Author: Preetish Gumber

Microsoft Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 Launched

Microsoft today unveiled the Surface Pro 2, with several design and internal increments . Microsoft claims, the new tablet has 50 percent more color accuracy, better graphics performance, an improved speaker setup and better speed. The Surface Pro 2 is said to be 20 percent faster than the original.

The device has a 10.6 inch 1080p display and the battery life has got a 75 percent boost. The device supports the Haswell processor inside and runs much quieter than the previous edition. Connectivity options include, three USB 2.0 ports, one USB 3.0 port, mini Display Port, Ethernet, audio in/out and the main charging port.

The Surface 2, on the other hand, has 1080p Clear Type display, the same one that we saw on the new Surface Pro 2. Inside the Surface 2, the tablet now has a Tegra 4 chip. Microsoft also says it’s doubled the BUS speed for the WiFi and the memory, and the CPU speed has increased “dramatically” as well. Additionally, there’s now a USB 3.0 port on board, a step up from the USB 2.0 connection used on the original. All told, says Microsoft, the new model should run three to four times as fast as its predecessor, and the battery life should be 25 percent longer.

These devices will be available with various accessories like the Microsoft’s new Power Cover to give the tablet 2.5x its standalone battery life or the Type Cover 2, which is now 1 mm thinner and backlit priced at $119.99.

Wireless adapters for typing covers for $59.99.

Various Type color 2 also launched at the price of $129.99:

Another accessory for the music lovers or music makers to be specific is the Surface Music Kit:

Last but not the least Microsoft also launched a new Arc Touch Mouse-Surface Edition, which works on BlueTrack Technology and precision control:

The Surface 2 is priced at $449 and the Surface Pro 2 is priced at $899, both these devices are are up for pre-orders starting tomorrow.

September 23, 2013
Apple Sells 9 Million iPhone’s in First Three Days

Apple sold 9 Million iPhone’s in first three days, the company said that sales of the iPhone 5S and 5C had beaten previous launches of new phones. Apple did not revealed separate sales figures for the 5s and 5c. The 5s model, whose price starts at $649, the device offers a touch ID that can scan a user’s fingerprint to unlock the phone. The less expensive 5c, which starts at $549 comes in an variety of colors.

Demand for the iPhone 5s has exceeded the initial supplies and online orders are scheduled to be shipped in the coming weeks, the company said in a statement.

Tim Cook, Apple’s chief executive said: “The demand for the new iPhones has been incredible, and while we’ve sold out of our initial supply of iPhone 5S, stores continue to receive new iPhone shipments regularly.

“We appreciate everyone’s patience and are working hard to build enough new iPhones for everyone.” he added

When Apple unveiled the iPhone 5 a year ago, it sold more than 5 million in the first three days after its launch. Apple also said in a regulatory filing it expects total revenue for the fourth fiscal quarter to be near the high end of the previously estimated range of $34 billion to $37 billion.

September 23, 2013
LG G2 listed Online at a Price Of 40,499 INR

The LG G2 is said to be launched in India on 30th of September, ahead of its launch in India the device has made an appearance on an online store, LG G2 is priced at 40,499 INR on saholic.com.

The device has a 5.2-inch IPS LCD display with an amazingly thin bezel graces the front of the LG G2. Its resolution of 1080 by 1920 pixels ensures that everything on it will look nice and sharp, especially knowing that a standard RGB sub-pixel arrangement has been implemented.

Running on Android 4.2 OS, the LG G2 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800 processor coupled with 2GB RAM. It will come in two colours – black and white. This device will be launched on 30th September and you can expect an iGyaan style review.

September 23, 2013
LG Vu 3 Unveiled with 5.2 Inch HD Display & Snapdragon 800 Processor

LG has announced the Vu 3, the company’s latest smartphone, the device comes up with a 5.2-inch (1280 x 960 pixels) HD + IPS display at 4:3 aspect ratio. LG says the phone has 0.2 inches larger display than on its predecessor.

The Vu 3 is powered by a quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor and runs on Android 4.2.2. The device sports a 13 MP rear camera with LED flash. The device would include stylus support along with QuickView cases and a couple of LG software titles like guest mode and KnockON.

Most of the features on the device, are similar to the LG G2, the companies latest flagship phone. LG Vu 3 will be available in Korea starting September 27, however, no words on price and availability for India.

[via]

September 23, 2013
Cops in NY promotes iOS 7’s Security Features

The New York Police Department seems to be a big fan of iOS 7, the department has officers out on the street encouraging the iPhone owners to update to iOS 7, which has new security features that they believe might cut down on thefts.

Devices running iOS 7 can be remotely secured when lost and with the touch id it can be further secured(if one ignores the exceptions). The NYPD hopes that these features will discourage thefts, specially for Apple devices.

The changes in iOS 7 have received praise from both New York’s attorney general and the San Francisco district attorney. In a joint statement earlier this week, the two say :

iOS 7 is an important first step towards ending the global epidemic of smartphone theft.”

Thefts might not stop overnight, but they believe that the Activation Lock (the remote securing feature) is an important effort that might reduce phone thefts in the near future.

[via]

September 23, 2013
Microsoft to Launch New Surface Tablets Today

Microsoft is expected to unveil its new Surface tablet and also the Surface Pro in today’s event. This launch comes out to be a month before the launch of its Windows 8.1 which is probably on 17 October.

Microsoft launched the Surface tablets last year in October, the Surface RT has not done that well but Microsoft did cut the price down to $150. However, the new Surface tablets are expected to get lighter and thinner, if rumors are to be believed the new surface devices will be powered with Intel’s Haswell processors along with an Intel Core i5. It is expected to come with an option of up to 8 GB RAM.

Along with the tablets, Microsoft might launch great accessories as well. We will bring you the official features and specifications, so stay tuned!

September 23, 2013
Chaos Computer Club Breaks Apple’s TouchID

The biometrics hacking team of the Chaos Computer Club has successfully bypassed the biometric security of Apple’s TouchID by using everyday means. A fingerprint of the phone user, photographed from a glass surface, was enough to create a fake finger that could unlock an iPhone 5s secured with TouchID.

Apple launched its new iPhone 5s with a fingerprint sensor, which was supposedly much more secure than previous fingerprint technologies.

In reality, Apple’s sensor has just a higher resolution compared to the sensors so far. So we only needed to ramp up the resolution of our fake”, said the hacker with the nickname Starbug, who performed the critical experiments that led to the successful circumvention of the fingerprint locking. “As we have said now for more than years, fingerprints should not be used to secure anything. You leave them everywhere, and it is far too easy to make fake fingers out of lifted prints.”

The process, requires a 2400 DPI photograph of someone’s fingerprint from a glass surface, which is then laser printed at 1200 DPI and used to create a thin latex sheet that serves as the fake print. You can watch the video below:

[youtube id=”HM8b8d8kSNQ” width=”100%” height=”300px”]

However, most iPhone 5s users may want to consider fingerprint access as an option for convenience rather than security.

September 23, 2013
LinkedIn Sued For Hacking Users Email Accounts

Four individuals have filed a lawsuit against the professional networking site LinkedIn for hacking into their email accounts in order to send invitations to their friends.

The individuals say that they knew LinkedIn asks for users emails, the site does not make clear that it will bombard those users friends with up to three email invitations. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in San Jose, Calif., alleges that LinkedIn violates the federal wiretap law as well as California privacy laws.

For years, people have been complaining about LinkedIn’s emails,” Larry Russ, an attorney for the plaintiffs, told The Huffington Post. “This lawsuit is squarely directed at the marketing practices causing the public outrage.”

The suit alleges that it is unlawful to send advertising emails, which give the impression that the member is endorsing LinkedIn, without taking the member’s consent.

LinkedIn disputes the claim that it is breaking the law. “LinkedIn is committed to putting our members first, which includes being transparent about how we protect and utilize our members’ data,” LinkedIn spokesperson Doug Madey said in a statement. “We believe that the legal claims in this lawsuit are without merit, and we intend to fight it vigorously.”

September 21, 2013
Google Updates Navigation Bar and other Products as well

Google introduced a new navigation bar, which will be rolling out across most Google properties over the next few weeks, Manager(Google), Eddie Kessler wrote in a blog post.

“Getting around Google should be seamless, and once you’re inside an app, you don’t want any distractions,” Kessler wrote. “So we’re introducing an updated Google bar that streamlines your experience across products and devices.”

There will also be a new app launcher from which you can easily access all your Google apps, like Gmail, Maps, Search, YouTube, News etc. The new app launcher is located at the top right of the screen and will also be present on Android devices and Chromebooks.

Google also released a new version of its Chrome Web browser for Apple’s iOS 7. The updated mobile browser sports a new design and makes it easier to switch between Chrome and other Google apps on your iOS device.

September 21, 2013
AirPlay Mirroring From an Android Phone Demonstrated

Koushik Dutta VP of Engineering at CyanogenMod just posted a video showing off AirPlay Mirroring from an Android phone(HTC One). There are other apps in the Play Store that connect Android devices over AirPlay, but the mirroring support integrated into the Operating System is something new.

He is been working on Android streaming support to various protocols/devices for the “AllCast” media streaming app since Google’s changes cut it off from the Chromecast, and Apple’s screen sharing feature is the latest target for him. AllCast support is already in place for pushing media to Roku and DLNA-compatible hardware, and he further says this mirroring feature is “coming soon to a CyanogenMod near you.”

You can watch the demonstration below:

[youtube id=”oYNEJSJbHWc” width=”100%” height=”300px”]

[via,via]

September 21, 2013
Facebook will Use Artificial Intelligence to Understand and Predict Our Actions

Facebook is trying to get a better understanding of the 700 million people with help of AI which they call as ‘deep learning’, targeting people who share everything happening in their life through the social networking giant everyday.

A new research group in Facebook (called “AI Team”) is working on this artificial intelligence, which will use the simulated networks of brain cells to process the data. With the help of this strategy, the social networking site might be able to predict our actions online and to show us content that is more relevant to our interests, and to better target advertisements as well.

The new team hopes to use deep learning AI, to determine which posts are genuinely important. The technology could also be used to sort users photos, and it might even select the best shots. However, the AI work has only just started, the company shared with MIT Technology, that it should release some findings to the public.

Facebook is not the first company to bring deep learning, last year Google and even IBM have also used this concept in the past. Deep learning uses a multi-layered approach to data, parsing information to build up a body of knowledge that can be used to figure out concepts or even understand what objects sound and look like.

[via]

September 21, 2013
Grand Theft Auto 5 Makes More Than $1 Billion in First Three Days

Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. today announced that Grand Theft Auto V, the latest release from the GTA series, has achieved worldwide retail sales of more than $1 billion during its first three days on sale, according to Company estimates. Take-Two Interactive Software company owns Rockstar Games, maker for the best selling video game till now, they believe this marks the fastest that any entertainment property, including video games and feature films, has reached this significant milestone.

“Grand Theft Auto is a cultural phenomenon and Rockstar Games continues to redefine what can be achieved in interactive entertainment,” said Strauss Zelnick, Chairman and CEO of Take-Two. “We are incredibly proud of the extraordinary critical and commercial response to Grand Theft Auto V.”

Developed by series creator Rockstar North, Grand Theft Auto V is currently available for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360. You can check our unboxing and gameplay below.

[youtube id=”8H5gN23c59g” width=”100%” height=”300px”]

[toggle title=”Press Release “]Grand Theft Auto V® Worldwide Sales Surpass $1 Billion In First Three Days

Fastest entertainment property in history to reach significant milestone*

New York, NY – September 20, 2013 – Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO) today announced that Grand Theft Auto V, the critically acclaimed latest release from the iconic interactive entertainment series, has achieved worldwide retail sales of more than $1 billion during its first three days on sale, according to Company estimates. We believe this marks the fastest that any entertainment property, including video games* and feature films**, has reached this significant milestone.

“Grand Theft Auto is a cultural phenomenon and Rockstar Games continues to redefine what can be achieved in interactive entertainment,” said Strauss Zelnick, Chairman and CEO of Take-Two. “We are incredibly proud of the extraordinary critical and commercial response to Grand Theft Auto V.”

Developed by series creator Rockstar North, Grand Theft Auto V is currently available for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. The title is rated “M” for Mature by the ESRB.[/toggle]

September 21, 2013
Google ‘Freeing Quickoffice for Everyone’, With 10 GB Google Drive Storage

Google is adding 10 GB of free storage to your Google Drive account when you log into your Google account with the new Google Quickoffice before September 26, 2013.

As per Google blog, you can get the new, free Quickoffice app for Android and iOS phones and tablets on Google Play and in the App Store. Simply sign in with your Google Account to start editing Microsoft Office documents, spreadsheets and presentations on mobile. You will also notice a number of new features, including a refreshed icon, the ability to create .ZIP folders, and view charts in Excel and PowerPoint files.

As per the blog by Alan Warren(Engineering VP, Google), the free 10 GB will be available for two years and Google has discontinued previous versions of Quickoffice apps from play store as well as app store.

September 20, 2013
HTC Butterfly gets Android 4.2.2 upgrade

The HTC Butterfly is ready to get the Android 4.2.2 update according to the company. The phone was released in late January in India, is now getting the firmware update along with the updated HTC Sense 5.0 UI.

The sense 5.0 will bring the BlinkFeed homescreen, first seen on the HTC One. The company confirmed the news on Twitter, saying, “Upgrade to the BlinkFeed on your HTC Butterfly! Android 4.2.2 is out now. Announcements for other handsets to come soon.” Which further hints that other devices can get update soon.

The Android 4.2.2 and HTC Sense 5.0 UI update will also add some other features, like a new gallery layout, new camera apps, automatic video highlights and improved battery endurance.

September 20, 2013
Now Get Handwriting Support in Google Translate for iOS devices

Google Translate app for iOS has got a slow but useful update today, which added a new look and gave handwriting support. This feature was already available on the Android app two years ago, and also to its web app earlier this year, but after this update your iOS device will also be able to recognize what you have written on the screen.

The user interface and icons have been changed and now fit in with the newly available iOS 7’s landscape and now the app supports more than 70 languages, which includes seven new languages.(including Marathi)

Google says handwriting is now supported in 49 languages, which should be a boon for the world’s travelers, and at the low price of free is worth throwing on your phone on the off chance you’ll need it. It’s available to download now on iPhones and iPads running iOS 5.1 or later, or if you’re running iOS 7, you can just lie back and let the background update do its thing.

September 20, 2013