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Microsoft’s New Alarm App Will Have You Clicking Selfies at Dawn

The desire to innovate and come up with new things is pretty much making everyone lose their marbles in the tech world, and we are definitely not complaining. Some of these innovations are useful, some redundant and some plain bizarre. We’ll let you decide which category this new Microsoft app should fall under.

The company has developed an alarm app called Mimicker Alarm which includes games and tongue twisters for the user to complete before the alarm can be turned off. The activities are divided into three categories -Express Yourself, Color Capture, and Tongue Twister.

https://youtu.be/VWJyCYkMc3Y

Once the alarm goes off, the user has thirty seconds to click a selfie or complete a tongue twister or find the right coloured object before the alarm goes off again. While answer to existence for some, the app has the potential of being super-annoying for others. Microsoft, however, has left no loose ends. The app is user-friendly enough to allow you to customize these games. You can still look for a red coloured object within the confines of your warm room without having to brave the cold.

“We’re a lot nicer than other alarms. You start with dismiss or snooze. If you snooze, the default is five minutes to delay the game. If you dismiss, we mute the alarm – but then you have 30 seconds to complete this challenge. And if you don’t complete that game in time, we assume you’ve fallen back asleep and then the alarm will start ringing again. You only need to complete one game to shut off the alarm. You can choose the sounds and which games you want to play,” says Allison Light, a program manager on the team.

Once you’re done looking pretty for your morning alarm, the app also allows you to share the “mimics” on various social media platforms. Share it around and get phones buzzing all over. Why should others sleep when you’re up, right?

Mimicker Alarm is up for free download on Google Play.

Source

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January 22, 2016
Google Paid Apple $1Billion in 2014 to Keep Search Engine on iOS

Its no secret that Google and Apple, two massive rivals, have an agreement in place which enables the search engine to be the default search provider on the iOS platform, but what is emerging right now are details of this deal born out of convenience, and the numbers involved here are staggering!

Google which makes 4 times more money from iOS users than it does from users of its own Android platform, holds the business from the Apple based devices very important to its core business, and as such it has gone to great extents to keep its search engine running on iOS devices worldwide.

According to details that have emerged in the midst of a high-profile Oracle vs Google battle in a San Fransico court, Google has paid Apple $1 billion in 2014 as part of its ongoing deal to be the default search provider on iOS devices. The deal allows Apple’s to get a percentage of the revenue that the Google search engine generates through Apple devices. The numbers quoted for the revenue shares stands at 34%.

This is not the first time rumors about how much Google pays Apple to be on the iPhone have surfaced on the Internet. For their part, the two companies have also never commented on it, and not to anyone’s surprise, Kristin Huguet, a spokeswoman for Apple, and Google spokesman Aaron Stein both declined to comment on the information disclosed in the court of law.

January 22, 2016
Asus Zenfone 3 Spotted on Benchmarks

In what could be the successor to the Zenfone 2, two potential Zenfone 3 models have been listed on GFXBench benchmarks. We say Zenfone 3 because the model numbers are close to the Zenfone 2. Mid-range devices are turning out to be the new premium. Cheaper phones are being brought out with good specs and great design language.

The listing shows two possible Zenfone 3 variants – one sporting a 5.5-inch display and the other a 5.9-inch display. The former looks to be the bigger of the two, in terms of specs. The 5.5-inch device is shown featuring a 1920x1080p pixel resolution with a hexa core 1.7GHz Snapdragon 615 SoC under the hood and Adreno 510.

Meanwhile, the 5.9-inch version comes with a lower resolution at 1080x720p pixels. This version also sports a Snapdragon 615 chipset but with Adreno 405 GPU. Both the versions feature 3GB of RAM, 12MP primary shooter and 5MP selfie snapper.

Looks like Asus has ditched Intel for Qualcomm to provide for the chipsets. Going by the specs of the devices, one would expect the pricing to be around Rs 13, 000 – Rs 15,000. No word yet on when the phones will be launched.

January 22, 2016
Titan Launches First Smartwatch in India

The smartwatch category seems to be heating up some more with every passing day. For the past couple of months, we have seen a number of manufacturers jump into this space, and sell to us wristwear for the future. While

While yestreday Samsung launched its much-awaited Samsung Gear S2 smartwatch to much fanfare, there was another launch which being equally as big for Indian customers still went under the radar a bit. Enter the Juxt.

Juxt is Indian watchmaker Titan’s foray into this growing market of smartwatches in India. This smartwatch will be sold in India and other markets as well at a starting price of Rs 15,995. The company also has plans of bringing different two more variants of the smartwatch to the market. The first will be Rose Gold Stainless Steel which will retail at Rs 17,995 and the other Titanium on sale for Rs 19,995.

The watch comes equipped with a Three piece body in stainless steel material and a beautiful OLED display, and is water resistant to 50m. It can connect both to your Android, and iOS devices. The watch can track your steps, connect to your social media apps and also gives you alerts on your watch for calls.

At the launch Titan’s CEO, S. Ravi Kant said, “JUXT is India’s most stylish smartwatch. It has been designed for those who are appreciative of classic watches, yet want smart capabilities in their timepiece.”

Juxt is launched in collaboration with HP, and it is expected this collaboration will help Titan to make an international presence in the markets like the United States, U.K and Canada. Titan will use HP’s distribution network to sell its smartwatches outside the country, starting with the above three, but later plans to expand to six-seven more countries.

January 22, 2016
Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge Screen Size Confirmed in Zauba Listing

Post some hardware news about the new Samsung devices, Galaxy S7 ad Galaxy S7 Edge, now we have some more confirmed information to get to you. Latest Zauba listings, a website which records the imports and exports to and from India, have confirmed the screen-size of two Samsung smartphones that have been imported to the country.

These Samsung smartphones have model numbers indicating they are Galaxy S7 (SM-G930R4) and S7 Edge (SM-G935R4). While the S7 has a screen size of 5.1 inches, the S7 Edge is marked at 5.5 inches. Both screens will be QHD with 1440 x 2560 resolution.

The curved screen Edge is expected to sport a Snapdragon processor along with 4 GB of RAM. The Galaxy S7 (SM-G930F), apart from sporting the new Exynos 8890, will come with 12 MP rear camera, 5 MP front camera, 4 GB of RAM, and 64 GB of internal storage.

The devices are expected to be unveiled next month at the Samsung Unpacked event on the 21st, a day before the Mobile World Congress kicks off. Watch this space for latest developments.

January 22, 2016
Weibo Beats Twitter in Removing140-Character Limit

China’s very own social media network, Sina Weibo, which can be at best described as a cross between Twitter, and Facebook, today revealed its plans to remove the 140-character limit that it has had from the time of its inception.

According to a report from Xinhua, a Chinese news agency of repute, the company’s CEO confirmed the plans for this change, told the agency what will follow. The new format will see Weibo allowing posts up to 2,000 characters in length. This new feature will initially roll out to “senior users” on January 28th, and will be live on all other accounts in exactly a month’s time.

In a letter to developers sent from the desk of Weibo’s CEO, Wang Gaofei, the social networking company explained how exactly the change be like. Wang informed that users will still only see 140 characters per message in their feeds, but in added functionality, they’ll also be able to click a link to the whole post if it exceeds the 140 character limit.

Funny enough, this change comes amid rumours that Twitter has future plans to drop the character limit on its own platform. The company has already dropped the limit for direct messages but it’s still not clear as to how it will implement taking this cap off tweets.

The last fiscal year saw Twitter face increasing pressure from investors because of its falling share prices. The company is said to be in dire need for new users, and as such, this step from Weibo of removing the cap on character limit could well push Twitter into serious contemplation mode over its strategy going ahead.

January 21, 2016

Google Nexus 5X Undergoes Huge Price Cut on Amazon

For those of you who loved the Google Nexus 5X but held back because of its price; we have good news for you.The phone that was originally priced at Rs. 31,990 for its 16GB version is now priced at Rs. 20,990. However, we need to first take note, that this price change is available not on the official store but on Amazon.in and only until the 24th of January.

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This is the second major price-cut Nexus 5X has undergone. Just a couple of weeks ago, close after its launch, the price had fallen down to about Rs. 25,000, and now it has dipped again. This definitely doesn’t sound like good news for the Google device which failed to fare well with customers.

Check out our hands-on video of the device below.

Here are the specs :

Specification	LG Nexus 5X
Display	5.2-inch Full HD IPS (1920 x 1080 / 423ppi)
Resolution	1080 x 1920 pixels (~424 ppi pixel density)
Chipset	1.8 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 808
CPU	Quad-core 1.44 GHz Cortex-A53 & dual-core 1.82 GHz Cortex-A57
GPU	Adreno 418
RAM	2 GB LPDDR3 RAM
Front Camera	5 MP with F/2.0 Aperture
Rear Camera	Up to 12.3 MP with F/2.0 Aperture
Storage	16 or 32 GB eMMC ROM
Expandability	NA
Battery	2,700 mAh (embedded)
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac / Bluetooth 4.2 / NFC / Type-C USB
Operating System	Android OS, v6.0 (Marshmallow)
Price	Rs. 31,990/ Rs. 35,990

January 21, 2016

After TRAI, Google Too Makes Life Difficult for Facebook

Looks like it’s not the best of times for Facebook. There is another potential blow headed towards the company now, thanks to Google.

Google is allowing some Android users to download apps directly from search results without the need to visit the App Store. Though these downloads are available only through organic searches and not ads yet, but we can hope to see this extension soon as well.

Now these downloads mean some not-so-good-news for Facebook which had begun advertising apps on its website a few years ago. Since then users have been able to download apps from these ads. However, since Google is allowing for direct downloads of its apps from search results, app developers are likely to pay less and less to Facebook to promote themselves.

This, in turn, means a cut in revenue for Facebook. Also, it should be noted that one of Facebook’s main arguments in support of its app ads is that it can direct app-developers to their target audience -with the help of the information Facebook has of its users. Not creepy at all, Facebook.The new development in Google’s add-download might be quite a setback for the networking website since mobile app ads has been a significant source of its revenue.

Google, on the other hand, is making app-downloads more and more inviting for users by introducing features like “trial run ads” which lets users use an app for 60 seconds before deciding whether or not they want to download it. Additionally, the users can now also stream app content from search without actually downloading the app.

January 21, 2016

Samsung Gear VR Headset Launches in India

The Samsung Gear VR Headset, alongside the Gear S2, and Gear S2 Classic Smartwatch launches for a price of Rs 8,200 today to eager Indian customers. The product will be available through the company’s retail stores, as well as through Flipkart.

The focus on virtual reality is growing with every passing day. As more and more important names from the tech industry are coming forward with their products, Samsung too has decided to jump into the fray with its new VR offering for its millions of fans around the globe.

The Gear VR Headset features a wide interface, ergonomic design and a large touchpad. Gear VR promises convenient and accurate control to enjoy games and videos. At the launch the company stressed that Gear VR Headset works seamlessly with Galaxy smartphones. As of now, the Gear VR supports the latest high-end Galaxy smartphones including the Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 Edge+, Galaxy S6, and Galaxy S6 Edge. Samsung also added the recently unveiled Galaxy Note 5 Dual SIM to the compatible devices list.

Samsung stresses that the new Samsung Gear VR Headset is 19 percent lighter compared to the previous model. The new VR Headset features a large touchpad for control. It will weigh 318 grams and measures 201.9×116.4×92.6mm. The Gear VR comes with an impressive field of view of 96 degrees. It also houses back, volume, and focus adjustment wheel button for controls.

Samsung’s new offering packs sensors such as gyro, accelerometer, and proximity, and the device will support Micro-USB charging. The Gear VR comes with soft, flexible cushioning material, and also features adjustable straps for ease use of use.The Gear VR Headset will also support 360-degree videos.

Announcing the product Manu Sharma, Director, Marketing said, “Gear VR presents the unique opportunity for consumers to get an immersive virtual reality experience. Samsung will be at the forefront of this exciting revolution to create further ‘wow’ moments in our consumer lives.”

Specs	Samsung Gear VR Headset
Dimension/ Weight	201.9×116.4×92.6mm/ 318 grams
Sensor	Accelerometor, Gyrometer, Proximity ( Mount/Unmount detection)
Field of View	96 degrees
IPD Coverage	54-70mm (Fixed Lenses)
Color	Frost White
Compatibility	Micro-USB Connection to Galaxy Note 5, Note 5 Dual Sim, S6,S6 edge+, S6 edge

January 21, 2016

Samsung Launches Gear S2 in India

Samsung unveiled the Gear S2 at IFA Berlin last year. The smartwatch has been launched slowly in select countries for the past few months and has now launched the smartwatch in India along with the Gear VR headset.

The new smartwatch comes with a 1.2-inch screen with a 360x360resolution (302ppi). To power the device, Samsung has used 1GHz dual-core processor and provided the option of 3G Connectivity. The Gear S2 runs on the company’s very own Tizen OS and uses a rotating bezel, along with the Home and Back buttons, for navigation. Samsung has also added NFC for mobile payments.

Perhaps, the highlight of the device would be the fact that the company claims it lasts upto 2-3 days on a single charge. Since a wearable is an extra ‘smart’ device that you need to carry around, a long-lasting battery is a necessity. You can rotate the bezel to navigate through the device.

One of the exciting announcements is that the smartwatch has been announced in two variants – Gear S2 and Gear S2 Classic. Other than the design, the only major difference between the two is their size. The Classic has been built smaller and lighter than the Gear S2.Titanium and Rose Gold version for S2 Classic will be available later on. For its timeless design, we’re leaning towards the Classic which comes with a black dial and a leather band.

Furthermore, The Gear S2 will be iOS compatible later this year. As of now, the wearables can only work with an Android device.

Specs	Samsung Gear S2
Display	1.2-inch, Circular Super AMOLED, 360×360, 302ppi
Processor	Dual-core 1.0 GHz
OS	Tizen-based wearable platform
Storage Memory	4GB Internal Memory
RAM	512MB
Connectivity	Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth® 4.1, NFC
Battery	250mAh Li-ion
Misc	IP68 Certified Dust and Water Resistant, Wireless Charging
Price	Rs. 24,300 for Gear S2 and Rs 25,800 for Gear S2 Classic

The pricing is Rs.24,300 for Gear S2 and Rs 25,800 for Gear S2 Classic, and they are available on Flipkart as well as in offline retail stores like those of Chroma and Reliance.

January 21, 2016

Vodafone to Start Roll-Out of 4G Ready SIMs in Delhi & NCR

After treating its loyal customers in Australia with the news of 5G launch in the country by 2020, Vodafone brings some much-needed love to its customers here in India. Vodafone India has revealed that it will from today start the upgrade of SIMs to the next generation 4G ready SIMs in Delhi.

Vodafone which has already launched its high-speed 4G services in Kerala on a trial basis, will continue to roll out 4G services to major metros by March 2016. As Vodafone India enters the final stages of bringing 4G network to the country’s capital, it announced the availability of 4G SIMs for its customers at Vodafone stores across the city.

Adding incentive to the already sweet deal, Vodafone has informed that customers who are upgrading to 4G-Ready SIMs will be rewarded with free 1GB 4G internet, at the time of launch. All they need to do is send a short SMS “GO4G” to 199.

Needless to say, to make the magic work, customers will need a 4G ready phone along with a 4G SIM at the time of the launch.

This upgrade before the launch is being done to ensure a smooth, seamless and hassle-free transition from older generation tech to 4G when the service finally arrives in the market. A formal announcement regarding the launch, which is expected soon, will be made in due course.

“Before we step into the next generation of telecommunications, we want to make the transition to 4G to be smooth and seamless for our 10 million customers in Delhi & NCR. We want them to be 4G-ready so that they can start experiencing the benefits of high-speed mobile internet services as soon as they are launched commercially. Hence, this facility to upgrade to 4G-ready SIMs in advance. We are excited and fully geared up to launch our 4G services on the superior 1800 MHz band in Delhi & NCR very soon,” said Apoorva Mehrotra, Business Head–Delhi & NCR, Vodafone India.

Along the lines of what it had earlier promised to customers in Mumbai, Vodafone is also making arrangements for home delivery of 4G-ready SIMs to its premium customers across Delhi & NCR region. A formal communication is being sent out to all these customers with details of the initiative

January 21, 2016
Can LeEco Make Good on its Promises?

LeTV rebranded itself as LeEco to reflect its new direction forward. The company held an event yesterday in India where it spoke about its new brand, which involves an open ‘ecosystem’ with a connected world. To do this, LeEco is diversifying itself. The company that started with television and content (hence the original name) has moved on to other venues like smart cycles, internet-linked electric cars, and smartphones.

LeEco’s Ecosystem

Yesterday, LeEco launched three new smartphones in India – Le Max, Le 1s and Le Max Sapphire. The first half of the event, however, was used to talk about the brand’s new ideology. The company’s move towards a comprehensive ecosystem incorporate’s four aspects – Culture, Technology, Internet, and Platform. The idea is to have a broad, connected reach. LeEco has already begun this by launching smart accessories, online content, TV, mobile, and electric vehicle by partnering with Faraday Future.

Flash Sale: Can it Deliver the Goods?

Indeed, LeEco wants to be everywhere. But the question is whether the company can deliver. In India, after launching the smartphones yesterday, the company stated that it will hold its first flash sale on Flipkart on the 2nd of February. There are some reasons why customers in India may feel a little hesitant in going with LeEco’s new offerings.

Firstly, one needs to give props to the company in terms of pricing, especially for the Le 1s which is priced at a very impressive Rs 10,999. The company could have easily priced it a few notches higher given the device’s specs and premium look. Now, the Le 1s looks to give devices like the Lenovo K4 Note a run for its money. But will it?

Lenovo has established a good base in India and is one of the more trusted names. The company also held a flash sale recently on Tuesday and Wednesday for the K4 Note. The company also stated that it sold 10,000 units in less than a second. Registrations, however, shot up to 4 lakh. The uncertainty is how much of its K4 Note units Lenovo managed to deliver. Certainly there must have been a lot of disappointed fans.

LeEco sold over 4 million smartphones last year making it the fastest selling newcomer in the market. It beat the likes of Xiaomi, Meizu and OnePlus on that front. For comparison sake, Xiaomi took a year to sell 400,000 units while Meizu sold 600,000 units.

LeEco’s flash sale will put to test just how well its ‘superphones’ will be received in India. The company’s refusal in providing a figure when asked how many units it plans on selling is not a good sign as it does lead one to question if the company is prepared for the Indian market at all.

No Physical Stores Will be a Hindrance

Moreover, without brick and mortar, it’s hard to imagine how LeEco will sustain in the Indian market. On that note as well the company refused to answer when asked when it plans to open up physical stores in India.

Even today, physical stores remain key to sales of smartphones. Companies cannot rely solely on e-commerce sites like Flipkart and Amazon for sustainment. Granted, LeEco is still early in its entry into a myriad of businesses, but the company does have enough financial backing for brick and mortar.

On a number of occasions at yesterday’s event, LeEco did not shy away from taking jabs at Apple. The company not only compared its Le Max to the iPhone 6s, but also criticised Apple’s closed ecosystem. However, one has to wonder that in naming Apple over and over again, isn’t LeEco establishing the Cupertino giant’s dominance?

When it comes to demand and supply, Apple has delivered on units in surplus. LeEco has a tough job ahead if it wants to entry the top three brand in the country as it claimed yesterday. Given its track record in China, LeEco has done exceedingly well. However, without a proper manufacturing base in India it may see some hiccups. While the company begins to establish itself in the country, it needs to be careful on how much it can deliver initially. A disappointing flash sale will in effect damage the company’s image before it even gets started.

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January 21, 2016
Apple Files Application to Set Up Retail Stores in India

Amid growing concerns over the stagnating economies in the western markets, and slowing pace of its own sales in China, Cupertino-based tech giant, Apple Inc, is looking for new markets to expand its business to. On that list of unconquered lands for Apple, India finds itself at the top.

Apple which has seen a jump of 90% in sales in the country during the last fiscal year is zooming in increasingly on India as the new frontier for its products. To Apple’s credit the company has been quietly building infrastructure for such a move by boosting advertising, logistics network, and most importantly lowering prices for old phones to start making deeper inroads into the homes of millions of customers.

The next step in this process it seems will be Apple setting up shop in the country. The company plans to bring to Indian customers its very own Apple Stores in the coming months. These stores which are renowned world over for encapsulating Apple’s DNA in their ambience and design will soon start selling you the whole Apple experience.

According to reports, Apple Inc. has filed an application with the department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP) to open its own branded stores in India. “We have just received Apple’s proposal. We are examining it,” said DIPP secretary Amitabh Kant.

Apple already has over 460 branded stores worldwide, but there is no information as of now regarding how many such stores Apple wants to set up in India. The move comes on the heels of the government easing foreign direct investment (FDI) rules for single-brand retail in the country. According to new rules, the government has relaxed the mandatory local procurement stipulation for technology manufacturing companies and allowed single-brand retail permission holders to sell their products directly online.

Apple along with its own branded stores also plans to set up mini stores within stores in a bid to promote its brand. The first set of these could be seen opening at Chroma in the near future.

January 21, 2016
Samsung Galaxy S7 Antutu Leak Confirms Hardware

Samsung is being tipped to launch the Galaxy S7 during the Mobile World Congress next month, and as expected the internet has gone into overdrive with rumours and leaks of this upcoming phone. Latest set of leaks about the phone confirm to us the underhood specs of the Galaxy S7.

As it had been reported for some time now, the S7 would come in two variants, the S7 Edge, and the flat screen S7. The curved screen Edge is expected to sport a Snapdragon processor with a 5.1-inch QHD screen along with 4 GB of RAM. The other model, the Galaxy S7 will come equipped with a Exynos processor.

All this news comes from Antutu’s Weibo page. The Galaxy S7 (SM-G930F), apart from sporting the new Exynos 8890, will also come with a 5.1″ 1440 x 2560 pixels screen, 12 MP rear camera, 5 MP front camera, 4 GB of RAM, and 64 GB of internal storage.

As it is visible, the only difference between the S7 and the S7 Edge is the choice of the SoC. Sporting two different processor is not a new strategy for Samsung. The Galaxy flagships have done so in the past, except for last year’s lineup which dropped Snapdragon altogether from the show.

January 21, 2016
Xiaomi Mi 5 Design Revealed in Leaked Photo

Xiaomi is exactly a month away from unveiling its newest flagship smartphone, but leaks and rumours over the past few weeks have let little to the imagination. The specifications are all but confirmed and some images and renders of the phone have also told us what the Mi 5 is going to look like. And just because fans cannot have enough of leaked photos, there’s one more that shows the device in its glorious white body.

This new photo shared by Weibo has the Mi 5 lying on its back showing the white frontal glimpse with its 5.2-inch screen and a home button which is likely to house a fingerprint scanner. The image is in line with previous leaks of the handset. The glass top is surrounded by a metal frame, and the headphone jack is placed on top.

Xiaomi has made some obvious changes to the Mi 5 compared to its predecessor. The home button is present now and the device sports a curved look moving away from the box-like design of the Mi 4. Other specs that are hardly a secret now include a Snapdragon 820 chipset with 4GB of RAM. The storage is 16GB, though a 64GB option is very likely. The device will run MIUI 7 (based on Android 5.1).

On the camera front, the Mi 5 is set to sport a 16MP camera on the back with dual-LED flash and an 8MP selfie camera. The device is complete with a 3,600mAh battery. The Mi 5 is also a dual-SIM handset, both 4G LTE-enabled.

Pricing of the Mi 5 will be revealed at the launch later in February. Rumours have suggested that the Mi 5 will cost more than its predecessors given the next-gen specs involved. We’ll know more when the device s unveiled on the 21st of February at MWC.

January 21, 2016