Author: Parul Ritvik Sood

Teardown of 5K Retina Dispay iMac Reveals What’s Inside

Continuing with its fascination for Apple products, iFixit, who are known for surgically removing all the organs of devices and laying them side by side, has acquired and disassembled the new iMac with 5K Retina display.

Apple’s newest iMac continues to use many of the same design elements from previous iMacs, including an easily accessible RAM upgrade slot, the same SSD, and logic board on the back of the device. With the RAM slot, users will be able to install their own RAM modules with little trouble.

Along with an AMD Radeon M290X GPU and i5-4690 processor from Intel, the iMac contains SK Hynix 256 MB GDDR5 SGRAM. It uses the same SanDisk PCIe SSD as the late 2013 Retina MacBook Pro, with Marvell Controller, and it uses the same AirPort/Bluetooth card that was used in the 2013 27-inch iMac.

Though, the processor, GPU, and display controller (sporting a wider display data cable) have received significant upgrades. The teardown also revealed that the 5K display, which sports the screen resolution of 5120 x 2880, has been manufactured by LG Display. It is the same supply partner that has also manufactured previous generation iMac displays.

The 27-inch iMac with Retina 5K display earned a repairability score of 5 out of 10, the same score earned by the 2013 27-inch iMac. iFixit pointed out that the RAM, hard drive, and CPU are user replaceable with some adhesive cutting, but removing the glass and LCD panel from the machine remains a difficult task.

October 18, 2014
Google Adds New Layer of Security Features with Android 5.0 Lollipop

Android 5.0 Lollipop is Google’s most significant release of Android yet with a whole lot of features debuting with it. Everyone seems to be super excited about the newly upgraded features like support for 64-bit processors, Material Design, the improvements to power management and the switch from the Dalvik RunTime to the Android RunTime, ART, which are touted to make our devices smoother and faster.

But this time around, Google has added some great new security features as well. The first way is the built-in kill switch, also known as Factory Reset Protection. It essentially prevents anyone from wiping and resetting your device if it’s stolen. If thieves can’t factory reset your device, then they won’t be able to successfully resell it.The feature requires a Google ID and password before a phone can be reset, and only works when a phone passcode is enabled.

The second is linked to the first and uses a feature that has been present in Android since 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, which is device encryption. Until now, encryption has been an optional security feature that most people only activate if their corporate email account tells them to do so. From Android 5.0, encryption is going to be enabled by default. This gives users another PIN or password to remember but keeps the data on the device much safer from the notorious hackers’ eyes. Without device encryption, a thief could access the information on the device.

October 18, 2014
Nexus 9 Listed on Google Play Store in India for Rs. 28,900

Google on Wednesday announced three new devices, all attempting to enter a space which competitior Apple has enjoyed monopoly over the past years. Now, Google’s Nexus 9, the HTC-made tablet is “coming soon” to India.

The tablet has been listed on Google India’s Play store. It is not yet available but once it does, it will cost Rs.28,900 for the 16GB Wi-Fi model and Rs. 44,900 for the 3G version with 32GB memory. Three official origami-inspired leather covers for the tablet have also been listed. They will be available in three color variants, Black, Mint Intiqo and Lime stone.

Google describes Nexus 9 as a tablet that “is for work and play, with its just-right 8.9-inch screen and front-facing stereo speakers”. Now according to insider sources, the company will be bringing the Nexus 9 to India by the 2nd week of December, which come in line with this listing.

Nexus 9 is a slim, sleek and sexy looking tablet. Its processing might is taken care by a 64-bit NVIDIA Tegra K1 Dual Denver processor clocked at 2.3GHz. It comes with 2GB RAM and is available in 16GB and 32GB storage variants. The device has an 8.9 inch IPS LCD display with 4:3 aspect ratio. It has a resolution of 2048×1536 and is covered in Gorrila Glass 3.

The camera at the rear will not do 4K video because it is just an 8 MP snapper, but its a wide lens and a great module. The aperture is f 2.4 and the sensor is a BSI sensor. For power you get a 6700 mAh battery, that should last you through the day and then some.

It weighs only 425 gm for the Wifi only and 436gm for the LTE variant, keeping it light and extremely portable. The tablet is easily held with one hand and the back panel feels great as well. The device is one of the first devices to run the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop OS along with the Nexus 6.

October 18, 2014
HTC Launched the RE Camera for Rs. 9,990 in India

Along with One (M8 Eye), Desire Eye, the Desire 516c, Desire 820 and Desire 820Q smartphones, HTC on Friday launched the Re Camera in the Indian market. We spent a whole day testing out this new camera, read more about it here.

“HTC has continually set the standards in mobile technology since 1997, and once more, we are redefining the concept of imaging forever,” said Chia-Lin Chang, President of Global Sales and Chief Financial Officer, HTC. “As a company we are devoted to innovation, as we endeavor to combine the best experiences with the best hardware design as possible. Today HTC has taken a bold step to introduce a new product category, with a remarkable little camera called, RE. A product that you once pick up, you will not want to put it down. RE, will allow our users to get out from behind the lens and live and experience moments.”

HTC Re is essentially a small handheld camera, which features a 16MP sensor with a 146-degree wide-angle lens. Packed in a waterproof shell, HTC RE camera is capable of recording full HD videos, 120 fps slow-motion videos, time-lapse videos as well as Zoes.

Inbuilt is an HD microphone and speaker along with rating for durability – IP57 Dust & Water Resistant IPx7 (body), IPx8 (with cap). The camera houses a 820 mAh battery which is rated for 1,200 16MP photos; 1 hour 40 min of continuous FHD video recording. It comes with an 8GB card loaded and supports upto 128 GB cards offering good storage capacities.

The camera works over Bluetooth 4.0 and Wifi. RE Camera supports iOS 7 and along with all KitKat equipped Android phones. HTC is hoping that RE camera will help the users in stepping out from behind the camera and enjoying the life as it happens. The camera includes just two buttons, one for image/video capture and other for slow motion video. There is not even a power button present on the device and it utilizes the integrated grip sensor to detect whether someone is holding and it switches itself on.

RE will be available exclusively on Snapdeal.com in India at an introductory promotional offer for a limited period, Rs. 9990/-

October 18, 2014
HTC Brings Out the Desire EYE and One (M8) EYE in India

A couple of weeks back, the One (M8 EYE) quietly went on sale in China. Now, HTC unveiled the new One (M8 Eye) and Desire Eye smartphones in the Indian market at a press event in Mumbai.

According to the company, the One (M8 Eye) will go on sale tomorrow for Rs. 38,990, while Desire Eye will be released in late-November exclusively on Amazon India. The pricing of Desire Eye is a mystery at this moment.

HTC Desire EYE is the first of a kind phone designed to allow users to capture front and rear images in 13 mega pixels. Other specs mostly make it compete with several flagship smartphones out there, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset clocked at 2.3 GHz.

The HTC Desire Eye also boasts a 5.2-inch full HD 1920 x 1080p IPS LCD display, along with BoomSound speaker config. The cameras however, are the highlight of the Desire Eye, with a set of 13 MP cameras, and dual led flash on both sides, the rear camera is a f/2 aperture lens equipped module, whereas the front camera has a f/2.2 aperture lens setup.

The M8 Eye looks like the standard model in every respect except for the fact that the 4MP UltraPixel shooter has been replaced by Sony’s 13MP IMX214, the same sensor used on the HTC Butterfly 2 and the HTC Desire EYE. However, unlike the Desire EYE, the front-facing camera is still a 5MP sensor.

The new M8 will ship with the same ‘Eye Experience’ software as the HTC Desire Eye the company announced two weeks back. The HTC One (M8 EYE) also includes the new HTC EYE Experience features like Face Fusion, HTC Split Capture, and advanced face tracking features for conferencing.

October 18, 2014
Twitter Gets Musical with its New Audio Card Feature

All of our Twitter timelines are going get more musical after the social networking giant launched a new Twitter Audio Card feature that is already being used by SoundCloud and Apple’s iTunes.

“The world’s most influential musicians and media producers already share unique audio content through Twitter every day. Today we’re introducing a new way for you to experience audio directly on Twitter. ” Twitter wrote on the official blog. “With a single tap, the Twitter Audio Card lets you discover and listen to audio directly in your timeline on both iOS and Android devices. Throughout your listening experience, you can dock the Audio Card and keep listening as you continue to browse inside the Twitter app.” blog post added.

HOT !!! Here is the @robin_schulz remix of #Dangerous !!! I really love it. Click below to listen to the track ;) https://t.co/nSxejse9Rc

— David Guetta (@davidguetta) October 16, 2014

In SoundCloud’s case, the Audio Card opens up a full-screen player for the audio, complete with whatever artwork the creator has uploaded to SoundCloud for it. The audio will continue playing when the card is minimised, though. As the new feature launched, Guetta tweeted a link to a new remix of his song Dangerous, while Chance the Rapper followed suit with a link to his new single No Better Blues.

This next one’s the first song on our new album! Listen here http://t.co/KVfURdxooT. — Foo Fighters (@foofighters) October 16, 2014

Twitter also announced that content by select iTunes artists will also appear in Audio Cards, allowing users to preview music that has not been released yet. U.S. rock band Foo Fighters gave fans a taste from their new album “Sonic Highways” by tweeting their song “Something From Nothing.”

It is worth noticing that the iTunes player on Twitter plays the whole song, unlike the preview on iTunes Store itself, which plays less than 2 minutes of it. Twitter said it is still testing Audio Cards, and plans to open it up to more partners and creators. The feature follows other Twitter Cards that allow users to add more content to their tweets such as in-stream videos.

October 17, 2014
After Acquiring Motorola, Lenovo to Become the Third Largest Smartphone Vendor in India

New reports by IDC have revealed that Lenovo is set to become the third largest smartphone vendor in India. But only after the completion of its acquisition of Motorola Mobility is complete. The acquisition is considered one of the sharpest move in the industry for the Chinese company, which has previously made its name though PC sales.

“Presently, Motorola is at number four in India. And, we are expecting to close the acquisition by the end of the calendar year, which we believe make us the third largest smartphone player the in the Indian market,” Amar Babu, managing director at Lenovo India said.

Amar said that Lenovo’s smartphone business has grown by 200% year on year, much faster than the rest of the market. He added that Lenovo will build the Motorola brand the way it has built the ThinkPad notebook brand within the company.

The overall Indian smartphone market is expected to cross 80 million devices by shipments, up from 44 million a year back. Shipments grew by 84% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2014 to June, with vendors shipping a total of 18.42 million smartphones.

The company is also positive on setting up manufacturing units in the country, given the ‘Make in India’ initiative by the Indian government and the company is hoping for certain incentives by the government that would encourage the same.

The company is already the number one player in the PC market in India. In the Indian smartphone market, Lenovo lags behind Motorola, which is the fourth largest player. The company also plans to enhance its position in the tablet market in India. Lenovo recently launched its new range of ‘Yoga’ tablets in India, priced between Rs 20,990 to Rs 47,990. The range — comprising of four devices — will go on sale today exclusively on eCommerce site, Flipkart.

October 17, 2014
Sony Promises to Update Xperia Z line to Android 5.0 Lollipop Soon

The new upgrade for the Android mobile OS, Android 5.0 Lollipop is finally here. However, it could be a while before Google’s new software becomes available on some of our favorite devices. Sony has confirmed that its entire Xperia Z lineup will make the jump to Lollipop starting next year.

Android 5.0 updates won’t roll out until 2015 for your Xperia device, they only confirmed that Lollipop is coming eventually. Sony notes that the Z Ultra Google Play Edition is first in line followed by the Xperia Z3 and Z2 families, also Z1 and Z devices won’t be left out either.

According to the announcement, “entire premium Z series” means the Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR, Xperia Tablet Z, Xperia Z1, Xperia Z1S, Xperia Z Ultra, Xperia Z1 Compact, Xperia Z2, Xperia Z2 Tablet, Xperia Z3, Xperia Z3v, Xperia Z3 Compact and Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact will all be updated to Android 5.0 Lollipop.

October 17, 2014
Apple Event Round Up : The 8 Most Important Things Apple Announced

On Thursday, Apple held its second product release event in six weeks. The 90-minute event at Apple’s headquarters here was a sombre affair compared to the mega-launch of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, Apple Watch and Apple Pay. This time the news was expected, however, Apple plenty of new hardware and software during the event.

The company added to its product line the two new iPads, a 27-inch iMac with eye-popping Retina display, and OS X Yosemite, Apple’s latest desktop operating system. The iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3 and the devices will go on sale later next week in 29 countries (India is not on the list) while pre-orders open online today.

We are listing the important highlights of the event that will take considerably less time than it will take you to re-watch the event:

1. The New iPad Air is Skinnier Than Ever

Apple has relied on its time-tested strategy for updating a offering – make them thinner. The new device is only 6.1 mm thick, thinner than the new iPhones by almost 1mm. As expected, it is powered by the new Intel A8x Chip, a 2nd gen 64 bit architecture, which is 12 times faster than the current one. Apple claims that graphics performance of the new iPad Air 2 is 180 times faster, which gives console like gaming experience on the iPad Air 2. The tablets will feature a fingerprint scanner similar to the one found in the latest iPhones. The sensor enables people to use a fingerprint instead of a passcode to unlock the device, also can be used to make purchases using Apple Pay.

The new iPad Air 2 houses the 8MP iSight camera on the back with a f/2.4 aperture and supports HD video recording. Along with that, there is a front camera which features a new face time HD camera, burst selfie, slo-mo and more. The iPad Air 2 runs on the latest iOS 8.1 and features a LCD layer on the display and an anti reflective coating, reducing reflection by upto 56 per cent. The iPads are priced starting $499 (16GB). The 64GB version is available for $599 and the 128GB for $699.

2. There added a iPad Mini too, with Touch ID

Apple confirmed the third generation iPad Mini featuring the new Touch ID fingerprint sensor during the event. iPad mini 3’s screen is at 7.9-inches with a 2048×1536 resolution at 326 pixels per inch (ppi). Apart from the Touch ID, it has the same Retina display with an aluminum coating at the back. It will be available in gold, gray and silver colour variants.

It features a 5 megapixel iSight camera and a FaceTime HD camera. The camera carries the iOS8 features such as time-lapse and panorama. This iPad features dual microphones, on the front and back. Instinctively, when you switch cameras from front to back (or vice versa), the microphones switch, too. The price starts at $399 (Rs. 24,574 approx.) for 16GB in Wi-Fi only, while the 128GB + LTE model will cost $729. Pre-orders start tomorrow and shipping starts by the end of next week.

3. Apple Pay Will go Live on Monday (Only in the USA)

Apple confirmed it will begin rolling out the service next week on 20th October i.e. on Monday. Apple’s payment system allows people to bump their phones to pay for items in the 220,000 stores that have NFC (near-field communication) readers, as well as pay for items in apps by using the fingerprint scanner on Apple’s newest mobile devices.

Once third-party apps also use the Touch ID features, you can use this feature on other apps as well. As far as Apple Pay is concerned, it will be available only in the US and essentially allow users to replace their credit card with their device to make actual payments.

4. New iMacs come with the ‘World’s Highest Resolution Displays’

Along with Yosemite, Apple is bringing out the updated version of iOS. They’ve spent time and effort taking in user feedback and have updated the problem-prone update. iOS 8.1 brings the Camera Roll and iCloud Photo Library in beta, a feature that allows you to store all of your photos from all your devices in the cloud. The new iMac features a 27-inch display with 5210×2880 pixels resolution, which is 14.7 million pixels, which according to Apple, “is the world’s highest-resolution display”. Seven times more pixels than a Full HD TV, 67 per cent more pixels than 4k. The display is only 5mm thin at the edge.

The Oxide TF and a new low-power backlight helps it use 30% less energy despite the large display and heavy resolution. The base model runs on a 3.5GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor, AMD Radeon R9 M290X graphics card, has 8GB of RAM, and a 1TB Fusion drive. The iMacs are priced starting $2499 (Rs. 1,53,913 approx).

5. Developers can Start Working on Apple Watch Apps Next Month.

Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook remained vague about when the company’s smartwatch will go on sale, saying only that it will be early next year. But the company is releasing WatchKit, software that will let developers start working on apps for the devices.

6. Yosemite is already available

Taking continuity to the next level. Apple definitely is the first company to benefit from this because of its enormous hardware ecosystem. OS X Yosemite is the upcoming eleventh major release of OS X, Apple Inc.’s desktop and server operating system for Macintosh computers and it will be available from today. It can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for Free.

Yosemite gives you mirrored access across all Apple platforms for instant access. For example, the iPad recognizes what you’ve been working on and prompts you about it. You can stop working on the Mac, pick up your iPad and start working on your project right way without a second of lag. There is no need for third party apps. There is no need to open a cloud app and download the file, it’s always there.

7. iOS 8.1 Will Roll Out on Monday

Along with Yosemite, Apple is bring out the updated version of iOS. They’ve spent time and effort taking in user feedback and have updated the problem-prone update. iOS 8.1 brings the Camera Roll and iCloud Photo Library in beta, a feature that allows you to store all of your photos from all your devices in the cloud.

8. Apple SIM is a new iPad Air 2 hidden feature

Perhaps the most interesting news about Apple’s new iPad Air 2 tablet is buried at the bottom of one of its marketing pages: It will come pre-installed with a new “Apple SIM” card instead of one from a specific mobile operator.

Apple explains, “The Apple SIM gives you the flexibility to choose from a variety of short-term plans from select carriers in the U.S. and UK right on your iPad. So whenever you need it, you can choose the plan that works best for you—with no long-term commitments. And when you travel, you may also be able to choose a data plan from a local carrier for the duration of your trip.” So far, Apple lists three of the top four US operators—AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile—as partners. In the UK, there’s EE, a joint venture between T-Mobile and Orange. Apple says participating carriers may change.

October 17, 2014
OnePlus Reportedly in Talks with Microsoft to Make a Windows Phone

We have seen lot of Windows handset launched this year, and it look like one more manufacturer is interested in launching a device on the platform. OnePlus, a Chinese company has made waves this year with its zero-margin OnePlus One, a high-end 5.5-inch smartphone running on the Android-derived CyanogenMod OS, which sells for half the price of competing phones.

Now, the company is looking to branch out into other areas and operating systems. Speaking with the Indian Economic Times, director of OnePlus Global Carl Pei revealed, “We have had discussions with Microsoft over a Windows Phone smartphone. We are still looking into it.”

At this stage, it is not known whether the manufacturer is looking to offer the OnePlus One with Windows Phone much like HTC has done with the One M8 for Windows or whether an entirely new handset is in the works.

As the report also notes, OnePlus is planning a successor to the OnePlus One. The OnePlus Two was officially confirmed as being in the works late last month. The OnePlus Two will arrive in the second or third quarter of 2015.

October 15, 2014
Motorola Brings Out its Deck Bluetooth Speaker in India

Motorola launched its Deck Bluetooth speakers in India which will be sold exclusively via Flipkart at Rs. 8,990. The company launched these speakers in collaboration with SOL Republic in the US last year in September .

The Bluetooth 4.0-enabled Motorola Deck speaker runs on the R2 Sound Engine. The speaker also features LED lights, the color of which change according to the active user controlling the device. The ‘Outdoor Mode’ enhances the audio and is especially made for outdoor usage.

The Motorola Deck is claimed to feature 360-degree full sound and 300-foot wireless range. Deck is said to be the first wireless speaker with Heist Mode that allows up to five people simultaneously paired to the device and control the music. Heist Mode is supported through Bluetooth and Near Field Communication (NFC).

The Motorola Deck Bluetooth Speaker weighs in at 325g and would be available in White, Gun Metal and Blue colors. Motorola, besides unveiling its much-awaited Moto G (Gen 2), Moto X (Gen 2) and Moto 360 smartwatch last month, also took the wraps off two new smartphone accessories – namely Moto Hint (a Bluetooth-enabled earbud) and the Power Pack Micro (a power bank).

Compatible with Bluetooth-enabled smartphones, the Moto Hint wireless earbud lets users hear notifications, make calls, get directions, perform quick search, and send messages without accessing the handset. The Motorola’s Power Pack Micro while acting as a portable battery, also lets users search for their smartphone or keys by using the Motorola Keylink feature.

October 15, 2014
Nexus 9 to Launch Today, Will be the First Device to Run Android L

As we reported earlier, the Nexus 9, codenamed the HTC Volantis, will launch today and it will be the first device to run Android L. Apple in an another big event is expected to launch new gen iPad and iMac, however, taking the lead Google is expected to launch the new Nexus device quietly, via a blog post.

Unlike Apple, Google will apparently eschew a big press event and will instead announce the new platform and the new devices via an official blog post. The company is apparently still fine tuning Android L and it doesn’t want to have a major event for a platform that still needs some refining before its release.

According to several reports that surfaced last week, the Nexus 9 will be available for pre-order on 17th October and available to purchase on the 3rd November. Although there’s no information on when Android L will be available for other Android devices, and the pre-order and purchasing dates are subject to last minute changes. The 16GB version will cost $399 and the 32GB LTE version will retail for $499. Both devices will have expandable memory.

Various reports have also hinted that the new Nexus 9 tablet will have an 8.9-inch 2048×1440 display, weigh 480 grams, have a 64-bit dual-core processor, an Nvidia Kepler GPU and a 8MP rear-facing camera and 3MP front-facing camera. HTC and Google have also opted for a “brushed aluminum” frame, instead of an all metal design, to keep costs down.

It is also said that some popular HTC features will come with the new tablet including HTC’s boomsound and the dual front facing speakers, both of which featured on the One M8 and Desire EYE.

However, there is no word on when the Nexus 6 is going to release. According to the previous leaks, the device will feature a QHD display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels (498 pixels per inch), a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 2-megapixel front-facing camera, a 3,200mAh battery and Android L.

Today’s launch will put Google in direct competition with Apple as the iPhone 6 maker is widely expected to reveal its updated iPad on October 16th. Rumours have been circulating around that Apple’s event on Thursday will see the launch of a 9.7-inch ‘iPad Pro’ and possibly a refreshed version of the iPad Air. The larger tablet is likely to see the introduction of Touch ID and both will have the same A8 processor that powers the iPhone 6.

October 15, 2014
Everything We Know About Apple’s Upcoming iMac

Back in June, Apple unveiled a new cheaper iMac, but that wasn’t the one we were waiting for. Apple is expected to launch its first iMac with Retina screen on 16th October. The company’s last big update for iMac came last year in September when Apple added the Haswell processor, new graphics, next generation Wi-Fi and faster PCIe flash storage options.

As reported by 9to5Mac, which cites sources that have used the desktop, the rumored new iMac with Retina display will feature a thin profile similar to the current generation of iMac machines, alongside faster processors and improved Wi-Fi connectivity.

Retina Display

According to the multiple reports, Apple will launch a 27-inch iMac with a 5K ‘Retina display’ screen. The screen will have a 5120 x 2880 resolution. This resolution is mentioned in the OS X Yosemite code. Earlier this year, French site, MacBidouille claimed that the developer preview of Yosemite includes a file that refers to a display scaling resolution option for the iMac. Apparently, the file includes a collection of scaling resolution options for the new iMac. They max out at 6400 x 3600 pixels.

Also, the recent announcement of DisplayPort 1.3, which can support 5K (5120×2880 pixels) monitors using a single Display Port cable without the use of compression, can also make the 5K resolution in the high-res iMac models a reality. If you compare, the existing 21.5-inch iMac flaunts a 1920×1080 pixels resolution display, while the 27-inch variant boasts a 2560×1440 pixels resolution screen.

There were previously suggestions that to qualify for the ‘Retina display’ definition, the resolution would only need to be 3,840 x 2,400 if Apple used ‘pixel doubling’. The cost involved in producing a 27-inch iMac with Retina display may also prove prohibitive, resulting in higher prices.

Innards

According to leaks, new iMac will use the Haswell i7-4790K, with a base clock speed of 4.0GHz. We know, you are waiting for the Broadwell processor to arrive in the Mac, but those new Intel processors will “likely be added in an update next year. Also, it is said that the new iMacs will have AMD graphics rather than the Nvidia graphics of the current generation. Little is known about which graphics processor Apple has in mind, but it’ll need to be quite beefy if there is any hope at running 3D games at the native resolution of the display. Apart from this, some sources also hinted an upgrade in iMovie and Final Cut Pro video editing softwares. The software are likely to feature improved tools for editing 4K footage.

Low-End iMacs

Well, it is said that the 21.5-inch model won’t be getting any considerable amount of iterations. We can expect the smaller iMac to be pretty much same as the previous generations at 1920×1080 (102 PPI), however, we can expect minor changes in CPU and GPU . While it’s disappointing that only the biggest model is getting a Retina update, it’s not particularly surprising. High-res displays are still very expensive, so it doesn’t make sense for the cheaper low-end iMacs. For now, 5K displays are still a rare and premium feature.

When Does it Arrive?

All the rumors regarding the new iMac have hinted that Apple will launch a new iMac, with a Retina display, at Apple’s confirmed special event on 16 October, which is expected to also see the launch of new iPads.

October 14, 2014
Top 5 Coolest Features of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4

Samsung showed off the new Galaxy Note 4 at IFA Berlin 2014. Now, the company has launched latest Note flagship in India for Rs 61,500 today at a press conference in New Delhi. The Galaxy Note 4 takes all the features that made the Note 3 a blockbuster and ups the stake with a premium metal build, a fingerprint scanner and tons of software improvements. And as the name implies, it retains the S Pen stylus that made previous Galaxy Note phones great for taking notes. Other upgrades include a slightly speedier processor and a battery that charges 50 per cent faster.

We are listing the top 5 features of the new Samsung Galaxy Note 4:

1. Multi-tasking Made Easy

When it comes to mobile multitasking, Samsung smartphones are one of the best in the market. The Galaxy Note 4 adds even more multitasking options to help you stay productive on the go. The standard Multi Window mode returns, letting you run two apps at once in a split-screen view; just swipe in from the left side of the screen to open the Multi Window app drawer, then drag any two apps onto the screen to view them side-by-side. You can still turn your phone to view the apps stacked horizontally or vertically, and drag the border between them to resize the windows.

2. Updated stylus

What makes the Note series a start is its ability take notes with an amazing accessory called S-Pen. As in previous Galaxy Note releases, the Note 4’s stylus stows easily in a slot at the bottom of the device when not in use. Sliding it out instantly transforms your phone into a note-taking machine, letting you write out notes and draw diagrams right on the device’s display. With Note 4, S-pen has also undergone some changes. It is slimmer with better grip and with improved pressure sensitivity on the tip. Compared to the Note 3, the Note 4’s pen recognizes twice as many levels of pressure as you press down on the screen, allowing for smoother, more natural handwriting.

3. Pro-Selfie Camera

One other big improvement is the camera. You can use the camera in unison with the S Pen. A new feature called Snap Note allows you to take a picture of a piece of paper (or whiteboard) and change what’s in the picture. One of the best features on new Note 4 is Wefies or wide selfies, which much like panorama mode lets you take wide selfies. Samsung has also added Optical image stabilization (OIS) in the Galaxy Note 4.

4. Security Features

The Note 4 is the first phone in the line to feature a built-in fingerprint scanner, giving the device a big security boost. It works just like the scanner that debuted with Samsung’s Galaxy S5, just slide your fingertip over the phone’s home button to easily unlock it. The feature helps you keep your work phone locked down, with no need to fuss with cumbersome password screens. And the scanner also lets you access Private Mode, where you can store your most sensitive business files. Also like the Galaxy S5, the Note 4 supports Knox, a suite of security features developed by Samsung. It includes Knox Workspace, which lets you run secure business apps in a special profile that’s separate from the rest of your phone, ensuring that rogue applications can’t access your private data.

5. Audio Recording

The audio recorder on the device has also received some really handy and functional upgrades. The device can now track voices in 8 distinct directions so it great for getting quality sounds in multi-people environment. The interview mode on the device cancels out the unnecessary ambient noise and hence gives a clearer audio output.

October 14, 2014
Google Reportedly Set to Unveil its New Nexus Tablet Tomorrow

This year’s Nexus offering from Google is expected to be the Nexus 9 which is said to be built by HTC. It seems like the new Nexus tablet could get an official launch before Apple releases its new iPad.

According to a report published in an online portal called Bright Side of News, Google’s Nexus 9 manufactured by HTC will launch on 15th October, just a day before Apple is slated to launch newer iPads. It was earlier said that the Android L update and the new Nexus devices could be released for the public on November 1st, but the new reports say otherwise.

The report also states that one can buy the Google/HTC Nexus 9 from 3 November, the day when Nexus 9 is expected to be up for purchase through physical retail stores. Also, the new report added that Nexus 9 will cost $399 and its the mod highly anticipated tablet of the year, apart from iPad.

It is also said that unlike previous versions of Nexus devices, the new HTC-made Nexus 9 will not be sold exclusively though Play Store and that it “should be widely available on November 3rd.” Also, that the pre-orders will begin the day the device will be announced, i.e October 15.

If the rumors are to be believed, the Nexus 9 will arrive with some amazing specifications. The tablet is reportedly packing an 8.9-inch screen with 4:3 aspect ratio, while being underpinned by Nvidia’s 64-bit Tegra K1 processor paired with 3 GB of RAM. The rumor also added that the device will come with an 8 MP primary camera with OIS and a 3 MP selfie camera.

October 14, 2014