Author: Meenakshi Rawat

Original YotaPhone Sees Major Price Cut, Now Available for Rs. 12,999

Amazing announcement has arrived from the Russian smartphone company Yota. The first-generation YotaPhone has seen a jaw-dropping price cut of Rs. 10,500, and now is available at a price of Rs. 12,999 exclusively at Flipkart. The introductory price of YotaPhone was Rs. 23,499.

YotaPhone is the world’s first dual-display device that has one LCD screen and another E-Ink display. The phone came in light at CES event 2013 and started rolling out in December that year. The original YotaPhone is powerful and competes with the latest high-end phones. It flaunts a 4.3-inch HD display and an E-Ink display of the same size. The device is powered by a dual-core Snapdragon 400 processor clocked at 1.7 GHz paired with 2 GB of RAM. Running on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, the phone houses 32 GB of inbuilt storage. A 13MP rear snapper and a 1MP secondary shooter sits on the top of the handset.

The company has announced yet another device in the Yota line-up, YotaPhone 2, which has been available in the European market since last month. The company said that the YotaPhone successor will soon head to China and remaining Asian nations by early 2015. The handset will come at a price tag of RUB 33,000 in Russia, which translates to Rs. 37,500.

The price drop is an indication that the YotaPhone 2 might hit the Indian shores soon. In the sub-15000 category, YotaPhone becomes a must.

January 23, 2015
Twitter Brings ‘While You Were Away’ Feature for iOS Users

Twitter has officially announced a feature that will help users recapitulate the tweets they have missed since the last login. Termed as ‘while you were away’, the feature is only available for iOS users as of now.

With this new feature, the iOS users will notice a snapshot once they are logged in. This snapshot will combine the missed tweets that can be those that are relevant to you or that are popular. While some may have queries about how the app could choose what users want to see; the new feature makes the selection as per an algorithm. This algorithm takes care of engagement along with other user habits. Based on all these facts, the app makes a list and pops it up at the time of login.

The company says that it aims to keep up the users with the fast running world. The latest feature will dig out information and compile it for you so that you never miss out anything and stay up to date even if you are not on Twitter 24*7. The official blog post reads –

No matter how much time you spend on Twitter. With a few improvements to the home timeline we think we can do a better job of delivering on that promise without compromising the real time nature of Twitter.

Although, the feature is available only on iOS devices for now, the company has assured everone that they will soon roll it out on the Android app and website twitter.com.

January 22, 2015
Google Reportedly Launching its Own Wireless Carrier Service This Year

Google is the front runner in the Internet search business and from the recent announcement, it is clear that it has plans to conquer space as well. The company has partnered with Elon Musk to connect the world through space-based internet. Now, recent reports have surfaced which say that Google will penetrate deep into the telecom sector by launching its own wireless service.

According to the report, Google plans to directly sell the mobile phone plans to the end customers. The company will be handling calls and mobile data. Google is in talks with Sprint and T-Mobile to buy wholesale access of these carriers. If sources are to be believed then users can see the Google network later this year.

Codenamed ‘Nova’, the project is led by the Executive of Google Nick Fox. The firm wants to offer creative plan pricing, says a leading publishing daily. By bringing out a carrier service, Google would be able to have a better control on the devices manufactured by them.

It’s still under wraps that where the company will launch its services, what will be the charges and what all manufacturers are involved. As the internet giant is dealing with Sprint and T-Mobile (available in the US), it will affect the US market and the carriers in the regions will be pressurised to cut down the price in order to sustain their user base.

January 22, 2015
9 Super Cool Features of Windows 10

Last night, Microsoft lifted the veil off the consumer version of its much-anticipated operating system Windows 10. The event saw some amazing offerings that were absent in the business version of Windows 10, launched in September the preceding year. Microsoft announced that its new upgrade would be same on all platforms and would be more user-friendly and impressive that ever before.

We have summed up Top 9 features that make Windows 10 unique-:

1. Start Menu

To start off, Microsoft has added the much-needed tool that was absent from Windows 8 and 8.1 – the Start Menu. People longed to see this on their desktop for past three years, and finally Microsoft has put it back. The new Start menu combines the old-school start icon along with the modern user interface that makes it more comfortable for users to go through.

2. Action Center

Settings have tweaked, to give a cleaner and more understandable look. Windows 10 pushed the fragmented Settings menu and Control Panel out to encompass a unified settings menu called Action Center. Action Center brings together all the frequently used options like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and more. The refreshed settings shelter all the regular buttons, through which one can instantly switch the Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and other selections on and off.

3. Continuum

Continuum is a highly anticipated addition to the Windows 10. Continuum is just like Apple’s Continuity feature that allows you to switch from PC to mobile or tablet from where you left. The feature is designed specifically for convertible devices, switching almost instantly from a mouse and keyboard to a tablet screen.

4. Notifications Sync

Microsoft has made full use of its ‘common interface for all platforms’ and has included the notifications syncing feature. With this new tool, notifications will get synced across devices, and once you have dismissed some notifications on a mobile, it will not obstinately pop up again when you switch on your laptop or tablet. Now that’s something really thoughtful by Microsoft.

5. Cortana

The special feature that separates Windows 10 from its predecessors is the intelligent personal assistant Cortana. Cortana will serve as a primary search tool that will look for you. Its reminder capabilities are unparalleled. Not only this, Cortana is much more than a simple robot. Through Cortana you can interact with the device making lif very easy on the go.

6. Universal Windows Apps

One thing that will benefit Window Phone users is the universal Windows apps. The company has added some new apps that will run on computers, mobile, tablet and as well as on the Xbox One, and has improved the already existing apps. The list of new adoptions includes Outlook that has been modernised to cover comprehensive styling and extra formatting capabilities. Calendar app has been made consistent on all the platforms and Photos has been pinched to remove duplicates.

7. Project Spartan

The new browser that’s launched with Windows 10 is dubbed Project Spartan. The main highlight of this browser is its use in social networking. With Spartan, users can send websites with highlights and annotations added to them, something which is not available in any web browser right now. Also, Cortana is deeply integrated with Spartan to make life easier for the non savvy folk.

8. Xbox Live

There is something for hardcore gamers as well. With the new Xbox app, Xbox Live, on Windows 10, gamers can chat with their pals, share browsed video game clips and can record their games as well. The app also enables you to edit videos as per your willing.

9. Improved Design and Interface

Microsoft has proved that it has an eye for details. Users will notice the modern touch given to the icons. With fully-adjustable keyboard, integrated Message and Skype app, Windows 10 is more clean and swift.

January 22, 2015
Chrome Extension Streamus Adds a Super Convenient Music Player to Your Browser

Late last year, YouTube launched its highly anticipated music service YouTube Music Key. Unfortunately, not everyone had access to it as the service was invite-based. The ad-free service was available to selected users at the cost of $7.99 per month. Other options trim down to inconvenient apps that require you to sign in to websites or don’t allow background listening. However, there will be no longer a need for any of them.

Streamus, a Chrome extension, is a new music service that simply uses YouTube content and plays it through a convenient music player. The extension sits on the top right corner of the address bar and pops up when chosen. It is very simple, and cuts off the need to visit YouTube to search for music.

You can also make a playlist, hear your favourite tracks, and can share the same with your friends via a URL. There is also an option of radio from where you can listen to the national and international stations. All in all, it’s an amazing player to get a quick access of your favourite tracks.

January 21, 2015
Dropbox to Soon Drop Support for Macs Running OS X 10.5 or Older Versions

Upgrade your iMac’s to OS X 10.6 or above, or Dropbox will not work on your system. This statement has come from Dropbox itself who has notified users of older versions through an email that their services will be discontinued on the systems running OS X 10.5 and below. The support for the older version will be taken back starting 18th May.

The service provider says that if users, after the decided date, still run their Macs on Leopard or earlier OS X versions, user will be signed out of the Mac app automatically. Although, the Dropbox service will continue to work. The person would not be able to sign in again till he/she gets a newer version of the OS X.

The company assured the users that even if they don’t update, their photos, videos and other files are safe with them. The same can be accessed through the official Dropbox website.

One of the users using older OS X version stated the issue on the Dropbox Forum page –

We noticed that you’re running the Dropbox desktop application (client) on an older operating system (OS X Tiger 10.4 or OS X Leopard 10.5). We’re writing to let you know that as of May 18th, Dropbox will no longer support these older versions of OS X.

Meanwhile, the app developers have given enough time to get the systems upgraded as the changes will come into effect on 18^thMay.

January 21, 2015
Netflix Plans to Expand Worldwide in the Next Two Years

America, Europe, US and few more have privileges to access certain web content, while other nations face geoblocking. Willing viewers have to use Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to stream their favourite programs. But Netflix has some interesting plans that will stop the need of VPNs; without permanently blocking the services to these sites.

The video-streaming giant Netflix recently made an announcement according to which TV shows and films will be available to the audience worldwide. That means people of all nations would be able to watch TV shows right at the time of their broadcast. NetFlix said that it was planning for expansion that will cover whole of the globe. This development will be complete within two years.

Meanwhile, the company said that its terms are the same. It can restrict access to users who use VPN to fetch content where they don’t have the right. From the statement, it is clear that Netflix wants to make the web content wide-reaching and break the geoblocking barriers. Netflix CEO and Co-Founder Reed Hastings said that their main goal for now is providing global content.

[We] had the vision to start to figure out how to get global rights for some of the content by moving up the food chain. And we have been pushing on that dimension, where we can get the global rights and we don’t have to go country by country across 200 countries, but instead can provide the producer upfront money, guaranteed money, and get great access.

According to the Chief Content Officer, Ted Sarandos, studios would be interested in this deal and from this, their operations would streamline. To increase the viewership, Netflix is in preparation to telecast 320 hours of completely original content this year. Meanwhile, HBO is also launching its stand-alone streaming service.

This move by Netflix will be welcomed by the countries as the viewership of their shows is immense worldwide.

January 21, 2015
Tizen-Powered Samsung Z1 Gets a Poor Response from the Indian Market

Samsung’s latest offering, the Tizen-powered Z1, was meant to be a ray of sunlight for the South Korean-based firm. The company expected to gain a foothold in the market by reaching maximum number of customers, subsequently boosting its declining market value. But things didn’t go as planned.

After its release on 14^th January, Samsung Z1 gained many responses, but almost all negative. The phone reviewers, as well as consumers, criticised its camera resolution and the dearth of applications for the device.

Samsung Z1 packs an ordinary set of specs, but what makes it stand out from the other available choices is the Samsung’s own operating system,Tizen, that has been developed to compete with Google’s Android.

For now, Tizen has a long way to go before it can battle with the already established contenders. The lack of apps turns out to be the biggest disappointment of the Tizen-powered smartphone.

Customers responded that it’s not the cheap smartphones they look for, but its the specifications that make the device. The South Korean electronics producer put its point forward saying that the Z1’s exclusive benefits are its simple interface, long battery life and faster page-loading speeds, which are all thanks to Tizen.

If Samsung puts an effort to expand its Tizen-based smartphone line-up beyond televisions and watches, they will get in touch with that segment of the Indian market which is still not accessible to smartphones. Meanwhile, the company hasn’t stated its plan to launch the Z1 in other countries. It says that its only focus, as of now, is India.

January 21, 2015
ASUS Brings Out the Fonepad 8 in India for Rs. 13,999

Today Asus launched one more product for the Indian market – the Fonepad 8 (FE380CG). The new Fonepad supports 3G functionality and comes at a price of Rs. 13,999. The 8-inch device, initially launched at Computex 2014, is a modified version of Fonepad 8 tablet. It runs on Android 4.4 KitKat out-of-the-box and features dual-SIM support.

The device flaunts an 8-inch 1280x800p display and is powered by 64-bit Intel Atom Z3530 1.33GHz quad-core processor, paired with 2 GB of RAM. The tablet runs on the company’s Asus ZenUI; comes with 16 GB of inbuilt storage that can be expanded up to 64 GB via MicroSD card.

On the camera front, the Fonepad 8 (FE380CG) has a 5MP rear camera along with a 2MP secondary camera. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, MicroUSB, Bluetooth v4.0, GPS, and a 3.5mm audio jack. The device houses a 4000mAh battery that the company claims can last up to 21 hours of talk time.

For now, the Fonepad 8 will be available exclusively on Flipkart. The device will come in two colour variants – Black and Gold.

January 20, 2015
Samsung Wants to Partner With BlackBerry, Not Acquire it

Few days back, rumours about Samsung’s plans to acquire BlackBerry made the rounds. It was said that the South Korean company had offered close to $7.5 billion for the buyout. However, when the companies were approached for comment, both Samsung and BlackBerry denied the story. To reaffirm the same, the Co-Chief Executive of Samsung Electronics, J. K. Shin, made a statement that the company wants to work on an extended partnership but doesn’t aim to acquire BlackBerry at all.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”J.K. Shin”]

We want to work with BlackBerry and develop this partnership, not acquire the company.

[/quote]

Shin further added that they wish to extend the existing agreement, however, they are carefully keeping the details under wraps.

Late last year, Samsung closed a deal with BlackBerry which gave access to both the companies to sell mobile security technologies of the other company. Samsung also signed similar agreements with other companies such as Trix Systems Inc., Good Technology Inc., MobileIron Inc. and AirWatch.

The world’s largest maker of handsets respects its relationship with other companies and clarified that it is not eyeing the patent portfolio of BlackBerry, which carries the highest value in the technology world.

January 20, 2015
Second Batch of Yu Yureka to Go on Sale, Number of Units Undisclosed

The recently popular smartphone from the homegrown manufacturer, Yu, is again going up for sale exclusively on Amazon India. The second round of registrations has commenced, and the phone will be up for grabs on 22^nd January for a price tag of Rs. 8,999.

Micromax is imitating Xiaomi’s successful marketing scheme to entice more customers. However, last time, things didn’t go so well as Amazon India was unable to cope with the heavy rush. The first round of flash sale saw around 3 lakh registrations, but only 10,000 units were available for sale. The inadequate availability of the phone resulted in an outrage from interested buyers who were left disappointed. However, the company announced that the phone received a superb response, and the stock cleared in just 3 seconds.

Another glitch that added to the fury of the customers is that Amazon India showed the final price of Yu Yureka as Rs. 12,499 instead of the actual price (Rs. 8,999). However, the e-commerce website later apologised for the technical hitch.

As of now, there is no clue about the number of units that will go up for sale as both Micromax and Amazon are tight-lipped on the topic.

Coming to the specifications of the Yu Yureka, the smartphone sports a 5.5-inch 1280x720p display. The screen has a protection of Gorilla Glass 3. The device is powered by Snapdragon 615 CPU along with Adreno 405 GPU. The device features 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage capacity, out of which 12 GB is free. The phone gets its juice from a 2500mAh battery. On the camera front, the handset has a 13MP snapper along with a 5MP shooter on the front. The most significant feature of the device is the attractive Cyanogen OS 11.

For those who haven’t seen our review, can check out the video below:

January 20, 2015
Microsoft Patents New Tech Which Senses When You Don’t Want to Be Disturbed

A smartphone’s loud ring is highly distracting when you’re in the middle of something important. In spite of the available do-not-disturb mode, there’s no feature that is intelligent enough to sense your presence at different places and function accordingly. However, Microsoft has found a solution for this – the inconspicuous mode – which transforms your smartphone smart enough to turn down your device when necessary.

As per the latest patent granted to Microsoft this week, the ‘inconspicuous mode’ on the smartphone detects when the user is in a meeting, theatre or is going to bed. Once detected, it automatically turns on and adjusts the brightness and volume level of the device. The mode also reduces the number of notifications on the lock screen so the user does not get distracted from the ongoing happening.

This intelligent feature works using the internet. The application checks when the mode is required and detects using GPS, sound, NFC, Wi-Fi and other data. It also syncs with your Calendar and picks up information that can be of use. For e.g. meeting schedules, movie plans, bedtime, wake up time, etc. If the application finds a meeting schedule, it automatically enters the inconspicuous mode to avoid outside interruptions. The feature is extremely handy and can be turned off when required. Also, it exits the mode on its own as soon as the event that triggered it, finishes.

If this feature lands on the Windows Phone platform, it will be the next big thing for the brand. Meanwhile, there are bigger announcements by Microsoft coming up soon.

January 20, 2015
Newly Discovered Glass Material Can Help Increase Your Smartphone’s Battery Life

Ever thought of a display that can prove useful in extending the battery life of your smartphone? Well, we certainly didn’t consider it. However, with the new glass material developed by researchers, the devices will last for double the amount of time they used to with normal lithium-ion batteries.

A team of ETH Zurich researchers led by Dr. Semih Afyon and Reinhard Nesper invented a Vanadate-borate glass that when embedded on the phone will act as an electrode in lithium-ion batteries. An electrode is a conductor that transfers electric current from one substance to another. The materials used in the formation of the glass are the chemical components – vanadium oxide (V2O5) and lithium-borate (LiBO2) precursors. These chemicals are later covered with a coating of reduced graphite oxide (RGO). The coating is done to increase the electrode properties of the material.

The purpose of using Vanadate as one of the compounds is that vanadate is a transition material, and the powered vanadium pentoxide and borate are mixed to produce the desired material. The scientists heated the powder at 900 degree Celsius and then cooled it promptly to form glass. These glass sheets are later crashed into powder to increase the surface area along with creating more pore space.

The research team drew light on its study saying, “Borate is a glass former; that’s why the borate compounds were used, and the resulting glass compound is a new kind of material, neither V2O5 nor LiBO2 at the end.”

Both the Vanadate and borate compounds are inexpensive and are efficient to produce energy density of approximately 1000 watt-hour per kilogram when coated with graphite oxide (RGO). The energy generated is enough to power a device 1.5 to 2 times more than the usual lithium-ion batteries.

Since the glass material is said to be cheap, there’s quite a possibility that we can see future smartphones embedded with the Vanadate-borate glass.

January 19, 2015
Xiaomi Invests in Gaming and Software Giant Kingsoft

After gaining huge success in India and overseas through its impressive smartphone line-up, the Chinese electronics manufacturer Xiaomi has plans to expand further. Seems like the company is now eyeing the games and software market.

Xiaomi recently acquired 3% of Kingsoft’s share and the deal was finalised at approximately $68 million. The partially acquired company is a Chinese games and software giant, which started by developing PC games and is now a renowned name in security, entertainment and enterprise products. With this buyout, Xiaomi seems to be laying the ground for dedicated a gaming experience and improved services for its loyal customers.

Until now, Xiaomi was inking deals in hardware only – a whopping $203.7 million investment in home appliance maker Midea Group and a strategic funding in wearable start-up Misfit. The Chinese top smartphone manufacturer bought the shares of Kingsoft from the Chinese investment holding Tencent and the deal is likely to finish by January end.

Last week, Xiaomi amazed everyone with the launch of the 5.7-inch Mi Note. The company still has something in its bag and will unveil it on 20th January; it left its fans longing with an image that speaks of a mysterious new gaming hardware.

Recently, the news cropped up that the smartphone giant has plans to invest in Indian tech start-ups, as well as overseas media content. With Xiaomi investing in almost every business segment, there will be soon a day when this Chinese producer will beat the current top-listers and will dominate the tech industry.

January 19, 2015
SmartBand Talk and Sony SmartWatch 3 Get a Price Tag for the Indian Market

After showcasing SmartWatch 3 and SmartBand Talk at the IFA Berlin in September 2014, the Japanese manufacturing company has finally brought both the two devices for Indian consumers. The devices are listed on the official website of Sony India. The SmartWatch 3 is tagged at Rs. 19,990, while the SmartBand comes at a price of Rs. 12,990.

The price listed for the SmartWatch 3 is for the black variant. There is no word on the availability and price for the stylish steel edition. At the given price tag, this Sony smartwatch is one of the most expensive wearables in the country running on Android.

Sony SmartBand Talk

Taking a look at its specifications, the Sony SmartWatch 3 sports a 1.6-inch 320×320 square display. The device runs on a 1.2GHz quad-core processor paired with 512 MB of RAM and has 4 GB of internal storage capacity. The 420mAh battery of the device is enough to last a couple of days. The connectivity options include NFC and Bluetooth 4.0. Along with that, the watch is secure from water and dust.

The company said that the straps of the smartwatch are interchangeable, and users can attach straps of different colours with the main watch unit.

On the other hand, the SmartBand Talk boasts a 1.4-inch 296x128p e-ink curved display. The band allows handsfree calling. Like the smartwatch, it comes with exchangeable wrist straps that give it a trendy look. The device is waterproof and can last for 3 hours on a single charge. The connectivity options include Bluetooth 4.0 LE and NFC.

January 17, 2015