Next time you think of leaving your wired headphones plugged into your iOS or Android phone, think again. The wires of headphones act as antennae which can be used to hack into your phone with the right equipment. Welcome to the world of hacking where radiowaves are the newest tool.
A group of researchers at a French government security unit have figured out a way to send silent commands to phones. All that they needed was a laptop and an antennae -things that fit pretty much in a bag.
Like FM radio chips, the antenna on the headphones catch radiowaves to convey the command of the hacker to your handset. Depending on these commands, your phone can be used to make calls, send messages, open websites, subvert governments or spark a revolution. However, since this specific kind of hacking doesn’t disable the display of the phone, users are highly likely to realise if their phones start obeying ‘silent’ instructions.
This test was conducted from a distance of 6 feet, with above average gadgets. If they throw in slightly fancier gadgets, hacking would be possible from a distance of up to 16 feet. Looks like it’s time for Apple and Google to sit up and listen.
Google is revamping its Google Play Store. A redesigned version of the Play Store began rolling out on Thursday and the changes are quite evident. The homepage has a whole new look to it with horizontal scrolling and improved search features.
One of the first things you’ll notice on opening the new Play Store is the two clearly divided sections: Apps and Games and Entertainment. Previously there were six categories, but now they will be found under these two major sections, which makes it easier to navigate. In the Apps and Games section you’ll find all your social media apps and games, and basically all your chart topping apps for your smartphone and tablets. In the Entertainment section you have your movies, TV shows, news, music, books, and more.
Image: Google
The search and discovery features also come with improvements. You’ll now get better recommendations and more relevant results based on what you’re looking for. Google promises an impressive selection and richer apps in the new Play Store.
The revamped Play Store also comes with a new header that gives room for latest and popular apps, games, movies, books, and more. You can scroll through the suggested apps right from your homescreen and find out what’s trending. It is likely that the apps will also show tailor-made suggestions based on the users Play Store downloads.
Current Version
The new Play Store update will roll out gradually to Android users over the next few weeks.
iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus are up for grabs in the country since last night. With the price bracket between Rs.62,000 and Rs. 92,000 the cost is a major discouragement for a lot of buyers. However, if you already own an iPhone 6 and want the features of its successors without burning that hole in your pocket, here are some quick jailbreak hacks for you.
The most talked about feature of the new iPhones is 3D Touch which allows the device to differentiate between three kinds of touch. Though the device necessarily has to be pressure sensitive for this to work, jailbreak tweaks allow the user to swipe up to be able to use 3D Touch on their iPhone 6. Jailbreak tweaks like Forcy, UniversalForce and Hapticle allow you to use the feature on your device.
Another highlight of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus is Live Photos. This feature does not require new hardware and therefore can work on the older iPhone models as well. The Live Photos enabler tweak, however, hasn’t been working for everyone. Some users have complained of over-heating while others have mentioned freezes. Many users have managed to successfully jailbreak, yet glitches continue.
If you really want the features of the new iPhone, simply buying the device is your best bet. You could try jailbreaking, but less for the features and more for the adrenaline rush of using something you’re not allowed to be using.
Each year Apple’s revisions of their iPhone have propelled sales of their handsets. The Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus were the company’s best selling handsets since the launch of the original iPhone.
In 2014, Apple sold a whopping 191 Million (approx) iPhones between the two main models, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus and one old model, the iPhone 5s. Making the iPhone the most selling phone in the world, when compared to Samsung’s total sales across hundreds of handset models, sold globally, coming to around 392 million.
Does the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus improve what Apple was already doing with the iPhone 6 and 6 plus? Is the “s” variant a worthy upgrade? Let’s find out as we review this year’s iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.
Build Quality and Design
There are no points here, the design of the iPhone is not a lot different from what we saw last year, in fact, it’s a bit thicker and slightly heavier. You will also get a brand new Rose Gold colour which has attracted the fancy of many a folks. That being said, last year’s iPhone was the best selling iPhone for Apple, it was a refreshing design change from the iPhone 5s and rounded look felt more in harmony, as opposed to the square design which Apple followed for the 4-5s.
This year’s iPhone has an improved outer shell which offers resistance against the “bendgate” issue of last year’s iPhone. The new reinforced and strong series 7000 Aluminium adds strength to the outer structure. The iPhone 6s and 6s plus also come with some form of water resistance according to tests conducted by third parties. Apple downplayed the fact that the new iPhone was water resistant, in fact they don’t mention it anywhere. They coated the logic board with water resistant materials and added a rubber gasket to all parts that could potentially allow water to seep through like ports, display edge and buttons.
You could end up with your iPhone in the toilet, and still be using it a week later (hopefully after you have fully sanitized it ).
Hardware
The “s” variants of every iPhone till date have been the ones with hardware improvements. The iPhone 3Gs, 4s, 5s and now the 6s all add improved hardware and capability while keeping design changes to a minimum.
The new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus add an improved Apple A9 chip along with an M9 co-processor. Enhanced cameras both on the rear with a 12 MP shooter which now does 4k video. On the front with a 5 MP snapper, which however is still restricted to 720p.
Specifications
iPhone 6s
iPhone 6s Plus
Display
4.7-inch Retina HD display with 3D Touch, LED-backlit widescreen
5.5-inch Retina HD display with 3D Touch, LED-backlit widescreen
Resolution
1334×750-pixel resolution at 326 ppi
1920×1080-pixel resolution at 401 ppi
Processor
Embedded M9 motion coprocessor
Embedded M9 motion coprocessor
Chipset
A9 chip with 64-bit architecture
A9 chip with 64-bit architecture
RAM
2GB
2GB
CPU
Dual-core 1.84GHz
Dual-core 1.84GHz
GPU
PowerVR GT7600
PowerVR GT7600
OS
iOS 9
iOS 9
Internal Storage
16GB/64GB/128GB
16GB/64GB/128GB
Exapandibility
N/A
N/A
Rear camera
12-megapixel iSight camera with 1.22µ pixels, ƒ/2.2 aperture
12-megapixel iSight camera with 1.22µ pixels, ƒ/2.2 aperture, Optical image stabilization
Rear Camera Video
4K video recording (3840 x 2160) at 30 fps
Optical image stabilization for video, 4K video recording (3840 x 2160) at 30 fps
Front Camera
5-megapixel photos, ƒ/2.2 aperture, Retina Flash
5-megapixel photos, ƒ/2.2 aperture, Retina Flash
Front Camera Video
720p HD video recording
720p HD video recording
Weight
143 grams
192 grams
Special Features
Fingerprint sensor, 3D touch, live photo
Fingerprint sensor, 3D touch, live photo
Connectivity
23 LTE and faster Wi-Fi
23 LTE and faster Wi-Fi
Variants
Silver, Gold, Space Gray, Rose Gold
Silver, Gold, Space Gray, Rose Gold
Price
Rs. 62,000, Rs. 72,000 and Rs. 82,000 for 16GB/64GB/128GB respectively unlocked
Rs. 72,000, Rs. 82,000 and Rs. 92,000 for 16GB/64GB/128GB respectively unlocked
Compared to the iPhone 6s’ 1330 x 720p display , the Apple iPhone 6s Plus gets a larger display with a 1920 x 1080p resolution. It also gets a bigger battery and Optical Image Stabilisation in the rear camera. Everything else on both the devices is identical in terms of specifications.
Apple sticking to the old displays is one big let down. iPhones need higher resolution displays and this update may finally come in the iPhone 7. This time around however Apple has added 3D touch, which is a variant of their force touch trackpads for the iPhones.
3D Touch
This is something that Apple showed off at the launch, but it still feels under played. The technology is pretty impressive, and even though many companies have done this prior to the iPhone 6s’ launch. Apple’s iteration is impressive, accurate and easy to use.
Unlike many devices in the past, the iPhone’s display in itself is not clickable. The display senses the force on the screen which is paired with where your finger is on the screen, this then results in the outcome you receive.
iPhone 6s
The usability of this is a little strange at first but then it gets easier and easier. The peek and pop UI of iOS 9 makes this feature infinitely fun.
Things like messages and mail become easy to read or dismiss and the animations are really impressive. When you click down on an app the background blurs out and enhances the look of your touch and the experience of using the 3D touch. iOS9 lets you set live images as wallpapers that you can preview simply by pressing down on the screen. Its quite cool, and you can relive your fun moments of the perfect picture right from your lock screen.
And with apps like WhatsApp and Instagram taking advantage of this feature, soon iOS will be a mega 3D touch playground. However, this might happen later than sooner, because most developers will take a long time to implement this feature.
A New 12 MP camera
Cameras
The new Apple iPhone 6s and 6s plus come with enhanced cameras, keeping Apple’s image processing standards intact. the new 12 MP camera at the back offers a larger resolution keeping the pixel size at 1.22µ pixels and the aperture at f2.2.
The addition of 4k Video means that the iPhones have finally caught up to rest of the world. It also means that buying a 16 GB iPhone has become more or less pointless. The 4k video is turned off by default and there is good reason, 1 Minute of 4k video will take approximately 375 MB whereas 1080p video will take as low as 130 MB.
The image quality is fantastic and lowlight images are impressive. You get exception control of exposure and focus prior to capture, so you can compose shots with ease.
The HDR images have been best on the iPhone so far and that remains the case with the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. The OIS on the larger version iPhone 6s Plus helps people with shaky hands to capture better images and video.
The Live images are also a fun feature only when you understand that you need to keep your hand stable for longer. Else you end up with Live video loops ending with shots of your feet, or even worse, shots of your nostrils when clicking selfies. This also consumes more storage and 16 GB owners should stay away from this feature. This can easily be disabled from the camera interface.
Previous iPhone users will be happy with better resolution cameras, especially the front camera, where an overhaul was long overdue. The selfies are improved and also support the live photos feature.
Live photos are nothing new, HTC did this with ZOE and many manufacturers and apps have had this feature. However, all of them worked on the principle of capturing video and then saving a still from that. The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, unlike the others in the past, captures a burst of high res pictures in a .MOV format along with the main image. Therefore not affecting the quality of the image, technically this is multitasking for the camera and is an innovative way to execute live images. You can also set the live images as a lock screen wallpaper and execute the 3D touch to preview them whenever. They are like your own personal Vines.
Performance
This is major improvement on the overall usage of the iPhone. The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are both faster and snappier when compared to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. iOS is already pretty fast and smooth. The operation on the iPhone 6s is a lot better.
iOS 9 was designed primarily on the new iPhones hence you get a phenomenal experience. The new peek and pop UI works really well. New animations and live photos as wallpapers is an appreciated add-on. The fact that there is more RAM on the new iPhones means that games work in a better environment, loading and caching works better too. Apps that utilise this additional RAM speed up as well. The camera has a more prompt response and images are clicked and processed quicker.
Networks and Battery
The network strength is much more improved. Tested on Airtel and Vodafone in Delhi and Mumbai. on LTE Speeds upto 50 Megabits are easily available, however that is more network provider dependent. Compared to iPhone 6 and Samsung Galaxy S6, network speeds are faster and network strength is better on the new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. During the tests we also faced lesser network drops and overall sturdier network performance. Battery life is improved over the previous Gen iPhone 6 Plus and the network improvements could be a major contributor.
The new Apple A9 chipset is also better balanced to give you an improved battery performance. While “batterygate” has been said to be insignificant, the TSMC chipset is considered an advantage.
Overall with the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus get improved battery performance and seem to charge faster that the previous get iPhones. A 5-minute charge gets you from 5% to 30% and about an hour and 15 minutes gets you a full charge on an iPhone 6s Plus using an iPad 12W charger. Between 4-5 hours of talk time 3 hours of internet and 3 hours of music playback with the screen off, the iPhone 6s ends up with 20% battery at the end of the day and the iPhone 6s Plus with about 32%. If you are using the iPhone with the screen on, a lot of you will require a frequent charge.
Process
iPhone 6s
iPhone 6s Plus
Talk Time
5 hours
6.5 Hours
Gaming / Video
4.5 Hours Non Stop
5 Hours Non Stop
Internet
8 hours
9.5 Hours
Music
12 Hours Non Stop
16 Hours Non Stop
Conclusion
The iPhone is an ever growing phenomenon, the more people use the ecosystem the more it makes sense. And while the battle between Android and Apple iPhones is one that will never see the light at the end of the tunnel. The iPhone is clearly the most popular single handset in the world and the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus improve on that with the right kind of things. The hardware running the handset sees a major bump, and the cameras are a lot better and everyone will appreciate that. Live photos work well, and for the moment seem to not be a gimmick.
Soon third party apps will allow sharing of live images and it will become a phenomenon. 4k video is better too, so is network reception and battery life. But, that’s the thing a regular user is not concerned with the use case scenario of all the above features. Sure a better battery and better cameras are good things to have. And 3D touch is great to use and a really productive and time saving feature. However, how big of an improvement is it over the iPhone 6? Not a big improvement, but logically a significant one. Most iPhone 6 owners can and should skip this version for the iPhone 7 which will bring all this features and more with a more significant design change.
But, to sum it up, the iPhone 6s and 6s plus are sturdier iPhones, with new water resistant capabilities, a stronger chassis, cameras that are superior, a new screen technology, seriously fast processing capabilities, better battery life and better network capabilities. You also have new features like live photos and peek and pop capabilities which are not only fun but functional and unique to the iPhone for the moment. You also have the [s] badge on the back of the iPhone to show off to your friend who owns an iPhone 6. Pricey sarcasm aside, the new iPhones are brand new phones and hopefully all apps will allow users to exploit the functionality of things like peek pop and 3D touch, at least before the iPhone 7 arrives. There is also the price factor, each variant of the iPhone in India is significantly pricier than last year’s iPhone.
However that has not stopped people from pre-ordering the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus before it goes on sale officially today.
With hours to go before the launch of the iPhone 6s, pre-orders are rising. It seems that the iPhone 6s Rose Gold model is the most popular iPhone right now with most pre-orders for that variant having already stopped on most e-commerce sites.
Initially, the Rose Gold variant was met with lukewarm reactions right after the Apple event. But the pre-orders tell a different story. Flipkart has already stopped pre-orders for the Rose Gold flavour. Other sites will soon follow since the Rose Gold variant is seeking a massive popularity around the world.
One reason behind the popularity might be that Apple fans have grown tired of the usual colours that come with every new iPhone and the Rose Gold is a pleasing sight. The Rose Gold colour is unique to iPhone 6s, so far. Other smartphone makers are aware of the craze behind this colour and are trying to come out with their own Rose Gold variants as well. One example is the upcoming HTC One A9 phone which will have a Rose Gold variant along with the traditional Space Grey and White.
This could signal other smartphone makers to experiment with different hues now. However Apple brought acceptance to the Gold colour a few years back and now it looks like Rose Gold will be the colour of choice in the next years.
We’re just days away from the official launch of the new HTC One A9 smartphone. However, the phone’s specs has been spotted in a French carrier’s website. Orange ‘accidentally’ listed some key specs of the HTC One A9 as well as the price.
The iPhone look-alike will sport a 5-inch Full HD AMOLED display with 1080 x 1920 resolution, 13-megapixel rear camera and 4-megapixel front, and will run Google’s Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS as mentioned in an earlier post. The price of the phone was listed at €599.90, which translates to around $688. The specs of the HTC One A9 and the pricing certainly do not add up.
The HTC One A9 was just recently spotted on GFXBench which confirmed some other specs such as a Snapdragon 615 octa-core processor with Adreno 405 GPU, 2 GB RAM and 16 GB internal memory. The Indian pricing of the phone could translate to anywhere between Rs.45,000 – Rs. 60,000. We’ll have to wait until the 20th event to confirm the prices.
Flipkart’s Big Billion Sale is offering some interesting offers on mobiles. But what has got everyone talking are the incredibly low prices available for iPhones. You could get a 16 GB iPhone 6 Gold for as low as Rs. 24,999, but only with exchange offer discounts.The iPhone 6, which was launched last year, currently costs Rs. 39,999 for the 16 GB Gold model. However, if you give a mid-range phone for the exchange, it cuts down the price by about Rs. 8,000. Depending on the type and brand of your phone, you can get a discount up to Rs. 15,000, bringing down the price to around Rs. 24,000.The iPhone 4s is marked at Rs. 12,999 and its price can be brought down to Rs. 7,999 post the exchange offer discount.
Any other outlet is likely to offer a value higher than Flipkart for an exchanged device, but online shopping also saves buyers a lot of hassle of hunting down the right stores for them. Either way, there’s an option available for potential customers now if they’re bent on getting themselves an Apple device. The new iPhones -6s and 6s Plus – go on sale in the country tomorrow on 16th October. Watch this space for all the latest Apple updates.
Motorola is taking advantage of Flipkart’s Big Billion Days Sale to offer customers a huge discount of their various handsets. These offers can be availed of from the 15th of October to the 17th of October, 2015 exclusively on the Flipkart app. Here is a list of some of the better deals you can browse through :
1. Moto X Play : This handset is currently priced at Rs.18,499 for the 16GB version and Rs.19,999 for the 32GB version. However, during the Big Billion Days Sale it is priced at Rs.16,999 and Rs.18,499 respectively. The specifications of the Moto X Play are as follows :
Display – 5.5 inches
Resolution – 1080×1920 pixels
Storage – 16GB and 32GB
Rear Camera – 21MP
Front Camera – 5MP
RAM – 2GB
OS – Android 5.1.1
Battery – 3630mAh
[tw-button size=”large” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://www.flipkart.com/moto-x-play/p/itmeajtqyhrnkwrz&affid=bhnagpalgm”]Buy Now [/tw-button]
2. Moto E2 (4G) : This smartphone launched at a price of Rs.6,999 but will be priced Rs.5,999 on Flipkart during the sale period. The specs include :
Display : 4.50-inch
Resolution : 540×960 pixels
Storage : 8GB
RAM : 1GB
Rear Camera : 5MP
Front Camera : 0.3MP
OS : Android 5.0.2
Battery : 2390mAh
[tw-button size=”large” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://www.flipkart.com/moto-e-2nd-gen-4g/p/itme85hfdv6zztcj?pid=MOBE4G6GTH2QDACF&ref=L%3A-2168392000998847398&srno=p_1&query=Moto+E2+%284G%29&otracker=from-search&affid=bhnagpalgm”]Buy Now [/tw-button]
3. Moto G2 (3G) : Launched at Rs.9,999 and will now be sold at Rs.7,999. The specs for this phone are-
Display – 5 inches
Resolution – 720×1280 pixels
Storage – 16GB
RAM – 1GB
Rear Camera – 8MP
Front Camera – 2MP
OS – Android 4.4.4
Battery – 2070mAh
[tw-button size=”large” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://www.flipkart.com/moto-g-2nd-generation/p/itme7ybangawqzzx&affid=bhnagpalgm”]Buy Now [/tw-button]
4. Moto Turbo – Launched at a price of Rs.41,999 will now be priced at Rs.31,999. The specs include-
Display – 5.20-inch
Resolution – 1440×2560 pixels
Storage – 64GB
RAM – 3GB
Rear Camera – 21MP
Front Camera – 2MP
OS – Android 5.0.2
Battery – 3900mAh
[tw-button size=”large” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://www.flipkart.com/moto-turbo/p/itme45h87vyhb3mg?pid=MOBE45H673ZGUCVX&al=ylpccRullefEjXY%2FbySW%2FMldugMWZuE7Qdj0IGOOVqsQDpOskSBblZZTjSqZUBRGvSx9%2FXBuDw8%3D&ref=L%3A-131716167782610369&srno=b_19&affid=bhnagpalgm”]Buy Now [/tw-button]
5. Motorola Nexus 6 : Initially launched at a price of Rs.29,999 it will now be available at Rs.24,999 on Flipkart. Its specs include –
Display – 5.96-inch
Resolution – 1440×2560 pixels
Storage – 32GB
RAM – 3GB
Rear Camera – 13MP
Front Camera – 2MP
OS – Android 5.0
Battery – 3220mAh
[tw-button size=”large” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://www.flipkart.com/nexus-6/p/itme7zd5x6rfaps9?pid=MOBEFHH6PHVAZMVZ&al=ylpccRullefP5AmzsKE3hcldugMWZuE7Qdj0IGOOVquMRoTL0UrtqdDA7O9WGOKwTn5jaUoJD34%3D&ref=L%3A7449913434854342928&srno=b_2&affid=bhnagpalgm”]Buy Now [/tw-button]
Since the sale is happening exclusively on the Flipkart app, you will have to navigate through it to avail of any of the above offers.
Over the past few weeks, there has been a lot of discussion regarding OnePlus’ upcoming phone, the OnePlus X/Mini. None of the rumours and reports have clearly stated what the official name of the phone will be. However, the specs of the phone have pretty much been confirmed now by China’s TENNA, which is a regulatory agency similar to FCC in the US.
While some of the specs keep with past leaks, others are a bit different. The TENAA listing reports that the OnePlus X/Mini will sport a 5-inch OLED display with a resolution of 1080 by 1920 pixels at 441 ppi. So far so good.
Rumours that the latest phone will not feature a dual camera set have been squashed. The OnePlus X/Mini will feature a 13-megapixel primary camera and an 8-megapixel front. In the storage department, the phone will have 3 GB RAM, 16 GB internal storage, and a MicroSD card slot.
The CPU is totally different from what we have come to learn. Earlier it was rumoured that the phone will be powered by MediaTek’s Helio X10 chipset with a 2.2 GHz octa-core Cortex-A53 CPU. The TENAA listing, however, shows that that’s not the case. The device will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 801 but will run at 2.0GHz unlike other Snapdragon 801 variants, which all come with a CPU clocked at 2.26GHz or higher. No confirmation on the battery of the device as of yet.
In case you missed it, a teaser by OnePlus India was posted yesterday on Facebook. The image suggests that the phone will be launched on the 29th of October. There were also rumours about OnePlus X/Mini featuring the Force Touch technology similar to the 3D Touch found in the latest iPhones, but nothing more has been revealed on that front. We’ll have a detailed specs table up once the device is officially out.
BlackBerry has opened registrations for its newest smartphone, BlackBerry Priv and interested customers can sign up for the device here.
The phone, to cost $630, is the device BlackBerry is making its comeback with in the tech-world. It will also be the first BlackBerry phone to run on Android. Earlier this month, the company CEO, John Chen officially showcased the Priv (albeit in a slightly fumbling manner) in a video.
It has been officially confirmed that Priv will have a slide-out keyboard feature and a curved display that is reminiscent of Samsung’s Galaxy S6 Edge. Some of the specs have also been confirmed and they include a 5.4 inch screen, 3410 mAh battery and Schneider-Kreuznach certified camera. Watch this space for more updates on the BlackBerry Priv.
There are so many apps and games that come out every week that it is a little difficult to sort through the mess. Not all of them succeed in drawing users attention. It takes a while for an app to accumulate a base. And then there are some games that don’t really require too much thought. It’s usually the simplest ones that become highly addictive and popular. So, in today’s app(s) of the week, we have two games to please your addictive soul.
Nibblers
Nibblers is the latest game developed by Rovio. The company behind Angry Birds is trying to bounce back with its newest match 3 game. For the past few years Rovio has been trying to regain the glory it achieved with Angry Birds. The sequel to Angry Birds did not meet with the same level of enthusiasm. With Nibblers, Rovio might be on to something.
Nibblers is a simple yet addictive game where players must match up fruits to take out monsters and continue along the game. The game is similar to many match 3 games out there like Candy Crush, but Rovio has added something extra just to stand apart. You can knock enemies off of bushes and sand before they get the jump on you, power ups, obstacles and hidden fish power give the game a bit of flair. The levels also constantly shift from the currents of the water. These little additions to the standard 3 match game makes Nibblers a fun play with some twists and turns.
As simple as the game may sound, it is not as easy as most other game in this genre. The difficulty is in matching the fruits that border the lizards in order to cause damage. Damaging the lizards enough time will cause them to go up in a puff of smoke and the whole ordeal can be a little challenging. You win the level when all the lizards have been defeated.
With up to 200 levels that can be played for free, you can spend loads of free time on the game. We think the game is worth a visit if you’re looking for something new to play this week. You can download it on Google Play Store and App Store for free.
Jetpack Joyride
Yes, it’s not a new game and it’s been there since 2011. But what is new is the new Back to the Future-themed update that was released just last week. Halfbrick Studios launched this new mode celebrating the 30th anniversary of the cult favorite sci-fi film franchise Back to the Future.
The new mode is set at Hill Valley, home of the film’s main character Marty McFly. It’s a time trial mode so players will get to drive the DeLorean Time Machine car or the hoverboard and will have to collect flux capacitors that add an extra 5 seconds to the remaining time. However, if you collide with the surrounding in your screen, your time will reduce by 10 seconds.
Collect enough flux capacitors and you will get to unlock a total of three beloved characters from the film – Marty McFly, Doc Brown and Biff Tannen. The game is only free for this month, after which you will have to pay to play the Back to the Future themed mode.
This latest update by Halfbrick has once again brought the addictive game that many have grown out of back in the limelight. So if you thought you were done with the game then think again. All we’re saying is that you get to control the DeLorean and the hoverboard, and that’s reason enough to go for it. You can download Jetpack Joyride from Google Play Store and App Store and have a little fun.
So these are the two games for this week. Be sure to let us know what you think about the games in the comments below.
So here’s the thing, new research conducted by the University of Cambridge tells us that almost all Android devices have a faulty security system. Considering the fact that a lot of us are still Android users, you probably want to know how deep this breach is? The above mentioned research estimates that around 90% of Android devices are prone to a security breach. Here’s what the research says:
“There is information asymmetry between the manufacturer, who knows whether the device is currently secure and will receive security updates, and the customer, who does not.”
The research points out the core reason for this vulnerability as being Android’s fragmented distribution and third party involvement. What are you going to do now? Well,out of this, 90% the research suggests that Nexus devices are the most secure Android devices as they run stock Android and do not have to rely on a third party manufacturer to deliver the patches on time.
Apart from Nexus, LG devices have received a good security score followed by Motorola, Samsung, Sony and HTC. Therefore, you have nothing much to worry about, unless of course you’re hiding super secret information.
Moto X Style is now up for pre-order on Flipkart. It is a stylish variant of Moto X Play which was launched in our country, last month. The pre-orders for the phone had begun on the 8th of this month and it is now up for grabs.
The phone was earlier announced to go on pre-order today at midnight but it has arrived early, priced at Rs. 29,999 for the 16 GB variant, and Rs. 31,999 for the 32 GB variant. Motorola’s newest device has a 5.7 inch display and Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 chipset. For specs and other details of Moto X Style, take a look at our previous post.
[tw-button size=”large” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://www.flipkart.com/moto-x-style/p/itmeajtqebm7yc9b?pid=MOBEAJTQ4QEAJZ2H&ref=L%3A-7172985180974723403&srno=p_2&query=moto+x+style&otracker=from-search&affid=bhnagpalgm”]Pre-Order Now [/tw-button]
Samsung has unveiled a new super budget smartphone called the Z3 at Rs.8,490 today. It comes with a dual SIM connectivity and a 5 inch HD Super AMOLED display. Here is what Samsung’s second Tizen powered smartphone looks like :
The Z3 is powered by the Qualcomm MSM8916 Snapdragon 410 with a Quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A53 CPU and an Adreno 306 GPU. It also comes with 1GB of RAM space and an 8GB internal memory that is expandable up to 128GB via a micro SD card.
On the camera front, it comes with a 8MP primary camera and a 5MP secondary camera. Other connectivity features include Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n connection, Bluetooth v4.1, GPS, microUSB v2.0 and radio.
The Z3 is run on the Tizen OS version 2.4 and is fueled by a 2,600mAh battery. Lastly, it comes in three colour variants – gold, black and silver.
Here are its specifications:
Samsung Z3
Specifications
Display
5 inch HD Super AMOLED
OS
Tizen OS version 2.4
Processor
Qualcomm MSM8916 Snapdragon 410
CPU
Quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A53
GPU
Adreno 306
RAM
1GB
Internal Storage
8GB expandable up to 128GB via microSD card
Primary Camera
8MP
Secondary Camera
5MP
Connectivity
Dual SIM, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n connection, Bluetooth v4.1, GPS, microUSB v2.0 and radio
Some stories can melt your heart in an instant. Disney has always been something for children and the child in you. So, it pleases one to hear that the mass media and entertainment giant will be helping a UK-based start up in making prosthetic hands for children more appealing. And how will Disney help with that? By doing it the Disney way, of course.
Open Bionics is the name of the UK-based start up that focuses on low-cost 3D-printed prosthetics. The company is also a part of Disney’s Techstars Accelerator program. Disney is giving Open Bionics royalty-free licenses to create prosthetics modeled off of Iron Man, Elsa from Frozen, and a glowing, buzzing ‘lightsaber hand’ familiar to millions of Star Wars fans.
But the fun doesn’t just end with the design. It also does things, too. Take the lightsaber hand, for example. You can turn on a set of LED lights that illuminate the prosthetic which also give off the lightsaber-like buzzing sounds. A button also lets you change the saber’s colour because fans know that characters like Luke Skywalker, Yoda and Darth Vader favour different couloured lightsabers.
Similarly, the Iron Man gauntlet will let the child shoot off “rockets”. Well, not really, but with the LED lights and sounds and a vibrating motor it does give off that feeling. But the prosthetics aren’t just expensive toys. They’re made to help the child and provide physical therapy while having fun. The motor gives a haptic feedback to the child when he non-threateningly fires from the Iron Man gauntlet and also serves to indicate the strength of the grip being exerted by the child. Apart from serving a fun light show, the LED lights also lets parents and doctors understand what signals are being sent to the device.
Open Bionics CEO Joel Gibbard told Independent that, “the power of these prosthetics is that the public perception is completely different. All of a sudden they’re not being asked how they lost their hand, they’re being asked where they got their cool robot hand, how does it feel, and how does it work?”
Earlier this year, Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) himself paid a visit to a seven-year old boy and gave the kid a custom-made Iron Man prosthetic gauntlet. Watch the video below that is sure to bring a smile to your face today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEx5lmbCKtY
Open Bionics is hoping to make a big difference with these prosthetic hands and is aiming to have them available by the end of next year at a reasonable price of around $500.
