Author: Sanket Vijay

Asus Launches Windows 10-Powered VivoBook with 4K Display

Asus has been on a spree, launching laptops both low-end and high-end. October has seen 4 laptops already by the company (three A-series and one ZenBook). The new laptops have been releasing with the new Windows 10 operating system. Many, if not all, OEMs have been slowly updating their existing and upcoming laptops with Windows 10. Asus launched the Asus ViviBook 4K on Monday. This laptop falls under the high-end bracket, similar to the ZenBook UX305LA.

As the name suggests, the Asus VivoBook 4K is a 4K UHD (2160×3840 pixel) laptop with wide 178-degree viewing angles. The model comes with a choice of fifth or sixth-generation Intel core i7 processor, with the base model powered by a dual-core Core i7-5500U. The VivoBook comes with 8 GB RAM (expandable to 12 GB), 2 TB hard drive storage or SSD, and NVIDIA GeForce 940M graphics.

Of course, the highlight of the VivoBook is its 4K UHD display. The 15.6-inch, 3840 x 2160 resolution display has 8 million pixels and a 282ppi pixel density. That’s about 4 times the pixel density of a standard Full HD display. The laptop will be available in Icicle Gold, Glacier Grey, Black, and Navy Blue colours.

Other features include a Super-Multi DVD player, a 3-in-1 card reader, a VGA camera, two USB 3.0 ports, a USB 2.0 port, an HDMI port, one VGA port, and one LAN RJ45 jack. The laptop also features 2W stereo speakers and a 2-cell 37Whr battery, and weighs about 2.3kg. The company has yet to unveil the price of the VivoBook, but since its understood that it is a high-end laptop similar to the ZenBook, you can expect the price tag anywhere between Rs. 80,000 – Rs. 1 lakh.

October 27, 2015
Tips and Tricks to Survive With a 16 GB iPhone

So you have a 16 GB iPhone and you don’t really know why. You just do. Or you might be planning to go for the new iPhone 6s series, but you’re not sure whether a 16 GB storage is worth it. Well, even we don’t know why Apple hasn’t already killed off the 16 GB variant. But the fact is that they haven’t and there are people around the world who have to deal with living with a 16 GB iPhone.

Moreover, it’s not really 16 GB, is it? It’s actually about 10 GB as Apple’s OS and pre-loaded apps like iBooks, Photo Booth and others eat up about one-third of your storage. So, considering all that, close to 10 GB is what you’re left with that you can actually call your own.

With new technology comes new, faster ways to fill up your limited storage. A single graphic-intense game like GTA can take up 1-2 GB of storage. An HD movie can take up to 5 GB. So 16 GB users feel the storage blues at least once a month. But don’t worry, we’re here to give you some tips and tricks on how you can easily manage with your 16 GB device.

1. HDR Comes With a Price

If you have an iPhone 4 or higher, you have the ability to take amazing High Dynamic Range (HDR) images. Yes, the images are crisp and spectacular, but heavy on your storage. What HDR does is that it combines multiple pictures at different exposures and then combines them to give you one great shot. This is what makes the camera in your iPhone one to beat.

But what HDR also does is that it saves the original picture as well, so that you can see and compare the detailing. Depending on whether the HDR has come out better or not, you can choose to keep the former and delete the latter, or vice versa. Either way, double photos take up double space, which is not good if you’re a 16 GB iPhone user. You can choose not to save your original photo if you know HDR images is what you want by going to Settings > Photos & Camera > Keep Normal Photo and unselecting it.

2. Thank God for Apple Music

Say what you may about Apple Music, but it is definitely a godsend for 16 GB iPhone users. One of the major storage eaters is music. We tend to store a lot of music because we need it for our morning office trips, exercising, studying, everything. And we tend not to realise that in our excitement to store every new song that takes our fancy, we eat up that precious storage space.

Along came Apple Music to save the day. The music streaming service that began three months ago lets you stream unlimited music and lets you add as many songs and albums to your library without taking a single megabyte.

To delete your stored music, head on over to Settings > General > Storage & iCloud Usage > Manage Storage > Music and left slide on artists you want to delete or delete them all together via All Songs. Once you’ve deleted all your songs, you can go nuts and start loading up your library with music from Apple Music that won’t leave a mark in your storage.

3. Get Religious

iPhone users have to practice a specific religion. This religion requires you to check in on your storage every once in a while, see the apps that are consuming a lot of storage, delete them, and download the app(s) again.

With a 16 GB storage, you can download any app you want. Go crazy with it as long as you remember to check back on them every once or twice a month. Apps like WhatsApp and Instagram take up a lot of space over time because of all media files that you end up downloading, or the hundreds of pictures you scroll through. When you find yourself approaching the 16 GB limit, head over to Settings > General > Usage > Manage Storage, find out whats bulking up and delete that app. You can always download the app again.

4. Don’t Let Your iPhone Download Without Your Permission

Apple tends to choose certain settings on your behalf. You may not even be aware of it until much later. One such setting is the Media Auto Download on WhatsApp, which is set on both Wi-Fi and Cellular by default. This means that any media file sent your way, be it in a group or individual, will automatically be downloaded to your media folder, whether you like it or not.

So, if you want to control the media you download, open WhatsApp and go to Setting > Chats and Calls > Media Auto-Download where you’ll find three separate options: Images, Audio and Video. You can then make the changes to each option accordingly.

5. iCloud’s the Limit

The best way to beat storage woes is to pay for it. Along with the launch of iOS 9, Apple also bumped up the storage offered on iCloud as well as cut the prices of its plans. You can now get 50 GB of cloud storage at Rs. 65 ($0.99) per month, 200 GB at Rs 190 ($2.99) and 1 TB at Rs. 650 ($9.99). That comes to around Rs. 650 a year for a the base tier, which is not bad considering a 64 GB iPhone would cost around Rs. 10,000 more. You can purchase more storage by going to Setting > iCloud > Storage and click on ‘Buy More Storage’.

To activate iCloud, all you have to do is go to Settings > iCloud and log in using your Apple ID. Once your Cloud is set up, you can choose the options like Photos, Mail, Contacts and Calendars that you want stored in the Cloud. Next thing you’ll want to do is go to Photos via settings and turn on the ‘iCloud Photo Library’ option so that your entire library gets uploaded in iCloud.

6. Stay Up-to-Date

By this we mean always be on the latest update. iOS 9 has made some neat changes and the company has tried to focus on storage solutions more than ever before. Apple also introduced “app thinning”, which is a combination of enhancements that result in apps taking only as much space as they need in the moment. With this feature, developers are working on improving their apps so that it doesn’t take up unnecessary space.

Apple has also reduced the amount of storage space required by the iOS 9 OTA update from 4.6 GB to 1.3 GB. The difference won’t show in your storage, however. iOS 9 doesn’t free up storage for users, but it does make updating your iPhone easier with lighter files over the air.

October 27, 2015
Apple Gets Sued Over iOS 9 Wi-Fi Assist Feature

It seems everyone loves to sue Apple left, right and center these days. And sometimes the lawsuits come from the most unexpected reasons possible. In one such case, a California-based couple has filed a class-action lawsuit accusing Apple for not informing iPhone owners of the potential data charges over Wi-Fi assist. The feature silently uses cellular data when Wi-Fi quality is poor. According to the plaintiffs, this feature has caused over $5 million in data charges to potentially affected customers.

Apple has a tendency to add new features and set defaults without informing users. This is part of Apple’s philosophy of deciding features for users so that they don’t have to, and letting them discover the features on their own, if they can. While most features do not actually dip into your pockets and are quietly working in the background, others can cost you, if you’re not aware of it.

Wi-Fi Assist was added in iOS 9 to ensure that you get seamless internet connectivity at all times. But apparently, the feature does more harm than good, according to some people. The exact damage is not known, yet. The lawsuit doesn’t mention the amount of charges incurred with W-Fi Assist, though the couple believe that it exceeds $5 million. In the off chance that the couple actually do win the lawsuit, this could be potentially problematic for companies like Samsung as well, who have also implemented similar Wi-Fi boosts.

October 26, 2015
Samsung and Xiaomi to Incorporate 3D Touch-like Technology in Future Devices
3D Touch is the new cool thing in town and everyone wants to have a piece of it. It is indeed true that the touch-sensitive feature has opened up new possibilties in the way your phones works for you. It is also a feature many gaming companies are excited to ‘tap into’. We had earlier reported that Samsung was in talks with Synaptics to bring the 3D Touch feature seen in Apple’s iPhone 6s series into its 2016 flagship Galaxy S7. Samsung plans on calling it ClearForce.

Now, fresh rumours suggest that Samsung is not the only brand looking to incorporate the pressure sensitive feature into its phones. 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 Mi5 announcement has been delayed.

G for Games cited Weibo that said that Xiaomi is working on a 3D Touch-like feature for its upcoming devices. Whether Xiaomi is going solo on this project or is seeking help from Synaptics (as it did with the Mi 4c, which uses Synaptics’ ClearPad S3708 capacitive touch controller) is not yet known. Meanwhile, Synaptic claims that its ClearForce technology will be superior to 3D Touch feature.

ClearForce – What We Know So Far

For those unaware, 3D Touch enables the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus to understand three distinct levels of pressure. This, then, enables new gestures such as Peek and Pop that lets you quickly see inside an app without actually having to open it. Users need to press the screen lightly to get a ‘Peek’ at a photo, email, web page or other content, and if pressed a little deeper, they can ‘Pop’ into the content itself.

ClearForce, on the other hand, is planning to take the feature up a notch. From what we know so far, the ClearForce technology, besides the expected 3D Touch functions, will have the ability to understand the difference between speed scrolling, zoom, gaming, texting and even operate photo editing tools by noting subtle variable pressure on the surface. Some of the new features, according to Synaptics, are as follows:
- Variable speed scrolling
- Picture zoom and panning
- Function preview and selection
- Continuously variable gaming control functions
- Unlock and wake up
- Right-side mouse click behavior (open contextual menus)
- Line thickness control while drawing (e.g., when writing Chinese characters and creating artwork)
- Image editing (brightness, contrast, saturation)
- Upper case and symbol selection (to bypass keyboard mode changes)
The rumoured tie-up between Xiaomi and Synaptics is not yet confirmed and we will have to wait and see for more information on that. Synaptics has also mentioned that it plans to work with other OEMs as well. So we could see brands other than Samsung and Xiaomi making use of ClearForce in the months to come.
October 26, 2015
Diwali Gift Guide : Smartwatches You Can Buy in India Right Now

Technology has always strived to make lives easier by the year. So much so that it requires you to not move an inch and still get work done. As a result, people are becoming lazier by the day. The only trade-off is that you look cooler. So, there’s that. We have come a long way from landlines, to cordless, to mobile phones, and now smartphones.

You know technology has progressed by how things become smaller and lighter. So your gigantic box of a PC has evolved into a laptop. Your laptop then transformed into a tablet. But it’s really not cool enough until you’re able to wear your tech. So now the world is seeing a move towards wearable technology. Enter the smartwatch.

Granted that smartwatches aren’t new. They’ve been around since the 90s if you think about it. The idea today is to have a watch that is more than something that tells you the time. Smartwatches not only work like a phone, but they also come with fitness features that look to get you into shape. They are here to counter what other techs have turned you into.

The Apple Watch is coming to India in November and the Samsung Gear S2 is likely to follow soon. So if you’re in the mood to get into the wearable tech trend, we have some suggestions for smartwatches currently popular in the Indian market.

Sony Smartwatch 3

Sony’s smartwatches so far have been consistent with design.The Smartwatch 2 came out in 2013 and was popular because it worked with all Android 4.0 devices at the time, whereas Samsung’s Galaxy Gear smartwatch worked only with Samsung own Galaxy devices.

The Sony Smartwatch 3 was unveiled at IFA 2014 and comes with a 1.2GHz Quad-core ARM Cortex A7 processor, 512 MB RAM and 4 GB eMMC. One of the main talking points about the Smartwatch 3 is that it comes with built-in GPS connectivity. The sports styling makes it perfect for daily wear. The square design is similar to the Apple Watch and is not too big for your wrists.

The display is a little dull compared to its competitors, but you do get to wirelessly connect it to a headphone for music on the go. You’ll also get a day of battery life, though Sony promises two days. The Android Wear Smartwatch 3 is available on Amazon and Snapdeal for Rs. 15,900 and Rs. 14,585, respectively.

[tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://www.amazon.in/Sony-SmartWatch-3-SWR50-Black/dp/B00P7ATIR4/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1445672753&sr=1-1&keywords=sony+smartwatch+3&tag=igyaan-21″]Buy Now[/tw-button]

Samsung Gear Live

Samsung Gear Live is an Android Wear smartwatch that came out last year. The Gear Live is powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core CPU with 512 MB RAM and 4 GB storage.The smartwatch has a sleek metal design that makes it one of the more attractive looking devices in the market. And unlike Samsung’s previous smartwatches like the Gear 2, this one works with all Android devices.

You also get features like heart rate monitor, and a 320×320 AMOLED display, which looks crisp and bright indoors. However, there are some cons to the device as well. The charger is hard to use and while Samsung Gear Live has a great display when viewed indoors, the outdoor visibility in the Gear Live is surprisingly quite poor.

Samsung’s Gear Live is priced at Rs. 10,000, which is decent for the features that it provides. You can find the watch on Flipkart.

[tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://www.flipkart.com/samsung-gear-live-smartwatch/p/itme9gy5n7v38cav?pid=SMWE9GY5TDQGSAPG&ref=L%3A-3629855610127366391&srno=p_1&query=Samsung+Gear+s&otracker=from-search&affid=bhnagpalgm”]Buy Now[/tw-button]

Moto 360

The Moto 360 was one of the most anticipated devices of 2014. The 360 is for the circular frame of the watch, though it doesn’t quite give you a complete 360-degree viewing due to a small bar at the bottom of the screen.

The watch is made of metal and is dust and water resistant. The size of the watch is something that has seen polarizing responses. While some feel that the watch is too big for the wrists, other who are used to G-Shock-like watches are satisfied with the 360.

The 360 has a 1.5-inch display with Gorilla Glass 3 and 320×290 resolution, which is not exactly the best in the business. It is an Android Wear 1.0 watch and runs on 1 GHz Cortex A8 processor with 512 MB RAM and 4GB storage. The 360 is a great device, and one one of the better smartwatches to go for if you’re willing to shell out Rs. 14,000. The device gives you everything you need from a smartwatch and the traditional circular design looks great. You can find the Moto 360 on Flipkart.

[tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://www.flipkart.com/motorola-moto-360-smartwatch/p/itmdzrf56agybrvt?pid=SMWDZRF4FGYP9KXE&ref=L%3A-7023244988881157195&srno=p_1&query=moto+360&otracker=from-searchhttp://www.flipkart.com/samsung-gear-live-smartwatch/p/itme9gy5n7v38cav?pid=SMWE9GY5TDQGSAPG&ref=L%3A-3629855610127366391&srno=p_1&query=Samsung+Gear+s&otracker=from-search&affid=bhnagpalgm”]Buy Now[/tw-button]

Alcatel One Touch

The Alcatel One Touch looks like a poor man’s Moto 360. The circular display, steel casing and flat bottom gives you a Moto 360 feel. The Alcatel, however, is one of the smallest circular smartwatches out there. At 1.2-inches, the watch is very petiit and this may put off some consumers.

Here’s the thing about smartwatches. Big displays can be just as annoying as tiny ones. The problem many brands face is to bring that perfect size to the smartwatch while having all the features and toys intact. Because of its size, the Alcatel loses out on many features, and this in turn brings the price down as well, which makes the watch quite affordable.

The Alcatel One Touch goes for simplicty. This is why the watch runs on the company’s own OS rather than Android Wear. You can work the watch from your iOS or Android device and the companion app is just as simple. You’ll figure out how to work with the watch in less than five minutes. The small watch gives a big battery life that can run for a good 2-3 days based on usage, which is more than any other in this list. The One Touch is priced at Rs. 7,999 on Flipkart.

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October 26, 2015

Huawei Announces Availability of the Nexus 6P in India

The recently launched flagship Nexus phone, the Nexus 6P, will be available in India starting November. The phone has been up for pre-orders on Flipkart and other offline retailers since October 13. The response for the the Nexus 6P has been very positive and Huawei has ensured a smooth supply-demand cycle. The company will send out the smartphones in batches to be delivered across India from the first week of November.

The 6P features a 5.7-inch QHD touchscreen, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 chipset, with 3 GB RAM, a 3450mAh battery, and a USB Type-C port. The camera sports a 12.3MP sensor with laser autofocus, dual-LED flash at the rear and a rather impressive 8MP on the front. This pure Android phone will run on the latest Marshmallow operating system.

The Nexus 6P is priced at Rs. 39,999 for the 32GB, Rs. 42,999 for the 64GB, and Rs. 47,999 for the 128GB variant. The handset is currently out of stock on Flipkart due to overwhelming responses. Have a look at the specs list below to know everything about the Nexus 6P.

Specs	Nexus 6P
Display	5.7-inch QHD Corning Gorilla Glass 4
Resolution	2560 x 1440 pixels, 518 ppi
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon octa-core 810 v2.1
GPU	Adreno 430
RAM	3 GB
Storage	32 GB/ 64 GB/ 128 GB
Rear Camera	12.3 MP, laser autofocus, dual-LED flash
Front Camera	8 MP, 720p@30fps
Expandability	N/A
Battery	3450mAh battery
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac; Wi-Fi MIMO support; Bluetooth 4.0 LE; GSM bands 850/1900; 3G bands; GPS with AGPS; NFC, USB Type-C
OS	Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Price	Rs. 39,999 (32 GB)/ Rs. 42,999 (64 GB)/ Rs. 47,999 (128 GB)

October 24, 2015

Nokia Might Be Planning to Enter the Wearables Business

The whole world is moving towards wearables. So, it’s only right for Nokia to get into the game as well. The company recently amended its Articles of Association to include consumer wearables. This happens to come around the time when rumours are afloat that Nokia is planning on a smartwatch or bracelet that focuses on health and well being.

You may have heard that Nokia was planning to launch a smartwatch last year that was codenamed ‘Moonraker’ that had many of the aesthetics of the modern Windows phone. However, the project was scrapped after Microsoft took over presumably because Microsoft had its own Band in the work.

Nokia Moonraker

Two years ago, Nokia had filed a patent for a smart wearable that looked more like a bracelet than a watch, with multiple screen for different functions. We are not sure whether Nokia plans to begin working on its past projects again or if it’s looking to work on something entirely different. But the change in the corporation papers shows signs that Nokia is ready to bring out its smartwatch or bracelet soon.

Nokia has a tough challenge ahead if it really is working on consumer wearables. Today, smart wearable is what is getting the tech world pumped, and traditional watchmaking brands like Fossil are also getting into the game. The competition is stiff and Nokia will have to come out with something unique if they want to stand a chance.

October 24, 2015
HTC Exec Defends One A9’s Design: “It’s Apple that Copies Us”

HTC unveiled the One A9 a few days ago that brought a whirlwind of criticism for its apparent iPhone rip-off. There is no doubt that the One A9 is basically a slightly cheaper iPhone clone, at least in terms of design. And while HTC knew what it was getting itself into with its newest device, the company’s executive has come out with a statement in defense of the One A9.

A senior HTC executive said that it was in fact Apple who originally copied one of their designs for the iPhone 6. “We’re not copying. We made a unibody metal-clad phone in 2013. It’s Apple that copies us in terms of the antenna design on the back,” said HTC’s North Asia President Jack Tong.

The phone being referred to here is the HTC One M7 that came out a year before the iPhone 6. While it is true that the iPhone 6’s metal unibody design has certain likeliness to the M7, what Apple has done is create a phone that looks uniquely their own, just as HTC did with the M7 to M9 phones. Have a look at 2013’s One M7 below.

The One M7 was truly a beautifully crafted phone. It had a full-metal unibody design with a curved back and dual front-facing speakers. The company continued this design with the M8 and M9 as well, and rightly so. The iPhone 6 did copy some elements from the One M7, there is no denying that. Apple has done it before and will do it again.

It is a fact that companies borrow inspiration from each other almost always. But what doesn’t sit well with the new HTC phone is that the company has not even tried to make something different here. The HTC One A9 looks like the new iPhone 6 and 6s in almost every way.

Source: [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news/content?id=20151022000093&cid=1102″]WantChinaTimes[/tw-button]

October 24, 2015
This is What Apple Music Could Look Like on Android

Apple haters may hate a lot of things about Apple’s products, but there is one thing that moves beyond hate. Music. And Apple haters and loyalists alike love music. There was a time when Apple revolutionized the way we listen to music with the iPod. But early this year saw the end to the classic iPod. To continue its goal to redefine music, Apple launched the Apple Music.

Apple Music is currently an iOS-only music streaming platform that gives you access to millions of songs from the company’s iTunes library. And for a basic monthly subscription, you can listen to unlimited music. This was Apple’s promise, and this is what they have delivered.

The Apple Music is actually quite brilliant. It gives the most popular music streaming platform today (Spotify) a run for its money. The reason being is that Apple Music is personal. Apple has put a lot of thought in the way the music service works for you. From curated playlists that have about 12-15 songs, which is just right, to Beats Radio, and Connect that lets you see what your favorite artist is up to. There is everything a music lover could ask for. But iOS users already know this. So why are we saying it now? It’s because Apple had promised that its music streaming service will come to Android soon as well.

The company said that Apple Music will be available for Android users this fall, which is any time now. Some screenshots published by Mobile Geeks show what Apple Music could look like for Android, and it’s pretty much what you’d expect. All the main features of Apple Music is present. Users will navigate Apple Music by using a slide-out menu accessible through the hamburger icon or via a swipe from the left side.

The For You section that shows curated playlists and artists based on your choice of music and genre, along with New, Beats 1 radio. Connect and My Music are all there. Presumably the My Music will link your phone’s music folder so all your songs are in one place. For iOS users the Apple Music was a natural extension to the Music app.

So, Android users in India will soon have the option to jump on to the Apple Music service. There are already a few music streaming platforms in India like Wynk, Saavn, Gaana and Hungama, that are pretty good. It is likely that Apple will provide a 3-months free trial of Apple Music for Android users as well. So once the app is out, give it a whirl and see if this is the service for you. The monthly subscription for iOS users is Rs. 120 for individuals and Rs. 180 for families. For Android users, the cost is likely to be around the same.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1zs0uHHoSw

October 24, 2015

Nexus 5X: Unboxing and Hands On

As you all know, Google’s Nexus 5X was launched in India on October 13, 2015. We managed to get our hands on the 5X and did a quick unboxing and setup of the device.

The Nexus 5X comes with a 5.2-inch FHD display, USB Type-C which allows almost 4 hours of battery post a 10-minute charging routine, and is available in three colours – Carbon black, Quartz white and Ice blue.

It is further packed with a 2 GB RAM, Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 chipset and OS Android Marshmallow 6.0. On the camera front, the device comes equipped with a 12.3 MP rear camera and a 5 MP selfie camera. The smartphone is capable of capturing 4K and slow-motion videos, making this phone the most advanced multimedia Nexus device to date.

The Nexus 5X is priced at Rs, 31,990 for the 16 GB variant and Rs. 35,990 for the 32 GB variant. We will have a full hands on review of the Nexus 5X soon.

Specification	LG Nexus 5X
Display	5.2-inch Full HD IPS (1920 x 1080 / 423ppi)
Resolution	1080 x 1920 pixels (~424 ppi pixel density)
Chipset	1.8 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 808
CPU	Quad-core 1.44 GHz Cortex-A53 & dual-core 1.82 GHz Cortex-A57
GPU	Adreno 418
RAM	2 GB LPDDR3 RAM
Front Camera	5 MP with F/2.0 Aperture
Rear Camera	Up to 12.3 MP with F/2.0 Aperture
Storage	16 or 32 GB eMMC ROM
Expandability	NA
Battery	2,700 mAh (embedded)
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac / Bluetooth 4.2 / NFC / Type-C USB
Operating System	Android OS, v6.0 (Marshmallow)
Price	Rs. 31,990/ Rs. 35,990

October 24, 2015

Nike Made ‘Back to the Future’ Self-Lacing Sneakers a Reality

Just when we thought Back to the Future Day couldn’t get any better after the new Hendo Hoverboard news, we find out that Nike has done the impossible! The shoemaking giant has lived up to its name and has finally made the Back to the Future’s self-lacing shoes a reality.

The company had been teasing something big on Twitter a few days ago that got fans all excited. You would be too if you read this tweet.

.@realmikefox see you tomorrow.

— Nike (@Nike) October 21, 2015

The tweet was for Micheal J, Fox, who played Marty McFly in Back to the Future. As you all must be knowing by now that October 21, 2015 was celebrated as Back to the Future Day around the world. This is because this is the date to which Marty and Doc Brown travel to in 1989’s Back to the Future II. In the film’s version of 2015, Marty gets a pair of self-lacing Nike Mags sneakers, among other futuristic toys. And yes, they were the coolest kicks in 2015.

On Thursday, Nike made the ‘future’ happen by launching the self-tying shoes in the best way possible: by having Micheal J. Fox try out the first pair. And it was a beautiful sight to see.

Micheal J. Fox was as excited as anyone else about how the ‘future’ has finally arrived, and expressed his joy on Twitter.

This is real. This is today. Coming spring 2016. cc: @RealMikeFox @Nike pic.twitter.com/KPswXNojvA

— michaeljfox.org (@MichaelJFoxOrg) October 21, 2015

The company announced a possible 2016 release for the shoes. The announcement also mentions that the shoes are limited edition models at the present and will first be sold via auction with all the proceeds going to the Michael J. Foundation for Parkinson’s Research some time next year.

“By imagining the future, we create it,” reads the statement from Nike. “Product that comes alive, with on-demand comfort and support when you need, product that senses you and adapts to you is right around the corner.”

Laces on Nike MAG tighten when person slips on shoes, also manually adjustable pic.twitter.com/1l3I9gokGm

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) October 21, 2015

It might be a while before these sneakers hit the market, but right now we can simply take pleasure in seeing that the McFly shoes are now a real thing. This is the future, and it looks really good.

October 24, 2015
The Apple Watch is Finally Coming to India

Apple is all set to launch the Apple Watch in India. The company’s India website now features a Watch option on the top along with other Apple products. The smartwatch will hit the stores on November 6th, according to the website.

The Apple Watch was first unveiled in March and began rolling out in April with a few countries at a time. The Watch is available in two variants – 38 mm and 42 mm. The US price of the Apple Watch’s base Sport model is $349 (around Rs. 23,000), which can be expected to cost close to Rs. 30,000 in India. The company has launched close to 34 combinations of the Watch with prices going as high as $10,000 for the Watch edition.

Apple has been mum on how well the Apple Watch has been doing. The company has also refused to disclose how many units it has sold till date. Apple CEO Tim Cook said that the information was privileged and that he didn’t want to “help the competition.” That hasn’t stopped analysts trying to come up with an estimate. Some analysts have said that Apple has managed to ship 4.2 million units in the last three months.

Apple recently unveiled the new watchOS 2, the updated system software for the Apple Watch, which brought features like activation lock, native apps, email reply and more. You can also use Messenger on the Apple Watch.

The biggest challenge is whether the Indian market is ready for wearable technologies like a smartwatch. It may be a while before consumers are ready to have something expensive around their wrists, and initial sales may not be as big as one is used to when an Apple product launches in India. However, the news has already gotten Indian developers building apps for the Watch, and some of the first ones include the likes of Cleartrip, HDFC Bank app, and Avaamo among others.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ql0Z8Il73s

October 23, 2015
Samsung Officially Launches the Galaxy On5 and On7 Smartphones

Lately, we’ve been hearing a lot about Samsung’s newest budget phones, the Galaxy On5 and On7. The devices were briefly listed in the companies website a few days ago and we understood some specs of the devices. Samsung has now officially launched the phones and here’s what we know.

The On5 and On7 are pretty similar to each other and are equipped with a 1.3 GHz 32-bit quad-core Samsung Exynos 3475 processor paired with a Mali-T720 MP1 GPU and 1.5 GB of RAM. The phones come with a really low 8 GB internal storage, but are expandable up to 128 GB via MicroSD slot.

The Galaxy On7 and the Galaxy On5 feature 5.5-inch and 5.0-inch Super AMOLED display, respectively. Another point of difference between them is the camera. The Galaxy On5 has an 8-megapixel rear camera while the On7 houses a 13-megapixel sensor rear, and they both sport a 5-megapixel front. Meanwhile, the On7 has a bigger 3000mAh battery compared to On5’s 2,600mAh.

Samsung has in all likelihood cut down on bloatware for the two devices seeing as it comes only with an 8 GB internal storage. However, even with reduced bloatware, an 8 GB phone will be a tough sell for buyers. One will have to wait and see how people take to Samsung’s new phones.

As far as pricing is concerned there has been no word on it yet, though the expected prices stand at $150 for the On5 and around $200 for the On7. The phones are expected to launch in markets outside China in the next few months.

October 23, 2015
Instagram’s New Boomerang App Lets You Create 1-second GIF-Like Videos

Over the past few months, Instagram has been playing around with some new features to bring the app out of a stale mode. A couple of months ago, the photo-sharing app introduced a landscape feature that helped Instagram break free from its traditional square photos. Last night, Instagram brought a new feature that allows users to make GIF-like videos that go forward and backwards in a loop.

The standalone app is called ‘Boomerang’ and it is available for iOS and Android users. The app is very easy to use. It takes a burst of 10 photos and turns it into a 1-second video loop. So if you find something moving and feel it would make for a fun, interesting loop, just point and shoot and the app will do the rest. Once your GIF-like video is ready, you can share it on Instagram or Facebook.

Photos can be taken in portrait or landscape mode and the final video will be saved to your camera roll. The app is fast and simple to use and doesn’t require users to have Instagram accounts.

Facebook-owned Instagram introduced the new app last night in a blog post. “Transform an ordinary selfie with your friends into a funny video. Get that exact moment when your friend blows out his birthday candles, then watch them come back to life again and again.” Watch the video below to get a better idea of how Boomerang works.

https://vimeo.com/143161189

Boomerang is the third standalone app introduced by Instagram. Last August, it introduced ‘Hyperlapse’ for time lapse videos using stabilization technology, and earlier this year it came out with ‘Layout’ that lets you create photo collages.

The app is kind of like Apple’s new Live Photos feature on the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus that takes Harry Potter-esque moving images. Instagram is looking to make its five year old photo sharing app vibrant again with Boomerang. The idea is to bring something new that will especially attract the teen demographic. At only 12.1 MB, the app is super light and a delight to use. Download the app now and look for moments around you worth capturing and repeating.

October 23, 2015
Facebook Admits its App is Sucking Your iPhone’s Battery Dry

Last week we had mentioned that the Facebook app for iOS may be the reason why your iPhone’s battery is draining faster than usual. Facebook has now confirmed that it is indeed their iOS app that is causing the battery issue. Many users have reported that the Facebook app in the battery menu shows as consuming quite a bit of battery even when usage is at a minimum.

“We found a few key issues and have identified additional improvements, some of which are in the version of the app that was released today,” wrote Facebook’s Ari Grant yesterday.

The first issue we found was a “CPU spin” in our network code. A CPU spin is like a child in a car asking, “Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?”with the question not resulting in any progress to reaching the destination. This repeated processing causes our app to use more battery than intended. The version released today has some improvements that should start making this better.

Indeed, Facebook did come out with an iOS update yesterday (as it usually does every 2 weeks for improvement in speed and reliability). The update description did not mention any ‘bug’ fixes, but going by the word of Grant, you may start seeing some improvements once you’ve updated the app.

Another issue for battery drain is due to the way Facebook handles audio playback. “If you leave the Facebook app after watching a video, the audio session sometimes stays open as if the app was playing audio silently. This is similar to when you close a music app and want to keep listening to the music while you do other things, except in this case it was unintentional and nothing kept playing. The app isn’t actually doing anything while awake in the background, but it does use more battery simply by being awake,” Grant said, promising that their new fixes will solve this issue and will remove background audio completely.

You can download the update now, if you haven’t already. Don’t expect the update to solve all the battery issues at once. It may take a couple of more updates for Facebook to completely be rid of bugs that are sucking all the juice.

Source: [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”https://www.facebook.com/arig/posts/10105815276466163?pnref=story”]Facebook[/tw-button]

October 23, 2015