Category: Brands and Companies

All Brands and Company Names

HTC One M9 Will be Everything That the One M8 Wasn’t

Samsung’s Galaxy S6 is definitely the most awaited device at the MWC 2015. This launch of this device will be a make or break moment for the Korean giant that has struggled recently to attract the consumers towards its devices. The other major device that will attract a lot of shutterbugs would be HTC’s One M9, successor to the popular M8. Here’s how HTC will introduce a device that attends to all the limits of its previous generation offering.

A Higher Resolution

HTC One M8 was unveiled in the March of 2014. The device featured a 5-inch full-HD display, but a lot has changed in the display department of flagship smartphones since then. LG G3, Nexus 6 and Note 4 have all placed their bets on the Quad HD (2K) displays. If the rumors are to be believed, HTC will continue on with the 1080p display, but there might just be a chance that the company surprises its audience with a higher definition display.

An Amazing Camera

One of the most touted but least appreciated offerings from the HTC One M8 was the dual ultra pixel cameras on the back. HTC realized its folly and released the HTC One M8 Eye with a better camera. This time around as shown by rumors and promotional video, the One M9 will sport a 20 MP camera on the back and an ultrapixel camera on the front.

The Power of the Lollipop

HTC has been at work proactively to provide Android Lollipop updates to its users. The company had set a goal of 90 days from the date of release of Lollipop to provide the update on its devices. Unfortunately, following the report of many bugs with the Lollipop launch, the update has been delayed. It is expected that HTC One M9 will come to the market with Lollipop running out of the box. The user interface as shown in the promotional video clearly shows an HTC Sense like UI with Blinkfeed.

Other Improved Bits

The One M9 will also bring in the Boomsound speakers and advanced photo manipulation tools so that the users can have more fun with the device. HTC also seems to be adding more customization options that are usual offerings of ROMs such as Cyanogen and MIUI. There are a lot of expectations from the M9, but it feels like HTC doesn’t need take a lot of efforts with this new launch. As the One M8 was one of the most appreciated devices of last year, all HTC has to do is take care of a few tweaks, and it will have a promising device,. The HTC One M9 will be unveiled on 1st March, so update your calendar and come check out iGyaan as we’ll be reporting right from the ground at MWC 2015.

February 25, 2015
LG G Flex 2 Goes Up for Pre-Order in Select Countries

LG’s second flexible smartphone G Flex 2 garnered positive first impressions at CES this year. The company promised the customers to make it available as soon as possible and seems like they’ve kept their word. Today, the Korean firm announced the global roll out of the curvy G Flex 2. The device is said to arrive in US, UK, France, Germany, Hong Kong and Singapore first through major carriers.

Carphone Warehouse, a UK retailer, has opened up pre-order of the flagship device, and it will hit the store on March 16. Customers have an option to buy it with or without SIM card. The unlocked, SIM free G Flex 2 comes for £529.99. Many other retailers like Unlocked Mobiles, Clove and more have opened registration for the pre-order of the unlocked device.

This smartphone was acclaimed for being able to restore its original position in less than 10 seconds. The phone is up for grabs in South Korea and folks in North and South America, Asia and Europe will be able to own one post the Mobile World Conference (2 – 5 March).

Coming to its specifications, the 4G LTE-capable G Flex 2 sports a 5.5-inch full HD display. The Corning Gorilla Glass 3 forms a protective covering over the screen. The device runs on pre-installed Android Lollipop and comes with 2 and 3 GB RAM options, depending on the internal memory. A 13MP snapper sits at the back of the smartphone that comes with features like laser autofocus, optical image stabilization, dual-LED flash.

February 25, 2015
HTC One M9 Details Leaked As Promo Videos Go Live

As is often the case with prominent flagship smartphones prior to their official unveiling, virtually all details of HTC’s next flagship are out in the open. With the One M9 all set to be officially announced at the Mobile World Congress 2015, three new promotional videos were published on YouTube by user Upleaks which were immediately removed. Interestingly, the source of the clips is also no where to be seen on YouTube. Though we managed to find a source that currently works. Readers be reminded that videos are in line with leaks in the past, and barely leave room for imagination.

The promotional videos showcased the design of the upcoming flagship, along with its hardware capabilities. Key attributes of the HTC One M9 include a dual-tone metal body, Ultra-pixel front facing camera which can apparently offer better low light selfies, a 20 MP primary camera, and the BoomSound feature has been upgraded with Dolby Audio surround sound.

The video also shows a new home screen focused on the Sense-d Android 5.0 and its new camera unit. HTC has added a slew of improvements to its latest custom UI like better BlinkFeed and a plethora of customisation options.

Meanwhile, earlier this week a German listing for a smartphone was spotted that looked uncannily familiar to the HTC One M9. The leaked images did look authentic and shows that HTC has moved some buttons around, we may see the power button right below the volume rockers on the right, unlike the M8 where it was located on top, making it quite a task to reach at times given the size of the M8.

HTC One (M9) debuts this Sunday, on March 1 in Barcelona. Make sure you tune in to find out everything about HTC’s new flagship, if there’s anything left to show. Also check out the leaked intro video below:

February 25, 2015
Apple to Pay $532.9 Million For Patent Infringement

Electronics giant, Apple has found itself on the losing end today after a court found that its iTunes software infringed the patent of a Texas-based company. Apple has been asked by the court to pay Smartflash LLC a massive sum of $532.9 million.

The US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas found that Apple’s iTunes software violated three patents owned by Smartflash. The actual compensation demanded by Smartflash was $852 million. It claimed that it was entitled to the percentage of sales of all the devices such as Macs, iPad and iPhones that were used to access iTunes.

A visibly bitter Apple team said that it did not respect Smartflash’s inventions, as the patents were invalid and weren’t infringed. It had claimed that the patents were at most worth $4.5 million adding that Smartflash demands were excessive and unsupportable.

The court found Apple guilty of infringing 3 patents of Smartflash and using them in iTunes.

Smartflash is not a device maker; it licenses the patents issued to it between 2008 and 2012. It has also sued Samsung, Google and Amazon for patent infringement. The jury found that Apple didn’t just infringe the patents; it did so willfully.

iTunes is one of the central softwares in the Apple ecosystem. It is not just a music player but is also a major e-commerce player as users can download content through it.

The case might be important in terms of patent reforms. The American system of patents allows developers and creators to gain patents on slightest dissimilarities with other products. This leads to a vast numbers of patent hoarders, whose sole business model is based on the licensing income.

February 25, 2015
Sony Mistakenly Confirms Xperia Z4 Tablet With 2K Display Ahead of MWC

The approaching Mobile World Conference (MWC) will witness many new smartphones, tablets and other high-end gadgets, and major companies can’t seem to contain their excitement about the event. Samsung and LG have unwrapped some of their devices ahead of the event, and the latest firm join in is Sony.

Recently, Sony gave a glimpse of its next tablet titled Xperia Z4. As per Xperia blog, a brief description along with an image was accidently posted on the Xperia Lounge app of the company. The statement proudly informs of Sony Xperia Z4’s “2K display” and the “latest ultra fast processor”. It also reads that the tablet has “industry leading battery performance.”

The design of the tablet looks sleek and from the picture, it is evident that volume rockers are placed on the right side. There is one circular key below it which looks like a power button. As the information was accidently slipped, details of the device are still under wraps. But one thing is clear that the phone will make an appearance on 3^rd of March in Barcelona.

February 25, 2015
Microsoft Outlook to Drop Facebook and Google Chat Support Soon

Microsoft has today disclosed its plan of removing Google and Facebook chat from its email service Outlook.com. The support will be discontinued within next couple of weeks, as per an e-mail by Outlook to its customer.

The official notification by Microsoft says that the company is removing the Google Talk integration ‘due to Google’s decision to discontinue the chat protocol used by the Google Talk platform’. No reasons have been disclosed as to why Facebook chat support too will be discontinued.

“We understand that this may disappoint some of our customers, but we hope that you’ll try Skype for Outlook.com chat, and voice, video calling, so you can take advantage of the more robust ways to keep in touch with friends and family,” the e-mail message from the Outlook.com team said.

Microsoft says that however Facebook and Google chat are coming to a halt, the People feature that keeps contacts up-to-date will remain unaffected. Microsoft is now attempting to push its own Skype chatting and calling services as an alternative chat option. The email asked its customers to activate their Skype for Outlook.com. As earlier said, the services will be there in Outlook just for few more weeks, and then Skype will be the only option to connect to the people.

February 25, 2015
Apple to Enable Siri to Understand Indian English

English is a really fluid language. It takes the shape depending on the person who is speaking it. Folks from all parts of the world add their bits to language in terms of accents, slangs, and references. While this diversity makes it unique, it also makes it hard for a voice detection system to understand these various different shades of one language. Apple is trying to make its voice assistant more competent in this regard and is giving it an ability to understand Indian English.

If you are wondering what Indian English is, we suggest you go watch a couple of Russell Peters stand-up acts and get back here. Now, coming back to the story, according to 9to5mac, in the latest iOS 8.3 beta release, Apple has added support for Siri to grab Indian English.

This feature will be available for devices like the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This update also adds support for Russian, Danish, Dutch, Portuguese, Swedish, Thai and Turkish.

One really useful feature of this new update is that it will allow Indians to use the dictation feature without faking a douche-y American or British accent.

Google has a larger user base in the country, and so they have already released support for Indian English on Google Now. Google also plans to offer support for Hindi soon which would help to further grab the market, especially in the mid and affordable segments. All this seems to project the importance of the Indian consumers for smartphone makers. It also indicates that support for Indians will keep getting better in the coming future.

February 25, 2015
The Future of Chipsets Showcased at ISSCC 2015

Chipsets are at the heart of all the smart devices around us. The silicon revolution has led to a rapid change in the way people do work and lead their daily lives. Each year the most prominent names in technology along with the engineers congregate at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) to delve into the future of chip technology. This year’s conference presented a lot of interesting presentations that might help to improve the performance of chipsets in the future.

Here are a few of the innovations that might change the world of technology in the near future:

Intel’s Move towards 10Nm and 7Nm

Intel is one the foremost names that pop into your mind when you hear the term microprocessors. The company is making proactive efforts to introduce chipsets based on 14 Nm transistors. Intel wants to further challenge Moore’s law that states that the number of transistors to be incorporated on a chip will double every 24 months. In the coming future, the company plans to bring out 10 and 7 Nm chipsets. As Silicon is not stable at these tiny sizes, the company would need to look for a replacement. One of the materials it has cornered is the indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) but more details are available yet. Intel has stated though that the first 10 Nm chipsets won’t be out before 2017.

MIT’s Low Power Radio for the Internet of Things

Low power sensors for IoT devices from MIT.

Internet of Things (IoT) is the next major technological arena where all the major brands are putting their focus in. One of the major hurdles in the process is to create a sensor that only comes active when its required to and hence leads to least current leakage. Most of the times, the sensors will just stay idle until they have been summoned. A system that almost shuts down the leakage will be more efficient, in the long run. MIT researchers have showcased a picowatt radio that significantly brings down the current drain. To achieve this, the team had to break down the radio system design so that most of the circuit can run at the lowest possible voltage.

AMD unveils Carrizo Laptop Chips

AMD Carrizo

US based Chipmaker, AMD have unveiled the new Carrizo chipsets. Based on 28 Nm processes, AMD claims this chip will lead to 40% efficiency and hence better performance over its predecessor, Kaveri. Carrizo also offers better power saving capabilities that is one of the most demanded features in consumer electronics. One more feature that will excite the takers will be its on-chip H.265 video decode capability. The devices running on Carrizo will be out in the second or third quarter of this year and will also be cheaper than their Intel counterparts.

February 24, 2015
Samsung Galaxy S6 Expected to Debut in India in Mid-April

Samsung’s upcoming flagship Galaxy S6 is the next big thing everybody is waiting for. It is scheduled to unveil at Barcelona on March 1 at the Mobile World Conference (MWC) 2015. The global launch is just around the corner and a fresh round of rumours suggest that it will possibly land in India in April.

With global launch date drawing nearer, the Korean firm is expected to make things clearer soon. As per IBN Live, the handset will be up for pre-bookings from March itself and the registrations will open for only a couple of weeks.

Considering the rumours, the Galaxy S6 looks promising and this is what Samsung needs at this moment; a powerful, value for money and an exceptional device. The company is said to have revamped almost everything – from design to software and hardware – it could prove to be a saviour for the drowning electronics producer. With Samsung’s market share following a steep fall in every segment (recently, the tablet segment), Galaxy S6 is its one hope.

February 24, 2015
Google Chrome Now Offering Added Protection From Malicious Sofware

Search engine giant Google is expanding its SafeBrowsing initiative to make sure its users accidentally don’t download malware while browsing. Apart from the warnings prior to downloading, the Chrome browser from now on will pop up a red flag (like the one below) in case users visit a site that may encourage them to download malware.

Google is also asking site owners install its Webmaster Tools to help them tackle any threats and stay on top of any possible issues. Google will in return provide technical support to resolve any issues that may be caused by sites that encourage people to download malicious programs.

Even Google search now incorporates signals that identify such deceptive sites. This change reduces the chances you’ll visit these sites via search results. In addition, Google is actively disabling Google Ads that lead to sites with unwanted software.

Google has been criticized in the past, though it’s nice to see the company living up its motto “Don’t be evil”, trying to make the cyberspace a safer place for everyone.

February 24, 2015
Life of Jobs: The Man Who Designed the Future

Today marks the 60th birth anniversary of Steve Jobs, the founder of the revolutionary technology institution, Apple. Steve Jobs is a cultural icon and is credited with giving a second life to Apple and establishing it as Silicon Valley’s royalty. He died on October 5, 2011, aged 56, but left a lasting legacy.

Steve did not just change the world of computers but led the way in changing the way we watch movies, stream music and consume content on various devices. He is also credited for giving the world some of the best-designed consumer electronics. We look into some of the greatest achievements of this phenomenal individual.

It’s a Mac Mac World

When you talk about the history of personal computing, Apple comes out as one of the major pioneers of the revolution. Their desktop computers that employed a graphical user interface and a mouse were instrumental in creating more engaging interaction with the digital machines. Steve had also founded NeXT computers that boasted technologically advanced features. In fact, Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web on a NeXT computer at CERN. Apple’s computers are considered the most sought after machinery by creative as well as corporate consumers.

iPhone to Rule Them All

There are many claimants for the spot of the first smartphone maker. Companies like HTC, Nokia, Microsoft had been in the field of portable computing, but Apple will be considered the standard bearer for the smartphone revolution. With the iPhone, Jobs sold to the world the idea of a key-less, touch-based device that would be at the core of the new age economy. The app market for smart devices also mushroomed all over the world. The recently launched 6th generation iPhone handsets were a major success in the market and gave the company their most profitable quarter ever. iPhone’s features inspired Google’s Android ecosystem which brought smartphone access to a larger population.

Music On-The-Go

“One more thing” is one of the most identifiable catchphrases from Steve Jobs. The iconic three words were spoken before the launch of a game-changing device, the Apple iPod. The portable music player revolutionized the world of music; it set the tone for a plethora of handheld music players, a concept later absorbed into smartphones.

Stream The World

Apple’s iTunes service also led to a major shift in the manner in which people consumed video and music content. Through the iTunes store, subscribers could buy music, music videos, television shows, audiobooks, podcasts, movies, and more. We now have services like Netflix, Hulu, Spotify and others who have risen to become the major forces in the streaming business and used by people worldwide.

Animated Story

In 1986, Steve purchased Pixar Animation Studios from George Lucas. The studio rose to prominence with the release of Toy Story in 1995. It also released several box office hits such as Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, WALL-E, andUp. Pixar was purchased by Disney in 2006.

Apple Computers Company was founded in 1976. It was named in remembrance of a happy summer Jobs had spent picking apples. Apple recently launched the new generation of its iPhone line of devices and with that it had its best quarter earnings ever. Steve had been defined by many as “the master evangelist of the digital age” and a “futurist.” Hopefully, he would have appreciated the path Apple is treading on right now.

February 24, 2015
Lollipop Update Delayed Until March for OnePlus One Devices

At the launch of OnePlus One in India, the Chinese producer confirmed that it will release the latest Android update for the One devices within three months. It’s been exactly three months since (on 23rd February) and the Indian One users are still deprived of the highly acclaimed update.

The Co-Founder of OnePlus Carl Pei took to Twitter and apologised for the company’s failure in delivering the latest Android OS on time. He announced that it will be delayed further for a few more weeks and will arrive sometime in March. The delay period is for both the operating systems – OxygenOS and CyanogenMod 12S.

@rajarshi_10 We released an L alpha a while ago, but a more stable build (OxygenOS & CM12S) will need to wait until March. Sorry for delay!

— Carl Pei (@getpeid) February 23, 2015

The company is said to be working on an upgrade called CM12S, which will be based on Lollipop. Meanwhile, OnePlus’ own operating system OxygenOS is in progress, and it will also run on Android Lollipop. For now, an Alpha built of OxygenOS is out. Since we already know, Indian OnePlus One devices will not receive any more updates from Cyanogen, and, as a result, current OnePlus One devices run on Google’s Android v4.4 OS.

Users can advance to the CyanogenMod 12S by simply updating the handset, but if someone wishes to install OxygenOS on their devices, they have to wipe out their phones completely. For now, the users have to wait patiently until March for either of the upgrades.

February 24, 2015
Gmail’s Auto-Complete Glitch Results in Emails Being Sent to Unintended Recipients

Have you ever mistakenly sent an email to the wrong person? Usually it’s our fault for not double-checking before hitting the send button, but right now there is a glitch in Gmail which isn’t helping the cause. A bug is spotted that might, if you’re careless, help you send emails to unintended recipients.

The ‘To’ section of Google’s Gmail is facing an auto-complete glitch because of which, it is prioritising the names of people that are less frequently mailed. The auto-complete feature is designed to suggest addresses regularly used. A number of people have reported on Twitter about being troubled because of the bug.

This Gmail email address autocomplete bug is killing me. Is Google’s new social strategy to have me email people I don’t remember?

— Ryan Singel (@rsingel) February 23, 2015

Google itself confirmed and apologised about the malfunctioned auto-complete feature.

We’re aware of an issue with Gmail and auto-complete and currently investigating. Apologies for any inconvenience.

Google has been working aggressively to make its services better for its users, and this bug being in notice of the company, we can expect them to fix it soon. Until then, make sure to triple check the recipients bar before sending out that confidential email.

February 24, 2015
Google Confirms New Chromebook Pixel is on its Way

A fresh round of rumours surfaced that speak of an updated version of Google’s Chromebook Pixel. The Chromebook Pixel is the most premium offering from Google’s Chromebook family. This would be the first update by the company since the original released two years back.

The confirmation of the news that Chromebook Pixel 2 is currently in works was confirmed by Google executives on a YouTube video, which was later made private. The video showed Renee Niemi, who is responsible for running Google’s Android and Chrome programs for work and education. She confirmed at the TeamWork 2015 partner event about the same.

OMG Chrome translated the conversation of Niemi who said –

We do have a new Pixel coming out and it will be coming out soon. We will be selling it… but I just have to set your expectations: this is a development platform…This is really a proof of concept. We don’t make very many of these—we really don’t. And our developers and our Googlers consume 85 percent of what we produce. But yes, we do have a new Pixel coming out.

Chromebooks have gained popularity since last year, and many big companies are investing highly in Google’s project running on Chrome OS. It’s a high-performance gadget and is extremely beneficial for educational and business purposes. Samsung, Acer and Dell have their chromebooks, and they come at a much lower price than that of Google.

There is no news about the display size, the apps it will be equipped with and or any other details regarding the Chromebook Pixel 2. Considering it’s an upgrade, we can expect it to be priced slightly higher that the original Chromebook Pixel, which costs $1,299.

February 24, 2015
Lenovo Faces Lawsuit Over Pre-Installed Adware

A class-action lawsuit has been filed against Lenovo and Superfish, charging both companies with ‘fraudulent’ business practices. The Chinese manufacturer has confessed that they pre-loaded the Superfish adware as enraged customers have now dragged the company to court demanding an explanation. The adware gives itself total control to take over connections and declare them as trusted and secure, even when they are not secure.

The company now faces court after they admitted to installing Superfish on some of their PCs. Affected laptops include non-ThinkPad models such as G Series, U Series, Y Series, Z Series, S Series, Flex, Miix, Yoga and E Series.

Though, Lenovo has finally rectified the situation by releasing a tool to remove the pre-installed adware, however many feel the company could’ve handled the situation better by responding far earlier than they did. Microsoft and McAfee came to rescue Lenovo out of the mess it created.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Lenovo”]

We are working with McAfee and Microsoft to have the Superfish software and certificate quarantined or removed using their industry-leading tools and technologies. This action has already started and will automatically fix the vulnerability even for users who are not currently aware of the problem.

[/quote]

Lenovo’s slack attitude towards this situation could pose as a major setback to the company’s reputation and trust; affecting future sales. Meanwhile, the lawsuit has been filed in the U.S District Court for the Southern District of California. Lenovo officials have declined to make any official statements.

February 23, 2015