Category: Brands and Companies

All Brands and Company Names

Microsoft Ends Support for Internet Explorer 8, 9 and 10

The first generation of netizens would fondly recall their days of web browsing and how Internet Explorer played such an integral part in it. But looks like it’s time to let go and move on, folks, as Microsoft finalised its withdrawal of support for the browser. The company would no longer offer technical support or security updates for Internet Explorer 8, 9 and 10.Microsoft had declared its plan to end support for the browser first in July 2014, and starting today, these plans have gone into action. However, the company would still continue to support Internet Explorer 11 and Microsoft Edge. Microsoft Edge comes embedded with any device running on Windows 10, and also offers integration with Cortana.

If users wish to continue using the older versions of the browser -not sure if there are many takers for it to begin with -Microsoft warns you against malicious software that might harm your computer. According to statistics, one in every five internet user was still using Internet Explorer 8, 9 or 10 in December. However, looks like now users might want to experiment with other options, especially since there are so many available to them -Opera Mini, Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari et al.

January 12, 2016
Samsung Galaxy S7 3D Renders Suggest Possible Design Language

Samsung is on course to unveil its Galaxy S7 flagship devices at next month’s Mobile World Conference. While the many, many rumors about the device have mostly surrounded the specs, which have pretty much been confirmed now thanks to an AnTuTu listing yesterday, not much has been spoken or even hinted at regarding the design.

But a new 3D renders of the device, designed by 3D designer Jermaine Smith, have surfaced that show what the flagship device could look like. The renders are of the 5.1-inch Galaxy S7 handset. The renders including the video show the device with curved sides at the back, much like the Galaxy Note 5. The 5.5-inch S7 Edge will have curved edges at the front. The front design of the S7 shows narrower side bezels, 2.5D glass covering the display and the Home Button.

The video by Smith is based on popular tipster @onleaks leaked design blueprints of the Galaxy S7. The front design of the S7 shows narrower side bezels, 2.5D glass covering the display and the Home Button. Now while the renders cannot be confirmed, it is likely that the Galaxy S7 will sport the same design aesthetics as shown in the video. The video also shows 5 color variants for the phone including rose gold, silver, black, blue and gold, although this may just be the video maker’s personal choices.

Meanwhile, the specs of the device remain unchanged from past rumors. It is already confirmed that the flagship device will sport Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 820 chipset. Other likely specs include 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB internal storage, Adreno 530 GPU. The device will run of Android 6.0 Marshmallow (no surprises there).

On the camera front, Samsung is looking to downgrade to 12 MP camera and focus more on improving low-light imaging and wider dynamic range for the upcoming flagship. To do this, Samsung is taking help of the new BRITECELL setup. AnTuTu listing also confirms that the device will sport a 12 MP rear sensor and a 5 MP front. Looks like Samsung is sticking to quality rather than quantity here.

January 12, 2016
Apple iOS 9.3 to bring big changes to iPhones and iPads

Apple today has released a new iOS 9.3 beta software for its iOS devices, giving developers a glimpse into the new features that will soon be available. Public beta will be up for download for all who signed up for it. The iOS 9.3 beta is one of the biggest updates to iOS 9 as of now, and brings along with it a number of really cool features.

Improved 3D Touch

The latest update to the OS will bring with it advanced 3D Touch capabilities. Advancements to the way users interact with their Apple device will be seen such as the use of pressure commands. New ‘Quick Shortcuts’ for the App store, Compass, Health, iTunes Store and Weather are going to be seen,

App Switcher

iOS 9.3 includes haptic feedback when using the Force Touch app switcher on an iPhone 6s or 6s Plus. “Peek” feedback is provided when first opening the app switcher, and a full “Pop” feedback is given when pressing further to open it fully.

Night Shift

This is a new feature designed to decrease the amount of blue light an iOS user is exposed to at night. Night Shift allows for the OS to shift to more yellow tones for the iPhone or iPad’s display. Apparently this shift will help the user, be more comfortable while reading in the dark, and result in a more peaceful sleep at night. Thank you Apple for caring so much.

News

Improvements have been made to the news app in iOS 9.3 to make it more specific to each person’s interests. A new For You section will also incorporate trending topics and specific picks from Apple editors to help users discover conetent. Other new features include a new landscape view for News on the iPhone, in-line video playback for videos in news stories. According to Apple faster content updating when opening the news app will also be noticed.

Health

iOS 9.3 will include third-party app recommendations in the Health app, where users will also be able to see move, exercise, stand, and goal data from a paired Apple Watch. Health will highlight apps for example tracking weight.

CarPlay

CarPlay apps have been updated to bring them in line with iOS apps on iOS 9. The Apple Music CarPlay app now include a new For You sections to help the user with music discovery. A new Nearby feature is also added to maps to offer information about what’s close-by tailored for the user.

Education

iOS 9.3 will bring with it several Education-oriented features such as feature of shared iPads for students, a new Classroom app, an Apple School Manager, and improved Apple ID management features. Sharing of iPads is a particularly interesting feature which is picked up from android, and as such could be seen soon in use for more than just the Education app.

Apple Watch

Alongside iOS 9.3, Apple also released the watchOS 2.2 beta to developers around the world. With both these updates installed the iPhone will be able to pair with more than one Apple Watch at a time.

Live Photos

iOS 9.3 will also see the iPhone 6s get a brand new option to save a full resolution photo from a Live Photo. Users can do this while using Share Sheet, choosing “Duplicate”. it will now gives an option to create a Still Photo duplicate of a Live Photo.

Notes

The Notes app has a minor update to it. iOS 9.3 will see the Notes app get finger-print unlocking ability. This is expected to make using the the must have app more convenient.

January 12, 2016
Pre-orders for HTC Vive Begin Next Month

HTC has announced the date for pre-order of HTC Vive as 29th February. The company will start shipping the VR-headsets starting April. Pricing and other details of the gadget will be revealed close to the pre-order date.

The HTC Vive was showcased and unveiled at CES 2016. The launch of the consumer version of the VR-headset was delayed due to what chief executive Cher Wang described as a “very, very big technological breakthrough”. This breakthrough was later revealed to be an all new front camera.

The camera allows the wearer to see the physical room around them, which helps to avoid collisions. The wearable also features room-scale technology. You can also read our heads on with the developer edition of the HTC Vive.

One of the main questions surrounding the HTC Vive was always its affordability. Following Occulus’ price tag of $599 (about Rs. 40,000), we can expect the Vive to be priced around somewhere close to this at $600 or slightly higher, if not less.

January 12, 2016
iPhone 5e to be the Name of the 4-inch iPhone

It’s sort of a tradition now for Apple to release a cheaper variant of its flagship devices. It was the case for the iPhone 5C and so will be the case with the iPhone 6C. For weeks now we have been hearing rumours that Apple is working on a 4-inch iPhone. The device was initially called iPhone 6c, which later went ahead to be renamed 7c, and now we know it will be called iPhone 5e.

A Chinese analyst has confirmed that the 4-inch iPhone would be called iPhone 5e where ‘e’ stands for ‘enhanced’. The phone will be an improved version of the 5s and will support Apple Pay and VoLTE.

Because the phone will be an entry level device, we don’t expect it to feature current-gen processor. Even on the camera front don’t expect a major bump. The iPhone 5e will likely stick with an 8 MP rear from the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus and might even let go of OIS. It’s expected to be priced around $500 (close to Rs. 33,000) and arrive in March. For a complete round-up of all that we know about the device so far, click here.

January 12, 2016
LG K10 to Launch This Week

According to communication received from LG, the latest range of mid range offerings from the South Korean Tech giant, LG K7, and LG K10 are slated for launch this week. These smartphones will be available in South Korea starting January 14th.

Specifications of the model launched in Korea reveal the device to have a quad-core 1.2 GHz CPU, backed by 1.5GB, while internal memory is 16GB. In terms of camera, the device sports a 13MP rear unit and a 5MP front shooter.

The measurment of the phone will be 146.6 × 74.8 × 8.8mm and it will weigh 140g. On the outside will be a nice 5.3 inch, 720p display. The phone will come equipped with Android 5.1 Lolipop, and will pack a 2300 mAh battery to keep it going through the day. Connectivity options on the much awaited phone include Wi-Fi (802.11 b, g, n), Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, USB 2.0, and Micro SD. It will be available in three color options Indigo, Black, and White.

Pricing of the K10 is set at a tag of KRW 200,000( Approx Rs 11,037), but expect it to be priced a bit higher when it hits Indian shores.

January 12, 2016
Samsung Galaxy J1 Successor to Have Three Colour Variants

Here’s the latest dope on the Samsung Galaxy J successor, which should also be called Galaxy J1 (2016), as reported by @evleaks. It will be available in three colour variants -black, white and gold. Just a couple of days ago, we had talked about a leaked image of the device that had surfaced online, along with speculated specifications.

Samsung Galaxy J1 Black

According to these speculations, the phone is expected to have a 4.5 inch display, which is slightly larger than the current J1’s 4.3 inches, with 480×800 pixel resolution. The phone will be powered by Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.

Samsung Galaxy J1 White

Though the FCC certificate does not reveal any specifications for the handset, although a siting on GFXBench can throw some light on it. The SM-J120F (the model number of J1’s successor) is expected to arrive with a dual SIM variant which will be powered by the Samsung Exynos 3475 chipset with quad-core 1.3 GHz CPU and will come with 1 GB RAM and 4 GB internal memory.

Samsung-Galaxy J1 Gold

On the camera front, one can expect a 5 MP rear camera and a 2 MP front camera. The phone will be a budget phone arriving at close to Rs. 7,000. We can expect the J1 to be launched this month, let’s see when it hits the Indian markets.

Source

January 12, 2016
All Moto Devices to Feature Fingerprint Scanners in 2016

Motorola (and this might be the last time we use the name) has been the name attached to the advent of the phone back in the 90s, and even fingerprint sensors back in 2011 with the Atrix 4G, much before Apple did it with the iPhone 5s. However, Motorola was still behind in including the feature to many of its devices in the past few years, especially last year’s Moto X Style and Play, while other brands have largely embraced the feature.

Speaking of fingerprint sensors then, Lenovo has stated that all of its Moto devices this yer will feature fingerprint scanners. Chen Xudong, SVP of Lenovo and president for Lenovo China and Asia Pacific, has revealed that all Moto-branded handsets launching this year will have fingerprint sensors. One can’t help but feel that Lenovo is ready to make some big changes to the Moto lineup after it officially kills off Motorola this year.

Lenovo Vibe P1 with fingerprint sensor

Additionally, Lenovo has also stated that there will be no more devices with screen size under 5-inches, which, if one cares to venture, could mean the end of the Moto E line. Lenovo’s plan looks pretty straightforward – the Moto devices will be launched aimed at the high-end market, while budget devices will bear the ‘Vibe’ moniker. Between the two, Lenovo plans to launch no more than 15 devices this year.

Lastly, Chen also stated that Google Play Store will launch in China, which is likely to give a stiff competition to many of the local app stores for Android in the country. In fact, Google was supposed to announce a China-only version of the Play Store last year along with the launch of the Nexus devices, but that did not happen.

January 12, 2016
Xiaomi Mi 5 Could Arrive in Two Versions

It’s not uncommon at all for OEMs to release more than one options for flagship devices. Samsung, Apple, and Sony, among others, have been doing that for a while now, and if latest rumors are to be believed, Xiaomi is planning to do the same with its upcoming Mi 5 flagship smartphone.

A mobile industry insider let it slip that Xiaomi could have two variants for the Mi 5 up its sleeve. While one will sport a 2.5D curved glass for the front and back with a metal fame, the other will be a more premium version with an all-metal body. Furthermore, the former is said to have a 1080p resolution, while the latter (pricier) variant will sport a QHD resolution display.

However, the size of both the variants will remain the same. If this new rumor is true, Xiaomi is likely to offer the glass version with 3 GB RAM and 32 GB internal storage, and the full-metal handset with 4 GB and 64 GB storage. Meanwhile, yesterday’s leak also confirms a black color variant for the device.

Just a refresher, the Mi 5 is slated to feature a 5.2-inch display with Quad HD resolution. The handset is confirmed to feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 chipset. Other rumored specs include 3GB or 4GB RAM, with a minimum of 32GB internal storage. The camera on the device is expected to be a 16-megapixel at the back, and an equally impressive 13-megapixel snapper at the front.

This power hungry device is set to pack a battery of 3600 mAh with support for Quick Charge 3.0 technology. At the software end, the handset will run MIUI 7 based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Xiaomi is set to launch the Mi 5 on January 21.

January 12, 2016
Samsung Galaxy S7 Specs Listed on AnTuTu

The launch of Samsung’s upcoming flagship Galaxy S7 devices is a month or two away. As is always the case when it comes to big launches such as this, leaks and rumors are always in plenty. Today, we have one that possibly confirms what we have come to know about the S7, at least specification wise. AnTuTu posted on Weibo the specs of the 5.1-inch Galaxy S7 device.

It is already confirmed that the flagship device will sport Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 820 chipset, and AnTuTu confirms the same. Other specs listed include 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB internal storage, Adreno 530 GPU. The device will run of Android 6.0 Marshmallow ( no surprises there).

There have been a lot of rumors and speculation around the camera of the S7. The newest rumors suggested that Samsung will in fact downgrade to 12 MP camera and focus more on improving low-light imaging and wider dynamic range. To do this, Samsung is making taking help of the new BRITECELL setup. AnTuTu confirms that the device will sport a 12 MP rear sensor and a 5 MP front. Looks like Samsung is sticking to quality rather than quantity here.

While the specs are pretty much out and about now, there’s still some surprises to expect on the design front. It is also unknown how Samsung plans on distributing the Snapdragon 820 and Exynos chipsets among the 5.1-inch, 5.5-inch, and 6-inch variants.

January 11, 2016
Pictures of a Nokia Handset Prototype Appear Online

Nokia seems to be everyone’s favourite under-dog these days. So obviously, when pictures of a potential Nokia prototype appear online, we cannot help but talk about them.

Images of an unknown handset has appeared online which seems to be Nokia-branded. It appears to be a prototype handset, and a closer look at the images does not reveal any doctoring. It sports a camera on the back with an LED flash along with suggestions of an antenna design on the body of the phone.

Additionally, the images do not show a smartphone, but a feature phone. It is complete with a keypad and a non-touch display. This could be either an old prototype which couldn’t be launched before Microsoft took over Nokia, and then got shoved under the carpet, or it could be a future device.

Even though Nokia is not allowed to use its brand on feature phones until 2024, as part of the deal with Microsoft, who knows what this device holds for the future? Watch this space for more scoop on Nokia and its upcoming plans.

January 11, 2016
Xiaomi Mi5 Round-Up: Everything We Know So Far

Xiaomi launched the Redmi 3 in China on Monday morning, but the company isn’t done yet. Next up is the launch of the much awaited Mi 5 this month. This is what we know about the device so far:

3D Touch3D Touch is the new cool thing in town and everyone wants to have a piece of it. Reports emerging from China tell us that Xiaomi too is interested in having this technology for its future flagship devices. This could be one of the reasons the expected Mi 5 announcement has been delayed. January will see the first set of phones to arrive with the new processors including the Mi5 and (perhaps) Galaxy S7.

CameraWe have heard several rumours about the camera of the Mi5. The latest one suggests that the phone will sport a 16 MP rear camera with dual LED flash. The front camera will be marked at 8 MP.

ChipsetXiaomi’s Mi5 will be among the first devices to sport the newest chipset, Snapdragon 820. Earlier, single-core score of the Snapdragon 820 was placed at 2162, which was quite underwhelming give that the latest A9 chipset from Apple has a score close to 2500. However, a new score of 2300 points was revealed by a popular leakster. Though it is still not on par with Apple, it is still a better score and keeps hopes alive for better performing devices next year.

Battery, Storage and Other DetailsThis power hungry device is set to pack a battery of 3,030 mAh with support for Quick Charge 3.0 technology. A fingerprint sensor can also be expected as many new devices are now coming out with it. Other features expected to be part of Mi5 include 4GB RAM and 16/64GB of Internal storage. Other rumored specs include 3 GB or 4 GB RAM, with a minimum of 32 GB internal storage. At the software end, the handset will run MIUI 7 based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

Design and Display:Earlier today, Weibo posted some images of the Mi5 in its black variant which has since been removed.The images concur with past renders of the device. The 5.2-inch QHD (1440×2560) AMOLED display of the device is also expected sports a slimming frame and a wide display, and a thick lower bezel.

Price and LaunchThe expected price of the Mi5 is around 1,999 Yuan (Rs. 20,500 approx.) Xiaomi is set to launch the Mi 5 on January 21st.

January 11, 2016
Samsung ‘Smart Suit’ to Dress You Up For the Future

Smartphones, smart-watches, smart cities with smart people living in futuristic smart homes doing smart things all the time! Well, the future sure promises to look like the setting of a Sci-Fi movie. And, for better, or for worse, Samsung is here to do its bit for this revolution by promising to dress up the future, you and us, with smart-clothes.

Samsung unveiled its Smart Suit concept, a range of smart wearables at CES, 2016. The technology behind the Smart Suit, however, isn’t that impressive. It’s basically your every-day clothes with an NFC tag sewn into them.

SMART Button

This range of smart clothes includes a button that can be used to put your phone into “do not disturb” mode and can share contact details, getting rid of the need for business cards to be exchanged -all this by just swiping your smartphone over this smart-button on your suit.

Welt- The SmartBelt

The Button is joined by the Welt. This smartbelt will not only hold up your pants, but also track the size of your waistline, steps you’ve walked, among other things. We say that’s pretty impressive for a belt.

Body Compass 2.0

The smart suit concept also brings to us Body Compass 2.0, which has two pieces of apparel to it, a tank top, and a pair of trousers. No prizes for guessing, both come sewn with a metal nub that houses a processor, and a small battery to power the sensors in the clothes.

These sensors that send data back to this hub are incorporated in the material itself, and help the athletic wear measure body fat, heart rate, and stance of the user. On the flip side, usage of sophisticated tech in these clothes also makes them non-machine washable.

This range of smart wearables interact with a Samsung app, and provides real-time analysis of your workout, going as far as advising you to correct your posture and even pesters you if you take too long a rest. Phew! Too much pressure.

January 11, 2016

Lenovo Launches A7000 Turbo in India with 4G Support

After launching the K4 Note in India just last week, Lenovo launched its second new handset of the year, the A7000 Turbo. The smartphone is similar to the popular K3 Note in terms of specs and features.

The 5.5-inch A7000 Turbocomes with a full-HD (1080×1920 pixels) IPS display and a pixel density of 401ppi. Under the hood, the device is powered by a 64-bit 1.7GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6752 processor, coupled with 2GB of RAM.

On the camera front, the device sports a 13MP rear camera with dual-LED flash and a 5MP front sensor. It also comes with an internal storage of 16 GB, expandable up to 32 GB. The device comes with the usual connectivity options as well as 4G LTE. A battery capacity of 2,900mAh gives the handset plenty of juice through the day. Lenovo promises up to 16 hours of talk time on 3G and 11 days standby.

While the K4 Note is priced at Rs. 11,999, the A7000 Turbo (with specs similar to the K3 Note) is available at a price of Rs. 10,999 and is offered in matte black. The device runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop with Vibe UI 2.0 and will start shipping from today.

Specs	Lenovo A7000 Turbo
Display	5.5-inch Full HD IPS display
Resolution	1080×1920 pixels, 401 ppi
Processor	1.7 GHz 8-core Cortex-A53 (MediaTek MT6752 64-bit)
RAM	2 GB
Storage	16 GB
Rear Camera	13 MP f/2.0, dual-LED flash
Front Camera	5 MP f/2.2
Expandability	32 GB
Battery	2,900mAh battery
Connectivity	4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot, GPS/ A-GPS, Bluetooth 3.0, and Micro-USB.
OS	Android 5.0 Lollipop with Vibe UI 2.0
Price	Rs. 10,999

January 11, 2016

Xiaomi Launches Redmi 3 With a Massive 4,100 mAh Battery

In an official teaser released earlier, Xiaomi had mentioned 12th January as the official date for the global release of Xiaomi Redmi 3. As for China, the phone was launched there on Monday morning.

The specs of the phone include a 5 inch display with 1280 X 720 resolution, as had been revealed by the teaser earlier. It’s powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 processor, along with four cores marked at 1.2 GHz, and another four cores at 1.5 GHz.

Redmi 3 further has 16 GB of in-built storage expandable up to 128 GB via microSD card. The highlight of the device is its massive 4,100 mAh non-removable battery. It runs on MIUI 7 with no news about the Android version of the phone.

Redmi 3 has a 13 MP main camera with LED flash and 1080p full-HD video recording, and a 5 MP front camera also capable of full-HD recording. The phone is a dual SIM device capable of supporting one Micro-SIM and one Nano-SIM along with a microSD card; with an all-metal body, Redmi has a plaid design on the back and is priced at CNY 699 (about Rs. 7,000).

Specs	Xiaomi Redmi 3
Display	5-inch IPS LCD
Resolution	1280 X 720 (294 ppi)
Processor	octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 616
GPU	Adreno 405
Storage	16 GB
Rear Camera	13 MP, f/2.2, LED flash
Front Camera	5 MP, f/2.2
Expandability	128 GB
Battery	Non-removable 4,100 mAh
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, hotspot, Bluetooth v4.0, GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, microUSB v2.0
OS	MIUI 7
Price	CNY 699 (about Rs. 7,000), Price in India unannounced

January 11, 2016

Category: Brands and Companies

Specs

Lenovo A7000 Turbo

Specs

Xiaomi Redmi 3