Author: Meenakshi Rawat

Spec Battle: YU Yuphoria vs The Rest of the Budget Blockbusters

Yesterday, Micromax YU showed off its latest smartphone in India; the YU Yuphoria is another amazing product by the company. With the latest smartphone, YU is certain to cement its status in the smartphone domain.

Yuphoria features a decent display of 5-inches with Gorilla Glass 3 protection. As revealed earlier by the firm, it packs a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 with Adreno A306 GPU. The RAM stands at 2GB with internal storage space at 16GB. The best part is that all these specifications are available at an inexpensive price tag of Rs. 6,999.

Let’s check out if Yuphoria takes a dig at other contenders in the budget category:

Specs	YU YUphoria	Lenovo A6000 Plus	Xiaomi Redmi 2	Asus ZenFone 5	Moto E (Gen 2)
Display	5-inch IPS, Gorilla Glass 3	5-inch IPS	4.7-inch IPS LCD, Gorilla Glass 2	5-inch IPS, Gorilla Glass 3	4.5-inch IPS LCD, Gorilla Glass 3
Resolution	1280×720 pixels	720×1280 pixels	720×1280 pixels	720×1280 pixels	540×960 pixels
Processor	64-bit 1.2GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410, Adreno 306	1.2 GHz Quad-Core Snapdragon 410, Adreno 306 GPU	1.2 GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410, Adreno 306 GPU	1.6 GHz Dual-Core Intel Atom Z2560	1.2GHz Quad-core Snapdragon 410
RAM	2GB	2GB	1GB	2GB	1GB
Memory	16GB	16GB	8GB	8GB	8GB
Expandable up to	64GB	32GB	32GB	64GB	32GB
Rear Camera	8MP	8MP	8MP	8MP	5MP
Front Camera	5MP	2MP	2MP	2MP	VGA
Battery	2,230mAh	2,300mAh	2,200mAh	2,110mAh	2,390mAh
Operating System	Cyanogen 12 OS (based on Android 5.0)	Android 4.4 KitKat	Android 4.4 KitKat	Android 4.3 Jelly Bean	Android 5.0 Lollipop
Connectivity	LTE	LTE, Data only	LTE	3G	LTE
Price	Rs. 6,999	Rs. 7,499	Rs. 6,999	Rs. 9,999	Rs. 7,999

As you can see the table above, Yuphoria’s specs are giving a tough time to the best smartphones in the budget segment. It touts a Gorilla Glass 3 protection, which even the Rs. 7,499 Lenovo A6000 Plus doesn’t have. It has LTE connectivity and runs on the latest Cyanogen 12 OS based on Android 5.0 Lollipop. What isn’t mentioned above, is that the smartphone also flaunts a metal frame, which is rarely seen on smartphones in this category.

Yuphoria clearly stands out of the pack, but we will only give our final verdict on its performance after an in-depth review. Stay tuned for that, till then watch our unboxing and hands on with the YU Yuphoria.

May 13, 2015

Genie is a Replicator from Star Trek That Can Prepare Meals in Seconds

While watching Star Trek, did you ever think how cool it would be to own the ‘Replicator’ device that could synthesize meals and beverages on demand? Well, if that was your wish then Genie is here to accomplish all your food needs in a matter of 30 seconds. An Israeli company has developed an instant-baking machine called ‘Genie’, which is a replica of Replicator. It is just like having a personal chef that turns pods of dehydrated powders into meals on demand.

It’s a futuristic idea, but we are yet to understand the technology behind this. The company hasn’t disclosed the patented technology that runs this revolutionary device, but it surely is a piece of technology from the future. All you have to choose is the food pod and place it inside Genie. After 30 seconds, the desired food will be before you. The Genie is operated through an app that can personalise the meal, for example if you wish to have a gluten- or egg-free meal.

The pods that are small containers are stuffed with freeze-dried natural ingredients such as vegetables and fruits. The contents in the pod stay fresh for a year or two. Just add a little water and the pod is ready to be added to the Genie. When you push the button on Genie’s mobile app, the device starts adding required liquids from tubes attached to the back of the compact machine and mixes them. It bakes or cooks the desired dish at the appropriate temperature.

The product is being modified to prepare meals specific to the taste of the gourmand. Genie co-developer Doron Marco says, “Eventually Genie will know your micro-biome and will prepare the pod for you, just for you.”

Meanwhile, Genie cannot prepare all types of cuisines and the device makers are developing new recipes for Genie pods. But it is right to say that Genie is the first step to the evolution of food technology. The day is not far when chefs will be replaced by Genies.

May 12, 2015
Introducing the YU Yuphoria | iGyaan Launchpad | Exclusive

A few months back Micromax spinoff YU entered the smartphone arena with a bang. It’s first smartphone the Yureka was a blockbuster in the budget segment and raised the bar for low-cost handsets. The company’s new flagship, Yuphoria, is expected to take the affordable smartphone market by storm.

The homegrown smartphone firm is taking the veil off the Yuphoria, right here on iGyaan. In in iGyaan Exclusive Launchpad Episode : iGyaan’s Founder, Bharat Nagpal sat down with Rahul Sharma, the Founder and CEO of YU Televentures to discuss the future of YU as a brand, the Yuphoria and where the company goes from here.

The handset will be the first to be fully designed by YU Televentures (Or Micromax for that matter) and will keep up the current trend of “Make in India”. After the initial lot of 1000 odd units the handset will be manufactured locally within the Indian borders.

May 12, 2015

YU Launches the Yuphoria with a Jaw-Dropping Price Tag of Rs. 6,999

No waiting anymore, Micromax YU’s next product is finally here! As scheduled, YU Televentures today launched its fresh smartphone Yuphoria in India today, adding another product to the YU lineup. The handset is an amazing offering from the Indian electronics start-up with LTE connectivity and Cyanogen OS 12. It won’t put a dent on the buyers pocket, the smartphone has been priced at a mere Rs. 6,999.

Yuphoria boasts an all-metal design with a matte finish at its back. It’s not a rebranded Chinese product and will be manufactured in India. Coming on to the specifications of the phone, Yuphoria sports a 5-inch IPS HD display with 1280×720p resolution and 294ppi. The screen has a protective coating of Gorilla Glass 3. Inside is a 64-bit 1.2GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 along with Adreno A306 GPU. It packs 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage capacity, which is expandable up to 64GB.

Optics of the phone include an 8MP rear shooter paired with a 5MP camera at the upfront. Battery capacity is sufficient at 2,230mAh. It offers 4G LTE connectivity, which allows faster internet browsing. Other options for connectivity includes Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, audio jack and a Micro-USB port.

Not only this, the handset is the first to integrate Truecaller directly in the dialer through its collaboration with Cyanogen. A lot of customization options are available on the phone along with a new app called App Themer that allows you to customise individual applications with a simple press of a button.

The smartphone will be available in two colour choices – Champagne Gold with white panel and Buffed Steel with black panel. The product will go for sale on May 28 on Amazon India website. Registrations begin today from 5pm onwards.

Here’s the spec sheet of the new YU YUphoria:

Specification	YU YUphoria
Display	5-inch IPS HD
Resolution	1280×720 pixel (294ppi)
Additional	Protected by Gorilla Glass 3
Processor	1.2GHz Quad Core, ARM Cortex- A53
Chipset	Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 \| 64bit
GPU	Adreno 306 3D Graphics Core \| 400 MHz
RAM	2GB
Internal Memory	16GB
Expandable Up to	64 GB
Sim Cards	2 x LTE Enabled Sim Card Slots
Primary Camera	8MP
Secondary Camera	5MP
Connectivity Options	4G LTE
Battery	2,230mAh
Operating System	Cyanogen 12.0 (Android 5.0 based)
Price	Rs. 6999

May 12, 2015

YU Yuphoria Features an All-Metal Design and Will be Made in India

Micromax spinoff YU Televentures was formed with the aim to bring exciting products through innovating and reinventing technology. Their motto #YUPlayGod suggested that we, the consumers were in charge of developing the kind of products we wanted. YU Yureka was the first smartphone from the Indian-bred smartphone manufacturing firm to gain recognition in the international market; it offered good specs at an affordable price. But along with gaining critical acclaim, the company faced criticism for bringing Chinese models rebranded as YU.

YU was quickly judged as a smartphone importer who simply rebrands phones rather than spending effort developing innovative devices. But the next smartphone from the home-grown company breaks all these notions.

At the ongoing launch, Co-Founder of YU Rahul Sharma announced that the next YU device Yuphoria will be an entirely made-in-India product. Unlike Yureka, YUphoria will be manufactured and assembled in the country itself. The company also claims that the design of the phone is not a copy, but has been designed from scratch. As per his statements, the first 1000 units will be made in China and rest of the manufacturing will take place in the homeland.

This announcement is in line with the ongoing ‘Make in India’ movement initiated by the Government of India. It was launched in 2014 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and encourages companies to manufacture goods in India itself. YU is not the only brand opting for this, in the recent past we’ve had several smartphone manufacturing companies heading in a similar direction.

The company has also announced that the phone features an all-metal body. YU is readily striving to make a mark in the smartphone segment and Yuphoria is likely to set a benchmark for the budget handsets. It is known to pack a 64-bit processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB in-built memory space and run on Cyanogen OS 12 based on Android Lollipop.

We will be bringing you the latest updates on the device, keep checking this space for more. You could also click here to watch the event live.

May 12, 2015
YU YUphoria: Here’s Everything We Know From Rumours to Teasers

YU’s next device is set to knock out several affordable handsets in the smartphone battleground. The release of the device is just one day to go, and it has already built excitement amongst the tech enthusiasts. From past few days, YU has been teasing its forthcoming product YUphoria and is pushing clues about various factors of the device. Meanwhile, rumour mills are also working continuously to disseminate possible facts about the phone. Compiling all those reports, lets see how does the new device might look like.

Starting with the innards of the device, YUphoria will boast a 64-bit processor with 2GB of RAM. As per the teaser pitting YUphoria against Xiaomi Redmi 2, the company confirmed of it featuring 16GB of onboard storage. The phone will run on Android version of Cyanogen OS 12.

It is anticipated to have a sturdy body, which will save the phone from accidental drops. The candid footage released a couple of days back speaks of its sturdiness. The company is also boasting the robust sound quality of the device. It is speculated to pack powerful speakers, unlike its previous offering.

Price

The handset, as we mentioned before, will not be as cheap as its predecessor. It will come for a higher price range than Yureka. The smartphone may launch for somewhere Rs. 13,999.

YUphoria is scheduled to launch on May 12, i.e. tomorrow. The final take from the homegrown firm will clear all the uncertainties, but we have to wait until tomorrow.

May 11, 2015
CHIP is the World’s First $9 Computer of the Size of a Debit Card

Microcomputers are in these days, but they come at a bulky price tag. Meet CHIP, a microcomputer that will slip conveniently in your small pocket and will not put any load on you, moneywise. The handy personal computer costs as low as $9 and is under development as of now. Interested users can back the project on Kickstarter.

So, how does it work? CHIP connects to any screen, keyboard and a mouse to transform into a full-fledged computer. It has inbuilt Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 to surf the web and do other tasks over the internet. It has a 1GHz processor, 512MB RAM, and 4GB of storage capacity. It can perform office tasks of importance, can teach the basics of programming with pre-loaded Scratch, allows playing games and can do many more things. Thousands of apps are pre-installed on the device, which can be accessed for free.

The initiative has raised more than $635,000 till yet and people are constantly joining in to back the project financially. The same will be shipped by December this year. Buyers can opt for other deals as well. For $19, the next Thing Co. is offering a CHIP with a battery or a VGA Adapter. It’s not exclusive to a specific region or a country, and will be shipped to all parts of the world.

That’s not it. There is an optional PocketCHIP that houses the CHIP and makes the whole system portable. It sports a 4.3-inch touch-screen display, a QWERTY keypad beneath the screen and a 3000mAh battery fuelling up the gadget. It can go up to 5 hours on a single charge. One can pledge for a PocketCHIP for $49. It will ship to the backer by May next year.

Check out the video below to understand the concept better:

May 11, 2015
Google’s ‘Android M’ Likely to Hand Over Privacy Controls to Users: Report

Google’s upcoming Android OS is the next big thing everybody is looking forward to. There are speculations of the tech giant gearing to unveil the mysterious ‘Android M‘ in the Google I/O conference 2015. Bloomberg has surfaced another vital fact about the forthcoming Android version that would bring data apps control in the hands of users.

According to a report by the global business and financial information portal, Google is planning to provide users with privacy controls that would allow users grant permissions to a particular app. This way, users themselves can decide what apps can penetrate more into the content and which can’t. These may include photos, contacts or location. The privacy controls would bring Android OS closer to Apple’s iOS that furnish users with the freedom to apps permission.

For now, Android users cannot decide permissions for the app. Whenever a user wishes to download a new application, he/she is directed to the setting page to provide the app with required permissions. Refusing to the permissions leads to cancellation of the app download. Presently, the customization option is available on Cyanogen and Xiaomi’s MIUI 6.

The demand for privacy on Android devices is being made for quite a while. Paying a little attention to the rising voices, Google has lost 3 percent share in Europe’s five largest countries, coming down to 69 percent. On the other hand, the share of iOS has increased from 18.6 percent to 20.3 percent in those five countries.

However, there is no confirmation from the company, but the mounting pressure may force Google to come up with the advanced Android version this time. Google’s annual I/O developers’ conference is scheduled for 28th of this month.

May 11, 2015
The OnePlus Power Bank is Finally Here!

After rumours and teasers about the ‘game-changing’ product from OnePlus, the company’s power bank has finally arrived in India. OnePlus unveiled the same through its Facebook’s OnePlus India account saying, “The most awaited #OnePlus Power Bank is here! Buy it now.” The device is priced at Rs. 1,399.

As mentioned above, the power bank will exclusively be available on Amazon India. The OnePlus portable battery has a massive capacity of 10,000mAh. The device easily slips into your pocket and can fully charge your OnePlus thrice. The time required to charge the accessory is 5.5 hours. It comes with two USB ports so that you can charge two devices at the same time. The colour options available in the OnePlus power bank is Sandstone Black and Silk White.

Click here to buy now.

<br />

May 11, 2015
Here’s Everything We Know About the OnePlus 2 So Far

One of the biggest success stories of 2014 was the Chinese electronics start-up, OnePlus. The newbie started off with the flagship killer, One, which conquered the mid-segment smartphone market. It was a feature-rich phone with top-notch specs that came with a reasonable price tag.

Now, exactly a year after One’s release, the market is more than ready to find out what the company has developed for 2015.

We are summing up all that we know till date about the OnePlus Two (temporarily titled).

Specs

Not much is known about the specifications of the upcoming OnePlus handset, but we some significant information that points out to its robust processing capacity. As per the detail leaked by the company CEO Liu Zuohu, OnePlus Two will run on Snapdragon 810 chipset along with 4GB RAM. A 5.5-inch 2K display will enhance the viewing experience of the user.

There is a high possibility of OnePlus Two running on Cyanogen OS, as the differences between Cyanogen and the Chinese smartphone firm have been sorted out. All legal proceedings have been resolved and the cases have been withdrawn through mutual consent. The addition of Cyanogen on the next OnePlus device might help drive the sales of the device.

Availability

In the major disclosure yesterday, OnePlus’ Zuohu spilled the beans on the release time of OnePlus Two. The much-awaited device will make a debut in the third quarter of this year. India will be one of the first countries to see the launch of the next probable flagship killer.

The kickass back panels promised by OnePlus that never came to the market.

Price

The handset will be priced higher than its predecessor. It is reported to cost 2499 Yuan, which translates to Rs. 25,700 approx. The firm must have decided on quality features and specifications that speak for its price.

Till the next iteration comes out, you can feast your eyes on the OnePlus One:

May 10, 2015
BlackBerry Will Not Manufacture Sub-$200 Phones: Company’s India Head

Lately, BlackBerry has been witnessing a revenue dip in its smartphone segment. It recently released Leap and Classic, to catch up with the present smartphone market, but the Canadian firm’s future success is uncertain. Hence, BlackBerry has chosen to restrict the yearly rollout of its models and focus on enterprise business for maximum profits.

BlackBerry India Managing Director Sunil Lalvani said they will roll out the company’s key handsets, but for a niche segment. “The focus going ahead is the enterprise business, which today contributes a significant portion to the company’s revenues,” commented Lalvani. He further stated that they will not manufacture sub-$200 phones in future like other smartphone manufacturers are doing these days.

BlackBerry’s market share in the Q4 last year explains the actual position of the company. According to research firm IDC, the market share of BlackBerry was 0.4% in last quarter 2014 (October-December), which was 8.1% during the same period in 2011.

Lalvani comments on the firm’s goal for the coming years were –

Going ahead the focus will be on increasing the bottom line and not the top line. So, in aligning ourselves to this view, we will not sell a huge number of handsets and hardware to boost our revenue figures but concentrate our effort on our high-margin enterprise and software services, which will drive profits.

A couple of days back, an innovative idea was introduced by the smartphone maker that will sort the problem of managing multiple SIM cards. BlackBerry proposed a Virtual SIM card for the Indian users which gives the benefit of nine SIM cards in one. Talks are on with regulatory authorities and telecom operators to launch the Virtual SIM in India, and it has also partnered with Idea Cellular for its services. The same is expected to arrive by year-end.

May 9, 2015
Windows 10 is the Last Version of Windows OS, Confirms Microsoft

Microsoft has been enriching Windows OS with every version. The recent Windows 10 is the finest upgrade made by Microsoft, which incorporates all significant alternations needed on a Windows platform along with a brand new technology called Cortana. The American consumer electronics firm is quitting the revision of Windows operating system and confirmed there will be no Windows 11.

At the Ignite tech conference, the developer evangelist of Microsoft Jerry Nixon said in the press conference –

Right now we’re releasing Windows 10, and because Windows 10 is the last version of Windows, we’re all still working on Windows 10.

Nixon also mentioned that Windows 10 was in works since the launch of Windows 8.1. The company wanted perfection in the latest Windows as it aims to standardize Windows 10. Microsoft intends to make Windows a service. That means, instead of releasing versions of Windows every couple of years, they will be sending out regular updates to Windows just like Apple’s OS X. The software and hardware giant is radically changing the way we upgrade Windows.

This being said, it is certain that there won’t be any major change coming up to Windows 10. The company will regularly revise some features and send an update for Windows upgradation. It’s a big move by the company, but it sounds great as Microsoft has extended its reach to different platforms with the new Windows OS.

The latest version hasn’t come out for public yet. It’s due to release this summer. It will first land on the desktop and later on Windows-powered smartphones, as per Microsoft. There have been rumours of Microsoft already working on its next update, but it is expected to release by 2016.

May 9, 2015
In-built Data Saving Feature on Your Phone’s Browser is Just a Few Clicks Away

Your smartphone is concealing a secret tool under the hood that can save the browsing data to a large extent. The feature is already available for the desktop version of Chrome as an extension called Data Saver (Beta). The nifty data saving feature in the Setting menu of Chrome compresses the pages and allows quick access to websites.

With this feature on, Chrome uses Google servers to compress pages you visit before downloading them. Users can make extended use of their internet data pack by spending the same amount. The feature is available on Android and iOS both. Here’s how you can activate it:

1. Go to your Chrome Web Browser and tap on the left touch-sensitive button.

2. Tap on Settings and you will see a few options under Basic and Advanced category.

3. In the Advanced section, search for Data Saver and turn it on.

Chrome will now start compressing pages for you to load it fast and will also save the data.

May 9, 2015
Report: Apple to Offer Free Exclusive Tracks on its Upcoming Music Streaming Service

Time and again, we are hearing about Apple’s refurbished music streaming service ‘Beats Music’. Earlier we heard of it pairing up with renowned American bands and artists like Taylor Swift, Florence and the Machine, but Apple has a couple of surprises before it makes Beats Music public. It was widely reported that the Cupertino-based tech firm will charge $8 for a monthly subscription, but it seems like now Beats Music users will find a free streaming option as well.

According to a report by Recode, some industry sources have confirmed a free trial period where users can listen to some tracks without paying for it. This testing period may range from one to three months depending on the negotiating deals with music labels. Under these negotiations, the music owners will be free to upload a sampling of their tracks, which users can listen for free without subscribing. It will be somewhat like SoundCloud which offers free music as YouTube offers video. There will also be a new version of iTunes Radio featuring human-curated playlist.

Apple also clarified it would never be like other free music streaming services like Spotify and Pandora that offer unlimited tracks without any charge. It is against advertising programme as promotion-supported free streaming doesn’t make much money, as per the company.

Last year, Apple acquired Beats Electronics and Beats Music for $3 billion. The service was launched only a few months earlier. The world’s most valuable company is gearing to tweak the service and release it sometime this year. Apple already enjoys a dominance in music downloads from its iTunes, now it aims to kick out the newly formed Tidal founded by Jay Z and several other music titans.

The Beats Music is scheduled to launch this summer at a competitive price of $9.99/month for individuals, while a family plans will cost $14.99/month. It is speculated that Apple might opt for a different name for its streaming service.

May 9, 2015
YU Founder Drops the Second Clue, Brags About Another Impressive Feature of YUphoria

Micromax YU is giving information bit-by-bit of its next big offering. Yesterday, the homegrown smartphone firm released footage showing the durability and sturdiness of the phone. And today, it has dropped another clue demonstrating its speaker quality.

The Founder of YU Rahul Sharma tweeted a video of the phone that will explain exactly what we are talking about:

Now that’s quite a hair raising experience! Here’s the 2nd clue guys. #YUphoria. Check it out: https://t.co/XUQ7hzcyfi

— Rahul Sharma (@rahulsharma) May 8, 2015

The forthcoming YU handset will definitely be a budget killer with Android Lollipop version of Cyanogen OS. The company has already disclosed that it houses a 64-bit processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB onboard memory.

Further information on pricing and availability will be known at the launch on May 12. Stay tuned for updates; more leaks will follow before the launch.

May 8, 2015