Earlier this week, Apple publicly revealed filing for a patent for waterproof devices. The paperwork was completed in June 2014 and is centered around making iPhones waterproof using rubber or “self-healing elastomer” that gains or loses its shape to protect the device from moisture and dust.
Ports like that of chargers or headphones on the phone would be protected with a rubber covering that would be removed when an external device or chord is to be inserted. Once the external device is removed, the rubber device would go back to covering the port.
Depending on the kind of elastomer, it can provide protection against dust, debris, water, and gas. Hello, pretty pictures in all kinds of environmental conditions.
Companies like Samsung and Sony have employed waterproof tech in their devices in the past. Having said that, this patent does not mean whether we can expect the iPhone 7 to be entirely water-resistant.
At the same time, it should be kept in mind that iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are modeled on similar principles of water-resistance and are definitely more resilient than previous Apple devices. Let’s see if the iPhone 7 actually turns out to be the hardiest of all the iPhones so far.
Leftovers and iPhone covers -yes, those words in the same sentence -in a very unusual turn of events, Tesla has made covers for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus using leftover leather from car-seats. Looks like the world can’t get enough of iPhone covers. After OnePlus, Tesla follows suit with its cases for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.
Tesla’s Model S is a very popular car, leading the company to increase its production to 50,000 cars per year. Larger production inevitably means larger amounts of waste. However, the car manufacturer found a way to not only put this waste to good use, but also make money out of it.
The company has made iPhone cases out of leftover leather meant for its car-seats. The covers are priced at $45 and for an added $5, Tesla will add some credit card slots to it as well. The cover will protect its contents from RFID readers, claims the company.
The iPhone case will sport Tesla’s logo and has now found itself located on the list of strange items the company has sold in the past. A golf towel, leather driving gloves that also work with touchscreens and a crown jewel made from leftover leather are some of its other unusual items.
GoPro has revealed that its camera equipped drone, all set to arrive in early 2016, would be called ‘Karma’. It was first teased in October using camera footage recorded at 2.5K resolution, as could be made out by YouTube viewing option of 1440p. The same footage was used in the latest tease. GoPro claims that the video was not stabilised in post-production, thereby suggesting a decent camera capability of the drone.
If sources like Forbes are to be believed, GoPro ventured out to make its own drone once a partnership for the same with DJI fell apart. Karma is rumoured to be priced somewhere between $500-$1000. Signing up for the news could help you win a GoPro Karma in the company’s official giveaway.
Samsung seems to be on a roll with 18.4 inch tablets to phones that unfold into a tablet. Now reports have emerged about a new Samsung patent. This patent shows different camera options for a phone-like device that include a regular camera, one with a bump and another that seems equipped with optical zoom and an exchangeable lens.
The phone is also drawn in a number of different shapes, suggesting how each phone’s size and shape will be determined by the camera paired with it.
There is another device-design as well which shows something thin like a phone with a thick camera module and a camera-like grip on one end. A shutter-key which is equipped with another button also prefigures on the design.
It is unsure what the future of these devices will be, however it gives us a fair idea of what is keeping Samsung busy these days.
After working on its own own processors since the iPhone 5 (Apple A6 chip) and 64-bit CPU, Apple is now rumoured to be working on a customised GPU. The company is exploring in-house solutions for coprocessors and sensors.
In order to get rid of its dependency on PowerVR graphic units, Apple has been working on a proprietary GPU for a while now.
The company’s Korean counterpart, Samsung, is also developing similar tech. Samsung is expected to reveal its first in-house processors and Exynos 8 chipset in the Galaxy S7 early next year.
Even if everything goes smoothly, we cannot expect to see Apple’s new custom-GPU in iPhone 7 in 2016. It’ll probably be a few years before Apple is ready to take this leap. Let’s see how these plans pan out for the company.
Google revealed earlier this week that 71.6% of Android users are still using the pre-Lollipop version of the OS. The divisions are as follows: 36.6% of devices are still running Android 4.4 KitKat, while a 26.9% of users are still running various versions of Jelly Bean. While the latter was released in 2012 and hasn’t seen an update since October 2013, the former first arrived two years ago.
As for iOS users, a huge 70% of them are running iOS 9 which came out only in September this year. Additionally, iOS 8 is being used to run about 92% Apple devices, an OS released not more than 16 months ago.
Though Android 6.0 Marshmallow has enough things to like about it, many users will have to wait another couple of months before they are able to run it on their devices. The contrast between iOS and Android updates offers an interesting picture. Perhaps the inertia and stagnation which sets in once the users become accustomed to running a specific OS makes them shy away from updates. Other than the availability of the OS what else do you think could keep users away from updating their Android devices?
The Moto G (Gen 3) Turbo goes on sale in the country and is exclusively available on Flipkart for order, at a price of Rs. 14,999. The phone comes in two variants, namely, Black with Deep Sea Blue back and White with Slate.
There are some interesting offers that customers can avail of, through December 13th. These include 100% cashback for 100 lucky customers, along with an offer that allows the exchange of your old smartphone for up to Rs. 6000. Additionally, some buyers will also get a chance to double their Airtel data for free.
On the specs front, the Moto G Turbo comes with a different chipset, Qualcomm MSM8939 Snapdragon 615, with Adreno 405 and a quick charge capability that Motorola calls a turbo charge. Everything else remains identical to the 16GB storage variant of the Moto G 3rd Gen which comes with 2GB RAM.
Microsoft revealed in an official announcement that Cortana is now available on select iOS, Android and Cyanogen OS powered devices. It is available in the US and China for iPhones running iOS 8 and above and Android 4.1.2 and above. For OnePlus One powered by Cyanogen OS in the US, it will be made available later this month with the 12.1.1 over-the-air update.
“…as a result of our close partnership with Cyanogen, we created a more integrated experience to enable Cortana’s voice activation ‘Hey Cortana’ on Cyanogen devices so you can call on her while on any screen or when you’re immersed in an app,” says Microsoft.
The Android and the iOS version of Cortana look pretty much the same as the Windows version that came out earlier this year in July. However, there will be some differences in the capabilities of the assistant across various operating systems owing to API availability of the respective platforms.
It would be interesting to see if Cortana on an iOS device makes its mark. Features like “Hey Cortana” hands-free capability and SMS replies from the PC for missed calls would be missing on iPhones, putting the voice-enabled personal assistant at a disadvantage over Siri. In a recent survey where Cortana, Siri and Google Now were put to test, Siri had emerged as the winner in accuracy. Let’s see if Cortana’s presence on Android and iOS devices can change that. It’s available in the App Store and the Google Play Store in the US as of now.
OnePlus X Ceramic limited edition goes on sale starting today. However, needless to say, an invite would be needed for the purchase. A standard OnePlus X invite won’t work though, it has to be a specific Ceramic variant invite that would let you buy the phone.
OnePlus had earlier tweeted about how the OnePlus X Ceramic variant would go on sale on 24th November. The phone was indeed put up on sale following this announcement, but only only a handful of units were made available as part of a charity auction. But if you have been eyeing the OnePlus X Ceramic variant for a while now, here’s your window.
The variant of the phone is being made available as a limited edition only in select markets which include India, Hong Kong and Europe. Additionally, the company had also revealed earlier that only 10,000 units of this OnePlus X variant would be made available. Additionally, the company has also put up OnePlus X on open sale today.
Smartphone is one of the best things to have happened to the realm of technology. With an endless list of features that make it such an amazing gift of technology to mankind, here’s a list of some of our favourite features:
Identifying Songs:
Apps like Shazam and SoundHound have made life so much better for music lovers. Remember that gnawing, annoying feeling of trying to identify a song you happen to hear at a restaurant? Yes, you don’t because your smartphone identifies songs for you and saves you the torture of obsessing over a tune or rhythm.
Navigation:
Any geographically-challenged smartphone user would agree about how wonderful life has been ever since the introduction of apps like Google Maps and Apple Maps. Navigation has never been easier. Whether or not geography has been a source of bother for you, smartphone navigation has come to the rescue of many lost travellers more than once.
Fitness Tracker:
Hello, fitter bodies and healthier minds. Nike+, Daily Yoga and many such apps help users maintain a fitness regime with regular updates about their progress and motivation in the form of points earned or badges won. Water Drink Reminder and Waterlogged are examples of two other fitness-related apps -they remind you to drink water at regular intervals and keep your body hydrated.
Fake Calls:This is by far one of the coolest features of smartphones. Ever tried getting out of an awkward situation by pretending to be busy with your phone? There, there -we have all done that. Fake Call is an app which takes it a step further to help you be a better liar in situations that require an immediate exit. We wonder what awkward situations looked like before smartphones.
The company introduced Apple Maps in 2012 and ushered in a series of glitches which involved the Madison Square Garden, New York being labelled as a ‘park space’ because of the word ‘garden’ in its name. However Apple acted promptly, fixed these goof-ups and now three years later Apple Maps has overtaken Google Maps as the most used navigation app on iPhones.
Even though Apple Maps lacks many features which Google Maps provides, users end up using the former more because it is already installed on their devices. Even if the phone has third party apps, Siri and Mail automatically take the user to Apple Maps. This, along with Apple’s efforts to improve the over-all experience of the app, has helped them get more users to choose Apple Maps over other options.
Google Maps, on the other hand, has not lagged behind either in improving itself. Starting last month, it now allows users to store maps and data on their phones to refer to it even without internet access. It also includes search tools for landmarks and business listings, transit maps that cover more region than Apple and options to exclude highways and toll roads.
As more and more iPhone users switch to Apple Maps, do you think Google Maps could be a better choice?
Users of Nexus 5, 6, 7 and 9 are going to get the camera quick launch option with the Android 6.0.1 update. Among new emoticons, this is another feature users will now be able to enjoy with the update.
Double pressing the power button would immediately launch the camera, as is possible with devices like 5X and 6P that run on stock Android. This sounds like a cool, short way to get to the camera.
However because the feature is tied down with the power button, it might sometimes cause the device to go to sleep, or ask the user for a security password before launching the camera if there is extra security on the lockscreen.
Google is sure to smoothen out these glitches as the update starts rolling. Let’s see where it goes from there.
4. Moto 360 2nd Gen Arrives in India: The smartwatch arrived in India on the 1st of this month is available in 2 size variants and 5 style variants.
5. HTC One A9 Will be in India This Month: Launched in India on the 25th of November, the new HTC smartphone would go up for sale this month. The phone has been a topic of great discussion because of its iPhone “inspired” design.
If you have any tech related questions, leave them in the comments below or put them up on Twitter with the hashtag #WYWO .
Technology never ceases to surprise us and 2015 just proved this right. The year saw some brilliant smartphones being introduced to the market. Devices with high end specs, snazzy designs and all kinds of technological breakthroughs previously unencountered entered the tech circuit. Some handsets, however, were prettier than others, and we cannot help but talk about them in this top 5 of the most stylish smartphones this year.
1. Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge and S6 Edge+
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ is the company’s first big S series phone, as an add-on to the Galaxy S line of devices. The Galaxy S6 edge+ was designed to one up the iPhone 6 Plus in terms of specifications and hardware. But it did not simply stop there -the device is not only high on specs but the Galaxy S6 Edge and Edge+ with their curved screen and glass back are both a beauty to behold.
2. iPhone 6s and 6s Plus (Rose Gold Variant):
With iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, Apple did not make major design changes. In fact the only design change was that the new iPhones were heavier and thicker than their predecessors. Looks like the entire Bendgate-controversy did make Apple sit up and listen. The one design change that Apple did introduce, however, was a new colour variant -the rose gold.
Though the Apple device is not the only device to offer a rose gold variant, another example being that of Huawei’s Mate S, it’s definitely one of the most popular. Before the Apple haters get started -it is not us but the market which affirms this -the rose gold variant was the most pre-ordered version of the new iPhones.
3. Moto X Style and Moto X Pure:
The versions of these two smartphones that launched in India did not fare too well on the looks front. But the Moto Maker available outside India allows you to customise you device in great detail. From the back to the front, to the colour and texture and feel -pretty much all of it can be altered and modified depending on the taste of the user. Moto Maker has not arrived in India yet, but if sources are to be believed, it should be here soon. Looks like the day when you get to lay your hands on a customised Moto X Pure or Style in India is not far.
4. OnePlus X
OnePlus X was the company’s second device launched this year, closely preceded by OnePlus 2. OnePlus X was a bit of a downer in terms of performance and user interface, but that did not keep it from becoming one of the best phones in the price bracket. It’s also a very pretty looking phone with its slim and light body, very reminiscent of iPhone 4s. Despite its glitches with SD card and camera software, OnePlus X manages to do well solely based on looks.
5. HTC One A9
This device received a lot of hate and became a topic of great discussion owing to its iPhone-‘inspired’ design. Having said that, One A9 is indeed a very impressive looking smartphone for the metal unibody frame is a winner no matter which brand sports it. The curved edges and glass screen gives the device a premium look. The team behind the design of the One A9 have stated that great amount of time and attention has gone into its design, which does feel true.
