Category: Tech

Latest Technology News, Alternative, Bio-Tech, Medical, R&D and Innovations

Waterproof iPhone 7 May Have No Earphone Jack

According to sources, Apple has applied for a unique patent called “Electronic Devices with Housing Port Shutters”. This patent is unique in the realm of smartphones because it aims at sealing off all ports on the body of the handset to protect it from the entry of moisture or any kind of liquids. As a result, iPhone 7 is expected to come minus an ear-phone jack.

This technology would determine that the ports of the phone remain shut until there is a direct use for them. Like the speaker-shutters would shut if the sensors pick up any kind of moisture. In case of a call or message, the shutters would open to convey the sound, keeping the device protected from external agents at all other times.

Unofficial render of the iPhone 7

Additionally, a Japanese website, Macotakara, reported that Apple would remove the 3.5 mm port for earphones to make iPhone 7 slimmer. Users would have to use Bluetooth or the Lightning connector instead of the earphone port. Apple is also expected to take care of earpods that would connect to the Lightning port. A Lightning cable or a 3.5 mm-to-Lightning adapter would have to be provided by third-party sellers in order to ensure compatibility with iPhone 7.

Despite rumours of an early 2016-release, iPhone 7 is expected to arrive in September. Would you be willing to take chances with a handset that comes minus an earphone jack? Or has Apple taken it a little too far this time?

November 28, 2015
Six Best Wearable Tech of 2015

2015 has definitely been a year forward to the age of wearable tech, especially with tech wear becoming as much about technology as it was about fashion. Therefore, without further ado let’s delve into a list of wearable that shone out in through the year.

LG Urbane

This watch comes with a 1.3-inch circular P-OLED (320x320p resolution) display, 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 chipset paired with 512 MB RAM and 4GB of inbuilt memory. It has a 410mAh battery and comes packed with a Gyro, Accelerometer, Compass, Barometer and a heart rate sensor.

Price – Rs. 22,000 approximately.

November 28, 2015

Coolpad’s Qiku Smartphones launches Q Terra With DuoScopic Camera

Yet another Chinese smartphone makes its way to the Indian market, this one is called, Qiku Q Terra. This smartphone is priced at Rs.21,999 and also comes in a special price of Rs.19,999 for its ‘Gamechangers Fan Community’ through Q Invites.

The Qiku Q Terra is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 64-bit processor and comes with a 3GB RAM. Along with this it also has a 16GB of internal storage capacity that is expandable up to 128GB. It has a 6 inch FHD display with 1080 X 1920 pixel resolution. The exterior incorporates a magnalium alloy unibody, made from aluminum alloy.On the camera front the Q terra uses a DuoScopic Camera System that integrates two 13MP Sony back cameras – a IMX278 color sensor along with a B/W IMX214 sensor. Adding to this, the phone also offers an 8MP front camera with f/2.4 aperture.

The device runs on an Android based OS called the 360 OS. What’s different about this OS? It allows you to freeze unused apps, clear hidden third party software, and optimises the device performance based on your usage. Other features of this phone include a fingerprint scanner too.

Connectivity wise, it supports 4G LTE networks upto 300MB/s downstream and comes with dual SIM slots, one of which serves as the microSD (upto 128 GB) card slot. This entire device is fueled by a 3,700mAh battery. This phone will exclusively be available online through Gadgets 360 at the price mentioned above; and if you have that Q invite, then you will get a subsidized rate. The Q Terra will be rolled out from the 5th of December 2015.

Here are the specs:

Specifications	Qiku Q Terra
Display	6 inches
Resolution	1080 X 1920 pixel resolution
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 64-bit
RAM	3GB
Storage	16GB
Expandable Upto	128GB
Rear Camera	DuoScopic Camera System integrating two 13MP Sony back camera, IMX278 color sensor, B/W IMX214 sensor
Front Camera	8MP
Battery	3,700mAh battery
Operating System	Android based 360 OS
Connectivity	4G LTE networks upto 300MB/s, Dual SIM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS
Price	Rs.21,999/ 19,999 (only with Q invites)

November 27, 2015

Here’s a List Of Some of the Best Weekend Tech-Deals

It is Friday, which means we’re here to bring you the best-prices of some pretty cool gadgets for the weekend.

Micromax Canvas Juice 2 (Silver)

This smartphone comes with am 8MP rear camera and a 2MP front camera, 5 inch IPS HD capacitive touchscreen with 1280 x 720 pixels resolution, runs on Android v5 Lollipop operating system with 1.3GHz quad core processor, has a 2GB RAM with 8GB internal memory expandable up to 32GB and supports dual SIM connectivity. The Canvas Juice 2 is fueled by a 3000mAh li-on battery. Originally priced at Rs. 8,999, it will now be available on Amazon at Rs. 6,999.

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November 27, 2015
Xiaomi Expected To Reveal the Mi 5 In February

The Xiaomi event which commenced on the 24th of November 2015, showcased two products – the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 and the Xiaomi Mi Pad 2. However, there was one more device people had been anticipating which was not revealed at the launch – the Mi 5.

The Mi 5 is expected to be the company’s next flagship phone and analyst Pan Jiutang has stated that the company is looking to release it after the country’s Spring Festival which takes place in February.

The analysis suggests that the last flagship phone was released 16 months back, and taking into account that Xiaomi takes about 12 to 18 months to develop its flagship phones, the time frame suggests the device will soon see the light of day.

Lei Jun, the CEO of Xiaomi, has already mentioned that he is using the Mi 5 on a daily basis and has only good things to say about it. Further reports also mention that due to the rising demand of the phone, Xiaomi will be producing a lot of Xiaomi Mi 5 units.

A round up of the speculated specification for this phone tell us that the device could include a 5.2-inch display with 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution. It will be powered by the Snapdragon 820 SoC under the hood, a quad-core CPU and the Adreno 530 GPU. It could also come packed with a 4GB RAM with a 3000mAh battery.

November 27, 2015
Yu Claims Yutopia can Take on Apple – Opens Registrations

Yu has really been going all out with publicizing its upcoming flagship, Yu Yutopia. The phone, also being dubbed as ‘The Real Beast’; first took a dig at OnePlus’ Never Settle motto and now it has taken on tech giant Apple.

High on price, low on juice! High time; #ThinkDifferent #RaiseTheBar! #Yutopia
Register now: https://t.co/01xaBAQqbR pic.twitter.com/CCeQxx1MHX

— YU (@YUplaygod) November 27, 2015

Here’s a look at Yutopia’s teasers so far :

A teaser picture taken by the #yutopia

Pretty cheeky! Very clearly Yu is referring to the hole in our pockets after we buy an iPhone, while also mocking it’s alleged low battery life at the same time. There isn’t much that is known about the confirmed specs of the phone but speculations suggest that it could include a 5.2 display, 64 bit class Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 backed by a 4GB RAM, 32GB memory with expandability and a rumoured 21MP primary camera with an 8MP front camera.

This phone is making some big promises with regards to its high resolution camera, powerful battery, enhanced display and metal body. Let us hope it’s not all just big talk.

November 27, 2015
Huawei Mate 8 with 6-Inch Display is Now Official

Just a couple of days ago, leaked renders of Huawei’s new Mate 8 smartphone emerged online that showed what the device will look like. The Mate 8 is now official and the device does indeed confirm the renders.

The official specs also confirm earlier rumours. The Mate 8 sports a 6-inch 1080p touchscreen display and will be powered by Huawei’s new Kirin 950 chipset and an ARM Mali-T880 GPU. Furthermore, the handset will be available in 3GB and 4GB of RAM with 32GB and 64GB and 128GB storage variants. The Mate 8 has a large 4,000 mAh battery and will run on Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

The Kirin 950 chipset comes with four high-power Cortex-A72 cores, clocked at up to 2.3 GHz and an additional four power-saving Cortex-A53 ones, working at 1.8 GHz. There’s also an i5 coprocessor that “supports speech recognition, low-power consumption MP3, all the functions of a sensor hub, fused location provider (FLP) navigation, and reduces location-based power consumption,” the company said in a press release.

The Mate 8 is made of aluminium with a 2.5D curved diamond cut glass, and features a fingerprint sensor on the back. The 16MP primary camera uses Sony’s latest IMX298 sensor. The device also sports an 8MP front camera.

The handset is priced at $480, $590, and $700 for the 3GB/32GB, 4GB/64GB, and 4GB/128GB variants, respectively. The Mate 8 will be available in Champagne Gold, Moonlight Silver, Space Gray, and Mocha Brown colour options.

November 27, 2015

Google’s Nexus 5X Gets Massive Price Cut

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 will now be priced at around Rs. 24,000. However, we need to first take note, that this price change is available not on the official store but on other major e-commerce websites.

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As for the 32GB variant of the phone that was originally priced at Rs.35,990 is now priced at close to Rs. 32,000 on Amazon.

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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

November 27, 2015

Panasonic Lets You Click Now Focus Later

Those of you who own a Panasonic Lumix GX7, G8, or FZ300 camera can expect a firmware update with a new mode called “Post Focus”. This new mode can capture up to 49 points of focus in a single burst and it works with any lens that offers auto-focus capabilities. The photographer can also review the sequence of pictures taken in the camera, and pick the ones they want to use. Apart from this, the Post Focus mode will also allow you to record 4K videos.

The photographer can choose a focus point by tapping and swiping the touchscreen; one can also toggle through different focus points and employ assist modes. Each Lumix camera compatible with the mode has a higher megapixel count, however, the only drawback is that Post Focus mode is limited in terms of output resolution.

With this new addition, Panasonic allows you to create a picture in focus through focus stacking, combining the light-gathering and fast-shutter benefits of a wide aperture with the deep depth of field of a narrow aperture. However, parts of the process might have to be done manually. Photographers will be able to pick their point of focus using the camera’s touchscreen allowing this mode to be added to cameras with larger sensors. Overall it seems like an efficient new mode for Panasonic cameras.

November 26, 2015
Body Art Meets Technology to Help You Keep Track of Your Health

Tech Tat, a tattoo prototype made using electro-conductive paint, can help you keep track of your pulse rate and heart beat. Made by an Accenture team interestingly called Chaotic Moon, this kind of tattoos are also capable of carrying information like credit card and ID details.

https://youtu.be/9iFuTaqD4fM

The enthusiastic team of the little piece of technology accepts that not only does it take care of important business like serving as a fitness tracker and a portable carrier of your private details, it’s also visually pleasing. However it’s not been confirmed yet if and when Tech Tat will be available commercially.

“We can’t conjecture about when people could get their hands on one. Typically, we will explore the best partners that would help us get Tech Tat to the consumer,” says Chaotic Moon’s CEO, Ben Lamm

This isn’t the first time body art has met technology. Motorola’s Moto X had a fling with using temporary body tattoos to unlock the smartphone last year. Having said that, it’s still hard not to look forward to seeing Tech Tat in action. Let’s see where this tech-tattoo fusion leads us next.

November 26, 2015
Apple Acquires Visual Effects Firm That Helped Create Star Wars

Apple has confirmed rumours about acquiring Faceshift – a Zurich-based visual effects firm that played a key role in making Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The firm specializes in real time, markerless motion capture which helps to capture realistic and emotional facial expressions in video games and film.

However, as reports suggest, Faceshift is not the only technology startup that Apple has recently acquired. Their list consists of augmented reality firm Mataio, facial recognition firm Polar Rose and 3D scanning house PrimeSense.

However, Apple has not given anybody a specific reason as to these acquirements and have only stated that –

“Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans.”

Oh well, whatever it is, let us just hope Star Wars and Apple fans will have something in store for them.

November 26, 2015
Nokia 230 is the Basic Phone for Selfie Obsessed People

Microsoft has made the Nokia 230 official. Like its predecessor, last year’s Nokia 130, this phone follows a simple interface minus the song and dance of modern day smartphones and is priced at an affordable $55 (Rs. 3600). The phone also has a dual-SIM model -Nokia 230 Dual SIM

Like the LG Ray X190, the phone concentrates on letting you click pretty selfies with its 2 MP front camera, same as the main camera. Both cameras also have LED flash.

https://youtu.be/GrZs6hJ-1b4

Rest of the specs include a 2.8-inch display with 240 x 320 pixel resolution, and 16 MB of RAM. But don’t let this make you think any less of the Nokia 230 which is capable of supporting Bing Search, Facebook, Twitter, Opera Mini, MSN weather.

The phone has no internal storage but supports a MicroSD card of up to 32 GB. Furthermore, Nokia 230 has Bluetooth 3.0, GSM support and dual-band 900MHz/1800MHz only as wireless connectivity options. It also has an FM Radio receiver (ain’t that cute?) with a 3.5 mm headphone jack.

With a sand-blasted aluminium back cover, the phone measures a 124.6 x 53.4 x 10.9 mm and comes equipped with a battery marked at 1,200 mAh.

If you ever feel like getting away from the world of blingy smartphones, Nokia 230 in all its simplicity is the way to go. It will be made available starting December.

November 26, 2015
LG Ray is Big on Selfies With an 8 MP Front Camera

Making another addition to the category of mid-range phones is LG’s Ray X190 with a 5.5 inch IPS display. The phone measures a 9.3 mm in thickness and is quite similar in terms of design to a previous LG device, the G4.

The highlight of the phone is the front camera marked at 8 MP. The main camera is of 13 MP with 1080p resolution. Rest of the specs are a little disappointing, making the phone pretty much selfie-oriented. The screen has only a 720p resolution (267ppi); the phone has no LTE and only supports 3G. LG Ray is a dual-SIM phone but the battery is capable of only 10 hours of talk time.

The operating system is Android 5.1 Lollipop and imitates the flagship G-series with features like Knock Code and Gesture Shot. The device packs only a 1 GB of RAM and MediaTek MT6592M chipset with an octa-core processor.

Currently LG Ray X190 is priced at RUB 15,000 in Russia, which is about $232 or Rs. 15,000. The price is likely to be higher when the device arrives in India. However not sure if the phone is meant for you if you are willing to do anything other than clicking selfies with it.

November 26, 2015
Honor 5X Plus Could be Huawei’s New Device Spotted on GFXBench

Huawei is just a few hours away from unveiling the Mate 8 but it looks like the company is already busy working on a brand new device, according to a GFXBench listing. The benchmark listing reveals a new handset, codenamed Huawei ABC-UL00, which is believed to be a new Honor device, the Honor 5X Plus.

According to the listing, this mysterious device sports a 5.2-inch (1080×1920) touchscreen display with a 5 finger gesture support, powered by a 2.2GHz octal-core processor with Kirin 935 SoC and ARM Mali-T624 GPU. The device will apparently feature 3GB of RAM and 64GB internal storage.

On the camera front, this device will sport a 13MP primary snapper and 8MP front. The device will come with standard connectivity features that include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, also GPS and NFC.

The presumed Huawei Honor 5X could be the answer to the recently announced Xiaomi Redmi Note 3. However, we’ll only be able to confirm that once official details are out. Till then, follow this space for more on Huawei’s upcoming launch.

Source

November 26, 2015
OnePlus X to Receive New Oxygen OS Update Today

A new OS is on its way to the OnePlus X, and no, it won’t be a new Android update. Instead, OnePlus X owners will be receiving a new Oxygen OS update that promises to bring several enhancements to the MicroSD card support.

The latest Oxygen OS 2.1.3 will bring UX improvements, along with exFAT SD card support, and the ability to move apps to and from the card. It also fixes a bug that caused the handset to reboot whenever you removed the SD card.

OnePlus X

OnePlus has also stated that there are some unnamed security patches as well as “general bug fixes and optimisations”. The new Oxygen OS update rollout starts from today, though only 10% of OnePlus X users out there will receive the update as of now. This is to test if the update works well. The update will rollout to a wider audience in a few days.

November 26, 2015