iGyaan Network

Category: Android

  • OnePlus is Developing a New Android ROM for the OnePlus Two

    OnePlus is Developing a New Android ROM for the OnePlus Two

    Chinese mobile superstar, OnePlus is reportedly creating a new Android ROM for the upcoming OnePlus Two. The CEO of the company told the Chinese media that the company is planning to ship one variant of the Two with a home grown ROM.

    OnePlus One is known and demanded world over for its high specs, awesome design and low price. The device is especially appreciated for running the Android based CyanogenMod, that keeps the devices updated. Apart from this, the device ships with Color OS in China. Color OS can be found on the devices from OnePlus’s sister enterprise, Oppo. It seems that OnePlus might bid farewell to the Color OS for its own operating system.

    The OnePlus One currently runs CyanogenMod and it is unanimously appreciated for it.
    The OnePlus One currently runs CyanogenMod and it is unanimously appreciated for it.

    In the past, the company has taken multiple steps to reduce its dependency on CyanogenMod. They had released a stock Android ROM for their devices. Apart from that they had also offered support for other ROM’s like Paranoid Android and SlimKat ROM.

    It is highly unlikely though that the company may dump CyanogenMod altogether after a regularly updated ROM is one of the centerpieces of the device. But it will be interesting to see if a homegrown ROM will match up to the amazing CyanogenMod.

    OnePlus has also just announced that they will be bringing the One to India with a geography limited invite system. Considering the massive demand for the device, we will assume that they will repeat the millisecond vanishing act that has been perfected by its compatriot, Xiaomi. As for the OnePlus Two, it would be arriving somewhere around the second or third quarter of next year. We are waiting for your arrival OnePlus.

  • Award-Winning App from iOS ‘djay’ Finally Comes to Android

    Award-Winning App from iOS ‘djay’ Finally Comes to Android

    Apple always had an upside when it comes to sophisticated apps. iOS has long been the king in terms of music performance and production apps. But now, Algoriddim, the team behind the popular music mixing app djay, has launched it for Android through the Google Play Store and Amazon App Store, making the app its first on Google’s platform.

    The dj-ing software was demoed onstage at the iPad 2 launch and it won Apple’s much craved Apple Design Award in 2011 and Apple’s App of the Year award in over 100 countries. Djay is so well-liked that it’s even being pre-installed on many of the Apple’s demo units in store.

    djay_android_tablet

    Djay 2 gives you a pair of virtual turntables on which you can load any music from your library or through Spotify (premium account required). Just about everything you can do on real turntables, you can do with djay 2. It’s not limited to the capabilities of physical turntables, though. This app has a full suite of audio effects, waveform views, a drum machine, auto-synchronization, and more.

    Spotify music is streamed directly to djay, so you don’t even need the Spotify app installed – simply log in through the music selection pane – and it performs as if the music was stored locally on your device as long as you’re online. You can pick up a seven-day free trial of Spotify Premium to use with djay through the app if you aren’t already a subscriber.

    This is a huge feature especially if you don’t typically sync your music library to your device or have a storage limitation that prevents syncing huge libraries. If you do save music directly on your device, djay for Android includes fast access to your own music library with the native Android user interface for quickly picking the desired music and returning to the turntables.

  • Google Challenges Apple’s HealthKit with New Google Fit

    Google Challenges Apple’s HealthKit with New Google Fit

    After overcoming a few hurdles along the way, Apple’s HealthKit is making its way into mainstream slowly. However, Apple is not the only one to tap on potential market of health related applications and hardware. Yesterday, Google released Google Fit, a standalone app and fitness platform designed to compete with Apple’s HealthKit, in the Google Play store.

    The app, which connects to your existing Google account, functions as a central dashboard for tracking fitness and health goals. Like HealthKit, Google Fit taps into the sensors in your smartphone to keep tabs on daily activities like steps and active minutes. Users can also manually add exercise and other activities like biking and walking.

    google-fit

    According to Google, the newly launched app includes your run-of-the-mill activity tracking features, supports third-party integrations and Android wear devices, and enables users to “set goals based on either duration or steps.”

    To help enable third-party app integration, the company also rolled out full versions of its Google Fit APIs for developers. Google released a preview version of its software development kit for Google Fit earlier this year, and announced a series of early partners, including Nike, Runtastic, RunKeeper, who will be among the first developers to make their apps Google Fit-compatible.

    google fit

    Google Fit also has a web-based destination at Google.com/fit which doesn’t appear to be live just yet, and it’s likely we’ll see more features introduced to the app as developers begin to explore and work with the platform.

    Although this fitness app follows Google’s new Material Design guidelines and was announced alongside Android L (now known as Lollipop), Google Fit is available to all users running Android 4.0 and newer. This is also another reminder that Android 5.0 Lollipop’s release is just around the corner, with the first consumer devices sporting the OS coming next week.

  • Asus Confirms Android 5.0 Lollipop Update for Zenfone, Padfone

    Asus Confirms Android 5.0 Lollipop Update for Zenfone, Padfone

    Taiwanese manufacturer Asus has joined the list of manufacturers officially confirming the Lollipop update for its smartphones. The company has officially announced the Android 5.0 update for the Zenfone 4, Zenfone 5 and Zenfone 6 smartphones. Also receiving the update would be the Padfone S and Padfone Infinity (A86) devices. Meanwhile, the LTE version of the Zenfone 5 will also receive the update.

    However, the updates will take a long time to arrive. According to Asus, the update will come to Zenfones in April 2015, which makes it highly possible that Asus is working on the next version of the Zen UI for Android.

    Asus_Zenfone_4_3

    Asus now joins the likes of Motorola, Sony and HTC with this announcement, who have also confirmed the update for a select few devices. Being the Nexus manufacturer, Motorola was the first to confirm the update, followed by Sony announcing the update for the entire Xperia Z series.

    While Samsung also teased the update for the Galaxy Note 4, though it is rumoured to be working on a revamped version of its TouchWiz UI for Android 5.0. For more information, check out our article on a complete list of devices that will get the Android 5.0 Lollipop update.

  • Nextbit’s Baton App Brings iOS-like Continuity Features to Android

    Nextbit’s Baton App Brings iOS-like Continuity Features to Android

    Just when we thought Apple is leading the race of technology convergence with it’s new ‘Continuity’ feature on OS X Yosemite and iOS 8.1, Nextbit, a startup formed by ex-Googlers, launched a forward-thinking cloud sync and backup service for Android called Baton.

    It lets you quickly pass an app’s state from one Android device to another, which means you can continue playing on the same level in a game, editing the same document in an app or browsing the same web page right away. The only precondition being that the second device must also have Baton and the same app installed.

    Nextbit Baton has three main features—sync, pass, and backup/restore. The sync feature is capable of keeping your app data in sync across all your devices. So, if you’re using a fitness app on a phone to track your stats, you can use a tablet to view all that data as it exists on the phone. This is a lot more than restoring app data which is already provided by Android (though underutilized). Nextbit constantly updates app data across all devices, but you can also disable sync on any app of your choice.

    nextbit baton

    The Pass feature is probably the most impressive. A long press of the multitasking button will let you beam the current state of your app to another device and allow instant pick up where you have left off. The Nextbit backup lets you store apps and data in the cloud for easy restoration to new devices, similar to Google’s new app restore in Lollipop. All the cloud data in Nextbit is kept in Amazon’s AWS, and the data only syncs over Wi-Fi to avoid destroying your data cap or battery life.

    Baton by Nextbit is available in private Beta form for users running the latest CyanogenMod version. The service will be available to public via a CyanogenMod release. It is said that Baton’s first public release will be on the “commercially distributed Cyanogen operating system” at some point this year, which means that OnePlus One users will be getting it for sure.

  • Android 5.0 Lollipop Out on 3rd November, Here’s a List of Devices Confirmed to Receive the Update

    Android 5.0 Lollipop Out on 3rd November, Here’s a List of Devices Confirmed to Receive the Update

    A note sent to app developers which was obtained by Android Police informs developers that the Software Development Kit for Android 5.0 is now available. It further advises developers that they can start working and testing their apps on the Android 5.0 platform. It concludes by revealing that Android 5.0 will be available to consumers starting 3rd November.

    This is quite predictable as Google has already said that the refreshed Nexus 6 phone and Nexus 9 tablet will be available early November. Both of them, will come loaded with the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop. It only makes sense for Google to start rolling out the update for existing devices around the same time.

    Typically, as we have seen in the past, Google’s own Nexus devices are the first ones to get latest updates, which is followed by other mobile manufacturers. Google has officially confirmed that its entire Nexus range will be updated to Android 5.0 in the coming weeks. HTC has already said that it will start rolling out Android 5.0 on the HTC One M8 and HTC One M7 worldwide,  “within 90 days of receiving final software from Google”. Meanwhile, Motorola has revealed that its plans to update the first and second gen Moto X and Moto G and other devices with Android 5.0 later this year.

    There’s a whole new look and feel to Android 5.0 Lollipop, courtesy of a concept called Material Design, it paints richer colurs, adds more depth and has more white space. Along with that, it also adds a new notification setup, offers new ways to multitask and has a new battery saving mode. Check out our in-depth article about What to expect from the Android 5.0 Lollipop.

    Now the question is, will your device make it to the list where this update will be rolled out? We’ve compiled a handy  list, with all the devices that will get the new Android Lollipop update.

    Did yours make it?

    Google

    • Nexus 4
    • Nexus 5
    • Nexus 7 (2012)
    • Nexus 7 (2013)
    • Nexus 10

    Google Play Edition

    • HTC One (M7)
    • HTC One (M8)
    • Samsung Galaxy S4
    • Moto G
    • Sony Z Ultra
    • LG G Pad 8.3

    Android One

    • Micromax Canvas A1
    • Spice Dream UNO
    • Karbonn Sparkle V

    Motorola

    • Motorola
    • Moto X
    • Moto X 2nd Gen.
    • Moto G
    • Moto G 4G LTE
    • Moto G 2nd Gen
    • Moto E
    • Droid Ultra
    • Droid Maxx
    • Droid Mini

     Sony

    • Xperia Z
    • Xperia ZL
    • Xperia ZR
    • Xperia Z1
    • Xperia Z1s
    • Xperia Z Ultra
    • Xperia Z1 Compact
    • Xperia Z2
    • Xperia Z2 Tablet
    • Xperia Z3
    • Xperia Z3 Compact
    • Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact

    HTC

    • One (M7)
    • One (M8)
    • One mini
    • One mini 2

    NVIDIA

    • SHIELD Tablet

    Xolo

    • Xolo One

    OnePlus

    • OnePlus One

    For those of you wondering about Samsung devices, we expect the Galaxy S5, S4, Note 3, Note 4, Tab S 8.4 and Tab S 10.5 to receive the update, although it is not official as of yet. We will update this post as soon as new devices are confirmed or begin to receive Lollipop updates.

  • Sundar Pichai to Now Oversee Crucial Strategic Operations at Google

    Sundar Pichai to Now Oversee Crucial Strategic Operations at Google

    A few days ago we reported about Satya Nadella becoming one of the highest paid tech execs, now it seems like another Indian is  speedily climbing the ladder of success. Google’s Sundar Pichai, who already heads some of the company’s most strategic businesses, has been given more responsibility. CEO Larry Page wants to focus more on overall business strategy, off loading some of his responsibilities to Pichai.

    Pichai, who already heads the most widely used OS in the world – Android, along with that he’s incharge of Google Chrome, and oversees the company’s suite of apps including Gmail and Docs. Under the organization reshuffle, he will be heading research, search, maps, Google+ social network, ads and infrastructure.

    sundar-pinchai

    With Google coming under pressure from investors as their profits and revenue did not meet their targets in the third quarter, Page decided to off load some of his reponsibilities to focus more on the overall business growth. Some financial analysts fear that Google’s business is slowing down, despite its search and advertising business still generating a revenue of $50 billion a year. Page can now have direct supervision over a number of divisions including YouTube, along with business and operations.

    Chennai-born Pichai, has become a well known figure inside the company after he took over Android. He has been working for the company since 2004 and has a master’s degree in engineering from Stanford University. His early works included being a part of the team that developed Google’s search toolbar.

  • Air India Finally Gets on Board! Launches its Official App and Twitter Account

    Air India Finally Gets on Board! Launches its Official App and Twitter Account

    Seems like Air India is finally awake from a deep slumber. It has officially launched a new app for smartphones to make bookings simple and convenient even while you’re on the move. Better late than never,  Air India has also officially boarded the micro blogging site Twitter with a new account @airindiain.

    As already mentioned, the app should facilitate quick and hassle free bookings along with providing user oriented information like fare details, check ins etc. The app is only available only on the Play Store for now, though will be rolled out for iOS soon.

    The airline already has a Facebook page and getting onto Twitter account would be considered a step in the right direction. This makes Air India the sixth Indian airline to have an account on Twitter.

    “We will be launching our Twitter account in the next few days,” said Rohit Nandan, chairman and managing director of Air India. “I know it’s a tough task for us to be there, but we have to improve our customer services and I think this is the step in that direction. This will keep us on our toes. We would try to do our best so we can solve customer queries in real time. And gradually scale up our efforts,” said Nadan in a report published by Times of India.

  • Canvas 5 Might be Micromax’s First CyanogenMod-Based Smartphone

    Canvas 5 Might be Micromax’s First CyanogenMod-Based Smartphone

    We had reported a few weeks back of a possibility of a CyanogenMod powered device coming from Micromax’s stable. Now DroidGoblin is reporting that the device can be Micromax Canvas 5. The phone is expected to be launched at a price of about Rs. 22000.

    The phone is expected to sport a 5-inch full HD display. It will get its processing might from the Octa-Core processor from MediaTek, which it has been using in its top-end phones. It will come with 2GB of RAM and might have 16GB internal storage with an option to expand it through a MicroSD card. All of this is expected to come in an aluminum outer shell.

    According to the report the phone isn’t light in the camera department either. It is expected to offer an 18-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera.

    The CyanogenMod on the device will be based on Android Kitkat 4.4.4 which will probably make it the most updated Micromax device out there. CyanogenMod is definitely the most popular custom Android ROM and the news of the device from Micromax has met with wide appreciation. As of now, there are over 12 million active installs of CyanogenMod till June 2014.

    On the spec-sheet, the device sounds great and will easily find a lot of takers here in India. This will be a great news for people looking for a device that offers regular updates. There are also tons of customizability features on the ROM, which will let you own a unique device designed by you. This seems like a great new step for the Indian company, and we can’t wait to check out the device.

  • Google Adds New Layer of Security Features with Android 5.0 Lollipop

    Google Adds New Layer of Security Features with Android 5.0 Lollipop

    Android 5.0 Lollipop is Google’s most significant release of Android yet with a whole lot of features debuting with it. Everyone seems to be super excited about the newly upgraded features like support for 64-bit processors, Material Design, the improvements to power management and the switch from the Dalvik RunTime to the Android RunTime, ART, which are touted to make our devices smoother and faster.

    But this time around, Google has added some great new security features as well. The first way is the built-in kill switch, also known as Factory Reset Protection. It essentially prevents anyone from wiping and resetting your device if it’s stolen. If thieves can’t factory reset your device, then they won’t be able to successfully resell it.The feature requires a Google ID and password before a phone can be reset, and only works when a phone passcode is enabled.

    211-android-apple

    The second is linked to the first and uses a feature that has been present in Android since 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, which is device encryption. Until now, encryption has been an optional security feature that most people only activate if their corporate email account tells them to do so. From Android 5.0, encryption is going to be enabled by default. This gives users another PIN or password to remember but keeps the data on the device much safer from the notorious hackers’ eyes. Without device encryption, a thief could access the information on the device.

  • Vertu Introduces the Aster, a Luxury Android Smartphone Priced at Rs. 4,75,000

    Vertu Introduces the Aster, a Luxury Android Smartphone Priced at Rs. 4,75,000

    Just when people were raising a hue and cry about how pricey the new generation flagships are, Vertu the king of luxury phones has brought its Aster to India. Vertu, which was formed by Nokia (hope you still remember that name,) is known for its premier hand-crafted and ornamented phones. The Aster too comes from this family of opulence.

    The phone comes in multiple color options that are made of elegant materials.
    The phone comes in multiple color options that are made of elegant materials.

    Vertu had for long stayed with the Symbian operating system but now it has made a shift to the Android OS. The device runs Android KitKat. It comes with a 4.7 inch Full HD display protected by Sapphire Crystal display.

    The Aster is powered by a 2.3GHz Quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor. It comes with 2 GB RAM and 64 GB internal storage. It is juiced up (or rather champagned up) by a 2275 mAh battery. The phone is Qi Wireless Charging Compatible.

    Vertu also offers multiple phone case options
    Vertu also offers multiple phone case options

    It comes with a 13 MP camera on the back and a 2.1 MP camera on the front provided to have a skype chat about your new multi-million acquisition.

    But with Vertu, it’s not about what lies inside the device, but what’s on the outside. The materials used in the production of this device include carefully selected leathers and skins and space age hardened titanium for the side rails, back plate, pillow and sound bar. There isn’t anything as ostentatious as this one.

    The Conceirge service is a really attractive feature for the elites who buy this phone.
    The Conceirge service is a really attractive feature for the elites who buy this phone.

    The main service feature offered by the phone is the concierge service. Aster comes with six-month concierge service that can be extended. Using the service you can get in touch with a personal concierge who can assist you with recommendations and priority bookings. They facilitate your every request, from finding the perfect gift to accessing exclusive events. The service is accessible 24-hour from anywhere in the world.

    So if you have half a million rupees to spare for a communication device, this must be it.

  • Nexus 9 Listed on Google Play Store in India for Rs. 28,900

    Nexus 9 Listed on Google Play Store in India for Rs. 28,900

    Google on Wednesday announced three new devices, all attempting to enter a space which competitior Apple has enjoyed monopoly over the past years. Now, Google’s Nexus 9, the HTC-made tablet  is “coming soon” to India.

    The tablet has been listed on Google India’s Play store. It is not yet available but once it does, it will cost Rs.28,900 for the 16GB Wi-Fi model and Rs. 44,900 for the 3G version with 32GB memory. Three official origami-inspired leather covers for the tablet have also been listed. They  will be available in three color variants, Black, Mint Intiqo and Lime stone.

    nexus 9 google play

    Google describes Nexus 9 as a tablet that “is for work and play, with its just-right 8.9-inch screen and front-facing stereo speakers”. Now according to insider sources, the company will be bringing the Nexus 9 to India by the 2nd week of December, which come in line with this listing.

    Nexus 9 is a slim, sleek and sexy looking tablet. Its processing might is taken care by a 64-bit NVIDIA Tegra K1 Dual Denver processor clocked at 2.3GHz. It comes with 2GB RAM and is available in 16GB and 32GB storage variants. The device has an 8.9 inch IPS LCD display with 4:3 aspect ratio. It has a resolution of 2048×1536 and is covered in Gorrila Glass 3.

    Capture4

    The camera at the rear will not do 4K video because it is just an 8 MP snapper, but its a wide lens and a great module. The aperture is f 2.4 and the sensor is a BSI sensor. For power you get a 6700 mAh battery, that should last you through the day and then some.

    It weighs only 425 gm for the Wifi only and 436gm for the LTE variant, keeping it light and extremely portable. The tablet is easily held with one hand and the back panel feels great as well. The device is one of the first devices to run the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop OS along with the Nexus 6.

  • Sony Promises to Update Xperia Z line to Android 5.0 Lollipop Soon

    Sony Promises to Update Xperia Z line to Android 5.0 Lollipop Soon

    The new upgrade for the Android mobile OS, Android 5.0 Lollipop is finally here. However, it could be a while before Google’s new software becomes available on some of our favorite devices. Sony has confirmed that its entire Xperia Z lineup will make the jump to Lollipop starting next year.

    sony xperia m2 aqua1

    Android 5.0 updates won’t roll out until 2015 for your Xperia device, they only confirmed that Lollipop is coming eventually. Sony notes that the Z Ultra Google Play Edition is first in line followed by the Xperia Z3 and Z2 families, also Z1 and Z devices won’t be left out either.

    Sony-Xperia-Z2

    According to the announcement, “entire premium Z series” means the Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR, Xperia Tablet Z, Xperia Z1, Xperia Z1S, Xperia Z Ultra, Xperia Z1 Compact, Xperia Z2, Xperia Z2 Tablet, Xperia Z3, Xperia Z3v, Xperia Z3 Compact and Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact will all be updated to Android 5.0 Lollipop.

  • Nexus 9 vs iPad Mini 3: Which One Got it Right?

    Nexus 9 vs iPad Mini 3: Which One Got it Right?

    Apple has finally unveiled the new generation iPads and iMacs. The company had earlier “accidentally” released some information about the new generation products from its stable. Seems like Apple has put some real challenge for Nexus.  Both the iPad Mini 3 and the Nexus 9 are priced close to Rs. 24,000 ($400).

    Now that we have the knowledge of the juicy bits  of these devices that make them tick, we’d like to take them for a spec comparison.

    Specs

    Nexus 9

    iPad Mini Retina
    Display 8.9-inch QXGA 7.9?inch Retina display
    Processor 2.3GHz, 64-bit NVIDIA Tegra K1 Dual Denver A7 Chip
    RAM 2 GB 1 GB
    Storage 16/32GB 16/64/128 GB
    Expandable Upto – –
    Main Camera 8 MP 5 MP
    Front Camera 1.6 MP 1.2 MP
    Battery 6700 mAh –
    Operating System Android 5.0 iOS 8.0.1

    Overall, on the spec sheet, it looks like the Nexus 9 is beating Apple’s latest offering quite easily; Google and HTC together have formed a good device. Apple’s Handoff features though will be truly appreciated by the fans, and thus the device will find many takers. The features can still be up for debate, and we’ll get you the full story once these devices are available.

  • Dual Screen YotaPhone Comes to India Exclusively on Flipkart

    Dual Screen YotaPhone Comes to India Exclusively on Flipkart

    YotaPhone is a one of a kind device. It features two back to back displays. The phone is developed by Russian company Yota, which makes some really cool products. The phone has now arrived in India and will be available exclusively on Flipkart for a price of Rs 23,499.

    The YotaPhone comes with two 4.3 inch displays. One display is a 720p HD LCD screen with a pixel resolution of 342 ppi. The second screen is an ‘always-on’, 640×360 pixels E-Ink display with a resolution of 170 ppi.

    yotaphone 1

    It’s a perfect device for those who want to have a good e-reader along with the functionality of a normal smartphone in one device. The 4.3 inch screen is equivalent to the Moto E, which is a decent size for a multimedia device.

    Yotaphone runs on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. It is powered by a 1.7 GHz Snapdragon dual-core processor with 2GB of RAM. It has 32GB internal storage. The device gets its juice from 1,800mAh battery. It has a 13 MP rear camera with LED flash along with a 1MP front camera.

    Abdul Karim Sawan, Vice President for Yota Devices, said on the launch, “Yota Devices combines a smartphone and e-reader into one device for those who enjoy reading on-the-go even in the brightest sunlight. You can save images and information on the second screen, and it stays there, even if you lose battery power. You can save anything on the always-on display from a map to a boarding pass. Information, like a missed call or meeting reminder, stays on the always-on screen until it is no longer needed.”

    The device is brought to India in a tie-up with Jumbo Electronics. It is a leading IT, telecom and consumer electronics retailer and distributor from the UAE. The phone will go on sale on Flipkart on October 17.

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