Author: Rishi Baruah

Truecaller Will Soon Come Pre-Installed on Cyanogen Handsets

Truecaller gained huge popularity when it first launched in 2009. This was due to the fact that the integrated caller ID service was among the first of its kind that displayed the name of the person calling from an unknown number and provided a call-blocking facility. This app has achieved 100 million downloads till now. Now, Truecaller has decided to raise up its stakes of removing spam phone calls by collaborating with Cyanogen and pre-installing its technology on Android handsets.

Truecaller recently announced their partnership with Cyanogen OS. The app aims at eliminating spam calls and improving the overall calling experience for Android device users. All future mobile devices will have Truecaller pre-installed and it will be made available to existing users by over-the-air update in the next few months.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Dave Herman” author_title=”VP of Product Development at Cyanogen Inc.”]

Truecaller shares our vision of enabling an open platform that gives users the ultimate choice in their core app experiences. The new integrated dialer experience is a seamless, frictionless way for users to screen calls and block unwanted spam without ever leaving the native dialer.

[/quote]

Truecaller previously had signed up deals with Nokia/Microsoft, Lenovo, Airtel that let its users pre-load the app via a third party. With Cyanogen, it will be the first time the technology will be integrated with the operating system directly.

May 8, 2015
Nintendo Looks to Release Five Smartphone Games by 2017

Nintendo, as we all know, is the world’s largest video game company that has produced several famous titles. Super Mario World, Pokemon, Legend of Zelda were a part of everyone’s childhood if they were born in the 90s. The good news is that the company is back, and will soon be releasing five smartphone games by March 2017.

On March, Nintendo joined hands with DeNA, a Japanese company that makes free games for mobile phones. The two companies intend to make new gaming applications featuring Nintendo IP, which will be developed specifically for smartphones. Nintendo and DeNA also agreed to develop cross-platform service that will run on smartphones, tablets, PCs and Nintendo’s own devices. Satoru Iwata said that a new line of games would be developed for the smartphones instead of porting existing titles.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Satoru Iwata” author_title=”CEO of Nintendo Co., Ltd”]

Regarding the number of the titles, you may want to know that we will release approximately five titles by the end of the next fiscal year, which is the end of March 2017. You may think it is a small number, but when we aim to make each title a hit, and because we want to operate every one of them for a significant amount of time after their releases thoroughly, this is not a small number at all and should demonstrate our serious commitment to the smart device business.

[/quote]

Nintendo will continue to make new games in future, and is working on a new console with codename ‘NX’. Iwata stated that the company is eyeing on smartphone gaming to generate a good amount of revenue. Seems like Nintendo will bring down the rain with these five new releases.

May 8, 2015
Top 5 Tech Deals from Amazon’s Great Indian Summer Sale

On the occasion of ‘The Great Indian Summer Sale’, Amazon.in is giving away many products at heart-skipping discounts. The sale commenced from 6^th May and will conclude on 8^th May, between 8am and 6pm. In order to keep the customers informed, Amazon’s app and its website will keep refreshing itself every 30 minutes to keep it updated.

Although on the app, customers may have some advantages like early access to these deals. Also, SBI debit or credit card holders will be getting 15% cash back while the website will be offering 10% cash back deal. You need to shop a value of at least Rs. 5,000 to avail the above deal.

We have compiled a list of products that may interest you. Check it out below:

1. Microsoft Xbox 360 E 4GB Console with Kinect

In 2013, Microsoft introduced the XBox 360 E that contains one of the largest libraries of games and apps like Netflix and HBO Go. You can play blockbuster games like Halo, Forza Motorsport and watch movies, television series or live shows in High Definition quality. You can also access advanced multiplayer, free games and exclusive membership discounts with the one month XBox Live Gold.

 

2. Google Chromecast HDMI Streaming Media Player

Chromecast is a thumb-sized digital media player through which you can easily stream content from your laptop, Android phone and tablet to your high definition TV. Your smartphone becomes your personalized remote control. You can browse your favourite movies, videos and more and cast it on your TV. You can pause, play, rewind, make playlists. Just plug in, connect and enjoy.

 

3. JBLT250SI On-Ear Headphone (Black)

This pair of headphones has a professional design that screams utmost comfort. The mix of leather and suede, the premium drivers are optimized for delivering the perfect sound. The over-ears is inscribed with the JBL logo. It gives detailed levels of sound, providing good quality lows. Overall, it doesn’t only hold good looks but also delivers balanced sound.

 

4. JBL Go Wireless Portable Speaker (Black)

The JBL Go Wireless Portable Speaker can be carried at any place without any hassle of wires. It works through a Bluetooth device and can go for 5 hours on a single charge. The brand has earned an esteem for itself by delivering superior sound quality.

 

5. Apple MGXC2HN/A 15-inch Laptop

Perhaps, one of the few gaming Macbook available, it comes with a graphic memory of 2 GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M graphics along with 16GB of RAM. The laptop has a 15.4-inch LED-backlit retina display with IPS technology that ensures visual clarity whether you are watching movies, playing games or working on your assignment. The notebook is loaded with Mac OS X Mavericks.

 

May 6, 2015

Sony Brings Out the Xperia C4, a Selfie-Friendly Smartphone

Sony today announced its C3 successor, the Sony Xperia C4. The smartphone has been targeted at selfie lovers and will be released in two variants – the Xperia C4 and the Xperia C4 Dual.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Tony McNulty” author_title=”Vice-President, Value Category Business Management at Sony Mobile Communications”]

Following the success of Xperia C3, we are proud to introduce Sony’s evolved PROselfie smartphone. Xperia C4 caters to consumers that want a smartphone that not only takes great photos, but also packs a punch. Benefiting from Sony’s camera expertise, The 5MP front-facing camera with wide-angle lens lets you capture perfect selfies while its quality display and performance features provide an all-round advanced smartphone experience.

[/quote]

According to Sony, the phone will feature a 5.5-inch full HD IPS display and will be powered by a 1.7GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6752 processor. The primary camera features a 13MP camera with image stabilizer, HDR, 4x digital zoom and 1080p video recording capability. The front camera has a 5MP snapper with Exmor R image sensor, 25mm wide-angle lens and LED flash. It has 16GB of internal memory that is expandable up to 128GB via microSD slot. Connectivity options include LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 4.1, and a GPS. It has a 2,500mAh battery and runs on Android Lollipop OS.

You can refer to the table below for clearer details:

SPECIFICATIONS	Sony Xperia C4
Display	5.5-inch full HD (1920×1080 pixels) IPS display
Processor	1.7GHz MediaTek MTK6752 64-bit octa-core processor
RAM	2GB
Memory	16GB internal storage, microSD card slot up to 128GB
Primary Camera	13MP, Autofocus, Image Stabilizer
Front Camera	5MP, Exmor R image sensor and LED flash
Battery	2,600mAH
Operating System	Android 5.0 Lollipop
Price	Not Revealed

The device is a minor upgrade above the previous version. Right now, nothing has been revealed about the pricing or availability. We will just have to wait and find it out ourselves.

May 6, 2015

Android Lollipop Market Share Growth is Slow, Yet Steady

Officially introduced in early-March 2014, Lollipop is the newest Android software release available now. Steadily, it seems that Android has started to grasp the ways of the competitive market. However, after being made available, Lollipop was being used by only 0.7% of the market. Now, Lollipop’s market almost doubled within this month, whose surge can be attributed to the launch of Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge. Both the handsets came pre-loaded with the operating system.

Meanwhile, its predecessor, KitKat, slipped from 41.4% to 39.8%, which could very well hint towards the rate of the upgrade of the OS. In the similar fashion, all the previous versions of Android saw a decline. Surprisingly, Froyo, the first Android OS, still hangs at the tip with 0.3% market share.

As you can see in the above figure, the number of active Android handset space has increased eventually. Lollipop now operates in 9.7% of the Android smartphones around the world. Google released a report on the steady growth of Android 5.0 Lollipop’s market share, rising from 0.1% in December 2014 to 1.6% in January and over 5% in March. If the jump crosses above 10% in April, it may be one of the biggest wins for Android.

First introduced in the summers of 2014 at Google’s I/O, a 10% growth in a year may not seem too much for most of the other companies. Reasons for the slow increase? Patchwork arrangements between Google and various other manufacturers, the large collection of Android devices of the companies, many more variants required by each carrier – all contribute towards the fact that it is not easy for Android to roll out its updates for handsets in the same way as Apple does for iOS.

May 6, 2015
After The Predator, Jason Voorhees Enters as a Playable Character in Mortal Kombat X

Jason Voorhees is one of the scariest characters that have been created. Though fictional, the chief antagonist of Friday the 13th has undoubtedly raised eyebrows with his mass murder spree series of films. Now, imagine playing with him against a group of equally proficient fighters. That’s right, Mortal Kombat X now has Jason Voorhees as a playable character, with his set of combat moves and fatalities. The character unveiled before Jason is the Predator, a well known fictional character from the Alien Vs Predator franchise.

Jason was inducted as a character on May 5th if you have purchased the Kombat pack for Playstation 4, Xbox One and PC. Most of Jason’s moves include a standard line of attacks and if executed correctly, a clothesline. One important skill of this character is that it can become unstoppable, which means nothing would be able to escape his special moves.

In addition to Jason, the pack also includes characters like Vampiress Mileena, Kraken Reptile, and Pharaoh Ermac horror-themed skins. For players who have not purchased the package, Jason Voorhees will be available from May 12^th for $7.99. Today is also the official release of the game on Android devices.

May 6, 2015
Facebook Includes Nokia HERE Maps on Messenger, Instagram Ahead of Official Buyout

HERE maps, previously known as Ovi Maps or Nokia Maps, is an alternative of Google Maps and Apple Maps service. Nokia was in talks with buyers to sell out its maps unit, but seems like Facebook has inked a deal to power maps on its various platforms.

The social networking site is presently using Here maps on the mobile version of its website, and on other applications like Facebook Messenger and Instagram. The Facebook spokesperson confirmed the same through statement –

We are testing Nokia HERE maps across Facebook to give us more control and flexibility in delivering a consistent maps experience.

Nokia confirmed that it is seeking buyers to sell out its $2 billion Here map. The Finnish tech brand spent $8.1 billion to buy Chicago-based digital map maker, Navteq, in an effort to capitalize its market for mobile search, but the buy-out deemed unprofitable. Hence, in April, Nokia roped in the heavyweights of technology including Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Alibaba Group, etc. to sell its maps business. According to Techcrunch, one of those potential buyers has already sealed a deal with Nokia.

For now, Facebook has not given any details about its availability on iOS.

May 5, 2015
1,000 Xiaomi Mi Band Sell Out in 7 Seconds in its First Flash Sale

Today, Xiaomi’s Mi fitness band saw its first sale for the registered users. Under the ‘Special Preview’ sale, it was available for Re. 1 for the first 1,000 registrants. The flash sale commenced at 2pm and got over within 7 seconds.

The official Mi India page confirms the same –

Thank you! #MiBand‘s 1st special preview sale on http://t.co/osSEXTVk0K went out of stock in 7 secs. pic.twitter.com/BlmjEQXg0y

— Mi India (@MiIndiaOfficial) May 5, 2015

The sale took place on the company’s official web site, Mi.com. The registered buyers reported some glitch and said that the official Mi India page showed ‘Sold out’ message even before the sale commenced.

#MiBandSale – Some Mi fans r seeing “sold out” msg for http://t.co/pMj1r7lwp8 for Mi Band sale. The sale will happen at 2pm, as planned.

— Manu Kumar Jain (@manukumarjain) May 5, 2015

The fitness band was first unveiled in July last year and arrived in India on April 23^rd along with the Mi 4i. The aluminium surface band comes with a micro laser perforation and no display screen. It is water resistant and has a battery life of 30 days. Used as a fitness and sleep tracking band, this device connects to user’s smartphone and can unlock the handset without the need of passwords or patterns.

It is available in a variety of colours like blue, pink, brown, grey and purple.

May 5, 2015
Iron Man-Themed Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge Handsets Arrive This Month

After their formal introduction at MWC 2015, Samsung’s new Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge instantly became one of the most sought-after devices. They received a record of 20 million unit orders within a week of their launch. Over the years, Samsung has become a company that is known for experimenting with unique variants of its products. Carrying on the trend, Samsung affirmed that they will be releasing a limited set of Avengers-themed Galaxy S6 Edge, starting off with an Iron Man themed handset.

Samsung confirmed on Monday that Iron Man themed Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge will be launching by next month and will be based on Iron Man’s standard red and yellow suit colour. Though Samsung Mobile Exec, Young Hee, did not mention where and at what price.

Avengers: Age of Ultron one of the most-anticipated films of 2015 broke the world record by making over $40 million in IMAX theatres in just 12 days of release.

Meanwhile, Samsung and Marvel teamwork resulted in a free app called ‘Battle for Avengers Tower’ that uses Samsung Gear VR headset. You can check out the 360-degree video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdTm7Vpape0#action=share

To read more about Samsung’s Flagships, click here.

May 5, 2015
Samsung to Provide Chipset and Displays for Apple’s Upcoming Products

It looks like the world’s biggest rivals in the tech world will soon be announcing major collaborations. According to the grapevine, Samsung will be manufacturing Apple’s core chip for the next iPhone as well as displays for other Apple products. This unexpected alliance was formed when Apple Chief Executive agreed to tone down the battle of patent suits against Samsung, thereby leading to this association.

Samsung will be budgeting $14 billion dollars for setting up new plants and equipment for manufacturing Apple’s newest device parts. Samsung had used the latest SoC for their flagship Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge. The chip uses 14nm technology whose standards are matched by Exynos 7420, Samsung’s home made processor. The 14Nm chip is more powerful than the 16Nm chips that are standardly used in the company’s handsets.

But from this partnership, Apple’s former partners like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and Sandisk may get a significant blow. TSMC used to manufacture chips for all the previous models of the iPhone and SanDisk was given the responsibility of memory chips for iPhone, iPad and Mac.

There are no official confirmations from both the tech power houses, but if true, we may soon see something very different from this alliance. Although Samsung is manufacturing Apple’s new chipset, the Korean company will continue to make its own smartphones.

May 5, 2015
Microsoft’s Future Smart Glass Might be Able to Read Emotions

To remain interesting, wearables are continuously being upgraded. They have a massive potential, and major tech companies are constantly looking to improve their last offering. From smartwatches to smart glasses, possibilities of technology seems only limited till the emotional spectrum. Recently, it seems that Microsoft may have overcome this barrier. The US technology giant, known for making its mark in the computing world, have recently been awarded a patent for a smart glass that would be able to detect or interpret emotions of people within its range.

This patent, filed as ‘a wearable emotion detection feedback system’, was originally filed in October last year and has been announced this week. By judging different variations in speech rhythm and amplitude, choice of words, type and speed of gestures,eye focus and body posture, the glass would be able to determine the emotion of a single person or a group, without them knowing about it. It will use sensors like depth cameras and a microphone under the nose bridge to pick up the audio and video information about the subject.

According to Wall Street Journal, its uses were not specified, but one can imagine it will come very useful during interrogation questioning where devices would be able to measure changes in the person’s body temperature or pick up small shifts in the voice tone. According to the patent, this device can communicate with another same device, thus allowing the share of information. This also gives the user a 360-degree view, and can be used in gaming or security work.

Again, the possibilities seem endless. Let’s wait and watch how Microsoft takes this innovation forward.

May 4, 2015
This Upcoming App Converts Your Facebook Page into a Full-fledged Website

The Facebook Page feature helps businesses, brands and other organisations create public profiles. They use this to gain followers or fans, with people who ‘like’ their page. Now if you ever thought of converting your page into a full fledged website, you may very well have a chance of doing so. An experimental app is being worked upon that shows potential of achieving this feat.

The app, named Pager, has been developed by a team of three engineers. The rough framework was developed within 24 hours. All you need to do is link your Facebook account, and a list of pages owned by you pops out. You can then choose your desired page and save it, after which the site goes live. The site is divided into four categories, namely, ‘About’, ‘News’, ‘Events’ and ‘Gallery’.

‘The Trap’ page converted into a website

The ‘About’ gallery displays your business details like name, site information, etc. The ‘News’ section works pretty much like a wall post and ‘Events’ and ‘Gallery’ displays upcoming events and photos/videos, respectively. Alex llea, Anton Shevchenko and Darrel-Day Guerrero, who developed this app during the Disrupt NY Hackathon said that the central idea behind this was to allow small businesses who use Facebook to manage their website. The app is still in its infancy stage, but the team is laying down all the codes that can support the Facebook API.

May 4, 2015
Micromax Yu Schedules a Yureka Clearance Sale Before YUphoria’s Arrival

Micromax’s Yu Yureka is back for its online sale again. Yu Televentures, a subsidiary of Micromax, announced that the smartphone will be available on Amazon India without any registrations, this Wednesday and Thursday. The company took to its social networking site, Twitter, to announce the flash-less sale. The tweet did not mention the amount of units available.

Not many days ago, Micromax took to Twitter to announce Yu Yureka’s successor, dubbed as YUphoria, which is expected to be the next big hitter from the company. Yu’s next flagship arrives on 12th of May. The open sale of the Yureka is a clear indiction that the company has begun prepping for its next blockbuster smartphone.

No registrations, no time limits. Yureka open sale on 6th and 7th May. Are you ready to Play God? pic.twitter.com/kYWCQK6pkV

— YU (@YUplaygod) May 2, 2015

The smartphone was traditionally sold in a series of Flash sales that required pre-registration. Exactly a month ago, 30,000 Yu Yureka handsets went out of stock in 7 seconds.

This proved to be quite tedious for potential buyers. This sale may prove to be an excellent opportunity for people who have not had success with the flash sales.

The Yu Yureka is a natural preference since it offers top-notch specifications at a budget price of Rs. 8,999. The 5.5-inch device runs on Android-based Cyanogen OS 11 and features 4G LTE connectivity. Along with a 64-bit 1.5GHz octa-core Snapdragon 615 SoC, 2GB RAM, and 2500mAh battery, Yu Yureka offers an impressive 13 MP rear camera.

Check out our review here:

May 4, 2015
Domino’s App Might Soon Allow You to Track Your Order Minute by Minute

Soon, waiting for your pizza to arrive on your doorsteps will get slightly less agonizing. Inspired by Uber’s ridesharing app that allows you to keep a track of your cab in real time via a map, Domino’s Pizza Enterprises plans on creating a similar app that will allow you to track your pizza in real time. Domino’s Pizza Enterprise is the master franchise holding the rights to Domino’s brand in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, France, and Netherlands.

This new app will allow the users to follow their order on smartphones, tablets or TV screens. When asked about the theory behind this app, Chief Executive, Don Meij, said that in a delivery system, the time taken to reach the consumer since the order is dispatched remains a dark spot, and now, it will be fully disclosed and transparent.

The tracker will show a map in real time and a tracker tracking your order. To make the app less dull and dreary, Domino’s plans to include the driver’s name and his personal details like his favourite football team, what type of music they are playing while delivering the order and what speed they are driving at. Meij also said that the app will concentrate on improving road safety. By shrinking the waiting time, errant driver behavior can be reduced. Domino’s delivery team has had quite a history of acquiring dangerous habits like speeding and taking sharp corners.

For now, this app will be available in Australia and New Zealand by the end of July. Dominoes plans to bring the service to Netherlands, Japan, France and Belgium by the end of this year. Hopefully, Indians will have the service in their hands soon after.

May 4, 2015
Here’s How Drones Are Helping Search for Earthquake Survivors in Nepal

Nepal was hit by one of the most dangerous earthquakes, with the death toll rising more than 6,000 and many more missing. The quake toppled most of their buildings, from where people and dead bodies are still being removed. Technology has played an important role in managing the after-disaster effect. From Google’s Person Finder and Facebook’s donation drive to major telecom operators proving cheaper or free services, technology is doing its best to help Nepal regain its losses.

Drones are playing an indispensable role in the search mission to inaccessible areas. Experts of Etobicoke, Ontario-based GlobalMedic, which manages Unmanned Ariel Vehicles (UAV) have already sent a fleet to the Himalayas. The drones are now aerially mapping the crisis-hit area and compiling the images into maps. A GlobalMedic spokeswoman says searching for survivors becomes very much extensive using drones. For now, the organization is using three high-end drones built by Aeryon Labs and are controlled by a touch-screen interface. These are equipped with thermal cameras that come in handy while locating for people under rubble or snow.

Other than the drones, crowdsourcing maps is another important tech that is being used right now in Nepal. This mapping works by calculating distances and plot-driving routes using satellite imagery, private images and open-source mapping technology to re-map areas that are affected by the earthquake. All damaged structures and difficult areas are marked, thus making it easier for rescue workers to engage through less dangerous routes. 48 hours after the earthquake hit Nepal, 2,000 online mappers made three million edits. This tech was first used during the Haiti earthquake in 2010.

Read more about how Facebook, Google, and major telecom services played their part in helping Nepal at this time of crisis here.

Click here to see the aftermath of the Nepal Earthquake.

May 3, 2015