Author: Meenakshi Rawat

Tech Highlights of the Week : E3, LG G4, Apple Watch 2 and More
This week was loaded with new product releases and announcements from the most-awaited annual gaming show, E3. We have compiled a list of news that made the rounds.

Here are the top 10 highlights of the week:
1. LG Launches the G4 Flagship in India
Finally, LG brought its latest flagship, the G4, to India. The premium leather-clad handset is priced at Rs. 51,000. Sporting a 5.5-inch Quad HD IPS LCD display, the phone comes with a 1.8GHz Hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor with Adreno 418 GPU, 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage space. The phone runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop. A 16MP shooter is fitted at it back, while the front is an 8MP camera. A 3,000mAh powers the smartphone.
1. Samsung Galaxy J5 and J7
The Korean firm launched two mid-range phones – Galaxy J7 and Galaxy J5. The smartphones are priced at CNY 1,798 (Rs. 18,400 approx.) and CNY 1,398 (Rs. 14,300 approx.) respectively. The Galaxy J5 features a 5-inch HD TFT display (1280x720p resolution). It is backed by 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 SoC coupled with 1.5GB of RAM, 16GB of built-in storage, which is expandable. With a battery capacity of 2600mAh battery, it sports a camera of 13MP at the back and a 5MP camera at the front.

The Galaxy J7, on the other hand, boasts the same 5.5-inch TFT HD display with an octa-core Snapdragon 615 processor with four cores clocked at 1.4GHz and the four cores running at 1GHz. The Galaxy J7 fits a 3000mAh battery.
1. Nokia Confirmed to Re-Enter Smartphone Market by 2016
Finnish electronics firm Nokia, once a leader in smartphone manufacturing, has made an official declaration saying that it will again start designing and licensing smartphones. Once again, users will come across Nokia-branded smartphones in retail shops as well as online. The firm will restart with the same old strategy of just designing the handsets, and not manufacturing them. Nokia is looking for suitable partners to fulfil the task.
1. Apple Watch 2 is Already Under Development
Apple is planning on developing the next-generation watch, Apple Watch 2. Sources close to Apple disclosed its plans of launching an improved iWatch version, which is said to reduce the dependence of the wearable on the iPhone. The next Apple Watch will sport a camera on top of the watch bezel, to provide users with the facility of video calling. Watch owners can make or receive FaceTime calls while on the go, and there is no need to slip an extra gadget in your pocket.

Replacing the currently embedded Wi-Fi, a chip with the potential to locate a user’s location will be installed. Things like ordinary conversation can take place with the integration of a dynamic wireless chipset, but substantial actions such as software updates, media files synchronization, and few more will indeed require iPhone support.
1. iPhone 6s will be Stronger, Wider and Larger
The inclusion of Force Touch technology was reported to find space on the next iPhone. It is speculated to increase the dimensions of the phone by 0.15 millimetres crosswise as well as in length, and 0.2mm in thickness. Apple will also employ Series 7000 Aluminium, introduced with Apple Watch, on the next-generation iPhones. The custom metal is 60 percent stronger than the regular aluminium and has just one-third the density of stainless steel.
1. OnePlus Two Will Come with Snapdragon 810
OnePlus CEO, Pete Lau, revealed a crucial detail about the next OnePlus flagship. As stated by Lau, Snapdragon 810 v2.1 will administer the processing demands of the phone. The processor is capable of streaming 4K Ultra HD videos, high-resolution 3D games and has an enhanced battery life. The forum also read that the overheating issue of the processor has also been resolved with the new version of the SoC. This will increase the price of the smartphone by around Rs. 3,000. Pete Lau stated since Snapdragon 810 v2.1 costs 60% more than the Snapdragon used in the OnePlus One, the handset may cost roughly around Rs. 25,000.
1. Epic E3 Titles Released at E3
Sony, Microsoft, Disney, Activision, and more stepped onto the podium of E3 to showcase what they have to offer this year. The Last Guardian, Holographic version of Minecraft, Call of Duty: Back Ops 3, Hitman and a few more wooed the game fanatics, compelling them to give developers a standing ovation. The titles will release either later this year or in 2016.

Click here to read more.
1. Xbox Elite Controller
This year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) saw the release of a new Xbox controller, and it is definitely a beast in its own terms. Described as the ‘Elite Controller for Elite gamers’, the new Xbox One Elite Wireless Controller has been added with many new features. The analog sticks and directional pad can be swapped out with different grips — concave, convex, textured, or whichever accessory creators come up with. Every button can be remapped and reset using a companion smartphone app that will be released for Xbox One and Windows 10. You can even control the sensitivity level of the triggers on the back and analog sticks. The Elite Wireless Controller comes out in October and is priced at $150 (Rs 9,623 approx.)
1. Micromax Canvas Sliver 5
A couple of days back, Micromax unveiled a slim smartphone, Canvas Sliver 5, holding a thickness of 5.1mm. Weighing a mere 97 grams, the handset accommodates Aircraft grade aluminium and integrated touch sensitivity. The 4G/LTE enabled phone is powered by a 64-bit quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor with 2GB DDR3 RAM. The display size stands at 4.8-inch HD AMOLED with 720p resolution. The device, running on Android 5.0.2 Lollipop, comes with 16GB internal storage space with no expandability option. Priced at Rs. 17,999, the phone boasts an 8MP shooter at the back and a 5MP camera in the front.
June 21, 2015
According to ITU, 5G Networks Will Provide Speeds of up to 20Gbps

Faster 5G network, that will boost internet speed exceptionally, is going to be a reality much sooner than expected. Well, the 5G internet network speed that was anticipated to launch until 2020 will now arrive two years before, in 2018.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), United Nations agency for Information and Communications Technologies, made public the speed to be offered with 5G. They also announced that the first demo of its blazing fast internet speed will be done at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

As reported by online daily The Korean Times, the transmit speed of 5G will be up to 20 GB per second, while is presently 150MB per second maximum with 4G speed. The purposed 5G enables users to download 20HD movies within seconds.

The report reads –

The 5G network will also have capacity to provide more than 100 megabits-per-second average data transmission to over one million Internet of Things devices within 1 square kilometer.

The United Nations agency will start accepting technologies suitable for the 5G standard before its commercialization plan in 2020. There is still a lot of time for 5G network to become a reality, and to become a standard all around the world, it will take another couple of years.

June 20, 2015
Here’s How Swimming Nanobots Can Cure Deadly Diseases

Along with gadget technology that’s making every bit of our surrounding smarter, innovation in the field of medicine has also moved ahead by leaps and bounds. In March, Google disclosed its alliance with Johnson & Johnson to develop advanced robots to assist surgeons with the operation. Today, bringing the fictional medical science to reality, scientists have created tiny nanobots that will swim through your body to deliver drugs.

The nano swimmers are an invention of researchers at Israel Institute of Technology (Technion). This fine, thread-like structure is introduced into a human body to detect diseases and release a drug to cure it. The nanobots of the width of a silk fiber is said to treat any kind of disease, including cancer.

Here’s the video showing nanobots in action:

The research published in Nano Letters journal by American Chemistry Society reads –

Tiny robots could have many benefits for patients. For example, they could be programmed to specifically wipe out cancer cells, which would lower the risk of complications, reduce the need for invasive surgery and lead to faster recoveries.

As said, these nanorobots are extremely small and thin-like silk fiber, with metallic automaton made up of several links of polymer and magnetic nanowires. When landed inside the body, the nanobot can be propelled in a certain direction through external oscillating magnetic field. It may sound strange to imagine some metal whirling through blood fluids, but it will reduce the need of painful surgeries we currently practice; hence, eradicating complications that accompany operations and the recovery process.

The nanobots are in initial stages of development as of now. It will take a good 4-5 years to put them to work.

June 20, 2015
Father’s Day Gift Guide: 5 Things He’d Love to Own

Father’s Day is just around the corner; so the question everyone is asking is have you planned on buying a gift? Hey, if you are considering giving him another necktie or wristwatch this year, we’d strongly recommend you to reconsider. After years of Father’s Day gifts, he’s sure to have a cupboard full of those. This year, gift him a piece of tech which he could never say no to.

Here are iGyaan’s recommendations:

Xiaomi Mi 4

A brand new smartphone is a gift that no one can refuse. The Mi 4 is a flagship by Xiaomi, currently being offered at Rs. 5,000 off. The price has now come down to Rs. 14,999 from the Rs. 19,999 launch price. The exchange offer will further lessen its cost to Rs. 9,999. The Mi 4 has 5-inch 1080p display, 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 SoC, 3GB of RAM and comes with 16/64 GB internal storage options. The rear camera is a 13MP, while the front boasts a massive 8MP shooter.

Grab it now before the deal ends.

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QiStone+ Wireless Power Bank

Give your father’s power hungry phone a wireless, powerful, and lightweight way to fuel up. QiStone+ is a compact, wireless power bank entailing Qi+ technology to top up the device with Qi Receivers. It stores 4000mAh of power, which means a Galaxy S6 can be charged more than once on one full charge.

The 135g power bank turns to Sleep Mode after 30 seconds of inactivity and wakes up through a capacitive touch sensitive switch. There is an option to charge two devices at a time, one phone can be placed on the QiStone+ and another can be connected to the USB socket via cable.

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Seagate 1TB Portable External Hard Drive

The need for storage never dies. Amazon India is offering a 1TB portable hard drive at 44% discount. Coming at an original price tag of Rs. 7,680, Seagate hard drive is presently available for Rs. 4,264. Weighing just 159g, the hard drive is compatible with PC and Mac. It transfers your data faster by upgrading to Thunderbolt technology or FireWire 800. When shared online, it automatically backs up photos. Colour options available are blue, red, black, white, and grey.

[tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://www.amazon.in/Seagate-Backup-Portable-External-Drive/dp/B00GASLJK6/ref=sr_1_2?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1434714734&sr=1-2&tag=igyaan-21″]Buy Now[/tw-button]

iPad Mini 16GB

If you wish to impress your dad on Father’s Day, iPad Mini is the perfect gift. At Rs. 15,900, you will get a 16GB Wi-Fi enabled Apple iPad, which is no less than a pc when attached to a keyboard. It’s 7.9mm in size, packs Dual-core A5 processor, runs on iOS 6, and houses 512MB RAM. The rear camera of iPad Mini is 5MP and the internal storage space is 16GB.

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Nikon Coolpix P600

If your dad is often clicking pictures from his phone, then this might be the best you can gift him. Nikon Coolpix P600 is sleek and comes at 8% discount, at Rs. 21,950. The camera has advanced vibration reduction feature and allows you to share images over Wi-Fi. The 16.1MP camera lens is said to offer unprecedented close-ups with 60x optical zoom super-telephoto capability.

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June 20, 2015
Apple is Already Prepping Apple Watch 2; Here’s What We Know

It’s been just two months since the arrival of Apple’s luxury wearable and the tech firm is already developing its successor. Yes, following the massive success of Apple Watch, the Cupertino-based organization is reportedly building its next-gen model, the Apple Watch 2. Sources close to Apple disclosed its plans of launching an improved iWatch version, which is said to reduce the dependence of the wearable on iPhone.

If we go by the revelations made by 9to5mac, the next Apple Watch will sport a camera on top of the watch bezel, to provide users with the facility of video calling. Watch owners can make or receive FaceTime calls while on the go, and there is no need to slip an extra gadget in your pocket. The inclusion seems rational as the company laid the ground for audio assimilation with watchOS 2.0, launched at their annual developer’s conference. A camera on the smartwatch is not a first, as Samsung has already incorporated on the Galaxy Gear.

As we said earlier, the second-gen Apple Watch will have minimal dependency on the iPhone, and will be able to perform maximum functions solely. Replacing the currently embedded Wi-Fi, a chip with the potential to locate a user’s location will be installed. Things like ordinary conversation can take place with the integration of a dynamic wireless chipset, but substantial actions such as software updates, media files synchronization, and few more will indeed require an iPhone.

The battery is what’s likely to remain unchanged in the next Apple Watch. The battery of first-gen watch has received positive reviews, and since customers are happy with its fuelling power, Apple aims to devote attention to other features.

It is also learnt from the same source that Apple might add new more options within the price range of $1,000 and $10,000. More options means more colour variants. Apple is speculated to consider the following colour options for the Watch – titanium, platinum tungsten, and palladium.

[tw-button size=”medium” background=”” color=”blue” target=”_blank” link=”http://9to5mac.com/2015/06/18/apple-watch-2-camera-tetherless/”]Source[/tw-button]

June 19, 2015
Force Touch and New Casing Material to Make iPhone 6s Wider, Taller, Stronger

Earlier this year, Apple’s next-generation iPhone was reported to come with the ‘Force Touch’ feature, which made a debut with the Apple Watch and the new 13-inch MacBook. The inclusion was widely expected and now, a new report by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities has affirmed its existence stating that the enforcement of Force Touch on iPhone 6s might even add to the thickness of the device.

Force Touch is a brainy touch feature which senses the level of force applied on the screen. It uses tiny electrodes around the flexible Retina display to distinguish between a light tap and a deep press, which trigger instant access to a range of contextually specific controls. This feature adds the possibility of embedding more gestures onto the device.

Kuo argued that Force Touch will lead to the forthcoming iDevice (tentatively titled iPhone 6s) being wider, taller, and thicker. It is speculated to increase the dimensions of the phone by 0.15 millimetres crosswise as well as in length, and 0.2mm in thickness.

As per Kuo, Apple will employ Series 7000 Aluminium, introduced with Apple Watch, on the next-generation iPhones. The custom metal is 60 percent stronger than the regular aluminium and has just one-third the density of stainless steel.

Along with presenting fact about the redesigned casing material, Ming-Chi reiterates that the iPhone 6s will be coming in a rose gold colour option. He also believes that few more colour options available with the phone will be yellow gold and dark space grey.

June 19, 2015

Hands On with the LG G4

Unveiled back in April, the latest flagship from LG’s stable, LG G4, is finally out in India today. As scheduled, the Korean electronics maker today released the premium handset in the country, while pre-bookings have already kicked off on the LG India website. The handset is available with a price tag of Rs. 51,500.

We got a chance to get our hands on the device and here’s our first experience:

The LG G4 looks premium with its leather-clad backplate. It serves a dual purpose – the smartphone looks amazing, and at the same time it provides a better grip. The leatherback is resistant to water, to help prevent staining and to allow it to wear naturally over time.

The G4 features a 5.5-inch Quad HD IPS LCD display (2560x1440p resolution) that uses quantum dot technology. The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 3.

LG hasn’t provided touch capacitive buttons on the botton, instead they are on the screen itself. The company says that it is a first on the phone and results in higher brightness and contrast.

At the bottom of the handset is a 3.5mm headphone jack, a microphone hole and a charging port. The top has a secondary noise cancellation microphone and an IR (Infrared Blaster). Surprisingly, there aren’t any buttons on either the left or the right-hand side. The back boasts the massive camera, power button as well as the volume rockers.

The processor fitted on the device is a 1.8GHz Hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor with Adreno 418 GPU. LG says that the Snapdragon 808 churns out power similar to Samsung’s octa-core Exynos chip.

With 3GB RAM, the internal storage space of the G4 is 32GB, which can be expanded via a MicroSD card up to 2TB. As teased, the smartphone runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop.

One of the most highlighted features of the device is its powerful camera. It boasts a 16MP camera with f/1.8 aperture (widest aperture on any smartphone camera) equipped with Optical Image Stabilization 2.0, color spectrum sensor, and Laser Auto Focus functionality.

The camera on the phone offers a manual operation mode which brings in a variety of options like exposure, white balance, color temperature, ISO, aperture, RAW mode and many more. The front facing camera is 8MP also with f/1.8 aperture. The handset is powered by a removable 3,000 mAh battery.

SPECIFICATION	LG G4
Display	5.5-inch Quad HD LCD display 2560 x 1440 resolution
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 with X10 LTE
RAM	3GB
Primary Camera	16MP
Front Camera	8MP
Storage	32GB
Expandable Up to	2 TB
Battery	3,000 mAh
Operating System	Android 5.1 Lollipop with LG UX 4.0
Bluetooth	4.1 LE (APT-x)

In terms of connectivity, it comes with Bluetooth 4.1, USB 2.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, A-GPS, Glonass, NFC and HDMI SlimPort (4K).

Buyers of the handset will get 100GB of free space on Google Drive for two years. The phone will be available in four colour options – Black, Blue, Yellow, Beige. The back plates of the phone are carved out of leather and will come in multiple shades.

Watch our hands-on video below:

June 19, 2015

Tech Giants Collaborate to Build a Program That Speeds Up Browsers by 20 Times

Top minds of the tech industry are making collective efforts to construct WebAssembly. Known as ‘wasm’ in short, WebAssembly is a new intermediate representation for safe code on the Web, being prepared by Google, Apple, Microsoft, and Mozilla. The new bytecode enhances the speed of the browser by 20 times, therefore, decreasing the computing time of the content to milliseconds. In simple words, bytecode is a set of instructions read by computers that helps browsers load faster.

Currently, the conversational language of browsers is JavaScript, through which they interpret codes and flash content on any website. Mozilla’s asm.js has been in use since long, which decreases the loading time of a webpage, but WebAssembly bytecode makes the browser even faster. It is more efficient for both desktop and mobile browsers than the full source code of a Web page or app.

JavaScript creator and former Mozilla CEO Brendan Eich said in a blog post:

asm.js is great, but once engines optimize for it, the parser becomes the hot spot — very hot on mobile devices. Transport compression is required and saves bandwidth, but decompression before parsing hurts.

The project aims at providing features of JavaScript’s low-level subset asm.js that produces optimized JS code, and improves its range to other programming languages, like Microsoft’s C#, Google’s Go, and Mozilla’s Rust. Some sources state of it administering the complex data visualizations, Web-based animations, and large JS-driven Web or mobile apps.

The collective project is under development stage and there is no mention of when the project will conclude. But this is sure to be a norm in the recent future.

[tw-button size=”medium” background=”” color=”blue” target=”_blank” link=”https://brendaneich.com/2015/06/from-asm-js-to-webassembly/”]Source[/tw-button]

June 19, 2015
Apple to Use Better Battery Tech in its Upcoming iPhone 6s

Post the launch of iPhone 6 and its bigger sibling, Apple fans have awaited the release of the improved iPhone 6s. The handset is speculated to bring major changes including an upgraded RAM, enhanced 12MP camera and the newly introduced Force Touch. Although the innards have been beefed up, the tech giant continues to push the envelope by making slimmer smartphones. Going by this approach, the upcoming addition to iPhone 6 series will be thinner than the previously launched iterations.

Now we hear that a battery breakthrough that failed to attain the much-deserved hype at the previous Apple Event will fuel the next iPhone, making it last long between two subsequent charges. The innovative battery was patented by Apple in 2012, but came into practice in 2015 with MacBook.

The next-gen battery goes beyond the barrier of the conventional rectangular slab type and can take any shape. This battery consists of thin electrode sheets stacked on one another. These electrodes are cells of different sizes and are installed in the specific contours of the enclosure. This way, developers would be able to utilize the reserved battery space to embed an LTE chip.

This arrangement gives 35 percent more battery cell capacity, using every single millimeter of space available in the enclosure. The technology is currently powering the super-slender 13-inch MacBook that has been engineered to give 9 hours of standby on web browsing and up to 10 hours on iTunes Movie Playback. By incorporating the same battery technology, the Apple iPhone 6s is expected to provide better battery cycles.

With the redesigned batteries rooted in iPhone 6s and the 6s Plus, the future products will be slimmer than the latest model with 6.9mm thickness. More reported specifications of the device include a 2GB RAM and a 12MP dual-lens camera. A new design using an improved casing material is expected on the handset. One more microphone is said to be added near the new handset’s speakers in an attempt to improve sound quality.

As every year, Apple’s upcoming flagships would be released in the month of September.

June 18, 2015

Micromax Launches its Super Slim and Light Flagship, Priced at Rs. 17,999

Micromax’s Jailbreak event kicked off in New Delhi and the firm brought before us the world’s slimmest smartphone. Adding to its Canvas line-up, Micromax introduced its flagship device, the Canvas Sliver 5, holding a thickness of 5.1mm end-to-end. The handset joins the list of the world’s till-date “slimmest phone” title holders – Oppo R5 (6.9mm), Elife 5.1 (5.15mm), and Vivo X5 Max (4.75mm).

Not only is it slim, it’s lighter than any phone released till date. Micromax claims that the Canvas Sliver 5 weighs a mere 97 grams. It accommodates Aircraft grade aluminum that helps maintain its feather-like weight. Along with that, touch sensitivity is integrated onto the screen, helping it acquire the thinness.

Micromax Canvas Knight 2 19 — CEO Vineet Taneja on Stage at the launch.

That was all about its exterior specifications. The phone is powered by a 64-bit quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor with 2GB DDR3 RAM. Canvas Sliver 5 is 4G/LTE enabled, which means overall, it might be a smooth and fast device. The display size stands at 4.8-inch with 720p resolution. The device, running on Android 5.0.2 Lollipop, comes with 16GB internal storage space with no expandability option.

Going by the camera specifications, the new Canvas flagship will hold an 8MP Sony IMX219 sensor on the back with Blue Glass Filter, Professional Mode and Night mode. The Blue Glass Filter offers better pictures by restricting infrared. Micromax has provided a 5MP front camera. A Dirac HD Sound system takes care of the audio quality. A battery of 2000mAh is fitted to the device, which according to Micromax is sufficient for the smartphone. The phone will be available in two colour options – white and black.

Besides this, the homegrown company announced additional offers. With Airtel connection, users will get double the data pack. Also, one of the major highlight of this smartphone, all buyers will get a guaranteed 7-day after-sale service, in case of any issue with the phone. Micromax has priced it at Rs. 17,999.

Check the spec sheet below:

Specifications	Micromax Canvas Sliver 5
Display	4.8-inch, 720p
Processor	64-bit quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410
RAM	2GB DDR3
Storage	16GB, non-expandable
Rear Camera	8MP
Front Camera	5MP
Battery	2000mAh
Operating System	Android 5.0.2 Lollipop
Price	Rs. 17,999

June 18, 2015

Watch the Launch of Micromax’s New Products Live on iGyaan

The next flagship by Micromax is scheduled to launch today in the national capital of India. Media invites have been sent by the homegrown firm for the event starting at 12 PM. Although the event will carry out in an enclosed dark room, Micromax has added support for everyone to witness the jailbreak of its device, live. It is expected to disclose more than one product at the launch.

Micromax has designed a special page for the unveiling of its upcoming flagship. A countdown appears on top of the page, beneath which is a video with shows a prisoner trying to escape from the jail.

Find out who he is and watch the show live below.

https://youtu.be/_f_GvcCVg5Y

June 18, 2015
OnePlus One 64GB Available for Rs. 19,998 on Amazon India

Amazon India is offering the 2014 flagship killer at a discounted rate. The OnePlus One is available on the e-commerce website at Rs. 2,000 off, making its cost Rs. 19,998 for the 64GB model. You can also accessorize your One with products like earphones and protective cases, which need to be bought additionally.

This change can be considered as a tactic to clear stocks and make room for its next flagship, the OnePlus 2, which is expected to debut in the third quarter of this year. A while back, the Chinese company had already dropped the price of the OnePlus One in the US and other markets, while Indians were awaiting the sale.

Talking about the upcoming OnePlus 2, the device is expected to boast a 5.5-inch 2K display to offer an improved viewing experience of the user. It is highly possible that the OnePlus 2 will run on Cyanogen OS, as the differences between Cyanogen and the Chinese smartphone firm have been settled, and the cases have been withdrawn by mutual approval. It is confirmed to come with Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 v2.1 processor that will include the capability of streaming 4K Ultra HD video, impressive image processing and more. The OnePlus 2 is speculated to be priced approximately 1,999 Yuan (Rs. 20,644).

If you don’t wish to wait for the OnePlus 2, we’d recommend you go for the OnePlus One today.

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June 18, 2015
10 Hidden iOS 9 Features That are Sure to Make iPhones Way Smarter

Apple iOS 9, announced at WWDC, was seen to be a major overhaul. The company showed off the software’s multitasking feature, low power mode and Siri’s Proactive mode. However, Apple didn’t disclose many fresh apps and exciting features, which make its OS all the more seamless, bridging the gap between the two major operating systems – Android and iOS. Apple has borrowed many features from Android, along with incorporating many firsts.

A few of you may not agree with us if you go by the announcements made at the launch, but there’s lots more. We have listed some of the hidden features that prove iOS 9 is a cut above the previous iterations.

1. Universal App Search

We are sure you’re going to love this. The newest iOS 9 accommodates a Search bar on top of Settings, allowing you to search any app within the menu. The Settings option is better than ever, enabling you to pick any specific app from the mess just by typing its initials or the full name. For example, if you type ‘Battery’, the Battery feature will appear in front, hiding all in the background. You can tap on it, and its settings will come up, allowing you to make a choice.

2. Tweaked Shift Key

This one was on Android since long, but Apple has incorporated it now with iOS 9. Pressing the shift key allows you to switch between upper case and lower case, rather than only the shift key changing colour and characters not swapping to lower case. We soon won’t need to remember which colour was for caps.

3. Your Keyboard Now Acts as a Trackpad

Even Android disciples will shift their loyalty to Apple after hearing this; well, some might. Earlier limited to iPad, this feature has now landed on the iPhone as well. Drop two fingers onto the keyboard of your iPhone to make a selection, edit and shift text from one place to another. The keypad becomes your trackpad, increasing the productivity of your phone. The feature first debuted on iPad.

4. Swipe to Select Multiple Photos

Ok. Selecting multiple photos on iPhone’s preceding OS iterations was a pain. The company has altered the tedious approach, and the new operating system comes with multiple photo selection support, allowing you to use your finger as a cursor. Widen the cursor to increase the selection area and mass-pictures will be selected as per requirement. No need to tap one-by-one to delete bulk pictures now. Just swipe to choose and dump them in the bin or on cloud.

Along with this, the Photo app features a ‘scrubber’ beneath, enabling you to flip quickly through the images secured in the camera roll.

5. “Back to Search/App” Shortcut

Apple has taken modification real serious this time. Emphasizing on cultivating the already built, iOS 9 includes a ‘Back to Search’ or ‘Back to App’ option that directs you straight to Spotlight without the need of pressing a back button repeatedly. Swipe down on the Home screen, search for content on Spotlight and once you’re done, press ‘Back to Search’ on the top left to reach the main screen.

6. Customizable Side Switch

iOS 9 gives you the option to use side switch for locking rotation of the display or to mute the phone. This option has been available on iPad. Unfortunately, you can choose between the two only.

7. 6-Digit Passcode Option

In an attempt to increase the security of the iPhone, a user with iOS 9 installed on their handsets now has the option to extend the password to 6 digits, which was 4 digits in the previous versions. Above is a screenshot establishing the same.

8. Mute Phone

No matter how cool and secure a iPhone is, its inability to go mute has drawn embarrassment to the user at times. iOS 9 resolves the issue by introducing vibration disable button that lets you shut all vibrations on your iPhone in a single go. Under Settings menu, there is an Accessibility option, which when turned off disables all vibrations including earthquake, tsunami and other emergency alerts.

9. Save To and Add from iCloud

Emails are an indispensable part of any smartphone and so is Cloud when it comes to low memory storage. Until now, iPhone users have been using third-party apps to attach files to emails, but now attachments can be added from iCloud Drive in the Mail app. Also, files can be saved on iCloud by long pressing the attachment. A new window with Save Attachment icon will then open, clicking which the file will go to iCloud Drive.

10. Customizable Assistive Touch

Assistive touch is the binding element that draws users back to the main screen from where ever a person is. But since long, we have been viewing the same four options on the main screen of the top level menu in Assistive touch. Now, you don’t need to compromise any longer as iOS 9 is giving you the freedom to customize the Assistive Touch menu. Add 2 or more buttons to the menu list and quickly navigate through the app.

[tw-button size=”medium” background=”” color=”” target=”_self”]Image Source[/tw-button] [tw-button size=”medium” background=”” color=”blue” target=”_blank” link=”http://www.iphonehacks.com/2015/06/ios-9-hidden-features.html”]iPhone Hacks[/tw-button]

June 18, 2015
Exclusive: Samsung Galaxy Note 5 32GB to Cost Rs. 64,999 at Launch in India

Samsung’s upcoming phablet flagship, Galaxy Note 5, is the current hot topic. The device is expected to be a cut above the last version, overcoming the lags and tapping on constructive points of the Note series. Amid rumours and reports, we brought to you the arrival date of the Note 5, i.e. September 4, and now we have learnt that the 32GB Galaxy Note 5 variant will launch at Rs. 64,999 in India.

A source close to iGyaan disclosed the pricing of the new device saying it will cost Rs. 64,999 for 32GB inbuilt storage. It is anticipated to come in higher variants as well – such as 64GB and 128GB – which Samsung seems to have made a norm for high-end devices with the recent Galaxy S6 release. This means Rs. 64,999 is the minimum amount one has to shell out for owning a Note 5 (at launch). The higher versions can go Rs. 10,000 max. in addition to the base price. Samsung will also bring out an ‘Edge’ variant, which will cost Rs. 9,000 above the regular edged one.

Although there are still two months for the Note 5 to launch, we already know quite a bit about what’s coming ahead. We hear that the Note 5 will be featuring a 5.9-inch Super AMOLED display. The Edge variant will feature curves on both the sides of the display. An improved version of Samsung’s Exynos 7422 is speculated to administer the computing operations.

A latest report also suggests that the Note 4 successor might sport a USB Type-C, which we recently saw incorporated on the Apple MacBook. The Note 5 might even be powered by a mammoth battery of 4,100mAh, which is necessary for a phablet with these specifications. The features might sound exciting, however there is a good reason we recommend you shouldn’t pick up the device at launch.

Keep checking this space for more updates.

June 17, 2015
Panasonic’s Smartphone-Camera Hybrid Hits the US Market, Priced at $1000

Panasonic hasn’t refreshed its premium smartphone range from quite a while, but the Japanese firm is now retrieving the lost position, catching up with high-end offerings by other brands. The consumer electronics giant gained some spotlight with the launch of Lumix DCM-CM1 in the US, introduced last year in September. The CM1 is a smartphone/mirrorless camera encompassing some of the best features of camera and smartphone. The device is priced at a whopping $1,000 (approximately Rs. 64,300), more than the high-end phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S6 128GB and iPhone 6.

Considering the build and overall look of the crossbreed, the Lumix DMC-CM1 is considerably thick at 21.1 mm with a flat touch capacitive screen on the front and a 20 MP, a 1-inch sensor embedded on its back. It is said to be the largest sensor to sit on a smartphone with 28mm f/2.8 Leica lens. The lens makes sure you get the best images out of a 20MP camera. The upper side of the device has buttons to activate both camera and the phone. In addition to that, the gizmo supports features of a DSLR, like manual controls for focus, aperture, shutter speed, ISO and white balance.

Coming onto its front, the Lumix DMC-CM1 features a 4.7-inch full HD LCD display with 1080p resolution. Powering the handset is a 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor with 2GB RAM. Don’t bother about the 16GB internal storage capacity as it can be expanded up to 128GB. It runs on Android 4.4 KitKat, but can be upgraded to Lollipop. Unfortunately, there is no camera on the front. With a battery of 2600mAh, the phone offers connectivity options like LTE Cat 4 and NFC.

The company hasn’t given any details of it arriving in other countries, but we are expecting its global rollout soon.

June 17, 2015