Category: Tech

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

India Will Be Receiving Only The WiFi Variant Of LG Watch Urbane

Since Apple has released its Apple Watch successfully, many companies like Samsung, Timex, etc. are coming out with their versions of smart watches. LG does not seem far behind in the trend of creating smartwatches. The South Korean manufacturer raised its bar with the revelation of the G Watch R. Later, the company unveiled yet another smartwatch called the LG Watch Urbane. A fusion of style and technology, this watch is for both men and women.

According to NDTV Gadgets, India will be only receiving the WiFi variant of the watch, not the LTE version. As of now, there are no official statements given by the company, although it is expected this week.

Other than this, the LG Watch Urbane boasts of a 1.3-inch circular P-OLED (320x320p resolution) display, just like the G Watch R. Its bezels are narrow, which gives it a more elegant and classy look. The device is driven by 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 chipset paired with 512 MB RAM. The Watch Urbane can hold data in the 4GB inbuilt memory and runs on Android Wear. The 410mAh battery of the smartwatch can be a bit disappointing and one has to charge it time and again to keep it going. The Watch Urbane packs Gyro, Accelerometer, Compass, Barometer and a heart rate sensor.

LG has priced the fashionable smartwatch at $349 (Rs. 22,000 approx). It is available in two variants, silver and gold but there is a nip to it; currently the watch is only available in the US and the sales begin from May 8. We don’t have an official confirmation about the watch’s arrival in India, but it is expected to launch sometime in end May.

May 15, 2015
Nepal’s Homegrown Solar Company Makes an Innovative Contribution to Help Nepal

On 12th May, Nepal was hit by yet another earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter Scale. Before this, an earthquake of 7.8 magnitude struck the country on April 25th, leaving more than 20,000 people dead, injured or missing.

During this phase of time, many technological powerhouses like Facebook, Google, and telephone subscribers pooled in resources for the people of Nepal. Google People Finder app helped a lot of people search for their friends and family while Facebook collected a grand sum of $10 million through its Donation Drive. Companies like Airtel, Vodafone, etc. lowered down their call rates for a few days.

Nepal’s own solar power company, Gham Power, has played a pivotal role in providing relief and helping the victims. Run by Sandeep Giri, Gham Power sprung into action to deploy solar power systems to help lighting up camps and mobile charging stations.

Sandeep Giri says that two major issues interfere while addressing basic needs like medical attention, food, water, and shelter.

Firstly, you don’t want to be in the dark, as it’s scary, you don’t feel safe, and it is also very cumbersome to get, or administer relief without light. Second, in this day and age, your first instinct is to reach out for your loved ones to check if they are okay and let them know you are okay, and when you reach for your mobile phone, it’s dead and there is no place to charge it.

Gham Power has teamed up with many other local solar companies and is right now working with Global Nepali Professional Network to raise money and build as many solar power systems as possible. The project has been named ‘Rebuild with Sun’ and has been launched on Indiegogo campaign. Its initial fundraising goal is $150,000. The contribution has been broken down to provide energy supply in different areas like: $50 provides lights and charging for one family, a hundred dollar buys a 20-watt system that can serve three families and $500 can provide a 100-watt system aiding 15 families and up to 100 phone users.

You can read more about how different tech powerhouses joined hands in an effort to help out Nepal in distress here.

Click here to see the aftermath of the deadly earthquake that hit Nepal on 25^th April.

May 15, 2015

Microsoft Brings the Lumia 540 to India, Priced at Rs. 10,199

Microsoft is steadily pushing itself in the affordable section of the Indian smartphone market. After announcing the Lumia 540 in April, the company launched the smartphone in India today with a price tag of Rs. 10,199.

Throwing some light on the specifications of the device – the Lumia 540 Dual SIM sports a 5-inch display with a resolution of 1280×720 pixels and a pixel density of 294ppi. It is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor, coupled with 1 GB RAM. It has 8 GB of internal storage and can be expanded up to a heavy 128 GB. The camera optics include an 8MP rear camera with a LED flash and a 5MP front camera. Its pre-bookings begin today and will be available in black, white and cyan colors.

The Microsoft Lumia 540 joins a long list of budget smartphones already playing the Indian field. The new entrant may not have what it takes to survive. A couple of days back, Micromax’s subsidiary Yu announced its affordable “flagship,” the Yuphoria. It offers similar specs, but is priced at a mere Rs. 6,999. Clearly, the Lumia 540 will face stiff competition.

Here’s a quick look at the phone’s specs:

Specification	Microsoft Lumia 540
Display	5-inch
Resolution	1280×720 resolution, 294 ppi IPS display
Processor	1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor
RAM	1GB
Internal Memory	8GB
Expandable Up to	128GB
Primary Camera	8MP with autofocus and LED flash
Front Camera	5MP
Battery	2,200mAh
Operating System	Windows Phone 8.1 with Lumia Denim
Price	Rs. 10,199

May 14, 2015

Google’s New Policy Bans Unofficial Chrome Extensions
Next time you might not find your favourite extension on Chrome unless it is available on the official Chrome Web Store. Yes, in a bid to protect its users from malicious add-ons, Google will force them to use only those hosted on the Chrome Web Store.

This policy was first announced in November 2013 and was supposed to go live in January 2014. The plan finally went into effect on May 2014 but was left open to people using the developer version of Chrome, to install their choice of extensions. Google said that this action led hackers tricking users into using the malicious malware.

Extensions manager, Jake Leichtling says:

Affected users are left with malicious extensions running on a Chrome channel they did not choose.

The FAQ page gives more details:
- Users can only install extensions hosted in the Chrome Web store, except for installs via enterprise policy or developer mode.
- Extensions that were previously installed, but not hosted on the Chrome Web Store will be hard-disabled (i.e., the user cannot enable these extensions again), except for installs via enterprise policy or developer mode.
Further, Google said the extensions that are not on the Chrome Web Store and are already installed on Chrome will automatically be disabled and cannot be re-enabled or reinstalled. Unless, of course, Chrome Web Store includes that particular extension to its store.

Google’s new policy may finally help in lowering malicious extensions on Chrome, however, limiting the user’s choices of add-ons.
May 14, 2015
Meizu Makes its Grand Debut in India on May 18

India’s booming smartphone market is attracting the attention of many international brands. Chinese labels Xiaomi, Oppo and Gionee have already strengthened their position in the smartphone arena, and now Meizu has decided to try its luck in one of the most lucrative markets of the world. The China-based consumer electronics firm has announced its official debut date in India as May 18.

The Twitter handle of Meizu India states –

We’ve heard you and here is the date. #0518 pic.twitter.com/eOMAVGwNQb

— MEIZU India (@Meizu_India) May 14, 2015

As you can see, the post reads “Are you ok?” and below it has unveiled its arrival date in India. There is no mention of the phone that will make it to India, but Meizu is anticipated to start its journey with two of the popular products in Blue Charm series, the Meizu M1 Note and the Meizu M1 Mini. The former one is priced at $220 (approx. Rs. 14,000), while the later cost $112 i.e. around Rs 7,000.

For now, there is no concrete information about the devices coming to India, and these are just speculations. But seeing its large catalog of low-end and mid-range products, it is certain to put a dent on the significant market share enjoyed by Xiaomi and OnePlus in the country. Initially, Xioami had seized all the attention for its highly specced, low price handsets, but today many Chinese companies have jumped into the Indian battleground and have intensified the competition. It will be interesting to see if Meizu can lure the budget sensitive Indian customers and secure a place for itself.

May 14, 2015
HTC Reportedly Working on an Affordable ‘H7’ Tablet

The Taiwanese electronics manufacturer HTC is hiding a new device up its sleeve, which is expected to see a launch in the second quarter of this year. According to a reliable source called @upleaks, the firm will launch a new tablet titled ‘HTC H7’, whose cost will be lesser than the present high-end offerings.

There are no other details about the upcoming device other than being lowly priced. We are speculating it to boast a screen size of 7 to 8 inches. It is certain to run on Google’s Android operating system, which has built up an ecosystem with its presence on a majority of handsets, tablets and smartwatches.

HTC only has Nexus 9 in its catalogue of tablets. The stock Android tablet was one of the best products and was launched under HTC brand name. There is a high possibility of Google’s involvement in the ongoing HTC H7 device, but nothing can be ascertained until we get an official announcement from either of the companies.

Meanwhile, it is just a leak and we suggest you to take the report with a pinch of salt. We will come up with more information on the same as soon as something comes out. Keep checking back for updates on HTC H7.

May 14, 2015
Google Rolls Out Android 5.1 Lollipop Update for Moto E (Gen 2) Users

Launched a few weeks back with Android 5.0 Lollipop on-board, Motorola’s Moto E second-gen is now receiving the software update. Google is rolling out the latest version of its Android OS, Android 5.1 Lollipop for its newest budget contender worldwide. The update will appear on your screen via an OTA update and may take some time to hit your device.

The new Android 5.1 will occupy 259MB of space on your new Moto E. Although it’s a minor upgrade, but will bring a lot of bug fixes and performance updates that the earlier version was missing out on. The new OS version includes features like multiple SIM slot, Device Protection, HD Voice calling, Quick Settings and few more. Everything about Android 5.1 can be read here.

At a time when more than 75% of the Android devices still don’t have the first version of Android Lollipop 5.0, it is a big announcement for a low-end device like Moto E (Gen 2). A few Motorola devices have already received the update; more handsets are likely to get the notification soon.

May 14, 2015
Samsung to Confront Apple Watch’s Digital Crown with a Rotating Bezel on its Next Smartwatch

Apple’s first wearable Apple Watch was a unique wearable in certain aspects. The device houses the Force Touch feature and an innovative navigation-based Digital Crown that takes users through the watch interface. Samsung has a tough task ahead to bring out a competitive smartwatch in the wearable market, and seems like it is ready to knock out Apple Watch with its entirely distinct tool. Some details have surfaced in the latest release of an SDK for developers, which speaks that the stand-out feature of Samsung’s next Gear will be its display bezel.

According to a report by SamMobile, the next-gen smartwatch will have a circular display of 1.18-inch that will be paired with a rotating bezel. The bezel will be the key to interface navigation on the smartwatch, served by a Digital Crown on Apple Watch. The rotating mechanism will perform a variety of functions such as zooming, scrolling, adjusting volume and numerous other functions. Here are some of the images that show how will it work:

The image above shows how users can toggle between multiple apps like emails, messages, music player and more just by twisting the movable bezel on the Gear smartwatch.

Another picture shows the inclusion of the swipe feature that seems to perform a slew of additional functions.

Few other images reveal further uses of the rotating bezel like zoom in and zoom out photos, controlling volume and scrolling through the contacts list.

To embed rotating bezels on the next-gen Gear smartwatch is certainly an innovative approach by Samsung. It makes the wearable stand out of the pack and pits it directly against the Apple Watch.

Late last month, Korean electronics maker teased the round display of its future smartwatch while sending an open invitation to global developer community members. The pictures said about its partnership with CNN, Baidu, Yelp, Apposter, and FidMe. The next Gear device will run on Tizen OS with Exynos 7420 powering it. The smartwatch may launch in two variants. The company hasn’t come up with an official announcement till now, and we expect to hear it soon.

May 14, 2015
Gmail Quietly Rolls Out a New Login Screen

Gmail was the only Google subsidiary that had not undergone many updates for a long time. But, Google has quietly rolled out a new update that may change the phase of web logins. According to TechCrunch, Gmail has rolled out a new login screen that would require you to go through two different pages, one asking for your Email ID and the other for your password.

Before, to log into your Gmail account, you were required to enter your Email ID and password on the same page, which would later be directed to your inbox. With the new login screen, you will first have to enter your user id. The next page will ask you for your password, and then you will be directed to your inbox.

Google’s official product forum reads that the new login screen will prepare for ‘future authentication solutions that complement passwords.’ It also claims that the new login screen will reduce confusion among people having multiple Gmail accounts. It also reads that a better experience is promised for SAML SSO users, like university users or corporate that sign in with a different identity other than Google.

Google has not made clear what the above points meant. But the thread saw many users complaining about the change being unnecessary. Users have complained that the two-screen login process wastes time. Some users who have more than two accounts say the new screen have broken their ability to login using various password managers.

TechCrunch also pointed out that the method is somewhat similar to the ‘Trusted Device’ option in Android devices that lets users unlock their devices when they come in vicinity of their smartphone or tablet while they have a chosen trusted device on their person.

May 14, 2015
Apple iPhone 6s Expected to Arrive with 2GB RAM,12MP Camera and a Rose Gold Colour Option

Apple’s latest products in the market, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus include the most significant upgrades that the company has incorporated since years. The two smartphones arrived last year in September, and were accompanied by the grand announcement of the Apple Watch. Now, it is time to begin discussing what Apple has in store for us this year. According to AppleInsider, Ming-Chi Kuo, an Analyst from KGI Securities issued a security note that read Apple will be offering an additional Rose Gold option for the upcoming iPhone, to keep its market in momentum.

iPhone 6s is Expected to Include Force Touch Technology.

Some of the changes the ‘iPhone 6s’ is said to include is a new design using an improved casing material and a newly resurrected inner design. One more microphone is said to be added near the new handset’s speakers in an attempt to improve the sound quality. Kuo also said the device will come with 2 GB RAM and a 12MP camera. Kuo also reveals that Apple’s upcoming iPhone 6s models will be powered by a next-gen A9 processor. Another highlight of the new iPhone would be the inclusion of Force Touch, a feature which we’ve recently seen on the Apple Watch and MacBook. As every year, the smartphones would be released in the month of September.

This concludes one of the first major leaks about the upcoming iPhone, we should expect to see more rumours emerge as the launch date approaches.

May 13, 2015
Leaked Photo of Samsung Galaxy S6 Active Suggests Robust Construction

Korean tech powerhouse Samsung carved a niche in the smartphone market with the unveiling of its new-fangled Galaxy S6 series. It is Samsung’s best product in terms of design and, of course, specifications; the design has been considered delicate. But the major flaw in the high-end device is that it’s not waterproof and weatherproof. The South Korean equipment maker is planning to remove that glitch by introducing another version of Galaxy S6, the Galaxy S6 Active, and today a source has authenticated its existence. GSMArena has released a picture of the next iteration of Galaxy S6, which is yet not announced.

The image speaks of a rugged Galaxy S6 Active, immune to accidental drops. The front has three physical buttons, which means fingerprint scanner will be absent in this model. As per the source, the phone will sport the model number SM-G890A and a significantly larger battery of 3,500mAh. Being a variant of the expensive Galaxy S6, the S6 Active is sure to maintain its top-notch specifications.

We earlier reported that the smartphone will boast features like detachable battery and MicroSD card. Besides fingerprint scanner, a heart rate monitor will also be missing in the next S series device. The phone will be water and dust resistance and will launch sometime in mid-summer.

Stay tuned for more updates on the same.

May 13, 2015
Asia’s Largest Google Campus Will Be Based In Hyderabad

After being the first Indian city to get the Street View (a technological feature by Google Maps and Google Earth that provides paranomia views along many streets), Hyderabad may have yet another surprise announcement up its sleeves. Google has decided to set up its first Asian campus here in India’s largest IT corridor, Hyderabad. It is touted to be its biggest campus outside the USA.

Excited to announce that Google & Govt of Telangana has inked an MoU to build their largest campus (outside US) 1/3 pic.twitter.com/iMiPFa3hf7

— KTR (@KTRTRS) May 11, 2015

in Hyderabad. First campus in Asia. 2 Million sq ft space would be built. Investment of Rs. 1000 crores and in four years employee size 2/3

— KTR (@KTRTRS) May 11, 2015

to double from 6500 now to 13000. David Radcliffe, Sr VP of Google & IT Secy Jayesh Ranjan signed the MoU at Google HQ in Mountain View 3/3

— KTR (@KTRTRS) May 11, 2015

IT Minister of Telangana, KT Rama Rao, who is on a visit right now to the US, has signed a MoU with Google Inc, under which Hyderabad will allot 7.2 acres in the Gachibowli area. KT Rama Rao said an investment of Rs 1,000 crore would be used for the same and they will increase its employee size from 6,500 to 13,000. Google also expects the facility would be developed and be fully operational by 2019.

The minister also spoke with Google about supporting the intended Telangana programme that is aimed to promote digital literacy among school children.

With powerhouses of tech like Google, forging its way to Indian soil, it could very well mean that we could be heading to a very bright technological future along with a rise in employment.

May 13, 2015
YU Yuphoria | Benchmarks | Questions Answered

Micromax’s subsidiary Yu Televentures recently updated its smartphone lineup with the new Yuphoria. The firm was striving to carve a niche in the developers community and has succeeded to a large extent. At a price of Rs. 6,999, the device has some exceptional features like its all-metal body and speakers that produce loud and clear sound. We put the device to test and checked its hardware and graphic capabilities.

Have a look at our full benchmark and hardware test along:

The smartphone boasts an impressive 5-inch display and is powered by a 64-bit 1.2GHz Quad-Core Snapdragon 410. The Adreno 306 GPU takes care of the graphics quality of the phone, making the videos run quite well. The next device by YU packs the latest Cyanogen OS 12 based on Android Lollipop. The company has made use of its partnership with Cyanogen, which will surely give an edge to Yuphoria over other contenders.

We ran AnTuTu and NenaMark 2 on our device and here are its scores along with Redmi 2, and Moto E (Gen 2):

Test

Yuphoria

Xiaomi Redmi 2

Moto E (Gen 2)

AnTuTu 23,779 21,155 15,362

NenaMark 2 54.4fps 54fps 51.2fps

So, as you can see above, Yuphoria scored 23,779 in the AnTuTu test and 54.4fps in the NenaMark 2 test. It has left behind Xiaomi’s Redmi 2 and the latest low-budget Motorola product, Moto E (Gen 2). Although the device doesn’t deliver the best performance, given its economical price tag, it certainly is the best pick among other contenders.

Questions Answered:

There have been several queries regarding the OTG support on the device. We checked out this aspect and found that Yuphoria doesn’t support OTG. The smartphone doesn’t have a Notification LED light either.

Yuphoria sports a ‘Double Tap to Wake Up’ feature, which enables you to lock and unlock the screen with a double tap. Enable the option, and the screen will wake up when tapped twice. To lock the screen, do the same again on the status bar and nowhere else; your device will lock instantly.

As we’ve mentioned before, the YU Yuphoria is the first smartphone to integrate Truecaller. It is optional, and can be disabled easily.

We will soon come up with a full review of the blockbuster smartphone. Meanwhile, you can click here to watch our exclusive Unboxing and Hands-on video.

May 13, 2015
Skype’s Super Cool Live Translator App is Finally Accessible Worldwide

Skype’s futuristic software was first introduced to the world in December 2014. Skype’s Translator app that provides instantaneous translation of both, spoken and written languages, is now ready to be offered worldwide almost after six months of its first preview.

Earlier, when the app was in its preview stage, users had to sign up via the Skype Translator preview page. This was limited to users of Windows and Windows Phone OS and was available in just two languages; Spanish and English, along with forty instant languages. Now, Microsoft has removed the signup requirement for masses to preview, translating languages like English, Spanish, Italian and Mandarin in real-time. Meanwhile, under Instant Messaging, the app supports fifty languages.

The Redmond-based firm is planning to launch a distinct app specially designed for India. Filipp Seljanko, Skype spokesman, said the precise Skype app will be optimised for India’s mobile networks to offer better experience over 2G and 3G networks.

Skype’s Translator app is available only on Windows for now, and users will need a Windows 8 or Windows 10 OS for it to work. You can download the app here.

Know more about Skype Translator app here.

May 13, 2015
You Will Soon Be Able To Sell Second Handed Goods Directly From Facebook

After working on a new feature that may give Google a direct competition in the terms of a search engine, Facebook is now eyeing a feature that will let its users buy or sell goods through groups. Although, this feature is not new to Facebook as the social networking giant tried it briefly back in December 2014.

Right now in its test mode, Facebook’s latest extension is a group called ‘All Sale Groups’ that will allow users to scan through a catalog of items that are up for grabs. The items are shown along with the Groups or categories they are a part of, in a unified manner. Facebook search box would enable people to search for goods that are made public and are up for sale. Categories like books, event tickets, clothing, video games, furniture, etc. helps in faster search results.

When a person lists an item for sale, they mention the price and state whether the price rate is negotiable or not. The details include information about the product along with photos, pick up and delivery option.

Vendors would not have to pay any commission to Facebook. In return, this raises up the chances that the user will stay on the social networking site for a long time.

According to TheNextWeb, this feature is now in its infant form, and work is being done for its worldwide launch within the next few weeks. Looks like eBay has got its competitor!

May 13, 2015