Haier Home Appliances & Consumer Electronics has launched the world’s smallest pocket washing machine – the Haier CODO in India. This machine weighs 200 gms, allowing users to carry it on the go. It is said to be equivalent to the size of an electric shaver or a deodorant bottle.
“The launch of Haier CODO in India is a testament of our commitment to our Indian customers and bring forth the latest product innovations that complement their evolving lifestyles. As life gets faster with more people on-the-go, it becomes imperative to have solutions which come in handy and makes their lives easier.” said Mr. Eric Braganza, President Haier India.
The washing machine is built with what is being called the ‘squeeze-wash’ technology, and can remove stains in about 30 to 120 seconds at 700 beats per minute. The CODO uses any liquid detergent, 10 ml of water, to whisk the stained area and clean it.
This machine can be useful in circumstances where one doesn’t need to wash the entire garment for one small wine stain at a party or a splash of mud water on the way to work. It operates on three AAA batteries and can support up to 50 washes, depending on the charge of the battery and is said to come with a warranty of 6 months.
CODO was launched online on the 26th of July 2015 and is available on Snapdeal at Rs.3,990
Most of us are aware of Flipkart’s The Freedom Day and eBay’s Aazadi Rocks special Independence Day sales. We are going to help you gauge which products you should buy, the five best deals and how to go about it.
Firstly, the Flipkart sale is limited exclusively on mobile apps. Secondly, it is advisable to compare prices at eBay before buying a smartphone or TV, since eBay’s sellers are closely matching prices with Flipkart. Thirdly, you can get an additional 10% discount if you use an SBI card to complete your transactions on the Flipkart app, with the minimum transaction being worth Rs.7,500 and the maximum discount on it being Rs.2,000 per card.
Now for the best deals:
1. The Nexus 6 (32GB)
The Nexus 6 is a large device, sporting a mammoth 5.96 inch super AMOLED display with a massive 2560 x 1440 px resolution. The sides of the Nexus 6, unlike its predecessors, is all metal and rounded-off. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 with a 3GB RAM, a 13MP rear camera and a 2MP front camera with a 3220 mAh battery. Originally priced at Rs. 44,000 for the 32 GB it will now be available at Rs. 29,999 on Flipkart on exchange offers.
The HTC One M9+ comes with a 5.2 inch display with 1440 X 2560 pixels resolution, it is powered by a MediaTek MT6795T chipset with 3 GB RAM space. It also has a 20MP + 2MP Duo primary camera and a 4MP HTC UltraPixel front camera with a 2840mAh. Run by the Android 5.0.2 Lollipop with HTC Sense 7, the 32GB variant was priced at Rs.49,500 and is now available for Rs. 35,611 on eBay.
The OnePlus One is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor with 2.5GHz Quad-core CPUs and an Adreno 330, 578MHz GPU with a 3 GB LP-DDR3 RAM. This device has a 5.5 inch diplay with a 1080p Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) resolution and Corning Gorilla Glass 3. For more information click here. This device was originally priced at Rs.21,998 for the 64GB variant and Rs.18,998 for the 16GB variant will now be available on Amazon at Rs.17,998 respectively.
This smart TV comes with an Ultra HD (4K), 3840 x 2160 display, a 3 x HDMI, 3 x USB and a built in Wi-Fi. The original launch price was Rs.69,990 and is now available on Flipkart at Rs. 35,990.
The device boasts of a 5-inch 720p display with 1280×720-pixel resolution and 294ppi. It is powered by a 1.4GHz Quad core CPU and with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor, along with an Adreno306 GPU and is powered by a 2,470 mAh battery. The handset is available in two variants- 8GB storage with 1GB RAM and 16GB storage with 2GB RAM. The launch price of this device was Rs.12,999 and is now available at Rs.11,999 on Flipkart.
HTC Corp. has come under a lot of slack, for the past couple of years for being “confused, unoriginal and uncompetitive”. With their shares having fallen by 51 percent so far, the Taiwanese smartphone makers have reportedly announced, that they would be cutting jobs and discontinuing models so that they can focus on high-end devices, which they hope will enable them to compete with Apple Inc. and Samsung.
“The cuts will be across the board,” said Chief Financial Officer Chialin Chang, “they will be significant.”
He also mentioned that the cost reductions would extend up to the first quarter of the following year, but no further information has been reported.
The company seems to have been losing its market share both in the high-end as well as the low ranged sectors, with Apple and Samsung electronics in the former and Chinese rivals at the latter range, taking over rapidly.
Reports suggest that Chang also mentioned HTC’s strategy for the coming quarter would be – to bank on selling high-end smartphones in India where the company is said to have 20 percent market share of phone priced between approximately Rs.15,946 and Rs.25,514.
However, while most analysts are still skeptical of HTC’s stable continuance, it is to be seen whether this strategy will work for them or not.
New reports suggest that our fingerprints are not as unique and safe for security, as we might have otherwise believed. This makes almost all Android smartphones in the future susceptible to getting hacked. Studies by FireEye researchers Tao Wei and Yulong Zhang have outlined new ways to attack an Android device to extract the user’s fingerprint.
As of now, this threat is said to be confined to Android devices like Samsung, Huawei and HTC devices. The research shows four outlines for these hacks, and one them called the “fingerprint sensor spying attack”, is said to be able to “remotely harvest fingerprints on a large scale,” says Zhang.
Reports suggest that the two devices that have been hacked are – the HTC One Max and Samsung’s Galaxy S5. This happens because the device doesn’t fully lock down the sensor, allowing the hacker to acquire a fingerprint image.
“In this attack, victims’ fingerprint data directly fall into attacker’s hand. For the rest of the victim’s life, the attacker can keep using the fingerprint data to do other malicious things,” Zhang said.
As we know before fingerprint technology was used for mobile payments and unlocking devices, it had been previously used for identity, immigration, and for criminal records. However, researchers have not mentioned which device is more secure than the other, although they have mentioned that the iPhone is “quite secure” as it is encrypted by a fingerprint data from the scanner. So, “even if the attacker can directly read the sensor, without obtaining the crypto key, [the attacker] still cannot get the fingerprint image,” he said.
Research also says that this hack is susceptible to high-end laptop users with fingerprint sensors and advice users to use devices that are regularly updated and install apps only from reliable sources.
Regardless of how the smartphone sales for other companies are doing, OnePlus has skyrocketed to making up to 2 million reservations for its new device OnePlus 2, as of Thursday. This number has established the company’s place in the industry for the foreseeable future.
“Over 2 MILLION reservations for the OnePlus 2. Thank you for your overwhelming support!” reads OnePlus’ Twitter account.
The company is said to have had 1 million reservations within hours of the unveiling of OnePlus 2 and took only a week for reservations to hit the 2 million mark. This number is special for the OnePlus company since its benchmark to date has been 1.5 million units for the OnePlus One and this also means that more people are looking to buy new devices from this company.
Reports suggest, that OnePlus will be sending out invites to customers in USA, India and Europe on the 11th of August 2015.
The new iOS 9 beta showed us two new interesting features – firstly it allows your phone connectivity to switch to your data connection, when the Wi-Fi signal is low and secondly, it allows Wi-Fi calling for AT&T subscribers.
As of now, the iPhone can connect, or attempt to connect to a known Wi-Fi hotspot that is within range, even if the connection is too weak to transmit data. So, the solution to this problem has been to disable the iPhone’s Wi-Fi radio. However, with the the “Wi-Fi Assist” option in the iOS 9 beta, one can go to the “Cellular” menu in the Settings app, and enable the feature, it will then force your device to switch to a 3G or 4G connection when the Wi-Fi signal drops. The feature also notifies you by making the icon turn grey, indicating that the Wi-Fi is being switched off.
Reports also suggest that the iOS 9 beta enables Wi-Fi calling for AT&T subscribers, providing them with incoming and outgoing calls to a local wireless network, and thereby offering a more reliable connection, enhanced audio quality and better battery performance.
However, the iOS 9 beta is exclusive to only developers, for now. Reports suggest that this has been done in order to “avoid causing too much aggravation with bugs or poor performance.” Therefore, one might have to wait for a few more days/weeks until the iOS 9 becomes public.
Asus has also launched the Zenpad 7 at Rs. 11,999 and the Zenpad 8 at Rs. 14,999. Both are said to come with an audio back cover at an additional price of Rs. 3,000 and also have a swappable back cover. Asus has added six speakers to the back of the tabs to give a DTS-HD 5.1 Surround Sound experience.
Image source: BGR
The Zenpad 7 has a 7 inch display with 1024×600 pixels resolution, an Intel Atom x3-C3200 powered processor with 1GB RAM, an internal storage of 32GB that is expandable via a microSD card up to 128GB, a camera of 2-megapixe,l sensors on the back and a VGA up front. It tuns on the Android 5.0 Lollipop with a battery life of up to 9 hours.
Here are the specs:
Features
Zenpad 7
Display
7 inch display with 1024×600 pixels resolution
Processor
Intel Atom x3-C3200
OS
Android 5.0 Lollipop
Storage
32GB, expandable via microSD card up to 128GB
Camera
2-megapixel sensor (rear), VGA (front)
RAM
1GB
Battery
up to 9 hrs
Price
Rs. 11,999
Moving on to the Zenpad 8, it comes with an 8-inch QXGA screen with 2048×1536 pixel resolution, powered by an Intel Atom Z3530 processor with 2GB RAM, it has a storage of 32GB expandable up to 128GB via a microSD card, a rear camera that comes with a 5-megapixel view and a 2-megapixel front camera. It runs on the latest Android 5.1.1 Lollipop and also comes with a 9 hour long battery life.
Here are the specs:
Features
Zenpad 8
Display
8-inch QXGA screen with 2048×1536 pixel resolution
Asus, at the Zenfestival, has launched the Zenfone 2 Deluxe, Zenfone 2 Laser and Zenfone Selfie in India. Apart from this it has also unveiled another smartphone called the Zenfone Max, however, the company has not yet revealed the price of the smartphone and is said to be waiting until October to do so.
They did announce the biggest feature of the Zenfone Max – its 5,000mAh battery, which is said to last for more than a day after a single charge. The battery can reportedly also be used as a power bank to charge other devices.
Other features include, a 5.5-inch display with Gorilla Glass 4 protection, the Snapdragon 410 chipset processor with 2GB RAM. The camera comes with a 13-megapixel f/2.0 aperture at the back and a 5-megapixel selfie camera. In the same category is the Gionee Marathon M4, which comes with the exact same battery capacity.
Today Asus has launched three new smartphones in India during their Zenfestival. One of the devices launched, is called the, Asus Zenfone 2 Deluxe. The smartphone comes with a price tag of Rs. 22,999.
This device is packaged with a back panel showcasing a new texture – a diamond cut design with crisscross patterns, and a colour that changes shades when you move the phone. Other specifications include a 5.5-inch full HD (1920×1080 pixels) display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection, a 2.3GHz Intel Atom Z3580 quad-core 64-bit processor along with a PowerVR G6430 GPU and 4GB of RAM.
It also comes in two variants with different storage capacities – 64GB and 128GB, which can further be expanded to up to 64GB by using a microSD card. The primary camera comes with a 13MP f/2.0 aperture, and a Real Tone LED flash and a front camera with a 5-megapixel selfie camera, f/2.0 aperture.
It features dual-SIM card slots, 4G LTE support, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS and is powered by a 3,000mAh battery. the operating system runs on the Android 5.0 Lollipop wrapped under ZenUI.
Here are the specifications:
Features
Asus Zenfone 2 Deluxe
Display
5.5-inch full HD (1920×1080 pixels)
Processor
2.3GHz Intel Atom Z3580 quad-core 64-bit
OS
Android 5.0 Lollipop wrapped under ZenUI
GPU
PowerVR G6430
RAM
4GB
Storage
64GB/128GB
Expandability
up to 64GB
Rear Camera
13MP f/2.0 aperture, and a Real Tone LED flash
Front Camera
5-megapixel selfie camera, f/2.0 aperture
Connectivity
dual-SIM card slots, 4G LTE support, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS
Toshiba and SanDisk have unveiled the first 256Gb 48 layer BiCS 3D flash memory. How is this connected to Apple? Both these companies are the two major flash providers for Apple’s iPhone 6. With this announcement, reports suggest, that the iPhone 7 which is expected to launch next year, could come with this hardware.
This means that with these 32GB flash modules the iPhone 7 would be potentially, faster and more efficient than anything else in the market. Reports also say that the new chip is-built on a 15nm process technology and will have twice the capacity of the most compact memory available in the markets today.
This new product can be used in smartphones, tablets, memory vards, SSDs etc. It is based on the 3D Bit Cost Scaling technology which enhances the write or erase reliability and can boost write speeds as compared to a 2D memory. It is also said to be able to store 3 bits of data per transistor.
However, neither Toshiba nor Apple have confirmed anything. The hardware company has not mentioned any potential clients for this product, although reports assume that Apple might stick to its usual suppliers and hence incorporate the new type of 3D NAND flash in their new device next year.
Toshiba has said that they will be sampling the new flash memory in September and announced that they are preparing for mass production of the device. This collaboration between SanDisk and Toshiba is said to be completed next year.
Airtel, has been launching its 4G services in various parts of the country, such as Bangalore and very recently Delhi. However, today it has launched its all India 4G services. To use this, you will have to swap your SIM card to one that supports 4G connectivity. Airtel has made this change very easy and efficient by ensuring a swapped SIMs within 10 minutes and a 4 hour doorstep delivery system.
The pricing of the 4G connectivity remains the same as the 3G, making it an affordable switch – something Indian customers always look forward to. Airtel is also launching an app called Wynk, that allows you to watch movies and videos on smartphones, as well as allows you to download and watch movies offline.
Various Airtel 4G services include an infinity plans which allows you to make unlimited calls with more data than usual, however not unlimited. The two cons of the 4G so far are – firstly, it uses up too much battery life and secondly, that it doesn’t have an unlimited data plan as yet.
With Airtel being the first mobile company in India to launch the 4G services, it is to be seen whether they capture the 4G market or not. Other companies such as Vodafone, are catching up to the 4G fever.
Seems like the live streaming hype is taking over all social media networks. We already have Meerkat, Periscope and now the biggest social media network, Facebook, has dived right into the mania.
Although it isn’t available to use for public just yet, celebrities through the app ‘Mentions‘ can live stream bits and pieces of their life. The feature will show up on your NewsFeed if a celebrity you follow is shooting a live stream, you can also get notifications about broadcasts if you have recently commented, liked or shared any celebrity’s post. Apart from watching the stream, this feature also allows you to comment, like or share the video while viewing it.
On the other hand, for the celebrities who would like to start live streaming, can just tap the Post button inside the Mentions app and then select Live Video, after which they can add a description for the video and click on Go Live.
The app, will also feature an option to toggle between their smartphone’s front and rear cameras, so that they can see how many viewers have tuned in and can monitor comments. The video will be saved to their Facebook pages after the stream.
Facebook director of platform Deborah Liu, at a keynote this year, pointed out that users on Facebook, watch over 3 billion videos daily, while celebrities with verified accounts use Facebook Mentions, and therefore justified the launch of this new Live Stream feature on Facebook.
Some of the celebrities who are helping promote the app are, Dwayne Johnson, Serena Williams, Michael Bubble and Martha Stewart.
Do you think the app will go viral, despite the existence of similar apps such as Meerkat and Periscope? Let us know.
Most of us have watched the Robin Williams starring blockbuster move, Jumanji, released in 1995. The film is an adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg’s children’s book by the same name. Recent reports suggest, that Jumanji is ready for a reboot, with Sony Pictures releasing a date for the film – 25th of December 2016.
It is rumoured that Zack Helm – writer/director of Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, was brought in to write the script, however there are no further details on who will actually direct or star in the film.
Here is a little information on the original Jumanji that was released in December 1995: it was directed by Joe Johnston, Robin Williams played the adult version of a boy who was sucked into the game years earlier and re-emerged in a present day (1995) neighbourhood when two children freed him from the game, and along with him, all the adventures hidden in the game.
The cast also includes, Bonnie Hunt, Kirsten Dunst, Bradley Pierce, David Alan Grier, Jonathan Hyde (in two roles) and Bebe Neuwirth. The movie then, had special effects, that were impressive for its time. However, it is yet to be seen, how the present day technology and special effects can enhance the Jumanji experience.
Are you sceptical about the reboot of a classic? Let us know in the comments below.
Lenovo announces its ‘Independence Day special open sale’ today, for the K3 Note. Both versions of the device, that is, black and white, will be on sale on Flipkart on the 10th of August 2015. The company reported its sales at 62,000 units, for the K3 Note during the fifth flash sale on Flipkart today. It has been reported, that the K3 Note had received over 2 million registrations during the first five weeks of its sale and over 2 lakh devices have been sold since.
Priced at Rs. 9,999, the K3 Note competes against the likes of budget contenders – Yu Yuphoria and Xiaomi Redmi Note. This smartphone is exclusively sold on Flipkart.
The specifications for the phone are reminiscent of the Xiaomi Mi4i, which is currently in demand and has a dedicated fan base. Like Mi4i, the K3 Note boasts a 5.5-inch full HD display. In addition to that, the K3 Note costs less than the Mi4i.
The K3 Note runs on 1.7GHz MediaTek MT6752 octa-core 64-bit processor with 2GB of RAM. The phone has an internal storage capacity of 16GB which can be expanded upto 32 GB through MicroSD card. The device runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop which has been combined with Lenovo’s Vibe UI.
As far as connectivity is concerned, the phone has Dual SIM card slots and supports both LTE bands in India. The phone sports a 3,000 mAh battery, which is replaceable. The K3 Note sports a 13 MP rear camera with Dual LED flash and a 5 MP front camera.
If you are looking to buy the K3 Note, here are the specs:
Specs
Lenovo K3 Note
Display
5.5 inches IPS capacitive touchscreen (1080 x 1920 pixels)
Processor
1.7GHz MediaTek MT6752 octa-core 64-bit processor
RAM
2 GB
Storage
16 GB
Expandable Upto
32 GB
Main Camera
13 MP
Front Camera
5 MP
Battery
3,000 mAh
Operating System
Android Lollipop 5.0 out-of-the-box, wrapped under Lenovo Vibe 2.5 UI
Apple, Samsung, Huawei and other companies, already use processors that have been developed by their own company. Now, Xiaomi would also like to follow suit. As of now it uses either Qualcomm or MediaTek in its devices, apart from the Xiaomi Redmi 2A, however, reports suggest that it might be gearing up towards creating its own mobile processors and even launch it in 2016.
Reports also suggest that this new processor would only be used for the low-end Redmi series, and that the Xiaomi Mi 5 is expected to sport a Qualcomm chipset. It is said that Xiaomi has recently hired Qualcomm China Head Wang Xiang, although the company itself has not confirmed anything officially.
Currently, Xiaomi is scheduled to host an event on the 13th of August 2015, where the company will unveil the MIUI 7, and is expected to reveal the Xiaomi Mi 5 as well. The event is to take place at the China National Convention Centre.
