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YouTube To Add Offline Video Playback To Its Mobile Apps

Aside from background playback — the ability to turn off the screen and continue listening to content — the main drawback to YouTube on mobile is its inability to play clips without a network connection.

Keeping on top of your YouTube subscriptions can be a pain without reliable cellular connectivity, as there’s currently no way to officially download videos for offline playback. That’s set to change in November, however, with the video site announcing that it will add the long awaited feature in an update to its mobile apps.

Google posted that later this year it will scratch at least one of those itches, allowing ”people to add videos to their device to watch for a short period when an Internet connection is unavailable.”

As the YouTube team says on its blog that viewers will be able to keep offline videos “for a short period”, with AllThingsD claiming that there will be a 48-hour window.

This may seem like a minor update, but offline caching is becoming an integral part of the mobile experience, especially for those users who have limited bandwidth who want to preload music videos and other clips over WiFi before leaving on a morning commute.

No word on whether background playback will be added at a future date, but we’re pretty excited for this development.

September 18, 2013
Apple Releases iTunes 11.1 With iTunes Radio, Genius Shuffle And iOS 7 support
Apple’s continuous endeavor to improve its products and software has led to the next release of their music playing software, iTunes.

Features in the new software, according to Apple, include:
- Tunes Radio. Choose from over 250 stations or start a new one from your favorite artist or song. Enjoy iTunes Radio ad-free once you subscribe to iTunes Match.
- Genius Shuffle. Introducing a magical new way to experience your music library. Choose Genius Shuffle and iTunes instantly plays songs that go great together. Click it again to hear something new—enjoying your music has never been this easy.
- Podcast Stations. You can now create custom stations of your favorite podcasts that update automatically with new episodes. Your stations, subscriptions, and current play position sync over iCloud to the Podcasts app.
- Sync with iOS 7. You can now use iTunes to sync your favorite music, movies, and more to devices with iOS 7. In addition, iTunes now makes it even easier to quickly organize and sync apps to your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
Also remember that iTunes Radio is for U.S. iTunes account holders only for now, with no word on when international users will gain access just yet.

You can grab the new update from Apple’s website or by checking for updates in iTunes.
September 18, 2013
Internet Explorer 11 Release Preview For Windows 7 Now Available

For the past few months, Windows 8.1 Release Preview users have been able to test drive the latest Internet Explorer – Internet Explorer 11. Now Windows 7 users are getting that same opportunity.

Microsoft announced today that the Internet Explorer 11 Release Preview is now available on Windows 7. Just like the Windows 8 version, IE11 will make extensive use of hardware acceleration. According to Microsoft, this new version is about 9% faster than IE10 and 5% faster than the developer preview. Microsoft also claims Internet Explorer 11 is 30% faster than any other browser.

Microsoft also has removed the prefixes from the Pointer Events API for HTML5. That means that the API will no longer an IE-specific flag to work in non-IE browsers. The API governs how the browser reacts to input from multiple “pointers,” including mouse, pen, and touch screens, which are of utmost importance to Microsoft now that most Windows 8 hardware ships with touch screens.

“This release also signals the final preview release before general availability of IE11 for Windows 7 later this fall,” said Roger Capriotti, Microsoft’s senior director of product marketing for Internet Explorer, in a statement.

No word yet on the final release, but given the timing, certainly by the end of the year, we’re guessing within 30 days of the general availability of Windows 8.1.

It can be downloaded from the Microsoft Download site here: Internet Explorer 11 Release Preview for Windows 7.

September 18, 2013
Now Indian Doctor Uses Google Glass in Surgery

Not very long ago, Doctors used Google Glass for a surgery at Ohio State University, which helped medical students to see from the Doctors prospective. Now, in India a surgeon operated upon two persons wearing Google glass, allowing people across the globe to see the procedure live.

Chennai based Dr JS Rajkumar, laparoscopy surgeon and chairman of Lifeline Hospital, became the second surgeon in the world to operate using the Glass on Tuesday.

Dr JS Rajkumar

“We at Lifeline have always been ahead technologically and this was just another such attempt,” said Dr Rajkumar.

“As a surgeon I could access whatever information was available on the surgery right inside the operation theater, and it is also a boon for medical students who can watch the surgery live on their computer screens anywhere in the world. Expert surgeons can guide surgeons during difficult surgeries from any part of the world,” he said.

Dr Rajkumar admitted to being a bit nervous at the start of the surgery.

I was a wee bit nervous initially, which was obvious, considering I was aware the whole world was watching. But it was a trial run and there will be more surgeries happening in the coming weeks, this is going to be a game changer as it will give you tremendous transparency, and I am proud to be the first person to introduce it in India,” said Dr Rajkumar.

September 18, 2013
Sony Launches Cyber-Shot DSC-QX100 and DSC-QX10 Lens Cameras in India

Sony today launched the all new lens cameras, DSC-QX100 and DSC-QX10 adding up to its Cyber-shot range. These cameras can easily clip on the smartphone and can be connected via NFC.

Both the lens cameras fits in all the popular smartphones, as said by the company and the connection to the phone is made via NFC and the latest version of Sony’s PlayMemories mobile app. The lens cameras do not have to be necessarily attached to the phone all the time as they can be placed anywhere the users want it to be and the shutter can still be controlled from the mobile.

DSC-QX10

The DSC-QX10 weighs 105 grams with the battery, the device has a 18.2 MP Exmor R CMOS sensor with the Sony G lens. The device has a 10x optical zoom range, along with a SteadyShot, which the company claims will combat with the camera shake, give steady and blur free videos.

DCS-QX100

On the other hand, the DCS-QX100 has a 1.0 type Exmor R CMOS sensor with 20.2 MP, this device has dedicated keys to control the zoom and shutter release on the camera body. This device is teamed with a wide aperture Carl-Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T lens with 3.6x optical zoom that also include a Optical SteadyShot.

Both these devices have BIONZ processors which the company claims will give natural, detailed packed stills and HD videos along with superior audio. The DSC-QX100 has a dedicated control ring for adjustment if manual focus and zoom.

Both of these devices are available throughout India starting today, the DSC-QX100 is priced at 24,990 INR and the DSC-Qx10 is priced at 12,990 INR. Our hands on video is on its way, Stay tuned!

September 18, 2013

Sony GTK-N1BT a 100W speaker with NFC Launched in India

Sony has launched the GTK-N1BT, the company’s new portable speaker in India. It has 100W output with NFC and Bluetooth connectivity options for smart devices to stream music without cables.

You can connect a USB stick to the USB port to stream the music in, the device also has FM Radio, Audio In and has Multi-colour LED patterns.

The detailed specs and features are listed in the table below:

Genral Features:
Power Requirement	AC220V-240V, 50/60Hz

Audio Power Output:
Front (RMS)	20W + 20W
Subwoofer (RMS)	60W

Function:
USB	Yes
FM	Yes
Audio In	Yes
Bluetooth	Yes

Sound Features:
Equalizer	R&B, ROCK, POP, HIP HOP, FLAT
Sound Enhancement	DSEE

Lightning Effect:
Power Illuminator (color)	Yes(Red)
LED Effect	LED SPEAKER(Multi-color)
Illuminated keys	Yes(Blue)

Convenience Features:
Demo Mode	Yes
Timer Play	FM, USB
Timer Sleep	FM, USB, AUDIO IN, BLUETOOTH
Clock Display	24 hours

Power:
Auto Standby Mode	Yes
Power Consumption	38W

Display:
Display Type (Main display)	1 Line LCD
Color	Black and White

Connectivity:
NFC	Yes
Bluetooth	Yes
Formats For Sound Playback	WAV, MP3, WMA and AAC

Front Speakers:
System	1 Way
Detachable Grille	No
Audio/Video Shield	No
Sub-woofer Unit Size	160 mm
Full Range Unit Size	65 mm x 2

Other Information:
Matrix Layout System	Yes
LED Speaker	Multi-color(10 pattern)
Carrying Handle	Yes

Weight and Measurements:
Dimensions (cms)	554 x 213 x 280
Weight (kg)	8.75

The device is launched in India for 16,990 INR.

September 18, 2013

Hands On : Sony Rs. 14990 SmartWatch 2 is lesson Samsung could use
In a massive blow to competition, Sony has launched the new SmartWatch 2 in India for a price of Rs. 14990. The Smart Watch 2 is an upgrade to Sony’s last generation of watch, aka the SmartWatch and adds a series of fixes and upgrades to the previous version.

SmartWatch 2 comes with a bigger 1.6-inch screen with higher resolution 220×176 pixels resolution, compared to the 1.3-inch screen 128×128 display on its predecessor. Sony has left out frills of the Samsung Gear out of the SmartWatch making it a companion device, allowing you to interact with your smartphone to the extent of notifications and data exchange. Although the SmartWatch 2 does not take phone calls and does not click images, it is considerably cheaper than Samsung’s pitch.

SmartWatch 2 just like the original SmartWatch lets you get updates from networks, Notifications, calls, email, Facebook or Twitter, Calendar, or use it as a remote for your Walkman app. The SmartWatch 2 comes pre loaded with a set of applications but more can be downloaded from the Sony store.

Apps allow several new features for the Sony SmartWatch2:
- Take a photo remotely with the smart camera app.
- Control your presentations remotely using Presentation Pal.
- Runtastic app allows to map and instantly track your fitness.
- Read previously downloaded e-mails when not connected to your phone.
- Control your music player.
Sony has continued their IP57 certification tradition with the SmartWatch 2 making it water and dust proof and a highly usable accessory. Sony has also one upped Samsung in making the watch face visible even when the display is off and allowing a battery life of upto a week on the SmartWatch 2.

The SmartWatch 2 as an accessory will work with any mobile phone with Bluetooth 4.0 or above and will work across mobile platforms on Android and iOS, another feature that the Galaxy Gear lacked.

Although two major elements (Phone call capability and image capture) are missing from the SmartWatch 2, it offers a more practical solution with a usable setup, the SmartWatch 2 is more flexible, compatible across platforms and durable.

So which one will you pick? The Galaxy Gear for Rs. 22990 or the SmartWatch 2 for Rs. 14990?

Stay tuned for our hands on video.

Related :

[youtube id=”QOSa1y5ZRjc” width=”100%” height=”300px”]
September 18, 2013
Sony Launches Xperia Z1 in India for Rs. 44990

Sony has launched the its Xperia Z1 smartphone today in India, for a price of Rs 44990. The new Sony Xperia Z1 has a IP58 certification making it seriously dust and water resistant.

The Sony Xperia Z1 is the latest flagship smartphone for the company, it includes a 5-inch full HD 1080p display (441ppi) sporting Sony’s TRILUMINOS screen tech and X-Reality for mobile. The device is powered by a 2.2 Ghz Snapdragon 800 chipset, along with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage (expandable via Micro SD).

The device sports a 20.7 MP Exmor RS sensor with a size of 1/2.3?, along with a G Lens from its higher-end cameras. Its F2.0 aperture and 27 mm wide-angle lens can be the biggest competitor for the Nokia’s flagship device Lumia 1020.

The camera on Xperia Z1 will include set of Xperia Camera Applications like Social Live, Info-Eye, Time Shift Burst and Ar Effect. You can expect are hands on this device really soon.

Sony has launched the phone with an 8GB data bundle for 3 months with Vodafone. Sony has also launched the Smarrt Watch 2 for a price of Rs 14990 .

[toggle title=”Press Release”]Sony introduces Xperia™ Z1 – a stunning waterproof smartphone

with a groundbreaking camera experience

• Combines the very best of Sony’s technology in a slim, waterproof and

beautifully designed Android smartphone

• True compact camera performance through combination of Sony’s awardwinning “G Lens”, large 1/2.3-type 20.7MP “Exmor RS for mobile” CMOS image

sensor and “BIONZ for mobile” image processing engine

• Innovative suite of Xperia Camera Applications that deliver unique experiences

including live social broadcasting

• Immersive viewing experience via Sony’s TRILUMINOS® Display for mobile and

X-Reality™ for mobile

• Unrivalled ecosystem of applications, accessories and companion products

Sony India today introduced Xperia Z1, a premium waterproof smartphone that combines the

very best of Sony’s technology, entertainment and wide range of companion products with a

unique and groundbreaking camera experience.

The world’s leading camera in a smartphone

The elegant, 5” Xperia Z1 is the latest addition to Sony’s premium Z series of products and

brings Sony’s proven world-class technologies to the smartphone like never before – including

the very best of Sony’s camera expertise. Xperia Z1 features Sony’s award-winning “G Lens”

with a 27mm wide angle and bright F2.0 aperture, custom made large 1/2.3-type CMOS image

sensor Exmor RS for mobile with 20.7MP and a BIONZ for mobile image processing engine.

The combination of these technologies delivers the same level of quality and performance as

a conventional compact digital camera in a slim, waterproof smartphone. Indeed, independent

testing has confirmed that Xperia Z1 provides the best overall image quality of all leading

smartphones

in lowlight conditions. High shutter speeds and 3x clear image zoom also prevents shots from

being blurred while enabling them to be captured at distance.

Innovative suite of Xperia Camera Applications

Xperia Z1 takes the conventional camera experience to a whole new level by including an

innovative set of Xperia Camera Applications that deliver new experiences. Applications at

launch include:

• Social live: Broadcast precious moments live from Xperia Z1 to Facebook and get

your friends’ comments right on your screen.

1

. This means that Xperia Z1 captures beautiful, sharp and bright images even

1Based on consumer research conducted by Strategy Analytics conducted on 23rd

August 2013.

• Info-eye™: Innovative visual search function that provides related information on

landmarks and on items such as books or wine simply by capturing them with the

camera.

• Timeshift burst: Capture the perfect shot every time – Xperia Z1 takes 61 images in

2 seconds – a second before and after pressing the shutter – so you can scroll back and

forth to find the perfect image.

• AR effect: Overlay a selection of fun, customizable animations to create pictures using

Sony’s SmartAR™ augmented reality technology.

This experience is supported by a robust ecosystem of established and up-and-coming

developer partnerships who are working to create Xperia Camera Applications. Many more

apps will be available through the Sony Select recommendation store after launch.

Beautiful design with high power and performance

Xperia Z1 also includes all of the features consumers have come to expect of a Sony

smartphone. Its stunning looks combine Sony’s acclaimed OmniBalance design with premium

materials and precision engineering in a slim waterproof and dust resistant smartphone (IP55

& IP58). A solid one-piece aluminium frame with tempered glass on the front and back ensures

beauty and durability as well as a consistent viewing experience from any angle.

Xperia Z1 features the fully integrated Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 800 processor with 2.2 GHz

quad-core CPU. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor features the latest GPU and dual

ISP for incredible graphics, 3D games and videos. The Xperia Z1 also includes a 3000 mAh

battery for a high battery performance. Sony’s Battery STAMINA Mode automatically turns off

functions to save power when you don’t need them and restarts them when you do.

Incredible out of the box entertainment with Sony’s media applications

and technologies

• Sony Music: Sony is all set to give its consumers an unparalleled & faster entertainment

experience by offering 6 months free Unlimited streaming & music download of over 15 lakh

songs such as International, Bollywood & Regional songs from Sony Music library

• Sony LIV: Sony will also have a unique video streaming app called Sony Liv. With this

app, consumers can enjoy catch-up TV of SAB, Sony Entertainment and Max. Not only this,

Xperia users will have exclusive access to special moments of KBC & Indian Idol. They can

even watch over 77 programs and over 4500 hours of videos of their favorite programs.

Majestic display

Thanks to the inclusion of Sony’s BRAVIA TV technology, Xperia Z1 features Sony’s unique

TRILUMINOS Display for mobile, creating a wider palette of rich natural colours for an

immersive viewing experience. It also includes X-Reality for mobile – Sony’s intelligent super

resolution technology which analyzes each image and optimizes the quality to deliver super

sharp videos. Xperia Z1 also brings Sony’s audio expertise to play with Sony’s ClearAudio+

which automatically optimizes the audio experience without the need to adjust individual

settings.

Unrivalled ecosystem of companion products and smart accessories

Xperia Z1 is supported by an ecosystem of innovative companion products and accessories.

All are underpinned by Sony’s one-touch functions with NFC technology which will number

approximately 100 compatible products by the end of the year including TVs, headphones,

audio speakers, tablets, and more. Key products include:

Companion products to enhance the camera experience

• QX10/QX100: High-performance ‘lens-style’ cameras designed for mounting on

smartphones and operated through the smartphone screen – a perfect partner for the

Z1.

A host of other companion products and smart accessories that enrich your

smartphone experience.

• SmartWatch 2 – Use as a second screen for Xperia Z1. Read messages, handle calls,

easily access notifications – all from your wrist. Trigger the Xperia Z1 camera shutter.

Download other camera apps to enhance the Xperia Z1 experience. Sony is working

closely with developers for even more optimised apps

• SBH52 Smart Bluetooth Handset – Splash proof wireless audio accessory that enables

you to listen and talk without taking out your smartphone.

• MDR-10BT NFC headphones and SRS-BTS50 wireless speaker – New, high quality

NFC enabled headphones and wireless speaker.

Xperia Z1 key specifications

• Sony’s “G Lens”: A lens with F2.0 and wide angle 27mm as well as 3x clear image

zoom.

• BIONZ for mobile: Image processing engine with the algorithm from Sony’s leading

digital compact cameras. It ensures pictures have less noise, fast auto-focus as well as

high stable images for video shooting, preventing shots from being blurred.

• 1/2.3-type Exmor RS for mobile CMOS image sensor with 20.7MP: high sensitivity

sensor capturing huge amounts of detail for sharp, crisp images, even in low-light

conditions.

• Dust resistant and waterproof (IP55 & IP58), with acclaimed OmniBalance design

featuring durable tempered glass and solid one-piece aluminium frame

• Qualcomm Snapdragon™800 quad-core 2.2 Ghz processor, 3000 mAh battery

• Xperia Camera Applications such as Social live which broadcast to Facebook. More

applications will be available to download from Sony Select.

• Memory: RAM 2 GB, Flash memory up to 16 GB, Expansion slot microSD™ card, up to

64 GB.

The newly launched Xperia Z1 will be available across all Sony Center and major electronic

stores across India.[/toggle]

September 18, 2013
Micromax Funbook P255 Available Online For 4,499 INR

Micromax has launched another budget tablet adding to its Funbook series, the Funbook P255, which is priced at INR. 4,499.

According to the information at hand, the Micromax Funbook P255 has a 7-inch capacitive display with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels. It sports a 2 megapixel rear camera and a 0.3 megapixel front-facing camera. The device is powered by a 1.2 GHz Cortex-A8 processor with Mali-400 GPU and comes with a 512 MB of RAM.

The device has an inbuilt 1.15 GB of available storage that is expandable up to 32 GB via micro SD card. The Funbook P255 surprisingly, runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The Funbook P255 includes a 2600 mAh battery. The connectivity options on the tablet are Wi-Fi and 3G (via dongle support).

September 18, 2013
Report : Nokia Delays Lumia 1520 Launch Due To Microsoft Deal

The Nokia Lumia 1520 will, if everything goes according to leaks, be the first Windows Phone-powered phablet, a device with a rather large screen that we’ve seen leaked, rumored, mentioned, etc. a lot in the past couple of weeks. Rumor had it that Nokia was supposed to launch this phone at a late-September New York event but on Sunday we’ve heard the first report claiming the event was delayed. The report comes from Reuters.

Reuters could not confirm a new Lumia 5120 launch date, and a Nokia spokesman declined to comment.

The report says that Nokia took this step on the heels of a deal to sell its handset business and license patents to Microsoft. While waiting for that transaction to be closed, Nokia will continue to function as a separate company, though without Stephen Elop, who has stepped aside to avoid potential conflicts of interest.

We’re expecting the Nokia Lumia 1520 to come with a 6-inch 1080p resolution display, Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage (with micro SD card slot), 20MP camera with PureView technology (OIS) and ZEISS lens, NFC support, wireless charging with optional cover, and comes in red, yellow, black and white colours.

Under Elop, Nokia struggled to close the gap with Samsung Electronics and Apple in smartphones, although it has stepped up its pace of product launches in the past year.

[Via]

September 17, 2013
Apple Offering “Last Compatible Version” Of iOS Apps

A new feature has been spotted that has been rolled out by Apple that provides a little love for the older germination hardware and iOS applications now that Apple iOS 7 will be launching tomorrow, together with the new Apple iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C smartphones launching on Friday September 20th.

The new Apple iOS feature offers the “Last Compatible Version” to older Apple hardware running older versions of Apples iOS mobile operating system.

Image Via Reddit

The feature appears when a person attempts to download an app with a new version that’s not compatible with the flavor of iOS that they’re running. A pop-up will appear to explain that the requested app requires a newer version of iOS, but that the user can download the last compatible version that was made available.

This new feature should make it pretty simple for folks trucking along with old iOS hardware to continue to use their favorite apps, even if they require a newer version of Apple’s software than the device is capable of running. It’s certainly a nice little surprise for those users, especially on the eve of iOS 7’s arrival.

It’s a smart move, as older iPhones are resold around the world and often stay in use years after Apple stopped selling the device. This allows those owners to have access to apps that run efficiently on those devices, which helps with the overall user experience and Apple’s ecosystem.

If you’re rocking an older piece of iOS hardware, such as aniPhone 3G or first-generation iPod touch, you can try it out yourself by hitting up the App Store.

September 17, 2013
Rumour : HTC One Max Will Rival iPhone 5S With Fingerprint Sensor

The HTC One Max is coming — this is known — but whether it will have a few features to differentiate it from the growing line of jumbo Android devices remains to be seen.

In a recently-leaked photo, the HTC One Max appears to have a fingerprint reader around back, underneath the UltraPixel camera sensor. It’s unclear whether it will perform similarly to that of the iPhone 5s, or even the Motorola Atrix, which debuted in 2011, but that it is becoming a trend is clear.

In the midst of Apple unveiling it’s iPhone 5S, which features a fingerprint scanner, the stakes are suddenly higher for several competitor manufactures for whom fingerprint scanner rumors have circulated for months. Notably, many other rumored fingerprint scanners appear to be in different locations on their devices. The fingerprint scanner on the iPhone 5S can be found superimposed into the power button on the device, while the supposed fingerprint scanner on the HTC One is located on the back panel.

Based on rumors, HTC One Max will feature a 5.9-inch full HD display sporting a resolution of 1080 x 1920, quad-core Snapdragon 800 chipset with a clock speed of 2.3GHz, 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage with a microSD card slot, a massive 3,300 mAh battery and an UltraPixel camera on the back. On the software side, the purported HTC One Max will run Android 4.3 out of the box.

[Via]

September 17, 2013
Kik Crosses 80 Million Users Milestone

Kik Interactive, the Waterloo-based company that is building a messaging empire in Kik Messenger, announced today they have reached a user base of 80 million users.

By adding 225,000 users every day, the company has managed to grow its base by 30 million users since April, when it released its last major version, and is poised to continue its quick rise as it focuses on adding more content to its HTML5-based Cards ecosystem.

Kik began monetizing its platform by charging for sticker packs and coins, which are redeemed for intra-Card purchases. Partners like Zynga have begun offering games within the app, and Kik has added single-serving features like Reddit photo and YouTube search, the results of which can be shared between users.

The messaging wars, as they’re facetiously referred to, are big business, with companies like Facebook and Path attempting to get an edge in. Thanks to Kik’s ultra-fast delivery system they have an advantage, but it will be interesting to see what they do to ensnare the next 80 million.

The company raised a Series B funding round of $19.5 million back in April, and though they have been relatively quiet since then, launching version 6.6 in early September, it’s clear there are loftier plans in the pipe.

September 17, 2013
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear Launched in India (PR)

Samsung has officially announced the Galaxy Note 3 smartphone in India, a device that promises to be faster than its predecessor while keeping the tradition of being thinner, lighter and more compact than the Note II.

The 5.7-inch device has a full HD Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels, is 8.3 mm thick and weighs 168 grams, it is actually thinner and lighter than the Note II. The device is also powered by a 3200 mAh battery and comes with a soft-touch, textured backing in three colors, black, white and pink.

Note 3 White

The back of the Galaxy Note 3 features a 13 megapixel camera which does Full HD Recording @60fps and is not capable of 4k video recording, as the Note 3 comes with 1.9 Ghz Octa-Core(Exynos) processor in India unlike the snapdragon 800 in the other countries. The device comes with 32 GB of inbuilt storage and is priced at 49,990 INR.

The back of the Note 3 seems hand crafted which gives a premium feel, he added – We are proud of the way it looks and performs” – Vineet Taneja (Country head, Samsung India)

The new S-pen comes with alot of new features like: Action Memo, Scrapbook, Screen Write, S Finder and the Pen Window.

New S -Pen

The Note 3 has a new Multi Window, in which users can toggle between apps without closing the window or opening a new window. It also has drag and drop mode in which users can easily drag and drop content like text or image from one window to another. The Multi Vision featires allows users to put together upto five Galaxy note 3, and create a big screen experience. The device will include the Samsung KNOX and Find My Mobile apps.

The Galaxy Note 3 will also include a 12 month of premium membership for the Evernote app, and will give 2 GB of internet data to the Vodafone customers for two months. The device will come preloaded with support of 11 regional languages including Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Oriya and Assamese.

Galaxy Gear

Along with the Galaxy Note 3, Samsung also launched the Galaxy Gear in India. The device, Samsung claims, is a true companion to the Note 3. The Galaxy Gear gives notification for messages, emails and calls alerts to the users. If an user wants to view the message on the phone instead of the Gear, as soon as one would look at the screen the smart relay feature would pop up the same message on the bigger screen of the phone.

At the launch Vineet Taneja (Country head for Samsung India) said that the Galaxy Gear will be compatible with Galaxy Note 3 for now, and soon we will get updates for it to work with Galaxy S4 and the Note II, he also said that the Gear should work with any device that supports Bluetooth 4.0 for its basic features. The Galaxy Gear is water resistant and is price at 22,990 INR.

For More information, you can see our Hands On with the Galaxy Note 3 and Gear Here.

[toggle title=”Press Release”]
Design the Story of your Life with Samsung GALAXY Note 3

– Enhanced S Pen features and larger screen optimized for multitasking provide a delightful mobile experience that brings passions to life

– Samsung Galaxy Gear launched in India

New Delhi, India – September 17, 2013 – Samsung Electronics, India’s number one smartphone provider, today introduced GALAXY Note 3, the latest update to the Note product line. The new Samsung GALAXY Note 3 adds delight to daily tasks and infuses innovative features that help consumers tell the story of their lives. Samsung GALAXY Note 3 delivers a larger and better screen for the best viewing experience and more powerful multitasking, and introduces significant S Pen improvements that make everyday life easier and faster.

GALAXY Note 3 makes your everyday life amazing

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Vineet Taneja, Country Head, Samsung Mobile & IT, stated, “The GALAXY Note 3 represents the next evolution of the GALAXY Note experience. It meets the needs of consumers for a smarter larger screen, makes everyday life easier with the S pen and is much slimmer, lighter, more powerful, and comes with a beautiful design. At Samsung, our goal is not just to make great devices, but to empower consumers to truly experience…enjoy…and fulfill their busy life with our devices, like the Note 3 and the Gear.”

Samsung GALAXY Note 3 comes with a larger (5.7inch) full HD Super AMOLED display, yet slimmer (8.3mm) and lighter (168g) hardware design, and more powerful and longer lasting (3,200mAh) battery. Also, equipped with a 13 megapixel rear camera with Smart Stabilization and high CRI LED flash, Samsung GALAXY Note 3 enables users to crisply capture every visual story in their lives, even in low light and active situations. Incorporating the industry’s largest 3GB RAM, the GALAXY Note 3 also provides faster and more powerful performance.

Balancing GALAXY Note 3’s strength with artistic design

In addition to meaningful technological advancements, Samsung GALAXY Note 3 delivers a new premium look and feel. Expanding on the modern Samsung GALAXY design approach, Samsung GALAXY Note 3 adds a soft and textured-touch back cover and delicate stitching. It also features a serration pattern on the side of the device that evokes a connection to the timeless and enduring strengths of classic notebooks and planners. Samsung GALAXY Note 3 will be available in Jet Black, Classic White and Blush Pink. In order to encourage its customers to express their personality and taste, Samsung will also offer exchangeable back covers in dozens of additional colors at launch.

Click S Pen to make life easier, faster and more exciting

The new S Pen reinvents and modernizes the classic note-taking experience by providing the ability to accomplish everyday tasks with just one click. The advanced S Pen is designed to be fully functional as a communication driver between the phone and the user by creating essential input and control features. It plays an integral role in how users interface with the device, making all daily routines easier.

A simple click of the S Pen button while hovering over the screen introduces users to Air Command, a palette of five powerful features that truly make tasks easier and faster. With the Air Command feature, there is no need to toggle between screens, memorize commands or look up different menus. The Air Command feature provides access to the following key functions:

• Action Memo allows users to handwrite a note, and automatically execute a function or convert that handwritten information into formatted content. Action Memo can instantly initiate a call, add to contacts, look up an address on a map, search the web, save a task to a to-do list, and more.
• Scrapbook enables users to organize or track down content and information from various sources including the web, YouTube and Gallery in one place so that users can easily look back at collected content all at once. When consumers save content for future use, Scrapbook also collects source material or URLs allowing them to easily refer back to the original source.
• The Screen Write feature captures the full screen image of the current page on the device and allows users to write comments or additional information onto the captured image.
• S Finder allows users to expansively search for content on their device regardless of the type. By putting in keywords or filters such as date, location, and content type, users can search related documents, events, communication threads, and even the Help page – all in one place. In addition, users can also search for hand-written content in their Notes and memo applications, as well as symbols and formulas.
• Pen Window allows users to use the S Pen not only for drawing sketches or writing notes, but now also for opening a small application window for a true multitasking experience. Simply by drawing a window of any size, anywhere on the screen, users can easily and quickly open another application window such as YouTube, calculator or Browser without pausing current activity on the screen.

For more advanced note-taking, the new S Note presents a comprehensive solution that enables consumers to easily write, organize, edit and browse notes with a user-friendly interface and the Easy Chart feature. The new S Note can also be synced with Evernote or a Samsung account and be enabled for accessing and viewing from different devices. Furthermore, when a user wants only a certain part of an image to be taken from the web or Note 3 content, the advanced new Easy Clip feature allows them to roughly draw around the desired image and then it converts that content into a more precisely cropped image.

Larger Note screen delivers enriched viewing experience and enables you to do more

The Samsung GALAXY Note 3 delivers a larger screen and the increased size is matched with powerful improvements that allow users to fully utilize the additional screen space. The 5.7-inch Full HD Super AMOLED screen provides a stunning and defined video viewing experience for watching Full HD content, distinct clarity for reading and an elegant canvas for content creation.

My Magazine provides a personalized news, social media, entertainment and in-the-moment content experience. Developed through a partnership with Flipboard, it offers an integrated content consuming experience in a modern and dynamic magazine-style layout.

The GALAXY Note 3 enables enhanced multitasking capabilities that allow users to fully utilize the larger screen.

• With the new Multi Window, users can toggle seamlessly between applications without closing the window or opening a new page, allowing for enhanced productivity and collaboration across programs. Consumers can also run one application in two windows at the same time. For instance, users can read the news in one browser while conducting a web search in another, or send an instant message through ChatON to a friend while reading a message from another friend.
• In addition, using Drag and Drop mode within the new Multi Window, users can easily drag and drop content such as a text or image from one window to the other in an instant.
• Pen Window from Air Command further enhances multitasking experience by allowing consumers to draw a window on the screen and launching popular applications while continuing current tasks on the GALAXY Note 3.

An improvement to Group Play, video sharing, is now available. Originally introduced along with the GALAXY S4, Group Play allows users to play the same music, to play games together, and to share documents. It now enables consumers to share videos and play content together with their friends simultaneously. Users can also connect up to five devices alongside each other to create a “big screen” viewing experience using the Multi Vision feature of the Samsung Note 3.

Samsung KNOX & Find My Mobile

The new GALAXY Note 3 comes with enhanced privacy and security protection provided by Samsung KNOX. Users can activate Samsung KNOX with ease which allows them to run and store security-sensitive applications and data inside a protected execution environment called “container.” The security inside the container is strengthened by system-level protection of Samsung KNOX against malware and phishing attacks as well as hacking attempts on physical devices when devices are stolen or lost. For instance, important personal pictures or video can be stored in the container with no worries for data leakage due to hacking. In addition, users may choose to store enterprise applications and data such as corporate email, contacts and calendar and allow the IT department to manage the container through EAS (Exchange ActiveSync Server). These features make the GALAXY Note 3 an ideal device for BYOD (Bring-Your-Own-Device to work)

Furthermore, the GALAXY Note 3 is equipped with an improved Find My Mobile feature that allows users to disable the phone when it is stolen or lost. With the enhanced user authentication, the technology prevents stolen mobile phones from being reset to factory settings, and allows users to remotely track or erase the data from their lost or stolen mobile phones.

GALAXY Gear, the smart companion for GALAXY Note 3

Simultaneously announced with Samsung GALAXY Note 3, GALAXY Gear is a new concept device that allows users to live life in the moment while staying connected. GALAXY Gear will notify users and give them quick previews of incoming texts, emails and more coming from GALAXY Note 3. It will provide a range of other valuable features and commands that extend the GALAXY Note 3 experience. When an incoming message requires more than a quick glance, users can simply pick up their Samsung GALAXY devices and the Smart Relay feature will instantly reveal the full content on the screen. Together, GALAXY Note 3 and GALAXY Gear extend Samsung’s efforts to provide users with the opportunity to design their lives, to express their passions and to make everyday life more easy and enjoyable.

Available with 32GB internal storage along with an additional microSD card slot for an additional storage of upto 64GB, the Samsung GALAXY Note 3 and GALAXY Gear will be available in India commencing September 25, 2013. Consumers can also pre-book the device on the Samsung mobile e -store starting today.

Vernacular Language Support

The GALAXY Note 3 will come pre-loaded with support for 11 regional Indian languages including Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Oriya and Assamese.

Users get Offers worth INR 15000 absolutely free. Users can enjoy preloaded applications like Evernote, Dropbox and sketchbook pro. Through a Special zone called Content Gifts within Samsung apps starting 1st of October users can also enjoy offers on wide range of services like NY Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, Bitcasa, Oxford Dictionary and Angry Birds Star Wars 2.

Price and Offers

The Samsung GALAXY Note 3 is priced at Rs 49,900/- while the Gear is priced at Rs. 22,990/-. As part of its introductory offer, all Samsung Note 3 customers who are using Vodafone 2G services will get 2GB Internet per month free for two months on Vodafone 3G/EDGE/2G Networks.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in technology, opening new possibilities for people everywhere. Through relentless innovation and discovery, we are transforming the worlds of televisions, smartphones, personal computers, printers, cameras, home appliances, LTE systems, medical devices, semiconductors and LED solutions. We employ 270,000 people across 79 countries with annual sales of US$187.8 billion. To discover more, please visit www.samsung.com.
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September 17, 2013
Hands on with the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear

Samsung today launched two new devices for the Indian market, the Note 3 and the Galaxy Gear smart watch. Both devices intended for higher end segment of the consumer market, keeping the word “premium” prevalent throughout the launch event.

The Galaxy Note 3 is the third iteration smart phone in the Note series of devices in the Samsung Galaxy stable, and keeps up with the yearly enhancements. In India the Note 3 is priced at a hefty Rs. 49900. for the 32GB variant. Major changes include a 5.7 inch Super AMOLED with a 1920x1080p resolution, a 13 MP rear camera and new enhanced SPen functions : including Air Command, an on-screen portal to four specific features Action Memo, Scrapbook, Screen Write, S Finder and Pen Window. There’s also a new and improved Multi Window feature, which now allows for data sharing and interaction between apps.

The over build quality appears to have been improved thanks to a warmer-feel back panel, which unfortunately on the inside remains completely plastic. The new S Pen is also sleeker and appears to have been redesigned. The phone is practically as big as the Galaxy Note 2, so really no difference in size, but you do see a difference in screen size and overall usable display real estate.

India gets the restricted version of the Galaxy Note 3 with the Exynos chipset which restricts a lot of features like 4K video recording and LTE connectivity. The only version available in India will have a 32GB storage, while the company also claimed that no other variants will be officially available.

The Galaxy Gear has a definitive mind changing appeal, the series of images and digital renders by Samsung have failed to show the real feel of the Galaxy Gear. That being said the concept of an added wearable product is still young, and what the market is looking for is a real device not a tethered accessory. The Galaxy Gear is available for a strange price of Rs. 22990, which puts it above the most required space. Most people will be happier buying second devices rather than go in for a Bluetooth Accessory .

Check out the images below and stay tuned for our hands on video, along with unboxing and reviews coming shortly.

New S -Pen

Note 3 White

September 17, 2013