Category: iGyaan

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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
Panasonic’s Most Powerful FZ Camera: Lumix DMC-FZ1000

Panasonic launched a new camera today in its FZ series called FZ1000. It is said to be the most impressive FZ series super-zoom camera to date. The camera also boast of being the first fixed lens camera to have 4K video recording ability. (3840 x 2160, up to 30fps in MP4 format)The new Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000 is described as a premium bridge camera that pushes boundaries –clearly a new-age product.

Unlike the usual 1/2.3-inch sensor, the FZ1000 features a one-inch CMOS chip which offers 20.1 valuable megapixels. The focal range on the camera stretches from an ultra wide 24mm to 400mm in 35mm terms. As has been with Panasonic, the lens here is a Leica branded 16x optical zoom with an aperture of f/2.8-4.0, supported by a five-axis hybrid Optical Image Stabalization(OIB) systems. This will

Comprising Panasonic’s DFD (Depth From Defocus technology, the DMC-FZ1000 gives you an ultra high-speed auto-focus of approximately 0.09 seconds at the wide end and approximately 0.17 seconds at the telephoto (Zoom) end, now that is fast. This will help you get the best image with the sharpest of focus, instantly.

High speed burst shooting is available at up to 12 frames per second using the full 20.1-megapixel resolution. The new camera also boasts a short release time lag and quick start-up time of approximately 0.66 seconds.

The 2359K pixel OLED Live View Finder and LCD monitor with 921K pixel give the perfect feedback

The DMC-FZ1000 also includes a stunning 2,359,000 pixel OLED Live View Finder and a 3-inch free-angle LCD rear monitor with 921,000 pixel resolution. The camera is incorporated with a new zoom lever, zoom ring and drive mode dial which provides a spontaneous control interface. Integrated Wi-Fi connectivity and NFC (Near Field Communication) technology provides users with a more supple shooting experience and the capability to share images right away.

A new addition to the FZ series is a 3.5mm jack for connecting an external microphone for video recording. The device also features remote shooting via downloadable Panasonic ‘app’ which includes a photo collage function. Images can also be Geo-tagged. Convience is a prime objective of this camera and it achieves it spectacularly.

Panasonic has promised a mid-July release for the Lumix DMC-FZ1000 at a suggested retail price of £749.99 in UK i.e. around INR 75,000. Hefty yes but its truly worth it.

June 13, 2014
iGyaan Giveaway: Win a Gionee Elife E7

Okay we know what you were thinking. We celebrated our 4 year anniversary but no giveaways for you guys. Well we are not the ones to miss an opportunity to appreciate your love for us.

So we are back with our iGyaan Giveaway and this time it’s rather fun, if we do say so ourselves. All you need for this giveaway use a tiny little app called Instagram (you might have already heard of it!) and you can have a Gionee ELife E7 in your pockets.

iGyaan’s Instagram

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Here’s what you need to do:

Step 1

Click a photo of technology. Make it creative; Make it stand apart, just GO CRAZY. Find your passion and just click the hell out of it. Not just that you can also take instagram videos, yes it does that to.

Step 2

Post it on Instagram and/or Facebok with the following tags: #myigtech, #myigtag and #iGyaanGiveaway. You may also want to tag iGyaan’s instagram profile, just a sure shot way of getting your entry through to us.

Thats it!

The best Photo or Video of the day will get featured on iGyaan’s instagram as well as the iGyaan’s Facebook page, we’ll make you famous.

Each weeks best entry will get some goodies but the winner of the Giveaway gets to take home the amazing camera prowess of Gionee ELife 7.

We will announce the close of the contest soon, so bookmark this page.

Remember : Put some effort into clicking a picture! the cleaner and more awesome the picture, the better your chances of winning. Nothing comes easy, put your back into it!

So go ahead and get clicking.

P.S: You might want to give these Terms and Conditions a read, Just for fun…

Latest Entries

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June 13, 2014
Exclusive : 7 Micromax Windows Phone Devices in the Coming Months

Recently Micromax was in the news for rumors around a Windows Phone device, well turns out they are not only true but there is more to the game. Sources close to iGyaan and top brass at Micromax confirm that not only is the company working on launching windows phone handsets, they will launch handsets ranging from Rs. 7000 and up to Rs. 25000 effective.

These 7 to 8 handsets will be launched within the next few months, and Microsoft is said to be pushing for the quick release and promotion of the handsets. There is long term tie up between Micromax and Microsoft, and the redmond based computing giant is interested in cross promoting the products for which Micromax has been well funded by Microsoft.

Sources also tell us that both companies have invested in design and most of the Micromax Windows Phones will be seen with a unibody design, with a lot of help provided by designers and engineers from Nokia. As of today, apart from Nokia no other manufacturer is manufacturing Windows Phone handsets as a global product. Micromax Windows Phones will be sold in India and overseas in existing Micromax markets.

Micromax has been eyeing the Windows Phone market since the beginning of the operating system, and the first positive step was the announcement of the Indian manufacturer as a partner at the Microsoft Build conference earlier this year.

New Micromax CEO Vineet Taneja will host the first round of launches of Micromax Windows Phone devices in the coming week, which might see more than one Windows Phone device from Micromax being launched. The flagship phone from the Indian manufacturer is said to have a 5 inch 1920 x 1080p display, 2GB RAM, a 13 MP + 5 MP camera combination, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset and is said to be priced at Rs. 25000 for a 16GB storage and expandability via micro SD.

Micromax’s flagship is expected to have a metal unibody design with Dual Sim capabilities and micro SD card expansion via sim tray style slots, as seen in the HTC One M8. The design of the phone is also said to mimic the HTC lineage with round edges and unibody structure.

We won’t know what will actually unfold until the new CEO announces the handsets, however it looks like the budget game might get really interesting going forward.

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June 12, 2014
The Top 5 FIFA World Cup Ads of 2014

The world’s greatest Cup is up again for grabs and the entire planet just got a serious adrenaline hit. The sponsoring companies are leaving no stone unturned to get maximum visibility in this controversial yet most watched edition of FIFA World Cup 2014.
Here are the Fifa World Cup ads from prominent companies which are making the football fever fly high:

1. Nike

Football’s existence is under threat. It just had a corporate takeover and there has just been an attack of the clones. Our favourite sport is ruined and the greatest footballers now have to do odd jobs to survive. The Original Ronaldo decides brings them all together to save a game that has been their collective passion. Sometimes in life you just have to Risk Everything.

June 12, 2014
The Plastic HTC E8 One Officially Launched

HTC E8 One has been launched in China and its pricing is almost half as much as its aluminum counterpart M8. The much talked about plastic body is said to be solid and looks good too.

E8 fashions an impressive ergonomic Dual Curve Design, that makes the device fit in your hands easily. It has a 13MP main camera and 5MP front facing wide-angle camera. The Built-in Touch Up software balances skin tones while retaining your genuine look. The company will also provide a dual SIM version of the phone but only in selected areas, as mentioned on their website.

The new ‘Vogue Edition’ HTC M8 One is said to be similar to M8 in most of the specs. Though it is pointed out that its 13 MP camera is slower and the TV remote feature is missing. The price of the E8 is easily a steal given the near-identical features as the M8 i.e. Motion Launch, HTC BoomSound, Snapdragon 801, 5-inch 1080p screen, MicroSD expansion.

E8 is available in four colors: Polar White, Electric Crimson, Maldives Blue, and Misty Gray. The new device is said to be a little bit taller and thicker than the M8. The price set for the phone is CN¥2, 799 which rounds up to INR 27,000 approximately. We’re still uncertain about when it would be launched in India.

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June 12, 2014
Amazon Quietly Launches its New Music Streaming Service

There had been a lot of speculations that Amazon may finally turn on its music streaming service this week. And they did just that a while ago.

In an attempt to chase Apple’s recent $3 billion deal with Beats Music, the online giant is testing its hand at music streaming, promising over 1 million songs ready to instant streaming pleasure. They were previously only offering a music downloading service. We’ve heard that Google is also in talks to acquire Songza, another streaming music service.

The new Amazon music service will be available to those who subscribe to Amazon Prime, its paid shopping membership option. Amazon Prime costs $99 and also offers a streaming video service that competes with Netflix.

The music service will work across multiple devices and will allow users to play songs as many times as they want, including some offline capabilities. There appear to be around 90,000 albums listed right now as options for streaming, working out roughly to the 1 million tracks Amazon promised.

The new offering is described as a condensed version of Spotify. Consumers would be able to access a restricted playlist of songs, but none of them would be the most recent chart toppers. The independent music labels, Sony Music and Warner Music Group have reportedly signed on to license their music to Amazon, though Universal is said to be out of the picture right now.

Amazon has also recently been encouraging its video streaming content by selling digital content – be it movies, television shows, books, or music – instead of its physical counterparts. This lets the company save money in storage and shipping.

This move may also have something to do with the fact that Amazon is likely to be releasing its own Smartphone next week.

June 12, 2014
New Goal-Line Technology Puts an End to ‘Ghost Goals’

In 1966, German fans were furious when the controversial right-foot shot by British soccer legend Geoff Hurst was awarded to England. At the time, there was no way to tell if the ball had crossed the line or not. There are so many others called the ‘Ghost Goals’. FIFA has acknowledged these blunders and this year they’re introducing computerized help to aid officials at this year’s World Cup.

Brazil will be the opening World Cup tournament to include an automated goal-line technology checking system, in a sense, a double-checking device that would help end the ‘was it or was it not a goal’ controversies that disrupt matches and cast doubt into the minds of fans.

It is by far the biggest innovation at this year’s World Cup. The introduction of goal-line technology will let the referee know whether a ball has entirely crossed the line or not. In the last two years, the technology has been steadily introduced in various leagues, mainly in Europe.

A German company GoalControl will be testing and introducing this technology in each of Brazil’s 12 World Cup stadiums with its seven cameras stretched around the ground, alert on each goal post, taking 500 pictures every second.

When a player boots a goal, the referee will be able to check his or her smartwatch to see whether ‘Goal’ has flashed up on the screen, which will hopefully put an end to ‘Ghost goals’ and some of the most controversial moments in the game.

This World Cup 2014 will the most tech-savvy event in the history of football. Sony, contributing to this spree, has installed 65-inch screens in and around Brazil’s most popular cities, which will broadcast the events in 4K on giant screens.

June 12, 2014
Barclays Introduces Wearable Credit Cards

The horror of losing our credit card haunts us every day. If you are anything like me, you surely have lost your credit cards number of times. The aftermath is even terrible with tedious process of form-filling and standing in long lines to apply for a new one. Well, Barclays, the London-based multinational banking and financial services company, found a solution for that. A wireless wearable device that can act as your virtual wallet and give cashless transactions a boost.

Called the bPay band, it is a part of a revolution where wearable technology will allow consumers to pay for a variety of services, such as coffee, travel and even gym memberships, with the single swipe of an arm.

Barclays’ bands are efficiently laden with money by users from their bank accounts, which can then be used for little purchases up to a single transaction value of £20 by swiping them over a pay point. The new bands are rubberized, waterproof and enclose a computer chip and micro-aerial to correspond with transaction terminals. Wearable 24 hours a day, bPay bands operate faster than usual plastic cards as they don’t require a four-digit pin.

The bPay bands have been already used at public events such as London Pride, where they were used to get entry and buy food and drink. The company is planing to bring the bands to the mainstream so that they can be used at 300,000 terminals and incoffee shops and newsagents , that already work with contactless debit cards.

The company is still working with various retailers, merchants and consumers for the greater acceptance of the technology. Company website mentioned that, it will be possible to pay for journeys on all buses, tubes and trains inside London by swiping bPay bands across terminals from later this year.

June 11, 2014
Top 5 Chrome Extensions Everyone Should Add

Many people use Google Chrome as their major web-browser on their PCs, tablets and phones these days. It’s a great, swift and feature-packed cross-platform browser that’s easy. Google Chrome also provides abundant apps and extensions to make your internet experience even more pleasant. Though picking the ones you need may be tricky. Most people never even hear about the extensions that may work extremely well for them. Well, we’ve listed 5 really useful Google Chrome extensions for you to check out:

1. Clearly

‘Cleary’ by Evernote is a very helpful extension, particularly if you’re a student, writer or just someone who spends a lot of time doing research on the internet. It helps you focus only on the reading the important part of the article, blog or news; blocking out everything that is redundant. You can even save the sources to Evernote for later study. ‘Clearly’ also makes it probable to put in order the saved articles by tags, add footnotes or even let the extension read the material back to you. You can even change the background or font size of the materials. It is a very useful app, but you should know that it might not work on all websites.

2. Faces.im

This handy little tool brings Chat Heads to the desktop, enabling you to keep track of your Facebook messages in the simplest manner. It offers you notifications with small, modest head popups like the mobile app. And when they do show up , this could simply mean a new Facebook message is pending. The pop up circle displays your friend’s photo just like the Messenger app, their name, and recent message they sent when you hover the mouse pointer over their photo.

3. Agora

If you want to get the most out of your money, then use this comparison shopping service. Agora for Chrome aims to provide a clever solution. It gives you your personal workstation where you can append products to your dashboard, put them in order and make comparisons in order to make the best purchasing choice. Although still in early beta, the service works absolutely flawlessly.

4.TL;DR

TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read) is a clever extension, it creates a summary of any web article you don’t have time to read fully. It allows you to choose between four different summary lengths, depending on the amount of time you have. With the summaries found on tl;dr, you can easily select what you really want to read and save precious time. Read only what matters, skim the rest.

5. Ginger

It is an online spelling and grammar checker extension. Ginger proofreads your typing and cleans up your mistakes with a simple click. The extension integrates itself with the browser’s interface and works in text input fields. Whether you type in a misspelled word or use bad grammar, the extension underlines the mistake. Right-click the word, and a small popup will open, listing alternate word suggestions for incorrectly spelled words or the correct word itself, in the event that you’ve used the wrong tense.

June 11, 2014
Top Tech-Toys For a Perfect Father’s Day Gift
Father’s Day is only a couple of days away, so this should act as the perfect reminder. If you aren’t already, then you really should be thinking about what to gift your father this year. If your dad is as tech-savvy as mine, you have come to the right place. Gifting your dad a gadget is a great idea especially when he loves his tech-toys more than anything. So,we have come up with a list of gadgets that cover all budgets and which make for excellent gifts for your dad this Father’s day.

Smartphones

Smartphones are an essentials these day, be it a house wife or student or your dad, everyone depends on their smartphones. Gifting one is a great idea but which one? If you’re willing to empty your pockets, then there is a range of Smartphones. Click on the links and read our full reviews.
- HTC Desire 816: The HTC Desire 816 is a good mix of looks, brain and brawn. It’s powerful processor and beautiful screen will make it your dad’s best gadget. Price- INR 25,000 (approx)
- Gionee Elife S5.5: If your dad goed for looks than performance, then the Slimmest Phone in the world will be a perfect gift for your father. It is a decent phone with exceptionally good look. Price- INR 20,000 (approx)
- HTC One M8: It’s metal and splash proof body is perfect if your dad is little clumsy and seems to destroy every piece of hardware he owns. Price- INR 46,000 (approx)
- Galaxy S5: It has water and dust resistant body and rocking two Quad Core processors, making it one of the best buys. Price- INR 38,000 (approx)
And if your budget doesn’t allow you to spend a lot, you can also gift him smartphones which fall under under Rs15,000
- Moto E It is the one of the best budget phone available in market. It comes with a wide range of colored back panels options. At the price, it is so awesome that you can always have this one as a backup phone. But it is one of the fastest selling phone in India, so hurry up! Price- 7,000 (approx)
- Moto G Another Motorola budget phone with best features in it’s segment. The phone have everything for a professional dad. In fact it is the most bang for buck phone out there. Price- INR 12,500 (approx)
Cameras

If your dad is a photography enthusiast then what is a better gift than a camera. If not then you can encourage him to take up photography by gifting him one, it will be a hobby which will relieve him from his daily stress. Check out our of list best pocket camera that are worth gifting you dad on Father’s day. We’ve picked the best onen available in the market these days. Some of them maybe be a little pricey but the quality is incomparable.

Tablet

Add tablet to your dad’s gadget collection, your dad would love you for it. Gift him the best tablet available in market and that, without any doubt, is Apple’s iPad. Apple provides you with various variants of iPad like Retina display, iPad Air and iPad mini.
June 11, 2014
Microsoft to Kinect Up the Next Windows Phone

The Verge has reported that Microsoft is in the process of inducting Kinect features in its next Windows phone, code named “Mclaren”. The Mclaren was introduced to the world through phone tripsters EVLeaks.

The phone will be a successor to the Lumia 1020 and will boast propriety technology like 3D touch and Real Motion. These features will assist in interaction with the phone without actually touching the display.

Kinect is now integral to the Xbox experience

Kinect was reveled at the 2010 E3 conference. Kinect made sense on a large screen system like the Xbox. Its features which made technology invisible was appreciated by people. The question that everyone seems to be asking is whether a phone version of Kinect will actually have some benefits or will be just another gimmicky add-on.

Some of the reported features include the ability to answer a phone call by just bringing it to your ears or cutting a call when the phone is dropped back in the pocket. The phone can also be put on a table to start an speakerphone conversation. These features have to be utility based or else they will end up as the Air Gestures in the Samsung phones.

The phone will also be fitted with pressure sensing instruments on the sides to detect changes in grip. They want to make external buttons completely obsolete. One of the way this can be used is gripping the phone can power on the device. Even the Camera can be zoomed in and out just by doing the usual pinching motions near the device.

These features were originally intended to be used on the Windows 8.1 powered Nokia Goldfinger phones. This phone is now being pushed back for a later release, while the Mclaren is being given priority. This is one more way in which Microsoft is pushing the Nokia name off the edge. Some have said that Nokia’s innovations are being stripped for profitable parts in Microsoft’s research labs.

The new UI will be inspired by Zune Mixview

The phones will also have a tiny UI renovation with the Kinect induction. When pointed above a tile it will open multiple floating tiles. This is inspired by the Zune Mixview. The tech makes sense on a big screen where there was minimum learning curve, but in a small screen it will be a whole different story. Microsoft would have had to go back to the drawing board to make the technology featurable on a handheld device.

Now as these are still leaks and we’d have to wait for the device to come in our hands before we comment on the functionality of these features. This of course will be a good experiment to look forward to. Microsoft Xbox’s Kinectic abilities suit it well for a home entertainment system, but it has to take some real efforts to convince people that hovering fingers over your phone is as good as having a touch response.

June 10, 2014
#LetsTalkShop with HTC India head Faisal Siddiqui

This week in Lets Talk Shop we speak to HTC India country head Faisal Siddiqui. The man has been heading HTC in India for many a years and offers a bit of understanding on how they run shop in India.

The three most important products for HTC this year are the HTC One M8, the HTC Desire 816 and the Desire 210, with the desire 210 being the most unique product from HTC as it is the first HTC phone to have been launched under the Rs. 10,000 price bracket.

Faisal promises that the build quality and HTC lineage follows through even in the Desire 210 while most of the top end features including blink feed, quick OTA updates etc will also be seen in this entry level handset.

The Desire 816 will be getting more colors including a “fuchsia pink” apart from the white, black and orange available presently. He claims that people now like color options when buying smartphones and HTC wants to provide that option.

HTC has always been strong headed about staying away from tablets, and in the past they have remained focused with their smartphones. However, unlike previous meetings, Faisal was keen on not comment on the Tablet agenda for the company , which could mean that HTC may finally be planning tablets or that the new Nexus 8 being made by HTC rumors may be true after all.

HTC is strongly focused on building an experience in India, whether its their concept stores or their service centers. Including basic infrastructure, like Air conditioning, drinking water and a systematic approach HTC feels they can break down the long list of issues that go on with providing service in India.

As far as functioning goes, Faisal does feel that there are some major issues in running shop in India, but getting past them is what makes the challenge interesting.

If you ever want to head/run your own company, Faisal’s advice:

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Faisal Siddiqui” author_title=”HTC India”]

Always hire the right people, if you have the right team, reaching your objective is that much simpler.

[/quote]

June 10, 2014
DARPA’s Z-Man Makes Spiderman a Reality

YAHOOOOO!!

Sorry, the kid inside me just wanted to get his emotions out. If you were close to me when I heard the news, you would have lost your hearing for a while, like my fellow mates did. Now this is what me and my kind have been waiting for. Z-man is in the house!

With Z-man everyone can get the Spideman experience.

The Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has created a pair of paddles that lets anybody climb glass walls. You can’t shoot webs though, so maybe this may be closer to what Tom Cruise used to scale the massive Burj Al-Kalifah in Dubai in Mission Impossible 4.

With the Z-man, a 99 KG climber was able to climb and descend a 7.6 meter vertical glass wall. In one trial the climber carried 22.6 KG’s of extra weight too.

The inspiration for the design comes from the Gecko. Geckos are cute little lizards who come in all kinds of colors and have an annoying voice which gives them their name. Come to think of it, they are pretty self-obsessed calling out their own names all day long. Listen to this and tell me it’s not annoying to hear:

Coming back to the how they inspired DARPA, is their expertise in climbing almost any surface in the world. They have tiny bristles on their feets called Satae which give them the ability to stick on anything they desire from living room walls to even the walls of International Space Station. This adhesive property doesn’t need any kind of liquid and is also self-cleaning. It can literally balance its entire body on one toe. This ability is present in almost 60% of Gecko species.

Geckos incredible ability to climb any surface was the inspiration of Z-Man

The military had one major issue with climbing technology. It’s old, really old. Ropes have been used by combatants for thousands of years and are still being used today. A bit of investment in these would have made life easier for thousands of warriors, instead of making useless and extremely expensive Nuclear weapons.

Z-man takes inspiration from the natural forces and with the help of nanotechnology and bio mechanics to give Gecko-like ability to humans. There will also be everyday uses of the technology. This can be used by Glass cleaners in offices around the world. DARPA is working for more consumer intergration of the technology too.

Z-man currently is a work in progress and it will take a while to fully induct the technology in the armed forces. This might be a boon during urban combat.

If we get technologies like this right, we can handle situations like a Chitauri Invasion without the Avengers. But yes can we please have real life Avengers already? Come on DARPA, why don’t we have a real-life Captain America or Spiderman already?

June 10, 2014
Google ‘Accidentally’ Leaks Their Next Android Phone

Google Nexus 5 was one of the best phones in the market in 2013. Recently, there has been quite a few of rumors regarding Google’s plans of discarding the Nexus for a new Silver program. But a tweet by Android’s official account shows an unknown smartphone, which looks almost like the Nexus 5 with minute changes.

#Android makes even the most difficult grocery store choices simple. #OKGoogle pic.twitter.com/Ucu5alBtQE

— Android (@Android) June 5, 2014

This promotional tweet was intended to endorse a new feature in Google Now (the ability to see recipe checklists while shopping), exposed a new-looking phone. The photo shows that the alleged Nexus 6 doesn’t have the speaker grill or the camera on the front. The screen also appears to be larger and the bezels are slightly smaller.

This is not the first time Google has “accidentally” leaked a photo of a yet impromptu device either. Back in November last year, Google posted a promotional photo of a new Nexus tablet and it created a lot of talk about the Nexus 8 tablet. More recently, a header on Google’s micro website revealed an unknown tablet, which subsequently sparked Nexus 8 rumors. Infact, the first look of the Nexus 5 was accidentally revealed when Google posted and subsequently deleted a video on YouTube.

Seems like we have enough reasons to believe that this may be the Google’s next Android phone. We’re just not sure if this was an intentional move or just a goof-up.

June 10, 2014