Author: Rosheena Zehra

Researchers Develop a Lithium Battery That Won’t Explode

Battery is one of the major concerns of the tech world these days. Developers have to ensure that batteries are not only efficient and capable of providing sufficient support to gadgets, but most important of all, they can withstand high temperatures without exploding.

The explosion-scare in batteries is even though not very high when it comes to phones, but exploding hoverboard batteries have made everyone sit up and listen. Fires caused by malfunctioning hoverboards actually forced retailer websites to take the product off and stop selling them for a while.

An exploded hoverboard.

But it looks like a team of scientists at Stanford University have found a cure for these lithium-ion batteries in hoverboards that are the culprit behind all these fires. The team of researchers have developed a lithium battery that has a plastic over-lay filled with nickel particles. If this battery gets over-heated, it shuts down and cuts all power-supply. The supply is resumed only once the temperature has dropped to a safe level. This will ensure that the battery’s electrolyte never catches fire.

The same tech of self-shut down has been seen in batteries previously as well if they sense an explosion threat. However once they shut down, the battery is not functional again. This is primarily what this new battery will be able to take care of, among other things. Though these explosion-proof lithium batteries seem to hold great potential, there are still several years before they can be produced and used in smartphones and other gadgets on a mass scale. We wouldn’t advise you to get your hopes high about them hoverboards just yet.

January 13, 2016
This Wearable Will Track Your Emotions and Stress Levels

Taking mood-rings to the next level is this new awesome wristband by Sentio Solutions. It’s called Feel and it helps the user stay updated about their emotional state. It may not change colours, but hey, it has so much more to offer.

With the help of sensors on its inner-side, Feel tracks and meaures your pulse rate, body temperature and galvanic response using sweat glands on the skin and their behaviour under different conditions. It gets connected to the user’s phone via Bluetooth and provides real-time information about your moods.

This information can also be presented in the form of graphs, suggesting patterns of the mood during the course of a day. The graphs, in turn, lets the user determine what are the most stressful periods of the day and so on and so forth.

Feel also gives tips and pointers on how to reduce stress through Yoga, meditation or breathing exercises. The user is reminded to take deep long breaths during moments of high stress. In some cases, like moments of anger during anger, Feel would give a real-time alert in the form of a vibration which according to George Eleftheriou, the co-founder and CEO, is enough to calm the user down.

The flexible wrist-bank comes in a sleek, inconspicuous design which fits well with all kinds of individual stylistic preferences. It is priced at $199 (about Rs.13,000) and will be available for $149 (about Rs.10,000) on pre-order. Feel will be up for pre-order this spring and is expected to arrive in December. Log on to the official website for more details.

January 13, 2016
Report: Apple Watch Constitutes 50% Smartwatch Shipments in 2015

According to latest data by Juniper Research, the Apple Watch constitutes for 50% of smartwatch shipment in 2015. The Watch, which was globally released in April 2015, has overtaken Samsung’s Tizen powered Gear S2 which was launched in November last year.

Gear S2

Android Wear-powered smartwatches constitute only a total 10% of total smartwatch shipment from last year. However, the research also added that keeping Apple aside, the market is dominated by cheaper, products like those by Martian and Razer.

Apple Watch

Things look good for Apple, which is important for the company which is all set to hold an official event in March. We expect to see the second-gen version of the Apple Watch there. Even though Gear S2 and Moto 260 Second Gen seemed like they could offer some strong competition to the Apple Watch, Apple has managed to maintain its dominance in the realm of wearable tech.

January 13, 2016
Leak Suggests Confirmed Names for Samsung Galaxy S7 Devices

Samsung is all set to host an Unpacked event on 21st February at the Mobile World Congress, and we expect it to unveil the Galaxy S7 devices there. Rumours about the S7 phones are doing the rounds to no end and here’s the latest update from that front.

According to @evleaks, the names of the three S7 devices have been confirmed thus.

Honestly surprised by this (though it does explain a lot). pic.twitter.com/B7fL41qShm
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) January 12, 2016

Galaxy S7, S7 Edge and S7 Edge+ will be the three devices expected to be unveiled on the 21st of February. The tweeted image shows the three names written against a background with water-droplets on it. This image only seems fitting since the Galaxy S7 phones are expected to be waterproof like the Galaxy S5 from 2014.

However, because Samsung hasn’t officially confirmed these names, we still cannot be sure. There could also be a Galaxy S7+ but there isn’t much to go on with for this device.

AnTuTu posted on Weibo the specs of a 5.1-inch Galaxy S7 device. It is already confirmed that the flagship device will sport Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 820 chipset, and AnTuTu confirms the same. Other specs listed include 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB internal storage, Adreno 530 GPU. The device will run of Android 6.0 Marshmallow ( no surprises there).

We have done a complete round-up of all the rumours regarding Samsung’s S7 family of phones which you can check out here.

January 13, 2016
Microsoft Ends Support for Internet Explorer 8, 9 and 10

The first generation of netizens would fondly recall their days of web browsing and how Internet Explorer played such an integral part in it. But looks like it’s time to let go and move on, folks, as Microsoft finalised its withdrawal of support for the browser. The company would no longer offer technical support or security updates for Internet Explorer 8, 9 and 10.Microsoft had declared its plan to end support for the browser first in July 2014, and starting today, these plans have gone into action. However, the company would still continue to support Internet Explorer 11 and Microsoft Edge. Microsoft Edge comes embedded with any device running on Windows 10, and also offers integration with Cortana.

If users wish to continue using the older versions of the browser -not sure if there are many takers for it to begin with -Microsoft warns you against malicious software that might harm your computer. According to statistics, one in every five internet user was still using Internet Explorer 8, 9 or 10 in December. However, looks like now users might want to experiment with other options, especially since there are so many available to them -Opera Mini, Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari et al.

January 12, 2016
Pre-orders for HTC Vive Begin Next Month

HTC has announced the date for pre-order of HTC Vive as 29th February. The company will start shipping the VR-headsets starting April. Pricing and other details of the gadget will be revealed close to the pre-order date.

The HTC Vive was showcased and unveiled at CES 2016. The launch of the consumer version of the VR-headset was delayed due to what chief executive Cher Wang described as a “very, very big technological breakthrough”. This breakthrough was later revealed to be an all new front camera.

The camera allows the wearer to see the physical room around them, which helps to avoid collisions. The wearable also features room-scale technology. You can also read our heads on with the developer edition of the HTC Vive.

One of the main questions surrounding the HTC Vive was always its affordability. Following Occulus’ price tag of $599 (about Rs. 40,000), we can expect the Vive to be priced around somewhere close to this at $600 or slightly higher, if not less.

January 12, 2016
iPhone 5e to be the Name of the 4-inch iPhone

It’s sort of a tradition now for Apple to release a cheaper variant of its flagship devices. It was the case for the iPhone 5C and so will be the case with the iPhone 6C. For weeks now we have been hearing rumours that Apple is working on a 4-inch iPhone. The device was initially called iPhone 6c, which later went ahead to be renamed 7c, and now we know it will be called iPhone 5e.

A Chinese analyst has confirmed that the 4-inch iPhone would be called iPhone 5e where ‘e’ stands for ‘enhanced’. The phone will be an improved version of the 5s and will support Apple Pay and VoLTE.

Because the phone will be an entry level device, we don’t expect it to feature current-gen processor. Even on the camera front don’t expect a major bump. The iPhone 5e will likely stick with an 8 MP rear from the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus and might even let go of OIS. It’s expected to be priced around $500 (close to Rs. 33,000) and arrive in March. For a complete round-up of all that we know about the device so far, click here.

January 12, 2016
Samsung Galaxy J1 Successor to Have Three Colour Variants

Here’s the latest dope on the Samsung Galaxy J successor, which should also be called Galaxy J1 (2016), as reported by @evleaks. It will be available in three colour variants -black, white and gold. Just a couple of days ago, we had talked about a leaked image of the device that had surfaced online, along with speculated specifications.

Samsung Galaxy J1 Black

According to these speculations, the phone is expected to have a 4.5 inch display, which is slightly larger than the current J1’s 4.3 inches, with 480×800 pixel resolution. The phone will be powered by Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.

Samsung Galaxy J1 White

Though the FCC certificate does not reveal any specifications for the handset, although a siting on GFXBench can throw some light on it. The SM-J120F (the model number of J1’s successor) is expected to arrive with a dual SIM variant which will be powered by the Samsung Exynos 3475 chipset with quad-core 1.3 GHz CPU and will come with 1 GB RAM and 4 GB internal memory.

Samsung-Galaxy J1 Gold

On the camera front, one can expect a 5 MP rear camera and a 2 MP front camera. The phone will be a budget phone arriving at close to Rs. 7,000. We can expect the J1 to be launched this month, let’s see when it hits the Indian markets.

Source

January 12, 2016
Pictures of a Nokia Handset Prototype Appear Online

Nokia seems to be everyone’s favourite under-dog these days. So obviously, when pictures of a potential Nokia prototype appear online, we cannot help but talk about them.

Images of an unknown handset has appeared online which seems to be Nokia-branded. It appears to be a prototype handset, and a closer look at the images does not reveal any doctoring. It sports a camera on the back with an LED flash along with suggestions of an antenna design on the body of the phone.

Additionally, the images do not show a smartphone, but a feature phone. It is complete with a keypad and a non-touch display. This could be either an old prototype which couldn’t be launched before Microsoft took over Nokia, and then got shoved under the carpet, or it could be a future device.

Even though Nokia is not allowed to use its brand on feature phones until 2024, as part of the deal with Microsoft, who knows what this device holds for the future? Watch this space for more scoop on Nokia and its upcoming plans.

January 11, 2016
Xiaomi Mi5 Round-Up: Everything We Know So Far

Xiaomi launched the Redmi 3 in China on Monday morning, but the company isn’t done yet. Next up is the launch of the much awaited Mi 5 this month. This is what we know about the device so far:

3D Touch3D Touch is the new cool thing in town and everyone wants to have a piece of it. Reports emerging from China tell us that Xiaomi too is interested in having this technology for its future flagship devices. This could be one of the reasons the expected Mi 5 announcement has been delayed. January will see the first set of phones to arrive with the new processors including the Mi5 and (perhaps) Galaxy S7.

CameraWe have heard several rumours about the camera of the Mi5. The latest one suggests that the phone will sport a 16 MP rear camera with dual LED flash. The front camera will be marked at 8 MP.

ChipsetXiaomi’s Mi5 will be among the first devices to sport the newest chipset, Snapdragon 820. Earlier, single-core score of the Snapdragon 820 was placed at 2162, which was quite underwhelming give that the latest A9 chipset from Apple has a score close to 2500. However, a new score of 2300 points was revealed by a popular leakster. Though it is still not on par with Apple, it is still a better score and keeps hopes alive for better performing devices next year.

Battery, Storage and Other DetailsThis power hungry device is set to pack a battery of 3,030 mAh with support for Quick Charge 3.0 technology. A fingerprint sensor can also be expected as many new devices are now coming out with it. Other features expected to be part of Mi5 include 4GB RAM and 16/64GB of Internal storage. Other rumored specs include 3 GB or 4 GB RAM, with a minimum of 32 GB internal storage. At the software end, the handset will run MIUI 7 based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

Design and Display:Earlier today, Weibo posted some images of the Mi5 in its black variant which has since been removed.The images concur with past renders of the device. The 5.2-inch QHD (1440×2560) AMOLED display of the device is also expected sports a slimming frame and a wide display, and a thick lower bezel.

Price and LaunchThe expected price of the Mi5 is around 1,999 Yuan (Rs. 20,500 approx.) Xiaomi is set to launch the Mi 5 on January 21st.

January 11, 2016

Xiaomi Launches Redmi 3 With a Massive 4,100 mAh Battery

In an official teaser released earlier, Xiaomi had mentioned 12th January as the official date for the global release of Xiaomi Redmi 3. As for China, the phone was launched there on Monday morning.

The specs of the phone include a 5 inch display with 1280 X 720 resolution, as had been revealed by the teaser earlier. It’s powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 processor, along with four cores marked at 1.2 GHz, and another four cores at 1.5 GHz.

Redmi 3 further has 16 GB of in-built storage expandable up to 128 GB via microSD card. The highlight of the device is its massive 4,100 mAh non-removable battery. It runs on MIUI 7 with no news about the Android version of the phone.

Redmi 3 has a 13 MP main camera with LED flash and 1080p full-HD video recording, and a 5 MP front camera also capable of full-HD recording. The phone is a dual SIM device capable of supporting one Micro-SIM and one Nano-SIM along with a microSD card; with an all-metal body, Redmi has a plaid design on the back and is priced at CNY 699 (about Rs. 7,000).

Specs	Xiaomi Redmi 3
Display	5-inch IPS LCD
Resolution	1280 X 720 (294 ppi)
Processor	octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 616
GPU	Adreno 405
Storage	16 GB
Rear Camera	13 MP, f/2.2, LED flash
Front Camera	5 MP, f/2.2
Expandability	128 GB
Battery	Non-removable 4,100 mAh
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, hotspot, Bluetooth v4.0, GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, microUSB v2.0
OS	MIUI 7
Price	CNY 699 (about Rs. 7,000), Price in India unannounced

January 11, 2016

Apple Working on a ‘Move to Android’ App

Update: Apple has denied the development of any such app. “There is no truth to this rumor. We are entirely focused on switching users from Android to iPhone, and that is going great”, says Apples spokesperson, Trudy Muller

Say hello to tech world where things keep getting stranger. Earlier we had talked about an app which allows you to shift from an Android device to iOS. Developed by Apple, the app is available on the Google Play Store and lets users transfer their images, contacts and other important data to an iPhone from their Android device.

Now there are rumours of Apple working on an app that allows iOS users to shift to Android. Though there is no news on when the app will be up and about, speculations about it have already begun. We can perhaps expect to see the move-to-android app sometime this year.

Reports emerging from the UK have suggested that many users stick with iOS simply to avoid the trouble of transferring or losing their data to an Android device. The app is being developed to ease such migrations from one OS to another.

Earlier, following the launch of ‘Move to iOS’, there had been an adequate response from the Android community as they mocked it with their own ‘Stick With Android’ app. Let’s see what response is triggered by this latest development.

January 11, 2016
BlackBerry Confirms Security Updates for BB 10, New Android Device for 2016

BlackBerry has seen a lot of ups and downs in the past couple of months. From being one of the most popular mobile brands at one time with its innovative BlackBerry Messenger to becoming a company struggling to keep itself on its feet -it has seen it all.

We recently heard rumours about how BlackBerry might be letting go of its operating system BB 10. However, these rumours have been proven false by a post on the official BlackBerry blog. John Chen, the company’s CEO revealed that the operating system is “far from” dead and that BlackBerry devices like Passport, Classic and other phones by the company running on BB 10 would receive updates for the operating system soon.

There will be security and privacy updates for BB 10 this year, along with an enhanced 10.3.4 version of the OS slated to arrive later this year with more security and privacy related features.

Additionally, BlackBerry which is all set to bring out more of its own Android devices in the future also confirmed that 2016 will see the launch of only one such device. Would you be willing to put your trust in BlackBerry’s Android devices?

Source

January 9, 2016
You Can Now Buy the Galaxy S5 for Rs. 17999

If you’re looking to buy a Samsung phone, now is the time. The Samsung Galaxy S5 is available in a sale at a price of Rs. 17,999. This price is for the Charcoal Black, Electric Blue and Copper Gold variants of the phone that can be purchased via the Flipkart app for mobile phones.

Rs. 17,999 is an excellent price for the 2014 flagship device of Samsung. The device is water resistant, among other cool specs that it includes.Galaxy S5 features a 5.1 inch Full HD Super AMOLED display, a 2 MP selfie camera capable of Full HD video recording and a 16 MP ISOCELL main camera with autofocus and LED flash.

Samsung Galaxy On5

On5 has seen a fall in prices too. All these devices can be purchased off Flipkart while the offers last. The On5 is priced at Rs. 7,990 from its initial Rs. 8,990. On5 is one Samsung’s first devices of the On-series.

The device sports a 5-inch (126.7mm) HD touchscreen display, and is equipped with a 5 MP front camera and an 8 MP main camera. It has 8 GB of internal storage and a 1.3GHz quad-core processor.

January 8, 2016
Pricing of the New Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge Revealed

We cannot stop talking about the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge all set to be unveiled on 21st February. The S7 frenzy is churning out rumours endlessly and here is the latest from the front.

A spec sheet put up on Weibo has revealed the expected pricing of the two smartphones. The 21 GB S7 is expected to be priced around $755 (close to Rs. 50,000), while the 32 GB S7 Edge will cost about $863 (close to Rs. 58,000). The 64 GB variant would cost about $85 (close to Rs.5,700) more than the price tag of the 32 GB variant. The spec sheet also reveals 12 MP main camera with f/1.7 lens, and 4 GB RAM for the two devices. We recently did a round-up of all the rumours of the S7 devices so far. Find out specs and other details of Samsung’s flagship smartphones on iGyaan and watch this space for the latest updates on S7 and S7 Edge.

January 8, 2016

Author: Rosheena Zehra

Specs

Xiaomi Redmi 3