Author: Parul Ritvik Sood

Here Are 5 Podcatchers You Need to Check Out

Podcasting apps aka podcatchers have become an important part of popular culture. Be it music, fashion, tech or food, you can find millions of podcasts online. The app ecosystem is blessed with a strong selection of podcast apps to choose from, but there are some more worth your time and money than others. The best-in-class examples automatically download and sort the newest episodes of your subscribed podcasts, help manage your subscriptions and also include a variety of other features.

Here are the top 5 of our favorite podcasting apps for iOS and Android devices.

1. Pocket Casts (iOS and Android)

If you are even remotely familiar with podcatchers, you must have heard this name. It has been a crowd-favorite, however, the latest update has risen it to the top. The new update has added amazing mix of style and function in the app. Some of the features that make it the best are cloud sync, a huge library, video support, variable speed playback and unforgettable Chromecast support. It is the only app which provides a widget, full controls in the notification tray, auto download and delete, a sleep timer and OPML import and export support. This one of the best and one of the most full featured podcast apps is available in the app ecosystem. It is available on Android for Rs. 199 and on iOS for Rs. 250.

2. Instacast (iOS)

It is one of those apps that like to re-invent itself from time to time, which include frequent in-app purchases. However, these updates are quite useful and it’s hard to deny that the Instacast team works continuously to improve the app with each generation. The latest Instacast 5 comes with a redesigned media player with easy swipe access to an episode’s chapters, a Night mode that can be toggled or set to automatically trigger based on time of the day, keyword search tools and more have been added to an already feature-packed podcast app. The app is free, however, there are some important in-app purchases hat better you experience such as previously mentioned night mode.

3. Downcast (iOS)

One of the most critically acclaimed podcast app, this app will provide you a robust online search for podcast subscriptions, auto-downloading and the ability to import and export OMPL podcast feeds help you ensure your podcasts stay up-to-date. The playlist can be customized which lets you tinker and selectively build your playlists on the go, while numerous playback options (such as episode streaming, variable speed playback, video podcast support and more) allow you to play your content however you like. Available on iOS for Rs. 190.

4. Doggcatcher (Android)

This one is for power users. Doggcatcher gives you uncountable number of functions including advanced search, variable playback speeds, auto-downloading, feed customization, auto-cleanup, UI customization and even the ability to run episode diagnostics and send logs to the developer. Although it lacks a bit in user interface but it makes up for everywhere else. essentially, this app will let you do so much than you could ever want with your podcasts, and constant updates keep it on front row. Doggcatcher also comes with a full 7-day free trial too. Available on Android for Rs. 183 (approx.)

5. AntennaPod (Android)

AntennaPod is essentially a free open-sourced podcatcher. It offers all the basic features you expect from a podcatcher, like streaming and downloading episodes, refreshing all feeds automatically or adding them to a queue to listen to them late. AntennaPod gives you solid podcatcher functionality without costing you a cent. Access to the Gpodder.net podcast directory gives you access to a large network of podcasts, while OPML, Atom and RSS support allows users to quickly import their favorite feeds into AntennaPod. Home and lock screen widgets allow users to quickly start, pause and resume playback without having to bring up the full app.

December 2, 2014
Planning on Buying the OnePlus One in India? Here’s All You Need to Know

OnePlus One is denoted as the smartphone of the decade. The cult smartphone has been termed as the ‘Flagship Killer’ for its amazing features and price, and the good news is that it is now coming to India. OnePlus One will still be sold in India through India-specific invites with an exclusive availability on Amazon.in. The company is holding a press event on 2nd December to launch the smartphone in New Delhi. Here are some pointers to go through before you decide to get the One.

India-Specific Invites Vs. Global Invites

If you have a global invite, you can buy it from http://OnePlus.net/one but then the OnePlus website doesn’t offer shipping to India. However, there is a way around. You can pay a courier forwarding service like PPO Box to get it shipped to India, which will cost some extra bucks. Global invites are easy to come as they are periodically shared on Facebook groups and can be asked from a person who already has a OnePlus One.

The company planned to give away the Indian invites for those who registered at OnePlus.net/in for the newsletter. The selected people will get an email tomorrow with a confirmation link. Once you get the invite, you’ll have 48 hours to purchase the One, otherwise the invite will expire.

Amazon is regularly conducting competitions like ‘One in a 1000’ to give away the invites. In the competition, people were asked to share a photo of OnePlus ‘Never Settle’ and out of those people, invites were given to a selected few. Once the first batch of the One is sold, the users can forward the invites to other people like global invites.

Warranty

The One purchased by global invites will not come under warranty in India as explained by the CEO Carl Pei. There is quite a confusion about this, however, it is said that once India gets included in the list of OnePlus One countries, the global warranty will be valid in India too. Anyhow, this was not an official statement and still it is not clear how the company is planning to handle the warranty system.

Cyanogen Updates

The company has shared some disappointing news on its official blog. Well, Cyanogen had granted exclusive rights in India over the Cyanogen system to another company. That means, the flagship killer will be reaching the country with the popular Cyanogen OS onboard for now. However, it won’t be getting any official support or future updates. The company also added that the One will continue to be supported globally and receive frequent OTAs.

The reason for this disappointment is a recent agreement between Cyanogen and homegrown smartphone maker Micromax, through which the latter has exclusive rights to offer devices with the custom platform in India. So, while the company has no other choice than to bring the OnePlus One to the country with the CM11S OS inside, it’ll be developing its own firmware as a replacement in the future.

Also, people who bought the phone from the global invites will continue to get the OTA updates. However, Indian users can root their phones (which doesn’t void the warranty) and install the CyanogenMod Installer from the Play Store, and the latest version of CM ROM (Android) will run on your One.

Service Centres

As of now, there is no information about how the company is planning to provide services in the country. This is one of the major concerns for the Indian users who have purchased the device through global invites. The company is expected to officially announce what are they planning to do in this area tomorrow, so stay tuned.

The iGyaan Verdict

The Oneplus One 64 GB variant is expected to cost around Rs. 24,990 while the 16 GB variant is likely to come at a price of Rs. 19,990. Although the prices are slightly more than the $ price, they are much less than the Indian price of major flagships. So for the price of one LG G3, HTC One M8 etc you could typically get , “One Plus One” = 2 phones.

If you can get your hands on an invite today, do not think twice and get the phone, in fact you should have owned it yesterday.

For everything else, watch our full review here:

December 1, 2014
Google Glass to Make a Comeback in 2015 With Intel Chips

A new report by The Wall Street Journal has revealed that 2015 will see the launch a new version Google Glass which will be powered by an Intel Chip and will offer longer battery life than the present Explorer Edition. Intel has joined hands with Google as a part of their strategy to push their market in the wearable segment.

Google Glass has already gone through some minor changes since its launch, one to add compatibility with prescription lenses and another to double the RAM; however, entirely new chipset could mean some serious changes. The Intel chips will replace a processor from Texas Instruments Inc. included in the first version of the Google Glass.

According to the WSJ, Intel plans to promote the Glass to hospital networks and manufacturers. Google launched the web-connected eyewear in 2012, but it carried a hefty price and was regarded as something that only nerds would wear. Limited battery life and an impractical four-figure price tag worked against the Glass’ widespread adoption up until now. With a more modern processor and a refreshed design, it might see consumer interest rekindled.

Intel chips are mostly used in personal computers and servers in data centres, but the company has targeted the tablet and wearable markets for new power-efficient versions of its x86-based processors. It competes with rivals such as ARM and Texas Instruments. At CES 2014, it showed off smart earbuds that can measure a runner’s heart rate. In March, Intel purchased the high-end health tracker maker Basis Science. The chip maker’s XMM6321 3G cellular radio was incorporated into MICA, a fashion bracelet that was unveiled in September.

Google has been pushing Glass as a workplace-computing device. Recently, through a program called Glass at Work, Google is working with software developers including Augmedix and APX Labs to encourage use of Glass in industries such as health care, construction and manufacturing where employees work with their hands but need information.

December 1, 2014
Details of the Monster 12.9-inch ‘iPad Air Plus’ Leaked

Back in August, Bloomberg reported that Apple will launch a 12.2-inch iPad in early 2015, citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter. Since then, the reports and leaks of the device have been scarce. However, this weekend, a leak from the Japanese magazine Mac Fan reveals what they believe to be schematics and specs surrounding Apple’s rumoured tablet, which is now supposedly bigger with a display at 12.9 inches.

The company is expected to jump size significantly from the 9.7-inch iPad Air, that’s currently available. It is believed that the move is the outcome of the recent sluggish iPad sales. Purported measures of the previously rumoured device are 305.31×220.8×7 mm (12×8.7x.28 inches). The slate is said to feature Apple’s next generation A9 processor.

The launch of bigger iPad makes sense as the company is opting for ‘bigger the better’ mantra for their other devices too like iPhone 6. The rumoured iPad is not the only monster slate in the market as Samsung launched 12.2-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro earlier in February.

AppleInsider has cited another Japanese publication called Macotakara that has some details which align with the information shared by Mac Fan. Macotakara said that the upcoming ‘iPad Air Plus’ will feature a 12.2-inch display with speakers and microphones on multiple edges. Macotakara also claimed that the iPad Air Plus won’t be as thin as the 6.1 mm iPad Air 2, but will be as slim as an iPhone, measuring somewhere between 6.9 mm and 7.1 mm.

The same report by Mac Fan also added that the iPad mini 4 will be powered by Apple’s existing A8X processor and sport a new, thinner design. It also says that following the launch of the iPad mini 4, the iPad mini and iPad mini 3 will be discontinued.

If these rumours are true, what we don’t understand is what will happen to the Apple MacBook Air family if a 12.2-inch iPad launches. Well, maybe the company will merge the MacBook Air and Pro lineup to make more space for the iPad Air Plus in the market. However, this may result in utter confusion and may cost Apple another setback in the iPad sales. Anyhow, these are just the production of rumour mill for now, the plan of the company will be revealed when the time comes. Until then, we wait.

December 1, 2014
Cyanogen Ditches OnePlus in Favour of Micromax in India

While Indian smartphone lovers were anticipating the launch of the ‘Flagship Killer’, OnePlus has dropped a bomb that was not expected by anyone. The company has shared some disappointing news on its official blog. Well, Cyanogen had granted exclusive rights in India over the Cyanogen system to another company.

That means, the flagship killer will be reaching the country with the popular Cyanogen OS onboard for now. However, it won’t be getting any official support or future updates. The company also added that the One will continue to be supported globally and receive frequent OTAs.

The reason for this disappointment is a recent agreement between Cyanogen and homegrown smartphone maker Micromax, through which the latter has exclusive rights to offer devices with the custom platform in India. So, while the company has no other choice than to bring the OnePlus One to the country with the CM11S OS inside, it’ll be developing its own firmware as a replacement in the future.

The company estimated that they will be able to release our first community build to Indian users next month and have a production-ready build in February. The system will be based on Lollipop, the company said, and will be built to be stable, fast, and lightweight. The smartphone manufacturer also revealed that it will be bloatware-free and will only carry the features important to users. It further stated that they don’t have any intention to iterate Google’s Material design and stock Android experience.

Cyanogen OS was one of the main reason a lot of people wanted to get their hands on the OnePlus One. The fact that Cyanogen saves users from the trouble of rooting, unlocking the bootloader and flashing a new ROM as well as assures them that the phone will be supported in the long run, have made it popular and it has built quite a following in recent years.

As we reported earlier, OnePlus One is going to launch on 2nd December (tomorrow) in India and will be sold exclusively through Amazon.in. The device is expected to be priced around Rs. 24,990 for 64 GB and Rs. 19,990 for 16 GB variant.

December 1, 2014
GoPro Reportedly Working on a Line of Consumer Drones

According to recent report, GoPro is developing its own line of consumer drones with high-definition cameras that might launch as soon as next year. The company’s core business is to make wearable video cameras popular with surfers and other sports enthusiasts.

The company plans to start selling multirotor helicopters equipped with high-definition cameras late next year, aiming for a price tag between $500 and $1,000, according to the report. The drone market has been flourishing recently with electronic giants investing money in this lucrative market.

Drones, which are essentially unmanned aircrafts, are becoming smaller, cheaper and easier to fly with technological advancements. Consumer drones are typically lightweight helicopters with cameras that can be controlled with a tablet or smartphone. However, series of regulations and rules have restricted the use of drones for consumer needs. In the US, regulators allow their use by hobbyists with a long list of rules.

For the drone industry, the GoPro drone marks a new splash in the quickly expanding market. GoPro needs to offer something that differentiates it from its competition – both Parrot and DJI, two market leaders in consumer aerial drones. These companies have launched next-generation hardware with advanced camera features, including advanced onboard software image stabilisation and 4K recording. GoPro cameras are already compatible with several consumer drones in the market.

November 27, 2014
Twitter Says it’s Tracking Your Mobile Apps But Won’t Invade Privacy

Twitter, the micro-blogging social media platform, has announced that it has started collecting data on the apps its users download and install on their smartphones.

It is no secret that Twitter is looking into stuff to increase targeted ads in your social feed, however, their latest approach is an issue with users concerned about their privacy. The service has revealed that its app will start tracking the list of applications you have installed on your device in order to improve the relevance of both ads and other content that slips into your tweet stream, such as Favorites. The feature is named as ‘App Graph’. Twitter is adamant that it’s not collecting data from within the apps, and will let you know when the monitoring kicks in.

Twitter has been working to personalise users’ timelines with better content as it struggles to convert its numerous passive users, meaning those who don’t sign in or those who have accounts but rarely tweet into active, more engaged users. Twitter has been testing ways to make its service more usable from the initial sign-in, even if you don’t have a network of friends to follow or aren’t sure how to get started. For instance, Twitter’s recently added ‘Instant Timeline’ feature for new users will give people something to see as soon as they sign in for the first time.

Twitter has ensured that the data will be strictly business-oriented and won’t be invading your privacy in any way. However, the mere official statement is not enough for some users and they are opting third-party clients like Tweetbot or Talon who are not facing this problem, at least for now.

November 27, 2014
GizmoPal Wearable Allows Kids to Call their Parents with One Button

Well, why should adults have access to all the new gadgets that are changing the way we live and do our work. That’s what LG thinks, and in line with this, LG introduced KizOn in South Korea earlier this year. KizOn is a wearable device for children that makes it easy for them to communicate with their parents.

Now, the toddler-focused wearable is sailing to the west with the launch of GizmoPal (US nomenclature) on Verizon. The GizmoPal is designed for kids anywhere from pre- to middle- school to easily make and receive phone calls using a single calling button and auto-answer feature.

It only requires a pre-configured number setup and, then using a single button, kids can easily make or receive a call. All what the child has to do is press the button to make or answer a call, followed by speaking into GizmoPal and listening through its speaker—no complicated steps that can cause confusion.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Dr. Jong-seok Park” author_title=”President and CEO of LG Electronics”]

GizmoPal was developed in response to customers’ opinions that technology should be used to improve the lives of all consumers. It occurred to us that children had the most to gain because they’re the most vulnerable.

[/quote]

The GizmoPal also comes with a companion app available for iOS and Android. This app uses GPS to allow parents easily monitor their child’s location at all time. Obviously, it will need Verizon service to work as intended, the fee itself is only $5 per month. The new wearable is available now on the carrier’s site for $80, while it will go on sale from 11th December in physical stores.

November 27, 2014
Universal Studios Shops New Steve Jobs Project

All you Apple fans have something to look forward to. The new Steve Jobs movie has been picked up by Universal Studios. This news surfaced less than a week post Sony Pictures reportedly dropped the project. As per sources, the new Steve Jobs movie has been acquired at a price tag of more than $30 million. Following the last year’s flop Jobs, the yet untitled movie is said to have a much better script, director, and cast.

The upcoming movie based on Walter Isaacson’s biography ‘Steve Jobs’ will be penned by Aaron Sorkin. X-Men star Michael Fassbender is attached to star in the project. The film will be directed by Danny Boyle, the A-list director of Hollywood and winner of 8 Academy Awards. Aaron Sorkin, who has movies like The Social Network, A Few Good Men and The West Wing in his portfolio, has been a celebrated scriptwriter with a strong hold on biopics. Scott Rudin, the first producer to scoop an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award, Mark Gordon along with Guymon Casady are financially backing the project.

The film was due to start shooting this winter, but because Fassbender’s involvement is announced recently, the same is now likely to be delayed. You can expect the film to go on floors in early 2015.

November 27, 2014
BlackBerry is Paying You Up to $550 to Give Up Your iPhone

If the tech industry worked solely on the basis of efforts, BlackBerry would have been on the top right now. Anyhow, that’s not the case and the company has been struggling to revive its ancient glory. BlackBerry has been trying to push it’s new flagship smartphone, the Passport, into the market and has tried many marketing strategies to meet the goal.

In a desperate attempt to sell the Passport, the Canadian company’s has been thinking creatively to try and bring back the lost customers to other competitors in the mobile space such as Google and Apple. The company has launched a new marketing strategy called Trade-Up Program which intends to woo phone users to trade in their devices for its flagship smartphone, the Passport.

If you are ready to exchange your iPhone, BlackBerry will give you up to $550. All you have to show is a proof that you have purchased of a BlackBerry Passport. If qualified, payments will then be made via Visa Prepaid Card. BlackBerry is ready to exchange iPhone 4s, 5c, 5s and 6 for up to $550. The offer, which is only available in the US and Canada, is valid from 1st December to 13th February, 2015.

The BlackBerry Passport is a solid option if you are interested in the trademark, BlackBerry keyboard, and the weird square display doesn’t bother you. Interested? Don’t forget to read the Term and Conditions first.

November 27, 2014
Indian Moto G (Gen 2) Users to Get Lollipop Update Soon

Motorola has proved that they are in for a serious business with their amazing service and continuous updates. The company has kept its promise and has informed that it will bring the Android Lollipop update to the handsets in India soon.

In an email to the members of Motorola feedback subscribers, the company has invited the owners of the Moto G (2nd Gen) to participate in an early preview of ‘a new software release’ in the country.

The email instructed users to click on the link where they can fill out a form providing their name, serial number and IMEI number. While the company didn’t specify that it is releasing the Android 5.0 update, it is quite obvious that the ‘new software release’ at this time couldn’t be anything else.

Considering that the company has already rolled out the update for Moto X (Gen 2) and Moto G (Gen 2) in other markets, India is likely to get the update soon too. Meanwhile, it is also notable that the update will be coming to first gen Moto X and Moto G shortly followed by Moto E.

Right now, the Nexus lineup is the only series to get Android update. LG has announced the rolled for LG G3 in Korea. Motorola, while launching the 2nd Gen Moto X and Moto G, promised the update for the non-Nexus devices and looks like the company is not going to disappoint us.

November 26, 2014
Selfie-Friendly Microsoft Lumia 535 Comes to India at Rs. 9,199

Microsoft has today launched the Lumia 535 in India. The first ever non-Nokia Lumia smartphone will be available from 28th November onwards at a price of Rs. 9,199.

The global release of the smartphone held earlier this month. Lumia 535 is an affordable smartphone which will stand against Android blockbusters like Moto E, Zenfone 5 among other. Apart from the affordable price, Microsoft has targeted the selfie market with the 5 MP wide-angle selfie camera at the front. There is also a 5MP camera at the back, which is accompanied by flash.

As for specifications, the Lumia 535 flaunts a 5-inch QHD (960×540 pixels) display and is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor paired with 1 GB of RAM. Also included is 8 GB internal storage that can be further expanded up to 128 GB using a microSD card.

The company is offering 15 GB free OneDrive storage with the phone. The device packs a 1905mAh battery, which the company claims is good enough for 11 hours of talk time and up to 23 days on standby mode. Connectivity options include dual-SIM card slots, 3G support, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth, and on the software front, it runs on Windows Phone 8.1 with Lumia Denim update.

In the launch, Microsoft announced a handful of offers with the Lumia 535. These include 500 MB of free data for Vodafone users for a period of two months, Jabong gift vouchers worth Rs. 6,000 applicable for three months, Flipkart eBooks worth Rs. 1,500 and two months of BoxTv subscription worth Rs. 720.

November 26, 2014
Dropbox Gets Exclusive Real Estate on Microsoft Office Apps

Couple of weeks ago, Microsoft and Dropbox announced the plan to integrate Office and Dropbox within their web and mobile apps. The feature is now available in its latest app updates for iOS and Android. The move has come as a great surprise for Office users as they can access and edit Office documents from within the Dropbox.

Along with the ability to edit documents right from the Dropbox, users can also access Dropbox from Office apps and share new or edited files from the Office apps using Dropbox’s Share functionality. Dropbox has instructions on how to use the new integration with Microsoft’s Office apps on its website.

To get started, make sure your Dropbox app is up to date on your iPhone, iPad, or Android phone, then open any Office doc, spreadsheet, or presentation in your Dropbox. Tap the new Edit icon (shown above) to start editing in the latest Office apps. When you’re done, your changes will be saved back to Dropbox automatically.

Under the partnership, Dropbox gets a prime space that is used by more than a billion people, and the potential to make an even bigger name for itself particularly in the business enterprises. Notably, Microsoft has its own cloud service called OneDrive which will co-exist with Dropbox in the Office for iPad apps, letting users natively browse, open and edit Office documents uploaded on the Dropbox directly within the app.

You can get the new features through the latest Dropbox app for iOS starting today and the latest versions of Microsoft’s Word, Excel, and PowerPoint Office apps. The integration is also expected to arrive for web users early next year.

November 26, 2014
Bing and Yahoo Eyeing to Replace Google Search on Safari

Of course, Google is the ultimate king of internet search engines and there is no doubt in it. With almost all popular browsers using Google Search as their default search engine, the American internet giant enjoys a monopoly in the social-networking arena. However, Yahoo is trying to revive its lost glory and has been taking major steps to challenge the supremacy of Google over internet search.

Last week, Firefox announced that it will use Yahoo as its default search engine in the United States on mobile as well as on desktop. And now, according to a report from The Information, Google may also lose the privilege of being the default search provider in Apple’s Safari browser next year.

According to the report, the latest extension of a deal that made Google Search the default search engine for iPhone owners since 2007 is set to expire in 2015, and the arch-rivals, Microsoft and Yahoo, are already pitching a case for change with Apple’s leadership. Each company has pitched Apple’s Senior Vice President Eddy Cue on the idea of replacing Google as the default iOS search provider; Microsoft wants Bing to be the default option out of the box, and Yahoo is also trying its hands.

Bing is already in contract with Apple as a default search provider used by Siri. And on the desktop, OS X Yosemite and Apple’s Spotlight search also show Bing results — without any way for users to replace them with any other search provider.

According to The Information, Apple has been trying to separate itself from Google’s services for several years now. One of the most noticeable change was the removal of YouTube as a pre-loaded app on iPhones and iPads. The rivalry has been going on for years, but Apple has always said that it puts users first. Hence, if you consider this, the American multinational giant might not risk losing such huge user base, however, nothing is official now.

November 26, 2014
This Nano-Technology Based Battery Can Charge Your Phone in 30 Seconds

We are living in a tech-driven society and with the excessive need of gadgets to get the work done, we need them charged all day long, well we try to. In a potentially ground-breaking development, an Israeli company called StoreDot claims that it has invented a battery that can drastically reduce the charging time up to 30 seconds on your smartphone.

The game-changing battery uses nanotechnology to synthesise artificial molecules, which allows this battery to store a higher charge in less time than the existing technology. It can be likened to a super-dense power sponge. According to a research firm, the prototype battery could be ready for the market sooner, potentially transforming the smartphone and electric car industry.

However, the battery is very bulky to be used in a smartphone right now. The company believes that it will be ready to market a slim battery by 2016 that can absorb and deliver a day’s power for a smartphone in just 30 seconds, as mentioned above.

Back in April, the Tel Aviv-based StoreDot revealed at the Microsoft Think Next Conference that it had developed a prototype battery that charged a dead Samsung Galaxy S4 to full power in just 26 seconds. The technology is based on ‘nanodots’, described by StoreDot as bio-organic peptide molecules. Nanodots change the behavior of the battery to allow for rapid absorption and retention of power.

Backers have so far invested $48 million over two rounds of funding. One significant backer is an unnamed Asian mobile phone manufacturer. This year, the number of smartphone users is expected to reach 1.75 billion, a big market for StoreDot. Experts predict that the company could be a winner if it continues to develop its product.

November 26, 2014