Author: Parul Ritvik Sood

Samsung Gear S Smartwatch Launched in India for Rs. 29,500

Along with the launch of latest flagship Galaxy Note 4, Samsung has also launched Gear S, the company’s newest smartwatch. The new smartwatch will be available from October 17th at the price tag of Rs. 29,500. Along with that, the company announced the partnership with Vodafone to give 2GB Data free for the users 2 months.

The new Tizen based smartwatch is the first smartwatch from Samsung with built-in 3G connectivity, and have ability to connect to 3G and 2G networks on its own, meaning users won’t need to keep it wirelessly connected to a smartphone in order to get notifications or make calls.

The Samsung Gear S has a 2-inch curved AMOLED display. It is topped with dual-core 1GHz CPU inside along with GPS, heart rate and motion sensors. It is powered by a 300mAh battery which Samsung says can last up to two days. It runs Tizen instead of Android Wear, with pedestrian navigation available from from Nokia’s HERE and support for Facebook.

It also lets you reply to incoming messages using the onscreen keyboard, or S Voice functionality to complete your tasks. You can also make and receive calls directly from your wrist, or get calls forwarded from your smartphone.

The 2-inch curved AMOLED display is kept at a 360 x 480px resolution, which comes out to a fairly impressive 300 pixels per inch. The smartwatch does not sport a camera, and unlike Samsung’s other Tizen-based Gear watches, it has a standalone music player.

October 14, 2014

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Arrives in India at Rs. 61,500

As expected, Samsung has unveiled its latest phablet Galaxy Note 4 in India at the price of Rs.61,500. The new addition to Note series, which was unveiled at this year’s IFA Berlin, will go on sale at midnight on October 17th. Along with that, the company announced the partnership with Vodafone to give 2GB Data free for the users for 2 months.

Galaxy Note 4 is now the company’s flagship phablet, which comes with a 5.7 inch QHD display. Samsung claims that despite the higher resolution, the Galaxy Note 4 will deliver 7.5% more battery life; it features a 3220 mAh battery with fast charging technology. Meanwhile, under the hood, the Galaxy Note 4 is powered by Snapdragon 805 chipset which is clocked at 2.7 gHz quadcore, coupled with 3GB RAM. It offers 32GB internal memory with support for expandable memory of upto 64GB.

It will have a 16MP rear camera with OIS, along with a 3.7MP front snapper allowing users to take wide-angle selfies. The company has added a fingerprint scanner feature along with a heart rate monitor on the back. The Korean manufacturer has also included a barometer and a hall sensor in the phablet.

The S-Pen also gets upgrades and added functionalities. The pressure sensitivity has been increased to give a more natural pen-like feel. The pen now also acts as a mouse with features like click and drag which lets you select multiple files at once. Samsung Galaxy Note 4 offers you the option of choosing between full-length, split or pop-up screens, thus enabling you to change the size and positioning of apps on the screen.? It also offers an improved ‘Fingerprint scanner’ with UV sensor for personal data security.

The Smart select feature lets you select text and images from multiple sources and lets you bring them all together. It also lets you easily share them on the internet. You can now access the multi-window feature through the recent apps menu. It has become a lot easier to resize, relocate or minimize the screens during multi-window usage.

Note 4 comes in four color options: White Black, Gold and Pink. It also provides customizability with 4 covers. There is the S-View, Flip wallet, S-view Flip wallet and LED cover similar to Dot case by HTC. Apart from the the Note 4 company also launched Gear S smartwatch for Rs. 29,500 and also announced that they roll out UltraPower saving mode for mid-segment devices soon.

SPECS	SAMSUNG NOTE 4
Display	5.7 inch QHD
Processor	Snapdragon 805 2.7 quadcore (not exynos)
RAM	3 GB
Storage	32 GB
Expandable Upto	64 GB
Main Camera	16 MP
Front Camera	3.7 MP
Battery	Removable 3220 mAh
Operating System	Android 4.4.4
Miscellaneous	S-Pen

October 14, 2014

Top 5 Android Tablet Apps That You Should Download Today

Android tablets have evolved to become full-featured devices. But these tablets have been criticized for not having a mature ecosystem, they require good apps to take advantage of everything they have to offer.

We are listing Top 5 tablet-specific apps to make your Android tablet work well for both professional and leisure activities.

1. Adobe Photoshop Touch

This app certainly won’t replace its powerful desktop counterpart, but for the more serious designer, Photoshop Touch offers a plethora of tools that no other photo editing app suites can think of touching on Android, such as Layered images, magic wand selections, clone stamps and plenty more. You can also integrate it into Adobe’s Creative Cloud, which means that you can do minor editing on your tablet and then sync a file to your desktop to continue working on it on Photoshop.

2. Pocket

One of the most comfortable uses of a tablet is sitting on the couch and reading. Pocket lets you set aside articles for casual browse later. Also, it automatically downloads saved articles for offline reading and is particularly handy if you want to load up a Wi-Fi-only tablet and take it with you when you leave home.

3. AirDroid

AirDroid is the only app on the list which is not specifically designed for a tablet. However, it is one of the best apps to work on a tablet. AirDroid allows you to access your files and data on your tablet remotely without having to plug it in to your desktop. You can even reply to text messages or update applications. If you spend a lot of time at your desk with your devices plugged in, AirDroid is a must-have.

4. Dashclock Widget

Dashclock widgets is one of the best suited widget app for tablets. With a variety of extensions that you can plug in, you can use this widget to keep updated of everything in your digital life. There are a ton of extensions available to customise the Dashclock and on a larger tablet, you can turn this widget into a veritable control panel, which is not available on any other widget app until now.

5. Hipmunk

Hipmunk has raised the expectations from travel search every other travel app, offering a unique “misery index” algorithm for evaluating flights. Hotels get similar treatment, making this an ideal app for travel research.

October 14, 2014
IRCTC Launches its Official Android App

Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC), which is responsible for online train ticket bookings in the country, has finally released its official Android application on Google Play, called ‘IRCTC Connect’.

There are already quite a few third-party IRCTC apps available for Android, but they don’t offer the full functionality that’s available on IRCTC’s website. The official IRCTC Connect App can now be downloaded for free from Google Play India, and is about 12MB in size. The app is compatible with devices running Android 4.1 and above.

The travellers will be able to search and book Indian rail tickets, check out their existing reservations or cancel them, and get upcoming journey alerts in the IRCTC Connect application.

According to IRCTC, the app uses the existing IRCTC website login credentials to work and also allows the users to create new account directly within the app. In addition, the IRCTC Connect retains the passenger details for the recently booked train tickets, so that the travellers don’t have to enter their details again and again.

The app listing says, “Rail ticketing now made simpler just by swipe and shuffle, select and book. Install the newly launched IRCTC android app and book a railway ticket anywhere in India at your fingertips.”

Back in August, IRCTC launched its official ticket booking app for BlackBerry 10 smartphone users. The IRCTC app was available for download on BlackBerry World under the Navigation & Travel section, and was a 5MB download.

October 13, 2014
iPad Air 2 Tipped to be Apple’s Thinnest Tablet Yet

Just when we thought that the iPad couldn’t get any slimmer, a new set of photos leaked online indicate otherwise. Apple is expected to unveil the next generation of iPads this week. Apple’s latest tablet is reportedly just 7 mm thick, its thinnest model yet. Citing images from Vietnamese tech blog Tinhte.vn, the upcoming iPad is expected to include Touch ID and a fingerprint sensor.

It is said that the iPad Air 2 will be roughly the same thickness of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, which clock in at 6.9 and 7.1 mm thick, respectively. Gadgets always seem to be getting thinner, so this isn’t exactly unexpected. It is also said that the slimmer chassis might lead to the sacrifice of the mute button in the right side.

Similarly, a Chinese blog has got its hands on the internal hardware of the forthcoming iPad Air. It says that we can expect it to come with a faster A8X processor and 2GB of Ram. According to Macrumors, Apple has traditionally used “X” versions of its main chips with enhanced graphics for its iPads, so we can expect better performance in games and other graphics-heavy apps and websites.

Also, there’s little change in the design, except for recessed volume buttons, which were first adopted in Apple’s latest iPhone 6 models. According to AppleInsider, the speaker grille has apparently changed from two rows to a single row of holes.

October 13, 2014
Apple Pay Expected to Launch on 18th October

Apple Pay, Apple’s NFC and Touch ID-based mobile payment solution, might arrive soon than anyone expected. Apple announced its first mobile payment system will launch this month, however the company did not not reveal a specific date. Now, a new leaked memo suggests Walgreens, America’s online pharmacy service, will begin rolling out the service next week on October 18. The training materials, shared by MacRumors, for the Apple Pay launch at Apple retail stores have also detailed some new specifics regarding the Apple Pay setup and transaction processes both on customer iPhones and in Apple retail stores.

It’s unclear if this is specific to Walgreens or if the memo is referencing a widespread rollout. However, according to the leak, it’s unclear if this is specific to Walgreens or if the memo is referencing a widespread rollout. Credit cards can be added to Passbook via an iTunes account or by using the iPhone’s camera to scan in details. Passbook will be able to store up to 8 credit/debit cards, according to the training materials.

The date makes sense, as this Thursday (October 16th) is Apple’s iPad event, which would also be a logical time to announce the roll-out of Apple Pay. As announced on September 9, popular drug store Walgreens is one of Apple’s major launch partners, along with other companies like McDonalds, Macy’s, Staples, and more. According to the Walgreens memo, customers who have an iPhone 6 will be able to use Apple Pay in Walgreens stores by tapping their devices “to the upper portion of the pinpad to pay for their purchase.”

October 13, 2014
Apple Unveils New App for Easier One-Handed Typing on Big-Screen iPhone 6

Apple, the global technology giant, has introduced a new app called ‘One Handed Keyboard’ that allows iPhone 6 and 6 Plus users to type with one hand making it easier to handle the bigger screens.

The aptly titled app, One Handed Keyboard, displays what it claims to be the same size of keyboard iPhone users have grown accustomed to over the years. The keyboard is still on its initial stage, offering only a smaller keyboard that docks to either side of the screen, with extra controls to adjust the theme or color of the keys.

However, the auto-correct library is missing from the app, meaning that whatever you type is what’s displayed, the new iOS will not correct it for you. Though the App Store listing does mention that this is a feature coming in an update soon.

The California-based company has been appreciated for this as when it comes to entering text on the larger keyboards users are forced to give up one-handed use. Apple did its best to alleviate any issues for users switching to the bigger iPhone 6 and 6 Plus with its reachability feature.

October 13, 2014
PlayStation Shows Off New Superhero-Detective Series, Powers

During the New York Comic-Con 2014, the audience got a chance to witness the first red-band trailer for Playstation’s Powers series. It is an adaption of the popular graphic novel that will be coming to the PlayStation Network this December.

Powers is set in an alternate world where superpowers have become a part of everyday life. Detective Christian Walker with a new partner Deena Pilgrim has just been assigned to the “Powers” Division of the Chicago Police Department. The first story arc from writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Avon Oeming, “Who Killed Retro Girl?” follows the lead detectives as they investigate the murder of a popular super heroine.

The series stars comedian Eddie Izzard, Susan Heyward, Olesya Rulin, and Noah Taylor among others. The show will be available for download and to stream on PlayStation devices starting this winter. Those who have a PlayStation Plus membership can view the whole series for free, although Sony hasn’t said how much it will cost for non-PlayStation Plus members.

According to a press release, the show asks: “What if the world was full of superheroes who aren’t actually heroic at all? What if all that power was just one more excuse for mischief, mayhem, murder, and endorsement deals?.”

Watch the trailer below:

October 13, 2014
According to IDC, India Will be a Tough Market for Android One

Google launched Android One handsets with great promises by not just the company, but also the home grown players that collaborated with the search giant and came out with inexpensive handsets. Though the Android One smartphones, which are priced Rs 6,399 onwards, have been advertised more than any other handset launched by the three companies, they have failed to get the sort of response they expected.

“Despite significant marketing spend already in evidence on Android One, IDC believes India will be a tough crucible for Google. Blocked out of China, Google has no choice but to make a large downstream investment in the Next Billion consumer segment in India,” the research firm said.

The Android One initiative was expected to be an instant success and their manufacturers were expected to make huge profits on the ‘exceptional’ handsets that the company launched last month. They also got good reviews and Micromax’s Android One handset was called the best handset that the company had ever launched.

India is the first country where the California-based firm’s Android One devices have been launched. Roll out across other markets like Indonesia, Philippines, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka will follow in coming months. The reports added that the Android One will go further and effectively create a bipolar environment where the high-end will be dominated by the likes of Apple and Samsung with their iPhone and Galaxy flagship devices and the low-end will increasingly close around Rs. 6,000 average selling price.

October 13, 2014
Diwali Giveaway : Swipe Sense

Like we said, this is just the beginning. After the Asus Zenfone 4 and Xiaomi In-Ear Earphones, we are now giving you the chance the chance to win the Swipe Sense.

Simply enter the sweepstakes below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the instructions carefully and read the terms and conditions on the form as well as given here. This Giveaway is open only for residents of India.

October 13, 2014
Apple’s Sapphire Glass Supplier Files for Bankruptcy

Apple had a lot of problems this year. Be it production delays or #Bendgate, the company has been in news for all the wrong reasons this year. Now, things seem to be going from bad to worse. Apple’s sapphire glass supplier, GT Advanced Technology has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy with plans to shut down two production plants and lay off 890 workers.

It has been reported that GT has requested permission from the bankruptcy court to close down the Arizona plant, even after the company stated that it planned to remain operational while it reorganized its finances. In addition to requesting approval to shut down that plant, GTAT has also asked that a New Hampshire bankruptcy court terminate its agreements with Apple, which it describes in a filing as “oppressive and burdensome.”

In the original statement announcing the Chapter 11 filing, GT CEO Tom Gutierrez said, “Today’s filing does not mean we are going out of business; rather, it provides us with the opportunity to continue to execute our business plan on a stronger footing, maintain operations of our diversified business, and improve our balance sheet. Only if GT winds down these operations will it be able to stop its mounting losses and re-focus its resources on the operation of its core business of selling sapphire furnaces and other products.” the company said on Friday.

GT’s Arizona Plant

Apple, in turn responded by pointing to its earlier statement that it remains committed to preserving jobs in Arizona and was consulting with state and local officials on its next steps. “We are proud of the jobs we’ve helped create in Arizona through Apple’s domestic manufacturing initiative and our state-of-the-art facility powered entirely by renewable energy sources. We are focused on preserving jobs in Arizona following GT’s surprising decision and we will continue to work with state and local officials as we consider our next steps.” Apple spokesperson said when asked about the matter.

Earlier, it was reported that GT had failed to meet technical milestones that Apple required in order to receive the final $139 million in advanced payment. GT Chief Financial Officer Raja Bal told investors that setting up production at the Arizona plant was more costly than the company had originally estimated. Within the past year, GT has been losing money with no solid success to back it up.

October 11, 2014
New Reports Reveal Nexus 6 Will Arrive Sooner Than You Expect

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Google will announce its next flagship Android smartphone, the Nexus 6, by the end of this month. While it didn’t say the handset will be sold as the Nexus 6, the publication confirmed its internal code name, “Shamu” adding that the handset will have a 5.9-inch high-resolution display and will be sold under the Nexus brand.

The Wall Street Journal hasn’t heard an exact release date, it has heard that the Google Nexus 6 will arrive this month, and will be bigger and cheaper than the iPhone 6 Plus and Galaxy Note 4 with a 5.9-inch display. The same features have been mentioned in countless leaks that detailed Google’s first Nexus-branded phablet. Previous reports also claimed the phone will arrive by late October or early November.

Google Nexus 5

“Shamu,” or Moto S, depending on which website you follow, but those are most likely just code names, much like Hammerhead was for the Nexus 5. As you might already know, it’s been suggested that Google might shake up the naming convention. The most popular replacement for Google’s numeric tradition is to simply call it Nexus or even Nexus X.

The new Nexus device is said to be a super-sized, more powerful version of the Moto X. While there are a lot of photos and videos leaked regarding the new Nexus device, the reports illustrate that the appearance of the device is basically going to be a scaled up 2nd generation Moto X with some minor tweaks to make the larger size easier to use. It is also said that it’ll have the same aluminum frame, and the company has apparently relocated the phone’s lock and volume buttons down to make them more reachable.

Nexus devices are known for proving pricing rumors wrong every time they debut in the market. They often seem much cheaper than what the specs and user experience would demand. The only price leak we’ve seen is a relatively sketchy one from TKTechNews, who reportedly spotted a listing for a Nexus X device for $420 for 32GB and $450 for 64GB without contract.

October 11, 2014
Indian Govt and Facebook to Work Together on an App for ‘Clean India’

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg on Friday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. One of the highlights of the meeting was the prospect of launching a mobile application devoted to Clean India, while they also discussed the PM’s pet projects such as Digital India and his hopes to use the networking site’s use for social causes and prevent its misuse by terror outfits. Facebook will help in the creation of the Clean India Mobile App and it would be launched soon. This would give a strong impetus to the Swachh Bharat Mission, the Facebook boss told Modi.

It was wonderful meeting @facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. We discussed a wide range of issues. http://t.co/uWIsmAXruH pic.twitter.com/GU00UY2L9F

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 10, 2014

“Connecting more than a billion people with internet is not only going to improve lives of people in India but will help the innovation and imagination of Indian people to help turn around the world and we are very excited in opportunities in India,” Zuckerberg said after his meeting with the telecom minister.

“About 2.7 billion people have access to the internet. But that’s only one-third of humanity. Almost 4.5 billion people don’t use the internet,” pointed out Zuckerberg, in Delhi on a two-day visit to India. “Connectivity cannot just be a privilege of the rich and powerful. It is a human right.”

Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg in conversation with PM Narendra Modi

According to The Economic Times report, Zuckerberg told the Prime Minister that he is extremely excited about the government’s Digital India initiative. Modi, a prolific user of social media platforms with nearly 7 million followers on Twitter and around 23 million people following him on Facebook, has asked Zuckerberg to identify domains of the program that it can get involved in and work with the government.

In the conversation, the Prime Minister also expressed some concerns about social media, especially the use of such platforms by terrorist elements to recruit new members. “This is unfortunate and we need to think of the role social media can play to stop terror,” the PM said. He also urged Facebook to promote India’s rich tourism potential and look at how to enhance internet literacy along with connectivity.

October 11, 2014
200,000 Snapchat Pictures Leaked, Company Blames Third-Party Apps

The whole point of photo sharing app Snapchat is that photos, once sent, are supposed to disappear. However, thousands of these pictures have reappeared when hackers posted a database of purported stolen Snapchat photos and videos on the 4Chan message board. 4Chan, earlier, housed the first leaked nude photos of actress Jennifer Lawrence and other celebrities.

As per reports, Snapchat has been breached of as many as 200,000 photos and videos, many of them extremely personal images. However, the company on Friday released a statement on Twitter saying, “Snapchatters were victimized by their use of third-party apps to send and receive Snaps, a practice that we expressly prohibit in our ToU. We can confirm that Snapchat’s servers were never breached and were not the source of these leaks.”

Snapchatters were victimized by their use of third-party apps to send and receive Snaps, a practice that we expressly prohibit in our ToU.

— Snapchat (@Snapchat) October 10, 2014

Although Snapchat has been hacked before, this time it isn’t the company’s fault. Third party apps, such as SnapSave or SnapKeep, seem to be the source of the hacking. These apps let recipients of Snapchat messages save them permanently. According to the reports, 4chan users have downloaded 13 GB worth of photos and videos and are creating a database to search the stolen images.

Even Snapchat users who did not use third-party apps could be victims, said Patrick Wardle, director of research at crowd-source security startup Synack. “This is an interesting scenario because the sender of an image doesn’t know if the recipient is using a third party service like SnapSaved.com or other third party applications. Therefore, everyone who sends a message using SnapChat’s service could be at risk,” Wardle said.

In May, Snapchat settled charges with US regulators accusing it of deceiving customers by promising that photos on its service disappeared forever. According to the Federal Trade Commission, photos sent on Snapchat could be saved using several methods.

October 11, 2014
HTC Quietly Brings Out the One (M8 EYE) in China

At HTC’s Double Exposure event in New York, we saw the launch of the Desire EYE, a smartphone with a serious focus on the camera. Now, the company has silently put a listing for the HTC One (M8 EYE) on their chinese web store. The HTC One (M8 EYE) is essentially the same as the HTC One (M8) that launched earlier this year, but with one major hardware difference.

The M8 Eye appears to be 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 earlier this week.

According to the official website, the HTC One (M8 EYE) includes the new HTC EYE Experience features like Face Fusion, HTC Split Capture, and advanced face tracking features for conferencing. The fact that this is a fairly silent launch from HTC seems to suggest that this may be a device exclusively for the Chinese market.

October 10, 2014