Author: Rachel Issac

Check Out Samsung’s Bold New Move To Challenge Apple Head-On

In a rather bold move by Samsung, the South Korean smartphone company has launched a new promotional offer that is aimed directly at iPhone users. They will now let iPhone users take one of the three new models for the “ultimate test drive” for a full month!

Customers will need to visit the special Samsung website from their iPhone in order to qualify for this offer. Once logged in, you will have your current carrier and then select which Galaxy model you would like to try. Currently, the Galaxy S6 Edge, S6 Edge+ and Note 5 are on the list.

After choosing the phone you will have to enter some basic information along with your credit card details. Those who continue to use the product beyond the 30-day trial period, will be charged the full price, while those who return it on time will only be charged $1.

After completing all the necessary steps, you will be charged $1 to verify your credit card details and then you should receive your test phone soon. The phone is said to come with a data plan, however, it has not yet been mentioned whether it will be a limited or special unlimited plan for testers.

So, iPhone users, are you ready to give Samsung a chance?

August 21, 2015
China Times: Apple Might Reveal the iPhone 6C in November

We are all awaiting the two new iPhones that are expected to be launched this September – the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus. The 6S is expected to come with a 4.7 inch display, while the 6S Plus might come with a 5.5 inch display.

However, rumours say that the third product is now expected to be launched only in November. This new device is speculated as being the iPhone 6C. According to further reports, Foxconn is planning to increase its workforce in order to manage iPhone output better, and an insider from Foxconn has also allegedly said that they would be making the iPhone 6C for Apple soon.

No final announcement about this has been made by Apple Inc, but they are expected to unveil their 2015 iPhones on the 9th of September and then launch them on 18th September 2015.

August 21, 2015
Here’s the 16 Year Old Who’s Challenging Google Search

16 year old, Anmol Tukrel is an Indian-origin Canadian citizen who is now challenging the Google search engine. He has designed a personalised search engine that he claims is 47 percent more accurate than Google and is 21 percent more accurate, on an average.

This search engine was created as part of a project for the Google Science Fair, which is a global online competition open to students aged 13 to 18 years. He said that he took a few months and approximately 60 hours to code the engine. This is what he told Times of India:

“I thought I would do something in the personalized search space. It was the most genius thing ever. But when I realised Google already does it, I tried taking it to the next level.”

Tukrel’s development is also said to be the only computer with around 1GB of free storage space, a python-language development environment, a spreadsheet program and an access to Google and New York Times. Reports also suggest that, in order to test the accuracy of his search engine, he limited the search quest to this year’s articles from New York Times.

This development is also said to take into account location or browsing history, but also tries to understand context and meaning.

So, does India already have the next Google CEO in the making?

August 21, 2015
Gartner: China Smartphone Sales Drop In the Second Quarter

New reports suggest that smartphone sales in China have fallen for the first time in their second quarter. This report come as a surprise, since China is the world’s biggest market for smartphones.

Sales had dropped by 4 percent making it the first year-over-year fall said Gartner Inc, a market research company.

“China has reached saturation — its phone market is essentially driven by replacement, with fewer first-time buyers,” said Anshul Gupta, research director at Gartner.

They also said that the worldwide smartphones sales grew at the slowest pace since 2013, with China accounting for 30 percent of the total smartphones sales during this second quarter.

However, Apple’s smartphone sales rose to 14.6 percent from 12.2 percent, a year earlier. In fact, the iPhone sale in China rose by 68 percent to 11.9 million units. These numbers are attributed to Apple’s iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Samsung is also said to have suffered a fall to 21.9 percent from 26.2 percent, despite the introduction of the S6 models.

Huawei on the other hand, reported the highest sales growth rate at 46.3 percent due to strong international sales and 4G smartphone sales in China. So, let’s hope that China’s smartphones that have taken India by storm, positively impact China too.

August 21, 2015

Karbonn Launches the Affordable Aura 9 With a 4,000 mAh Battery

Having a smartphone with endless battery is something most of us dream about. Karbonn has launched the new Aura 9 smartphone with a 4,000mAh battery in India, today. This phone is priced at Rs. 6,390 and offers up to 10 hours of talk time and 300 hours of standby time.

The Karbonn Aura 9 comes with a 5-inch HD (1280×720 pixels) IPS-LCD display and a 1.2GHz quad-core processor with 1GB of RAM space. It has an internal storage of 8GB that is expandable up to 32GB via a microSD card slot.

On the camera front, it comes with an 8MP rear camera with LED flash and a 5MP front camera. Other connectivity options include dual-SIM card slots, 3G support, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0. The device is run on the Android 4.4 KitKat OS and also supports the Smart Gesture Control feature that allows for quick navigation, even when the phone is locked. Apart from the powerful battery, another ineteresting feature is that the Karbonn Aura 9 will come with a support for 21 regional languages.

Here are the specifications:

Features	Karbonn Aura 9
Display	5-inch HD, IPS-LCD display
Resolution	1280×720 pixels
Processor	1.2GHz quad-core
OS	Android 4.4 KitKat
RAM	1GB
Storage	8GB internal storage with microSD card expandable up to 32GB.
Rear Camera	8MP with LED flash
Front Camera	5MP
Connectivity	dual-SIM card slots, 3G support, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0
Battery	4,000 mAh
Price	Rs.6,390

Watch this space for more updates.

August 20, 2015

Huawei Releases the Honor 7i With an Interesting New Camera Design

Huawei has released a new smartphone in Beijing called the Honor 7i with a flip-up camera at the back.

The flip up camera at the back allows you to use the Honor 7i’s rear-facing camera as a front-facing camera as well. It can actually be set at any angle within 180 degrees and come with a 13MP sensor with a f/2.0 aperture. The special features include, Auto Exposure, Auto White Balance, Automatic Face Recognition and Auto Smile Shutter. The camera is also said to be able to provide low-light performance due to SLR grade iSP.

Another interesting feature is it’s side-placed fingerprint scanner. The other features of this phone also include a 5.2-inch 1080p LCD Negative display, along with 3GB of PDDR3 RAM and 32GB of internal storage.

The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 616 64-bit octa-core processor and comes with a 3100 mAh battery. Other connectivity features include a dual-SIM and 4G LTE connectivity.

The Honor 7i is up for pre-order today starting at 1,599 Yuan (approx Rs.16,382). However, there are no reports suggesting if the company will release the product outside Asia or not.

In the mean time, watch the video:

August 20, 2015
Samsung May Release a Dual-SIM Variant For the Note 5 and S6 Edge+

We have covered Samsung’s newly released handsets – the Galaxy Note 5 and the Galaxy S6 Edge+. Both devices created a frenzy before its release, however some users might have been disappointed when they found out that neither of the products came with a dual-SIM nor an expandable storage. Worry no more because according to reports, both these handsets will soon be available with a dual-SIM mode. But, there are no reports of the devices to include an expandable microSD slot yet. All other specifications will be the same.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ Dual SIM is reportedly available for purchase on eBay, from a seller in Singapore. The seller also claims to have all four colour options in his stock and has priced the device at $999.99 (approx. Rs.65,469). The device will be shipped to the purchaser via FedEx, say reports.

There have been no official reports as to which markets will be getting the dual-SIM models however, going by the previous sales production techniques of Samsung, we can probably expect the dual-SIM versions to become available almost everywhere, soon.

August 20, 2015
Asus All Set To Launch Its New Smartphone and Smartwatch at IFA 2015

Reports suggest that Asus will now launch a new smartwatch and a new smartphone at a press conference on the 2nd of September at IFA-Berlin 2015.

Asus has posted a video on their official Facebook page that shows new products, like a new monitor, a new smartphone and a new smartwatch. Reports suggest that the smartphone could be the ‘Z00TDA’ handset which is said to come with a 5.5-inch FHD display of 410ppi pixel density, an octa-core chipset paired with 2GB of RAM, and 16GB internal storage with support for a microSD card. This new device is also rumoured to be powered by the Android Lollipop and will come with 4G LTE connectivity and 13-megapixel and 5-megapixel camera sensors.

Apart from Asus, Samsung is also planning to launch its smartwatch Gear S2 while Sony gets ready to launch its next flagship smartphones – the Xperia Z5 and the Xperia Z5 Ultra. Other companies such as Huawei, Microsoft and Acer are also expected to launch products at this event. So watch this space for more details on the IFA-Berlin 2015 and more.

Watch the official Asus video here.

August 20, 2015
This Could Be BlackBerry’s First Android Smartphone

Here’s a very new and modern looking (by modern we mean quirky and awkward obviously) phone for you, playfully termed as the “FrankenBlackBerry”. BlackBerry has partnered with Android and come up with this device, so, it is basically a BlackBerry Android Phone! Didn’t see that coming did you?

A rendering of this device was leaked by Evan Blass on Twitter. The picture shows us a device that runs on Android with a 16:9 display as compared to BlackBerry’s traditional square screen. No, this phone does not look like a remote control. Never.

Further reports tell us that it’s even a slider, you know, so that the tall phone fits in your pocket, because – 2005. We all know how stylish a slider is, Gossip Girl taught us that, however, unfortunately the slide phone could be less durable, heavy, thick etc which would make typing slightly uncomfortable.

But then again, no pain no gain. If Samsung and LG can come up with Android supporting flip phones then why not? However, there have been no official announcements or reports about this device, though it could be a device that could work due to nostalgia – just like Terminator Genisys.

Source : Twitter

August 20, 2015
WhatsApp Opens Up its Web Service to iOS Users – Finally!

WhatsApp has recently opened up access to its web service for Apple iPhone users. This service allows you to send and receive messages on your computers and phones.

This function is still being rolled out, and hence may not be available to all users immediately, but those of you who have the latest version of the WhatsApp app should be able to find a “web” menu option under the “settings”.

“Our web client is simply an extension of your phone: the web browser mirrors conversations and messages from your mobile device – this means all of your messages still live on your phone.” – WhatsApp Blogspot

However, the feature works through the internet, so, the phone has to be connected to the internet, otherwise the conversation will drop out and all the users’ texts will remain on the phone. The web can sync data with the phone app that allows messages to be received and sent, within the browser. In order to sync your iPhone with the web client, you will first have to scan a QR code from WhatsApp’s website using your phone.

The WhatsApp web client had been launched in January 2015 and has since been available to Google, Windows, Blackberry and Nokia operating systems. However, this is the first time it has been available for Apple’s smartphone device.

August 20, 2015
There is a Way You Can Get Cortana On Your Mac

Parallels is a software that is now putting a fully virtualized Windows 10 on a Mac OS X Yosemite system. This gives you the ability to run a licensed version of the OS on a Mac while also being able to access all the apps that would normally run only in Windows.

The twist that the Parallels Desktop 11 for Mac brings is that it introduces Microsoft’s digital assistant, Cortana to the OS X desktop. As reported, it also goes on to blend the Windows 10 elements into the OS X; for example – Cortana can appear on the OS X dock when you say “Hey Cortana”. One can also use the Cortana to launch Mac apps apart from its usual functions.

The Windows notification center has also been added to the Mac desktop just like how it is on the Windows 10 desktop. But, the Parallels Desktop also brings Mac features to the virtualized Windows system, such as – Quick Look, and Force Touch-supporting touchpad (if your macBook already has it).

According to further reports, one can also transfer files between both operating systems easily. For example, if one prints a windows file, you will also have full access to the Mac print dialog box.

The Parallels Desktop 11 for Mac is said to be available and will support all the new licensed Windows 10 installations and migrations from existing machines. Standalone Parallels Desktop 11 for the Mac is priced at $79.99 (aprrox Rs.5220) while the price for an upgrade for those using the 9 or 11 version is $49.99 (approx Rs.3262). The Pro edition is priced at $49.99 a year.

You can buy or upgrade here.

Here’s what it looks like:

August 20, 2015
New Details About HTC’s Upcoming Smartphone Range Revealed

The last phone that HTC released was its One M9, and we were expecting it to be called, One M10. But, if reports are to be believed, HTC might change the name of their upcoming smartphone range to O2.

This new handset is said to feature a 6 inch OHD display powered by a Snapdragon 820 chipset with 4GB RAM space. It is said to come in two storage variants – 64GB and 128GB with a 3,500mAh battery. The O2 could be environmentally sealed for water and dust protection.

Rumours also suggest that there might be another O2 model scheduled to release next year. This rumoured device could feature a 5 inch display and the unannounced Snapdragon 82x chipset.

However, these facts have not been confirmed as yet. So watch this space for more updates.

August 19, 2015
Google Announces Its First YouTube Space In Mumbai, India

Google today has announced its first YouTube Space in Mumbai, India. This is a production facility for all those aspiring YouTube stars in India. It is the second of its kind in Asia and will be hosted by the famous Whistling Woods International film school.

The first project was launched in 2012 for budding YouTube filmmakers in order to provide them with high-quality equipment, mentorship and product quality content. This space is also used to host training programs, workshops and other creative events.

This move has been directed to help the new generation of YouTube potential in India with the country being amongst the “top contributors in Asia when it comes to driving time spent on YouTube watching videos.”

This is the seventh Space worldwide and will be open to YouTube creators very ‘soon’. Meanwhile, take a look at the sneek peak:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6VJU8vrxiE

August 19, 2015
Xiaomi Announces Its Limited Edition Sale Of the Mi 4i In Three Colour Variants

Xiaomi has announced, as part of its MIUI 7 global launch event in New delhi, that the Mi 4i Limited edition will go on sale on the 25th of August 2015. This new device will come in three variants – pink, blue and yellow. However, the price of this limited edition device has not been announced.

Currently, the Mi 4, launched in June, is available in two variants – white and dark grey and also comes with a 16GB and 32GB storage capacity. They are priced at Rs.12,999 and Rs.14,999 respectively.

The new Mi 4i Limited editions is said to come with a 5 inch full HD (1920×1080 pixels) IPS OGS display and comes with a second-generation 1.7GHz Snapdragon 615 octa-core 64-bit processor and 2GB of RAM.

On the camera front, it has a 13-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel selfie camera all supported by a 3,120mAh battery with quick charge support. Other connectivity features include dual-SIM card slots, LTE support, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, Bluetooth 4.1, and GPS. On the software front, this device will run on the MIUI 7.

August 19, 2015
Sony Unveils A String Of Metal Gear Devices Today

Sony has revealed a number of limited edition Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom pain devices, today. All these devices come with game-themed cases, engravings, sounds and wallpapers. Some of these devices are – The Xperia J1 Compact phone, Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact, Xperia Z4 Tablet and the Phantom Pain versions of Walkman A16 and audiophile-oriented Walkman ZX2.

These devices will reportedly arrive in Japan on the 2nd of September 2015 along with the MGS5. The price of these devices is however unclear, although one can expect around $225 for the Walkman A16 and around $1,125 for the ZX2. No other information regarding its release elsewhere is available, as of now.

August 19, 2015