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Skype Introduces the Preview of its Real-Time Language Translator

It had been in people’s imagination for a long while. An instrument through which you can translate the other person’s language has always been desired. Human translators are great, but you cannot call a person every time you want to have a conversation with another person from a new country. In the global interconnectivity age, when people can connect to each other from any part of the world, the only hindrance has been the language. The solution to this problem may lie in the Skype’s new real-time translation feature called Skype Translator.

The translator’s preview is only for Windows 8.1 devices. This feature can give a great boost to the operating system as most translation needs are required in the government and corporate sectors, where Windows is still a dominant power.

The real-time translation feature listens to the conversation and converts it into the native language on the other side. There is a short delay in this process as the engine has to convert what’s been said, but you get to hear both the speaker and the translation. There is also an on-screen transcript of what’s being said by the person for added convenience. The software can take care of the instant messaging translations in 45 languages currently.

This will also be a great feature if you want to date people on the other side of the planet. The language barrier can be beaten through features like these, and they will keep both the languages valid and usable. If you have a Windows 8.1 device, go ahead and communicate with the world.

November 4, 2014
Xiaomi Set to Bring Out a Massive 16000 mAh Power Bank

Xiaomi knows how to create an impression and gain public attention. The company has created waves in country after country with minimum marketing budgets. You really need to have a unique product to gather that much attention and they sure do have that. The company is bringing out a power bank which can take care of a week’s worth of charging needs.

With the advent of Quad HD display and other power-hungry elements on smart devices, the burden has never been greater on the battery. Even with great programming tweaks, the batteries still require a shot of juice at the end of every day. If you are always on the move, a power-bank can be a great solution for you and Xiaomi’s new 16000 mAh battery pack will keep you tension-free for a good long time. It may still have enough power left to take care of your weekend.

Previously, the Chinese electronics giant had launched 5200 mAh and 10400 mAh power bank variants. This is a whole new step for the company. The 16000 mAh power bank variant looks like an elongated version of the 5200 mAh battery pack. The size is similar to a smartphone, so you can even carry it around in your pocket with ease.

Keeping in mind that this is Xiaomi, you can expect the price to be dirt cheap. The power bank is expected to be priced at 129 yuan (Rs. 1300), but it can get slightly higher by the time it makes to India. Even at that price, it still wins over all the other alternatives in the market. Xiaomi seriously is a typhoon in the tech world.

November 4, 2014
Google Unveils a Slick New Calendar App, Plans to Release it on iOS Soon

Same as all the other official Google apps, the company has totally reworked on the Calendar app as well for the new Android 5.0 material design. According to the company, the upgrade of the Calendar app is smarter, more colourful, and all-around more helpful.

This new app has been reinvented in the ‘Material Design’ style that’s working its way across all Google apps. The major part of the new upgrade is all about making, adding and viewing events much easier.

With the new upgrade, Calendar will automatically pull events, such as booked reservations, flights, or concerts, out of your inbox and add them to your calendar. This new upgrade will also help you enter events by automatically filling in the information as you type, such as your contacts and nearby locations.

There is a new feature onboard with the new upgrade called ‘Schedule View,’ which just displays your upcoming appointments. They’re all given big, colourful backgrounds, often with images that are contextual to the events, which should make them easier to browse through. Third-party calendar apps that plug into Google have continued to add new and more intelligent features, and this release in many ways feels like Google has left no stones unturned.

Apart from this, another surprising news is that this new Google Calendar app will be available for iOS devices too. While there have been a good number of ways to access your Google Calendar on the iPhone and iPad, including through Apple’s Calendar app, this will be the first time Google has actually released a proper Calendar app for iOS.

The app is already available on the devices running on Android 5.0, however, the company will roll it out to the Play Store over the coming weeks for everyone running Android 4.1 and above.

November 4, 2014
Samsung Upgrades Galaxy Tab S with High-Speed LTE-Advanced

The original Samsung Galaxy Tab S series of tablets released in July. However, there have been talks about the LTE-A variant of the supersize tablet. The company has unveiled a version of the Galaxy Tab S 10.5 with 225 Mbps LTE-Advanced inside, giving the tablet the power to utilize a fast data connection. Well, the speed is well enough to download 421 songs in a single minute, if the official estimates are to be believed.

It is otherwise the same Android slate you’ve seen before, although we are not complaining given the slim profile and super-vivid display. That means, the Tab S 10.5 LTE-A runs on the Exynos 5 Octa chipset, has 3 GB of RAM and comes with 16/32 GB storage capacities.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S LTE-A features display of 10.5-inch with 1,600×2,560 pixels resolution. The tablet runs on Android 4.4 KitKat with TouchWiz UI on top of it. It is also equipped with 16 GB and 32 GB of built-in storage and microSD card for expansion up to 128 GB. The Tab S sports a good 8MP camera on the back and a 2.1MP front-shooter. The device is powered by a solid 4900 mAh battery unit. It also comes with a fingerprint sensor for unlocking the tablet.

Samsung has only announced the upgraded Tab S for South Korea, where it will cost 799,700 won ($743 approx). Since other countries are still waiting for the LTE-A bandwagon to break into their market, the new upgrade might not be available anytime soon.

November 4, 2014
Leaked Images Show the First Microsoft-Branded Lumia

Earlier this month, Microsoft officially killed the Nokia brand for its Lumia smartphones, and now images have surfaced of what appears to be a new device with the Microsoft Lumia branding.

Images from Chinese regulator TENAA reveal a new Lumia handset with the Microsoft branding on the front and rear, and perhaps it is a larger version of the Lumia 530. Dubbed as the RM-1090 as of now, it offers dual-SIM connectivity.

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 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.

We have a witnessed a slew of launches by Microsoft over the past few months, with price and availability being their primary focus. We are expecting the RM-1090 to be on the same lines and see the possibility of it being unveiled before Christmas.

November 3, 2014
Thanks to a New Compact Processor, Xbox One Might Get Cheaper

It is Microsoft’s policy to Y-cut the Xbox One’s price for the holidays, but there are hints that the gaming console may get a permanent price drop. Recent reports have hinted that Microsoft is planning for a potential smaller, cooler and cheaper Xbox One processor and how that could result in a thinner and cheaper Xbox One console.

Daniel McConnell, AMD’s Senior Physical Design Manager, had posted on his LinkedIn profile that he “successfully planned and executed the first APU for Microsoft’s Xbox One console in 28 nm technology and a cost-reduced derivative in 20 nm technology.” The entry containing the 20 nm processor has since been removed from McConnell’s profile.

Xbox One’s processor is fabricated at 28 nm, meaning each transistor measures 28 thousand-millionths of a meter. A 20 nm version would lower cost and power consumption, which would have a knock-on effect on cooling systems and, therefore, on casing design.

A 20 nm processor would lower the costs and power consumption, which would have a knock-on effect on cooling systems and therefore on casing design.

There aren’t any clues as to when this slim and affordable silicon will arrive, but recent AMD roadmap leaks suggest that its first CPU architecture based on the technology will ship in 2015. In other words, you could buy a cheaper Xbox by this time next year.

It is said that the new processor could be as much as 30 per cent more powerful while consuming 25 per cent less energy. And the small size means smaller cooling assembly and a thinner chassis to go along it, which ultimately translates to lower-priced device.

Xbox One has been struggling to break into the market like as it did in the past, but has been unsuccessful due to the soaring sales of PS4. The use of faster, slimmer and cheaper processor can help Microsoft step up its game and revive its old charm in the market.

November 3, 2014
Google Launches an Initiative to Promote Indian Languages

India has a vast and diverse population. This population exists with multiple languages, customs and cultures, under one roof. In such a country, internet can be a great tool for the development of people from different languages to come and share their ideas. But for this to happen, it is essential that there is a language support system to assist people with the use of this information superhighway. Google has now formed an alliance that will work towards promoting Indian regional languages.

The alliance will work towards providing support to Indian language users to create and receive content in their languages with ease. Google intends to involve over 300 million users from India using the language initiative by 2017.

It is estimated that India will have about 500 million internet users by the end of 2017, up from 200 million users at present. It will surpass the whole internet population of the US. Creating content and accessibility options for regional language speakers will create a healthy future market for the internet giant. India also has a robust smartphone market, and Google can make heavy gains by providing language assistance to the people of India.

The company did a demonstration of its Hindi voice search capabilities on an Android phone. They also launched an aggregation website called hindiweb.com where people can find access to most sites that provide content in Hindi.

This alliance is, in fact, an appreciable initiative from the Silicon Valley giant. It is of course going to benefit Google by bringing in new users for its services, but it will be greatly beneficial to a whole new population of the country that has still not gained access to this essential utility. Google’s alliance will include companies like Times Internet, C-Dac, Reverie Language Technologies, LinguaNext Technologies, and Amar Ujala Publications and some others.

November 3, 2014
64GB OnePlus One to be Priced Under Rs. 25,000 in India

One of the long-awaited phones in India has been the OnePlus One. This one of a kind phone has created waves all over the world. Its youthful design coupled with high specs and low price has made the device a darling of technology enthusiasts. The added value of exclusivity has made OnePlus One even more desirable. Lately, the company has opened up on what all Indians were till now waiting for, its price.

The Chinese company will be selling its blockbuster phone through its India-specific invite system. In an interaction with The Indian Express, the company claims that this will prevent shortage of device for potential customers. The invite process is also much fair and transparent then the flash sale model.

The company has mentioned the price of the 64 GB variant for less than Rs. 25,000 ($407 approx), which is a bit above the expected price range, but still is a great offering if its specs are taken into account. OnePlus One’s Cyanogen-based user experience has been appreciated for its customisability and regular updates. The phone will also be available in its 16 GB avatar, but its price isn’t known as yet.

The phone doesn’t have much of a competition in its mid-segment price. It will compete with Nexus 5, Elife E7, Desire 820 and their likes. Considering the demand for the device, it is surely expected to repeat a Xiaomi act in India. Whatever may be the case, the winner will still be the consumer who will get this fantastic piece of gadgetry at an enviable price.

November 3, 2014
Google Makes Bookmarks Interactive With New ‘Bookmark Manager’

With the sheer amount of things on the internet, you might find it hard to keep track of everything. To make your work feasible, you create bookmarks, but now the shortage of time to catch up on these bookmarks has led to the never-ending list that just stays there never to be caught back. Google seems to have stepped in the way to make bookmarks more accessible and useful.

The company has introduced an extension for Chrome called Google Bookmark Manager. The extension will bring all your bookmarks in a grid view. The bookmarks will all be pooled together in various folders. During the creation of a new bookmark, Google will prompt you with some folder suggestions. To make things even easier, you can add photos or notes to folders you desire to access quickly.

This new extension will also get a boost from ‘Power Searching with Google’. The extension will be able to scan into the content of bookmarked pages to let you find out what you were looking for. It does seem like Google has got some inspiration from the new Safari bookmarks that are available in Yosemite.

The bookmark manager will come really handy for folks who want immense convenience to access their references. The bookmarks have been around since the inception of consumer web browser, but it’s good to see it finally getting attention from browser manufacturers. Guess Safari and Chrome have new bookmark managers, Firefox may join soon, but the users of Internet Explorer should anticipate their upgrade by the end of the decade.

November 3, 2014
Microsoft Opens Up Outlook to Third-Party App Developers

Microsoft is opening its business-centric Office service to developers on a large scale this time around. Earlier this year, the software giant invited developers to make third-party apps for Office 365, and now that plan includes Outlook.com.

A new suite of APIs, which will soon be released by the company, will give developers tools to integrate into Microsoft’s webmail service and add features to everything from the Calendar to the Compose screen and Contacts. However, these apps won’t come to mainstream until spring 2015. Anyhow, the plan of the company to bring third-party apps holds some exciting promise and possibilities.

The company’s official blogpost reads : “Think about it: Whenever a customer reads or composes an email or calendar event, your app could be there, helping them get the job done. If you have a great idea for how our customers should interact with their email or calendar, now is the time to make it happen. Not only are these apps simple to build–they use open web technologies such as HTML and Javascript–but you can start building them today. To learn how to get started, check out ‘Mail apps for Outlook’ on MSDN and the Office Dev Center.”

Along with this, ‘Mail apps for Outlook’, which work on Exchange Server 2013, Outlook 2013, Outlook Web Access, and OWA for Devices, will soon work on Outlook.com too, bringing together some 400 million potential new users of app developers, and all without browser plugins or extensions.

Developers may come up with some truly useful apps that plug into not only Outlook.com, but also the rest of the Office 365 ecosystem, which includes Word, Excel and PowerPoint. According to Microsoft, these apps will be cross-platform.

November 3, 2014
Google Nexus 6 ‘Coming Soon’ to a Flipkart Near You

Google’s latest collaborative flagship device is the best Android phone out there. The phone sits on a pedestal and sets a standard for other phones to achieve. It is one of the highly sought-after phones in the market and will be available soon. But Indians were surprised and elated this morning to find the phone listed on Flipkart.

Nexus 6 was listed with a ‘Coming Soon’ tag on the e-tailers website. The price hasn’t been listed yet, but it is expected to cost top rupees, considering its high specs. In the US, the phone is available on the Google Play Store. The 32 GB variant is available for $649 (about Rs. 40,000) and the 64 GB variant costs $699 (about Rs. 43,000). You can expect the phone to come in the Rs. 45,000-55,000 price bracket in India.

The listing though should not be seen as an indication of its availability anytime soon. The phone might take a good couple of weeks before it is finally available for purchase in the country. In some countries, the phone was expected to be introduced for pre-orders today, but it is being reported that the pre-orders will be delayed till 18th of this month.

Google Nexus 6 is in-demand for its top of the line features. It comes with a 5.96-inch QHD (1440×2560 pixels) display with a pixel density of 493ppi. It is powered by a 2.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor and supported by 3 GB of RAM. This Google flagship is available in 32 GB and 64 GB internal storage variants. The device will run on the Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system. It will get its juice from a 3220mAh battery and with the Lollipop, it is expected to give a better battery backup. For imaging, Nexus 6 has a 13-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front camera.

So, if you want to be one of the first ones to get hold of this phenomenal phone, then you just have to be patient for some more weeks. You will appreciate it and looking at the spec-sheet, it surely looks worth the wait.

November 3, 2014
Google to Take on Apple’s AirDrop with ‘Copresence’

Recent reports have hinted that Google has been working on a new service that would allow Android users to share media with other nearby devices, even with the iOS devices like iPhones and iPads instead of gadgets running Google’s mobile OS only.

That means, this feature will allow us to exchange photos, music, contacts, directions, messages and other data between cross-platform devices easily. It is said that Google is planning to optimize this service with location information, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, which is rumored to be based around the same kind of technology on which Chromecast works.

A tipster leaked the information saying that the service is codenamed as “Copresence”. Code buried in the Google Play Services’ latest version, an app on Android responsible for keeping much of Google’s core functionality working, reportedly revealed the upcoming feature, along with a few images that go with the service.

The illustrations that you see below are possibly for the Google Play Services. These are presumably designed to inform users about the service, and they suggest that “Copresence” will work with both Android and iOS devices.

Along with this, GigaOM has pointed out a number of references to the feature in bug reports for a developer version of Google Chrome, suggesting that the service could work with the popular browsers and computers as well. The new service sounds a lot like Apple’s AirDrop on iOS, which allows for sharing between iOS devices that are close to one another, across networks and with the option of sharing beyond your address book.

The fact that the new data sharing service by Google will be cross-platform has already created a stir. If Copresence is a real deal, we might see it first with a limited number of Google’s products, most notably Google Drive.

November 3, 2014
BBM Brings Snapchat-Like Multiple Features With its New Update

BlackBerry’s propriety messaging system BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) has been one of the most successful messaging apps. The company has even introduced versions for other operating systems. At this time, when the company is struggling to hold back its position in the market, it’s natural that they are bringing new features to their most visible product.

BlackBerry has added several features to the new version of BBM. This includes Snapchat-like time-limited messaging attribute. It allows you to send an image or message, and set the amount of time you want it to be visible to the other person. The application will even send you notifications if the other person takes a snapshot of that picture or the message.

Other upgrades include message retraction, timed messages, HD image transfer, and many more. The message retraction will come really handy for folks who compulsively and erroneously hit the send key, and also for drunk texters who can swiftly act when they gain some senses and get rid of that embarrassing message or pic they have previously sent.

It seems like BlackBerry went into a full ‘get-inspired’ mode, and it borrowed features from several major apps and made one unified app. It also has a Skype-like feature where you can see what your contacts are listening to or watching.

The app will be available for download for BlackBerry, iPhone and Android users. But all these awesomeness come at a price. The features like timed messages and message retraction will be free only for the first three months, after which you’d have to pay for them. This will be a major challenge for the company as users already have free access to all these features through other apps. BlackBerry wants to eventually provide a BBM subscription service that comes bundled with all the multiple features it has introduced with this update.

So, this seems like a great app to have which gives almost all the features of all the messaging apps combined. You can either keep using all the free apps that crowd your phone or you can just pay a premium for one unified app. That is for you to decide.

November 1, 2014
HP Teams Up With a Fashion Designer to Debut a Sleek Smartwatch

With an onslaught of smart wearables these days, HP has engineered a watch with designer Michael Bastian to create a traditional-looking timepiece called the ‘MB Chronowig’.

This wearable will be compatible with iOS and Android, and comprises all smartwatch features along with a design that emanates traditional watches. The MB Chronowig facilitates users to control music from their wrist, as well as displays email/text notifications. The watch can also sync with your calendar and alarm. This innovative piece does all these nifty little tricks while looking quite elegant – courtesy, the fashion designer.

The smartwatch will be up for sale on the website Gilt.com from 7th November. The range starts from $349 for the base silver-plated model. If you’re willing to shell out $649, there’s also one that comes in black with a sapphire glass and an elegant alligator strap.

November 1, 2014
With Moto-Power Lenovo Becomes the Third Largest Smartphone Company in India

The acquisition of one of the most adored brands, Motorola by Lenovo was met with a wide negative response in India. But this acquisition did more for Lenovo than just being the owner of an awesome brand. It took an enormous leap in the Indian smartphone market. The Chinese electronics company now is the third biggest smartphone company in India.

Lenovo acquired Motorola from Google for a sum of $2.9-billion. The deal was finalized this Thursday, the 30th of October, and it will give Lenovo the boost in the Indian market that it was looking for. The deal got Lenovo in the third spot in India and many other markets globally.

This may also mean a bit of a pull back for Xiaomi. According to data research by IDC, the company will move down to the fourth spot after just recently hitting the podium stand. Seems like celebrations didn’t last long for the company. This will be a neck and neck competition because both Motorola and Xiaomi are stars of the low-cost markets. This is a market where the maximum amount of sales takes place. Lenovo has a good market stand in the offline channels and combined with the high online demand for Motorola product it can easily set a flag post at the third spot.

The top spot in India is still in the hands of Samsung, that has come up to become an alternative recognizable brand after the demise of Nokia. It holds 23.8% of the mobile phone market and is distantly followed by Apple with a market share of 12%.

Lenovo says that it considers India as an important market, and it will continue its original market plan. It will definitely benefit from the brand recognition of Motorola, especially in the youth market. Since its return to Indian shores, the company has sold over 2 million products from its catalog.

The Lenovo-Motorola partnership plans to sell about 100 million smartphones and tablets globally by march of next year which is an audacious task. The part of this acquisition that will be appreciated by most folks casting doubts on the future of Motorola products is that Lenovo and Motorola will continue on as separate entities. So you can expect your next Moto buy to still hold the Moto experience that you have come to love and appreciate.

November 1, 2014