Author: Abhinav Mishra

PS4 System Update 2.0 Release Date Revealed

Sony has officially confirmed via Twitter that PS4’s next Firmware update 2.0, is coming much sooner than we expected. It will be made available on 28th October.

The update codenamed ‘Masamune’, will have a slew of new features including theme support, improved voice commands, a USB music player which allows users to insert the USB stick into the PS4 and play their own music in the background while playing a game. Also, the new update will feature enhancements to live broadcasting, which will include dedicated app support for YouTube and the ability to upload gameplay footage directly to it.

PS4’s next software update, Masamune, will be available on 10/28. Includes Share Play, USB Music player, and more! pic.twitter.com/FjfgcY91Ki

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) October 23, 2014

Masamune will also bring the highly anticipated Share Play feature, which creates an online local co-op experience, by allowing users to invite friends to join a game – even if they don’t own a copy of the game. Users will be able to play along with a friend, or even ask them to temporarily take over game controls, as if they were sitting in the same room. This feature will only be available for PlayStation Plus members.

Meanwhile, the PlayStation App for smartphones and tablets is also set to receive an update to version 2.0 within the same launch window. The new app update will feature a new layout for tablets with a redesigned home screen for the app.

October 25, 2014
Sundar Pichai to Now Oversee Crucial Strategic Operations at Google

A few days ago we reported about Satya Nadella becoming one of the highest paid tech execs, now it seems like another Indian is speedily climbing the ladder of success. Google’s Sundar Pichai, who already heads some of the company’s most strategic businesses, has been given more responsibility. CEO Larry Page wants to focus more on overall business strategy, off loading some of his responsibilities to Pichai.

Pichai, who already heads the most widely used OS in the world – Android, along with that he’s incharge of Google Chrome, and oversees the company’s suite of apps including Gmail and Docs. Under the organization reshuffle, he will be heading research, search, maps, Google+ social network, ads and infrastructure.

With Google coming under pressure from investors as their profits and revenue did not meet their targets in the third quarter, Page decided to off load some of his reponsibilities to focus more on the overall business growth. Some financial analysts fear that Google’s business is slowing down, despite its search and advertising business still generating a revenue of $50 billion a year. Page can now have direct supervision over a number of divisions including YouTube, along with business and operations.

Chennai-born Pichai, has become a well known figure inside the company after he took over Android. He has been working for the company since 2004 and has a master’s degree in engineering from Stanford University. His early works included being a part of the team that developed Google’s search toolbar.

October 25, 2014
Apple Protects Chinese Citizens from the Government Attacking Their Security

Reports have been circulating about a massive piracy attack on iCloud. It is being alleged that hackers and Chinese authorities were deploying man-in-the-middle(MITM) attacks in order to compromise Apple ID’s from Chinese users that visited Apple’s iCloud website.

The latest report by the Wall Street Journal suggests that Apple has officially confirmed that it is aware of the organized attacks on its iCloud users, however their own servers have not been compromised.

“Apple is deeply committed to ‘protecting our customers privacy and security. We’re aware of intermittent organized network attacks using insecure certificates to obtain user information, and we take this very seriously. These attacks don’t compromise iCloud servers, and they don’t impact iCloud sign in on iOS devices or Macs running OS X Yosemite using the Safari browser”.

Apple has come out with a support document that clearly specifies the importance of digital certificates, advising users who come across an invalid certificate alert in their web browser while visiting iCloud. The company has also issued guidelines as to how users can verify that their web browser is connected to iCloud and not a fake third party MITM website.

Apple has asked its users to make sure the green lock icon is visible and see the following message “Safari is using an encrypted connection to www.iCloud.com” when the lock icon is clicked.

But the main problem lies in the fact that users are not using secure browsers to access their cloud storage. A report indicates that many users in China access the Internet via a popular Chinese browser named Qihoo. It does not alert users when a fake site is getting their information, it rather redirects Chinese users to a fake website identical to the iCloud website. Users who eventually log into the fake site inadverently give the attackers their login and passwords that can be used to access personal information.

Chinese authorities are suspected to be a part of this attack. According to CNBC, a spokeswoman for China’s Foreign Ministry said that Beijing was “resolutely opposed” to hacking.

Chinese users are being advised to switch to secure browsers like Chrome or Firefox, or use a VPN to bypass the redirection and log in directly to iCloud. Two factor authentication is also required to be turned on as it restricts unauthorized users from logging into an iCloud account even when a username and password is compromised.

October 22, 2014
Air India Finally Gets on Board! Launches its Official App and Twitter Account

Seems like Air India is finally awake from a deep slumber. It has officially launched a new app for smartphones to make bookings simple and convenient even while you’re on the move. Better late than never, Air India has also officially boarded the micro blogging site Twitter with a new account @airindiain.

As already mentioned, the app should facilitate quick and hassle free bookings along with providing user oriented information like fare details, check ins etc. The app is only available only on the Play Store for now, though will be rolled out for iOS soon.

The airline already has a Facebook page and getting onto Twitter account would be considered a step in the right direction. This makes Air India the sixth Indian airline to have an account on Twitter.

????? / ???? ?????? ???? ???? ????? ????? ?? ??? ?????? ?? ?? ?????? ?? ???? ?? ???? ?? —-> @AirIndiaIN

— SANJAY BAFNA (@sanjaybafna) October 22, 2014

“We will be launching our Twitter account in the next few days,” said Rohit Nandan, chairman and managing director of Air India. “I know it’s a tough task for us to be there, but we have to improve our customer services and I think this is the step in that direction. This will keep us on our toes. We would try to do our best so we can solve customer queries in real time. And gradually scale up our efforts,” said Nadan in a report published by Times of India.

October 22, 2014
Apple Decides Against Offering EMI Options for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in India

In response to the unprecedented high demand for the new flagship iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in India, Apple has decided not to offer any EMI options. The reason quoted for this is that they are not able to cope up with the supply. Apple had tied up with Bajaj Finance and Capital First to offer a zero-interest finance options on their earlier products. However, the schemes are not applicable to the new line-up.

It has been said that the company will furthur evaluate the decision to offer EMI options for the new iPhones in the January quarter. Meanwhile, EMI options are still available on older models which include iPhone 5s, 5c and 4s.

Both phones deliver a good battery backup even with their massive displays.

The iPhone 6 has gone out of stock in India just days after its official release. In the nation’s capital, Apple’s ardent fans had even lined up at midnight to be the first to buy the device.

Apple had brought in a stock of 55,000 devices for sale in India on the midnight of 16th October. The entire stock got sold in just 3 days. Now the company is planning to bring 25,000 new devices soon to quench the demand for the latest bestseller. It was said that there will be a delay of three days before the devices are available again.

October 21, 2014
Philips Mobile and Mitashi Bring Out Smartphones for Senior Citizens

In this day and age of high end specs and 4K displays, manufacturers are launching phones for the aged, trying to venture into a demographic that generally stays away from high tech gadgets. Philips Mobile and Mitashi on Monday launched phones for senior citizens featuring larger buttons, a bright screen and a convenient flashlight.

“The senior generation, while being largely technophobic, is looking at their grandkids engaging actively on the Android platform and definitely wants to get onto the bandwagon. We thought of addressing the need of a smartphone exclusively made keeping senior citizen’s needs in mind,” said Adnan Chara, Vice President of gaming, toys and telecom at Mitashi.

With 5 per cent of India’s population over the age of 65, this is a huge market to tap into, added Chara. Mitashi introduced their Android KitKat PLAY Senior Friend AP 103, priced at Rs. 4,999, meanwhile Philips Mobile introduced its first feature phone for senior citizens called the Xenium X2566, priced at Rs. 3,800.

These so called feature phones are less complicated than smartphones, as elderly citizens have trouble adapting to new technologies. In time, we will find out how beneficial these smartphones are or if its just another marketing gimmick.

October 21, 2014
OnePlus One Finally Up for Pre-Orders

The OnePlus One has been sold on an invite system from the get go. In doing so, the company continued to receive the orders, yet restricted orders enough to ramp up production. It might come across as a surprise at this point, but OnePlus One will be available for pre-orders on October 27th at 11am. Why, you might ask, are we specifying the time? Well, here’s the catch – the phones will be up for pre-orders only for an hour.

Although the time limit is unfortunate, however people finally get the chance to own the phone, without waiting for an invite. If you are able to place an order within that hour, you will be entitled for a OnePlus One smartphone. The phone’s shipping date will be determined by factors such as how many total orders are placed and how quickly one places their order. To further simplify the process, OnePlus is allowing customers to set up their shopping carts early. This way, all you need to do is to checkout when the clock hits eleven. All OnePlus accessories will be up on sale as well.

If users happen to receive an invite after an order is placed, the phones will be shipped immediately.

It was previously reported that the company will be doing away with the invite system for a pre-order system. Carl Pie said, “We understand that our current method may be slowing our growth down, but we’d rather grow slower and in a healthy way than take too much risks and go out of business. Risk management is extra important in our scenario where we don’t have hardware margins.”

We were really impressed by the device in our review, if you really want to get your hands dirty on this slick device, head over to preorder.oneplus.net and be prepared. Sadly, preorders are not available in India yet.

October 21, 2014
iOS 8.1 Now Available for Download, Here’s Everything You Need to Know

Apple had launched the iOS 8 with some key features missing, which was a let down for many. One of the major problem with the update was that it demanded close to 5GB of free space on your device before you could update, which only meant users had to delete a lot of music, photos and apps to make space. The second important feature missing from iOS 8 was the absence of a Camera Roll.

When the iOS 8.0.1 update released on September 24, Apple ended up pulling the update just hours after it became available. The bug-laden update has caused iPhones to lose cell network and affected the Touch ID.

Apple studied and considered the user feedback before launching iOS 8.1. Now it has finally brought some key and impressive features to its mobile platform that were missing earlier. However, to have the best possible experience of these features, users will need to have the OS X Yosemite installed. If you have an iPhone 5s or higher, here’s what to look forward to in the latest iOS 8.1 update.

Apple Pay

Apple’s rumoured payment platform finally hits on iOS 8 devices running with the 8.1 update. In order to use Apple Pay, users need to add a card to Apple Pay by taking a snap of their card. After the card is verified from the bank, it is added to passbook, where users can finally access it for future purchases. Users can now open their Passbook in retail stores, a finger print scan via the Touch ID sensor completes the process. Though as of now, the feature is U.S locked, UK availability is expected to start some time early next year.

Personal Hotspot

The 8.1 update brings about a significant improvement in communication sharing features between desktop and mobile. The new personal Hotspot allows the iPhone’s 4G LTE compatibility to be accessed from a nearby Mac. Once connected, the Mac acts as a phone.

Camera Roll is Back

When Apple launched the iOS 8 last month, it was missing the Camera Roll feature which was a major let down for users. Now with the 8.1 update, this feature is back where users can house all their photos again in one single folder.

Beta iCloud Photo Library Access

iCloud Photo Library returns as a beta in iOS 8.1. It stores as much as you want, provided you have purchased that much space in iCloud. Previously, iCloud only stored your last 1000 photos for 30 days. Therefore, all photos uploaded in the iCloud Photo Library will be a part of your total iCloud storage. You get 5GB of free storage for starters, with 99 cents a month you get 20GB, while $3.99 will get you 200GB.

SMS Relay

A feature you’d probably already know about, deserves another mention here. With the SMS and Phone integration, you can send and receive text messages as well as phone calls across all Apple devices. This is definitely the future of interlinked digital devices. Apple definitely was to be the first company to benefit from this because of its enormous hardware ecosystem.

The iOS 8.1 definitely looks much more promising from the the iOS 8, and is now available for download. Apple seems have really made an effort to bring about some refreshing changes based on consumer feedback that were missing earlier.

October 21, 2014
Sony Xperia Z4 Leak Points to a 5.5-Inch QHD Display

After releasing two flagships back to back in the same year, specifications of Sony’s purported next iteration, the Xperia Z4, have been leaked. The Japanese Electronics giant had clearly stated earlier this year that they would be adopting a six month cycle for its smartphones. However, the source that leaked the Z4 specs points to the fact that it will not be followed by a successor later in 2015.

The Japanese manufacturer is reportedly dropping the idea of a six month cycle it adopted lat year with the Xperia Z and Z1. The primary reason could be that flagship devices have reached their threshold and there aren’t any major upgrades possible in a six month period.

According to Android Origin, the next flagship from Sony, dubbed as the Z4, is tipped to feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 octa-core 64-bit chipset clocked at 2.8GHz, bundled with the the all-new Adreno 430 GPU. To back it up, is a massive 4GB RAM along with 32GB of internal storage.

In terms of connectivity, it is likely to feature Cat.6 LTE and Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity. One of the major design changes being attributed for the Sony Xperia Z4 is the inclusion of a dedicated amplifier for better sound output.

Finally, the Xpreia Z3’s successor is likely to feature a a 5.5-inch display with a Quad-HD 2560 x 1440 resolution, which is slightly higher than that of its predecessors.

October 20, 2014
According to Survey, India Has Second Highest Number of Google Glass Owners Globally

According to a recently conducted research, India has the second highest number of Google Glass owners at six percent, South Korea being the number one with eight per cent. Google Glass is a type of wearable technology with an optical head-mounted display (OHMD). It displays information in a smartphone-like hands-free format.

That’s not all. India is also said to have emerged as one of the most tech-savvy nation with 95 per cent of Indians find smartphones critically important, while 75 percent use their smartphone or tablet for online bookings, according to a survey by Expedia.

“The findings clearly suggest an increasing dependency on the mobile platform. Ninety five per cent Indian respondents feel that their smartphone is very or of critical importance to their daily life,” said Vikram Malhi, MD, Asia, Expedia . Further adding that Indians lead in app booking and data roaming plans globally.

And that’s not it, the survey also revealed that India has the highest number of smartwatch owners globally, with 18 per cent owning and using the device. It was also reported that 85 percent of Indians own a laptop, ranking fourth in the world after Denmark (89 per cent), Austria (86 per cent) and Norway (86 per cent).

October 20, 2014
Apple Brings Out the iPad Mini 3 with Touch ID for $399

Apple has confirmed the third generation iPad Mini featuring the new Touch ID fingerprint sensor during an event at its Cupertino headquarters. The device is identical to the latest 7.9-inch tablet and the iPad Mini with Retina Display that was unveiled last year. Apart from the Touch ID, it has the same Retina display with an aluminum coating at the back and will be available in gold, gray and silver colour variants.

It features a 5 megapixel iSight camera and a FaceTime HD camera and carries iOS 8 features such as time-lapse and panorama. This iPad features dual microphones, on the front and back. Instinctively, when you switch cameras from front to back (or vice versa), the microphones switch, too. iPad mini 3 promises lightning-quick Wi-Fi performance using its two antennas and MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output) technology. With dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi and MIMO, download speeds can reach up to 300 Mbps.

It starts at $399 (Rs. 24,574 approx.) for 16GB in Wi-Fi only, while the 128GB + LTE model will cost $729. Pre-orders start tomorrow and shipping starts by the end of next week. Meanwhile, the previous generation iPad mini with Retina display — now called the iPad Mini 2 has received a price cut and can now be bought for as low as $299.

October 17, 2014
It’s Official! The 27-inch iMac with ‘5K’ Retina Display is Here

At a mega event held in Cupertino Apple finally unveiled the long awaited its 27-inch Retina iMac. The event carried several announcements; the company announced the date of the Apple Pay launch, the revealed the new upgraded iPads and finally, then showcased the ‘World’s Highest Resolution Display.’

The Retina iMac features a 5K display, has new Operating System Yosemite, which includes aesthetic changes along with new functionality. This next generation Operating System has enhanced sync abilities with iOS devices.

The new iMac features a 27-inch display with 5210×2880 pixels resolution, which is 14.7 million pixels, which according to Apple, “Is the world’s highest-resolution display”. Seven times more pixels than a Full HD TV, 67 per cent more pixels than 4k. The display is only 5mm thin at the edge. The Oxide TF and a new low-power backlight helps it use 30% less energy despite the large display and heavy resolution.

The base model runs on a 3.5GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor, AMD Radeon R9 M290X graphics card, has 8GB of RAM, and a 1TB Fusion drive. The iMacs are priced starting $2499 (Rs. 1,53,913 approx).

October 17, 2014
Apple Unveils the Super Skinny iPad Air 2

It has been a year since the launch of the iPad Air, and now Apple has finally pulled the curtains on the long awaited iPad Air 2 at an event tonight at its Cupertino headquarters.

The new refreshed Air is 18 per cent thinner with a thickness of just 6.1 mm. As expected, it is powered by the new Intel A8x Chip, a 2nd gen 64 bit architecture, which is 12 times faster than the current one. Apple claims that graphics performance of the new iPad Air 2 is 180 times faster, which gives console like gaming experience on the iPad Air 2.

The tablets will feature a fingerprint scanner similar to the one found in the latest iPhones. The sensor enables people to use a fingerprint instead of a passcode to unlock the device, and also can be used to make purchases using Apple Pay.

The new iPad Air 2 houses the 8MP iSight camera on the back with a f/2.4 aperture and supports HD video recording. Along with that there is a front camera which features a new face time HD cam, burst selfie, slo-mo and more. In terms of connectivity it offers faster WiFi, better LTE connectivity of upto 150 Mbps. It can provide a battery back-up of upto 10 hours once fully charged.

The iPad Air 2 runs on the latest iOS 8.1 and features a LCD layer on the display along with an anti reflective coating, reducing reflection by upto 56 per cent. The iPads are priced starting $499 (16GB). The 64GB version is available for $599 and the 128GB for $699.

October 16, 2014
Facebook Announces New ‘Safety Check’ Feature to Help Communicate During Disasters

Facebook has introduced Safety Check, a brand new feature that people can use when major disasters occur, a simple and effective way to say you’re safe and check on others during times when communication becomes a necessity. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced this feature in Tokyo, in lieu of the great earthquake and Tsunami that hit Japan a few years ago. The calamity inspired Facebook to build the first version of this feature for Japan, and now this feature is available worldwide.

During a disaster, the Safety Check feature helps users to inform their friends and family that they are safe, users can also check on others in the affected region and can even mark their friends as safe.

How does it work?

The safety feature works when it is activated after a natural disaster has occurred and if a user is in the vicinity of the affected area, he/she will receive a Facebook notification asking if they’re safe. Facebook will then automatically determine their location by the user’s last location and the city where the user is using the Internet.

If Facebook determines the wrong location, users can mark that they are outside the vicinity of the affected area. Meanwhile if they are safe, they can select ‘I am safe’ and a notification and a News Feed story will generate automatically with the user’s friends. Even friends can mark a user as safe.

Even if users have friends in the affected area and the tool has been activated, they will receive a notification about those friends that have marked themselves as safe. To understand the features better, check out the video below:

October 16, 2014
Apple Stocks Up 55,000 iPhone 6 Units for Tonight’s Midnight Launch in India

In order to ensure adequate supplies in the first batch, Apple has reportedly shipped around 55,000 iPhone 6 units to India for tonight’s midnight launch. The report, published by Economic Times, says that the handsets will be available beginning tomorrow and there is anticipation of high demand for the Indian market. The first lot of shipment should be sufficient to meet the demand, as there have been over 21,000 pre-orders for the device.

This initial supply is way much better compared to last year’s iPhone 5s and 5c launch where only around a mere 20,00 units were shipped in the first phase, which created excess demand, particularly in the case of the iPhone 5S. All top retailers and Apple stores across India will launch the new iPhone 6 today at midnight and will be given only to customers who have placed pre-orders, while regular sales begin tomorrow morning.

Samsung will also take on Apple head on with the launch of their flagship Galaxy Note 4 tomorrow. Check out our first impressions of the Galaxy Note 4.

October 16, 2014