Author: Parul Ritvik Sood

Leaked Screen Protector Hints ‘Moto S’ May Arrive Soon

A leaked screen protector for an unreleased ‘Moto S’ has started speculations that Motorola is building Google’s next Nexus smartphone. The proposed Nexus 6 has the working name Motorola “Shamu,” and is supposedly slated for a November 2014 release.

The screen protector sheet has Motorola’s logo printed on it, alongside the handset’s ‘Moto S’ name — and there are also some identification numbers that were covered to protect the source. This is the first hard evidence we’ve seen so far for the long-rumored ‘Shamu’.

As for now, Google’s Nexus have been manufactured by top smartphone manufacturers, including Samsung and LG. However, different online news reports and leaks stated that Google won’t be naming the Nexus series as they did before (Nexus 1 to Nexus 5). Leaks stated that Google is thinking of renaming the Nexus series as Android Silver.

TK claimed in a video that the device will have a Quad HD or 2K display that’s 5+ inches in size, a 13-megapixel camera, and a “ridiculous amount of RAM.” The screen protector also suggests that like other Motorola handsets, the Moto S will have dual front-facing speakers.

It’s unclear at this point when the Moto S will make its debut. We’re not expecting to see it at the Motorola event on September 4 — the Moto X+1, the Moto G2 and much awaited Moto 360 smartwatch are likely to be the stars of that show — but we could see an announcement from Google or Verizon in October.

August 18, 2014
Microsoft Might Release Windows ‘Threshold’ Preview Next Month

Microsoft’s new update of the Windows operating system codenamed as Windows Threshold should be available as soon as September. The software maker has been gradually working on the release over the past several months, adding and tweaking features ready for a “technology preview” release to the public.

According to a ZDnet report, Windows Threshold would likely have the official ‘Windows 9’ name, when the ‘technology preview of the OS starts seeding late next month. People who would like to install the Windows 9 ‘Technology Preview’ will have to sign up to receive automatic regular monthly updates that Microsoft is expected to seed, once the preview build gets an official rollout.

Windows 9 leaks present a refreshing new look while keeping the classic Windows look.

The Windows 9 preview will be similar to how Microsoft first let developers test Windows 8, with features not fully complete or missing. It is said that the updates will be pushed to users who install the preview on an automatic basis, meaning the release will change rapidly over the coming months before it’s finally ready.

Existing internal versions of Threshold include a new mini Start Menu, “Metro-style” apps that float in separate windows on the desktop, a virtual desktops feature, the removal of the Charms bar feature, and an early version of Cortana. Microsoft is also making several UI changes to Windows 9, including some tweaks on the desktop to improve upon Windows 8.

On desktops, Windows 9 ‘Threshold’ interface is expected to boot as default rather than letting users choose between the traditional Windows and metro-style user interfaces.Windows 9, once official, is expected to dynamically fit in the device, which it runs.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has said Windows 9 will be an all-around OS that will be compatible with personal computers, tablets, smartphones and video-game consoles. In particular, differences between Windows Phone software and standard PC software should be removed. As of now, Windows 9 stable version is expected to start rolling out by spring 2015, though this is yet to be confirmed by Microsoft. The pricing details of this OS are yet to surface.

August 18, 2014
Moto 360 Specs and Price Leaked
We have been hoping to get our hands on the Moto 360 smartwatch next month. It is said to launch on 4th September. But it seems that we don’t have to wait long to get a preview of what Motorola has in store for us.

Best Buy has gone ahead and (accidentally?) spilled the beans by releasing the device’s features and price. The big-box retailer has posted a product listing for the timepiece that appears to reveal many (though not all) of the specifications. We have seen the device and many leaks that gives us a fairly good image about what the device will look like. Up until now, the only one thing that had been alluding everyone was the price.

According to specs published on Sunday on the electronics retailer’s website, the Moto 360 will cost $250 and feature a 1.5-inch backlit LCD touch screen with a 320×290 resolution and 205 pixels per inch. Corning Gorilla Glass 3 will protect the Android-powered smartwatch’s screen.

The voice-activated smartwatch will sport an optical heart rate monitor, pedometer, and Bluetooth 4.0. It will be compatible with most devices running Android 4.3 or later versions of Google’s mobile operating system, according to Best Buy’s page.

The Moto 360’s availability is listed as “coming soon,” which we can only presume to means after Motorola officially debuts it. Google has hinted that the smartwatch will arrive at some point this summer, and Motorola will likely debut the watch at a press event on 4th September.

Specs mentioned in the product page:
- 1.5-inch backlit LCD touch screen
- 512MB of RAM
- Waterproof up to 3.3-feet for 30 minutes
- Texas Instrument processor
- Built pedometer and HR monitor
- Compatible with Android 4.3 or later
However, Product pages have been wrong in the past. The final specifications for the Moto 360 might differ slightly from what Best Buy has listed, as might the device’s final price. As such, it won’t be shocking if there are at least a few surprises left when the Moto 360 makes its official debut next month.
August 18, 2014
iGyaan’s Independence Day Weekend Gift Guide

We have moved to the age of convergence to make our existence comfortable. With the evolution and digitalisation of communication, photography, and even education, we are now moving to an era where we want gadgets that not only give us comfort but also the luxuries that we never imagined.

We are listing 5 amazing gadgets that make our lives better and would make for perfect gifts:

Fujifilm Instax Mini 50S

Polaroid Camera

The Instax Mini 50S combines best-in-class image quality with a small form factor that makes it easy to carry in a bag or hand without considerable discomfort. The film packs it uses are widely available online and inexpensive, costing less than Rs. 2,000 for 20 exposures. Loading the film, which is rated at ISO 800 is a child’s play. While the camera’s metering does well in the most favorable lighting conditions, you can adjust exposure brightness, which can help prevent overly dark portraits and highlight detail.

But it Now

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Nokia Lumia 1020

Camera Phone

As a phone, it doesn’t bring anything revolutionary to the table, but as an imaging device, it’s quite a stunner. The Nokia Lumia 1020 is the best camera phone in the market today. Thanks to its large, 0.6″ BSI CMOS sensor and 41MP camera. You get excellent details and enough resolution for large poster size prints.

Buy it Now

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Lenovo Yoga 2 13

Hybrid PC

Lenovo’s Yoga 2 13 does everything you would expect of a slim, lightweight ultrabook—plus it converts to a tablet and two modes in between. And the competitive price means you’re getting the convertible abilities essentially for free. It is an excellent ultrabook, even without digging into its hybrid capabilities. This new model adds a backlit keyboard and an impressive 3,200×1, 800-pixel-resolution display.

Buy it Now

Samsung UN65HU9000

4K Television

Samsung UN65HU9000 directly takes to the front row of Television technology. The UNHU9000 curved 4K LED LCD has an excellent picture with deep black levels, accurate color and great bright-room viewing qualities. Its styling is drop-dead gorgeous, and the curve lends a unique, futuristic look. The feature set is well-implemented and comprehensive, with best-in-class connectivity and upgradeability and a superb remote.

But it Now

Sony Smartwatch 2

Wearable Tech

With a 1.6-inch touchscreen, this Android-powered smartwatch connects with compatible smartphones over Bluetooth to sync time, date and weather information. It can be customised to add functions such as control the phone’s music player, view messages, email, Facebook, Twitter, as well as accept or reject incoming calls. It also has Walkmate available for fitness enthusiasts.

Buy it Now

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August 16, 2014
Samsung Acquires SmartThings, a Home Automation Firm

Looks like everything we own and use is on its way to becoming ‘smart’. From smartphones to smartTVs, need of technological advancement has become a major part of tech business these day; smart tech ecosystem are slowly and steadily approaching our homes now.

Seems like Samsung is playing it big to become the center of smart home with its acquisition of SmartThings. While the companies did not disclose the price, reports are the South Korean consumer electronics giant paid about $200 million.

The deal is the latest sign that big companies are staking out positions in what industry executives call the Internet of Things. That broad term encompasses just about any product that can be augmented with computing and communications capability, including doorlocks, smoke alarms, wearable devices and new-wave security cameras.

SmartThings will operate as an independent company under CEO Alex Hawkinson, within Samsung’s Open Innovation Center group, says Samsung. The firm will move from Washington DC to OIC’s headquarters in Palo Alto, California.

Joining forces with Samsung will enable us to support all of the leading smartphone vendors, devices, and applications; expand our base of developers and enhance the tools and programs that they rely on

Founded in 2012, SmartThings has created an unusually influential position. It sells a $99 home controller device, but its broader functions include operating an online service and setting specifications to help developers create designs for gadgets that work together and are controlled using smartphone apps.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”David Eun” author_title=”Vice President, Samsung”]

While the company has been acquired by Samsung, being in the Open Innovation Center, the company will be kept at arms length away from Samsung, We want to people to understand how important it is that they will stay independent. SmartThings will continue to work with its developer community and business partners. In the meantime, we’ll be exploring ways to partner with them.

[/quote]

Like Oculus VR, which recently sold to Facebook for $2 billion, SmartThings started as a Kickstarter project in 2012. It has since raised just over $15 million in funding, with investors being Greylock Partners, Highland Capital and First Round Capital, among others.

August 16, 2014
Google Acquires Jetpac, an Intelligent Photo-Analysis App Maker

Adding to the long list of artificial-intelligence hiring, Google Inc is buying Jetpac Inc, the startup that designs social travel applications.

In an official tweet, Jetpac Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer Pete Warden directed people to a new company homepage that announced the news:

We look forward to working on exciting projects with our colleagues at Google. We’ll be removing Jetpac’s apps from the App Store in the coming days, and ending support for them on 9/15.

That may have been a disappointment for the existing users, but for people who use Google services there is some good news. As company managed to simplify a complex branch of artificial intelligence known as computer vision and make it easy for lots of people to use.

More recently, Jetpac developed a mechanism for spotting smiles in pictures to discern how happy people are in a city.

The Jetpac team is highly skilled in this particular field which is an area Google has done plenty of work on, but it certainly could use more talent and ideas for ways to implement image-recognition technologies as plenty other companies, including Microsoft and Baidu, beef up their own deep-learning operations.

Jetpac announced a $2.4 million funding round in 2012. The startup’s investors include Khosla Ventures, Morado Venture Partners, and Jerry Yang. Earlier in its life, the Jetpac app let people explore travel pictures from their Facebook friends and decide where they wanted to visit.

Last January, Google also bought DEEPMIND, an artificial intelligence startup, which was founded in 2011 by Demis Hassabis, Shane Legg and Mustafa Suleyman. The team is based in London and combine the techniques from machine learning and systems neuroscience to build powerful general-purpose learning algorithms. Also, earlier this year, Google bought Nest Labs Inc, which makes smart thermostat and smoke alarms, for $3.2 billion, making the deal one of the largest in Google’s history.

Check this amazing video where the company explains how their app works.

August 16, 2014
Microsoft Opens New Site for Lumia Apps Beta Tests, Drops Nokia Beta Labs

Microsoft has recently announced that the company is closing the Nokia Beta Labs site, but users will still be able to test apps under development via the new Lumia Beta Apps site. Microsoft said that the new site is designed to elicit more feedback and make it easier for users to participate.

The Nokia site betalabs.nokia.com will be discontinued from August 31, 2014. Thereafter, all links to the Nokia site will be redirected to Lumia Beta Apps. The new site is includes UserVoice, which also hosts the Windows Phone Feature Suggestion box page and more.

On the Lumia Beta Apps site, users will be able to find information about ongoing trials, instructions on how to install apps, and notes about features and known issues. Each beta has its own feedback forum for interacting with other users and the teams developing the apps. The ongoing trials at Nokia Beta Labs will continue at the new site and users can continue to give feedback and interact there.

The beta apps can be downloaded via Microsoft’s Windows Phone store, by clicking on a link or by scanning a QR code. Anyone is welcome to participate, but Microsoft prefers if users have a “relatively new Lumia smartphone”, “are willing to tolerate rough edges” and aren’t afraid to share their opinions, company said.

Presently, four apps – Nokia Camera, Yahoo-powered Nokia Chat, App Social and Nokia Conference are available in the beta version. These apps will be rolled out publicly following testing and app revisions based on the feedback given to their respective development teams.

The change is a clear indication of the company’s plan of dropping Nokia as a brand image. Back in April, Stephen Elop, now Executive Vice President of the Microsoft Devices Group, said, “Nokia as a brand will not be used for long going forward for smartphones. Work is underway to select the go-forward smartphone brand.”

August 16, 2014
Apple Might Name the New 5.5-inch Model ‘iPhone 6L’

We’ve been hearing about the next generation of the new redesigned iPhone a hell lot. All rumors point toward bigger screens for the next iPhones, and now a Chinese website claims Apple is going to name the 5.5 inch version of the revamped device as ‘iPhone 6L’.

The leaked pictures of purported iPhone 6L by Apple Daily, a premier Chinese language newspaper, shows the device has a purple interior and is juxtaposed with a 4.7-inch iPhone 6.

Leaked Image by Apple Daily

It’s unclear how the site discovered the name (it doesn’t appear on any of the photos), so we’re taking this news with a pinch of salt. The report reveals three components bound for Apple’s rumored 5.5-inch iPhone, which some predict will launch alongside — or shortly after — a new 4.7-inch version of the smartphone.

Apple Daily reported that iPhone 6L will have 2915mAh Battery

The 5.5-inch iPhone 6L is shown with a high-capacity 2915mAh battery, which is nearly twice the size of the 1810mAh power pack inside the 4.7-inch iPhone 6, both which are notably larger than the 1560mAh battery on the iPhone 5s. Also, the new iPhone(s) are said to be built with nearly-unbreakable sapphire-crystal screens. Though, it seems that the new screen is creating trouble for the company, which may result in higher price and a delayed release date.

Another rumour has pointed out that Apple is working on making these large size phablets/phones comfortable to use. The report points out that Apple has made the area around the home button significantly smaller than on the iPhone 5s, thus leaving a lot more space for the display without making the phone’s basic frame significantly larger.

Leaked image by uSwitch

It is also noted how Apple has thinned out the side bezels on the iPhone 6 compared to earlier releases, which will again allow it to have phones with larger displays that could still fit comfortably in your hands.

However, as much as these reports seem exciting, nothing can be confirmed till we see Tim Cook and his Cupertino crew reveal the new iPhones.

August 16, 2014
Techies at Work: Making India Proud

“The U.S. is looking to India as more than just a marketplace for our defense products, but as a technology, aerospace and strategic partner for our future endeavors”, said Kit Bond, a former US Senator. The current global technology scenario, clearly, highlights the rise of Indians in the worldwide market and as Indians, we take pride in it. After all, what is a country without its countrymen? And what do we toil for, if not our own country?

As India celebrates its 68^th Independence Day, we bring to you the top Indian techies from all over the world that have done all they can and more to make India proud.

1. Satya Nadella

CEO, Microsoft

Born in a Telugu family in Hyderabad, Satya Nadella replaced Steve Ballmer as the CEO of Microsoft. He joined Microsoft in 1992 and since then, has worked at various projects including the company’s transformation from client services to cloud infrastructure and computing.

Before being announced the CEO of the company on 4 February 2014, Nadella was working as the President of the Server and Tools Division. His desi reason for success, he mentions, is the leadership and teamwork skills he learns from cricket!

2. Padmasree Warrior

CTO, Cisco Systems

Padmasree Warrior is the current CTO (Chief Technology & Strategy Officer) of Cisco Systems and the former of Motorola Inc. Born and raised in the city of Vijayawada in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, she has worked for 23 years at Motorola and 7 years (and still counting) for Cisco Systems.

At Cisco, she is responsible for strategic partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, integration of new business models, incubation of new technologies and talent. Earlier this year, she was listed as the 71st most powerful woman in the world by Forbes magazine.

3. Amit Singhal

Senior Vice President, Google Inc.

Amit Singhal, also called a “Google Fellow”, is the current Senior Vice President of Google Inc. A product of IIT Roorkee, Mr. Singhal is also the head of Google’s core ranking team. He joined Google in 2000 and has worked sincerely towards its development ever since.

According to New York Times, he is the master of what Google calls its “ranking algorithm” — the formulae that choose which Web page provides the most suitable answer to a user’s question. Prior to joining Google, he worked in AT&T Labs.

4. Shantanu Narayen

President and CEO, Adobe

He started his career at Apple and is currently, the President and CEO of Adobe. His journey includes various other landmarks such as Silicon Graphics and Pictra Inc. Born in Mumbai, raised in Hyderabad, Mr. Narayen is currently the Board Member of Dell Inc., Adobe Systems and University of California at Berkeley.

He was one of the most hard working and inspirational forces behind Adobe’s $3.4bn attainment of multi-media company Macromedia in 2005. His 16 year career at Adobe reflects the Indian technology talent that currently resides in the creative technology tool industry.

5. Vinod Dham

Managing Director and Founder, Indo US Venture Partners

This list will not be complete without the ‘Father of Pentium’. An inventor, entrepreneur and venture capitalist, Mr. Dham is a celebrated Indian among all techies from the world for his contribution to the development of highly successful Pentium processors from Intel.

A respected alumnus of Delhi College of Engineering, he specialized in solid state electronics – the technology which forms the basis for the storage that is found in every smartphone and tablet as well as many laptops. He led the development of the Pentium processor, and also co-invented Intel’s first flash memory technology.

August 15, 2014
Sony Launches Affordable Headphones and Earphones in India

Sony India announced the launch of three new products in its audio range, including two new headphones and an earphone, priced Rs 790 onwards. The latest range claims to deliver the best quality sound, providing acoustic characteristics needed to reproduce music.

These products include MDR-AS200, an earphone that is best suitable for people who engage in sports, and two new headphones in the bass-rich range of MDR-XB headphones.

1. MDR – AS200

If you want to incorporate music in your sporting routine, this is the friend you need. MDR-AS200 has a 13.5mm highly sensitive driver which provides premium sound. Most importantly, it commits to be a water resistant and sweat proof product. This set comes at a very competitive price as well. An adjustable ear loop that fits an assortment of ear sizes makes it a product that would suit your comfort. Further, MDR-AS200 has a flat serrated cord allowing a tangle free experience. This model is available in orange and blue color options and is priced at Rs. 790.

2. MDR – XB250

This is an ideal headphone for people with an affinity towards music with rich bass. The 30mm dynamic driver not only delivers a powerful sound, but it also succeeds at keeping the bass level high. The slim, swivel folding style of the headphones make it convenient for the user to stash it in their handbag. The flat serrated cord and pressure relieving ear pads provide a tangle free and an extended comfort experience respectively. This model is available in black and white color options and is priced at Rs. 1,490.

3. MDR – XB450

In the same bass-rich range of MDR-XB headphones, MDR-XB450 has a unique style with a frequency response of 5Hz-22000Hz. The high quality, powerful sound is provided by the 30mm dynamic driver which keeps the bass component high. Convenient to store because of its slim, swivel folding style, this range is perfect for a comfortable experience while commuting long distances. The flat serrated cord allows a tangle free experience. This model is available in black, white, red, blue and yellow color options and is priced at Rs. 2,190.

August 14, 2014
Apple Bans Use of Hazardous Chemicals in iPhone, iPad Assembly

Five months ago, Chinese and American labor right groups petitioned Apple to investigate the use of potentially hazardous materials in its iPhone and iPad assembly process. The company has announced that it will make changes, banning the use of at least two chemicals.

China Labor Watch and Green America asked the company to abandon the use of benzene and n-hexane in the production of the iPhone. These chemicals can also be found in substances including paint strippers, industrial cleaning products and household cleaners. Benzene is a known carcinogen, and n-hexane has been linked to nerve damage.

Demonstrations against the use of hazardous chemicals in the production of iPhones outside an Apple Store in New York April 25, 2014.

A four-month investigation at 22 factories found no evidence that benzene and n-hexane endangered the roughly 5,00,000 people who work at the plants, according to Apple. No traces of the chemicals were detected at 18 of the factories and the amounts found at the other four factories fell within acceptable safety levels, the Cupertino, California, company said.

Nevertheless, Apple decided to order its suppliers to stop using benzene and n-hexane during the final assembly of iPhones, iPads, iPods, Mac computers and various other accessories. What’s more, Apple has made it mandatory for all its factories to test all substances to ensure that they don’t contain benzene or n-hexane, even if the chemicals aren’t listed in the ingredients.

Workers assembling iPhones

“This is doing everything we can think of to do to crack down on chemical exposures and to be responsive to concerns,” Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of environmental initiatives, said in an interview with The Associated Press. “We think it’s really important that we show some leadership and really look toward the future by trying to use greener chemistries.”

Jackson also said that they asked manufacturers to find safer alternatives and ban the use of the chemicals in the final assembly process. Apple will require its manufacturers to test all cleaning agents and degreasers before they’re used in production to make sure there are no hidden chemical risks.

Apple is believed to have assembled an advisory board to further reduce the use of toxins in the company’s products and supply chain.

August 14, 2014
Amazon Launches Live App Testing for Android and Fire Devices

Amazon recently launched a new developer tool called Live App Testing. The new tool basically allows the developers to distribute your apps in the Amazon Appstore to a pre-defined set of testers for the purpose of gathering feedback, improving quality, increasing stability and optimizing the experience before their app goes live for everyone to download. This testing apps feature can also take advantage of Amazon’s full suite of developer services, including in-app purchases, in a production environment.

Live App Testing creates a version of your app that is only distributed to select testers, which are invited by manually adding email addresses. Testers receive an invite via email with instructions to download the test app and begin testing against Amazon’s production environment (the full suite of Amazon services including in-app purchasing) on any Android or Fire device. Amazon ensures that only the set of testers you defined are the ones that can test your app. Once your app is running, you can either end your test, or promote your test to an upcoming version that has fixes and finishing touches in place.

What’s interesting is that Amazon is supporting Android devices, well it only further intrudes Google’s enclave, though it is not clear how far the support extends. It’s also worth emphasizing that this isn’t just for Kindle Fire devices: the tool offers support for all Amazon’s Fire devices, including the Fire TV and Fire phone.

“In house testing with side-loaded apps is great for isolating and fixing bugs, but it’s not enough. To be certain that your customers are getting the experience you want them to have, you have to test your app against a production environment,” said Amazon’s Paul Cutsinger.

Live App Testing isn’t meant as a replacement for in-house testing via side-loaded apps. Once you’re done isolating and fixing all the bugs you can, Live App Testing lets you test your app “in the real world” without having to handle setting up the whole test system.

The new testing service is one of many developer tools Amazon has rolled out in recent months. It also offers an A/B testing service, Amazon Maps, as well as APIs for in-app purchases, mobile ads, mobile Amazon Associates, device messaging, GameCircle (game data syncing), and login with Amazon. Earlier this year, Apple also acquired TestFlight, a popular mobile app testing service

August 14, 2014
Top 5 Wearables You Can Buy In India Right Now

Wearables are huge these days – with technology giants like Samsung, Google, Apple and basically everyone else investing huge sums into this relatively new technology. While there are a myriad of wearables available in the international market, only half the number show up on the Indian shore. We are listing top 5 wearables you can buy in India right now.

Pebble Smart

Pebble Smart is a toned down version of more expensive and metal-clad Pebble Steel which is not available in India. This one features a 1.26 inch, 168×144 display along with an ARM Cortex M3 CPU and supports Bluetooth 4.0 LE. The design is also waterproof so you can go for a swim without worrying. Performance and battery life are very good. It may not have the sharpest display, but it would last you several days of heavy usage.

Buy it Now

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Sony Smart Watch 2

Unlike most smartwatches available in the market which beg you to connect the device with your phone, Sony Smart Watch 2 is more like a stand alone smartwatch. However, it can still be paired up with the Sony Xperia Z2/Z Ultra/Z1 for notifications. It includes three capacitive buttons underneath the display, which measures 1.6 inches and has a 220×176 resolution. There’s an array of app support with more than 300 apps supporting the watch, including Facebook and Twitter. It’s also dust and water resistant plus it has that attractive Xperia-like design.

Buy it Now

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Misfit Shine

A lot of fitness gadgets that track your progress are bulky and only come in certain wristband styles. Misfit Shine is the size of a quarter, and can be worn anywhere. The design is diamond-cut from a block of aircraft-grade aluminium and runs on a replaceable battery that lasts up to six months. The Shine syncs easily with its app by placing the metal dot on your phone screen to download data in seconds. It tracks walking, jogging, running, cycling, and swimming (the Shine is waterproof too), and weighs less than 10 grams.

Buy it Now

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Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 Neo

As its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 Neo features 1.63 inch Super AMOLED display, a dust and water-resistant body and a 2 megapixel camera with auto focus. It is a toned down version of the original’s futuristic metallic body. A neat addition is being able to attach your own straps to the Gear 2 Neo. Tizen OS is in place instead of Android and this helps to extend the battery life while focusing more on fitness. A heart sensor and pedometer are included for the same purpose.

Buy it Now

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UP by Jawbone

UP is a fitness tracker that provides you feedback on your activity, calories burned, diet, and sleep, and then guides you towards achieving your goals. The design is fantastic, it is extremely comfortable and pleasant to wear as well.

Buy it Now

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August 13, 2014
Cortana to Come to Your Desktops With Windows 9

We all are familiar with the competition between Microsoft and Apple. Just last week we heard rumors about Apple integrating its virtual assistant Siri to its desktop. It looks like Microsoft might be planning the same thing by bringing the Windows 8.1 voice assistant Cortana to the Windows 9.

Microsoft is preparing to include its Cortana digital assistant in the next major version of Windows, Windows 9

It is said that like the Windows Phone 8.1 phone version, Cortana will be an app and not be integrated into the operating system. Unlike the Windows Phone 8.1 app, however, Cortana is not a ‘full screen experience,’ and rather, will allow users to ‘either type in your question or ask verbally inside a smallish window.’

Microsoft has been gradually improving Cortana every two weeks by adding additional data points and features, and as the service is HTML driven, these improvements can be expected to make their way over to the Windows 9 version.

windows 9 design concept

Well, we should keep in mind that a lot can change between now and Windows 9’s eventual release. Microsoft could decide to drop Cortana from Windows 9, at least at first, or reversely more updates to the virtual assistant could allow for even deeper integration into the OS.

Not too long ago, we had seen leaked images with a revamped Start Menu. Microsoft is also expected to release a preview version of Windows 9 later this year with “Metro-style” apps floating in windows on the desktop, a virtual desktops feature, and the removal of the awkward Charms bar from desktop versions of Windows.

August 12, 2014
Moto X+1 and Moto G2 Might Launch On 10th September

We have been waiting to get our hands of Motorola’s two new devices Moto X+1 (X2) and Moto G2. Now it looks like we can expect the devices to hit the market in September. Over the course of the last few months many rumors have pointed out that a successor to the popular Moto X called the Moto X+1 was expected and now we have a release date.

Motorola had released the Moto X full of customization options for buyers. Those included 18 different colors, accent colors, engravings, and even wood backs made from Bamboo or Walnut. However, the new Moto X2 will have all that and more, with talks of a bigger display and leather options.

According to reports, the next generation phone will feature quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, which will facilitate better multitasking and improve user experience. Motorola plans to use Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor for X+1, which currently features in HTC One M8, Samsung Galaxy S5 and LG G3.

The phone is also expected to feature 32GB storage and a 5.2-inch display, which is bigger than the Moto X, which features a 4.7-inch display. Also, it is expected to fashion a 12MP rear camera with dual-LED flash and 5MP front camera.

While most the rumors have been regarding the new Moto X+1, a new exclusive report surfaced today suggesting Motorola will actually have two smartphones launching next month. The Moto X2 and a successor to Motorola’s most popular smartphone of 2013, that being the Moto G.

According to one retailer, as reported by Gottabemobile, that received details directly from a Motorola representative, the company plans to announce, and then release both the Moto X+1 as well as the Moto G2 on September 10th. This means we can expect more details and an event in which they’ll be revealed sometime in August, followed by a global launch date on September 10th.

At this point these are only rumours. However, last year the original Moto X was announced in August and arrived shortly thereafter, and we can expect the same type of announcement and rollout for this new lineup of smartphones.

August 12, 2014