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Tizen-Based Samsung Smartphones Expected to Debut in India First

India is likely to be the first country that will see the launch of a new range of budget devices. Lately, Samsung featured its own in-house mobile operating system Tizen. According to reports, the South Korean manufacturer is expected to launch a smartphone within a month in India that runs on the Tizen OS.

Based on the Linux platform, Samsung is doing all that it can do to make their OS popular among consumers. The company launched the operating system with their wearable platform and did manage to get a positive response. Reports also suggest that the latest Tizen-based handset will be competing against the smartphones under Rs. 10,000. It is rumoured to have a 4-inch touchscreen, dual-SIM ability, a 3.2MP camera and 512 MB RAM with standard connectivity features. In terms of memory, it is rumored to have 4 GB of internal memory expandable up to 32 GB via microSD card.

Experts are quite skeptical over the launch of the new mobile operating system, as Android still rules the roost with almost 3/4th of the market share. The low cost Firefox OS phones did manage to do quite well, though primarily for their inexpensive pricing. India being a major playground for smartphone manufacturers, the ploy could turn the tide in favour of Samsung, who has reportedly lost five percent share from the last quarter.

The likes of Xiaomi and Huawei have captured a huge amount of market share after launching budget Android handsets. Recently, Google also announced its budget Android One devices for India. Will this strategy work out in Samsung’s favour, is something we have to wait and watch.

November 10, 2014
New Web Tool by Apple Allows Users to Deregister Phone Numbers from iMessage

Apple has released a new tool that let’s former iPhone users deregister their phone numbers instantly from Apple’s iMessage system. This allows switching between iOS and other smartphones hassle free. Many former iPhone users have reported for years that they were unable to receive text messages from friends.

The problem occurs as Apple continues to route texts through iMessage even after users have moved on to non Apple devices. Since iMessage is exclusive to the Apple platform, users who moved away from iOS but did not disable iMessage first, were unable to see messages sent from friends who used Apple devices. The only solution to this for users who were still facing this problem was to deregister entirely the old device from their Apple accounts.

With the recently released tool, all users need to do is enter the phone number they wish to deregister from Apple’s iMessage system. Apple will then send a code via SMS, which they need to type into the browser to deregister.

Apple received a lot of heat earlier this year over disappearing messages which irritated some users to the extent that they had to file a law suit over the matter.

November 10, 2014
LG to be the First Ones to Give Out the Lollipop

LG has so far had a good year. The company got back into focus with its G3 family of devices. Its smartwatches are getting quite an appreciation in the market, and it is ready to bring out devices with its own line of chipsets. In between all of this, the company will also become a customer-darling with its announcement of bring out the new Android 5.0 Lollipop update.

It was expected that Motorola would be the first one to deliver the new OS update to its users, but LG seems to have beat them to it. The company will begin the update delivery process from Poland by this week. It will then start the update process in other important markets.

The first update will be for G3 users. LG will later announce a schedule for its other devices. In the fast updating and concentrating market, the company who delivers the fastest updates may move forward in the food chain. Motorola has released the Android 5.0 update for its testers on the Moto X devices. A full update will be out this month or early next month.

The latest Lollipop update is, in fact, the best Android update yet which takes the operating system to the next level. The update adds better battery backup to the devices, and the new material design and animations have been appreciated for introducing a fresh look to the operating system. Here’s a list of all the devices that will be getting the Android Lollipop update.

November 10, 2014
Here’s What the First Microsoft Lumia Might Look Like

The first-ever Microsoft-branded Lumia is a hot topic these days. The software giant is all geared to announce their first Lumia device without the Nokia branding next week, marking the end of Nokia as a smartphone manufacturer. Now, the new reports have surfaced that showcases leaked images of the Microsoft Lumia RM-1090. Courtesy: China’s Tieba, an online community powered by Baidu.

According to the leak, the expected Microsoft-branded Lumia smartphone will be a low-end device and will feature a 5-inch QHD display with 960×540 pixel resolution. It will be powered by a Snapdragon 200 chipset clocked at 1.2 GHz bundled with 1 GB of RAM, dual-SIM, 8 GB ROM, a 5MP primary camera with LED and a 1900mAh battery.

Microsoft Lumia RM-1090 will be 140.2×72.45×9. 32 mm and weighs 145.7 grams. It will be available in following colour variants – white, black, grey, green and orange. Connectivity features will be limited to 3G with HSPA and GSM. The handset is said to have been cleared for US FCC certification in October after being cleared for TENAA certification.

We can expect it to go head to head against the Android One series.

November 8, 2014
Airtel Announces ‘One Touch Internet’ Portal to Entice First-Time Internet Users

Airtel India has launched a unique ‘One Touch Internet’ portal in an attempt to persuade first-time Internet users in India. The initiative primarily aims at assisting beginners to learn and get acquainted with the nuances involved as far as the mobile data is concerned. This ploy clearly suggests that Bharti Airtel is tapping into the steadily growing mobile database across the country, eventually increasing its user base in the process.

The One Touch Internet service will bring all the information regarding Airtel’s various popular services concerning Mobile Internet under one roof. The WAP portal eventually will work as a guide that will provide users with free online tutorials and offer them free Internet access for 10 days. The purpose is to make the new users understand how to navigate and work around social networking websites, watch videos or shop online without paying.

As of now, this service is currently available for prepaid mobile customers on Airtel (2G and 3G). What all users have to do is simply dial 111 or visit http://one.airtel.in on their mobile phone’s web browsers to get the tutorials. These informative videos will be available in English and Hindi as of now, though Airtel plans to introduce eight other Indian regional languages in a few weeks.

November 8, 2014
Xiaomi to Join Hands With Leadcore to Offer Cheaper Handsets

Chinese technology powerhouse Xiaomi is all set to acquire chip maker Leadcore. The company might take a 51% stake in the company. It is expected that with the inclusion of these chips, the price of Redmi phones might go even further down.

Xiaomi presently uses Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets in its handsets. It’s the power of the snapdragon line of chipsets that has given a boost to Xiaomi to take on the world market. Its inclusion of high-quality equipments even on its lower-end devices has created a trust factor amongst its present and future customers.

The company debuted with the Xiaomi Redmi line. But the spec-sheet of these devices helps them to take on other available devices with much higher price tag. Xiaomi has to be very cautious about the quality of its products. They should make sure that the Leadcore chipsets provide the same level of performance as they got from Snapdragon chipsets. Xiaomi will still be using Snapdragon chipsets for its devices that are higher up in the food chain.

There is also a great news for the potential consumers with this development. With Leadcore chips under their belt, the Redmi line of devices can see a major price cut. The phones are expected to lose as much as Rs. 2,000 off their price tag. The device will then truly become disruptive for the market and may cause loads of worry for the competitors. The ones who will seriously feel the brunt will be local manufacturers like Micromax, Lava and others. Guess we just have to wait to see another bloodbath, courtesy again by Xiaomi.

November 8, 2014
Top 10 Tips and Tricks for Samsung Galaxy Note 4

Samsung’s Note franchise is known for its vast amount of features, which are equally useful for business and consumer purposes. The latest addition to this series, Galaxy Note 4, comes with a functionality that is overwhelming and a thoroughly cleaned-up TouchWiz interface that makes getting around the device straightforward and easy. However, there are fairly ample amount of things you’ll never come to know about your new Note 4 until you take a good look inside its menu.

We are listing top 10 essential tips and tricks for Samsung Galaxy Note 4.

1. Use of Motion Gestures

Samsung has added some very convenient hand gesture controls in the new Note 4. The Note 4’s Motions and Gestures setting lets you customise a number of gesture controls. Switch on ‘Direct Call’ and it will let you pick up and hold the phablet to your ear to make a call to a predefined default number. The option of ‘Smart Alert’ will make your device vibrate to indicate new notifications and events when you pick it up. The ‘Mute/Pause’ option lets you mute incoming calls or alarms by turning the device over or placing your palm over it. Finally, ‘Palm Swipe to Capture’ lets you place the side of your hand on the screen and swipe it across to capture a screenshot.

2. Customise your Notification Bar

You can customise the Quick Settings directly from the Settings panel. Also, you can drag the panel down from the top, tap the Quick Settings icon, and then tap the pencil icon to start editing.

3. Use One-handed Operations

Samsung has added loads of features to make one-handed operations more manageable. Under Settings > One-handed operation, you can choose from three different one-handed utilities. First one is the option of reducing the screen size that lets you adjust the screen size and layout by swiping out from the midpoint or either edge of the app. One-handed input compacts the apps down like the Dialer, in-call buttons, and Samsung keyboard. As soon as the on-going app compacts, the Side key panel will pop up Android’s navigation buttons on the screen so that you can access them quickly.

4. Wider Selfies

Catering to the worldwide selfie trend, Samsung has added a Panorama-like selfie feature which lets you take wider selfies. Open your Note 4’s camera, switch to front camera, tap ‘Mode’ and hit the ‘Wide selfie’ option. Put your finger on the heart rate sensor and lift it to take a photo, and say ‘Cheese’. You’ll get a panorama-like outline which you have to fill by tilting the device left and right. When the blue frame has reached each end of the white frame, your spacious selfie is done.

5. Use Alternative Commands to Snap Pictures

Tap anywhere on the screen inside the camera app—just not on the shutter button—and then tap the Settings icon. Tap again for more settings. Tap on the volume key towards the bottom of the screen. From here, you can set the volume, whether it’s to snap a photo or record a video. Also, it acts as a zoom controller. In that same settings menu, you can turn on the voice control to take photos or record videos.

6. S-Pen’s Improved Functionalities

One of the primary distinguishing features of Galaxy Note 4 is the integrated S Pen functionality. The S Pen has been around since the original Samsung Galaxy Note and has got better with every new release. The Air Command pop-up menu launched with the Note 3 and it has refined largely for the S Pen and large display of the Note line. One improvement that is tough to demonstrate is the increased pressure sensitivity from 1,000+ to over 2,000+ level. The most convenient feature is the ability of the S Pen to select multiple images by dragging it around the screen, more like you do it with your mouse on your desktop.

7. Use your Note 4 with Gloves

Because, why not? It’s going to be winter soon and you’re probably going to be sporting gloves until next April. It’s hard to use a phone with gloves on. Fortunately, you can increase the Note 4 display’s touch sensitivity from the settings menu, so you don’t have to take those gloves off just to send a text message. And also, you won’t have to look forward to frost-bitten fingers anytime soon.

8. Play with Depth of Field

Samsung followed suite of HTC by bringing in the Selective Focus feature. To enable it, open Camera, tap Mode, Selective Focus, and take a photo as usual. There are ‘Near focus’, ‘Far focus’, and ‘Pan focus’. The first makes the object of your photo stand out against a blurred background, the second does the opposite, and the last one makes both the subject and the background noticable.

9. Get Notified when a Doorbell Rings or your Baby Cries:

There is built-in doorbell detector and baby crying detector in the new Note 4. When your phone detects these respective sounds, it makes the smartphone vibrate. You can find both these options in the Settings, Accessibility, Hearing, Sound detectors menu.

10. The Music Square

Samsung has added an interesting feature in Note 4’s built-in Media player, called Music Square. You can find it inside the app’s three-square menu. The square has an algorithm which analyses your songs and matches them to four-mood categories. You can also create a mood-based playlist.

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November 8, 2014
Xiaomi Gears to Take on GoPro With its Own Action Camera

GoPro has created a unique market for itself. It is almost reminiscent of the time when iPod came out and enjoyed the first-mover advantage. In the past few years, GoPros have gained pop culture prominence. Their cheap price tag and amazing ability to withstand extreme pressure has made it a darling of the adrenaline junkies and self-obsessed selfie-clickers alike. Other companies are trying to create a foothold in the action camera market. Recently, we saw HTC come out with its RE camera. Now, Chinese powerhouse Xiaomi is contemplating a dip into the action camera market.

If rumors are to be believed, Xiaomi’s action camera is expected to record 30 fps 4K videos, as well as 120 fps 1080p videos. The camera has a 138-degree wide angle lens. GoPro recently added 4K video recording feature in its new line of products. Xiaomi might use its brand recognition and its business tactics to disrupt GoPro’s market enough to squeeze in.

Xiaomi’s action camera will support micro-SD cards up to 128 GB. The device has pretty much everything to attract an action sports enthusiast. Using the 120 fps capability of the camera, one can take amazing slow motion pictures.

The camera is expected to come out first in China at a price of RMB 999, which translates to around Rs. 10,000, which is again an attractive price for a device of such caliber. It is expected to come out by the year end. We’ll be keeping a vigilant eye on the developments of this device.

November 8, 2014
Facebook Plans to Take on Apple’s Monopoly Over the App Business

It is no secret that Apple has dominated the $45 billion market with its App Store. Even though Android ecosystem has proliferated to almost 80% of the market globally, iOS has taken over the major chunk of the app store revenue on its side.

The main reason being iOS users are more than ready to spend money on apps than Android users. Android being an open source OS comprises of users that may or may not like to spend money on apps, hence, the revenue differs. So the best apps are developed first for Apple’s iOS mobile operating system. Only if they are successful do companies produce an Android version, often months or years later. However, Facebook is planning to change this game.

According to the folks at Facebook Europe, the dominance of Apple is about to weaken soon. Facebook’s Europe, Middle East, and Africa platform director Julien Codorniou while talking to Business Insider suggested that the new trend he is seeing is going to favour Android. According to him, Android is very rapidly catching up iOS in terms of revenue generation. He also mentioned that there days, many developers, especially game developers, are going for Android first in the European market.

Facebook is planning to tap into situation with its own Parse app development platform, and favour Android big time.

“There is a pattern coming from Eastern Europe. The Russian developers develop on Android first because of a big audience, and it maybe being easier to develop. They liked the fact that they could submit a new version of the app every day. [With Apple, you have to get each new version of the app approved before it hits the App Store. There is no version approval for Android.] This is a trend that I see and I think it is going to accelerate.”

Facebook is planning to tap into the situation with its own Parse app development platform and favour Android big time. Codorniou believes that Parse virtually erases the two-step iOS/Android development process, letting companies release new apps on both platforms at the same time. If apps are released at the same time on Android, it erases one of the key selling points of the iPhone, which is users who want the cool new apps must be Apple users in order to get them.

Codorniou has a team of promoters for spreading the word: “As of today, I have four guys from my team in Paris talking to Android developers about the greatness of Parse, Facebook login, app links, app events, all of these things we introduced at f8. It’s a very important bet for us.”

November 8, 2014
Tata Partners with Google to Expand Cloud Connectivity for Enterprises

Tata Communications has partnered with Google to provide cloud services to companies. The company is known for providing communication services to multi-national enterprises and service providers.

Google will connect its new product, Google Cloud Interconnect, with Tata Communications’ IZO Public platform. Tata’s IZO helps companies to set up their own cloud systems. Google has already partnered with multiple companies in India and is seeing the country as an important investment hub.

With the move towards enterprise mobility, the push for setting cloud systems is gaining momentum. Tata has already partnered with Amazon and Microsoft for its IZO platform. With IZO, Tata provides tools to the companies to set up customised cloud ecosystem.

The move towards cloud will also help bring down the operating expenses of Indian companies as they don’t have to invest in the heavy tech setups like setting up servers and data storage. Cloud systems provide these services at a marginal cost.

The battle for the enterprise segment is heating up and unlike the mobile market, there are three major contenders here. Along with Apple and Google comes Microsoft, which is, in fact, the biggest IT service provider to the corporate sector. The war will be won by whoever comes up with the best mobility solution, which is the way forward. It will surely be interesting to see if Microsoft manages to retain its dominance or any other competitor will come up with better mobility solution.

Update: In a previous version of the story it was mentioned that Tata communication is a subsidiary of The Tata Group, whereas it is an independent company. The error has been corrected.

November 8, 2014
‘WireLurker’ Malware Threatens to Attack Apple Devices

Apple’s loyal users have long thought themselves safe from all sorts of notorious malware and viruses. However, a new report from Palo Alto Networks has suggested that Apple devices are at risk of a virus described by researchers as ‘the biggest scale’ malware they have ever seen.

Dubbed WireLurker, the malware targets both Mac as well as phones and tablets running iOS, when connected using a USB cable. When a mobile device is connected to the infected Mac, the virus spreads and installs nasty apps.

According to a research conducted by Palo Alto Networks, “WireLurker monitors any iOS device connected via USB with an infected OS X computer and installs downloaded third-party applications or automatically generated malicious applications onto the device, regardless of whether it is jailbroken. This is the reason we call it “wire lurker”. Researchers have demonstrated similar methods to attack non-jailbroken devices before; however, this malware combines a number of techniques to successfully realise a new brand of threat to all iOS devices. WireLurker exhibits complex code structure, multiple component versions, file hiding, code obfuscation and customised encryption to thwart anti-reversing”

WireLurker is not the first malware developed for Apple devices, but it is the first of its kind in many respects and only the second-known malware family to attack iOS devices through Mac OS X via USB. The malware is currently contained in China, where it appears to have originated on a third-party Mac app store called Maiyadi. However, the malware is under active development, and anybody downloading any unlicensed apps on Mac or connecting iOS devices to an unknown computer could be vulnerable.

Apple said that it has begun blocking the malware. “We are aware of malicious software available from a download site aimed at users in China, and we’ve blocked the identified apps to prevent them from launching,” the company stated. “As always, we recommend that users download and install softwares from trusted sources.”

November 7, 2014
Samsung is Reportedly Working on a Brand New Smartphone Lineup

Samsung is heading towards a better future; at least, that’s what it is trying to do. With the recent market loss and bad financial earnings, the company needs to make some changes to its smartphone lineup. Recent reports have suggested that the company is finally listening to the consumers and mending their ways.

The South Korea-based electronic giant has recently launched a couple of premium metal smartphones, the Galaxy A3 and Galaxy A5, and is expected to design the Galaxy S6 — aka Project Zero — from scratch. Furthermore, SamMobile has learned that Samsung is also working on a new series of smartphones.

According to the report, Samsung might finally ditch the silly naming conventions by launching the new series of smartphones. A source from SamMobile said, “Samsung will soon come up with a new smartphone range with single letter naming convention, similar to that of the Galaxy A series.”

However, the source didn’t share what the new family will be called. Thus, you can say a goodbye to silly handset names like the once-glorious Sprint Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch. Other details about this Samsung smartphone family are still under wraps, so it’s unclear what they’ll have to offer in terms of specs or design.

For what is known, the metal-only Galaxy A series will soon hit the international market. The Galaxy A7 is expected to feature a 5.2-inch 1080p display, octa-core processor, 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB internal storage, a 12-megapixel camera, and a 4.7-megapixel front camera. On the software front, it will run on Android 4.4.4 KitKat out of the box.

As for Galaxy A5, it is said to come with a 5.2-inch HD display, 1.2 GHz quad-core processor, 16 GB internal storage, a 13-megapixel rear camera, a 5-megapixel front camera, and a 2,300mAh battery.

November 7, 2014
Microsoft Office 365 App is Now Free for Everybody

Microsoft has prepped new versions of its popular Office apps for iPhones and iPads, along with a preview of the same app for Android. From now on, you can use an Office apps on Android or iOS without any Office 365 subscription. Microsoft has dubbed this move as ‘More of Office for everyone.’

The company is also doing away with the Office Mobile for iPhone, with a standalone Word, Excel and PowerPoint. The new Office apps for iPhone will now be identical to the iPad version, which offers more functions and capabilities. Microsoft says that these new apps offer “the same beautiful iPad experience, optimised for the iPhone.”

According to a report, Microsoft has worked closely with Apple to make sure the app could take advantage of the iPhone 5, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus. Word, Excel, and PowerPoint will now feature phone-optimised user interfaces. The iPhone Office apps, from now on, will facilitate a better look at documents, spreadsheets and presentations. There are features like Reflow view; Excel has a new Full-Screen view, while PowerPoit now has a new slideshow. The Office app for iPad has already seen a whopping 40 million downloads.

Meanwhile, the Android version will be coming in a couple of weeks. Android phones will be getting a smaller update compared to the Android tablets. As of now, Office Mobile for Android phones has been updated with support for free editing, though will be identical to the iPhone version some point later, with individual Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps.

As far as Android tablets are concerned, they will have similar features and capabilities as the iPad apps. Microsoft said that apps for Android tablets should be available by early 2015.

Meanwhile, Microsoft also announced a software partnership with Dropbox, with two companies merging their softwares. This would allow the stored documents in DropBox to be easily edited using MS Office tools.

November 7, 2014
The First Microsoft-Branded Lumia Arrives Next Week

Microsoft confirmed that the first Lumia which is going to launch under the company’s banner will arrive on Tuesday. The software powerhouse has already started sending teasers of an unveiling for the 11th of November, with a tag line that says, “Microsoft is delivering the power of everyday mobile technology to everyone.” The teaser displays an orange curved Lumia device.

Microsoft officially killed the Nokia brand for its upcoming Lumia handsets, and Tuesday’s launch will mark the first time when Lumia device will come without the Nokia branding. While many are speculating it as a flagship device, sources believe that Microsoft will launch this budget device next week.

Microsoft did hint at the possibility of a new Lumia launch soon, with features similar to that of the Lumia 830. It appears to be the latest addition to the low-end Windows Phone from Microsoft. A ploy that the company is using to compete against Android and iOS, as it struggles to stamp its authority in terms of overall OS market share.

It’s still a mystery as to how Microsoft will name its first Lumia; it could even do away with the number scheme we have seen with Lumia devices in the past.

November 7, 2014
Moto 360 Gets New Metal Straps, Watchface and Fitness App

Even though a lot still consider it is too early for smartwatches to break into the full scale commercial market, Moto 360 managed to turn heads with its design when we first saw it at Google I/O 2014.

However, the much-loved smartwatch was limited to only two colours and material choices at the launch. But, Motorola now wants to give you more options. The company has also begun selling the Moto 360 with metal options, which are now available with either dark or light grey finish in the regular 23 mm band size for $299.99.

Announced in a blog post yesterday, the company said, “Crafted from aircraft-grade stainless steel, these bands feature a modern, contemporary tri-link design that complements the round face of Moto 360. Starting today, Moto 360 with light and dark metal bands are available on motorola.com for $299. Coming soon, we will offer Moto 360 with new slim bands, which is an option for smaller wrists or for people who want a different look. Slim bands will be available in time for the holidays in light metal ($299) and a brand new champagne gold finish ($329).”

The bands were earlier listed on Amazon.com, however, they are official now. Along with this, Motorola also announced new accessory bands that can be purchased separately in stone, black, or cognac leather, along with dark and light metals. Plus, they have partnered with brands like DODOcase (stitched leather bands) and TYLT (silicone bands) to offer even more options.

The company has also rolled out a new update of the Moto Connect app. The update introduces the an attractive ‘My Design’ watch face that allows you to customise everything from the background image to the style of the tick marks and watch hands. Motorola also added the Design Face-Off winner’s watch face to the collection.

Finally, the Schaumburg-based giant is introducing Moto Body, a fitness-inspired experience app that tracks your steps, distance, heart rate, and calories. Moto Body will be available through the new Moto Connect app.

November 7, 2014