Category: Tech

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

Leaked Images of Xiaomi Mi 5 Suggest a 5.2-inch QHD Display

In January, Xiaomi announced the Mi Note and the Mi Pro but did not reveal a successor to their victorious Mi 4, which came out last year in January. However, this can change as the new device, tentatively named as the ‘Mi 5’, may arrive this summer. Recently leaked photos reveal new details about the new phone.

The phone looks a lot like its predecessors in terms of its body design, only molded a bit more taller and thinner. Below are the alleged specs of the device.

The phone is expected to have a 5.2-inch QHD display, 4GB RAM and powered by a 2.7GHz Snapdragon 810 chipset. The rest of the rumoured specs include a 16MP primary camera, integrated with an Optical Image Stabilisation for steady shots, a fingerprint scanner via the handset’s button and a 3,000mAh battery. All these were tipped off by a Chinese blogger. If true, this will be a significant upgrade over the Mi 4.

April 29, 2015

Exclusive: LG G4 to Arrive in India by Early June

LG released their latest flagship yesterday at dedicated events held in New York and London simultaneously. The LG G4 lived up to expectations, and was exactly the handset leaked by Evan Blass (@evleaks), weeks ago. For now, the phone is set to be released only in its native country, Korea. Now iGyaan has learnt from a reliable source that the LG G4 is slated to release in India by early June this year. For the UK market, the smartphone is launching on 28th May, and the Indian market will shortly follow after.

The G4 features a 5.5-inch Quad HD display that utilizes dot technology for higher brightness and contrast. It runs on a six-core Snapdragon 808 processor along with 3GB RAM. It has 32GB of internal storage which can be expanded up to 128GB via a microSD card. Android Lollipop is the OS of choice for this device. It also has a 13MP camera with f/1.8 aperture, colour spectrum and optical image stabilization.

You can check out the spec table below for more details:

SPECIFICATION	LG G4
Display	5.5-inch Quad HD LCD display 2560 x 1440 resolution
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 with X10 LTE
RAM	3GB
Primary Camera	16MP
Front Camera	8MP
Storage	32GB
Expandable Up to	128GB
Battery	3,000mAh
Operating System	Android 5.1 Lollipop with LG UX 4.0 on top
Price	Not Yet Revealed

Pricing of the device has not been mentioned yet. But we’ll know soon enough, as the smartphone releases officially in Korea.

April 29, 2015

OnePlus and Cyanogen Officially Break Up

The two budding players in their respective fields, Cyanogen and OnePlus, are finally breaking their last thread. Both the companies went through ups and downs in the past few months and now, the two have decided to part ways. A confirmation came from Cyanogen at the Global Mobile Internet Conference in Beijing when Cyanogen’s co-founders announced about ending their relationship with OnePlus.

The Co-Founder of Cyanogen, Steve Kondik spoke on the issue –

That’s probably the last you will see from that partnership.… Two new companies are trying to do crazy stuff, a lot of people collide.

Kirt McMaster and Steve Kondik, Co-Founders of Cyanogen stated that both the companies have different goals, and their visions are not coinciding at a point. The fledgling firms will now be heading with their own goals.

The conflict between Cyanogen and OnePlus started when Cyanogen decided to jump into bed with Micromax. For a period, the One devices were banned by the Supreme Court of India. The two companies went back and forth for a while, but have now officially decided to part ways.

Happier Days : OnePlus running Cyanogen

Meanwhile, it is learnt that OnePlus has moved on quickly, and is already working with new brand partners. This might help them scale up the production of the next software to reach the markets quickly. No names linked with OnePlus have come up till now, but it is likely to be an inexpensive Chinese manufacturer. The Chinese equipment maker confirmed on the separation and its association with other partners –

OnePlus shipped reasonable volume, but nothing compared to what some of these other partners can ship… we are working with partners that can scale much quicker.

For now, OnePlus has launched its first own OxygenOS that would fill in for CyanogenOS. After that, the new (unknown) software is expected to replace OxygenOS or provide an alternative for it.

April 29, 2015

Epic Flagship Spec Battle : LG G4 vs Samsung Galaxy S6 vs iPhone 6 Plus vs HTC One M9

LG pulled off a big show yesterday and introduced its 2015 star flagship, the LG G4. The company is betting big on the new device and claims that it offers an exceptional visual experience. So, we decided to check out how this new flagship stands up against the major flagships already available in the market. We are pitching the LG G4 against the Samsung Galaxy S6, iPhone 6 Plus and HTC One M9.

Have a look at the difference in specs:

Specs	LG G4	Samsung Galaxy S6	iPhone 6 Plus	HTC One M9
Display	5.5-inch Quad HD LCD display 2560×1440 resolution	5.1-inch QuadHD Super AMOLED 1440×2560 pixels	5.5 inch Full HD 1080×1920 pixel resolution	5.5 inch HD 1080×1920 pixel resolution
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 with X10 LTE	2.1 GHz Quad + 1.5 GHz quad Exynos 64-bit	1.4 GHz Dual-core A8 chipset	2.0 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset
RAM	3 GB	3 GB RAM	1 GB	3 GB
Storage	32 GB	32 GB	16/32 GB	32 GB
Expandable Upto	128GB	Non-Expandable	Non-Expandable	128 GB
Main Camera	16 MP	16 MP, Optical Image Stabilization, Autofocus, LED flash	8 MP Optical Image Stabilization, Face Detection Autofocus, dual-LED	20 MP autofocus, dual-LED Flash
Front Camera	8 MP	5MP	1.2 MP	Ultra Pixel
Battery	3,000mAh	2550mAh	2915mAh	2800mAh
Operating System	Android 5.1 Lollipop with LG UX 4.0 on top	Android 5.0.2 Lollipop	iOS 8	Android Lollipop

Looking at the specs, LG G4 shows the might to take on its competition. It is one mammoth of a device in terms of the camera, display and battery life. Coming out with an additional 128GB external storage capacity is an advantage for the LG G4. We’re also hearing good things about its leather-clad design and style. However, we’d like to get our hands on the device before we make any further comparisons.

Read about the LG G4 here, or you can compare notes of the difference between the LG G4 vs LG G3 here.

April 29, 2015

LG G Watch R, Moto 360 to Reportedly Face a Price Cut on Google Play Store

It seems smart watches are on a price-slashing spree. A few months back, Motorola’s Moto 360 smartwatch got a price cut of $70 on Amazon and Best Buy. Now, Google Play too is said to be offering the smartwatch at a bargain, bringing down the cost to $180, permanently.

To go along with it, LG’s G Watch R also received a $50 price cut, bringing the new price to $250. LG announced its new G Watch R smartwatch in August, and it’s one of the most elegantly designed smartwatches we have seen. The link to buy the products has currently been taken down, but it should be up shortly.

The Moto 360 has been one of the most-wanted wearables in the market. The Moto 360 has a 1.65 inch display that is protected by Gorilla Glass. The water-proof watch runs on Android Wear and gives timely updates based on the location like weather, traffic, time, reminders, etc.

It is very likely that the price cut has been done to clean out space for new inventory of premier smartwatches. Motorola has been rumoured to be working on a Moto 360 successor which boasts a 360×360-pixel screen. Although, nothing has been confirmed till now.

April 29, 2015

LG G4 vs LG G3: Is it Worth the Upgrade?

Finally, LG has released its long awaited flagship today at an unveiling event held in New York and London simultaneously. Here, we will have a look at the major differences between the LG G3, which was released last year in May, and the G4. Comparing notes to answer ‘What is the real difference?’

From the specs point of view, the 5.5-inch QHD resolution G4 is packed with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor with 3GB RAM. It has 32GB of internal storage that is expandable up to 128GB. It has a 13MP camera along with f/1.8 aperture, color spectrum and optical image stabilization. The 8MP front camera also has a f/1.8 aperture. Connectivity options include LTE-Advanced support, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1 and NFC.

Let us compare the newly-launched device with its predecessor below:

SPECIFICATION	LG G3	LG G4
Display	5.5 inch QHD1440×2560 resolution	5.5-inch Quad HD LCD display 2560 x 1440 resolution
Processor	2.5 GHz Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801	Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 with X10 LTE
RAM	3GB	3GB
Primary Camera	13MP	16MP
Front Camera	2.1MP	8MP
Storage	32GB	32GB
Expandable Up to	128GB	128GB
Battery	3100mAh	3,000mAh
Operating System	Android 4.4 KitKat	Android 5.1 Lollipop with LG UX 4.0 on top
Price	Rs. 37,500	Not Yet Revealed

From the table above, we can see that there is not much difference between the two handsets. The G4 is primarily taken the lead on the camera specifications, especially the front camera. The G4 has won the race by featuring an 8MP front camera as compared to G3’s 2.1MP front shooter. The screen size remains the same, except that the G4 packs a higher resolution than the G3. The only spec where the G3 is above is in the battery department. But then, how much difference can 100mAh make? The display, camera and the processor specifications may make the LG G4 a good choice over the LG G3.

The pricing of the G4 has not been revealed yet, and it will be available in the Korean market from tomorrow. Details of its availability outside have not been disclosed. Keep checking iGyaan for new updates.

April 28, 2015

LG Outs the G4, Featuring a Super-Bright Camera and a Leather-Clad Body

After weeks of leaks and speculations, LG has finally disclosed its next flagship. The Korean electronics maker today launched the G4 in New York and the smartphone holds the same specifications as disclosed in the last leak. The company is betting big on the new device and claims that it offers an exceptional visual experience.

The G4 features a 5.5-inch Quad HD display that uses quantum dot technology. The company says that it is a first on the phone and results in higher brightness and contrast. The processor fitted on the device is a six-core Snapdragon 808 processor. LG says that the Snapdragon 808 churns out power similar to Samsung’s octa-core Exynos chip. With 3GB RAM, the internal storage space of the G4 is 32GB, which can be expanded via a MicroSD card. As teased, the smartphone runs on Android Lollipop.

Talking about the camera performance, then LG G4 boasts a 16MP camera with f/1.8 aperture. LG earlier released a teaser video revealing its ability to capture photos in low-light conditions. An 8MP camera sits on the front for selfie requirements. The improved gesture control on the device lets users take multiple selfies in one the go. Other features include manual mode, RAW shooting and a color spectrum sensor. The handset holds a removable 3,000mAh battery, which the company states can last for one day.

LG has introduced some noteworthy features in the new device. The phone comes with built-in tools like smart widget, SmartBulletin, and a refurbished gallery app. Buyers of the handset will get 100GB of free space on Google Drive for two years.

The phone will be available in four colour options – Black, Blue, Yellow, Beige. The back plates of the phone are carved out of leather and will come in multiple shades.

For now, LG hasn’t disclosed the price and availability details of LG G4. But we can expect to hear about it soon.

Let’s have a look at the spec sheet below:

SPECIFICATION	LG G4
Display	5.5-inch Quad HD LCD display 2560 x 1440 resolution
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 with X10 LTE
RAM	3GB
Primary Camera	16MP
Front Camera	8MP
Storage	32GB
Expandable Up to	128GB
Battery	3,000mAh
Operating System	Android 5.1 Lollipop with LG UX 4.0
Price	Not Yet Revealed

April 28, 2015

Google’s New Marketplace Invites Sellers to Trade Their Patents

Google aims to get a hold of your exclusive set of rights. The search internet giant announced the same on Monday by stating its plan to establish an online marketplace. The common place will offer talented minds sell their patents to them.

The online meeting spot for Google and patent holders is known as Patent Purchase Promotion and it is an “experimental marketplace for patents that’s simple, easy to use, and fast.”

Allen Lo, the Patent Deputy Counsel of Google mentioned in a blog post –

We invite you to sell us your patents. Today we’re announcing the Patent Purchase Promotion as an experiment to remove friction from the patent market.

The blog post adds that a streamlined portal will be open for patent holders from May 8, 2015 through May 22, 2015, where willing sellers can set a price of their product. On the last date, the submission will close and submitters with valuable patents will be contacted by June 26, 2015. The deal is anticipated to close by late August.

The move will help improve their patent landscape. Also, it will provide better benefits to the original patent owner.

Get more information on Patent Purchase Promotion here.

April 28, 2015
Thinking of Donating to Help Nepal? Check Out Facebook’s Impressive New Initiative

Facebook’s initiatives to help the earthquake-hit people in Nepal are appreciable. Earlier it launched a ‘Safety Check’ feature to help people know who all are safe in the affected region. The social networking service has now come up with a new tool that will lend a hand in making contributions for the victims of the Nepal earthquake.

The company has rolled out a ‘Donate button’ within the website which lets millions of connected users make a donation through Facebook. The fund raised for the Nepal earthquake-affected victims will go to International Medical Corps, which are on the ground serving the needful. The most brilliant part about this initiative is that the amount you donate, Facebook will match your donation till $2 million.

The CEO of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg stated in his blog post –

People are coming together to support those affected by the earthquake that struck Nepal and impacted the populations of Nepal, India and Bangladesh

Mark also announced through his Facebook account that it will match every dollar donated up to $2 million, and matching funds i.e. $2 million will be donated by the company. Facebook will distribute the amount to the local relief and rescue organizations providing immediate and continuous relief. The official page of Mark Zuckerberg reads –

Today we’re launching a special campaign to help raise funds for those affected by the Nepal earthquake.At the top of…

Posted by Mark Zuckerberg on Monday, April 27, 2015

Facebook says that till date, millions of people have been marked as safe and tens of millions of others have learnt about their safety across different sections of the world.

Many countries have joined hands to help Nepal get over this tragic situation. India has already sent and is sending assistance to its neighboring nation. United States has also stood up to do its bit and has announced to send $10 million in relief to stand by Nepal in its hard time.

The natural disaster that struck Nepal a few days back shook the very existence of the country. The death toll has passed 4,000 and is still increasing. According to UN, as much as eight million people are affected by this devastating incident.

Willing people can make their contribution here and save lives.

April 28, 2015

Huawei Unveils the Affordable Honor 4C with a 13MP Camera and 5-inch Display

After launching the Huawei P8 at an official event on 15th April, Huawei released yet another handset today, the Honor 4C. With a price tag of 799 Yuan (Rs. 8,150), the phone will directly compete against the Micromax Yu Yureka and Xiaomi Red Mi Note 4G.

From the specs point of view, the 2GB RAM Honor 4C sports a 5-inch 720p display and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 Octa-Core processor and a HiSilicon Kiri 620 Octa-Core chipset. Camera specifications include a 13MP f2.0 aperture primary camera and a 5MP front camera. Internal memory offers 8GB of storage and a microSD slot. It runs on Android 4.4 KitKat and feature a 2,550 mAh battery.

The phone is being offered in black, white, blue, gold and pink color options. For now, the handset is up for sale only in China and will be available through online portals only. The handset will be available on Huawei’s Vmall online store and Alibaba’s Tmall store on 7th May, registration are now open on both the online retailers.

Specifications	Honor 4C
Display	5-inch 720p Display
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 Octa-Core processor
RAM	2GB
Storage	8GB internal, microSD
Primary Camera	13MP
Front Camera	5MP
Battery	2,550mAh
Price	Rs. 8,150, (tentative)

April 28, 2015

Xiaomi Flaunts 3 Lakh Mi 4i Registrations; No Word on the Number of Units Up for Sale

When Xiaomi took the veil off its latest, affordable smartphone Mi 4i in India, it was speculated to have record sales. Going by the presumption, the device has garnered huge registrations for the flash sale to be held on April 30. The handset reported over 3 lakh applications in a mere four days period.

Xiaomi India Head Manu Jain confirmed the same via Twitter –

#Mi4i: we got 3+ lakhs of registrations for Mi 4i during 1st 4 days. Thank you everyone for your love and support :) @MiIndiaOfficial

— Manu Kumar Jain (@manukumarjain) April 28, 2015

At the launch event held on April 23, the Chinese electronics firm mentioned that users need to register on the e-commerce website Flipkart to participate in the sale. The registration process is done simply via a three step process.

Xiaomi hasn’t mentioned the number of devices going up for sale and users need to be online before the sale time (April 30, 2 pm) to grab the product. In the past, we have seen Xiaomi pushing 40,000-50,000 units of devices. Therefore, this time it is expected to release units close to the earlier figures. Those who haven’t registered yet can do it here.

Recalling the specifications, Xiaomi Mi 4i has a 5-inch Full HD OGS IPS display with 441ppi pixel density. The processor powering the phone is a 64-bit octa-core Cortex-A53; the four cores clocked at 1.7 GHz and the other four at 1.1 GHz. It features 2GB of RAM and 16GB of non-expandable storage space. The Mi 4i runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop with the company’s MIUI 6 on top.

Optics includes a 13MP rear and a 5MP shooter. The dual-SIM device is powered by a 3120mAh battery. Connectivity options include microUSB 2.0, Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi. Priced at Rs. 12,999, the handset will be available in white, blue, orange, yellow and pink colour options.

April 28, 2015
With this New Feature, Facebook Messenger is Now Ready to Take on Skype

Voice-Calling within the app is a recent trend every established and emerging messaging software company is following. Recently, Facebook joined the drift and updated its Messenger service to enable voice-calling in the app. Now users can talk face-to-face with their friends anywhere through Facebook.

Initiating the voice chat service is a child’s play, and users just have to tap on the video icon in the top right corner of the screen to pop up a voice call. The service is available for iOS and Android users as of now. Countries that will be able to access this feature are Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, France, Greece, Ireland, Laos, Lithuania, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, the UK, the US and Uruguay. The tool will soon arrive in other countries “over the coming months.”

The standard messaging service on Messenger still exists. Users can anytime stop a voice call and get back to the customary messaging platform and vice-versa. The company claims that there are over 600 million active users of its Messenger app, and the voice-calling tool will help them with real-time video communication.

Facebook’s Messenger platform is on a development spree. Previously, it added the ability to send money to friends via Messenger, which was followed by the release of Messenger platform for Developers to help people connect with businesses.

Check out the video below for a detailed description of voice-calling on Messenger:

April 28, 2015
Apple Watch Already Has More Than 3,500 Apps Available in the App Store

The Apple Watch is the first smartwatch by the Cupertino-based giant, and the company is extremely proud of it, especially its apps. Yesterday the CEO of Apple, Tim Cook while disclosing about the total earnings of the company, boasted about the massive amount of apps ready for the Apple Watch. Tim stated that over 3,500 apps were available.

Cook further elaborated how significant this figure is as the iPad had only had 1,000 apps ready at its launch in 2010, and iPhone App Store had just 500 apps when it first debuted in July 2008.

Cook briefed in a meeting –

We’re far ahead from where we expected to be from an application point of view. We had an internal goal of beating that 1,000 [that the iPad had] and we exceeded that.

As Apple allowed the third-party apps to make their presence on its Watch, developers have been submitting the ready apps for approval since March 31. The creation of apps wasn’t an easy task for developers as Apple limited the access to functional hardware. Most of those apps have been approved, and Apple Watch users can install any tool from the plethora of apps. Some of the Indian apps for the Apple Watch include NDTV News, HDFC and Cleartrip.

This seems like an important announcement, however we need to keep it in mind that the presence of apps was considerably less in 2010, when the iPad was first introduced. It would not be fair to compare the iPad with the Apple Watch. Recently, it was also learnt that developers are also creating a set of games for the wearable, which is a challenge. Know more about the Apple Watch games here.

April 28, 2015
China Overtakes US in iPhone Sales, As Apple Earnings up 33%

For the first time in the history of the iPhone, China sales of the Apple iPhone have overtaken the US sales. The increase of 71% put Apple’s revenue in the asian country to $16.8 Billion, a major chunk mostly doe to the festivities around the Chinese New Year.

The Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have been the most popular handsets from the company since the launch of the iPhone back in 2007. The last quarter results broke all records pegging the worldwide success of the handsets.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Tim Cook” author_title=”CEO- Apple inc.”]

The large middle class growth has fueled the high purchase volumes of the handset in China

[/quote]

End of March 2015 Apple’s cash totaled $193.5 billion, up from $178 billion at the end of December, that is more than the total of the next top 15 companies in the Standard & Poor’s 500 list.

Apple has increased its dividend to 11%, In all, Apple pledged to return $200 billion to shareholders through buybacks and dividends by March 2017. Overall revenue rose to $58.01 billion in the second quarter ended March 28, from $45.65 billion a year earlier. That beat Wall Street’s expected revenue of $56 billion.

Apple’s latest hardware product, the Apple Watch, started shipping Friday. So far, availability is limited for the new device with Apple’s website estimating that new orders won’t be delivered until June.

April 28, 2015
Activision Unveils Crucial Gameplay Details and More About Call of Duty: Black Ops 3

After showing off the teaser a few weeks ago, Activision has now revealed few more crucial details of one of the biggest first-person shooting franchises of all times, Call of Duty: Black Ops 3. The company announced the official trailer of Black Ops 3 which shows the game taking a leap into the future. The third installment seems to dig deep into the military science-fiction. Check out the trailer below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58Pspqx0XGs

The new game aims to hold its franchise fans spellbound. The creators of the game have developed new characters, landscapes, and weaponry, which can be customized as players progress. The modes introduced in the latest game are – Zombie, Campaign, and MP.

Another big alteration coming with Black Ops 3 is the multi-player mode. Developers have raised the stakes in the single-player campaign, turning it to an optional one-player to four-player co-op game. In this mode, players can share information about threats during gaming. As the game has been designed keeping four players in mind, playing in single-player mode may prove difficult.

While the first Black Ops was set in 1960 and the second part in 2025, this edition is set 35 years later in 2060. In the third part, you play as a member of a prototype Black Ops unit that has cybernetic enhancements with mission briefings of a missing CIA team in Singapore.

Treyarch’s popular military shooter saga is due to release on November 6 this year for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. Its release date in India isn’t specified yet.

April 27, 2015