Category: Brands and Companies

All Brands and Company Names

Nokia Releases the New ‘Z Launcher’ App

These are hard days for Nokia. Once the largest phone vendor by a staggering margin, Nokia has sold its devices and services business to Microsoft and will now try different sectors as it looks toward the future. The company tried something similar by launching an app called Z launcher, a truly novel home screen replacement for Android phones.

Launched on Thursday, this screen app is able to accomplish this by dynamically changing the most frequently used apps throughout the day. Z Launcher is also able to include your contacts and frequently visited websites into the mix and making it a more complete experience.

At the top of the screen are the time, date and the upcoming calendar event. Tapping the time will open Android’s clock app and tapping the calendar event will open the phone’s Calendar app. The remainder of the screen is dedicated to just a few apps, contacts and web pages.

Five static shortcuts appear at the bottom of the screen, while the majority of the launcher screen is occupied by six additional shortcuts. These items lead to a combination of apps, contacts and web pages that you open most often.

If Z Launcher does not offer the apps you are looking for, you can easily bring them up by accessing a feature called Scribble. Scribble works by just drawing the first letter or two of the app or contact you want to access. It then instantly brings you to the proper selection. This virtually eliminates the need to tap, scroll, and hunt for the application or contact you are searching for.

The Z launcher is a very nifty offering from Nokia and it has the potential to completely change the way you use your phone. Smartphones are all about apps, plain and simple. With the Z Launcher, your most used apps take center stage and everything else is a few short swipes away.

It’s currently available only to a limited number of users in a rough alpha release. And while the alpha should run on many Android phones, Nokia has only tested it on the Nexus 5 and the recent Galaxy S models.

June 20, 2014
PlayDrone Discovers a Serious Security Breach in Google Play

By developing a new tool called PlayDrone, Jason Nieh, professor of computer science at Columbia Engineering, and PhD candidate Nicolas Viennot reported that they have discovered a crucial security problem in Google Play – the official Android app store where millions of Android users get their apps.

PlayDrone uses hacking techniques to find a way around Google’s security to download Google Play apps, and then recover and analyse their sources. It scales down by simply adding more servers and in this way, it manages to compile over 880,000 of the 1.1 million free apps it downloads.

An image of the secret keys discovered by PlayDrone

While analyzing this, it was found that developers often store their secret keys of their app’s software similar to username and password data, which can be further used to steal user data or resources from entities such as Amazon and Facebook.

Even the “Top Developers” promoted by Google Play have included these vulnerabilities in their apps. These vulnerabilities can affect users even if they are not actively running the Android apps.

This tool, Playdrone, not only revealed this security loophole but also used it to provide insight into Android apps and improve the quality of Google Play. For example, the tool also found that roughly 25 percent of all free apps on Google Play are clones of other apps. This information could be used to help Google crack down on cloned content, which would be great news for developers who are creating original apps. Google Play has more than one million apps and over 50 billion app downloads.

It also performed an analysis of the 10 best rated and 10 worst rated apps on the Google Play store, and found that even the worst-rated app has over a million downloads. Google is now using the techniques to scan all the apps for such problems to prevent this from happening again in the future.

June 19, 2014
More Rumors Surface About Apple’s iPad Air 2 And iPad Mini 3

Rumor has it that we might witness the launch of two iPad variants this year. Following the iPhone 6, which regularly appears in pictures in mockup form, an iPad Air 2 mockup has also leaked in similar images.

The images reportedly show the final design of the iPad Air 2, with dimensions, design, ports, camera and button placements supposedly an exact replica of the device which is supposed to launch later this year.

Leaked Images of iPad Air 2 by GSMArena

The speculation started last week. According to the South Korean news agency, about 6.2 million LCD displays to be installed in the iPad Air 2 will enter initial production from June to September this year.

Not much is known about iPad Air 2, apart from rumors that it will come with the Touch ID fingerprint security feature that is going to be standard on all next-gen Apple mobile devices. This same technology will be available for the iPhone 6 and iPad Mini 3, both of which are also rumored to be under development.

Touch ID was one of the biggest innovation Apple brought to the iPhone 5S. Basically a fingerprint scanner used to lock your phone securely, or buy apps at the press of a button, its brilliance comes from how easy it is to use.

Leaked Image of iPad Air 2 by GSMArena

There are a number of rumors going around the internet that suggest the iPad Air 2 may not follow the path of the last two iPad releases. There are some reports of minor changes in the camera as well. It is said that it will be raised from 1.2 megapixels to 1.5 megapixels, while the rear-camera will be upgraded from 5 megapixels to 8 megapixels. Quite possibly the iPad Air 2 will come installed with Apple’s newest A8 processor, which the iPad Mini 3 will reportedly share.

Apple tends not to announce devices under development until shortly before release. Given the fact Apple has not given any new information regarding the iPad Air 2, it is difficult to confirm if such a device even exists. The same can be said of the iPad Mini 3, which is the fabled replacement of the current iPad Mini with Retina Display, more commonly dubbed as the ‘iPad Mini 2’.

June 19, 2014
Exclusive : Unboxing the Micromax Canvas Gold A300

Micromax today upped its market position by launching what the company is calling their “most premium” handset yet, the Micromax Canvas Gold A300.

The smartphone builds on the canvas series of devices and brings about a complete new design and build quality to the table. At first glance, the handset is a huge improvement over the previous generation of handsets and comes packed in a box that shows the new direction the company plans to head in.

The Micromax Canvas Gold A300 comes at a price of Rs. 23999/- making it the most expensive phone available from the company today. This handset comes in just a day after the launch of their first foray into Windows Phone 8.1 devices by the name of Micromax Canvas Win.

For the price (market price much lower: presently at Rs. 20,800), the phone offers a 1920 x 1080p 5.5 inch display with an IPS LCD panel. The Micromax Canvas Gold A300 also has an Octa Core 2.0 Ghz MTK6592 chipset, 2 GB RAM and 32 GB of storage.

The build and finish on the Micromax Canvas Gold A300 are impressive, and the device is a unibody device which lays flat on the table and has chamfered edges. Packing the optics is a 16 MP main camera and a 5 Mp front facing selfie booster, both will capture 1080p video at 30fps. The main camera is very impressive with a f/2 lens and excellent low light performance in our initial tests.

The Micromax Canvas Gold A300 will accept two SIM cards, one micro SIM and one full size SIM, both capable of data connectivity.

The device comes out of the box with Android 4.4.2 KitKat along with standard features like Mobile Hotspot, FM Radio and Micromax apps preloaded (which may not essentially be appreciated).

The display is stunning on the Micromax Canvas Gold A300 and has great visibility and colour reproduction, almost making the handset feel a notch above the price bracket it is available in. For now check out the video up top, and images below, and stay tuned for more.

Images

June 19, 2014

Amazon Fire Phone is a Go : 3D-like features, Live Recognition

Amazon at a press event, today, has announced possibly the most anticipated smartphone of the year, the Fire Phone. Dubbed simply the Fire Phone, all rumours of the smartphone being called a Kindle Phone have been put down, as the device features a 3-D, 4.7-inch high-definition display, aluminum buttons, a 2.2 GHz Qualcomm processor, Adreno 330 graphics, and 2GB of RAM

There’s also a 13-megapixel camera, a f/2.0 lens, and optical image stabilisation; letting the shutter stay open four-times longer than most cameras to counteract hand tremors when taking photos.

An impressive new service, built into the phone, called Firefly will let users recognise physical objects using the camera. Things including books, video games, food, household products and other items can be recognised with this “Firefly” and then be bought on Amazon instantly.

Anyone using Amazon services will be happy to know that there’s X-Ray for seeing information about what you’re watching, an AirPlay-like system for sending video to your TV, and the neat ASAP feature that caches video you might want to watch so it can start streams instantly.

For previous Prime users there is Prime Music, Prime Video, and more, while, for reading, there’s Amazon’s Immersion Reading, and WhisperSync for Voice.

Amazon’s Mayday customer service feature, already in use on tablets, will also be available on the Fire Phone. It includes 24/7 access to tech support in 15 seconds or less. The Fire Phone will cost $199 with a two-year contract, available exclusively on AT&T’s network for the time being. It is currently available for pre-order on Amazon’s website, and it will begin shipping on July 25.

No information or hope of the device hitting other markets soon but we will keep you posted.

Box Contents

Full Specifications

Size	5.5″ x 2.6″ x 0.35″ (139.2mm x 66.5mm x 8.9mm)
Weight	5.64 ounces (160 grams)
Processor	2.2GHz Quad-core Snapdragon 800 CPU, with Adreno 330 GPU and 2GB of RAM
Display	4.7″ HD LCD display, with 1280 x 720 resolution at 315 ppi, 590 cd/m2 brightness (typical), 1000:1 contrast ratio (typical)
Cameras	13 MP rear-facing camera, multi-frame HDR, auto focus, optical image stabilization, f/2.0 5-element wide aperture lens, LED flash 2.1 MP front-facing camera
OS	Fire OS 3.5.0
Storage	32 GB or 64 GB
Cloud Storage	Free cloud storage for all Amazon content, and photos taken with Fire phone
Battery	Battery size: 2400mAh. Talk time: up to 22 hours; standby time: up to 285 hours. Video playback: up to 11 hours; audio playback: up to 65 hours.
Video recording	1080p HD video recording at 30 fps (front- and rear-facing cameras)
Audio playback	Dual stereo speakers with Dolby Digital Plus audio processing
TV and Video	Supports screen mirroring and Second Screen
Content formats supported	Audio: Dolby Digital (AC-3), Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC-3), non-DRM AAC, MP3, MIDI, OGG, PCM/WAVE, AAC LC/ELD, HE-AAC (v1 & v2), AMR-NB, AMR-WB, AMR-WB+, Audible Enhanced format (AAX); Video: MPEG4, VP8, H.264/MPEG4/AVC,MPEG4 SP, H.263,AVI,HDCP2.x, PlayReady DRM; Images: JPG, GIF, PNG, BMP, GIF87a,GIF89a; Viewable docs: PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively, DOC, DOCX, Kindle (AZW), KF8, TXT
Sensors	Dynamic Perspective sensor system with invisible infrared illumination, gyroscope, accelerometer, magnetometer, barometer, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor
Location	GPS, Assisted GPS, GLONASS, Wi-Fi/Cellular location, and Digital compass
Cellular	UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz), Quad-band GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), 9 bands of LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 17, 20), supports carrier aggregation
Connectivity	802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, up to 300 Mbps with channel bonding; Bluetooth 3.0 wireless technology; NFC enabled
Headphones	Premium, tangle-free headphones with remote and mic
Rating for hearing aids	M4, T4
SIM Card	Pre-installed Nano SIM card
Ports	Micro USB 2.0 3.5mm headphone
Warranty and Service	1-year Limited Warranty included. Use of Fire phone is subject to these terms
Included in the Box	Amazon Fire Phone with Fire OS 3.5.0 Premium headphones with remote and mic Micro USB to USB charging cable USB power adapter (5W) Quick Start Guide

June 19, 2014

All That We Know About Amazon’s Secret Smartphone

Amazon is said to be releasing its first ever Smartphone today at an event in Seattle, where it will finally show off what it’s been working on for past year. The event will see a new addition in Amazon’s gadget family, which currently consists of Kindle Fire Android-based tablets, Kindle line of e-readers and the very recent set-top box called Fire TV. This new Smartphone will be the latest component of the retailer’s hardware family.

Rumors have been insisting that the Amazon Smartphone has been in the works for quite a while. They’ve also talked about its unusual features such as the multi-camera gesture-tracking system and a pseudo-3D eye-tracking interface.

Some of the earlier rumors suggested that Amazon would team up with HTC in order to produce a joint-effort smartphone. It had been said that talks between the two had been ongoing since June 2013 and that anything could change at any given moment. While more recent rumors also suggest Amazon has built its phone in-house, the HTC partnership still remains a possibility.

Amazon released a teaser video two weeks back that doesn’t show the device in question, but it does depict users interacting with a device. They talk about how it “moves with them” and there are shots of them tilting their heads back and forth to see how the product responds. It gave us a basic understanding of how its 3D effect might work.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Amazon is building a phone with a 3D screen back in May 2013. This report said that the device will use a retina-tracking camera, and 3D hologram-esque imagery would appear to float above the device’s display. But, we’re not entirely sure how it would look and work when used physically.

The device is said to be equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 SoC, with the display being a 4.7-inch 720p panel and 13MP rear-facing camera, a 2MP front-facer which seems unequipped to compensate with 3D technology.

Amazon is also said to be expanding its hardware family with its secretive think tank called Lab126. This is apparently where Amazon engineers come up with innovative gear that leads to features like the Amazon smartphone’s expected multi-camera gesture-tracking and parallax pseudo-3D system.

Some rumors suggested that the phone may be given away for free to current Amazon Prime subscribers, but Amazon shot those down pretty quickly. We don’t know if or when we’ll see the device launched, but one thing we know for sure is that Amazon will always have it in stock.

June 18, 2014
BlackBerry’s Comeback : New Z3 to Launch in India Next Week
It’s been a hard two years for Canadian phone-maker Blackberry. And now, as part of an efforts to regain its lost status, BlackBerry Ltd is all set to launch its latest Z3 smartphone in India next week, on 25th June. The phone is likely to be priced below Rs.12,000 which will set it directly in competition with likes of Samsung, Motorola, HTC, Microsoft and Micromax.

The same device was launched in Indonesia earlier this year, the full touch screen device was priced at IDR 2,199,000 (USD 190 or INR 11,500) and is the most affordable device powered by the latest BlackBerry 10 operating system.

BlackBerry has already started sending out press invites to media houses for the launch event on 25th June. We have no doubt about the fact that the recently unveiled BlackBerry 10 OS-based Z3 will be the star of the event next week. BlackBerry Z3 is the first smartphone to come out of the partnership between BlackBerry and Chinese manufacturer Foxconn, which is popularly known for its relationship with Apple Inc.

BlackBerry has been a laggard in the global smartphone space, including India as it failed to keep up with the competition and has lost a significant market share in the past two years. But the latest launch is an effort to win back some of its lost market share in India where it once was on top of it smartphone sector.

Blackberry’s new Z3 fashions 5.0-inch qHD (960x540p) and is newly updated with OS (v10.2.2) powered by a 1.2GHz snapdragon dual-core processor with huge 1.5GB RAM and 8GB inbuilt storage (expandable up to 32GB). It is also backed by a 2500 mAh battery which is non-removable. The budget Smartphone is also equipped with 5.0-megapixel camera with flash, 5x digital zoom, image stabilization, and full HD video recording ability and a 1.1-megapixel fixed-focus front camera.

Recently, many Android KitKat OS powered low-cost devices have hit the market since the launch of Moto E such as Unite 2, Canvas Engage A019, Canvas A105, Lava Iris X1 and Xolo Q600s. Celkon Campus A35K also just released last week for just INR 2,999. It is touted as the cheapest KitKat OS based smartphone in India.

Indian market is furiously expanding in the budget Smartphone segment, mobilizing big players to cater to this segment. With Blackberry also joining the competition, market will become more intense. Besides India and Indonesia, BlackBerry would gradually introduce the Z3 in five other countries including the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia.

Key Features
- OS: BlackBerry 10.2.1 OS
- Dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400
- Dimensions: 140×72.8×9.26mm
- Weighs 164 grams
- 5-inch qHD (960×540 pixels) 220ppi
- 1.5GB RAM
- 8GB expandable up to 32GB using a microSD card
- 5MP rear/ 1.1MP front Camera
- 2,500mAh Battery
[poll id=”9″]
June 18, 2014

Canvas Win W121 Vs Lumia 630 : The ‘Windows’ War

Micromax’s much talked about association with Microsoft took a huge leap with the launch of two new phones in its Canvas Win series; W092 and W121. Considering W121’s price tag (INR 9,500) and Windows phone 8.1 OS, it is expected to give a hard time to Nokia’s newly launched Lumia 630.

Lumia 630 is equipped with impressive quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor clocked at 1.2GHz in comparison to W121’s mediocre 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 200. People who love to use apps on their phones may have some problems with Lumia 630’s 512MB RAM against W121’s 1GB.

Canvas Win W121 fashions an 8MP rear snapper with LED flash and also a front-facing 2MP front-camera for selfies and video conferencing while in Lumia 630 front camera is missing, and it has a 5MP rear camera with auto-focus but no flash.

Considering the present state of the company, I personally won’t recommend Nokia Lumia 630. Furthermore, Canvas Win121 is a better option while comparing both. Canvas Win121 definitely provides you with better feature and performance

Specifications	Nokia Lumia 630	Micromax Canvas Win W121
General	Battery capacity (mAh): 1830 Colours: Bright Green, Bright Orange, Black, White	Form factor: Touchscreen Battery capacity (mAh): 2000 Colours: Black
DISPLAY	Screen size (inches): 4.50 Touchscreen: Yes Resolution: 480×854 pixels	Screen size (inches): 5.00 Touchscreen: Yes Resolution: 720×1280 pixels
CAMERA	Rear camera: 5-megapixel Flash: No Front camera:No	Rear camera: 8-megapixel Flash: Yes Front camera: 2-megapixel
RAM	512MB	1GB
Processor	1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400	1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200
Internal Storage	8GB	8GB
Software	Operating System: Windows Phone 8.1	Operating System: Windows Phone 8.1

June 18, 2014

Canvas Win W092 The Usurper of Nokia Lumia 525

There have been a serious shortage of Windows phones in the market. Micromax is the latest entrant in the segment. The Micromax Windows phones (Canvas Win W121 and W092) look like a good effort on the part of Micromax. The two phones have managed to create some buzz around and have been appreciated by tech enthusiasts. Micromax’s lower end offering – The Canvas Win W092 also looks like a promising Windows device.

This phone will directly compete with the Nokia Lumia 525, let’s see how the Win W092 scores up against the fallen legends offering.

First up, Win 092 runs Windows OS 8.1 out of the box, while the Lumia 525 runs on the Windows 8 Black. While the Nokia possesses a 1 Ghz Snapdragon s4 processor, the Canvas Win W092 flaunts a Snapdragon 200 processor with 1.2 GHz Quad Core CPU. Both phones have 1 GB RAM’s and 8 GB ROM.

micromax win 23 — Canvas Win 092 seems like an updated Lumia 525

The Micromax phone offers a dual SIM option whereas the Nokia is a Single- Micro SIM device.

Nokia has been known for its camera capabilities. The Lumia 525 has a 5 megapixel shooter and is capable of shooting 720p HD videos. The Win W092 also has a 5 Megapixel camera with LED flash but if the past experiences with Micromax camera at this price range are considered, the camera probably would not be comparable to the Nokia quality.

Looking at the specs it is evident that Lumia 525 must have been the inspiration behind the Win W092. Micromax has tried to one up the Lumia 525 in almost departments, while giving a competitive pricing. The Win W095 has the ability to challenge the Lumia and only time will tell if this would be the last usurping of the Nokia brand name.

The Lumia 525 is available on Flipkart at Rs. 8550 while the Win 092 is priced at 6500. This war just got serious. A Windows phone enthusiast now has to some serious option to choose from. XOLO has already geared up to release a new devices based on Windows OS 8.1. With Windows releasing the OS free for licensing purposes for screen size below 9 inches, many more companies might want to join the Windows OS ecosystem.

Specifications	Nokia Lumia 525	Micromax Canvas Win W092
GENERAL	Release date: January 2013 Dimensions (mm): 115.40 x 61.10 x 11.00 Battery capacity (mAh): 1430 Colours: Orange, Yellow, White, Black	Release date: June 2014 Form factor: Capacitive Touchscreen Battery capacity (mAh): 1500 Colours: Black
DISPLAY	Screen size (inches): 4.00 Resolution: 480×800 pixels Pixels per inch (PPI): 233 Colours: 16M	Screen size (inches): 4.00 Touchscreen: Yes Touchscreen type: Capacitive
CAMERA	Rear camera: 5-megapixel Flash: No Front camera: No	Rear camera: 5-megapixel Flash: Yes Front camera: 0.3-megapixel
HARDWARE	Processor: 1GHz dual-core Processor make: Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 RAM: 1 GB Internal: storage 8GB Expandable storage: Yes Expandable storage type: microSD Expandable storage up to (GB): 64	Processor: 1.2GHz quad-core Processor make: Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 RAM: 1GB Internal storage: 8GB Expandable storage: Yes Expandable storage type: microSD Expandable storage up to (GB): 32
Software	Operating System: Windows Phone 8.1 Java support: No Browser supports Flash: No	Operating System: Windows Phone 8.1 Java support: Yes Browser supports Flash: Yes
Connectivity	Wi-Fi: Yes Wi-Fi standards supported: 802.11 a/ b/ g/ n GPS: Yes Bluetooth: Yes, v 3.00 NFC: Yes Headphones: 3.5mm FM: Yes USB: Micro-USB	Wi-Fi: Yes Wi-Fi standards supported: NA GPS: Yes Bluetooth: Yes NFC: No Headphones: 3.5mm FM: Yes USB: Micro-USB
Sensors	Compass/ Magnetometer: Yes Proximity sensor: Yes Accelerometer: Yes Ambient light sensor: No Gyroscope: No Barometer: No Temperature sensor: No	Compass/ Magnetometer : No Proximity sensor: Yes Accelerometer: Yes Ambient light sensor: No Gyroscope: No Barometer: No Temperature sensor: No

June 18, 2014

Hands on with Micromax Canvas Win W121 And W092

Although it is not Micromax’s first foray into Windows domain, its is their first set of Windows Phone 8.1 Smartphones. The two devices 5 inch W121, and 4 inches W092 are both relatively lower end devices, and their prices below the Rs. 10000 bracket.

The Micromax Canvas Win W121 is their 5 inch handset with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 Chipset with 1 GB RAM 8 GB ROM, along with 32 GB storage expansion via MicroSD card. The W121 costs Rs. 9500 and features a much better build than its lower sibling, almost mimicking the “Pleather” seen on the Note 3. On the back of the W121 is an 8MP camera, with a 2 MP front facing camera. Overall the device is an impressive looking unit, when compared to many other phones available in this price bracket.

The OS seems build on the prototype units we saw, and Windows Phone 8.1 comes preloaded with many of the new features of the OS. For most using Windows as a main PC OS will enjoy the continued features that were earlier available on devices like Nokia Lumia.

The Micromax Canvas Win W092 is a lower end variant of the two and costs a significantly low Rs. 6500. The w092 comes with many identical specs when compared to the elder brother, including the Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 Chipset with 1 GB RAM 8GB ROM, along with 32 GB storage. Whats different here is a smaller 4 inch display the 5 MP main camera and a 1500 mAh battery. The secondary camera also comes down to a mere 0.3 MP vs. the 2 MP on the bigger sibling.

Both the Micromax Canvas Win w121 and the W092 are expected to be available early July and we will keep you posted on further news.

June 16, 2014
Micromax Launches Windows-based Canvas Win series!
And it’s here! Micromax just announced its brand new Smartphone series at an event in New Delhi. The two new budget smartphones – Canvas Win W092 and Canvas Win W121 are powered by Microsoft’s new Windows Phone 8.1.

Specs of the Canvas Win W121 include:
- 12.7 cm (5″) HD IPS Screen
- 1.2 GHz Quad Core Processor
- Qualcomm Snapdragon Processor
- 1GB RAM and 8GB ROM
- 8MP AF Rear Camera with LED Flash
- 2MP FF Front Camera
- Leather Finish Back Panel
- 2000mAh li-polymer Battery
- 32GB External Storage Capacity
Specs of the Canvas Win W092 include:
- Windows Phone 8.1 OS
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor with 1.2 GHz Quad Core CPU
- 4-inch IPS display
- 1500 mAh battery
- 5MP rear camera with flash; 0.3MP front camera
- Dual-SIM
- 1GB RAM; 8GB ROM
The Canvas Win W121 and Canvas Win W092 are priced at Rs. 9,500/- and Rs. 6,500/- respectively, will be available starting early July 2014.

Hands-on coming up shortly.
June 16, 2014
Here is What to Expect from Google Android 5.0

Google teased anxious tech-heads with a hint of the existence of a new Android 5.0 through a picture they posted on their official Twitter page. They posted a photo of Google Now to introduce a new feature where users can view World Cup scores and schedules via the intelligent personal assistant. Each of the phones in the images had their time set to 5.0.

The developer conference will be held on June 25th and 26th and is one of the biggest Android and Google themed events. During the conference, we can anticipate new introductions; both on the software and hardware side of things. Here is exactly what we’re expecting from the new operating system:

The Name

There is no real sign of the dessert-based name that will follow its predecessor. Having astonished everybody with its choice to go for Android 4.4 KitKat, rumor suggests that Google will slip back to its general naming principle by calling the next installment Android Lollipop. That will be a major problem because people may not like it for obvious reasons. Some reports also suggested that the new Android’s name will start with either M or L. We are wildly guessing and hoping in vain that Google will come up with some Indian-sweet inspired name like Android 5.0 Ladoo or Android 5.0 Matka Kulfi.

New Phones

The first handset to run Android 5 will either be a Nexus phone or a tablet. Given the timing of the announcement we think it might be the latter. The Google Nexus 5 launched Android 4.4 at the tail end of last year, and we reckon the Nexus 10 (2014) will appear soon – meaning a tablet launch for the new OS. HTC looks like the front runner to bring this tablet to the market, so we’re thinking that this could happen mid-2014, which makes it likely that the productions would be starting soon. We’re also hearing a lot of rumblings about a Nexus 8, a slate which will supposedly launch with Android 4.5, so maybe that’s the device that Android Lollipop will make its debut on.

Fitness First

Also, recent idea is that Google’s next version of Android will have more fitness smarts built-in. Apple is set to go big in this area with the iWatch and iOS 8, and other brands, such as Samsung and LG, are making strides in this segment too. The idea is that future versions of Android will allow the software to harness “fitness data from sensors on your Android device.” These could be built into future Android phones and tablets, but it’s also likely that the API will play nicely with Android-based smartwatches and even Google Glass.

Integrated Messaging

We would love to have one integrated app that can squeeze Google Talk, Google Voice, SMS, Gmail, and the Google+ Messenger into one service that’s easily accessible on Android. Assuming that the new messaging service shows up at Google I/O or in a near future, we would expect Google to integrate the app or client into the new release of Android.

Google Now

Google Now is one of the more go-getting evolutions of Google’s search software. The idea is simple — it’ll predict what you want or need to know before you know you need or want it, and serve it up in an easy-to-read format. And the execution of this idea has been excellent. And now, Google has been working with brands and partners on Google Now cards that will touch our lives more than we know. It would be great if Google Now would automatically remind me that my favorite show is coming on TV or remind me to water my plants because it knows that it hasn’t rained since two days.

Google Music Subscriptions

According to some reports, Google has been in talks with several record labels in an attempt to come up with a Spotify-like music service that would integrate into Android. At present, Google Play Music offers users to upload their own music to Google’s servers and provide streaming options from different Android devices and Web browsers. It seems like Google will offer unlimited music access through Google Play and/or YouTube for a monthly fee. Google recently struck a deal with Warner Brothers and is said to be working with Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and other labels too.

Google Play News

The Google Play experience may swell into newspaper subscriptions. We guess that is the same as their old magazine service where users are able to purchase single editions and/or subscribe to newspapers from around the world.

Google Gaming Center

This is the freshest rumor we have heard, Google is reportedly about to test its fish in the Android gaming waters. Earlier this month, Google hired a chief game designer; titled very aptly “Chief Game Designer at Android Play Studio.” Google may also publish its own games and create a gaming hub through which you can connect to your friends and other players which provide Leaderboards and achievements. Google+ seems to be the most rational way to tie users together.

Google is said to announce big updates and hardware in this year Google I/O. If all the above rumors turn out true, then it is going to be bigger than this year’s Apple’s WWDC. Google and Apple are contesting hard to have an edge above each other; who will win only time will tell.

June 16, 2014
Your Bookies will hate Bing’s World Cup 2014 Predictions

If you are asking what Bing is? Well, it’s Microsoft’s search engine that you use when you don’t have Google, so no one uses it. Sometimes it is used by people who use the Internet Explorer but they too mostly use it to reach Google. However, Windows Phone users tend to use it often.

Microsoft hopes to change that this Football season, the search engine intends to use its prediction technology to predict the results of the matches. These predictions might be useful if you are in a fantasy league or just betting your hard earned cash on the matches.

The technology took a test run during this season of The Voice and American Idol and Bing claims to have correctly predicted the fate of contestants in each week, as well as the winner Caleb Johnson. Now it’s time to put its might to test in the biggest game, which is watched the world over.

Bing states that it makes the predictions made on the tournament based on a variety of models. The algorithm behind the scenes evaluates the strength of each team through a variety of factors such as previous win/loss/tie record in qualification matches and other international competitions. It analyses the margin of victory in those contests and adjusts it factors like home field advantage or proximity of the team to the gaming venue (other South American teams).

Instant player profile and relevant info is provided

Even the playing surfaces (hybrid grass), game-time weather conditions, and other such factors being counted. In addition to this, the search engine also analyses the ‘wisdom of the crowds’ based on the search results and predictions made by football fanatics online.

The search engine provides match statistic and player profiles for all the teams.

Bing might just win a lot more users if it starts getting the games right. Predictions could be something that could give it a competitive edge over Google that Bing has been trying to find in a long while.

June 14, 2014
Micromax to launch New Windows Phone based Canvas on 16th June
After our exclusive story on Micromax’s lineup of Windows Phone devices headed towards you, Micromax has today confirmed a launch for the same on the 16th of June. The even will be held in New Delhi and the flagship Canvas running Windows Phone is said to be scheduled for launch.

As previous information points out the new Canvas Windows phone will have :
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset.
- 2 GB RAM.
- 16 GB storage.
- 5 inch display (AMOLED rumored)
- 1920 x 1080p Resolution
- 16GB Storage
- microSD Expandability
- 13 MP main camera (Possible 4K video)
- 5 MP front camera (with Selfie Mode)
- 2500 mAh Battery
- Unibody Design
INVITE

The company has new heads that are set to launch the new products, and a new invite more or less confirms the news. The phone is expected to be priced at Rs. 25000 with an included flip-case and freebies for the initial set of buyers

[poll id=”2″]
June 14, 2014
Intex and Spice to bring Firefox OS in India

Indian phone makers Intex and Spice have decided to bring Mozilla’s Firefox OS to India. Intex calls its device the Cloud FX. The company said that the phone will be priced around Rs.2000 thereby bringing the smartphone experience to the last group of people untouched by it. Spice on the other hand has just given a July release timeframe and said its phone will be a dual Sim device.

The Cloud FX is powered by 1 Ghz processor and will have a 3.5 inch display. Mozilla had unveiled a similar $25 smartphone platform at the MWC this year which is said to be similar to the intex device.

Intex said the Cloud FX will have Wifi and Bluetooth connectivity. It has a 2 megapixel camera rear camera.

Firefox OS is a truly open source operating system. It is based on open source standards of HTML 5, JavaScript, etc. It will be competing against other open source platforms such as Ubuntu touch. It looks a lot like a scaled down version of the Android.

What sets the OS apart from Android as it is made for lower end devices. So it has minimum hardware requirement.

Some of the best features of the Firefox OS is that it is gestures controlled and has a fast developing market place. The market has already started to fill up with regularly used apps from around the world. Though many of the apps are internet only and most have not been conformed to screen sizes.

With major companies like Google and Facebook investing in initiatives to connect the massive unconnected population with internet, operating systems like these which facilitate cheaper devices will lead to more global interconnection.

If Intex plays it right and markets it well, it could bring a new form of smartphone revolution in the lower end phone segment thereby mobilizing bigger players to enter that arena.

[poll id=”7″]

June 14, 2014