets the same colour as Snake’s Bionic arm, while the DualShock 4 is inspired by the assassin’s gun with his logo emblazoned. We won’t mind getting our hands dirty on this badboy!

Meanwhile’ Konami has also officially announced the release date for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. The title will launch on all major consoles except Wii U on September 1, while the game will be released for the PC on Steam on September 15. Hideo Kojima also mentioned that MGS5 will be the final chapter of this epic franchise.

Sony also announced its retro themed limited edition console back in December marking their 20th anniversary.

March 5, 2015
Sony Brags About its Upgraded VR Headset, Announces Arrival for Early 2016

Sony today announced a spruced up version of its virtual reality headset, codenamed Project Morpheus, and Sony is already bragging about how better it is compared to the one they showed off last year. The new VR headset was showcased at a GDC presentation in San Francisco and Sony says it’ll start shipping in the first half of 2016.

New features include an OLED display with a Full HD resolution, while Sony says it’ll be able to offer framerates at 60fps and 120 fps. The screen has a 5.7 inch display, while a total of nine LEDs support 360 degree tracking. Sony also claims it has super low latency – 50 percent improved response than its predecessor.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Shuhei Yoshida” author_title=”President of Worldwide Studios for Sony Computer Entertainment.”]

A new dimension of gaming is, at long last, here – and PlayStation is again at the forefront with Project Morpheus.

[/quote]

Meanwhile, Sony also stressed on its user friendly design, featuring a single band design and quick release button. The headband supports the weight of the unit on the top of your head, hence there is no pressure on your face. Other components have also been adjusted and configured to make the headset lighter, so players do not find the headset cumbersome or uncomfortable to use.

Sony says more details on the new Project Morpheus will be revealed at E3 and Beyond, along with more VR games.

March 4, 2015
Visa, Accenture and Pizza Hut Develop a High-Tech Hassle-Free Way to Order Food

Visa, Accenture and Pizza Hut are testing a connected car technology that would allow us to place an order from the car even while driving, negating the need for a smartphone.

Using a feature called Interactive Voice Control (IVR), you will be able to talk to your car and place your order hands free. While Visa Checkout allows you to make hassle free payments.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Visa”]

Just a few clicks, integrated into the dash of a connected car.

[/quote]

Visa says initially the service will focus on food, but the technology behind the partnership can be extended and applied to other everyday purchases like fuel and parking.

Visa will be showcasing the connected car system at the ongoing MWC in Barcelona, while plans for finally rolling out the service begins this Spring after a three month test run, starting with the U.S.

March 4, 2015
Nvidia Unveils the Shield, a 4k Ready Android Gaming Console/Set-Top Box

Nvidia has announced an Android running 4K compatible set top box called Shield. Nvidia CEO and co-founder Jen-Hsun Huang said the hope is for the Nvidia Shield to do for gaming what services like Netflix and Spotify did for music and video.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Jen-Hsun Huang” author_title=”Nvidia CEO and Co-Founder”]

The modern living room is a smorgasbord of technology. These smart devices running applications will increasingly disrupt the dedicated devices around it.

[/quote]

The console gets powered by the company’s Tegra X1 chip, which Hang says has more gaming power and has twice the efficiency compared to the Xbox 360. At launch, the Shield will get 50 games including Doom 3 and the latest Borderlands sequel.

Huang also announced a new version of its gaming streaming service called Grid, which will be made available as an added subscription.

The device has been priced at $199 slated to launch in May alongside Grid, which allows users to stream games in full HD at 60 fps from the cloud.

The NVIDIA Shield, the company’s new Android powered set-top box https://t.co/N65aUzewro

— Karissa Bell (@karissabe) March 4, 2015

March 4, 2015
Indian Government Announces Nationwide Contest to Help Build an App for PMO
MyGov, in collaboration with Government of India have announced the launch of a nation wide contest to build a mobile app for the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). The contest will be held across the country, at different institutions and colleges and will invite participation from people throughout India. Google will partner MyGov in this contest to build the PMO Mobile App. The contest will launch tomorrow at 5:00 pm on MyGov.in.

Speaking at a NASSCOM event yesterday, Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi said, that he was planning to invite ideas from the public for developing a mobile app for his office. He added that the government would work with Google for selecting the best ideas to develop the app and its features.

The contest has been divided into three phases: the first phase will seek ideas from the public on what they would like to see in the mobile app for the PMO, the second phase will involve building wireframes, and the final phase will include short listing, judging and building the app.

Here’s how you can take part in the PMO mobile app contest:
- If you have an idea on what you would like to see as a feature in the mobile app, share it on www.mygov.in.The features can be about the kind of information you want to see from the PMO. Submit your idea, or vote for an idea now on www.mygov.in. Last date for submitting ideas or voting is 12th March. The shortlisted features will be a part of the mobile app.
- Once the idea is in, the next step is to build the app with the shortlisted features. Register your team and submit your wireframes and be the chosen one to develop a mobile app for the PMO. Ten wireframes will be shortlisted to compete for the development phase.
- In the final stage, five finalists will be chosen by the jury, to compete for the ultimate prize of making the Prime Minister Office’s mobile app.
These finalists will be mentored by Google, the technical partner of the contest. An external jury will judge the contest and choose the final app.
March 2, 2015
Qualcomm Teases its Next Snapdragon 820 Self Learning Chipset

Chipset maker Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 SoC marked the beginning of a new era, deployed in latest devices like the HTC One M9. However, it seems the company has something more in store. At the ongoing Mobile World Congress, it offered a brief teaser of their next iteration of chipsets.

Expected by the end of the year, the Snapdragon 820 will use a custom 64-bit architecture, the Qualcomm Kyro, and will be built using the FinFET process, similar to Intel’s tri-gate ‘3D’ fabrication method. These 64-bit processors will be based on Qualcomm’s own Kro design replacing ARM’s.

Moreover, the Snapdragon 820 will be the first SoC designed and integrated with the company’s own Zeroth platform, a cognitive self learning module. This allows devices to have an AI of their own, making them more personal and adaptive to external factors.

The 820 SoC is expected to arrive by end of the year and may show up devices by next year. In addition, Qualcomm also announced that it’ll be rolling out new modems named X5, X7, X8 and X10 and X12 depending upon their capabilities.

Do check out the teaser video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF8ecUmo8hI

March 2, 2015
Exclusive : Samsung S6 and S6 Edge Arrive in India on 10th April; Pricing Revealed

Samsung officially unwrapped its latest flagships, the S6 and S6 Edge, yesterday in Barcelona. Now sources close to iGyaan suggest that the two new entrants will go on sale in India on 10th April.

The normal Galaxy S6 boasts a slightly larger screen size, than its predecessor, with a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED QuadHD display with a pixel density of 577ppi. Powering the new Galaxy S6 will be an Exynos Octa-Core chipset clocked at 2.1 Ghz which is bundled with a 3GB LPDDR4.

Meanwhile, in terms of optics, it retains the same 16MP count just like its predecessor, though it gets OIS which was missing in the previous iteration. In addition, it also gets a 5MP front facing camera.

On the memory front, the Galaxy S6 will be available in three variant, 32, 64 and 128 GB variants. All based on UFS 2.0 (Universal Flash Storage). And yes, just like the iPhone – the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the S6 Edge will not have micro SD expandability.

Connectivity on the new flagship has been given a slight upgrade, it gets LTE Cat 6 compatibility, while other connectivity options include Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, while globally unlocked variants will work on TDD and FDD LTE bands. So networks should not be a problem for Samsung this time around. It also gets a fingerprint scanner while juicing up the smartphone would be 2550mAh battery.

Coming to its curved counterpart, all specs and features are the same except it gets a slightly beefier battery unit at 2600mAh along with an Exynos Octa core chipset clocked at 2.5GHz. Meanwhile, the edge is mostly for aesthetic appeal. At the event, the company announced that it took up to 800-degree to bend the Gorilla Glass 4 display.

Samsung has included quick charging and wireless charging capabilities in the new S6 and the S6 Edge. The company claims that a 10 minute charge will result in 4 hours of usage.

The latest flagship, or should we say flagships from Samsung go on sale in India starting April 10th meanwhile pricing is expected to be around Rs. 52,999 for the S6, while its curved counterpart will likely get a price tag of Rs.61,999.

Do check out our Hands-On with the new Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge in the video below:

March 2, 2015