After having ruled the electronic industry for the last many decades, the silicon circuits finally have a partner in Carbon Nanotubes. Researchers at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering have published a paper in the journal Nature Communication. They have figured out the technique that could make more flexible and energy efficient circuits.
The result can be achieved by combining carbon nanotube thin film transistors with other thin film transistors. This resultant hybrid could even replace silicon as a transistor material for electronic chips. These carbon nanotubes are more transparent, flexible, and are processed at a lower cost. Also, they will help to make a new generation of flexible devices too.
The process involves the integration of carbon nanotube (CNT) thin film transistors (TFT) with thin film transistors comprised of indium, gallium and zinc oxide (IGZO). The IGZO gives strengths to the nanotubes where they lack; CNT is not energy efficient; IGZO’s integration gives it that ability and also helps it to increase battery life.
Lead electric engineering professor Dr. Chongwu Zhou calls it “the perfect marriage” almost like Yin and Yang.
This will be a boon to flexible technology
As mentioned earlier, there are enormous practical applications of this form of circuitry. Technologies like including digital circuits, Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs), radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, wearable electronics, and flash memory devices will get a huge boost with this kind of circuitry. Even heads-up displays on vehicle dashboards like the one that was seen in Mission Impossible 4 will also be a possibility. Medical sensors can also be upgraded with this innovation.
The applications are unlimited, just like the silicon circuits created the modern economy of the last century, the Carbon Nanotube can be the technological revolution that this century deserves.
The Moto E is one tough nut to crack. Other Android phone brands despise it. Companies like Micromax and Lava and others were taken aback by the spectacular performance of the Moto E and the huge appreciation it has received in India.
Lava X1 is Lava’s challenger to the Moto E, and we’ve already had a hands on with the device. Now we take a detailed look into the phone to see how it scores up against its competing low budget KitKat devices.
Design, Hardware and Build:
Design though “inspired”, is good to the eyes. Especially the touch panel
The phone is another Lava phone with iPhone-esqe design features, using a lot of plastic. The device is light to hold in comparison to the Moto E, which is heavy on weight and features. The back cover looks extremely flimsy, but Lava provides a flip cover in-box and that is one good point about the Iris X1.
The screen goes to sleep when the flip cover is closed. The volume rocker buttons are marked on the cover and can be easily pressed, so they’re quick to access when traveling. The only issue with the flip cover is its affinity to attract dirt. Lava has provided three microphone openings for active noise cancellation.
Unlike the Moto E, the X1 can be appreciated as it has the power button and the volume rockers on right and left side respectively, which is much simpler to use.
Another attractive feature is the capacitive touch buttons at the bottom of the screen. These buttons are invisible in the bezel and light up when you need them.
Display and Multimedia:
The text is good to read on X1 even at 281 pixel density.
The 4.5 inch screen on the device is an IPS display. The resolution of the screen is 854 x 480 pixels. The display is capable of good color reproduction. The blacks are predominant on the display, and that gives a pretty saturated color. The viewing angles are a bit of a disappointment as the screen tends to dim down when viewed from the side.
2 finger multi touch is disappointing.
The display only supports two finger multi-touch. This flaw makes gaming on the device no fun. The display also has a matte feel which doesn’t feel all that smooth.
The videos and images look good on the display. Though sometimes, the videos tend to get choppy. Even games like Candy Crush Saga and Subway Surfers had a jerky performance.
Camera:
The X1 holds a 8 mega pixel auto focus camera with LED Flash. The image is captured using a BSI sensor. The secondary camera is a 2 megapixel shooter. The camera is decent for the price point. It is definitely better than the five megapixel shooters that are dominant at this specifications range.
The camera shoots videos at a maximum of 480p which maybe a downer for many.
Phone and Battery:
The X1 is powered by 1800 mAh battery. Lava claims it gives a standard talk time of about 9 hours 45 minutes. The phone would last you a whole day on regular use.
The phone keypad is pleasing to the eyes and easy to use.
Android and UI:
Simplistic KitKat is the best thing LAVA did.
The operating system running on the Iris X1 is a fairly unhampered Android KitKat OS with minimum bloat-ware. The only add-ons are an FM radio, a torch and the Office suite. This basic look gives full customizable options in the hands of the users.
Performance and Gaming:
The phone has a 1.2 GHz Broadcom quad core processor. It is supported by a 1 GB RAM and 4 GB ROM. Even with a quad core processor, the phone has several lags and might get annoying after a while. The phones normal functions are decent, but the multimedia performance needs a performance boost.
Conclusion:
The Phone is a decent try but Lava needs to buck up on the performance issue.
Lava seems to have come out with the device in a haste, and they could have worked more on it. Of course, the company lacks the innovation capability and years of experience that Motorola Mobility has. The phone has a good look, and the untampered Android KitKat is its strength. Lava does have to learn some lessons from the X1 and hopefully the X2 (if it ever comes out,) will have fewer of X1’s flaws and more of its fortes.
LG introduced its ULTRA HD TV line up with Web OS technology at the India Gadget Expo. These TVs have some of the best resolutions in the market, and the Ultra HD content showcased was spectacular to look at on the displays.
The USP of the TV is a Web OS based user interface. LG claims that it’s the simplest Smart TV to set up and operate. The sound system on the TV is a 5.2 channel system designed by Harman Kardon, which LG claims to provide an immersive experience when coupled with the stunning images on the screen.
The OLED Tvs from LG had some spectacular Displays
LG ULTRA HD Tvs incorporate IPS panels that give exceptional color accuracy and a consistent picture quality at any viewing angles. LG’s ULTRA HD Engine Pro powers the 4K resolution (3840 x 2160) of the TV. There is also a proprietary chip that works with the engine to eliminate any visual artifacts. The ULTRA HD TVs also have the ability to upscale standard HD and Full HD content to near 4K quality.
Another offering by LG was the CINEMA 3D TV. These TV’s provide realistic 3D effect with minimal flicker in 4K resolution. This year the TV’s are equipped with advanced 3D conversion engine so that it can add depth to the 2D content.
The Web OS system was a mobile OS platform developed by mobile phone manufacturers Palm. The company sold the OS to HP, who later sold it to LG. LG had been long talking about including Web OS on its TV, and the result is rather encouraging. The OS itself is looks clean and extremely easy to use even for novices.
The Magic Remote will make life easy for a lot of Couch potatoes.
The remote, called the Magic Remote (“The Wand” might have been a cooler name) provided with the TV works like a mouse or a Kinect system from Xbox. It makes it easier to access content. A launcher menu is accessible from the bottom of the screen. This easily customizable panel helps to access the featured options of the TV like YouTube, Netflix, or other apps added by the user.
Web Os is also open to third party content providers, and additional apps can be installed on the TV from the LG App Store. Contents like latest movies, television shows and games are on offer at the App store. From the Live Menu in the TV’s, you can browse your content and the Today menu shows you an entertainment listing so that you are never short of viewable options.
LG’s design reasoning with these TV’s is to bring simplicity in the operating of Smart TVs. Together with the Ultra HD TV, the Cinema 3D TV and the Curved OLED’s, LG hopes to capture 30% of the market share by the end of this year.
The Ultra HD TV new models are available in different screen size of 84, 79, 65, 55, 49 and all are within the price range of 1.5 to 15 Lakhs. The new WebOS Cinema 3D TV is available in 42, 47, 55 and 65 size options, in all leading outlets starting June 2014, and all are within the price range of 82,900 to 15 Lakhs.
LG has put some strong 4K and 3DTV contenders in the market. It’s now for the consumers to see if they want to be with their old idiot boxes or if they want to shift to intelligent Smart TVs which combine the TV and internet experience in one device; that too with incredible picture quality. Even at their exorbitant prices, these TVs are worth the money.
About 71 per cent of the Earth’s surface is water-covered and the Oceans hold 96.5 per cent of that. It is an alien place for us. We’ve had more people go in space than the depths of the earth’s ocean. So oceans have largely been unexplored territories, mostly explored by submarines, but an Iron-man-like Atmospheric Diving Suit (ADS) called the Exosuit, hopes to change that.
The underwater arena, mainly the oceans, are not meant for the human body. As the pressure increases significantly underwater, issues like decompression, sickness and nitrogen narcosis may indeed cause fatal harm to the deep sea divers.
Scuba suits are helpful for maximum distance of 40 meters (recreational limit). Anything below that is the extremely dangerous for average folks, and you need professional training and diving equipment to dive deeper. The world record for a diving depth stands at 318 meters, but a lot have perished before reaching this point.
The Exosuit will greatly evolve the oceanic research process
The Exosuit, designed by Canada based Nuytco Research Ltd. is a kind of personal submarine. It has motorized thrusters whose controls are placed in the foot, They help the diver to hover through the ocean as bird scouting for prey. As the motion controls are in the foot, it frees the divers hands for work. The suit has motorized arms that help the diver to grab the desired objects. Its articulated joints help provide maximum flexibility to the diver. The Aluminium shell helps to keep it lightweight.
This pressurized suit can practically support a mission running as long as 50 hours. It will give archaeologists or other researchers the ability to spend extended periods underwater while physically analyzing samples. It is powered by an umbilical cord connected to the ship that also has voice and data link. It also has a “rebreather” which expels carbon dioxide and purifies the air inside the suit.
Like a spacesuit, it has multiple backup safety features. In the case of an emergency, the suits battery can cut power to everything except the thrusters and a communication system which keeps the diver in touch with the support staff. Its HD camera also helps the support to access the surroundings.
The suit was tested at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Massachusetts. It will be used in September of this year to explore the 2000 year old shipwreck of Antikythera. The ship is famous as an astronomical calculator called the Antikythera mechanism was recovered from it the last time. The scientists hope to find more archeological treasures from this two century old wreck.
ADS like Newtsuits are already used by Navy
The Exosuit is not the first of its kind. Its elder sibling, the Newtsuit is already being used at ocean drilling rigs, pipelines, salvage jobs, and photographic surveys and many Navy’s around the world. Hopefully, the Exosuit will be used mostly for exploration purposes.
This technology once inducted in research will help to ease up the process of oceanic data collection. A physical researcher will be much more accurate in finding samples that a robotic envoy which may not be as efficient. The Exosuit and technology will help unearth a lot of knowledge about the ocean which is waiting to be uncovered. Its a good time for Science.
There have been a serious shortage of Windows phones in the market. Micromax is the latest entrant in the segment. The Micromax Windows phones (Canvas Win W121 and W092) look like a good effort on the part of Micromax. The two phones have managed to create some buzz around and have been appreciated by tech enthusiasts. Micromax’s lower end offering – The Canvas Win W092 also looks like a promising Windows device.
This phone will directly compete with the Nokia Lumia 525, let’s see how the Win W092 scores up against the fallen legends offering.
First up, Win 092 runs Windows OS 8.1 out of the box, while the Lumia 525 runs on the Windows 8 Black. While the Nokia possesses a 1 Ghz Snapdragon s4 processor, the Canvas Win W092 flaunts a Snapdragon 200 processor with 1.2 GHz Quad Core CPU. Both phones have 1 GB RAM’s and 8 GB ROM.
Canvas Win 092 seems like an updated Lumia 525
The Micromax phone offers a dual SIM option whereas the Nokia is a Single- Micro SIM device.
Nokia has been known for its camera capabilities. The Lumia 525 has a 5 megapixel shooter and is capable of shooting 720p HD videos. The Win W092 also has a 5 Megapixel camera with LED flash but if the past experiences with Micromax camera at this price range are considered, the camera probably would not be comparable to the Nokia quality.
Looking at the specs it is evident that Lumia 525 must have been the inspiration behind the Win W092. Micromax has tried to one up the Lumia 525 in almost departments, while giving a competitive pricing. The Win W095 has the ability to challenge the Lumia and only time will tell if this would be the last usurping of the Nokia brand name.
The Lumia 525 is available on Flipkart at Rs. 8550 while the Win 092 is priced at 6500. This war just got serious. A Windows phone enthusiast now has to some serious option to choose from. XOLO has already geared up to release a new devices based on Windows OS 8.1. With Windows releasing the OS free for licensing purposes for screen size below 9 inches, many more companies might want to join the Windows OS ecosystem.
PC gamers have had it bad over the past one year. The most ambitious version of the Grand Theft Auto came out about a year ago and they still haven’t had the opportunity to try out the three menacing protagonists. The game released for the PS3 and the Xbox 360 last year. Rockstar games are now going to release the much awaited game on PC, PS4 and Xbox in the Fall of this year.
The Game itself is extremely enticing. A gamer can control three protagonists and navigate around the maps on foot or on vehicle, a cause a lot of damage. They have a massive open world to explore and conquer.
This GTA release will include the Grand Theft Auto Online. Apart from that, all content released after the launch will be included in the purchase. It will also carry on game data from previous versions and progresses can be carried forward to the new system.
Get Ready for some enhanced kickass experience
GTA 5 will be enhanced for the PC users. The makers say they want to utilize the full potential of the PC. The new version will have higher resolution and graphical detail, denser traffic, greater draw distances, upgraded AI, and advanced weather and damage effects. These will definitely add to the pleasures of the pernicious protagonists and the players alike.
The PC release is also touted to have new wildlife. Guess the open world exploration of the GTA world just got a lot more interesting. The release last year was a phenomenal success, the game earned a Billion dollars in just the first three days after its release. It also took home most of the “Game of the Year” awards. And with heavy demand on the new consoles and the PC, it is expected to recreate the success of last year.
It’s time that PC gamers stop damping up the floor with their saliva looking at the GTA gameplays. It’s time for them to take care of some serious business.
Go-Pro’s and Drone technology has made it super easy for regular or professional adventure sports enthusiasts to film incredible footage. Now two campaigns on Kickstarter are seeking pledges towards making a Personal Autonomous Drone. These Drones are programmed to track the subject continually without any pilot directing it. It can take the Go-Pro experience to a whole new level.
In the first glance, it would just appear like a plastic kids toy. But once you power it on, you will have a kickass drone which will follow you while you do some badass stunts. The device is portable and sturdy. The makers claim that the AirDog can face any challenge, like pelting rain, freezing temps, massive waves. Basically, it’s unstoppable.
The Craft is controlled by the AIRLEASH (aptly named) which is a wrist worn controller which tells the AIRDOG where the person it is filming is. All the user needs to adjust their altitude and distance preferences and press “Take off,” they are good to go. The drone performs in-flight calculations to correct its flying pattern, and points the camera at the user wearing AirLeash. The AirLeash is waterproof so you can easily take it into a wave.
AirDog uses a Physical tracker and smartphone to exactly map the subject
It gives a lot smoother aerial shots than a remote operated drone. It uses a Go-Pro camera on 2-axis Gyro stabilized gimbal so you can be rest assured of the footage quality. When not using it like a drone, fold it up, and you have a Steadicam.
If you are a control freak and don’t prefer a fully automatic, there is also an optional manual remote control. You can also use a combination of Auto and Manual modes to get that perfect shot. The drone uses GPS signals to map out its environment thereby preventing itself from running into trees and other obstacles.
The bundled in smartphone app provides professional adjustments to the flight path of the Drone. The app can be used from the iPhone as well as an Android phone. With it, you can control the distance, height, and angle.
You don’t even need to worry about running out of battery mid shoot and falling off grid into unreachable spots. The craft finds its way back to the takeoff spot and lands there. The landing is completely automatic.
Specs of the AirDog:
• Durable and weather resistant construction
• 10-20 minutes flight time depending on flight speed
• Interchangeable 14.8 V, 4000mAh, LiPo batteries
• Wind resistance up to 28 knots (14 m/s)
• Top speed, 40 mph (software limited)
• AirLeash range up to 1000 feet (300m)
• Operational ceiling, 3000 meters above sea level
• Weight 3.08 lbs (1.4 kg). 3.96 lbs (1.8 kg) with battery
AirDog is attracting a lot of attention on Kickstarter, as in the morning the project had 15 backers but by the time of posting it had reached 166. It also reached halfway to its target of USD $ 200,000/- standing at $120,000 with 39 more days to go.
The Hexo+ looks more like a full-fledged professional camera drone with 6 propellers. It is controlled using a smartphone app. Unlike the AirDog there is no wearable tracker (AirLeash), which might be the biggest issue with it.
Hexo uses the app to find subject
It is faster that the AirDog as its top speed is at 70 Kilometers per hour for the duration of 15 minutes. HEXO+ could therefore be beneficial for high speed sports enthusiast like Skiers, mountain bikers, snowboarders and motocross athletes.
This project has also received massive support as it stood at above a whooping $300,000 of its pledging goal of $50,000 with 29 more days to go. One of the reasons for this surge is that they have promised to deliver live video feedback if they crossed $250,000.
Armed with GPS sensors and command module in the smart phone, the drone is capable of constant, totally autonomous following of its subject. A smartphone dependency of the Hexo+ to communicate might cause it some issues. They use the MAVLINK protocol which helps to smoothen the communication between the phone, the drone and the camera gimbal.
The Drone constantly tracks subject using GPS, Sensors and mobile App
Specs of the HEXO+:
General
• Dimensions: 62 x 52 x 12 cm
•Total weight: 980 g – 2.2 lbs Drone
•Hexacopter design with 30° tilt propellers
• Speed range: up to 70 kmh – 45mph
•Flight time: 15 min with 3S battery, gimbal and GoPro attached
Flight controller
• Filming distance range: up to 50 meters
•Auto take-off and auto landing
• Trajectory anticipation
•Video target locking*
•GPS + onboard sensor position tracking
•Processor with MAVLINK protocol
Gimbal
• High performance 2D brushless gimbal
• Easy attach/detach from drone body for transportation
• GoPro mount
Both these products look promising and will probably start a whole new revolution in action sport shooting like the Go-Pro did. It is also great for athletes who want to observe and review their performance. With the serious interest shown by Kickstarter backers for both these projects, it’s evident that pretty soon we can see them flying all over the place.
If you are asking what Bing is? Well, it’s Microsoft’s search engine that you use when you don’t have Google, so no one uses it. Sometimes it is used by people who use the Internet Explorer but they too mostly use it to reach Google. However, Windows Phone users tend to use it often.
Microsoft hopes to change that this Football season, the search engine intends to use its prediction technology to predict the results of the matches. These predictions might be useful if you are in a fantasy league or just betting your hard earned cash on the matches.
The technology took a test run during this season of The Voice and American Idol and Bing claims to have correctly predicted the fate of contestants in each week, as well as the winner Caleb Johnson. Now it’s time to put its might to test in the biggest game, which is watched the world over.
Bing states that it makes the predictions made on the tournament based on a variety of models. The algorithm behind the scenes evaluates the strength of each team through a variety of factors such as previous win/loss/tie record in qualification matches and other international competitions. It analyses the margin of victory in those contests and adjusts it factors like home field advantage or proximity of the team to the gaming venue (other South American teams).
Instant player profile and relevant info is provided
Even the playing surfaces (hybrid grass), game-time weather conditions, and other such factors being counted. In addition to this, the search engine also analyses the ‘wisdom of the crowds’ based on the search results and predictions made by football fanatics online.
The search engine provides match statistic and player profiles for all the teams.
Bing might just win a lot more users if it starts getting the games right. Predictions could be something that could give it a competitive edge over Google that Bing has been trying to find in a long while.
There have been men who conquered massive lands. There are men who broke the facade of ignorance and opened the world to a new understanding of the world. There have been men who have brought massive socio-economic-political changes for the masses. Almost every generation past has had the opportunity to get an encounter with greatness, men like Buddha, Newton, Darwin, Faraday, Gandhi and many more have had the ability to think of the greater good. Just when we thought the ages of the greats are gone, our generation got its hero and he is Elon Musk, the owner of the electric car company Tesla Motors.
The Roadster is the best looking and performing EV in the world
Tesla motors is a pioneering institution. It has breathed in a new life into the Electric Vehicle (EV) technology and thereby creating a true alternative to the obnoxious gas emitting, fossil fuel vehicles we use presently. The company’s first car, the Tesla Roadster was the first EV to have a range of 320 KM in a single charge; with a top speed of 201 Km/h (yes you read that right). The company released a Sedan called the Model S which is one of the best looking sedans out there. There is also the sexy Model X which is a SUV-Sedan hybrid.
Yesterday, Tesla became the first car manufacturer to open all its patents for anyone to use, for free. The technology Elon and his team strived so hard to achieve, almost reaching a point of bankruptcy and affecting his personal life.
Elon Musk inside the Astronaut capable Dragon V2
Elon wrote in his blog titled All Our Patent Are Belong To You that “we feel compelled to create patents out of concern that the big car companies would copy our technology and then use their massive manufacturing, sales and marketing power to overwhelm Tesla. We couldn’t have been more wrong.” This is rather true even 6 years after the release of the Tesla Roadster, no big company is making any major strides or even showing interest in the EV technology. Just about 1% of the Cars on the roads are electric.
He also stated that Tesla’s competition isn’t the small handful EV manufacturers, but the mega car companies who still insist on manufacturing dirty cars. These fossil fueled cars are the case of environmental changes like the recent increase in obnoxious gases in Delhi.
The most significant aspect of this story is that it directly questions the validity of patents. Patents were a great way of giving recognition to people who have created something out of the ordinary; innovators. But slowly the system has degraded into a means to enrich intellectual property lawyers and corporations. In this kind of situation smaller players can’t innovate because the bigger companies hold patents on miniscule features. The system that was supposed to encourage innovation is now the biggest hindrance in the development of our technology.
EV’s like the Nissan Leaf are still not efficient enough like their gas powered competitors
While major companies are working on how to make hybrid cars, something that makes the environmental types and the petroleum giants happy, Tesla has decided to take them all on. With these patents you can design your own electric motor with Tesla efficiency. The best part, as the motor is tiny, once you retrofit your car, you can have an extra boot space where that huge combustion engine used to be. Tesla has also successfully beaten some of the best cars in overall performance.
We now know for a fact that global warming is the single greatest threat to our existence. We also know the reason for it is us and our expenditure of non-renewable fossil fuels. Elon has also put massive investment into the Solar City project which provides energy services to homeowners, businesses, and government/non-profit organizations. In just one hour the sun gives more energy than is needed by the entire humanity in an entire year. Solar should definitely be the highest priority of every business and government.
Luckily for India the present government is planning to ferociously expand solar power in India with a target of reaching 400,000,000 people by 2019. It has also promised to give every home at least ‘one light bulb’s worth of electrification’ via solar, as well as deploy solar-powered agriculture pumps.
Elon’s Space X is the most successful private space enterprise.
Elon is also the founder of private space company Space X which has now got a NASA contract to service the International Space Station. The company recently showcased the Dragon V2 spaceship which is capable of carrying astronauts. He also wants to have a Mars mission to give humanity a second planetary home as a plan B.
Tesla Motors is a phenomenal company and it truly upholds the name of the greatest inventor of the 19th Century, Nikola Tesla. Most of us don’t even know his name but he has greatly affected our lives in many ways. We can ramble on and on about his greatness, but we’d rather you watch this awesome video.
More and more manufacturers need to use Tesla’s ingredients in their cars and switch to EV technology as soon as possible. It will take at least 20-30 years from now to a majority electric vehicle economy. For this, first and foremost tough regulation have to be placed on gas giants and EV manufacturing should be subsidized by the governments across the world.
Elon was the inspiration behind Robert Downey’s Iron Man
Elon’s superpower is that his endeavors are inspiring for the people of the world and that makes him a real superhero, no wonder he is the real life inspiration behind Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark from Iron Man. He also did a cameo in Iron Man 2.
Only time will tell how this massive open innovation will affect our future.
Indian phone makers Intex and Spice have decided to bring Mozilla’s Firefox OS to India. Intex calls its device the Cloud FX. The company said that the phone will be priced around Rs.2000 thereby bringing the smartphone experience to the last group of people untouched by it. Spice on the other hand has just given a July release timeframe and said its phone will be a dual Sim device.
The Cloud FX is powered by 1 Ghz processor and will have a 3.5 inch display. Mozilla had unveiled a similar $25 smartphone platform at the MWC this year which is said to be similar to the intex device.
Intex said the Cloud FX will have Wifi and Bluetooth connectivity. It has a 2 megapixel camera rear camera.
Firefox OS is a truly open source operating system. It is based on open source standards of HTML 5, JavaScript, etc. It will be competing against other open source platforms such as Ubuntu touch. It looks a lot like a scaled down version of the Android.
What sets the OS apart from Android as it is made for lower end devices. So it has minimum hardware requirement.
Some of the best features of the Firefox OS is that it is gestures controlled and has a fast developing market place. The market has already started to fill up with regularly used apps from around the world. Though many of the apps are internet only and most have not been conformed to screen sizes.
With major companies like Google and Facebook investing in initiatives to connect the massive unconnected population with internet, operating systems like these which facilitate cheaper devices will lead to more global interconnection.
If Intex plays it right and markets it well, it could bring a new form of smartphone revolution in the lower end phone segment thereby mobilizing bigger players to enter that arena.
Okay we know what you were thinking. We celebrated our 4 year anniversary but no giveaways for you guys. Well we are not the ones to miss an opportunity to appreciate your love for us.
So we are back with our iGyaan Giveaway and this time it’s rather fun, if we do say so ourselves. All you need for this giveaway use a tiny little app called Instagram (you might have already heard of it!) and you can have a Gionee ELife E7 in your pockets.
Click a photo of technology. Make it creative; Make it stand apart, just GO CRAZY. Find your passion and just click the hell out of it. Not just that you can also take instagram videos, yes it does that to.
Step 2
Post it on Instagram and/or Facebok with the following tags: #myigtech, #myigtag and #iGyaanGiveaway. You may also want to tag iGyaan’s instagram profile, just a sure shot way of getting your entry through to us.
Thats it!
The best Photo or Video of the day will get featured on iGyaan’s instagram as well as the iGyaan’s Facebook page, we’ll make you famous.
Each weeks best entry will get some goodies but the winner of the Giveaway gets to take home the amazing camera prowess of Gionee ELife 7.
We will announce the close of the contest soon, so bookmark this page.
Remember : Put some effort into clicking a picture! the cleaner and more awesome the picture, the better your chances of winning. Nothing comes easy, put your back into it!
The world’s greatest Cup is up again for grabs and the entire planet just got a serious adrenaline hit. The sponsoring companies are leaving no stone unturned to get maximum visibility in this controversial yet most watched edition of FIFA World Cup 2014.
Here are the Fifa World Cup ads from prominent companies which are making the football fever fly high:
1. Nike
Football’s existence is under threat. It just had a corporate takeover and there has just been an attack of the clones. Our favourite sport is ruined and the greatest footballers now have to do odd jobs to survive. The Original Ronaldo decides brings them all together to save a game that has been their collective passion. Sometimes in life you just have to Risk Everything.
Looks like Smart watches are focus device for manufacturers now. LG had announced its own Smart watch called the LG G watch and it looks quite impressive. It is stated to release on the 7th of July this year and will be showcased at the Google I/O conference.
Some of the features that LG had featured on its website are:
Compatible with Android: A wide option of devices to connect your watch to.
Sleek and Sexy Metallic Body: Comes in Black and White
Water and Dust Proof: Outside Friendly
Always on Screen: No Stand by brings it closer to real watch experience.
Gives all functionality of a Smart Watch: Navigation, Reminders, memo.
Voice controls through Google Now: To play music, record memos and lot more.
LG’s G Watch looks a sure shot challenger to Samsung’s Galaxy Gear. On the design front it looks really classy with pure black and the white being incorporated to Gold elements.
Now @upleaks has leaked the specs on the watch even before its release. So lets see what is under the hood of LG’s Smart watch and if has the hardware potential to take on the Galaxy Gear.
The watch is powered by the new Android Wear OS. The display is a 1.65-inch LCD screen with 280×280 pixel resolution. The processor on the G Watch is a quad-core Snapdragon 400 (with APQ8026 CPU) chipset with an 4GB LPDDR2 RAM .
G Watch also has 4GB of storage. It runs the latest Bluetooth 4.0 which is great for portables. The battery is a 400mAh Li-Po battery which is rated to give 36 hours of standby time and can be charged in under 2 hours.
This sure looks like a gadget to look forward to and if LG prices it right, it could be a winner for LG as well as a great introduction to the world of Android Wear OS. Hope it is as simplistic and awesome as they have shown in their OS video:
The gamers paradise is sizzling with action. The E3 or the Electronic Entertainment Expo is the biggest Gaming conference. E3 2014 had some of the biggest names having their moment on the podium and a lots of games found their way to the spotlight. We bring you the latest releases from all of them.
Microsoft:
After the mega release of the Xbox One last year, Microsoft concentrated mostly on the games for their gaming console. The Games list from Microsoft stands at:
a) “Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare”
b) “Forza Horizon 2”
c) “Evolve”
d) “Assassin’s Creed: Unity”
e) “Dragon Age Inquisition”
f) “Sunset Overdrive”
g) “Capcom: Dead Rising 3 DLC”
h) “Dance Central Spotlight”
i) “Fable Legends”
j) “Project: Spark”
k) “Ori and the Blind Forest”
The Announcement of Halo masterclass got a lot of folks excited
The most welcome news from Microsoft’s stable was the Halo Masterchief Collection. This will hold all the previous Halo versions plus the beta versions of upcoming versions, i.e Halo Nightfall and Halo: Guardians.
Electronic Arts(EA):
The Mega Giant of the gaming industry had some sweet surprises for the gaming enthusiasts. Some of these games were demo of future releases. It’s almost like a cool prototype you saw at an auto show and wanted to know when its coming out only to know that date don’t exist. Hopefully that won’t be the case with:
a) Untitled first person racing games: This one will be for the Go-Pro inspired generations. Have you ever seen those epic videos that those puny little cameras have captured and thought to yourself “wish I could do that.” Well this game aims to do just that. It will let the users operate in first person a huge assortment of vehicles such as cars, ATVs, helicopters, planes, jet-skis and more.
b) Mass Effect 4 and other Bioware games
c) Star Wars Battlefront
d) Mirror’s Edge 2: This was one of the most impressive and innovative games. The new version will show Faith (the lead) continue her intense badassery and take it to a new level. The parkour in this version will be more realistic and combat. This will be one of the games to look forward to.
Apart from this the usual sports games from the EA menu are also going to be released in their yearly release. This includes FIFA, Madden and NHL. Along with the Sims 4, the medival bonanza of pop culture will be celebrated with Dragon Age : Inquisition.
A lot of Dhoom in Battlefield Hardline
If you are a fan of fast paced urban action games, then Battlefield: Hardline Demo is the game for you. It’s a crime thriller with cops and robbers Dhooming around town. Somehow the visuals reminded us of the terrible, over used Amir khan dialogues from Dhoom 3.
Ubisoft:
The French gaming conglomerate had some impressive showcase this year. Heres the Ubisoft game list for the year:
a) Far Cry 4
b) Just Dance 2015
c) Tom Clancy’s The Division
d) The Crew
e) Assassins Creed Unity
f) Shape Up
g) Valiant Hearts: The Great War
h) Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Shield
This was a safe year for Ubisoft but their product line up was varied and will impress all kinds gaming pleasure seekers.
Sony:
They released the monster last year and now it’s time to feed it. After what must have been a long wait, the company showed off its games counter and it was truly impressive. It has a healthy mix of offerings for everyone this year. Here is what you can feast on this year on your PS4’s
a) Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
b) The Order: 1886
c) Infamous: First Light
d) LittleBigPlanet 3
e) Destiny
f) Bloodborne
g) No Man’s Sky
h) Mortal Kombat X
i) Batman: Arkham Knight
j) Remakes and Free-to-Play
One of the biggest announcements was that Grand Theft Auto will finally make it on the PS4 by this fall. By the end of July the PS4 version of The Last of Us: Remastered will be out.
Sony also showed off some free to play games such as Kingdom Under Fire II, Planetside 2 and War Thunder just to show that it cares.
Nintendo:
The Japanese came with a plan when they unleashed their games with a kickass Robot Chicken inspired segments. Seth Green’s boys made some hilarious pieces with Nintendo characters that left the audience in splits.
Nintendo also had actual gameplay in the trailer making it a more authentic sell. They also had a good number of games for their handheld platforms Wii U and Ninendo 3DS.
Here is their Games list for 2014:
a) Super Smash Bros.’ for Wii U and 3DS
b) Yoshi’s Wooly World’
c) Captain Toad’s Treasure Tracker
d) The new ‘Legend of Zelda’
e) Pokémon Omega Ruby’ and ‘Alpha Sapphire’
f) Bayonetta 2
g) Hyrule Warriors
h) Kirby and the Rainbow Curse
i) Xenoblade Chronicles X
j) Mario Maker
k) Splatoon
l) Fantasy Life
m) Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
n) Mario Party 10
Nintendo brought some extra fun in gaming with the Amiibos
Amiibos come in your favorite Nintendo Characters
Apart from this Nintendo also released a action figure series called Amiibo. These figures have to ability to remember the user’s stats, fighting styles and character traits and can be used with the Wii U. There a lot of possibilities
The Major players have showcased their goodies for 2014 and we look forward to bringing you more in-depth Game reviews as soon as we get to lay our hands on them.
Chinese phone manufacturers, Oppo has announced the launch of the Find 7 and its mini version the 7a. Both these phones are beautiful to look at and are LTE capable. People who love edges over curves are going to in for a treat.
General Managers Steven Shi Feng and CEO Tom Lu releasing the Find 7 and 7a
First up the Find 7 takes on the Oppo Find 5 design quotient and makes it even better. The Find 5 was one of the first phones with a 1080p display and continuing the tradition of firsts, Find 7 has a 1440p Quad HD display. The 2K space is heating up. Overall sleek and sexy looking body with steel elements is enticing to look and is an aspirational phone.
The Find 7 and Find 7a both have 5.5 inch screens. The 7a has a 1080p FHD screen. The unique feature of these devices is an erotic blue light at the bottom of the screen. Its called the Skyline notification and it starts from the center and spreads across the bottom edges. The textured Carbon fibre removable back panel is good to look at.
The Phones edgy design makes it great to look at.
On the processing power front the Find 7 boasts of 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 chipset with 3GB of RAM. This high configuration is necessary for the stunning Quad HD screen. The 7a on the other hand has a slightly shrunk 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 chipset.
Find 7 is powered by a 3000 MaH removable battery. The 7a holds a 2800 MaH version. Oppo has introduced a charging technology called the Multi step constant current charging (quite a mouthful ha?). This helps to go from 0 to 75% in 30 minutes. For this the phone needs to be charged with the provided charger.
The Quad HD screen of the Find 7 is a delight to look at. Its 538 ppi display is one of the best in class and was released globally before the LG G3. The Find 7 was released globally in March so that makes Oppo the first company to cross the 2K barrier.
The Find 7 has an internal storage of 32GB whereas the 7a has 16 GB storage. Both the phones have expandable memory options which will come handy if you want to play high quality audio-visual entertainment.
The Camera on the devices is 13 mega pixel shooters and are powered by the Sony IMX214 CMOS sensor. It has a wide 2.0 aperture which will help with better night and shallow focus shooting. Camera has the ability to shoot Raw and here too the expandable storage be extremely advantageous. It is also capable of 4K video recording.The camera is also capable of taking massive 50 Megapixel images. It achieves this by clicking multiple images and creating one huge 50 mpix images.
The phone currently runs on a clean looking UI. It runs on Oppo’s propriety Android 4.3 based Color OS. It has some really functional elements like the gestures feature. This feature lets you open certain apps like the camera or the torch just by making gestures on the screen. This works even when the screen is on stand-by to let you reach the Apps with ease.
Overall both devices look really enticing and we can’t wait to get our hands on them. Keep checking this spot for more.
The Find 7 is priced at Rs. 37990 and the Find 7a is priced at Rs. 31990 in India.
