Author: Meenakshi Rawat

Google Rolls Out Android 5.1; Here are the New Features and Improvements

It was learnt a few days back that Google is working on an improved version of Android Lollipop with bug fixes and new features. The internet search giant has officially released an update to Lollipop – the Android 5.1. The new software is currently rolling out to compatible devices.

The confirmation came from the official blog post of Android that talks about improved stability and performance. However, the company forgot to mention the inevitable bug fixes, which the users were desperately looking forward to in the upgrade.

New Features of Android 5.1

The new Android 5.1 looks promising and packs a bunch of new features. The top of the list is the multiple SIM slot. This tool helps users share the phone with family and colleagues. The upgrade can manage multiple SIMs on a device at a time.

Device Protection falls second in the list and is an essential feature for the security of your precious smartphone. The tool locks your device and it remains locked until signed in with the user’s Gmail account. Not only that, the phone will not function even if the factory settings are reset.

HD Voice calling is another feature Google is rolling out with Android 5.1 Lollipop. Compatible devices like Nexus 6 and other Android devices associated with T-Mobile or Verizon can avail this facility.

The Quick Settings menu has been redesigned to connect and control Bluetooth devices and join Wi-Fi connection directly from the menu.

Wondering when you’ll get the update? Google Nexus 6 and HTC Nexus 9 will be the first ones to see the update, others should follow shortly. Keep checking back, we’ll keep you updated about the same.

March 10, 2015
Exclusive Leak : LG is Reworking the G4 Design to Take on Samsung Galaxy S6

The Mobile World Congress 2015 became the spectator of the recently unveiled flagships from Samsung. The two phones launched by Samsung tried to address the concerns raised by the critics and they were well received by the industry. But the other major Korean manufacturer, LG, is yet to reveal its cards. Rumors have been whirling about LG’s next flagship, the G4. This new device is expected to trump over the G3 with a revamped design and upgraded specs. However, with Samsung’s new Galaxy S6 making records within a week of its launch, there’s mounting pressure on LG to pack the G4 with invincible specs and features. We have received exclusive information that LG is taking “inspiration” from Samsung’s flagship for its new handset to bring out a worth challenger in the market.

As per exclusive information, LG is planning to transform the G4 on the lines of the Galaxy S6.

According to a reliable source close to iGyaan, the Korean producer is ditching plastic and metal body plans in favour of an all metal design with strengthed glass protection. The new LG G4 will come in a bold metallic casing, which will guard the phone against accidental drops. Besides the layout, the battery capacity and camera of the upcoming LG flagship will also be overhauled so as to give a tough competition to the Galaxy S6. For the camera, LG G4 will tie in the already existing laser autofocus with improved optics for better shooting capabilities.

The LG G4 is expected to launch in the second quarter this year, and our sources have confirmed that the roll out of the device will begin much later after its unveiling. LG has time to remodel its top segment device by estimating the responses for HTC One M9 and Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. But it should make a quick and smart move so that it can bring a worthy competitor in the market to challenge the flagships from Samsung and HTC.

March 10, 2015
Apple Watch Battery Life to Last Up to 18 Hours

Apple fans over the world were eagerly waiting for this. At the Spring Forward event, Apple, at last, has told us everything there is to know about its new wearable.

The smartwatch is a personalised device and comes with different watch faces. Users can customise the device with widgets for the faces like stopwatch, calendar, date, etc. The Watch supports iOS 8.2 and comes with many pre-installed apps like Uber, Shazam, WeChat, Twitter, Apple Pay and health apps.

The Apple Watch works in tune with the iPhone. Any notification that appears on the handset can pop on the Watch as well. Apple Pay is an important component of the smartwatch that lets users pay through the watch on their wrist. There is a built-in speaker and microphone on the Watch that lets you receive calls on the go.

However, one of the biggest concerns with a wearable is its battery life. With the number gadgets in our lives, we don’t need another gadget that needs to be constantly fuelled. Earlier reports had worried us, however it seems like the company managed to deliver a decent battery life. The company claims, on a day of normal usage, the Apple Watch will last you a decent 18 hours.

The Apple Watch will come in three variants – Sport, Regular and Gold Edition. The Sport Edition comes in Silver or Space Gray colour and ranges from $349 for the 38mm Sport to $399 for the 42mm.

The Regular Apple Watch edition is a traditional stainless piece and comes for $549 – $1,049 for the 38mm and $599 – $1,099 for the 42mm. The 18-carat gold edition is the most expensive and starts at $10,000. All the three watches will be available from April 24^th onwards.

March 10, 2015
Apple Announces ResearchKit, a Software That Turns iPhones into Powerful Diagnostic Tools

The much-awaited ‘Spring Forward’ event by Apple has finally commenced and before the main highlight of the show, the Cupertino giant made several other important announcements. The CEO of the company Tim Cook took to the stage and recalled the strongly growing iPhone ecosystem. He stated that iPhones will continue to transform every part of our lives through three mediums – CarPlay, HomeKit, and HealthKit.

Today in San Francisco, Apple today announced ResearchKit, an open source software framework designed for medical and health research, helping doctors and scientists gather data more frequently and more accurately from participants using iPhone apps.

It is made specifically for medical researchers. ResearchKit and HealthKit work hand in hand. Simply put, the ResearchKit turns iPhones and HealthKit into power diagnostic tools.

The University of Rochester together with Sage Bionetworks built mPower, an app that uses ResearchKit to conduct Parkinson’s disease research. It helps iPhone users sign up for studies, which will help further research. Now it’s simple for Parkinson’s patients to take tests and perform tasks and feed the information to researchers.

Apple is releasing ResearchKit next month, and the first five apps will be available from today. The first apps made with ResearchKit target diabetes, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and breast cancer.

For more updates, keep checking back this space.

March 10, 2015
Pricing of Huawei’s Premium Smartwatch Revealed

The Chinese electronics producer Huawei, at the Mobile World Congress, announced its first Android-powered smartwatch last week. It was a wearable with timeless design and with all the major elements required to make a high-end watch. The Huawei Watch has finally got a price tag and as per Amazon.de, the wearable can be grabbed at €999 ($1,080 = more than Rs. 67,500).

The company was careful at the Mobile World Congress revealing only the basic information about the Watch, and not the price and availability. But through the Amazon listing, it is evident that all the three variants of the Huawei Watch (black, silver, and gold) will cost €999 with prime shipping.

Meanwhile, the e-commerce website doesn’t state any details about its release date. Moreover, it is little dubious of the three variants having the same price range, as gold and silver edition were expected to be priced a little higher than the black version.

Recalling the features,the Huawei Watch is undoubtedly an excellent choice and incorporates a sapphire crystal display that is absent is many smartwatches. A 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor, along with 512MB is equipped with the device. The onboard storage capacity holds at 4GB, and additional features include a heart rate sensor, call notifications and many other essential features.

March 9, 2015
Moto Turbo Goes Up for Pre-Order on Flipkart; Pricing Revealed

Less than a week back, Motorola India Head confirmed that Moto Turbo will soon be arriving in India and today, the company has officially put the device up for pre-order. The Schaumburg-based telecommunication company released the handset at the online retail website Flipkart for Rs. 41,999, and is taking pre-orders starting today.

The new Moto Turbo sports a 5.2-inch Quad HD display with 565 ppi pixel density. Powered by quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor, the device holds Adreno 420 GPU and 3GB of RAM. A water-repellent coating is incorporated on the screen that protects the device. The battery support of Moto Turbo is 3,900mAh and it also comes with Motorola’s Turbo Charger feature that powers the device for up to seven hours of usage in just 15 minutes of charging.

The optics of the phone are also top-notch. A 21MP autofocus snapper with dual-LED flash sits at the back along with other features like slow motion video, burst mode, auto HDR, Panorama, and few more. Though the front camera is a conventional 2MP. The device runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop and the connectivity options include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 4G LTE with LTE Cat 4 and Micro-USB.

Flipkart is trying to lure the potential buyers with few deals like 100% cashback for 25 lucky customers and extra 10% off on Moto Turbo with American Express Cards. The handset is estimated to release in the third week of March.

Click here to pre-order now.

March 9, 2015
Samsung Has Already Received Record Pre-Orders for Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge

The two newest flagship smartphones by Samsung, the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge, seems to be the much needed ray of sunlight for the South Korean electronics manufacturer. The company is still to announce its launch date, but the phones have already established a record even before its release. According to The Korea Times, Samsung has received record orders of 20 million for the Galaxy S6 and the curvy Galaxy S6 Edge.

The international publishing daily put forth the detailed pre-order numbers of the two devices saying 15 million of S6 have been booked through mobile carriers and the edgy S6 Edge are demanded as much as 5 million.

The company hasn’t commented anything on the issue, but if the figures are true then the company may soon regain the top position in the smartphone market. The 20 million pre-orders is a good start for the company and it seems like the demand will keep increasing post the launch. However, the handsets have not reached the end consumers until now. Once it rolls out for the buyers, it will then become clear if the demand has matched the supply.

In case you missed the hands-on video of the S6 and S6 Edge, check out the clip below:

March 9, 2015
Hands On : Up Close With the Bigger and Better Moto E (Gen 2)

Less than a week back, Motorola added one more affordable device to its smartphone lineup. The new addition was the 2015 edition of Moto E. The Moto E (Gen 2) arrived and was showcased at the Mobile World Congress. The device is already up for sale in more than 50 countries and comes in two versions – Moto E (Gen 2) and Moto E (Gen 2) LTE.

At MWC 2015, we got a chance to get our hands on the device.

Speaking of the design of the phone, then Moto E 2015 version features the same plastic design. The circular edges, camera and speakers sitting on the device might remind you of the first-gen Moto E, but there are a lot of features in the new handset like Quick Capture, Active Display and more. It has a superb built and is designed to remain unaffected by accidental drops and falls.

Unlike Moto E, users can now personalize their devices. The new interchangeable, colourful bands and grip shells have been introduced that give the phone an appealing look. The bands come in six different shades (Golden Yellow, Turquoise, Blue, Raspberry, Purple, and Red) and for back plates any colour can be chosen from Golden Yellow, Charcoal, Turquoise, Blue, and Raspberry.

Both the 3G and 4G versions of Moto E tout a bigger 4.5-inch qHD (540×960 pixels) screen. Running on Android 5.0 Lollipop, the 3G version is powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 200 bundled with 1 GB RAM and 8GB onboard memory space. The 4G model, on the other hand, is a bit faster with 1.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor with same 1 GB RAM and 8GB memory. Optics of both the versions is identical at 5MP rear and 0.3MP secondary camera. The smartphone arrives in India on 10th March, priced at Rs. 6,999.

March 6, 2015
Instagram Rolls Out One of its Most Significant Updates

When we speak of Instagram, the first thing that hits our mind is a picture-oriented app that narrates stories by means of single pictures. It has been designed to upload one picture at a time with a little description if you want. But now, Instagram is changing the very base of its foundation to help advertisers describe stories through multiple pictures.

The online mobile photo and video-sharing app has debuted a slideshow feature called ‘carousel’ that lets users view to flick a series of photos. From now on, a series of dots will appear below the post to depict that it’s a carousel. One can swipe the pictures left and right to see more images.

The facility to load multiple photos at a time is restricted to advertisers only.

The company wrote on its blog post:

One way to look at it is carousel ads bring the potential of multi-page print campaigns to mobile phones—with the added benefit of taking people to a website to learn more.

Also, there is a ‘learn more’ button at the bottom of the dots that takes user to the advertisers’ website. The format is still not fixed and the company is working for a more systemic and appealing design. The new button will directly push a huge chunk of customers to the advertised website, profiting their business.

The spokeswoman of Instagram announced that it was cracked for brands for experimental purpose, “Once we iterate and see how people engage with the content, [we] may explore the possibility of bringing it to other types of users on Instagram.”

Well, this clearly shows that a stable version for users will soon follow. You can watch the below video to have a clear picture of how carousel works:

March 5, 2015
30,000 YU Yureka Units Go Out of Stock in 7 Seconds

Micromax subsidiary YU held the eighth flash sale today on Amazon India. Even after months of its launch, it has received an amazing response from the users. The flash sale kicked off today at 2 pm and the flagship killer went out of stock in mere 7 seconds.

Amazon India took to Twitter to confirm the same –

Thank you for your response. #Yureka was sold out in 7 seconds today. #YurekaSale pic.twitter.com/uzvxjve9TC

— YU (@YUplaygod) March 5, 2015

The YU Yureka is an easy favourite since it offers superior specifications at a budget price of Rs. 8,999. The 5.5-inch device runs on Android-based Cyanogen OS 11 and features Cat. 4 4G LTE connectivity. With 64-bit 1.5GHz octa-core Snapdragon 615 SoC, 2GB RAM, and 2500mAh battery, YU Yureka offers a massive rear camera of 13MP.

Meanwhile, the Indian electronics brand has announced the successor of its first smartphone. Codenamed “Project Caesar“, the phone will come with the Android Lollipop version of Cyanogen OS.

March 5, 2015
Intelligence Agency Asks DoT to Ban Call-Spoofing App WePhone

In a bid to stay informed about the callers’ identity, an intelligence agency has asked the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to block the use of WePhone app. The tool allows you to conceal the identity of the caller.

Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister of Communications and IT, enlightened members of Lok Sabha about the issue –

A reference from an intelligence agency was received by the Department of Telecommunications to block the ‘WePhone App’ which facilitates its subscriber to spoof the Calling Line Identification (CLI) through Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) platform.

The WePhone app works on the simple mechanism of transferring the call to the server abroad, which marks for the original location of the caller. This makes it really difficult for the intelligence agency to track the location of the call.

DoT formed a technical committee who found out that a number of computer or mobile applications can be skipped from the getting identified. Mr. Prasad talked about the committee report saying, “Based on the recommendations of the committee, the matter was taken up with the Group Coordinator, Department of Electronics & Information Technology, who issues the direction for blocking such identified websites.”

The statement depicts the intentions of the intelligence agency in clear light, but it is yet not confirmed if the government has carried out the request.

March 5, 2015
‘iPhone 6s’ Likely to Come with 2GB RAM, Force Touch and a Pre-Installed Apple SIM

Apple’s bigger and better iPhone 6 and the Plus versions were a game changer. They successfully reminded the world why the company is the top smartphone maker in the world. They are a major reason for the enhanced demand of iPhones in the past year. The Cupertino-based beast is not lost among the admiration, and is working towards bringing out an even better iPhone 6 successor.

The next iPhone, expected to be called the iPhone 6s, is in works. The information came through a reliable source of Apple Insider who said that the next iPhone will ship with an upgraded 2GB RAM and an Apple SIM. The inclusion of 2GB is long overdue, and with the latest Apple flagships packing so many unique features, this bump up was much required. All iPhones released after iPhone 5 pack 1 GB of RAM.

The concept of Apple SIM debuted last year when it was fitted onto the iPad Air 2. The source says that Apple may pre-install the SIM on the next iPhones so that users can choose from a variety of short-term plans from select carriers in their countries for the devices.

Apple Insider has also stated the possibility of Force Touch on next iPhones. The feature was introduced with Apple Watch, which makes the device a bit brainy. Force Touch uses tiny electrodes around the flexible Retina display to distinguish between a light tap and a deep press, and trigger instant access to a range of contextually specific controls. This feature adds the possibility of embedding more gestures on to the device.

March 5, 2015
Facebook Plans to Expand Internet.Org to 100 Countries by Year End

Facebook’s non-profit initiative to connect the world, Internet.org, is successfully running in six countries. The company’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg is quite happy with providing limited free internet to remote areas and is planning to expand the service to 100 more countries by the end of this year.

Chris Daniels, VP of Internet.org at Facebook said in a statement –

The ambitious goal this year is to roll it out to 100 [countries]. We don’t want to focus so much on the number, but we want this to spread to additional countries, operator groups and… see more people coming online, buying data and voice and SMS bundles. The number is indicative of our ambitious goal.

Internet.org is a Facebook-led free internet program that works with data suppliers to provide free internet to people who can’t get online. It allows users to access basic sites like Wikipedia, job and health sites, and Facebook, of course. The service was launched back in 2013 and now it connects 7 million people of six nations across the globe – Zambia, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Colombia and India.

Zuckerberg thought ahead and his idea really worked. Countries provided with free internet have seen a sudden jump of 40% in the internet data demand. People are willing to get associated with the world around seeing the power of internet via little demo, that is Internet.org.

Facebook’s step will draw more nations closer to each other and is a way to transform the developing nations into developed ones. Meanwhile, Facebook has teamed up with Google for Project Loon in establishing high-altitude balloons, a satellite-based network, to connect to connect people in rural and remote areas.

March 5, 2015
Motorola Head Confirms Moto Turbo Arrives in India Soon; Says ‘Its Price Will be Worth it’

Motorola released Moto Maxx, a phone with 3,900mAh battery, in November last year and now the phone is arriving in India with a new name ‘Moto Turbo’. The India Head of the company Amit Boni confirmed the same in an interview with Times of India. Boni stated:

We will be launching the Moto Turbo for our consumers, which has the latest Qualcomm processor, high-resolution 21MP camera and long-lasting battery life with a 3900mAh battery, and is built on pure Android for the fastest, most flexible and easiest user experience. The price will be worth it.

The US-based firm claims that Moto Turbo aka Moto Maxx sustains up to 48 hours of mixed usage. Also, there is company’s Turbo Charger support with the phone that powers the device for eight hours of usage in just 15 minutes. Other specifications include a 5.2-inch QHD (2560×1440 pixels) display, 2.7GHz Snapdragon 805 quad-core processor, 3GB RAM, and onboard 64GB memory space.

Seeing the top-notch specs, it can be estimated that the device will fall in the high-end segment. Meanwhile, Motorola is rolling out Moto E (Gen 2) in India on 10th March.

March 4, 2015
WatchAware Previews How Third-Party Apps Would Look on the Apple Watch

Apple Watch, the device which will mark the entry of the Cupertino-based giant in the wearable space, is scheduled to release few days from now. There have been certain disclosures about the Watch that points to the fact that this might just be the smartest wearable in the market. Now, more revelations are unfolding that have gotten us excited about getting our hands on Apple’s first smartwatch.

A site WatchAware has been developed that gives a demo of some of the many features of the new Watch. The website is built by the AppAdvice team that is dedicated to providing the media coverage of Apple Watch. WatchAware depicts some videos that inform us about the inclusion of selected third-party apps on the iWatch. Presently, the site includes 27 previews of applications like Run 5k, Todoist, Deliveries and Infinitweet.

.@_DavidSmith previews an interactive version of @FeedWrangler for Apple Watch: http://t.co/kRdyW1Trqb pic.twitter.com/yMW1cjURZe

— WatchAware (@WatchAware) March 3, 2015

These previews give users a fair idea of how the things are going to work and how Apple is trying to catch up with the present wearable market. The website includes a little description to give clues about its functionality. The features have been embedded on the Apple Watch prototype to showcase how the things would look like on the stainless piece. The touch seems as fluid and smooth as the iPhone screen; one can easily scroll up and down to view the content.

Beautiful jogging coach app 5K Run shares an interactive version of their Apple Watch app: http://t.co/kRdyW1Trqb pic.twitter.com/v5Ug9d6yL8

— WatchAware (@WatchAware) March 3, 2015

The WatchAware is a fresh initiative and an interesting platform that will help developers display their app inventions. It is learnt that the team will add more interactive previews about the apps coming on the Watch. The new proposal gives new developers a chance to exhibit to the world about the functionality of the upcoming apps.

March 4, 2015