Author: Happy Nagashetti

  • Motorola Climbs Over Nokia in Q2 Market Standings

    Motorola Climbs Over Nokia in Q2 Market Standings

    With its mighty good year in the Indian market and a new-found loyal fan following, Motorola has risen again. After a few years of moving around and working with multiple owners such as Google, the brand is currently settling with Lenovo. Analyst group Canalys has brought out a report that shows Motorola taking Nokia’s spot on the market standings.

    The Canalys report states that in the Q2 of 2014, Motorola sent out 955,650 smartphones for the period while Nokia did 633,720. In just the previous quarter, the situation was almost the opposite with Nokia leading with 583,160 smartphones, compared to Motorola’s 379,310.

    With the power of Moto G and E, Motorola took over Nokia
    With the power of Moto G and E, Motorola took over Nokia

    This is a remarkable jump for the Motorola. The credit of course goes out to Motorola’s two stars that changed the way the market viewed its products. First came the Moto G, which created a new power center at the Rs 10,000 – 15,000 range. Then came the younger sibling, Moto E, which challenged the dominance of Indian smartphone companies on their home turf. The phones got the companies to reorganize their strategy and forced them to bring out a number of Moto Killer devices.

    But it seems now that Motorola has some series competition from the Chinese infiltrators in the Indian mobile market. Xiaomi and Asus have caused some major upheaval in the mobile markets. Their high speced – low priced products have taken the market by storm and even caused Motorola to slash its price of the Moto G by Rs. 2000.

    In the current standings, Motorola currently holds on its own behind Samsung, Micromax and Karbonn with their shipments of 4.4 million, 3.1 million and 1.07 million smartphones respectively. The Indian Smartphone market grew by 9% quarter on quarter. The figures might look even better in the coming holiday seasons and with fierce competition in the market. Overall it is turning out to be a good year for the phone makers and the buyers.

  • Internet’s Most Prominent Leakster, Evleaks Calls it Quits

    Internet’s Most Prominent Leakster, Evleaks Calls it Quits

    Evan Blass from the Evleaks fame who has been reporting on major gadget leaks over the last two years has finally decided to retire from the game. This can be a major disappointment to many tech blogs who depended on him for what has become a new news genre, the leak beat.

    Yesterday Evan made his retirement public with a tweet. Evan had leaked information on many potential products from major manufacturers like Samsung, LG, and Microsoft along with others. He had a high success rate in his reporting and so became the go to guy for information on upcoming products.


    In an interview with The Next Web Evan explained his retirement. He says that taking cues from him, there has been an explosion of leaksters on twitter and that doesn’t help in a sustainable living. He also said that this is a final goodbye to the leaking world and he will be looking for a career change.

    Before becoming a professional leakster, Evan had worked at the editorial department of Engadget and PocketNow. He also has a website, but he doesn’t seem sure about the future of the website post his retirement.

    He also, in a way named his successor to the leakster throne. He says TK O’Connor, of TK Tech News can easily take his spot as a menace to the manufacturers. Overall Evan through his @evleaks twitter handle has given a lot of important information on upcoming smartphones. This has not just helped customers but also assisted the companies in creating a hype before their devices came to the market.

  • NASA Tested a No-Fuel Microwave Based Thruster, and it Worked!

    NASA Tested a No-Fuel Microwave Based Thruster, and it Worked!

    NASA scientists tested a new theoretical thruster model and too their surprise, the model works. Nasa has been working on a lot of propulsion and thruster models to make space flight cheaper, faster and more convenient. Currently reaching space is still a high-investment-high-risk affair. The new model shows hopes that we may have the answers to our woes closer than we thought.

    The paper submitted earlier this week at a conference in Cleveland, scientists from NASA’s Eagleworks Laboratories in Houston, Texas, presented a paper which indicated that they had achieved small levels of thrust from a container which contained no traditional fuels. So what generated the trust? The answer is Microwaves bouncing all about the container. Now this is interesting development. Apparently NASA didn’t have a lot of trust in these thrusters and this is more of an accidental find.

    The model is called Cannae Drive. The thought behind the model is to allow multiple microwaves free to bounce end to end in a specially designed container. The container is shaped in an uneven pattern which aids in the dispersion of the microwaves.

    The Cannae Drive might also make satellites more efficient.
    The Cannae Drive might also make satellites more efficient.

    The Cannae Drive experiment is just at the beginning stage and there is no knowledge yet if it can be scaled up to power spaceships. Though it is estimated that if it becomes fully functional, the distance between Earth and Mars can be covered in terms of a few weeks instead of the several months it takes now. It will also make satellites more efficient and easier to manage.

    But by now you might be asking that this sounds too good to be true. Well there are a couple of issues with the technique. NASA’s team had built two Cannae Drives, one of which was designed to fail, and instead it worked. The scientists indicated their surprise find by writing in their paper abstract: “Thrust was observed on both test articles, even though one of the test articles was designed with the expectation that it would not produce thrust.” That suggests the drive is “producing a force that is not attributable to any classical electromagnetic phenomenon.” They are assuming that the interaction is occurring in the quantum vacuum, which is the lowest energetic state. The scientists don’t have much evidence to support their idea yet.

    The Cannae drive is a close enough idea to a technique called ‘Emdrive’ which has been tested by Argentine and Chinese scientists. The Emdrive trials have proved successful in small scale models.

    Space travel needs a constant heavy intellectual interest and innovative ideas that have never been tried before. Experiments like this show how ignorant we still are to the massive potential nature can offer us to further our sciences. Sometimes the greatest inventions are made when we least expect them.

  • Android Released the Google Now Launcher for Everyone

    Android Released the Google Now Launcher for Everyone

    If you were one of them who were waiting for Google Nexus device like ability to have a Google Now Launcher on your Android phones, you’re going to be really happy today. Google has released the Google Now launcher for all Android 4.1 devices and above. Though some phones might not support it yet.

    This update allows Android users to access a left panel which opens into Google Now. It also allows you to use the “OK Google” hot word on the main screen. This option is currently compatible with HTC One M8, One E8, One Mini 2, Desire 816, Huawei Ascend P7 and LG G3, among others.

    Proprietary systems like HTC’s Blinkfeed get replaced after installing this update and instead you have the Google Now panel which is customizable to your liking. This will be a good addition for folks with stock Android devices who want a customizable information panel easily accessible with one swipe.

    This is one more offering from Google that is now finding a wider user base. Google’s minimalistic looking apps also provide great functionality and that’s why they are preferred.

    You can download the app from the Play store: [button link=”https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.launcher” size=”small” text_size=”gamma” newtab=”on”]Google Now LAuncher[/button]

  • President Obama Signs the Law for Legal Phone Unlocking

    President Obama Signs the Law for Legal Phone Unlocking

    Remember when the first generation iPhones arrived in India, they had to be jailbroken (unlocked) to make them accessible to the networks here. Till recently this process was illegal. But yesterday President Obama made it legal by signing the “Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act” (S.517) into law.

    This will make it a lot easier for consumers who want to change their service providers while keeping their own phones. It will also be beneficial for folks who travel abroad and would want to switch to local services. Wireless providers install software barriers to prevent users from using the phones on other network.

    President Obama Signed the Consumer centric law on Friday.
    President Obama Signed the Consumer centric law on Friday.

    Usually the users in America buy their phones under a contract program which usually extends to 2 years or more and after which they have the option for changing operators or upgrading to a better plan. With this law people who want to change their plans while still keeping their phones can do as they please.

    The Law also passed because the wireless providers association CTIA supported the decision. They have stated that they laud the decision. CTIA affiliated service providers had agreed in a deal brokered by FCC last December to allow users to unlock phones.

    FCC’s chairman Tom Wheeler welcomed the decision in a statement saying “This new law is a positive development that addresses the issues that triggered unlocking concerns in the first place. When the wireless industry worked with the FCC on a voluntary agreement to unlock devices when consumers’ contracts have been fulfilled, they took an important step forward. The president’s signature today makes greater consumer choice the law of the land.”

    The US legislation is currently infamous for severe partisanship which has caused a severe gridlock which has prevented them from passing any law. So it is rather welcome to see that some new law, especially a consumer oriented law getting the presidential accord. It can also be seen as a signal that laws supported by corporate interest will be the only ones that will surely pass in America.

  • Squeezable Glass Bottle: The Best of Both Worlds

    Squeezable Glass Bottle: The Best of Both Worlds

    Plastic bottles are really convenient. They have made life real easy for all of us. Travel has gone from big icebox’s and water bottles to packs of these easy to carry plastic bottles. The issue though is that unlike glass bottles these bottles are prone to smells and moulds apart from their environment killing aspect. The problem with the better option, glass bottles is that they are not for people with butterfingers or folks who are incident prone.

    Now an American company has introduced a bottle which is the best of both world. It is called the Squeezable Glass and it is exactly what it sounds like. Though it’s not actually real glass which can be Squeezed, life’s not all that good yet. Instead we have a plastic bottle that is lined with Silicon Oxide on the inside.

    The Bottles come in variety of Non Toxic graphical options
    The Bottles come in variety of Non Toxic graphical options

    Now you might be saying: Silicon Oxide sounds like a chemical, I don’t trust chemicals. Well to that we will first of all say that we are made of chemicals and secondly silicon oxide is a naturally occurring compound which is present in many fruits and vegetable. Silicon Oxide in this case is used for a glass substitute.

    The layer is just 20 nanometers thick (2.0 × 10-5 millimeters). Even with this thin layer, the bottle is capable of doing what its competition cannot do. It can prevent smells, flavours, mould and residue from sticking to the plastic while being flexible.

    The Squeezable bottle is also easy to clean; you can easily throw it in the dishwasher too. The diameter of the bottle is just 3 inches thereby making it cup holder friendly. The bottle comes at a miniscule price of $15, and if that wasn’t enough, the company throws in a 17 year warranty. Hopefully this comes across to all bottles and might help to reduce some of the damage to the environment while remaining as convenient as ever. Now that’s an inspiration technology, good for business and nature.

  • Xbox One Owners Get an EA Treat, Unlimited Games for $5

    Xbox One Owners Get an EA Treat, Unlimited Games for $5

    You finally landed your expensive Xbox One. Now you are out of cash and the games designed for your console are equally expensive. Of course you can use for its entertainment experience, but you didn’t buy that Xbox to just watch TV, you want to game. Well you need not worry anymore, EA got your back.

    EA announced its new service for Xbox One called EA Access. It is a subscription service that lets you access several EA title for a miniscule sum of $4.99. The service is in its beta stage for limited users but it will soon be available to a wider audience.

    The library of games is called The Vault. It currently holds titles such as FIFA 14, Madden NFL 15, Peggle 2 and Battlefield 4. EA states that this entire collection of games is about $100 and is available to users at just about $5 a month.

    Some major gaming titles are accessible on EA Access

    Sony Playstation users already have access to the Playstation Plus program which provides access to exclusive content, as well as discounts on games, free games, and other free content. Sony said that its customers won’t appreciate just EA specific programs on their consoles and hence they may not bring EA Access on their Playstation ecosystems. But some analysts believe that this is Sony’s way of getting a better deal from EA.

    One great feature of the service is that once you’re an EA Access member, you can download upcoming EA games five days before the release date to play for a limited time. Madden NFL 15, NHL 15, FIFA 15, NBA LIVE 15 and Dragon Age: Inquisition are all included, with more to come. It saves your progress so if you love it, you can buy it, and you can pick up right where you left off.

    EA must have understood that the times are tough and their multi-million dollar invested games would be hard for their fans to afford. Subscription based service would be a great way of reaching out to gaming enthusiasts. Although it doesn’t have to be so rock bottom cheap. Options like these will also encourage novices to give the games a try and who might buy the full games and the consoles, thereby being equally profitable for all.

  • Danish Researchers Create World’s Fastest Internet Running at 43 Terabits per Second

    Danish Researchers Create World’s Fastest Internet Running at 43 Terabits per Second

    What is the fastest speed with which you have ever downloaded an entire movie? An hour, half an hour or 15 minutes or if you are one of the lucky few with access to Google Fibre, it might take you about 2 minutes. But how does 0.2 milliseconds sound to you? Yeah, it’s not impossible anymore. Researchers at the Technical University of Denmark have been able to send 43 terabits per second using one multicore optical fiber and one laser transmitter. This makes it about a 1000 times faster than Google Fiber which tops at a speed of 1000mbits/second.

    In terms of bytes the connection tops at a speed of 5.4 terabytes per second. Now look at your 1TB hard drive, you can send five of those full hard drives over this connection in a second. Amazed yet? if not, then here’s a stand out point, this data transfer took place over a single fiber using a single laser beam.

    As this is a single optical fiber technology it is a practical solution to providing high speed data transfer. It can be replicated out of laboratory settings and into the real world. The hitch in the story: the cables which managed to create this phenomenal network are really difficult and expensive to produce. So don’t anticipate a lighting speed connection anytime soon. The cables used by the researchers were manufactured by Japanese telecom company NTT.

    There have been many research teams working on making the internet faster and more efficient. Currently the internet providers have immense investment in cables that they have laid and even if a faster internet is available, the deployment of such technology will only happen once the companies have recovered their costs. So it will surely be long wait before we get access to Terabyte Internet connections.

  • Oculus Rift’s New Developer Kit Has a Samsung Note 3 Display

    Oculus Rift’s New Developer Kit Has a Samsung Note 3 Display

    One of the most eagerly awaited technology are the wearable Virtual Reality (VR) glasses and the name that comes to mind when talking of VR wearables is Oculus. Now serial teardowners, iFixit have gone ahead and dismantled the new version of Oculus Rift’s developer edition.

    The previous Oculus outing saw tremendous complaints about pixelated screens and motion sickness inducing visuals. Oculus Developer Kit 2(DK 2) intends to address the complaints. One major discovery they made is that the DK2 comes with a Samsung Note 3 display.

    Inside the impressive gadget is a Samsung display.
    Inside the impressive gadget is a Samsung display.

    The display is left untouched and it even has the touchscreen controller on it. So you can easily get a replacement for your Oculus screen if you somehow get over involved in the virtual world and accidently bump into real world objects and damage the screen.

    Oculus claims that the display works at 75 Hz which is above the standard 60 Hz refresh rate. On their website Oculus calls its display a low persistence OLED display to eliminate motion blur and judder, two of the biggest contributors to simulator sickness. The stunning 5.7 inch Note 3 display might address the pixilation issue and probably save people from the day long motion sickness they feel after wearing these headgears.

    Meanwhile Samsung is proactively working on their own VR wearables. With Sony’s Project Morpheus and several start-ups trying out their luck with the technology, the market has started to heat up. We too are desperately waiting for the devices to come to the market so we can enjoy a walk on Mars or get a perfect first person shooting experience minus the PTSD of course.

  • Xiaomi Becomes the Fifth-Largest Smartphone Vendor in the World

    Xiaomi Becomes the Fifth-Largest Smartphone Vendor in the World

    The year 2014 is definitely proving to be a great year for the “Apple of China”. Yes, Xiaomi Inc has overtaken LG to claim the fifth spot in overall smartphones shipped in the second quarter of 2014. The company, barely four years old, was labeled as the ‘star performer’ for the quarter by Strategy Analytics.

    The market research firm today reported that Xiaomi captured a record 5.1% market share, up from a meagre 1.8% it captured last year. In physical numbers, the company showed a sharp growth. Xiaomi shipped an incredible 15.1 million units in the second quarter of 2014, as compared to only 4.1 million units shipped in the same quarter in the previous year. This incredible growth now puts it above LG and into the top five smartphone vendors for the first time in the company’s history.

    Xiaomi 2This is largely due to its very competitively priced and high specs laden smartphones selling like hot cakes in developing markets. We recently published news of their Mi3 flagship phone selling out on Flipkart in less than 5 minutes. Even their latest smartphone, the Mi4, is being sold in China for only 1999 yuan (about Rs. 20,000), less than half the price of Apple’s iPhone 5s.

    “Xiaomi’s Android smartphone models are wildly popular in the Chinese market and it shifts millions of them every quarter through its extensive online and operator channels,” says Strategy Analytics. “Their next step is to target the international market in Asia and Europe, where it will have to invest big money to familiarize western consumers with its unfamiliar brand name.”

    Overall, the market continues to be dominated by Samsung and Apple, although their lead keeps on diminishing. Total smartphones shipped for the quarter stood at 295.2 million units, up from the 233 million units in 2013. Out of these, Samsung accounted for 74.5 million units, which surprisingly, was a fall from 76 million units it shipped in the same quarter in the previous year. Their market share also declined sharply from 32.6% last year to 25.2% this year. Samsung in a recent statement blamed cheaper Chinese competitors for this decline.

    Xiaomi 1

    Apple continued to hold the distant second position with 11.9% market share, again a decline from the 13.4% share it held last year. Physical units shipped by them however, rose from 31.2 million units to 35.2 million units.

    Korean giants LG, despite an increase in shipments, saw a decline in market share from 5.2% to 4.9%. “LG is performing relatively well in the United States and Europe, but it continues to lag in the huge China and India markets,” Strategy Analytics said. The third and fourth positions continued to be held by Chinese manufacturers Huawei and Lenovo, both of which saw an increase in units shipped and market share.

  • Samsung Launches Affordable India-Centric phones

    Samsung Launches Affordable India-Centric phones

    Samsung today released three phones which are targeted for the lower range. All three are based on Android Kitkat with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI. These new devices will also come with Vodafone internet plans for the first six months to help the users with their beginning months with the phone.

    The phones are priced under the 10K segment which is dominated by Indian manufacturers like Micromax and Lava. Recently Big chinese brands have also entered this market to compete. Seems like it’s about time Samsung heated up this market segment. The phones are called Samsung Galaxy Star 2, Galaxy Star Advance and Galaxy Ace NXT.

    Samsung Galaxy Star 2comes with a 3.5” display. It has a 2MP camera with advanced camera modes. It also comes with free access to premium games from Gameloft. Galaxy Star Advance comes with a powerful 3MP camera with flash. It has 4.3” display. Galaxy Ace NXT is Samsung’s entry-level 3G phone. With a 4” display and a 3MP camera with flash, this device is optimized for Internet and multi-tasking experience.

    Pricing wise the Samsung Galaxy Star 2 is priced at INR 5,100 and is available in White and Grey colours. Both Galaxy Star Advance and Galaxy Ace NXT are priced at INR 7,400 respectively and are available in Black and White. Star 2 and Star Advanced come with a leather finish back panel.

    All three phones provide support for 12 Indian languages including Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Guajarati, Punjabi, Urdu, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Oriya, and Assamese. Consumers have a choice of accessing these language apps from the Google Play Store. They also have access to the Samsung Galaxy Apps store.

    In a saturated market like India, Samsung has to do a lot more to take on the competition. If the decrease in profits of the company is any indication, they need to rethink their entire strategy soon. With their prices, these phones will have a tough time surviving in the market.

  • Pd.id : Portable Silent Guardian That Drug Tests Your Drink

    Pd.id : Portable Silent Guardian That Drug Tests Your Drink

    If you are a lady or have lady friends you understand the constant vigilance that needs to be maintained while going out.  Does that taxi driver look trustworthy or is this drink I’m holding safe for consumption? Some of the constant questions going through a girl’s mind while out at night. Date Rapes are also one of the leading sexual assault cases against women. It seems like Toronto based, former IT consultant David Wilson might have found a perfect solution for this epidemic of date rapes, a tiny USB sized gizmo called Pd.id.

    Pd.id uses three different tests to identify if the drink has been drugged. The device uses light, conductivity and temperature to determine if the drink has been sabotaged. The two Red and Green indicators tell you if the drink you are holding is tainted or not. The best part is that the device can be used multiple times so it will be one of the essentials to pack before a night-out.  Pd.id also has a companion mobile app which lets you access the drink database from the company and visually confirm the purity of the drink.

    pd.id1
    The indicators help you figure out if the drink is safe for consumption

    The company claims that the drug recognition technology has been with the drug enforcement agencies for quite some time. They learned from them and created this miniaturized, consumer friendly version of the technology that can go in women’s purse.

    This is a phenomenal invention and should really be encouraged. This is how a real moral invention looks like; one of the several instances when technology can come to change the world and make it a better place.  If you can’t donate to the device, you can atleast spread the word. But no amount of gizmos can take the spot of a sex educated and gender sensitive mind.

    Of course the best part of this invention is that all the single ladies will have a good time going out without any worries. Pd.id sure is an awesome innovation. Also you don’t to worry about sanitizing the gizmo, the alcohol you are dipping it in will do the needful.

  • Xiaomi Mi Power Banks Review

    Xiaomi Mi Power Banks Review

    They were promised and here they are, the latest offering from the ferocious Chinese brand Xiaomi. The company has brought out their two Mi power banks in India which will make other power bank manufacturers really restless. With massive capacity and modest pricing, the devices, might indeed sell like hot cakes in the world of juice thirsty smartphone batteries.

    The device comes with a rubber case and charging cable.
    The device comes with a rubber case and charging cable.

    Now these devices look sure look impressive. This is what you get when you take inspiration from Apple products. The soap bar sized Mi power banks are quite the convenience to have. We tested out the 10400mAh version for you, and it is available in a 5200 mAh variant. The Mi power bank has a textured anodized aluminum casing that covers the entire battery and has a smooth metallic finish and fits in your hand. It is claimed to be water and corrosion resistant. The surface is a bit slippery but that can be easily addressed by using the rubber case provided with it.

    Though it’s a slight bit heavy, about 250 grams, but with its massive capacity, the owners won’t mind lugging around some extra weight. The LED indicators for battery level especially stand out against the unadorned surface.

    The LED indicators stand out on the device.
    The LED battery level indicators stand out on the device.

    The company claims that the Mi power bank is capable of charging the MI3 for about 2.5 times, an iPhone for 4.5 times and an iPad 1.5 times to full capacity which is quite impressive. With these power banks, you can worry free throughout your weekend trip.

    The Mi power banks have been designed by the famous Texas instruments. Xiaomi claims that their technology was developed with safety and efficiency in mind. The power banks use chipsets to stabilizes the discharge voltage and make the device safer, durable and efficient. The devices are said to be 93% charging conversion rate for each device, which lets it charge different devices at their output levels.

    Its massive capacity can handle all your charging needs for the weekend
    Its massive capacity can handle all your charging needs for the weekend

    Xiaomi has done extensive testing before bringing the portable chargers to the consumers. The USB port on the Mi power banks have been tested for 1500 removal cycles, and the MicroUSB port have faced 5000 removal cycles. Apart from these tests, the Mi power banks were tested for extreme temperature conditions; 70 degrees, 96 hours for high temperatures, -40 degrees, 96 hours for lower temperatures. These might make them for comfortable use all around India. Though we will not advocate you testing these parameters without proper scientific guidance, this is to prevent you from blowing your face off.

    Coming to the issue of the moolah. How much does a chipset based Mi power banks cost? Here’s for your eyebrows to do some work- the 10400 mAh comes at a price of Rs. 999/- and the 5200 mAh comes at 799/-. Yes, that’s how it is, and No we did not miss an extra figure or a zero in the middle. At this price, the whole Xiaomi Mi3 disappearing act will be reenacted with these power banks.

    Get it, it sure  has got some style points.
    Get it, it sure has got some style points.

    Overall we charged a couple of our devices to full charge, and we had two LED’s still asking for more devices to juice up. The only concern with these is the absence of a second USB port which would have let us use its massive capacity to charge two devices at once. We will keep a vigilant eye on the device for now and keep you updated if the power bank fails to perform as it is advised. For now, go ahead and get in line for the Xiaomi Mi power banks.

    Tech Specs:

    Model NDY-02-AD
    Battery Type Lithium-ion rechargeable cell
    Power Source DC 5V
    Input Voltage DC 5.1V
    Input Current 2.0A (TYP)
    Output Current 2.1A(TYP)
    Rated capacity 3.6V/10400mAh(TYP)
    Charging time 5.5 hrs with 5V/2A plug and standard cable12 hrs with 5V/1A plug and standard cable
    Size 90.5*77*21.6mm
    Load detection Auto-detect the plug-in and plug-out of devices
    Safety Input OVP, OCP, Output OCP OVP, short protectioncell protection including OVP OCP, thermal protection during charge and discharge stage
    Out of power protection Awake once plugged to the charger
    Charging temperature 0°C-45°C (TYP)
    Discharging temperature Initial – 10°C~+50°C(TYP)Continous -20°C~+60°C(TYP)
    Weight 250g
  • Encrypt Calls and Messages on Your iPhone with the Signal App

    Encrypt Calls and Messages on Your iPhone with the Signal App

    Snooping by government agencies is one of the major concerns of people using technology today. Even the people in the highest echelons of power and security have been a victim of this act of unwarranted infringement of privacy. It has been reported recently that the analysts at NSA would frequently trade around personal images, mostly in compromising situations around their workplace. This kind of revelation encourages people to look for encryption services which can help keep their content absolutely safe. In comes SIGNAL for the rescue.

    Signal is an iPhone app created by Open Whisper Systems. The nonprofit had previously brought encryption apps for Android called Redphone to secure phone conversations and TextSecure for encrypted messages. Now they bring their encryption might to iOS.
    The app is fairly simple to install. You need to punch in a one-time activation code. Like other communication apps the app saves the contacts that have been entered once and shows the contacts which can be contacted using the app.

    signal

    To ensure that the encryption has taken place and the communication is secure; both sides have a word on their screens. The users have to exchange this on screen word to verify the encryption. If the connection is not secure the words will not match.
    The organization intends to provide encrypted communication medium to all. They will soon add text messaging capability to Signal thereby making a unified app for private conversation.

    One of the major concern that is not being addressed is what if the app is misused by criminal and Anti social elements. We still remember how the London riots were fueled in through BBM messengers. So the company which is doing a good work for the citizens has to come out with a transparent document as to how they will prevent harm to the said citizens from themselves. Sometimes a good tool can become a monstrous weapon.

    Overall this is a fantastic tool for folks who want to prevent eavesdroppers from dropping on their communication, may it be from governments or unscrupulous elements. Its potential for harm needs to be understood and addressed as soon as possible.

iGyaan Network
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.