Author: Rishi Baruah

You Can Now Book an Uber Cab Using Your Zomato App

Zomato is collaborating with the cab company, Uber, to help customers book cabs to the restaurant they are planning to eat at. This announcement came after Zomato acquired NexTable, an online table reservation app based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

This partnership has been rolled out to Zomato users across 27 cities across 13 countries including India, Australia, Canada, UK, Indonesia, South Africa, New Zealand, Philippines, Qatar, Turkey, Portugal, UAE and the US. The feature is already live for users in London and South Africa, and it will roll out soon in the other countries mentioned.

Commenting on the new feature, Pankaj Chaddah, Co-Founder and COO of Zomato, said:

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Pankaj Chaddah” author_title=”Co-Founder and COO of Zomato”]

We’re constantly looking for ways to make every meal, for everyone, a great experience. This partnership makes eating out more convenient with the Zomato app connecting to Uber services seamlessly.

[/quote]

How does it work? Once you have found a suitable restaurant on the Zomato, an Uber button appears on the restaurant page. This shows the estimated fare and the time required for the cab to arrive at your location, hence serving your needs. Seems like a favourable development for both the companies, as well as the customers.

April 23, 2015
Yahoo May Bring Out an Independent Siri-Like Personal Assistant App Soon

During a conference call a few day back, CEO of Yahoo, Marissa Mayer spoke about a special new product the team has been working on. The new service will go against the likes of Apple’s Siri, Google Now or Microsoft’s Cortana. She stated that Yahoo is developing an interest in search in the mobile sector and will focus on “what happens when you involve context and personal information like email.”

According to Business Insider, the new service has been code-named ‘Index’ and it will come in the form of a smartphone app. Yahoo hopes to release a beta version of the same by the second quarter of this year.

Mayer explains the new app would search information somewhat like Google Now, and probing for information in the user’s inbox may help people give better results. Quoting an example to help understand the working of the app, she explained that if a user had booked a flight from John F. Kennedy Airport, then Index would find information related to the airport or flight, by using the information in the inbox – instead of fishing out information about President Kennedy.

The voice assistant idea may seem unoriginal from the user point of view, but Yahoo is willing to place a bet on this ambitious project.

April 23, 2015
OnePlus Announces Flat 50% Off on All One Accessories, Only for Today

OnePlus, the Chineses company famous for its flagship-killer OnePlus One, turns a year older today. To celebrate this occasion, a few days back OnePlus announced it had waived off the invite system globally. Today, OnePlus is offering a 50% discount on all OnePlus One accessories, throughout the day on Amazon.in. The accessories include, back covers, flip covers, screen protectors, and earphones.

You will also be surprised to learn that the company has slashed a mere some of Re. 1 from its flagship devices: the 64GB OnePlus One Sandstone Black Model (Rs. 21,998) and the 16GB Silk White Model (Rs. 18,998). OnePlus explained the Re 1 difference in its official blog:

[quote text_size=”small” author=”OnePlus Official Blog”]

It’s a symbolic gesture; a reminder that the One is still a fantastic value without any promotions or discounts. We strongly believe that the One is one of the most amazing, user-focused devices on the market. We know that this move may seem odd to some, but our message is clear: we refuse to overcharge for our devices, just to slash prices later in a marketing blitz. Our flagship killers have an amazing price tag, starting from day 1.

[/quote]

OnePlus created a sensation in the mobile world after the company released the OnePlus One last year. We’re now looking forward to the company unveiling its next offering, the OnePlus Two.

Click here to purchase the discounted accessories:

 

April 23, 2015
You Will Never Miss Out on Your Friend’s Posts With Facebook’s Improved News Feed

Facebook announced today that they will be changing and reconfiguring their website’s News Feed section. The social networking site has applied three changes and aims to supply information about the people ‘you care about’.

One of the main changes to the Facebook layout will be that your News Feed will first prioritise your closer friends. Photo or a Status put up by them will be placed higher in the News Feed so that it won’t be missed out.

The second change is that the rules for seeing multiple posts from the same source has been toned down. This modification has been done for people who do not have much content to view. Now, you will never reach the ‘end’ of a News Feed easily.

Finally, the last change would be that you will see lesser posts of your friends liking or commenting on other friend’s posts. These stories will be pushed further down the News Feed so that you first see the posts or photos of the people you care about more.

The only downfall would be that Facebook Pages may get compromised. Facebook states in its blog:

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Facebook Official Blog”]

The impact of these changes on your page’s distribution will vary considerably depending on the composition of your audience and your posting activity. In some cases, post reach and referral traffic could potentially decline. Overall, pages should continue to post things that your audience finds meaningful and continue using our Page’s best practices.

[/quote]

Facebook has asked Web Publishers and Page Managers to visit their blog to know more about page feeds and posts under the new circumstances. Click here to visit the blog.

April 22, 2015

Micromax Launches Canvas Spark With Android Lollipop and 8MP Rear Camera, Priced at Rs. 4,999

In a series of tweets, few days back, Micromax disclosed that it was all set to release its newest affordable smartphone, the Canvas Spark in India. Today, the company has finally launched the handset at a price of Rs. 4,999. The low-end 3G smartphone will be available exclusively on Snapdeal via flash sale.

Measuring a thickness of 8.5mm and weighing 134g, Micromax Canvas Spark features a 4.7-inch qHD IPS display. The screen has a protection of Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on top. Inside, the handset is equipped with a 1.3 GHz Quad-Core MediaTek MT6582M processor, coupled along a 1GB DDR3 RAM. Memory stats consists of 8GB of internal memory, with 32GB of expandable memory via microSD card.

Fitted on its back is an 8MP primary camera with LED flash, while the front-facing camera is a 2MP snapper. It runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop and comes with support for 21 languages. A 2000mAh battery provides power to the handset.

As stated by the company, the Canvas Spark is the fourth among the new 3G smartphone launched after the S300, D320 and Q324. For booking the device, customers can register on the official Micromax website starting from 12:00 pm on 22nd April.

Check out the spec sheet below for overall details:

Specification	Micromax Canvas Spark
Display	4.7-inch qHD IPS with Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Processor	1.3GHz Quad-Core MediaTek MT6582M
RAM	1GB
Primary Camera	8MP
Front Camera	2MP
Internal Memory	8GB
Expandable Up to	32GB
Battery	2000mAh
Operating System	Android 5.0 Lollipop
Price	Rs 4,999

April 21, 2015

New YouTube Upgrade to Shut Down App Support for Older iOS Devices and More

The video-sharing website YouTube has made some alterations, which is making its app dysfunctional on some aging devices. In a recent statement, YouTube announced to have upgraded its Data API, which implies that the YouTube app will not work on certain devices of 2012 model and older.

The upgrading of the Data API Version 2 to Version 3 will render the app inaccessible on the aforementioned models. The list of devices includes older iOS devices, Google TV running on versions 1 and 2, second-gen Apple TV, older smart televisions, and Blu-Ray players. Google said the app support for previous versions have already started to shut down, and will completely end by the last week of April.

There will be no way for the aged devices to access the YouTube app. iPhone, iPads or iTouch gadgets with iOS 7 or above will only be able to access the YouTube app. The company says the new API will bring in new video viewing experience and can be accessed from any screen. Starting from Monday onwards, users with API Version 2 will receive a warning video that reads, “YouTube is upgrading to a newer version, which is not supported by this device or app. To learn more and see where you can watch YouTube, visit www.youtube.com/devicesupport”.

Meanwhile, the web version on the handsets will still work. Users will older devices can access YouTube simply via visiting the mobile site, provided it supports Flash/HTML5.

April 21, 2015
Microsoft Expected to Roll Out Windows 10 by July End

Back in March, Microsoft announced the release of the highly-anticipated Windows 10. The company said that the latest OS would come this summer in over 190 countries and 111 languages. Microsoft hasn’t yet disclosed when the latest Windows is going to debut, but we have some details about its arrival.

As stated by TechCrunch, Windows 10 will release at the end of July. The online tech publisher contacted some officials who disclosed the release date of the next Windows OS.

In October 2014, Microsoft released the Technical Preview of Windows 10 that allowed users to view and test the new OS first hand. The Redmond-based firm has high expectations from its latest operating system and is offering it free for its Windows 7, 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1 users for one year. The new Windows marks the comeback of the Start Menu, which was absent in the previous Windows 8 version. It has some exceptional features like Project Spartan and Cortana. With Project Spartan, users can have an all-new experience while browsing the web. Further developments include tweaks and enhancements to its menu, screen, and other features like Cortana.

For more information on the unique features of Windows 10, click here.

April 21, 2015
Nokia May Make a Comeback in the Smartphone Market Next Year

Microsoft acquired Nokia’s devices and services business for a heavy sum of $7.2 billion last year. The Finnish company can no longer use the Nokia brand name on smartphones till Q4 2016, and on feature phones for ten years. Once the biggest smartphone maker in the world failed to catch up with the fast-growing market trends set by Apple and Google. But, as most of us considered, it was not the demise of the titan.

Nokia is planning to bounce back to the smartphone business sometime next year. Reports by online publishing daily Recode suggest that Nokia is gearing to make a comeback in the mobile business, and is working on several new ambitious projects including virtual reality. The company has so far released only two products – an Android app called Z Launcher and the Nokia N1, also dubbed as the first Nokia-branded Android tablet.

The 6600 was one of the most popular devices by Nokia and was almost the star of the movie, Cellular.

It is expected that Nokia will employ the same strategy for the new device as it used for the N1 tablet. The device was launched last year along with a brand licensing agreement with Foxconn. The Finnish company hopes to find a similar brand licensing agreement partner for its next release.

There has been reports that Nokia has “a lot of great stuff in development’, but there is no certainty about the upcoming Nokia product or if the company is making a comeback by 2016. Therefore, the news should be taken with a pinch of salt.

With its latest acquisition of Alcatel-Lucent for $16.5 billion, together as Nokia Corporation, the company has set its sights on Virtual Reality, Internet of Things and Cloud Computing, and is ready to greet the world with brand new treats.

April 21, 2015
Reliance Jio to Provide High-Speed 4G Services via Three Frequency Bands

Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, headed by Mukesh Ambani, has announced its plans to launch the 4G network services through an integrated system. As per the company statement released recently, “RJIL plans to provide seamless 4G services using LTE in 800MHz, 1,800MHz and 2,300 MHz bands through an integrated ecosystem.”

Reliance Jio or RJIL is an Internet access and telecommunication company headquartered in Mumbai and is a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited. This company is the only pan-India operator with Broadband Wireless Access spectrum and uses commercial LTE services for providing 4G across India with over 22 telecom circles.

Reliance successfully acquired the 1800 MHz spectrum for 14 circles back in 2014, and in March 2015, Reliance acquired the spectrum in 800MHz and 1800MHz in over 13 circles. The company states the Mobile Switching Centre Code (2G network element that controls the Network Switching Subsystem elements), Mobile Country Code and the Mobile Network Code (both are used in combination to identify a mobile phone carrier using GSM or LTE networks) has also been allotted.

Reliance has asserted that it hopes to provide high-speed services in domains like education, healthcare, security, financial services, government-citizen interfaces and entertainment. The company claimed that access to innovative and empowering digital content is of utmost priority. It is learnt that Reliance is working with strategic partners to aid it in installation and testing activities.

April 20, 2015

OPPO Launches the Affordable Joy Plus in India, Priced at Rs. 6,990

After a year of launching the OPPO Joy smartphone in April 2014, the Chinese electronics manufacturer has brought out its successor, the Joy Plus for the Indian market. The affordable handset holds almost identical specifications as the previous iteration, but comes with increased RAM.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Mr. Tom Lu” author_title=”CEO, OPPO Mobile India”]

Our aim at OPPO India is to provide our customers with ground-breaking technology at affordable prices. The Smartphone market in India is constantly evolving and we intend to reach across sections through our budget Smartphone, Joy Plus. We are looking at aggressive market penetration this year and we are confident that Joy Plus, packed with latest features will provide our customers more personal and reliable mobile experience.

[/quote]

The dual-SIM smartphone runs on Android 4.4.2 KitKat integrated with the company’s ColorOS 2.0 UI. Display details include a 4-inch WVGA IPS screen with 480x800p resolution and 234ppi pixel density. It equips a 1.3GHz dual-core MediaTek (MT6572) bundled with 1GB RAM. The memory capacity of the device comprises of 4GB of internal memory, which can be extended up to 32GB via microSD card.

It has a 3MP primary camera with LED flash and a 0.3MP front shooter, and picks up power from a 1700mAh removable Li-ion battery. On the connectivity front, the Joy Plus offers 3G, GPRS/EDGE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Micro-USB and Bluetooth options. Overall, the phone measures 124x63x9.9mm and weighs about 125grams. The phone is finished with a Frost Matte Gold Frame.

The phone will soon be available in various stores across India at a price of Rs. 6,990.

Check out the spec-sheet below to get a clear idea:

Specification	OPPO Joy Plus
Display	4-inch WVGA IPS, 234ppi pixel density
Processor	1.3GHz dual-core MediaTek (MT6572)
RAM	1GB
Primary Camera	3MP
Front Camera	0.3MP
Internal Memory	4GB
Expandable Up to	32GB
Battery	1700mAh
Operating System	Android 4.4.2 KitKat with ColorOS 2.0 UI
Price	Rs 6,990

April 20, 2015

Hackers Bring Microsoft Cortana’s Android Cousin; Meet Portaña

Microsoft’s personal voice assistant Cortana to land on Windows Phone platform is far from debuting on Android devices, but a group of hackers based in Italy has made it possible. The group, who call themselves OrangeSec, claims to have ported Microsoft’s Cortana to Android. The new personal assistant is named as Portaña.

The hackers made some alterations in Cortana’s program and brought out a version compatible with Google’s operating system. The tweaked version is very much similar to Cortana, but has some limitations. The hackers admit that the project isn’t that impressive and requires users to stay online for work. The reason being, even though it is running on Android hardware, it is still communicating with Microsoft’s back-end servers with the ported interface. To cut it short, you cannot use it to integrate with Android devices like Cortana does with Windows. OrangeSec used combinations of hardware proxies, custom SSL certificates and DNS spoofing for making this project work out. For now, Portaña can communicate in Italian only.

OrangeSec unveiled their mod at the Droidcon 2015 and admitted it to be a concept only. Hence, there are lesser chances of OrangeSec coming up with an official release. It is rumoured that Microsoft is planning to bring the voice assistant for both iOS and Android, but it doesn’t seem to happen anytime soon.

Cortana is named after an artificial intelligent (AI) character from the famed video game Halo. The personality of the voice assistant is also derived from the AI companion of the game. Cortana also offers usual voice-assistance features like setting reminders and calendar, weather and traffic information, writing notes and messages.

The generation of voice assistants kicked off with Apple’s Siri, back with the release of iPhone 4S in 2011. Microsoft soon followed by launching its very own Cortana on Windows 10 PC and smartphones. Meanwhile, Cortana is officially limited to Windows Phone.

April 20, 2015
Japanese Market to Receive Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge Without the Samsung Branding

In a strange turn of events, we’re hearing that Japan will be receiving Samsung’s newest flagship – the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge without the company logo. These handsets will instead be dubbed as Docomo Galaxy and au Galaxy, with respect to the associated Japanese telecom service provider. The company has also renamed its Japanese Facebook page to Galaxy Mobile Japan.

One reason being cited is that even though Samsung might triumphant globally, its grip in Japan is not up to the mark. The second reason is that this may be due to communal tensions between Korea and Japan. These are all speculations based on its market evaluations, since Samsung has chosen to remain silent on the subject.

Apple products sell the most in Japan, followed by Sony, Sharp and Fujitsu. When Samsung released the Galaxy Note Edge in November 2014, Samsung chose Japan to be the first country for the release. Sadly, the company received less than 5% market share, selling only ten thousand units four months after its launch. Apple, on the other hand, captured over more than half of the market, attributing mainly to the popularity of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

Samsung already withdrew its TV television business in 2007 when the product sold only 0.1% in the Japanese market. Though not having a good start in Japan, Samsung hopes the name change reverses their fortune in Japan.

To read about Samsung S6 and S6 Edge, click here. Here’s are quick hands on with the devices:

April 20, 2015
4 Important Announcements to Look Forward to This Week

In the coming days, India will be enticed with the arrival of many new products by popular companies; namely, Xiaomi, OnePlus, Asus and Micromax. Some of the companies have attempted to keep things mysterious, but we’re fairly certain we’ll be seeing some heavy-hitting devices unveiled.

Here’s everything you should expect to see this week:

Xiaomi

Last week Xiaomi announced a ‘Global Mi Phone Premiere’ which will take place in New Delhi on 23rd of April. The company had tweeted about the same and the image read as ‘I Is Coming’. It may well be possible that a new handset, likely the Mi5 or the Mi 4i, may be unveiled. But, we cannot be too sure of that. The conference will be addressed by Lei Jung, CEO and Co-Founder, Bin Lin, President and Co-Founder and Hugo Barra, Vice President of Xiaomi Global.

i IS COMING. Register for our global Mi phone premiere in New Delhi on 23 April. http://t.co/H8GdKvulca #MiLaunch2015 pic.twitter.com/0pxgSe4Mu0

— Mi India (@MiIndiaOfficial) April 10, 2015

OnePlus

OnePlus teased a new product that will be unveiled on 20th of April. The poster reads ‘You’re Invited’ along with a tagline ‘From here on out, anything could happen.’ The new product is highly anticipated to be the OnePlus Two since last year, around the same time, OnePlus launched their flagship phone, the OnePlus One. Although, there is a catch. At the MWC 2015, OnePlus had teased a gaming console. Gaming device or the next flagship? We will find out soon enough.

From here on out, anything could happen. #NeverSettle pic.twitter.com/pK84nYrzcd — OnePlus (@oneplus) April 17, 2015

ASUS

Asus first showcased the Zenfone 2 at the Consumers Electronic Show last year in Las Vegas. India will be receiving three variants of the handset. Powered by a 3,000 mAh battery and running on a 64-bit 2.3GHz Intel Atom processor Z3580 with PowerVR G6430 GPU, the Zenfone is packed for power and performance. More details of the device will be unraveled at the launch event that will take place on 23rd April.

3 variants of #Zenfone2 for India. Gear up to see what others can’t see. pic.twitter.com/p4n6BSC5rk

— ASUS India (@ASUSIndia) April 6, 2015

To know more about its specs and features here.

Micromax

In a series of tweets, Micromax disclosed that it is all set to release its newest affordable smartphone, the Canvas Spark. The device is said to have a 4.4-inch display and is expected to be priced at Rs. 6,000. Also, the presence Snapdeal logo confirms an exclusive partnership between the two companies for online sales. The event will take place on 21st April.

The toughest screen just got affordable. #MicromaxCanvasSpark Coming Soon! pic.twitter.com/YrkMr9xgwI

— Micromax Mobile (@Micromax_Mobile) April 16, 2015

April 20, 2015
OnePlus Expected to Announce a New Device on 20th April

There are several exciting things coming up next week. Two days before OnePlus’ competitor, Xiaomi, makes its global smartphone announcement in India, OnePlus may grab its spotlight. The Chinese company hinted via Twitter, that they might be launching something big on 20th April. Although they’ve decided to keep things mysterious. The image simply reads, “You’re Invited” along with a tag line “From here on out, anything could happen.”

From here on out, anything could happen. #NeverSettle pic.twitter.com/pK84nYrzcd

— OnePlus (@oneplus) April 17, 2015

Yesterday several reports surfaced that the company had decided to unveil the OnePlus Two in June. Could it be possible that OnePlus decided to move up the date, to stay ahead of the competition?

The OnePlus Two is rumored come with a massive 5.5-inch display with a 16MP primary camera and a 5MP front camera. Along with that, we might see a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor and powered by a 3,300mAh battery.

But, the OnePlus Two is just one of the several possibilities. At the MWC 2015 in Barcelona, OnePlus Co-FOunder teased that the company was working on an entirely new category of product and hinted out three posters. The posters come with the captions: ‘Start a New Game’, ‘For The Fun Of It’ and ‘You’re in Control.’ The three posters hints out more towards a gaming device or a console.

OnePlus shot to fame after the release of the OnePlus One, a device that delivered high-end specifications at affordable rates. Sometime back, OnePlus also released the OnePlus Power Bank that houses 10,000mAh of power.

Which new device is in store for us will only be revealed on 20th April. Till then, keep checking iGyaan for updates.

April 18, 2015
Halo: Spartan Strike is Now Out for iOS, Steam And Windows

Halo is back again with its newest top-down shooter game. Partnering with Vanguard Games, Microsoft Studios and 343 Industries have launched Halo: Spartan Strike. The new story is touted to be different from previous releases.

The new story is based in the Halo universe on New Mombasa in the year of 2552. The game consists of 30 different levels while maintaining the objective of leading the UNSC troops through jungles and cities against Covenant and Promethean foes. For aid, the player has a huge arsenal of weapons, abilities and vehicles. In addition to this, players can buckle up against each other in a variety of weekly challenges to earn the top spot on the leaderboard. The achievements can be earned to attain new avatars or emblems on Xbox One.

The game is available for $5.99 on iOS, Windows and Steam. For iOS and Steam users, you can also avail Halo: Spartan assault as a bundle for $9.99. The Indian Windows Store lists the game for Rs. 379. Once purchased on any Windows device, this game can be played across different platforms too. This includes syncing of the game data and progress, as long as it is connected to Steam.

April 17, 2015