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LG Announces the G Pad II 10.1 With Meatier Specs

After announcing the LG G Pad 2 8.0 in South Korea, exclusively, fans were left disappointed with the below average specs like the Snapdragon 210 processor and 1.5GB of RAM. However, LG hasn’t given up and has now come up with a tablet with meatier hardware; The G Pad II 10.1.

It has a 1920×1200 screen which is a dampener but the rest of the specs are commendable. The Snapdragon 800 albeit slightly old, is powerful and 2GB of RAM for Android 5.1.1 is sufficient. It also has 16 GB of storage and a microSD card. The tablet comes in two colours; Brilliant Bronze (you can decide how brilliant it is for yourselves) and a Purple. It is powered by a 7400mAh battery with a 5MP rear camera and a 2MP front camera. The extras from the 8.0 version don’t seem to have been retained.

The G Pad II 10.1 will also come with Microsoft Office pre-loaded and 100GB of free storage on Microsoft’s OneDrive system. It also has a feature called the ‘reader mode’ that dims the blue light of the screen, along with a multi-window mode.

The company did not mention the price of the Wi-Fi and LTE models but did state that the table will be available in North America, Europe, and Asia. LG will show us the tablet at IFA Berlin that takes place in the first week of September so stay tuned for more updates.

August 24, 2015
Reports Suggest Google’s Android Pay Might Release This Week

Apart from its burgers and fries, McDonald’s is also known for being quite tech savvy. They have free Wi-Fi, complimentary iPads and were even one of Apple Pay’s first few partners. Now, recent information also suggests that the McDonald’s is preparing employees to be ready for the new Android Pay system.

The exact date of release, that has been indicated by a leaked memo is said to be on the 26th of August 2015. The Android Pay was announced at Google’s I/O developer conference in May and is said to launch in the United States first.

Android Pay relieves users from the hassle of carrying cards and the payment is done at merchants’ contactless terminals. Simply unlock the device and as soon as you place it near the machine’s NFC reader, a card interface will pop up automatically. Fingerprint scanning isn’t a must. Pick from the virtual cards to complete your payment. With this, you are done. Payment confirmation and transaction details will be received on your smartphone. There is no need to call up Android Pay and put in a separate PIN or password to authenticate payments. Android Pay deals with all by integrating with the security of the operating system.

The Android Pay has the same results as Apple Pay – you can swipe your phone instead of using cash or cards. Further reports also suggest that the new Android Pay will run on the Android KitKat or above.

However, Google has not made any official statement about the release of their new feature.

August 24, 2015
LG to Bring Out an ‘Edgy’ Smartphone To Compete With S6 Edge+

According to rumoured reports, LG might have a smartphone to challenge the S6 Edge+. These reports have been fuelled by the kind of technology that LG has today for turning such a device into reality.

LG already has a bunch of smartphones that have the flexible display feature along with LCD and OLED panel types. The OLED technology has been used by Samsung to create its curved active-matrix OLED (AMOLED) display in its Edge products.

However, if we look at LG’s G Flex, it is based on LG’s P-OLED technology which is said to be far more flexible than Samsung’s OLED technology. If LG really wants to compete with Samsung it might have to create a more mainstream mobile product that is based on their OLED technology.

Further reports suggest that LG Display has confirmed to invest 8.5 billion dollars into the development of the next-gen OLED displays, for products ranging from a TV set to mobile electronics.

When it comes to display quality, resolution and cost of production, we see Samsung with its AMOLED display and LG with its P-OLED display. The latest G Flex 2 comes with a 1080p resolution which is much lesser than the QHD panel found in Samsung’s latest phones.

However, LG had just recently unveiled a selection of “wallpaper” TVs which are said to be as thin as a credit card and as is also easily bendable. These TVs also come with a selection of concave and convex designs, which can be adapted for a mobile phone if necessary. There are no reports though, about whether LG is planning to use this technology and expand it towards its mobile phones too.

This plastic-OLED is said to offer a cost advantage over other typical glass OLED displays. The company has not made any official announcement about any of their plans, but, if the G Edge appears, it is said to be LG’s first flagship to make use of the company’s advanced OLED panels.

In conclusion, we can say that LG is perhaps looking to fall within the mainstream smartphone market with its new OLED technology. Perhaps we can expect some new devices with global launches soon.

August 24, 2015
Micromax to Create Its Own Forked Android OS Soon

Micromax is now the newest company to start its own operating services and apps. Taking a cue from Xiaomi, Microsoft and Samsung the new OS, as reported, will run on all of Micromax’s devices.

This project has been started by the new technology head at Micromax, Ashish Agarwal. This OS is said to be a platform developed on Google’s Android. The first few smartphones that will come with this OS are expected to arrive by the end of the financial year and will be affordable.

Micromax co-founder Vikas Jain told ET:

“We’re excellent with partnerships and we don’t want to reinvent the wheel,”

The above statement has confirmed the fact that the new OS will not break away from Android. Micromax’s goal is to invest in software in order to differentiate itself without alienating its consumers and developers.

Previously, we have seen Micromax tie up with Cyanogen for the Yu range, through a fully owned subsidiary. They are also investing in start-ups such as Healthifyme and MiMedia – services that can be integrated into their devices.

Final reports suggest that the new forked Android OS is being developed in Bengaluru. Stay tuned for more updates.

August 23, 2015
Report: Pre-Order the New iPhone 6s, 6s Plus September 11 Onwards

The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are both said to arrive on the 9th of September 2015. However, a leaked image from a company in France suggests that its employees can start pre-ordering the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, starting September 11th 2015.

This new date also would suggest that the announcement of the two new iPhones should be on the 8th or 9th September, thereby further confirming rumours. According to these reports then, the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus should be available from the 18th of September 2015.

These new devices are expected to come with a 12MP camera, an A9 SoC, 2GB of RAM, and the much awaited Force Touch. Apple, however, has not confirmed any of the rumours.

Source

August 22, 2015
Asus Deluxe Edition Zenfone 2 Comes With 256GB Internal Storage

Asus has unveiled the Deluxe Special Edition of Asus Zenfone 2 in Brazil on Friday. The feature that makes this phone truly ‘deluxe’ is the fact that it comes with a 256 GB of internal storage.

Other general specifications include, a Gorilla Glass 3 protected 5.5-inch display with a 1080 x 1920 resolution, an Intel Atom Z3580 SoC along with an octa-core 2.5GHz CPU and a PowerVR G6430 GPU. The phone also comes with an additional expandable microSD card slot up to 128GB along with a 4GB of RAM space.

The camera comes with a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera. Other connectivity features include, 4G LTE (Cat.6), 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS connectivity, Dual SIM, Dual Active capabilities and the Asus Boostmaster fast charging technology. It is powered by a 3000mAh battery and runs on the Android 5.0 with Zen UI.

Along with all this, the Deluxe Edition Zenfone 2 also comes with an exclusive version of the racing game Asphalt 8, and two new back covers -Black with red, and White with red.

The Asus ZenFone 2 Deluxe Special Edition will be available in Brazil next month. Pricing of the product is unknown for now, as is its availability for other countries.

August 22, 2015
Apple Begins Replacing iPhone 6 Plus’ With Faulty Cameras

Apple Inc. has announced the launch of its iSight Camera replacement program for the iPhone 6 Plus. This program is said to help replace the camera module in some of the iPhone 6 Plus devices that have allegedly come with a faulty rear camera.

According to some statistical reports, some of the iPhone 6 Plus models that were sold between September 2014 to January 2015 might have had a component that made photos to look blurry. This particular component also prevents the camera from focusing and could be related to the Optical Image Stabilization, since this device also comes with a much larger screen.

Therefore, all the iPhone 6 Plus models that are facing this problem and have an eligible serial number will get their cameras replaced by Apple, free of cost.This service can be obtained through Apple’s online support team, an Apple retail store, or an Apple Authorized Service Provider.

The company has recommended users to back up their data to iTunes or iCloud in order to get ready for the replacement process, and iPhones that have other damages need to be fixed first, before replacement of the new camera.

Specifically, this new iSight Camera Replacement Program will cover iPhone 6 Plus iSight cameras for three years after the first retail sale of the unit.

Click here to check if your iPhone 6 Plus eligible for the program.

August 22, 2015
Upcoming Android Devices Will Come With Less Google Bloatware

We had earlier reported about how Samsung was planning to introduce apps to delete bloatware in China. It has now been reported that Android users all around the world will soon be getting less bloatware on their phones. Therefore apps like – Google+, Google Play Games, Google Play Books and Google Newsstand will not come pre-installed.

Some new devices such as the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 already doesn’t have Google+ pre-installed. The problem of bloatware did upset many customers and perhaps even companies that decided to use Android as their operating system. Hence, if a company wanted to make an Android handset with the Gmail app, it would also necessarily have to pre-install Google+ and Google Newsstand on it.

However, this new report does not mean that the pre-installed apps are soon to become redundant; they will be available on Google Play Store for those who want them and will be regularly updated too. This new move seems to give users a chance to choose what they do with their storage and companies a chance to provide more storage space and memory to the users.

Source

August 22, 2015
List of Samsung Devices First in Line to Receive Marshmallow
We had recently announced the introduction of Android’s new update called the Android 6.0 Marshmallow. New reports now suggest that there are plans for this new edition to be updated on a few Samsung smartphones, once it is released. The Marshmallow is said to bring with it features such as – app permissions, memory usage tracking, power saving, auto back up etc.

A rumour suggest that the initial batch of Samsung’s Android gear could be updated to the Android 6.0 Marshmallow. This list includes the:
- Samsung Galaxy Note5
- Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
- Samsung Galaxy S6
- Samsung Galaxy S6 Duos
- Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
- Samsung Galaxy Note 4
- Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Duos
- Samsung Galaxy Note Edge
- Samsung Galaxy ALPHA
- Samsung Galaxy Tab A
However, this information has not been confirmed by Samsung but according to the rumours, these devices should get updated by early 2016.

For more information on Android Marshmallow, click here.

Source
August 21, 2015
Upcoming Samsung Note 5 Variant Might Come With a 4100 mAh Battery

Recent rumours suggest that the Galaxy Note 5 might actually come with a 4,100 mAh battery after all. These rumours were flying around even before the product released, however, were proved wrong once the Galaxy Note 5 was seen to arrive with a 3,000 mAh battery only.

PhoneArena reports that the Galaxy Note 5 Active model, which will be released in November this year will sport a 4,100 mAh battery. This upgraded device is said to release on AT&T, and along with the new battery will come with an IP68 waterproofing certification.

Even though these rumours remain unconfirmed, we do know that Samsung had once upgraded the Galaxy S6 Active similarly. So, this might after all be good news for Samsung users.

The speculated date of release is – 8th of November 2015.

August 21, 2015
Report : Google India Takes a Stand Against Net Neutrality

According to various news reports, Google could be lobbying against net neutrality in India, as it has been asking the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) to support zero rating plans.

The zero rating plans allow people to use certain web services for free, this basically also allows telecom operators to selectively offer its users access to certain applications/websites without incurring any data charges. Therefore, any telecom company that signs up for this plan would have to pay the telecom provider a large sum of money in order to make their apps and services free for users.

Early this year, Airtel had decided to offer its own Airtel Zero plan in India. This plan was said to be in violation of net neutrality. Very recently though, MediaNama reported an email exchange between Google and the IAMAI, which suggested that Google was trying to push for the removal of zero rating plans from the IAMAI’s submission to the Department of Telecom. Google has further argued that there was no unanimity among internet companies on this issue and therefore, should be removed.

In the recent past, Google has been a part of the zero rated plan, but has put it on hold to provide free data to end users in India. Some companies have still not responded to the net neutrality debate in India, however, Facebook is reported to have taken a stand supporting zero rating.

Let us know your comments on the zero rating plans and net neutrality.

Source

August 21, 2015
Check Out Samsung’s Bold New Move To Challenge Apple Head-On

In a rather bold move by Samsung, the South Korean smartphone company has launched a new promotional offer that is aimed directly at iPhone users. They will now let iPhone users take one of the three new models for the “ultimate test drive” for a full month!

Customers will need to visit the special Samsung website from their iPhone in order to qualify for this offer. Once logged in, you will have your current carrier and then select which Galaxy model you would like to try. Currently, the Galaxy S6 Edge, S6 Edge+ and Note 5 are on the list.

After choosing the phone you will have to enter some basic information along with your credit card details. Those who continue to use the product beyond the 30-day trial period, will be charged the full price, while those who return it on time will only be charged $1.

After completing all the necessary steps, you will be charged $1 to verify your credit card details and then you should receive your test phone soon. The phone is said to come with a data plan, however, it has not yet been mentioned whether it will be a limited or special unlimited plan for testers.

So, iPhone users, are you ready to give Samsung a chance?

August 21, 2015
China Times: Apple Might Reveal the iPhone 6C in November

We are all awaiting the two new iPhones that are expected to be launched this September – the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus. The 6S is expected to come with a 4.7 inch display, while the 6S Plus might come with a 5.5 inch display.

However, rumours say that the third product is now expected to be launched only in November. This new device is speculated as being the iPhone 6C. According to further reports, Foxconn is planning to increase its workforce in order to manage iPhone output better, and an insider from Foxconn has also allegedly said that they would be making the iPhone 6C for Apple soon.

No final announcement about this has been made by Apple Inc, but they are expected to unveil their 2015 iPhones on the 9th of September and then launch them on 18th September 2015.

August 21, 2015
Here’s the 16 Year Old Who’s Challenging Google Search

16 year old, Anmol Tukrel is an Indian-origin Canadian citizen who is now challenging the Google search engine. He has designed a personalised search engine that he claims is 47 percent more accurate than Google and is 21 percent more accurate, on an average.

This search engine was created as part of a project for the Google Science Fair, which is a global online competition open to students aged 13 to 18 years. He said that he took a few months and approximately 60 hours to code the engine. This is what he told Times of India:

“I thought I would do something in the personalized search space. It was the most genius thing ever. But when I realised Google already does it, I tried taking it to the next level.”

Tukrel’s development is also said to be the only computer with around 1GB of free storage space, a python-language development environment, a spreadsheet program and an access to Google and New York Times. Reports also suggest that, in order to test the accuracy of his search engine, he limited the search quest to this year’s articles from New York Times.

This development is also said to take into account location or browsing history, but also tries to understand context and meaning.

So, does India already have the next Google CEO in the making?

August 21, 2015
Top 5 Features of Android Marshmallow
Three days ago, Google announced the sweet its Android OS was named after; Marshmallow. Now that it’s out in the open, let’s take a look at 5 noteworthy features it has:
1. App Permissions : You’re the Boss
This feature has gotten a makeover and Google will now allow users to take a call on which permissions they want to allow or revoke, based on the usage of these functions. Unlike right now, where you don’t have a choice but to agree to all app permissions on first install or updates, in Android M, you will get a notification asking you to allow an app to use a specific function.

Google helps to give permission in parameters like, location, camera, contacts etc. So if you’re using WhatsApp and you want to send a voice message, the App Permissions tab will pop up, asking you for permission to use the microphone. You can also revoke the permission later if you so wish. This is exactly the way Apple handles it on iOS.

2. Better Web Experience: Custom Chrome Tabs

The web browsing experience has been further enhanced with Chrome Custom tabs, a new feature, that will let you include webviews within a particular app, without switching to the Chrome browser on your phone. Features such as automatic sign-in, saved passwords, autofill etc., will work on the apps seamlessly. The Chrome Custom tab also blends with the colours and fonts of the app it is being opened with to make it more seamless than it already is.

3. App Linking

Known as Intents, Android currently supports the app linking system, which lets you open a web link in a web browser or app. Before, if you had a Twitter link in, say your inbox and you clicked on it, you got a prompt asking if you want to open the link in your browser or within the Twitter app, which is installed on your phone.

So now, Android M will first let developers add an auto-verify feature within their code, which will, in turn, help open the link within the respective app (provided the app is installed on your phone). Instead of giving you the option. Don’t worry about the security because it is only after post-authentication and verification, that this feature will follow through.

4. Android Pay

With this feature, all you need to do is unlock your phone, keep it near and NFC (near-field communication) terminal and voila, your payment is done. You don’t even have to open the app for this because payments are done by using NFC and host card emulation techniques for smooth tap-to-pay services.

Worried about security again? Google claims that once you share your credit card details, it creates a virtual account number. So, your real card number isn’t actually shared with the store you’ve shopped from.

5. Power management

Since battery is a perpetual problem, Android M will feature something called ‘Doze’ that will optimally manage the background processes.The OS keeps a watch on the motion detection sensor and if it sees no activity for a while, it shuts down some processes. However, alarms and high priority notifications can still be activated on this mode. Confident about this feature, Google claims that it helped the Nexus 9 to increase its stand by time by almost double, as compared to Android 5.0 Lollipop.

Although those were just top 5, features like the standardised finger support and the USB Type-C for charging support, will just make your life easier. You can authorise an Android Pay transaction, unlock your device or make Play Store purchases, all with the sensor. Similarly, a USB Type-C has a bi-directional port which you can use to charge the phone along with another device.
August 21, 2015