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Microsoft’s Xbox One Finally Set to Launch in India

Well the wait is over, Microsoft has officially confirmed that Xbox One will be available in India on 23^rd Sept 2014 starting at INR 39,990. They will also launch Xbox One with Kinect at INR 45,990. Both bundles will include the Xbox One console with a 500GB hard drive, Xbox One Wireless Controller, and a free 14-day trial of Xbox Live Gold for new members.

Microsoft had announced a rough September timeline for India launch (along with 25 other countries) back in March. Conspicuously, Sony launched the PS4 in India (at the same Rs. 39,990 price) in January making Microsoft lag behind by 9 months.

The owners of Xbox One with Kinect will be able to experience a number of games and entertainment experiences special to Xbox such as gesture controls, biometric sign-in, controller paring, Skype video calls, direct personalization, instant scanning of QR codes, and improved features only available with Kinect in games such “Kinect Sports Rivals,” “Dead Rising 3,” and “Project Spark.”

Both the Microsoft Xbox One and Sony PlayStation 4 use an incorporated CPU-GPU design by AMD, including an 8-core low power x86-64 AMD “Jaguar” CPU. The Xbox One’s CPU cores runs at 1.75GHz, compared to the Sony PlayStation 4’s 1.6GHz. Although, it doesn’t make any tangible difference.

Xbox One is packed with features like the Game DVR/Upload which lets you capture and record your greatest game moments and through ‘Upload Studio’ you can easily edit and share clips with your friends and community. It also offers many apps such as Skype which is specially designed for Xbox One, Internet Explorer, OneDrive, Twitch, Machinima and IGN integrated flawlessly with your games and TV experience.

Back in 2013 when it was launched in USA, Microsoft sold approximately 2 million units of Xbox One gaming consoles in its first 18 days on sale. It is too early to say that Microsoft will match its success in India, but it surely will give a tough competition to Sony’s PS 4.

June 10, 2014
Rumor : iPhone 6 to Have Wireless Charging and a Bigger Screen

Apple’s much talked iPhone 6 has developing rumors which need updating almost everyday. The recent leaked pictures and supply chain chatter has revealed that iPhone 6 is going to carry some awesome new features.

The latest claims states that the next iPhone is now in the testing stage and the handset is tipped to deliver some mobile device capabilities that were absent from the previous models.

It is said to feature a significantly larger screen that will take up relatively more area on the front of the phone. The hardware border around the screen will be smaller than on previous iPhones. There is also a possibility that iPhone 6 will be equipped with wireless charging. Venture Beat reported that the back panel of the device is equipped with an inductive charging component that likely will pair with a companion plate for charging it up.

According to VentureBeat, the iPhone 6 will contain several highly-anticipated features, including near field communication (NFC), wireless charging, a better 4G antenna, and a much bigger screen. Apple is nearly finished creating its next iPhone and is now testing the handset for qualities such as “speed, durability, and network performance,” wrote VentureBeat, which claims to have spoken with a source close to the situation.

Apple was already including Near Field Communication (NFC) radio in its previous iPhones, but the company decided against it because the emerging mobile payments ecosystem was too stratified and still in its infant stage. Apple is now ready to include NFC in their devices. An NFC radio has been designed into the iPhone 6 which will enable mobile payments in the way that Android phones using Google Wallet already do.

Headlining the fresh batch of iPhone 6 rumors is the latest wireless internet technology that will be known as Category 6 LTE radio chip. It will be an upgrade of Category 4 LTE that came with the iPhone 5S. This upgrade means that from a maximum wireless broadband speed of 150 megabits per second (mbps) that previous iPhone offers, its descendant will boast of twice the bandwidth capacity, at 300mbps.

Also, some new allegedly leaked pictures of the iPhone 6 back panel appeared to expose a cut-out Apple logo that in the final cut of the device will set off flashing light patterns to indicate specific notifications.

The iPhone 6 is expected to debut around the September, perhaps initially with the rumored 4.7-inch model while an even larger 5.5-inch model may arrive after several months. Apple is said to be releasing iOS 8 to the public at around the same time, while the Apple’s iWatch is tentatively targeted for an October unveiling.

June 9, 2014
More Rumors Fly In About The iWatch

Last week, we told you about production of iWatch starting. Now there are several new stories emerging regarding the device. The company has begun accelerating work on the project as it tries to expand its family of mobile devices to the wrist.

Apple has already started work on trademarking the name in a number of countries in preparation for a late 2014 launch, perhaps in October, and the device was said to be in production as of the second quarter.

The Rumors illustrate that the new iWatch will be a round device similar to Moto 360 smart watch. Apple is also said to be using a capacitive touch screen making it smooth to function. The earlier report told us that this smart watch’s screen will be made of rounded organic light-emitting diode (OLED) which will help the iWatch track our important body functions like calorie consumption, blood glucose, sleep activity and blood oxygen levels.

As Apple ventures into a new territory, hopes since the iWatch might be launched along with much-awaited iPhone 6 and iOS 8.

June 9, 2014
A Computer Finally Cracks The Turing Test

A Russian supercomputer named “Eugene Goostman” was able to fool researchers and make them believe it was a 13 year old boy. The computer was able to beat the Turing test by fooling 33% of the researchers. The Turing test assess the Human like behavior of an Artificially Intelligent system (AI). It is an important story to know as there will be multiple kinds of comprehensions and speculations in the readers mind.

“Eugene” was created in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It was invented by software development engineer Vladimir Veselov and software engineer Eugene Demchenko. The computer was tested along with four others at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom.

First and foremost let us rest assure you that Skynet or HAL 9000 haven’t been created yet. This is actually the next step in the evolution of computing. Some scientists like Kevin Warwick, visiting professor at the University of Reading, hold the view that rather than being an accomplice in cyber-crime, the system can actually help in solving cyber-crimes because it understands human perspective.

So now that you are relieved that Terminators are not going to show up, lets take the story further. The Turing Test was invented by the father of modern computing Alan Turing. He created the first model of a general functions computer. This was the base of computers and now smartphones like the one that you are reading this article on. The invention was called the Turing machine.

Alan Turing: The Father of Modern Computing

Turing was one of the real heroes of World War 2. He was a British mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst, computer scientist and importantly a philosopher. He cracked the German enigma code which helped the Allied forces win the war. And guess how was he honored for this achievement? he was prosecuted and chemically castrated for being a homosexual. This is the perfect example of how moronic archaic beliefs hamper with real progress. Turing died in 1954 due to cyanide poisoning (a likely suicide). There is a lot they can be blamed for, but at least the British government had the good sense of declaring an Official Public Apology in 2009 and a posthumous pardon in December of 2013 (doesn’t solve anything but better late than never.)

Alan Turing also formulated the Turing test for understanding Artificial Intelligence. It is a test to determine the ability of a computer to think or exhibit intelligent behavior akin to a real human being. The test lets the volunteers ask certain questions to access the human behavior in 5 minutes and if the researchers can’t specify if the answers are from a Human or a computer, the computer wins.

Euguene must have done heavy prep to score 33%

The Russian Supercomputer, “Eugene” was able to beat the Turing test by a very narrow margin; it needed 30% to pass while it scored 33%, becoming the first computer to do so. It is not an easy feat to achieve as the test was curated by independent auditors.

Our present day way of living, our economies, a massive tech sector job market can all be attributed to the likes of Alan Turing who dared to dream in an oppressive era. While we use our computers and smartphones, we unknowingly keep the legacy of Alan Turing alive. There is also an important lesson to learn here; our judgment of people shouldn’t be based on their personal affiliations and choices but rather be on their proclivities and talents.

Jarvis might be closer than you think.

Eugene is the first to beat the Turing’s test but hopefully it will encourage others to create better AI computers. With this experiment, in a way we have created Life, though digital, but still a conscious life. While we can debate if this can lead to a utopian or dystopian future like the sci-fi movies, the fact remains that Alan’s machine has brought invaluable advancement for our civilization. So working towards a futuristic technology should be a priority for all. Maybe with the lessons we have learnt from the movies, we would be able to perfect a JARVIS instead of a HAL-9000.

June 9, 2014
Our List of Top 5 Video Editor Apps Available

Choosing the right app, for whatever reason, is a headache these days. App Store and Google play is flooded with a range of apps, most of which don’t function as desired or are filled with unnecessary ads. Previously we listed our favorite photo-editing apps and people wanted us to list video-editors too. So, because on popular demand, we picked the best video editors for Android and iOS users.

Video editor apps, when it comes to phone, are most likely limited to basic trimming, filters and editing. But, there are some which could be useful. Keeping this in mind, check out our list of the best 5 user-friendly video editing apps:

VivaVideo

This app tops the list because it is one the most simple and fun phone video editors available in market. The app gives the option of creating photo movie, pro editing, simple video editing and PIP(Video trimming). The design is so simple that even first time user can use it like a Pro. The app provides you with range of themes, filters, transitions and also the option of adding text. You can add music from your personal library or choose from the VivaVideo’s music library. Even better, you can dub your voice in real-time while you’re editing the video.

VIDEOFX Live

VideoFx Live is rammed with awesome real-time effects. It is perfect for a DIY music video or if you’re planning on compiling messages for your friends birthday. You can even sync devices, shoot the same scene from different angles and fade between different videos. Video Fx is a simple app to handle, with minimal options. VideoFX Live records both video and audio. It automatically stores the shot videos within the app, skipping on the phone’s gallery. It offers you a wide range of Instagram-like real-time effects. But the problem is that it can only shoot upto 10 seconds, which makes it similar to Vine (but with better effects). Through VideoFX Live you can save your creations in a camera roll, upload directly it to Facebook or YouTube, or send it via email.

KineMaster Pro

This app is actually for the professorial editors. KineMaster Pro gives you a multi-tracked timeline with full drag-and-drop support. You can import multiple videos, images and audio clips, and then move them around with your finger. The app gradually picks up on your choices and adjusts its functions accordingly. Select the element you want to tweak and then tap the scissor icon above the timeline. You can then drag your finger to trim the clip or tap a “Split” option to divide the clip into two separate pieces for further manipulation. KineMaster has tons of options for improving the quality of the video, ranging from sliders for adjusting a clip’s brightness, contrast and color saturation to a range of filter-like color effects. The app also has one-touch tools for rotating videos or images and an impressive selection of professional-looking transitions to give your project a more refined look.

VidTrim

VidTrim is less of a full-fledged video editor and more of a collection of tools for basic video manipulation. The app doesn’t give you a standard timeline for editing; rather, you just select a video clip from your device and then tap one of a few options available. Tapping the scissor icon opens up the app’s Trimmer tool, which gives you a simple slider for selecting a small portion of your clip and trimming it down to only that section. It also allows you to save your selection as an MP3, should that need ever arise. Tapping a tools icon, meanwhile, gives you the ability to change the video’s size and quality. It also allows you to add a supplementary audio track into the clip. Though there’s no way to fine-tune where exactly the audio will play or how loud it’ll be. Last but not least, an overflow menu icon holds the option to grab a still frame from a video as well as to apply a variety of different filters — standard stuff like black and white, vignette and vintage modes.

Magisto

Don’t take this one seriously, it is just for fun. You actually don’t edit the video here. butt the app does it for you. Though it creates the video with great effect, it takes too much time to generate it. All you have to do is shoot the video or upload it from gallery to the app, select the theme and then select the sound track and you’re done. The app will automatically create your video for you. It selects the best parts of the video and creates a short movie with it. Magisto has its own music library too. Though you can choose your own track for the movie.

June 9, 2014
Rumor : Apple’s iWatch Production May Have Started

Rumors have been flying since the beginning of this year that Apple is getting set to launch a watch-like device. The iWatch which consumers can connect with their smartphones.

The fact that Apple didn’t announce any hardware during WWDC 2014 disappointed everyone. We now have to wait a few more months before we can get any new hardware from the company. Hopes are high as everyone is buzzing about how iWatch might be launched along with much-awaited iPhone 6 and iOS 8.

The reports further tell us that this smart watch’s screen will be made of rounded organic light-emitting diode (OLED). The device will be able to track most of our important body functions like calorie consumption, blood glucose, sleep activity and blood oxygen levels. It may also use Apple’s new HealthKit platform for health and fitness tracking.

Since it will be connected to your iPhone, you will also get phone notifications on the watch. It is predicted to come with a sapphire glass display, which was one of the biggest investments of Apple recently. It seems like it’s the new go-to material for Apple, since one of the major rumors for the upcoming iPhone 6 includes the same screen.

Samsung had tried its hand at something similar. But the Samsung Galaxy Gear Watch didn’t quite attract the eye of users. The iWatch might come with wireless charging, which Samsung failed to deliver in its smart watch. Now, since Apple is all set to launch its smart watch, we’re curious to see how the users will respond to this device. Is this gadget going to be the next big game-changer?

June 7, 2014
Gotta Keep Innovating! We Love How Coke Thinks

You may not know this, but Coca-Cola is damn serious about recycling more packaging than they use.

The ‘2nd lives’ campaign with tag line, “What if empty Coke bottles were never thrown away?”, shows that instead of getting rid of plastic bottles, we can use them in different fun ways. The video was a refreshing change to see them make an effort to encourage upcycling plastic in Vietnam. They’ve developed interesting cap attachments that convert discarded bottles into bubble-makers, soap dispensers, paint brushes, water guns, pencil sharpeners, etc.

The campaign created with the help of Ogilvy & Mather China, promised that Coke will give away 40,000 of these modified caps, which come in 16 different varieties, in Vietnam. The last line hinting that they’d start rolling them out in the rest of Asia as well.

The only question we have is, “when are they going to start giving these away in India?”

June 6, 2014
Top 5 Apps To Keep Up With The FIFA World Cup

Friday, June 6, 2014 is going to mark the start of the the 20th FIFA World Cup 2014. The world has been in a frenzy, counting down days to its start. With the tournament coming to an end on 7th July. It’s going to be an entire month of madness. That and, 32 teams and 3 matches a day during the world cup is lot of news to keep track of. But as always, smartphones make our lives easier.

There are loads of apps this time to keep track of the news, matches, conferences and what not. So, we thought we would test a few of the applications to try to find the best World Cup application and save you the bother. Here are the ones that deserved a mention:

Onefootball Brasil

Onefootball Brasil is our pick for the best World Cup app for a number of reasons.The app’s game pages are second to none. You can get notifications for goals as well as check line-ups, see live match data and chat with other fans while watching the game in real-time. The app also has sections where you can read related tweets, watch videos and see live tables and standings.

Brazil 2014 Countdown

Can’t pass the time while waiting for the World Cup to start? Are you counting the days until the first match? How about the minutes? Well, if you crave to really get keyed up for the event, this free app provides a running countdown until the World Cup begins—down to the last second.

ESPN FC Soccer & World Cup

The official football app from ESPN offers the in-depth coverage “the worldwide leader in sports” is known for. The app features live video highlights of key plays, feedback and breakdown from ESPN’s team of top analysts and commentators, and breaking news. Also, even after the World Cup has ended, this free app can help you keep up on the action in the English Premiere League, La Liga, MLS, the Bundesliga, and much more.

Official FIFA app

FIFA’s official app is a upright effort with a satisfying design. It doesn’t offer as many features as the other apps mentioned, and is somewhat slow to load and navigate, even on WiFi. Available in five languages, the FIFA app does however include news from the FIFA site, a match centre and a table of the official FIFA country rankings. The FIFA app also has video and photo sections, but at present there are only two videos, and the photo section loads a blank page.

365Scores

It is an unofficial app offering scores, news, tweets, and standings information. 365Scores has good squad listings and photos for each of the teams at the tournament in great design and format. If you are going to Brazil to fulfill your World cup dream, this is one must-have app on your smartphone. 365Scores also provides you with stadium guides, displays a map of Brazil where you can click on each stadium to get information about each stadium and the matches to be held there.

June 6, 2014
Using Virtru To Secure Confidential Emails

You may have come across a situation when you need to send some personal information to someone, but wondered if email is a secure enough channel? In that case, Virtru can help you out.

Identity theft is huge problem on the internet. You don’t know when and from where your confidential information can be hacked. Be it your credit card payment, bank details or just an address, hackers find way to get it. An email message may only be virtual but if it falls in immoral hands, the cost and damages can be very fatal. The service offers encryption, message tracking, and the option to delete sent messages after the work is done.

With Virtru, you can decide when to keep your digital content private and secure even after it’s shared online. You can manage and revoke access to emails, photos, files and other content at any time, right from within your favorite programs like Gmail, Outlook, and Mac Mail on your desktop or smartphone.

There are ample of ways to encrypt your email much like a full PGP encryption, but all of them can be difficult and complicated to set up and use. Virtru took this seriously and created an add-on that makes encryption automatic—every message you send and choose to be secure is encrypted before it leaves your computer.

Setting it up is easy as well, and doesn’t require as many of the hoops as other tools do. The service provides you a dashboard which can be used to see if your messages have been forwarded to others or read by the recipient. You get access to files or recall messages at any time.

Virtru provides you a multi-platform service. At present it supports Firefox and Chrome, while Internet Explorer and Safari versions are not available yet. Apps are available for Android and iOS, which give you most of the same options as their web browser equivalent.

When you send email through Virtru, it by design encrypts your email message and transfers it through its own server instead of that of your email provider. The original email message is replaced with a link to the Virtru website where the message can be then read.

It is a great way for securing your emails while not bothering about PGP encryption, which mostly goes over your head. It’s compatibility and multi-platform service makes it one of the best software for encrypted Emails.

June 6, 2014
All You Need to Know About The New iOS 8

WWDC 2014 unveiled some of the most important upgrades since the introduction of the App Store. One of the most highlighted upgrade was the iOS 8. The company added tons of developer tools for home mechanization, heavy gaming performance and extensions in abundance. There’s a lot of polished new apps and add-ons that will earn rave reviews from fans, once it drops later this fall.

Let us introduce you to the Apple iOS 8. We tested out the Beta version on iPhone 5, and like they’ve said – it’s quicker, more productive and more integrated than ever before. Here’s what’s new on board:

Photo Library and Photography

Apple added the powerful iCloud Photo Library which ensures all your edits are automatically synced between devices. The new iOS 8 also includes new photo editing tools which give users manual control over the exposure, shadows and color of the photograph. If a user is focusing on clicking an overly bright object, the brightness can be directly reduced by swiping the screen and reducing the exposure. Along with the new editing functions, Apple has made the Photo Library more user-friendly by adding the ability to search based on location, time or albums.

Bye-Bye Snapchat

Apple has taken a great leap with the iMessage by including features such as ability to not only send quick video and voice messages, but also the option to make them expire. The Tap to Talk feature lets you share video and photos with a simple gesture, option to leave a conversation, label threads and add/remove contacts mid-convo. The option to add DND to specific threads will put all the leading chatting apps to shame.

QuickType and Third-party Keyboards

Apple is including third-party keyboards to the new update as well, so you can Swype with the best of them, or you can find a keyboard where you actually understand when the Shift key is on. They have also introduced the new predictive typing feature called QuickType which gives personalized suggestions while taking content in the context. It not only helps while you’re tying out a message, but when you receive a message, it understands it and offers possible responses. As the name suggests QuickType is quicker and easier than ever.

Health Connect

Apple introduced a new integrated programming system called HealthKit. Through this, users will be able to connect applications and develop a central database of all their health data. It has an extensive list of functions. The fitness tab has integrated Nike Fuel and can monitor and record your fitness numbers which includes your Body Fat Index, distance that you run, calorie intake, the steps climbed and the hours you’ve slept.

The new Health feature will also include the information from other apps you have purchased in the app store, as well as connect with your personal doctor through a dedicated application. If you get your blood pressure or your sugar blood checked from your hospital, your iPhone will receive a notification and store the results. You will be able to store it privately or share this information easily with other doctors. So essentially, a combination of your entire medical and fitness history will be in your hands, all the time.

Sharing is Caring

Apple’s innovative Family Sharing lets you share your apps with up to 6 different people so they can enjoy all your apps without buying them on their own. The new feature will be connected through your credit card to their account. But don’t fret about the privacy settings, iOS 8 will require a consent from you before anyone cause use the privy information.

App Store Makeover

One of the most exciting new feature in iOS 8 is the updated App Store. It has new searching features and they’ve also added categories for easy excess. They’ve added the facility to create video previews of their apps, so you get a better idea what you’re buying, and if you’d like to test new apps, the new TestFlight feature gives developers the ability to propel you access. And yes, there’s finally providing “App Bundling”, so you can get big deals on a number of apps at once.

Siri Becomes Cooler

Siri can now be activated by saying “hey Siri,” rather than pressing the home button. She can now understand more languages and accents. The best part? Apple has gone ahead to integrate a music-recognition feature, so you can know which tune is being played instantly, without wasting time to open an app. You have the option to download the song instantly from the iTunes, and if you’ve installed Shazam, you can save the song in your tabs.

Last Bits of Improvements

Some of the last bits of new features include: iOS 8 allows you to directly reply to your messages from the NC panel, Touch ID can now be used with third-party apps so you not at all have to enter your password again, phone calls can be answered from your Mac, and AirDrop is now attuned with iPhones and Macs.

Like it always happens, the features of iOS 8 Beta 1 are subject to change, but based on the specification of WWDC’s offerings and the added APIs for developers, iOS 8 will be an exciting update once it’s accessible for users later this fall.

June 5, 2014
More Jobs Thanks To The Battle Of E-Commerce

Flipkart, India’s largest online retail portal, took a great leap this year when it bought Myntra for $330 Million. It was the largest acquisition in the Indian E-commerce sector since last two years. Flipkart is now in battle with Amazon.in and they are locked in competition for the throne of the biggest e-commerce website in India. The invasion of giants like Ebay and Amazon is forcing Indian online retailers to get critical masses to compete.

Founded by two ex-employees of Amazon, Flipkart is expanding day by day and is introducing new categories to their site. They also grabbed an exclusive deal with Motorola Mobility for the sales of Moto X, Moto G and Moto E which has been a phenomenal success. The company immediately rand out of pieces after the release of Moto G and E, even though they had prepared and kept a massive stock.

Flipkart’s merger with Myntra created an entity with annual sales of $1.5 billion, which is over half of the country’s emerging online shopping market. Venture capitalists have been bucketing money into the sector, scenting potential.

So far, $497 million worth of deals have been struck already this year, in comparison to the $592 million for all of last year. Most are small in value but significant stepping stones as retailers put together critical mass.

This battle of the e-throne is also giving a boost to the number of jobs in the sector. The new websites are going live and old ones are expanding. As foreign and domestic e-retail giants are swelling up their businesses antagonistically against each other, hiring activities are expected to grow by over 30 per cent in the sector and may help create up to 50,000 jobs in the coming years.

Since 2012, considering the growth vista of the E-commerce sector in India, major venture capital firms such as Accel Partners have invested significantly. In one of the principal fund raising, Flipkart.com, in August 2012, raised about INR 822 crore (US$140 million). Entertainment ticketing website BookMyShow.com raised INR 100 crore (US$17 million) asset by Accel Partners. On July 10, 2013, Flipkart announced it had received $200 million from existing investors Tiger Global, Naspers, Accel Partners, and ICONIQ Capital. New investors who are making up the additional $160 million include Dragoneer Investment Group, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, Sofina, Vulcan Inc. and more from Tiger Global.

Hiring has been rather slow in the e-commerce space over last couple of years, but recruitments are expected to rapidly grow by 33 per cent, over the previous year as various retail brands are also bringing in their business online.

According to Amazon, the industry is growing at a fast rate and there is still a huge potential for growth. They have grown exponentially over the last 11 months and chances are they will continue to see growth.

To match the rise and pace of the sector, there will be an explosion of new jobs and recruitment’s soon. The scenario of the sector can be compared with the BPO explosion in early 2000’s which employs approximately 1 Million professionals at present. Nevertheless, BPO offered jobs to people from all walks of life, from housewives to high school graduates, while E-commerce sector need skilled employs which restrict their hiring process.

Driving sales growth is India’s fast-growing number of Internet connections which was triggered by exploding sales of affordable smartphones and data plans. Internet users, total of 175 million, expected to grow to 429 million by 2019. Up to 30 per cent of e-shopping now is done using mobile devices. About three-quarters of online shoppers are aged 15-to-34. This broad consumer market and the fact that e-commerce websites in India are constantly trying to up their game is creating a huge potential for an jobs in the industry.

Important Update: Last night Reuters reported that the Indian Government is planning to ease the restrictions on foreign e-commerce sites like Amazon. Another good development since this will allow them to sell their own products in the Indian market.

June 5, 2014
Top 5 Websites to Get You Thinking Again

Maybe it’s just us, but we miss classroom education. To be in awe of a professor who manages everytime to open your eyes to ideas and blow your mind with new concepts. The thrill of preparing for a test and the anxiety before the results are out. Maybe it’s just us, but they truth is that the monotony of life and work stagnates our thinking. We can’t stress upon how important it is to keep adding and refreshing information.

The concept of self-education and distance learning is widely accepted these days. Sitting at home, taking video lessons and earning degree from an international university may sound unfeasible, but we’re lucky that the power of internet has made it possible. Somehow, a power that not enough people are utilizing.

It’s more practical in India where most of the colleges don’t provide specialized courses you want to do. Solving this problem, there are some website which provide free education and degrees for small fee. We are listing amazing educational websites which provide you with variety of courses and help to strengthen your CV.

Coursrea

Coursera is an education platform that partners with top universities and organizations worldwide, to offer courses online for anyone to take, for free. The aim of Corsera is to provide everyone with world-class education. The website provides free courses online from top universities, including Princeton University and the University of Michigan. The topics are varied, and lectures are formatted into series of 15-minute-long clips.

Udacity

Udacity’s mission is to bring accessible, affordable, engaging, and highly effective higher education to the world. They believe that higher education is a basic human right, and seek to empower students all over the world to advance their education and careers. Udacity at present offers 11 courses , all of which are in science and math-related topics. According to the website, plans are in progress to spread out the set of courses. Udacity is free of deadlines, free of quizzes and other annoying school stuff. Needless to say, courses are also free of charge.

Open Culture

Open Culture brings together high-quality cultural & educational media for the worldwide lifelong learning community. The website’s mission is to centralize the content which is ‘scattered across the web, and not easy to find’, curate it, and give you access to this high quality content whenever and wherever you want it. Open Culture offers you incredible compilation of 400 courses for free, from Ivy League universities, such as Stanford, UCLA, Columbia and Oxford University. Courses ranges from science and art to math and economics.

Khan Academy

The Khan Academy has a large library of videos covering math, biology, chemistry, physics and even the humanities, finance and history. Khan videos aren’t so much recorded lectures as short 10 minute long tutorials with an instructor narrating explanations and working things out on a board by hand on your computer screen.

Ted-Ed

Ted-Ed is a powerhouse of really fascinating and amazing lectures combining expert educators, screenwriters and animators. A riches of amazingly animated and gripping videos on a wide collection of subjects, such as The Power of Simple Words and How Many Universes are There. All videos are under 10-minutes-long. Ted-Ed videos are already very popular all over internet with huge amount of viewers on Youtube. Ted-Ed also provide supplemental materials such as quizzes, books, e-books etc.

June 5, 2014
New Sony Xperia T3 Joins the Slim Phone Race
Sony has just announced the new phone in its slim phone category, Xperia T3.

The slimmest LTE phone in the world weighs around 148 grams and is 7mm thick. It will be competing with Gionee Elife S5.5 which is the slimmest phone available in the market at just 5.5mm thickness.

The Sony Xperia T3 has IPS-LCD Triluminos screen with 720×1280 pixels resolution. It is powered by a 1.4 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 (MSM8228) processor and runs on Android 4.4 KitKat. It comes with a 8-megapixel rear camera with Sony Exmor RS sensor, LED flash and 1080p video recording. It has a 1.1-megapixel HD front-facing camera.

The framework is made by following the customary OmniBalance design with a metal frame that is uncovered on the sides. The back is a lusterless plastic available in three colors: white, black or purple. The Sony Xperia T3 has affluent connectivity options for a mid-range device, starting with the usual 2G/3G, LTE Cat. 4 for up to 150Mbps download speeds, Wi-Fi with Miracast and DLNA, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC and A-GPS.

The relatively small 2,500mAh battery promises up to almost 13 hours of talking, plus there’s Stamina mode to reduce power usage when you need more out of the battery. Sony has announced that the device will be launched globally in the end of July. The price has not been announced yet.

Sony Xperia T3 major specifications:
- 5.3-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD TRILUMINOS Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2
- 1.4 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 (MSM8928) processor with Adreno 305 GPU
- Android 4.4 (KitKat)
- 8MP rear camera with Sony Exmor RS sensor, LED flash, 1080p video recording
- 1.1MP HD front-facing camera
- 7mm thick and weighs 148 grams
- 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio with RDS
- 1GB RAM, 8GB internal memory, Upto 32GB expandable memory via microSD card
- 4G LTE / 3G HSPA+, WiFi 820.11 a/b/g/n ( 2.4 GHz/5 GHz), Bluetooth 4.0 with APT-X, GPS/ GLONASS, NFC
- 2500 mAh Battery with STAMINA mode
June 4, 2014
HTC Desire 816 Review
The HTC Desire 816 is the newest entrant from HTC in their so called Mid Range product lineup of Android based Smartphone devices. The Desire 816 has Dual Sim Capabilities and supports CDMA networks alongside the GSM networks.

The HTC Desire is a good mix of looks, brain and brawn, but does it tackle a market well versed with hardware at a price point of a Nexus smartphone. Lets find out!

Overview

The HTC Desire 816 is the prettiest looking Desire we have seen yet, and it manages to do that in a an ironic rugged fashion. The phone musters up the strength to take on the likes of great phones like the Nexus 5, Moto X and Sony Xperia T2 in this price segment offering something extra.

Design, Hardware and Build

HTC has managed to hit the nail on the head when it comes to design in the past couple of years, with the One series of phones coming out stunning, one after the other. The Desire 816 is one phone that is completely inspired by the One M8 however keeping costs low, it brings a new material to the users. The design is very unique, blending a matte plastic edge with a glossy plastic back gives the phone two independent looks. The Front keeps the plastic chin and the head at a minimal, the front mostly has glass.

As far as hardware goes the Desire 816 also has a great mix of that. Running the insides is a Qualcomm MSM8928 Snapdragon 400 at 1.6 GHz on Quad Cores along with an Adreno 305 GPU. For memory we have 8 GB of Storage, 1.5 GB RAM and expandability of upto 128 GB via microSD card. Optics shave enhanced quite a lot and you will see impressive results from the 13 MP main camera and 5 MP front camera both capable of impressive 1080p, impressive because its quite accurate with respect to color and white balance.

Powering it all is a 2600 mAh battery pack, the front has a 5.5 inch Super LCD 2 display with a 1280 x 720 p resolution and 267 pip. However the display is actually better than it sounds on paper. All of this works in tandem with Android 4.4.2 kitkat OTB with HTC Sense 6.0, which has some new unique things to offer up. Finally the Desire 816 in India is a Dual Sim device with One 3G Sim card slot and one GSM aka no data slot.

Make no mistake the phone is “unapologetically plastic”, however the build quality is superb and does not feel cheap or flimsy at all. In fact, the “slab-ish” feel that you get from the moment you pick up the phone is pleasantly reassuring. The phone is presently available in three colors – Grey , White and Orange.

Display and Multimedia.

The HTC Desire 816 has a brilliant display, that looks great from the moment you first hold the device in your hand. The 5.5 inch Super LCD 2 display offers excellent brightness and great wide viewing angles. Almost every time you turn on the display you get a slight smirk on your face as to how beautifully HTC manages color and how good this screen looks. For the geek squad the 720p screen may not be a let down, it’s actually better than almost every other 720p display we have seen.

Movies and videos play perfectly on the Desire 816, with no lag whatsoever, even while high bitrate movies are difficult to view, they work exceptionally well on the 816. Multimedia playback is a good mix of visuals and audio experience, the Boomsound speakers contribute to the latter. The new speaks have large cavities and the sound almost competes with the likes of the new M8, which by itself says a lot. Their new audio engine also does an equally good job as the beats engine did, when the company still made phones with Beats audio.

Camera

The cameras on the HTC Desire 816 are not far from impressive, with excellent color reproduction, no banding in images, and excellent video capture. Both cameras capture video at Full HD 1080p resolution and the video is smooth and jitter free.

The camera works well in all kinds of lighting, although in extreme dark environments the Desire 816’s flash may not hold up to the mark. The camera is fast at focusing, and delivers mostly sharp results.

While taking a different approach from their One series of phones HTC has actually added a big sensor in this one , a 13 MP snapper will satiate the most needs.

The new Camera features in Sense 6.0 including ZOE is available on the HTC Desire 816, however you won’t see the UFocus option from the HTC One M8 because its hardware dependent. Although HTC could have gone the Sony and Samsung Route and used “Selective Focus” softwares.

Phone and Battery

While the Desire 816 uses 2 SIM cards, like most lower end phones it has only one slot for a 3G sim card. Both sim cards need to be Nano Sims to fit in this bad boy, which might have been a movement decision vs a design or need decision on such a large device.

The Phone call network strength is very good, and data connectivity is strong funnily in places where phones usually end up in “E” (edge) mode, the Desire 816 hangs on to the one last bar of “H” (3G/HSDPA), which by all means to us is very impressive. The Desire 816 also supports CDMA which is a fantastic thing, and makes the Desire 816 the best dual sim CDMA phone in this price bracket.

Battery life is phenomenal, you will easily bump one day of use and go into the next without worries. This is probably the only phone we have seen in the past that offers up this kind of battery life. However this is respective of usage, and may vary.

Talk Time : 6-7 Hours

Music and Multimedia : 9-10 hours

Internet : 7-8 Hours

Android and UI

Android KitKat along-with Sense 6.0 is a fantastic combination, just as we saw on the HTC One M8. HTC is now also promising quick updates to their handsets and we have seen updates roll out and almost all of their handsets released in the past few years are running KitKat. This means that we can rest easy when hoping for updates to the latest version of Android.

The Blinkfeed UI has become more and more acceptable and according to HTC over 79% of HTC owners are actively using Blinkfeed. The new Blinkfeed interface lets you add custom lists and sources as per your needs.

The Interface is infact, very customizable and intuitive and HTC offers a lot of sounds and wallpapers etc, to keep you busy for a very long time (incase you choose to use them.)

Performance and Gaming

The Desire 816 is a crack performer, no lag whatsoever, even when storage runs out. RAM is managed exceptionally well and fluidity of the ecosystem is constant. Muti-tasking works just the way it was designed, and while you could be easily switching b/w apps, they are actually put in a hibernate mode allowing the continued smooth performance.

All games are compatible and work well, the storage remains a limitation, and most games cannot be transferred to the SD card, which is slightly disappointing. You get approx 4+ GB free and although move to SD works in most cases, some games like GTA SA cannot be transferred and end up using 2.5 GB /4 available.

Conclusion

Honestly, HTC had us at the first look of the phone back then at MWC, but now with that gorgeous display, impressive build, fluid UI and impressive optics and multimedia, the Desire 816 is becoming more and more worthy of the “best title”, already winning the Best Dual Sim phone with CDMA in the under 30,000 category.

The HTC Desire 816 may be a tad large for some but it fits comfortably, and is an excellent phone with solid network strength. What you get for the price is a well rounded phone, with many features that will satisfy mostly all demographics.

If you are in the market for a phone that does CDMA as well, the 816 becomes the obvious choice, however despite there being many phones in this price bracket. The Desire 816 offers possibly the most satisfying experience.

Best Price

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GOOD THINGS
- Well Built and Snappy
- Well Responsive
- Excellent Design and Looks
- Great Cameras
- Android KitKat and Updates
- Sense 6.0
- CDMA and 3G GSM Capable
[/tw-column]

[tw-column width=”one-half” position=”last”]

BAD THINGS
- Internal Memory Low
- Nano SIM Slot could have been Micro
- None, really!
[/tw-column]
June 4, 2014
Micromax Enters Big Boy Territory With a Windows Phone

The biggest Indian mobile company is having quite a good year. According to several leads, Micromax has just decided to cross the Rs. 20K point and enter into the premium segment with a Windows phone. Microsoft identified Micromax as one of its hardware partners at its build conference.

The phone is reported to be have a 5-inch full HD 1080p screen. The battery stands at 2600 MaH. It is expected to be priced around 23,000-25,000 INR.

In a first for Micromax, the Smartphone will be powered by Snapdragon 800 chipset with 2GB RAM. It will run Windows 8.1 operating system.

The main camera is a 13 megapixel shooter with LED flash. The selfie shooter is a 5 megapixel camera. The phone will have 16 GB of internal memory expandable to 64 GB which is a welcome step.

The specs look pretty impressive for a Micromax Windows phone. We hope to bring you a hands on review, as soon as we can, to tell you if it’s worth the glitter.

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P.S: We would like to Thank AmitAgarwal2 for bring the update on the leak on this Story. The source on twitter Leakster Inc has stated that the Snapdragon device and the Windows phone are two different devices. As this is still a leak story we won’t confirm anything yet but we appreciate AmitAgarwal2 for being an awesome IGyaani .

June 4, 2014