Author: Meenakshi Rawat

Check Out This Modular Case That Gives a Smartphone Project Ara-like Upgradation Abilities

Now is the age of customization. Smartphones today offer options to tweak the customary set-up and mould it to your convenience. Google’s latest Project Ara is the ultimate form of customization that is set to transform the present smartphone industry. But seems like there’s another advanced technology like Project Ara that can modify your present handsets. Nexpaq, a California-based start-up, has developed a modular case that has the power to add additional features to your device, that you have always wished for.

The case is said to be “the first truly modular smartphone case” and comes with 12 different modules. These include Laser, Battery Power, Super LED Flashlight, SD Card Reader, Amplified Speaker, and a few more. Nexpaq says that there are more to come. Simply put, it provides external support to upgrade the device in terms of memory, sound quality even if your phone has restricted capacity. The company claims that it is the first hardware to switch between iOS and Android devices. Which basically means, users of the two operating systems can switch modules to experience each other’s modules.

At one time, six different modules can fit in the case. The case coming in two different colours – black and white – is compatible with smartphones like Samsung Galaxy S5, iPhone 6 and Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge. The project is still under development and one can pre-order it for $109 to get a Nexpaq case and four different modules. The product will be shipped to the backers by January 2016. There are different deals at different prices which offer two Nexpaq cases, module development kits and more.

As the shipping date suggests, the project will launch by January next year. It is highly likely that Google may come up with Project Ara before then.

To know how it works, check the video below:

May 5, 2015
First Images of Samsung Z2 Running on Tizen

Samsung’s next Tizen OS-powered smartphone is yet to get an official announcement from the Korean electronics giant. But thanks to an online leaks, we now have an idea what Samsung will offer with its upcoming Tizen-based smartphone. A set of pictures are circulating online which are said to be of the upcoming Samsung Z2.

The leaked images of the tentatively titled Samsung Z2 give a hint of its design. The Z2 seems much like Samsung Galaxy S3 mini with identical display size and body (plastic frame and metal texture). The Tizen Store is also shown in the picture, which displays some of the popular downloads like Opera Mini, WhatsApp and more.

Past rumours suggest that the next Samsung device running company’s Tizen OS will feature a 32-bit quad-core CPU with 1GB of RAM and Tizen 3.0 UI. The device will sport a qHD (540×960) TFT-LCD display and will pack a 2000mAh battery.

The phone will be another entry-level offering with basic features. The company aims to make room for itself in the Android-ruled market. The smartphone will launch in more countries than just Bangladesh and India, which first saw the release of Samsung Z1. Samsung is expected to bring out the Z2 in the first half of 2015.

May 5, 2015
Timex Ditches the Gold Watch, Launches Smartwatch and Fitness Band in India

American watch brand Timex is adopting all major steps to catch up with India’s wearable market. Recently, Timex Group launched a smartwatch and a fitness band in the country. The tech-driven Ironman Run x20 GPS watch is priced at Rs. 11,995, while the Ironman Move x20 activity tracker comes at a price of Rs. 8,995. Both the wearables will be available exclusively on Amazon.in.

Anupam Mathur of Sales and Marketing Head, Timex Group India commented at the launch –

With the introduction of Timex Ironman Move x20, and Timex Ironman Run x20 we aim to offer our consumers a confluence of future technology and style, Timex’s foray into wearable technology. We are pleased to introduce these new products to our Ironman portfolio designed to cater to the current age of fitness enthusiasts and tech savvy audience.

The Ironman Run x20 GPS by Timex is a watch designed to entice sport enthusiasts. As the name suggests, it features a GPS technology that lets users keep a track of the distance covered, pace, speed and calories burned while working out or running. Users can receive call and text alerts on the digital display of the smartwatch itself. The Run x20 GPS features a 10-workout memory with dated summary, stopwatch with 99-lap counter and offers automatic pace alerts.

Powering the wearable is a rechargeable Li-Ion battery that can go for 6 hours in full GPS mode. The smartwatch sports a Timex’s INDIGLO night-light and is water-resistant up to 50 meters.

On the other hand, the Ironman Move x20 is essentially a tracking device that records activities like steps, distance, calories and sleep, and notifies about missed calls and texts. It has different modes that helps wearer achieving their goals. The waterproof tracker is fitted with a rechargeable battery with 7 days support. It is compatible with both Android and iOS devices.

May 5, 2015

Panasonic India Launches Eluga L 4G in India Priced at Rs. 12,999

Catching up with the emerging smartphone market, Panasonic has today launched its first 4G smartphone in India. The Eluga L 4G will be available at all major online and offline stores at a price of Rs. 12,999.

The Managing Director of Panasonic India Manish Sharma said –

Panasonic India has now signaled a big leap in its product portfolio by bringing better specifications and features in the newly launched Eluga L which not only caters to the fast developing technological needs in the market but is also priced reasonably. With the company’s recent success in the smartphones category and the mobility landscape rapidly evolving today, the new device will surely match the needs of our fast evolving consumers in the country.

The new Eluga series handset holds a thickness of 6.1mm and features a uni-body design. It is light at 131 grams. The 5-inch (1280×720 pixels) HD IPS display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass from back and front. The processor powering the phone is a 64-bit quad Quad-core Snapdragon 410 clocked at 1.2GHz. The Adreno 306 GPU caters to the graphic quality, along with 1GB RAM. The Eluga L 4G runs on Android 4.4 KitKat. The onboard storage space of the device is 8GB, which can be extended up to 32GB via Micro SD card.

On the camera front, the phone has an 8MP primary camera with autofocus and LED flash. A 5MP secondary shooter sits on the front for capturing selfies. For now, there is no details about its battery capacity. The dual-SIM device supports 4G and 3G network. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. There is just one colour option available in the smartphone – Radiant Blue.

The smartphone has to compete with Xiaomi Mi 4i and ZenFone 2 ZE550ML in the similar price range.

Here’s the spec table of Panasonic Eluga L 4G:

Specifications	Panasonic Eluga L 4G
Display	5-inch HD IPS (1280×720 pixels)
Processor	1.2GHz Quad-core Snapdragon 410
RAM	1GB
Memory	8GB, expandable up to 32GB
Camera	8MP rear, 5MP
Battery	Not Mentioned
Operating System	Android 4.4 KitKat
Price	Rs. 12,999

May 4, 2015

Paytm’s Mobile Wallet Will Soon Be Accepted at Café Coffee Day, Domino’s and More

After stepping in the e-commerce market, Paytm is geared to diversify into the offline space. The digital recharge start-up has partnered with thousands of quick service restaurants (QSRs) in major cities of India to provide cash-less service in the next two months. By stepping in offline retail business, the mobile recharge service will offer customers a choice to pay through their secure platform without the need to carry cash.

The Vice-President (Business) of Paytm Amit Lakhotia stated on the same –

We are now foraying into the offline space. We have partnered various QSRs covering 7,000-10,000 outlets in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad.

He further added that the service should be available by mid-June. Some of the restaurants that have joined hands with Paytm include top food chains like Café Coffee Day (CCD) and Domino’s. The company is planning to add more more restaurants where their Paytm Wallet can be functional.

Lakhotia stated on the growing acceptance of their virtual wallet application, “Mobile wallet usage is definitely growing in the country. On our platform alone, about 66 million people are using the wallet services and the number will cross 100 million much before the year ends.”

The company commenced the Paytm Wallet app with its debut in e-commerce space. Paytm wallet allows users to transfer money within the wallets. The app offers users to transfer money to a bank account from the wallet so that they can cash out the required amount.

Paytm expects to observe a steep increase in revenue by the year end. Right now, its revenue rate is $1.5 billion, but it is expected to multiply more than double to $4 billion by end-2015.

Meanwhile, Paytm provides its services to the online services like Uber, BookMyShow, eBay and IRCTC.

May 4, 2015
Motorola Announces a Massive Rs. 5,000 Discount on Moto 360

Just a few days back, Motorola’s Moto 360 got a price cut on Google Play Store. The same is now reflecting on Flipkart where both the leather and steel variants are available at discounted prices. Motorola has cut the price of Moto 360 smartwatches by Rs. 5,000, bring them down from Rs. 17,999 to Rs. 12,999 (leather) and Rs. 19,999 to Rs. 14,999 for the steel version.

It should be noted the price slash is not permanent and the discount is applicable till the stocks last. The leather version is available on the online store from long, whereas the steel model was added just recently.

Launched in India in September last year, the smartwatch has got critical acclaims in the Android wearable segment. It sports a 1.65-inch display that has Gorilla Glass protection. The water-proof Moto 360 runs on Google’s Android Wear OS and offers voice control. It is powered by a TI OMAP 3 processor along with 512MB of RAM and 4GB internal memory space. The 320mAh battery of the device can keep it running for up to 12 hours, as claimed by the company. The Moto 360 comes with Bluetooth 4.0 and sensors like pedometer and heart-rate monitor.

The smartwatches are available in black and silver colour options. Click here to buy now.

May 4, 2015
Along with a Stylus, Next iPad Will Come with Advanced Features like NFC and Force Touch

The idea of including the hand-held Stylus accessory was never supported by Steve Jobs. But things have taken a different route altogether from Steve’s ideologies. We earlier came across KGI Securities’ prediction of Apple planning to bring out a stylus accessory for its future iPad. Now, a person familiar with the next iPad has reaffirmed this fact.

According to the source quoted by Apple Insider, the Cupertino-based tech giant is building an all-new iPad with a 12.9-inch display. Temporarily titled as ‘iPad Pro’, the tablet will feature a brand new set of features like a Stylus, NFC radio, and many more used in the Apple Watch and the latest MacBook.

If the source is to be believed, then Apple may embed NFC radio in its next iPad, allowing it to serve as a payment receiving terminal for Apple Pay. Another added benefit of NFC is simplified pairing, which could help connect the speculated stylus as well. There are also speculations of the stylus being connected through Bluetooth, but nothing can be confirmed as yet.

The inclusion of Force Touch indicates, that the future iPad would be smart enough to sense the difference between a deep tap and a soft tap. It opens a space of possibilities for new commands and combinations.

The USB-C port is the latest development included by Apple on the 12-inch MacBook. The compact, universal USB port is fast and connects to all your devices whether phone or charger. The iPad Pro is expected to have both the new USB-C port and the standard Lightning connector.

Another major feature to beef up the upcoming device is the next-gen A-series processor. There is no wording on the exact version of the processor, but considering the other high-end features, the processor will also be the latest.

For now, these are just reports and the final product may pack some different features from what are anticipated. For confirmation, we will have to wait for an official announcement.

May 4, 2015
Asus ZenFone Devices in Line to Receive Android Lollipop This Month

Google’s latest operating system Android Lollipop with Material Design components is making its way to more smartphones this month. The handsets to mark themselves in the list of updated Lollipop devices are the ZenFone series phones from Asus like ZenFone 4, ZenFone 5, ZenFone 6, ZenFone 5 LTE and PadFone S. The update will roll out in different weeks of May for the devices.

Asus stated on its consumer forum –

We’ve sent the new version for the final verification and we expect to release the upgrade soon. We would request the kind consideration and understanding of our customers with regards to any inconvenience caused by this schedule changing.

The latest OS is expected to hit ZenFone 5 LTE in May first week, whereas the ZenFone 4, the ZenFone 5 and the ZenFone 6 may receive it by mid-May. The PadFone S is speculated to be last to find the Lollipop update on the handset.

The Taiwanese equipment manufacturer was supposed to roll it out in April, but some technical glitch kept the company away from making it public for the listed handsets.

Considering the changes that will come with Android 5.0 Lollipop, users will experience improved natural touch screen interactions. Besides that, the new Android update lets users have a look at the notifications on the lock screen itself and facilitates dismissing them without unlocking it. All in all, it offers users a pure, bloatware-free and seamless Android experience.

May 4, 2015
BlackBerry Leap Set to Arrive in India on May 7

BlackBerry bounced back into the touch segment with the launch of Leap at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2015. The Canadian firm didn’t go for a flagship, instead revealed another conventional piece to join other devices in the mid-range segment. The same smartphone is now arriving in India on May 7. The Leap is a refreshed version of the BlackBerry Z3, which launched last year and was priced internationally at $275 (approx. Rs. 17,500).

Coming to the specifications of the device, BlackBerry Leap sports a 5-inch HD screen with 1.5 GHz Qualcomm MSM 8960 powering the phone. It has 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory onboard. It comes with a MicroSD card to extend the storage space up to 128GB. The 9.5mm thick device runs on the company’s own BB OS 10.3.5, which has Siri-like Assistant to help users.

On the camera front, an 8MP rear shooter is fitted at its back along with a 5MP front camera. A 2800mAh battery fuels up the phone for well over a day, claims the company. The price and availability details will be announced at the launch.

May 1, 2015
It Costs Less Than $84 to Make an Apple Watch Sport Edition

The finest luxury Gold Edition smartwatch by Apple comes at a whopping amount of $17,000. The lowest version starts at $349, and the price goes up with the higher the model you choose. But do you know the heavily tagged Apple Watch costs just 24% of the retail price to the company?

The research firm IHS did a teardown of the Apple Watch Sport and discovered that one unit of the Sport is worth 24% of what buyers pay for it. It is less than one-fourth of the price and costs the Cupertino-based tech giant a mere $84 (approx.). The firm quoted it as the lowest price set by the company for any hardware as other Apple products are traded much higher than their manufacturing cost.

As per IHS estimates, the 38mm Watch has the OLED display as its priciest part that is coated with Ion-X cover glass. The whole arrangement of display and protection provided by LG costs $20.50. The second most expensive part of the watch is the A1 processor manufactured at the company’s plant itself. All other components cost below $10, except the electro-mechanical apparatus.

As the cost is estimated on the basis of teardown, the expenses such as licensing, logistics, R&D, and other noticeable costs have not been taken into account.

The expense table of the 35mm Apple Watch Sport by IHS is given below:

May 1, 2015
Micromax YU Announces the Arrival Date of its Next Smartphone ‘YUphoria’

Yureka by Micromax subsidiary YU managed to create quite a hype. It was the first Indian-origin smartphone that could stand in the marketplace flooded with Chinese and Taiwanese electronics. Now, YU is again geared to triumph over the smartphone market with the release of its next device YUphoria.

A while back, YU took to Twitter to announce the launch date of YUphoria which speaks of the device coming on 12th of this month. The tweet reads:

The moment of YUphoria is coming. Have you blocked your calender? pic.twitter.com/1ypEzM2lEb

— YU (@YUplaygod) May 1, 2015

The handset is expected to be another blockbuster by the company, with better specifications than Xiaomi Redmi 2. To sum up the information we know about YUphoria till now – it will boast the Android Lollipop version of Cyanogen OS, making use of the company’s exclusive partnership with Cyanogen. A 64-bit processor with 2GB of RAM and 16GB onboard memory will be equipped to the handset. Other details have been kept under wraps.This was also the company’s first phone to get a crowd-sourcing name.

Further information on pricing and availability will be known at the launch event itself. Keep checking back for updates.

May 1, 2015
Tesla Introduces Compact ‘Powerwall’ Batteries to Help Homes Run on Solar Energy

Tesla is not just an automotive company anymore. The American maker of high-tech automobiles has today dived into the energy domain and is making inroads into the residential and business battery business territory. The Founder of Tesla, Elon Musk at its design studio unveiled a new line of product for homes and for businesses, an ambitious plan to power the world through batteries. Called as Powerwall, the set of batteries can run all the household goods on the 10kWh battery, shifting the load from grids to the Tesla-made invention.

Elon Musk stated at the event –

Our goal is to fundamentally change the way the world uses energy. It sounds crazy, but we want to change the entire energy infrastructure of the world to zero carbon.

What is Tesla Powerwall and How Does it Work?

The Tesla Powerwall is nothing but a suite of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that are “completely sustainable, zero carbon”. It is designed to generate energy from solar power and then store it at a residential level for occasional outage. It also benefits at the time of load shifting and backup power and self-consumption. The battery unit fits on any wall and integrates with the local grid to harness excess power and gives users the luxury to draw the energy of their own reserve.

The Powerwall increases the capacity for a house with solar panels, while it also offers backup functionality during grid outages. It can power your Tesla, your home and of course, your workplace. The business-grade battery is termed as PowerPack.

How Will it Benefit Buyers

For household use, the Powerwall will provide financial savings. It will keep on charging during low-rate periods, and when the electricity rates are expensive, you can use the stored power. It can store surplus solar energy for use after sunset. The Powerwall majorly comes to use when the power grids fail. It assures electricity in those helpless circumstances.

For business, the PowerPack offers maximum consumption of on-site clean power. Users can buy electricity when it’s cheapest and can avoid peak demand charges. The crucial business operations can be backed up.

Price and Availability

The Tesla Powerwall costs $3500 for 10kWh and $3000 for 7kWh. It will be available through installation partners in “three or four months”. Musk has partnered with partners such as Treehouse, Solar Edge and Green Mountain Power. Also, it has stakes in a California-based solar power company, Solar City. The Powerwall can be installed within an hour through specialised employees.

Elon Musk stated, “We’re working with certified installers for the Powerwall. It’s designed to be easy to install, with two people in maybe a half an hour to an hour.”

As per Musk, it gives security, freedom and peace of mind. He further commented that a total of 2 billion Powerwalls are required to meet the energy demands of the entire world. The 10kWh Powerwall will come in different colours and will be launched in Germany by the year-end.

May 1, 2015

OnePlus Powerbank to Arrive in India in the Next Few Days

OnePlus is hiding a slew of surprises under its hood. The past month, the Chinese equipment maker launched its first drone, the DR-1, which some thought was an April fools’ prank. The technology start-up has once again teased a new product which, as always, they are calling a game changer.

The OnePlus India sent out a teaser on its official Twitter handle:

The game changer is here! #getPower pic.twitter.com/h4i1XMgqDb

— OnePlus India (@OnePlus_IN) April 30, 2015

The tweet exhibits a product that is sleek and holds elegantly curved edges. Clearly, it displays the power bank that OnePlus had rolled out in December last year. Also, we had a word with the OnePlus India team and they confirmed that smart device will be arriving in India within the next few days.

The portable charger provides 10,000mAh of power and is one of the cheapest ones available till date. The external battery can easily slip in your pocket and can charge your smartphone more than 5 times on a single charge. The price and release date for India has not been disclosed yet. However its launch price was a mere $ 14.99 (Rs. 952 approx)

Here are detailed specifications of the OnePlus power bank:

Specifications	OnePlus Power Bank
Colour variants	Sandstorm Black or Silk White
Battery type	LiPo
Capacity	10,000 mAh
Charging Time	5.5 hours (approx)
Dimensions	142.8 × 72.6 × 16.2 mm
Weight	220g
Safety features	Electrostatic, short-circuit, overcharging, overheating protection

May 1, 2015

Micromax Enters the Personal Computing Space with ‘Canvas LapTab’, a Laptop-Tablet Hybrid

Today, the homegrown handset maker Micromax debuted into personal computing arena with the launch of a tablet/laptop. It is the third segment where the company plans to gain a foothold, after smartphones and televisions. Dubbed as Canvas LapTab, the tablet transforms into a laptop when attached to a portable keyboard. The portable gadget is available at an easy price of Rs. 14,999.

The Co-Founder of Micromax Vikas Jain stated at the launch event –

We will launch five to six laptab models by March next year, which will more than 10-inches in screen size. We will move into pure laptops and pure personal computers overtime. We are thinking of manufacturing it in India.

The device is different from the one unveiled at CES 2015 and runs on Windows 8.1 OS. The compact machine has been targeted at students, travellers, and enterprises.

Coming to the specifications of the device, the Canvas LapTab features a 10.1-inch WXGA IPS touch screen. The processor powering the device is a 1.83GHz Intel Atom Z3735F, which comes bundled with 2GB of RAM. The memory storage details are still unknown. As mentioned above, the tablet runs on Windows 8.1 as of now, and can be upgraded to Windows 10 once its released.

Optics includes a 2MP front and rear shooter. The LapTab has a mammoth battery of 7,700mAh, which can keep it going for 10 hours, the company claims. It comes with a 3G SIM slot for mobile data connectivity.

The Canvas LapTab will be available on May 6 with the company’s online partner Amazon India. The product may be available through offline channels at a later stage.

April 30, 2015
Microsoft has a Good Opportunity in India with Cloud, Says Nadella

Cloud computing is a brand new platform that Microsoft is looking to evolve further. It has gained a great deal of attention, but hasn’t attained the prominence expected by the company. The top official of Microsoft believes that Microsoft has a real opportunity with cloud-computing in India and it will be a transformative area.

The CEO of Microsoft Satya Nadella remarked at the conference:

It was hard selling softwares. But now with cloud, we have real opportunity in India. That definitely is the transformative thing. And of course by design, it has anti-piracy built into it, which also is very helpful.

Nadella expects Cloud to grow the size of Google in the next five years. He further stated, “Qualitatively, the way I describe the world that we live in and what it will be in the next five years is this mobile-first, cloud-first world.”

The hardware and software giant is the leader of the cloud service that provides computing and data storage services. The system works by deploying groups of remote servers and software networks that uploads different data sources for real-time processing without the need to store processed data on the cloud.

The Microsoft CEO commented on his vision is to empower every person and organisation and make them achieve more.

Customer success is the top priority of Microsoft and they work on helping their customers re-imagine their businesses. Chief Operating Officer of Microsoft Kevin Turner stated in the 2015 Microsoft Financial Analyst Briefing:

And the other big mantra we have at Microsoft, particularly for our field and our go-to-market model, is transforming while performing, and working on those things simultaneously is a very important part of our rigour and our discipline, and what we bring to the table relative to focusing on this customer success.

Alongside this announcement, Microsoft held a three-day build conference where new feature were revealed like Continuum for Phone and Microsft Edge. Check other features here.

April 30, 2015

Author: Meenakshi Rawat

Specifications

Panasonic Eluga L 4G

What is Tesla Powerwall and How Does it Work?

How Will it Benefit Buyers

Price and Availability

Specifications

OnePlus Power Bank