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Top 5 Must-Have Accessories for iPhone Owners

Gotta admit, iPhone users get the choice of picking up some of best phone accessories in the world. From Infrared cases to bike mounts, anything seems possible if you own an iPhone.

We are listing top 5 iPhone accessories, that will put your old ones to shame.

1. The Pocket Spotlight

The Pocket Spotlight is basically a bank of 32 diffused LEDs that will provide soft, even illumination for up to an hour on a full charge. For smartphone users it includes a mount for attaching it to the headphone jack.

2. Belkin Easefit Plus Armband

The compact, modern design makes this a solid effort from Belkin. The lightweight, flexible neoprene material has a touch-through window covering the display. This accessory can also be hand washed. It’s not just for iPhone 6, there are other versions that are compatible with older models of iPhones, and are just as durable.

3. Quadlock Bike Kit for iPhone 6

The tool locks the phone onto a bicycle’s handles, allowing a user to make hands-free calls, keep track of GPS directions and free up pocket space. With Quadlock Bike Kit for iPhone 6, avid cyclists can put it to the ultimate test by mounting their handset on their bike and taking it for a ride.

4. Olloclip 4-in-1 iPhone 6 photo lens

Well, this one is for Instagram fanatics. If you want up your game in the photo-sharing social network, you desperately need this one. Olloclip 4-in-1 iPhone 6 photo lens attaches to the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, clipping onto the corner of the device and enhancing the built-in camera. The lens can shift between fisheye, macro, video and wide-angle.

5. Grand Cord tacos

These tasty looking tacos won’t fill you stomach, however, they will solve some one of the most irritating problems : tangled chords. Ground’s Cord Taco helps you clean up all of those wires for your iOS devices or Mac in your bag, pocket, car, or anywhere else. Seal the 100-percent premium leather structure with its metallic clasp and the look instantly changes from messy to cool and organized. Works great for earbuds, USB cables, and other small wires. Each package includes five Cord Tacos.

December 5, 2014
North Korea One of the Top Suspects in Sony Pictures Hack

A few days back, Sony Pictures faced an unprecedented cyber attack where all the computers connected to its servers got hacked. All the computers of this major studio were rendered inaccessible. The hackers warned that if their demands weren’t met, they would release sensitive data. They had released .zip files that showed all the data that they had acquired by their contemptible doxxing of the company’s systems. The hackers have now released many upcoming and recently leaked movies from the production house online, along with other important documents. The hacker group, which calls itself Guardians of Peace or #GOP, is now linked to the hermit kingdom of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) or as they are better known, North Korea.

The country had previously threatened US of ‘merciless retaliation’ if a movie by Seth Rogen and James Franco was released. The movie called ‘The Interview’ shows the Hollywood duo in characters of a reporter and producer going to North Korea to assassinate Kim Jong-Un, the hereditary tyrannical leader of the secluded country. The country said that the release of the movie would be perceived as an act of war. The country’s diplomat though denies any role of Pyongyang in the high-level hack.

Right now, FBI is working with the studio to track down the culprits who purported the hack. It was Re/code that first reported on the possibility of North Korea’s involvement in the hack. After this even a former top US expert on North Korea said that circumstantial evidence including the extremely vocal denouncement of the movie points the arrow towards the country.

North Korea had taken serious offense against the movie and threatened merciless retaliation.

DPRK had previously taken serious offense against another movie called ‘Team America’ that parodied its previous ruler Kim Jong-Il. The country is also blamed for several hack attacks including an attack last year in which more than 30,000 PCs at South Korean banks and broadcasting companies were hit. Cyber-security experts at Kaspersky Labs claimed to have found technical links between attacks on Sony and other cyber-attacks that occurred in the Middle-East and South Korea. The experts are also considering an internal hand in hack amongst other possibilities.

Well, the identities of the hackers are still shrouded in mystery, but they have managed to cause major damage. The hackers have released four films from the studio into the wild that are getting downloaded actively. These include – Mr. Turner, To Write Love on Her Arms, a reboot of Annie produced by Jay-Z and Still Alice, along with the recently released Brad Pitt movie called Fury. They also leaked a 210-page document which allegedly contains the budget of ‘The Interview’ and salaries of Seth Rogen and James Franco.

The story is still in the making, and we’ll keep our eyes on it. This is the new genre of terrorism in the internet-based information age; seems like cyberspace is where the next generation wars will be fought. So it’s finally the time for the nerds of the world to be the soldiers instead of just being technical support. So if you consider yourself a hacker with skills and want to make tons of cash, both sides of the war will now be open for you.

December 5, 2014
Giveaway : 50 India-Specific OnePlus One Invites

The ‘Flagship Killer’ finally arrived in India on 2nd December. Now everyone seems to be asking for invites to this mammoth spec’d phone. Luckily for them, we are giving away 50 India invites to purchase the OnePlus One Smartphone.

Simply enter the sweepstakes below and you stand a chance to win. Follow the Instructions carefully and read the terms and conditions on the form as well as here. This Giveaway is open only for the residents of India.

Update: The winners have been announced! Fifteen winners are listed below the rest 35 can be found in the contest box further below . Congratulations! We’ll be getting in touch with you shortly.

Anirban Bluish Dey
Daisy Gupta
Tushar Kanojia
Omkar Aradwad
Akshay Prabhu
Aryan Pathak
Amey Kulkarni
Sahil Shukla
Prateek Singhal
muthu krishna
Siddhartha Nagpal
Paawan Chawla
Rupesh Tayde
Abhas Darnale
Divyakant Thaledi

Also, don’t forget to check out our exclusive interview with OnePlus India. We try and get all the important questions answered.

Watch it here:

December 5, 2014
Moto E (Gen 2) May Arrive Soon with Snapdragon 400 and LTE

Motorola has garnered much appreciation and made many happy with their first gen Moto E, Moto X and Moto G. Now, after launching the second gen Moto G and Moto X, it seems like the company is working on the second generation Moto E.

According to the news report by GSMArena, the Moto E (Gen 2) will be debuting soon enough. Just like the Moto G (Gen 2,) it is expected to come with some hardware improvements compared to its predecessor. The report added that the new Moto E may come with the same innards as the first gen Moto G i.e. a Snapdragon 400 processor clocked at 1.2GHz coupled with 1GB of RAM.

According to the leak, Moto E will feature a 4.5-inch touchscreen with 540×960 resolution, a 5 MP rear camera sans LED flash, and even LTE connectivity. The exact chipset isn’t detailed, however, as mentioned above, it will be the same as Moto G (Gen 1).

The new Moto E will run Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box, and we can expect its pricing to compete with budget phones under Rs. 10,000. The highlight of the speculated Moto E second generation model is the addition of 4G LTE connectivity. Indian mobile service providers are slowly adopting the LTE connectivity which is much faster and more reliable than 3G connections. Based on this improvement, manufacturers have also started providing the connectivity option in their budget smartphone variants.

Last month, a new Motorola smartphone was spotted on the Geekbench benchmark website with a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon (MSM8916) 410 chipset clocked at 1.19GHz and 1GB of RAM. Fueling the speculations of a possible successor to the Moto E is the fact that Motorola back in September launched refreshed versions of the Moto G and Moto X, and is unlikely to release another variant of the Moto G anytime soon.

December 4, 2014
PlayStation Marks its 20th Anniversary By Bringing Out a Retro-Themed Limited Edition PS4 Console

This day marks the twentieth anniversary of the PlayStation, and Sony is celebrating this feat with the launch of a retro themed limited edition PS4 console. These limited edition PS4s are decked up in the same greyish attire similar to the original PlayStation. The grey coating PS4 will come bundled with matching controllers and even the same old school power cords.

For those of you who already own a PS4, or don’t fancy yourself to scoop one off the limited run, Sony has released a PSone theme for its current console. It comes with the original retro start up sound, all you need to do is just download the latest firmware update.

Sources indicate that only 12,300 units of these aanniversary edition consoles will go on sale, sometime during Christmas. As the company will be soon sharing information on how you get a dose of nostalgia in the form of these grey little beasts.

December 3, 2014
Top 4 Ways to Make Sure You Score a OnePlus One Invite in India

Well, the ‘Flagship Killer’ has landed in India. The 2nd December event created much excitement among the smartphone lovers. However, the fact that you need to get your hands on an invite to get the OnePlus One has left many confused about how to get the same.

Although, Amazon and OnePlus have integrated their account services to make it simple for those with invites to purchase their smartphones. There is still some confusion about the invite system. Well, the company has been known for its mismanaged marketing strategy, however, this time around it seems everything is going smooth.

If you are still wondering how to get hold of an invite, there are quite a few ways to get it. Read on for more:

1. Amazon Contests

Amazon and OnePlus are currently running a couple of contests to help you grab the One. Amazon users can earn invites by spotting and clicking on the ‘One in a 1000’ contest across the internet, including select social media websites. A total of 1,000 users that spot and click these contest ads will win an invite. Another method to win one of the 4,000 invites runs involves simply connecting your Facebook account to Amazon India.

2. OnePlus Accounts

The company will be running marketing or engagement events on its social media, same as it did in other countries, through which it will give out invites. So make sure you like or follow the official accounts on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter.

3. Get a Friend To Buy One

Same as in other countries, anyone who has managed to get a OnePlus One smartphone will also receive an invite that can be shared with friends, family or anyone. These invites are valid typically up to 3 and 6 weeks of purchase.

4. OnePlus Forum

The website forum is the most famous and efficient way to get an invite. Users who join the OnePlus One forum can either win an invite via an engagement event or contest, or through other forum members distributing the invites. However, there is no way to check the authenticity of the forum members giving out the invites.

Need to know more about the OnePlus One before you start hunting for invites? Watch our full review here:

December 3, 2014
Everything You Need to Know About Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella

On 4th February 2014 Satya Nadella was announced the Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft Corporation. He joined Microsoft in 1992 and served leadership roles in both enterprise and consumer businesses across Microsoft for over 22 years. He served as Executive Vice President of Cloud & Enterprise Group and President of Server & Tools at Microsoft Corporation until 4th February, 2014. He led the transformation to the cloud infrastructure and services business. Satya Nadella joined the growing list of India-born executives heading major global corporations. The list already includes PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi and Deutsche Bank co-CEO Anshu Jain.

We are listing 8 facts about Satya Nadella you ought to know:

1. Love for Cricket

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Satya Nadella”]

I think playing cricket taught me more about working in teams and leadership that has stayed with me throughout my career.

[/quote]

He has grown up as a passionate cricketer and has played for his school and college teams.

2. He was Initially Against the Nokia-Microsoft Collaboration

Some reports say that during the on going talks about the deal had hinted that Microsoft founder Bill Gates and new CEO Satya Nadella were against the Nokia buyout, as was Skype founder Tony Bates and many other unnamed board members. Later, Nadella changed his stance and supported the deal.

3. Love for Poetry

Nadella says he loves to sit back and read poetry, which, according to him, is like a code.

[quote text_size=”small”]

You’re trying to take something that can be described in many, many sentences and pages of prose, but you can convert it into a couple lines of poetry and you still get the essence, so it’s that compression. The best code is poetry.

[/quote]

4. Microsoft’s 3rd CEO

In the 38 years of Microsoft’s history, only three people have held the position of CEO and Nadella is one of them. Former CEOs were Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer.

5. An Engineer by Education

Unlike Steve Ballmer, who comes from a managing background and had served as an Assistant Product Manager at Procter & Gamble before joining Microsoft in 1980, Nadella started out as an engineer. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Electronics & Communications Engineering from Manipal University and a master’s in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin.

6. Roots and Wings

Nadella’s hometown Hyderabad is a technology hub and houses one of the biggest Microsoft Research and Development Centres outside of the United States. His father, B.N. Yugandhar, still lives in Hyderabad. Nadella’s father has been a member of the elite Indian Administrative Service and a member of the Planning Commission during 2004-2009 under the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

7. His major role in Microsoft’s transition to cloud

Before becoming the CEO of Microsoft, he was Executive Vice President of Microsoft’s Cloud and Enterprise Group and was responsible for building and running the company’s Computing Platforms, Developer Tools and Cloud Computing Services. Under Nadella’s leadership, Microsoft is on its way to become as good at web-based services as it ever was at PC software.

8. One of the most promoted employees in Microsoft

Among his other high-level positions before he served as the Executive Vice President for the Cloud and Enterprise Group last year are President of the Server and Tools Business, Senior VP of R&D for the Online Services Division, VP of the Business Division, Corporate VP of Business Solutions and Search & Advertising Platform Group, Executive VP of Development of Cloud and Enterprise Group.

December 3, 2014
Future iPhones May Soon Have the Technology to Only Fall Face Up – Just Like Cats

Apple always seems to have a knack of pulling-off something out of the ordinary, and this time around the Cupertino based giant is on a quest to make its iPhone land like a cat in the event of a fall. Sounds too good to be true, but the company has reportedly filed a patent which just got approved by the Patent and Trademark office which put simply, would make the iPhone fall on its back.

The patent is a wild attempt by Apple to keep its glass screen from cracking. As we know, cats are known for their innate ability to reposition itself while airbone in such a peculiar way, so that it lands on its feet to prevent itself from getting hurt. Apple’s new patent tries to implement the exact same principle to its bending and overpriced devices like iPhone and iPads.

So how does it work?

Using inputs via a combination of sensors like gyroscopes, accelerometers, and GPS, a device equipped with this new protective mechanism will detect when it’s in free fall and calculate parameters like speed of descent and time to impact. The device will then use an on-board motor to reposition itself, just like a cat would, in an attempt to protect fragile components like screen or the camera in the event of a fall. In addition, the device’s on-board motor can also be deployed, so it would screech a bit as it falls on the ground, just like a cat.

Reports indicate that the patent is quite exhaustive, and Apple has provided a few more methods for repositioning the device while mid air, including extending air foils and use of gas canisters for more controlled landings.

This sounds pretty insane and we wish Apple all the luck on their noble quest to scale the pinnacle of engineering innovation, rather than settling for the mundanely obvious solution of making their phones more robust. However, its worth mentioning the fact that often companies file patents just to protect their intellectual property, rather than actually building a device. So this could well be a distant possibility and chances of it becoming a reality might be slim. Either way, we would to love to see a cat-like iPhone.

December 3, 2014
iGyaan Exclusive : Micromax to Set Up OnePlus-like Developers Forum in India

Micromax has successfully reached an agreement with Cyanogen through which the company has exclusive rights to offer devices with the custom platform in India. Meanwhile, OnePlus went off-contract due to the exclusivity of the agreement, resulting in no official support or future updates for the ‘flagship killer’.

In line with the open source nature of Cyanogen, Yu is expected to set up a forum where users can contribute ideas and tweaks for the operating system. The suggestions from this forum might get incorporated in the fortnightly updates. For folks who complain about the unavailability of updates on Indian manufacturers, this should be a welcoming news.

Now, our exclusive sources have revealed that Micromax is all set to make its first big step in these lines. The company, according to our source, has already purchased the domain name http://www.yuplaygod.com/, which is under construction at present. The source added ‘Micromax is turning into a full fledged developer and community-friendly with its new line of YU mobiles.’

Also, the company has finished working on official forums at http://forums.yuplaygod.com/, however, it is not made public yet. Yu Televentures will be a wholly owned subsidiary of Micromax Informatics. It’s the offspring of a tie-up between Micromax and Cyanogen. Cyanogen is, of course, known world over for making one of the best custom ROMs for Android smartphones.

OnePlus has gained a lot of popularity globally by taking this path and Micromax is expecting to trace OnePlus’ path here in India. Our source added Micromax is all ready and will make the website and forum live in coming weeks. And you can also expect the first Yu handset to arrive in a couple of weeks.

Update : After running a Whois search, we found out that the domain is registered under the name of Divanshu Thakral. According to his Linkedin profile, he is the head of Consumer Engagement Products and Services at YU in Micromax India which confirms the information shared above.

December 3, 2014
You Can Now Edit Microsoft Office Documents Directly from Your Gmail Inbox

Google has recently added another feature to the web-version of its popular email service, Gmail. Now, Gmail inbox allows users to edit Microsoft Office documents sent as email attachments. With Microsoft increasing its popularity in cloud space, Google has taken a right step forward.

This doesn’t seem like a major update, however, the new feature is a part of Google’s strategy to make its cloud service more universal and make it a one-stop from enterprise workspace. The new feature adds a Google Drive edit icon to Gmail attachments that says ‘Edit with Google Docs’. By clicking on this, the Office files get automatically converted into Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides.

Clicking this ‘edit’ option on an Office file attachment will convert the file to the preferred Google format, saving it in Google Drive to allow for continuous editing and sharing. Google has also increased the amount of Office file formats so as it can be imported to Docs to make the process easier. The list now includes 15 less-used Office formats including .pps and .ppsx.

The formats will be converted into Google formats according to their extensions such as dot, dotx, dotm*, docm* will convert into Google Docs; xlt, xltx, xltm*, xlsm* into Google Sheets and pot, potx, potm*, pptm*, pps, ppsx, ppsm* into Google Slides.

If you don’t want to change your file type, Google has a solution for that too. Google suggests you to use its Office Editing Chrome extension. It is also promising ‘improved charts, images, and tables support for these file formats, but didn’t go into detail.

December 3, 2014
Samsung to Bring its Tizen-Powered Device to India on 10th December

Samsung is under a lot of stress lately. The past couple of years haven’t been very friendly to the company’s business number. The consumer electronics giant has steadily lost market share in the smartphone game over the past few months. The company has decided to go back on the drawing board and recreate its next flagship from scratch. The company is also making a bet with a new operating system to create an alternative to the Android operating system.

The company is ready to launch a new Tizen OS powered device. It has already been using the OS on some of its wearables. Samsung says that this smartphone will be in the affordable range and come at a price of around Rs. 5000.

The phone will be called Z1. It was previously codenamed Kiran. According to Sammobile, Samsung will hold an event on the 10th of December to unveil the device.

The Operating system looks like Touchwiz on Android and doesn’t looks as inviting as other UI’s in the market.

According to the reports, the Z1 will have a 4 inch WVGA display with a resolution of 800x480p. The device will be powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core Spreadtrum SC7727S processor along with a Mali-400 GPU and 512MB RAM. It will have a primary camera of 3.2 MP and have a VGA front camera.

You can find several Indian competitors at the price that Samsung is offering the new Z1. The specs are low for the device to take on any kind of multimedia. Although low-resolution videos and games may have a chance on the Z1.

Samsung has the capital and the backbone to beat companies like Xiaomi and Moto at their own game but somehow it refuses to do it. It is not sure as of yet as to how much support or apps are available for the Tizen ecosystem, and that should dissuade people further from adopting the new OS. It’s good that Samsung is attempting to provide alternatives in the times of the Android dominance, but it seriously need to bring devices that are aspirational at any price point. Tizen too looks like TouchWiz, which has become exceptionally boring in recent times. Samsung, if you want our money, you got to earn it.

December 2, 2014
OnePlus One : Essential FAQs : 16 GB Variant, Swap Covers and Sale Units

OnePlus got a slight jolt when it received the news that CyanogenMod’s exclusive tie-up with Micromax prevented the custom ROM makers from offering support for the One in India. CyanogenMod was one of the biggest strength for the OnePlus One and its customizability features and regular updates set it apart from the rest. OnePlus sure has a challenge on their hands and seems like they are ready to take it head on.

OnePlus today launched the 64 GB variant of its epic One smartphone in India. Answering to the query that many had, the company has also said that it will be bringing out the 16 GB variant soon.

To quench the thirst of the enormous demand for its smartphone in India, the company will be bringing devices in a phased manner. Presently the company has a stock of 20,000 devices in India that will be up for sale today. Following this, the company will be offering 20,000 more devices, within a week and is ready with another 20k depending on demand. Altogether 60000 Indians are going have the satisfaction of owning the flagship killer in December alone.

To battle the CynogenMod’s lack of support for its devices in India, the company said it’s developing a new OS that will be based on Android Lollipop. This OS will be announced this friday, the company is very excited and says that it will be very close to stock Android but will have key features to make it a winner.

OnePlus customers also have been excited about the Bamboo swap cases, the company began selling these covers but had to stop as the customers found them difficult to change with the stock cases. As the company is going to establish service centers in India, it is planning selling the swap covers and offering an installation at the service centre free of charge for consumers.

It sure has been a long wait for the device, and it’s encouraging to see a company take proactive efforts towards making the customers of its devices comfortable. India can be an important market for the company. It is also planning to establish an R&D center in India. This is a good time to be a mobile consumer in India.

Have you checked out our video of the device that provides the “power of twice at half the price?”

And one more, don’t miss out on the latest video explaining all you need to know about OnePlus’ arrival in India:

December 2, 2014

OnePlus Finally Launches the One in India for Rs. 21,999

Chinese Flagship decimator, OnePlus One is finally ready for purchase by the Indian consumers. It has been a long wait for the enthusiasts of the One. The phone’s high specs low price formula has impressed folk’s world over and has caused a virtual stampede of folks trying to buy this exceptional device.

The device has been much talked about, if you are one of the last few who don’t know about the device then let us take the opportunity to blow your mind. The device runs on a quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor clocking at 2.5GHz . It comes with 3 GB RAM. The device is available in a 64 GB variant. The device gets its juice from a 3100 mAh battery.

The 5.5 inch Full HD display will make it a multimedia enthusiast’s delight. The device offers a 13 MP main camera and a 5 MP Selfie shooter on the front. Coupled with CyanogenMod’s awesome camera features, the phone will deliver great image output.

Running on Cyanogenmod, the phone gives you amazing features in camera and for customization. Unfortunately, Indian consumers will be devoid of the biggest strength of Cynogenmod. The custom ROM is known for regular updates and bug fixes. But the company’s exclusive partnership with Micromax will prevent it from offering updates on the Oneplus device. Though CM11S OS is great in itself and the functionalities it offers will make you fall in love with the device. OnePlus also promises their own firmware in the coming future which will be based on Android Lollipop. This definitely makes the device a future proof purchase.

The device is priced at Rs. 21,999 for the 64 GB variant. The device is truly one of a kind device and we expect them to fly off shelves in moments of its launch. The One has arrived and looks like it will stay for a good while.

The company will continue the invite system for the Indian market and those interested in an invite will be able to get one from oneplus.net/in starting right now.

If you are successful in getting an invite a spanking new OnePlus One will await you at : www.amazon.in/oneplusone on the 2nd of December 2014. Excited yet?

OnePlus One Specifications

Color	Silk White/Sandstone Black
Dimensions	152.9 x 75.9 x 8.9 mm
Weight	5.71 ounces (162g)
Operating System	CyanogenMod 11S based on Android 4.4
CPU	Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 801 processor with 2.5GHz Quad-core CPUs
GPU	Adreno 330, 578MHz
RAM	3 GB LP-DDR3 @1866MHz
Storage	16/64 GB eMMC 5.0, available capacity varies
Sensors	Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity and Ambient Light
Battery Capacity	Embedded rechargeable 3100 mAh LiPo battery

Display

Size	5.5 inch JDI
Resolution	1080p Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels), 401 PPI
Type	LTPS IPS with TOL
Protection	Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3

Cameras

Sensor	13 Megapixel – Sony Exmor IMX 214
Lenses	6 lenses to avoid distortion and color aberration
Flash	Dual-LED
Aperture	f/2.0
Front Camera	5 Megapixel – Distortion free
Video	4K resolution video with stereo recordingSlow Motion: 720p video at 120fps

December 2, 2014

Planning on Buying the OnePlus One in India? Here’s All You Need to Know

OnePlus One is denoted as the smartphone of the decade. The cult smartphone has been termed as the ‘Flagship Killer’ for its amazing features and price, and the good news is that it is now coming to India. OnePlus One will still be sold in India through India-specific invites with an exclusive availability on Amazon.in. The company is holding a press event on 2nd December to launch the smartphone in New Delhi. Here are some pointers to go through before you decide to get the One.

India-Specific Invites Vs. Global Invites

If you have a global invite, you can buy it from http://OnePlus.net/one but then the OnePlus website doesn’t offer shipping to India. However, there is a way around. You can pay a courier forwarding service like PPO Box to get it shipped to India, which will cost some extra bucks. Global invites are easy to come as they are periodically shared on Facebook groups and can be asked from a person who already has a OnePlus One.

The company planned to give away the Indian invites for those who registered at OnePlus.net/in for the newsletter. The selected people will get an email tomorrow with a confirmation link. Once you get the invite, you’ll have 48 hours to purchase the One, otherwise the invite will expire.

Amazon is regularly conducting competitions like ‘One in a 1000’ to give away the invites. In the competition, people were asked to share a photo of OnePlus ‘Never Settle’ and out of those people, invites were given to a selected few. Once the first batch of the One is sold, the users can forward the invites to other people like global invites.

Warranty

The One purchased by global invites will not come under warranty in India as explained by the CEO Carl Pei. There is quite a confusion about this, however, it is said that once India gets included in the list of OnePlus One countries, the global warranty will be valid in India too. Anyhow, this was not an official statement and still it is not clear how the company is planning to handle the warranty system.

Cyanogen Updates

The company has shared some disappointing news on its official blog. Well, Cyanogen had granted exclusive rights in India over the Cyanogen system to another company. That means, the flagship killer will be reaching the country with the popular Cyanogen OS onboard for now. However, it won’t be getting any official support or future updates. The company also added that the One will continue to be supported globally and receive frequent OTAs.

The reason for this disappointment is a recent agreement between Cyanogen and homegrown smartphone maker Micromax, through which the latter has exclusive rights to offer devices with the custom platform in India. So, while the company has no other choice than to bring the OnePlus One to the country with the CM11S OS inside, it’ll be developing its own firmware as a replacement in the future.

Also, people who bought the phone from the global invites will continue to get the OTA updates. However, Indian users can root their phones (which doesn’t void the warranty) and install the CyanogenMod Installer from the Play Store, and the latest version of CM ROM (Android) will run on your One.

Service Centres

As of now, there is no information about how the company is planning to provide services in the country. This is one of the major concerns for the Indian users who have purchased the device through global invites. The company is expected to officially announce what are they planning to do in this area tomorrow, so stay tuned.

The iGyaan Verdict

The Oneplus One 64 GB variant is expected to cost around Rs. 24,990 while the 16 GB variant is likely to come at a price of Rs. 19,990. Although the prices are slightly more than the $ price, they are much less than the Indian price of major flagships. So for the price of one LG G3, HTC One M8 etc you could typically get , “One Plus One” = 2 phones.

If you can get your hands on an invite today, do not think twice and get the phone, in fact you should have owned it yesterday.

For everything else, watch our full review here:

December 1, 2014
Xiaomi’s Mi Fitness Band Sweeps Wearable Market, Sales Reach 1 Million in 100 Days

Xiaomi has been the talk of the town, be it cheap smartphones, power banks or fitness trackers. The Chinese electronics giant has once again made it to the headline by selling 1 million Mi fitness trackers in just 100 days. The band was launched in July this year and went on sale on 18th August.

The company disclosed that it has shipped a maximum of 103,000 in a single day. The wearable is, as of now, available in China only, but the same will go on sale in Hong Kong and Taiwan from tomorrow onwards. The device has been priced at 79 Yuan (that translates to around Rs. 800), which is ridiculously cheap. This is one of the reasons people all over the world are desperately waiting for the Mi fitness band to launch in their countries.

Xiaomi Mi band is a water-resistant gadget with a battery life of up to 30 days. Although, it does not have a display of its own, the same can be paired with your smartphones and tablets to show fitness statistics. The band sports indicator lights. Apart from tracking health stats, it can become an alarm clock for you. Additionally, the band is a smart tool as it unlocks your Xiaomi smartphone, in case you don’t wish to type the password several times a day.

NDP group released a report on the sales figures of various brands, which speaks that between April 2013 and March 2014, around 3.3 million fitness bands and activity trackers were sold in the US. Out of this, 67 percent sales was made by Fitbit and 18 percent by Jawbone.

With numerous technology options available in the market, the Mi fitness band seems the most popular among fitness freaks.

December 1, 2014