Author: Happy Nagashetti

Apple is About to Add Some Beats to its iOS Devices

Apple’s acquisition was a big news for the music industry. This multi-billion dollar deal gave Hip-Hop its first billionaire in Dr. Dre. There were no clear directions though as to what the company was planning to do with the popular audio equipment brand. Looks like the first step in the Apple-Beats saga is about to unveil itself. Financial Times reports that the Cupertino-based tech giant will be integrating Beats Music app on all the iPhone and iPads.

Beats Music is a subscription-based music service that uses algorithms to curate music according to your interests. Beats also has tie-ups with some of the major labels in the music industry and thus, has a huge library of songs that you can listen. The songs are downloadable, so you can listen to the tunes when you are not online. The service will be a part of the default offerings of Apple such as iMovie, Garageband amongst others.

By forcing the Beats Music on its customers, Apple will be benefitting a lot. The company already has iTunes that let you buy music, but with this music streaming service, the company can take on market leaders like Spotify. Be ready for some Apple power, dear music industry.

November 20, 2014
BitBite is Your Mom on the Move, Tells You to Eat Right and Chew Slowly

Eating healthy is hard. With the massive amount of junk food options in the market to gobble up, a healthy diet takes a back seat. So how do you keep fit in the times when you have to be on the move and eat fast to get back to work? Your mom cannot be everywhere with you to make sure you eat right, but one tinsy tiny gadget might just take her place to maintain your eating habit.

Say hello to BitBite, a tiny wearable that slips comfortably in your ear and using sound and motion, observes if you are eating right and chewing through. This wearable tracks what you eat, when you eat and how you eat. Using the analysis of sound and tracking patterns of your jaw movement, it observes what you eat. In the future, the device will be able to suggest you healthy alternatives to what you are eating.

The mobile app does the number crunching and analyzes your eating habits.

According to the creators of the device, this minuscule device was developed in co-operation with dieticians and nutritionists. It contains a microphone and additional sensors that record and perform initial processing of the incoming sounds, after which the smartphone app takes care of the number crunching bit. Fortunately, unlike your mom, you can turn it off when you are really in a mood to indulge into some gooey goodness.

If you don’t want to join the BlueDouche tribe, then there are some other options to get BitBite by which can start healthy grubbing. The device gives you the option of wearing it on your lapel with a clip in a wristband. It functions as a regular Bluetooth device when not eating.

There are multiple attachments for the BitBite.

The device works with both iOS and Android devices. The company has achieved 75% of its initial goal of $60,000 on Indiegogo, with 22 days still left to go.

Well, it’s great to see what you eat but it’s also great to indulge once in a while. We as humans have invented a plethora of amazing foods that varies with the palate of different places. Eating right is just a part of healthy living; it’s also important to exercise and drink loads of water. But it is great to see how technology can be used for the benefit of an average person, and with apps like Google Fit, it’s easier than ever to stay fit. So after reading this, get up and do some jumping jacks for your sake.

November 20, 2014
Jolla Achieves Crowdfunding Target in a Day for its New Tablet

Jolla, the Sailfish OS-powered company formed by ex-Nokia employees, is ready to launch its first tablet. The company’s phone has been appreciated for its innovative new OS and features and is said to be a good challenger to the predominant market powers of Android and iOS.

The company had launched a crowd funding campaign on indiegogo to fund its latest tablet. The popularity of the company can be assessed by the fact that it has achieved its funding target of $380,000 in just a day. As of now, they have achieved in access of 228% of their original goal and are fast approaching a million dollars.

The tablet in itself looks sexy as hell with its dual tone color scheme. It has a 7.85-inch 2048×1536 pixels display at a density of 330ppi, which would be capable of capturing some stunning visuals. The tablet will run on the upcoming Sailfish 2.0 operating system.

Jolla tablet will be powered by a 1.8GHz quad-core 64 bit processor along with 2 GB RAM. The 32 GB of internal storage comes with an expandable option which will let you use the full potential of the amazing display. It gets its juice from a 4300 mAh battery, which is smaller than most of its competition, so we have to wait till the tablet comes out to judge the battery performance of the device.

The camera on the device is equivalent to the iPad Mini 3. It has a 5MP main camera and a 2MP front camera. Where the device wins, is its price; the company promised a $189 price tag and is $60 cheaper than the upcoming Nokia N1 and almost half of the iPad Mini.

From its first look, the tablet looks great but the fact still remains that the tablet market is in a state of slowdown. In a time when large screen phones have dissuaded people from going tablet, it would be interesting to see if Jolla’s fresh new approach to tablet would be appreciated by the market. We just have to wait till May 2015 when the tablet starts shipping.

November 20, 2014
Google Summons Artificial Intelligence to Boost Image Search

Google’s image search is one of the best offerings from the search giant. It has helped millions of students to easily finish their projects a night before submission. It has also helped folks get easy access to the database of images that they can use for free without crediting the source. It also comes handy when using shopping apps that let you look for products by just clicking an image. With a variety of options to search for the perfect image, this is the go-to address for anyone looking for images. Now Google is bringing in Artificial Intelligence (AI) to boost the performance of this valuable tool even further.

The project is led in partnership with Stanford University. The AI system is said to have the most advanced image recognition skills in the world. It is able to recognise the contents of the image better than any other tool out there.
The new system being an AI system is capable of learning from its actions. The researchers feed the system with images and captions. It then recognizes the relation between the caption and image and uses the information for the next search.

The new system being an AI system is capable of learning from its actions. The researchers feed the system with images and captions. It then recognises the relation between the caption and image and uses the information for the next search.

The team believes that there are multiple uses of technologies like this. They speculate that soon the teams will be ready to help the blind understand images and provide alternate text for images in parts of the world where mobile connections are slow. This, apart from the obvious use of helping folks, let’s find the right image on Google.

Though the uses of this new system sound amazing, there are certain concerns. First of all, this technology can come really handy for surveillance. There are already concerns about the privacy rights of citizens in this CCTV camera-aided Big Boss state we live in now, where all our actions are captured wherever we go. It might also lead to a system like the one in the movie Eagle Eye. Tesla founder Elon Musk has recently stated that getting Artificial Intelligence online is like summoning the demon, and we won’t be able to control it. Google’s new system is more powerful than all other systems. But they should definitely create an off switch, just in case.

November 19, 2014
Falling Sales Lead Samsung to Decrease its Smartphone Portfolio By 25-30 Percent

Things haven’t been great for Samsung lately. The company’s phones are being berated for their generic designs and offering low specs at high price. It is also facing a profit margin that is lower than before it unveiled the Galaxy line of phones. Looking at the numbers, it can be said that the company is going on a reinvention drive.

It was reported just a few days back that the company was launching ‘Project Zero’ to reinvent its next flagship from scratch. This model will be an inspiration that can be later carried down the food chain. But apart from creating a new product, the South Korean giant will shelve as much as a quarter of its devices.

Head of Investor Relations Robert Yi has said that the cuts in the portfolio can be up to 25 to 30 percent. Presently, Samsung’s margins from its mobile and information technology business squeezed to just 7% in the third quarter that ended September. It is at the lowest level since the end of 2008, before it launched its first Galaxy smartphone. This should be worrisome as the mobile business has almost become the face of the company, and a loss would severely affect the company’s perception in the eyes of its consumers.

Samsung is also getting beat by brands like Xiaomi, Motorola and local brands who are rapidly clearing the dominance of Samsung devices in the market. The company got a massive jolt this year when it dropped to second spot in India and China. This must have finally led the company to see the light and create a new strategy.

It’s not sure as of yet as to what devices will get the boot but considering the massive stock of the Grands and Primes and Autobots and Decepticons, there is a scope for decreasing the number of devices in the portfolio. The company is also targeting the mid and lower segment of the market where the maximum volume of the sales takes place.

Samsung has the potential and resources for beating Xiaomi at its own game. It even has enough financial cushioning to take some unwanted hits. So, it would be advisable to Samsung to take on some more serious risks and give the consumers an offering that will actually be aspirational.

November 19, 2014
Micromax Launches Cyanogen-Powered Brand ‘Yu’ for Advanced Users

Micromax, the second biggest smartphone company in India, has some great plans for the upcoming future. Now with the intention of providing a unique user experience, the company unveiled their new brand called Yu.

According to the company’s Yu Televentures, will be a wholly owned subsidiary of Micromax Informatics. It’s the offspring of a tie-up between Micromax and Cyanogen. Cyanogen is, of course, known world over for making one of the best custom ROM’s for Android smartphones. So this tie-up will surely mean good things for the Indian consumers.

Micromax co-founder Rahul Sharma said “This will be a game changer, not just in India, but globally too. Yu has been envisioned for building an ecosystem of connected devices and offer customized experience to users.”

Considering the use for a device with heavy customizability is for advanced users, the products of the brand Yu will be sold online. The company is currently in talks with e-commerce companies to pave a path for the roll out of these devices. The first device from this brand will be introduced next month.

In line with the open source nature of Cyanogen, Yu will be setting up a forum where the users can contribute with ideas and tweaks for the operating system. The suggestions from this forum might get incorporated in the fortnightly updates. For folks who complain about the unavailability of updates on Indian manufacturers, this should be welcoming news.

November 18, 2014
The Secret’s Out! Nokia Unveils N1, a Tablet that Runs on Android

Hell yeah! That’s what we said when we finally saw what was inside that black box that Nokia teased us with this morning. Having paid a tribute to the company last week we couldn’t have been happier with the launch of a new digital device with the name Nokia branded on it.

The Nokia N1 is the first device from the company in its new era. The 7.9 inch device immediately reminds you of the iPad mini. With a thickness of 6.9 mm, the device is as thin as a tablet can get. It will also be the first device to come with the new reversible c-type USB.

First device to come with the new reversible USB

The N1 also comes strong on the spec sheet. The device is powered by 2.4GHz quad-core Intel Atom Z3580 processor along with 2GB of RAM. It has 32GB of storage. It gets its juice from 5300 mAh battery. All these will lead to some amazing performance on the 2048 x 1536 resolution display on the device.

On the camera front, the Nokia N1 flaunts an 8-megapixel camera at the rear, and a 5-megapixel version at the front. The overall design of the device is unapologetically iPad-ish. Looks like Nokia isn’t taking a lot of chances with its first attempt back in consumer electronic business and is taking it safe.

The Z-launcher on the N1 has some unique features.

A feature of the N1 that is unique to it is the Z-launcher that is based on Android 5.0 Lollipop. The Z-launcher lets you write text on the screen, and it can then perform tasks or search the device or the internet. It gives you a list of apps and contacts that change based on where you are and what you’re doing. The launcher is available on Google Play store starting today.

The branding on the device could have been better in terms of placement and design.

From the looks of it, the only thing that we found disappointing was branding on the device. A more prominent engraved or embossed logo would have been more appreciable. The bit that is really appreciable is the fact that this is the first device to hold the c-type USB. It was high time we got over the constant twisting of USB’s to find the ideal moment under the stars when it fits in the port. Who better than Nokia to lead an innovation. The device will be priced at $249 and will be first launched in China by early 2015.

November 18, 2014
OnePlus Promises After-Sales Service to Indians on Units Purchased Globally

It’s just a few days left for the roll out of OnePlus in India. The Chinese company has won millions of hearts with this amazing device that gives a whole new meaning to all in one. Now, it has taken a while to come to India, but the fans of the device have purchased it from the outside market. For such ardent fans, the company has a gift to express its gratitude.

OnePlus has announced in a forum post that if users have bought their device from official channels, they’ll be eligible for warranty coverage in India. The company will cover the after-sales services of these devices’ owners. The catch is that the users will be able to get the warranty locally and so will have to wait till the company’s customer support is all setup in the country. The terms of service will also be based on local warranty terms.

The company is in its setting up mode and is hiring people. The China-based manufacturer is calling folks to check out their Careers page. This would also be a good opportunity for people to work with a fast growing company and with cutting edge technology. Most of the opportunities are in China, so it would also be a good chance for folks who want to experience new cultures.

It is always good to hear that a company cares about its after-sales service. It is a field in which Indian companies are still lagging behind, leaving the consumers to suffer. After-sales service is an important aspect of a device’s sale, and the companies which provide quality service will see a better future in the market. We hope that other Indian brands will take a clue from OnePlus and would work towards making their product better.

November 18, 2014
A Day After Discussing a Possible Comeback, Nokia Teases a Mysterious Black Box

While the world was grieving the demise of Nokia as a mobile phone brand, seems like it was business as usual at Nokia’s office. The company is trending now because of a tweet which shows a mystery device with just the tagline that says “18.11.14 We’re up To Something.”

Guess what? We’re up to something. http://t.co/AFq4dUFI9S #thinkingahead #Slush14 pic.twitter.com/sqERYpz0Vc

— Nokia (@nokia) November 17, 2014

We had heard yesterday that Nokia’s new chief was telling investors that the company might make a comeback to the consumer electronics market. He said the company can pursue brand licensing. He also said that this was a thought for a long term plan. But guess that wasn’t going to be so far of in the future after all.

Considering the device is going to be unveiled today, we will have all the juicy bits by the end of the day, but that hasn’t stopped social media speculators from doing their job. There are many thoughts about what the device could actually be. The most prominent opinion seems to be that it’s a set top box based on Android TV, like the recently launched Nexus Player.

Nokia has come a long way and has a solid reputation and goodwill in the market. Looks like Nokia is ready to utilize its most important resource, its faithful consumers. Nokia cannot get back into the handset business for quite a while so it’s important that it have a good device in its kitty to return back the consumer market with a warm welcome. We just have to wait till the end of the day to know what all the fuss is about.

November 18, 2014
T-Series’ First Smartphone Intends to Take on Redmi’s Market with a Lacklustre Device

Remember T-series? If you are from the 90s, the name brings in the memory of religious cassettes that parodied Bollywood numbers. Well, times have changed, and the company has become a major force in the Indian entertainment industry. The company has now introduced their first attempt in the smartphone industry with a device that doesn’t have much appeal on the spec sheet.

The phone is called SS909 has been created in association with Shachii Gizmo Ltd which is its mobile subsidiary. The processor on the device is a 1.3 GHz quad-core processor along with a 512 MB RAM, which is really limited in times when 1GB RAM is fast becoming the norm. The device has 4 GB internal memory; expandable up to 32 GB and runs on Android 4.4 Kitkat.

The display on the device is a 4.5 inch IPS display. The main camera is an 8 MP shooter whereas the front camera is 2 MP. The cameras are the only arena where the camera matches the Redmi on the spec list, but the quality of the images is still unknown. The SS909 gets its juice from a measly 1600 mAh battery.

The device is 3G capable and is available on Snapdeal for Rs. 5799 and comes with a free flip cover. The device is a decent budget purchase. Don’t expect exceptional gaming performance or high-quality video playback. This can be a device for someone looking for their first smartphone after a shift from feature devices. It can also be a pride purchase for someone wanting to buy locally made devices.

November 17, 2014
Nokia Boss Talks Future Plans and a Possible Return to Consumer Electronics

With the legendary Nokia name getting scrapped off the mobile market listings, everyone is wondering what’s next for the company. Under the acquisition agreement, Nokia’s phone business is now owned by Microsoft. Nokia is now left with it Nokia Networks, Technology and the Here Maps business. But it seems like the company is contemplating a re-entry into the consumer electronics business.

The new boss who is entrusted with taking the business of the fallen giant spoke of the company’s future plans in London. CEO Rajeev Suri said that the company will make a re-entry into the consumer market. It was his answer to a query that inquired about rumors that the company was looking to make a comeback the handset market.

Mr. Suri spoke of some brand licensing opportunities for the company.

What was interesting was the comments of the CEO about brand licensing. Mr. Suri said “We see brand licensing as an opportunity … But I would say it is more of a long-term opportunity.” Using the tremendous goodwill it still has in the market, the company might try to use it to its advantage. You might see electronics branded with the Nokia name in your electronic showrooms in the future.

Presently Microsoft has licensed to use the Nokia brand on mobile phones Nokia Asha, Nokia X and Nokia feature phones for ten years and on Lumia for 18 months. The Lumia brand had the option to retain the Nokia brand till December 31, 2015. Microsoft clearly wasn’t in the mood to wait long and dropped the Nokia brand last week when it introduced the Microsoft Lumia 535.

For the folks who were mourning the demise of the Finnish giant, this comes like a light at the end of the tunnel. Of course, it might be a bit of a wait before this news materializes but for the faithful fans of the brand, it means that it’s not goodbye just yet. We will be waiting for your comeback Nokia.

November 17, 2014
A Smart Case That Takes You Back to the Era of Polaroids

Polaroids are one of the best things to happen to photography including cheap DSLRs. They were a revolution when they first rolled out. Polaroids deleted the waiting period, and their hand prints were easy to store and flaunt around. Well, with the advent of camera-induced smartphone age, Polaroids have become an affair of the past. But one company has introduced a unique mobile case that might just bring back the era of printed photos that can be viewed without a battery-powered device.

A French startup Pryntcases has introduced a phone case that converts your phone to a Polaroid camera. Presently, the device can only take one polaroid film at a time and takes a minute to print the image, but is still a great case to have. The appeal of physically holding a photograph can’t be matched with the tonnes of electronic images.

The case comes with an accompanying camera app, which has a cool feature. It takes video while you are taking a picture. Then, when you hold the developed picture in front of the case, it will start playing the video.

The developers of the case are working towards making the device faster so that it can deliver an image in half the present time. They will also work towards allowing the case to hold at least ten films at a time. They have expressed their views to set up a Kickstarter page to further develop the device and sell their product. The case is expected to cost $99 and this price makes it a must-have.

Polaroid images have a unique character that just make them visually appealing. It’s great to see that this medium is making a comeback in the digital age. We hope that an improved version arrives soon.

November 17, 2014
Winter is Coming: Gadgets You Need Before the Cold Bites

The winter season is almost here. If you are living in places of higher elevation, you might have already started experiencing the chills. Now winters are the best season to step outside if you live in the tropical side of the planet, but the drippy nose sure spoils the fun. Well, in the age of technology, there is a lot of stuff you can get that can keep you warm while letting you hit that picnic that you’ve been waiting for through the grueling summer months.

We decided to present some tech fixes to battle the chill and make the best of this season.

1.    USB Heated Blanket

You are in an office where the most protection you get from the winter is the layers of clothes you put on yourself. Well, there is a savior for you to get warm and cozy while others shiver around you. The blanket comes with a heating pad which can be removed for washing, you know because all that heat is bound to induce some sweat off you.

2.    USB heated Gloves

With the body taken care of, its time to address the issue of the parts of the body that are mostly exposed, the hands. Here a USB heated gloves will come in handy. The best part of this “device” is that even when it stops working, it would still be a working pair of gloves.

3.    USB heated Mouse pad

If you are not into gloves then, there is a convenient option for you. The mouse pad comes with a heating plate that heats it up to a comfortable temperature. This might literally be the first thing you’ll dip your hands into. And looking at the funky design options that are offered, you’d want to have these babies everywhere.

4.    Earmuff’s with inbuilt headphones

You might be asking right about now, we get that, USB’s are a great source of preserving body heat, but what about the commute to office? Well technology has even got you back here. Headphones are a must for the commute but what if they keep those exposed ears covered while you take the arduous journey to your workspace.

5. Xiaomi 10400mAh Mi Power Bank

Now that we have listed all the cool stuff that you can use to feel warm and cozy, the power source comes into question. Not everyone has an office job so how do you get the juice to your warmer devices when you are away from your computer. The answer lies in power banks. With massive backup and a cheap price tag, Xiaomi’s power bank is ideal for long trips and is a great energy source on the move.

These are some great gadgets to help you beat the chill. If you have some suggestions for some cool gadgets that help you heat up, please feel free to share it with us.

November 15, 2014
Free Wi-Fi Service to Kick Off in Connaught Place from 16th November

Good times are about to arrive for the residents of Delhi in a couple of days, especially for those who are frequent to the city’s most prominent market, Connaught Place. The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Mr. Najeeb Jung will be inaugurating the Public Wi-Fi access facility in the central market on 16th of this month. This will be a great incentive for people to go out of their houses and be stuck on their screens in the open air.

The facility is being provided through a collaboration of Tata Teleservices and NDMC (New Delhi Municipal Corporation). The Wi-Fi service is provided in a range of 4.5 sq.km. The provider claims that the connectivity will be seamless and uninterrupted across the inner and outer circle of the market.

Tata DOCOMO has good service feedback when it comes to Wi-Fi setup. The company holds two records in the Limca Book of Records for the largest Wi-Fi coverage for an indoor and outdoor event. The cellular service provider already provides Wi-Fi service in prominent places like Indira Gandhi International airport (T3), amongst other associations such as Bangalore Airport, Chinnaswamy Stadium, Wankhede Stadium etc.

The service will be inaugurated for the public by the Lieutenant Governor at the Central Park in Delhi at 3.30 PM. Plans are also taking shape to introduce Wi-Fi service in other major population-centric markets in the city. Now, we won’t get truly excited about this until we take it for a spin ourselves.

November 14, 2014
QWERTY Keyboard-Equipped BlackBerry Classic Up For Pre-Orders in the US

BlackBerry is going back to its roots. In the age of generic bar-shaped smartphones, the company is trying to attract users with the good old days feel. With the release of Passport, the company has made it clear that it will give their most successful form factor a second chance. Now the Passport was a unique device with features unheard of before. But BlackBerry’s Classic promises the goods of yesteryear for people who long for a different user experience.

The Classic will remind you of the era of BlackBerry Bold. The phone is now available for pre-orders in America. It is currently priced at $450 for an unlocked version. The shipments are supposed to start by mid-December.

What is really peculiar though is that BlackBerry hasn’t yet released any other information or specs of the device. The company got people excited about the Passport by showing off its unique 1440X1440 resolution square display. This time around, there was no such revelations. Considering it’s trying to make a comeback, BlackBerry should have released some sneak peeks by now. All we know right now is how the phone looks based on a leak on a Chinese website.

It is expected that BlackBerry Classic is expected to be powered by a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor with 2 GB of RAM. To provide the classic appeal, the phone has a 3.5-inch screen coupled with a QWERTY keyboard.

Considering the speed at which BlackBerry brought the Passport to India, you can expect the Classic to show up soon in this part of the world. We’ll let you know of the future plans of BlackBerry right here at iGyaan. Keep checking back.

November 14, 2014