Category: Tech

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

Indian Government Announces Nationwide Contest to Help Build an App for PMO
MyGov, in collaboration with Government of India have announced the launch of a nation wide contest to build a mobile app for the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). The contest will be held across the country, at different institutions and colleges and will invite participation from people throughout India. Google will partner MyGov in this contest to build the PMO Mobile App. The contest will launch tomorrow at 5:00 pm on MyGov.in.

Speaking at a NASSCOM event yesterday, Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi said, that he was planning to invite ideas from the public for developing a mobile app for his office. He added that the government would work with Google for selecting the best ideas to develop the app and its features.

The contest has been divided into three phases: the first phase will seek ideas from the public on what they would like to see in the mobile app for the PMO, the second phase will involve building wireframes, and the final phase will include short listing, judging and building the app.

Here’s how you can take part in the PMO mobile app contest:
- If you have an idea on what you would like to see as a feature in the mobile app, share it on www.mygov.in.The features can be about the kind of information you want to see from the PMO. Submit your idea, or vote for an idea now on www.mygov.in. Last date for submitting ideas or voting is 12th March. The shortlisted features will be a part of the mobile app.
- Once the idea is in, the next step is to build the app with the shortlisted features. Register your team and submit your wireframes and be the chosen one to develop a mobile app for the PMO. Ten wireframes will be shortlisted to compete for the development phase.
- In the final stage, five finalists will be chosen by the jury, to compete for the ultimate prize of making the Prime Minister Office’s mobile app.
These finalists will be mentored by Google, the technical partner of the contest. An external jury will judge the contest and choose the final app.
March 2, 2015
HTC’s Active Case for One M9 is Something That Every Phone Needs

HTC yesterday unveiled its brand new flagship, the One M9 at MWC 2015. The device is a bit of an upgrade over the predecessor, the One M8 but comes with its own set of unique features. Much has been said and discussed the M9’s features but not a lot has been said about the amazing cases brought out by HTC with the new flagship launch.

We take a look at the HTC Active Case, the true protective case that every smartphone needs to have. It is rated IP68, which means that it will be waterproof and can also take the jolts of the floor when it is accidentally dropped. The case can withstand a drop of 2 meters, which is great for the butterfingers out there.

The clear case lets your appreciate the metallic back panel while keeping the device safe.

The case looks sturdy and complements the phone to some extent. Also, as it’s a clear case, you will also get to look at the shiny aluminum back cover that sets the One M9 apart from its competition.

Active Headset from HTC is a waterproof pair of earphones for the outdoorsy folks.

Waterproof Earphones

Waterproof Earphones

The Active case by HTC is for those outdoorsy folks whose phones are always at the risk of contact with the natural elements. To give even more peace of mind, HTC has unveiled the Active Headset. This is a pair of waterproof earphones that are rated at IP67. With these in your pocket, you can take that March mountain trek without being concerned for your smart gears.

HTC also unveiled new Dot View II cases for the M9 along with the Active case.

HTC also launched a bouquet of new Dot View II cases with textured backs that will let you add a unique character to your One M9. Just like their previous version.

Rugged Case

Rugged Case back

Rugged Case

These are some great accessory from HTC, and hopefully the company will bring the strengthened cases for its other products. This will make you feel safe about your device in comparison to regular flip cases. The major smartphone maker should work towards introducing strong cases for the smartphones as it would be an accessory that people will see as an investment instead of a mere add-on.

Watch our hands on with HTC One M9 here:

March 2, 2015

Hands On | Sony Xperia M4 Aqua

At the Mobile World Congress today in Barcelona, Sony introduced to the world two fresh devices, Xperia M4 Aqua and Xperia Z4. The former one is a mid-range smartphone, while the Xperia Z4 is a 10-inch robust tablet with top-notch specs. Both the devices run on Google’s Android power and are immune to water till a certain depth.

The newly launched Xperia M4 Aqua is clad in a plastic body and holds an OmniBalance design. Weighing at a mere 136 grams, the smartphone is super light but doesn’t compromise on the build quality. At a thickness of 7.3mm, the M4 Aqua fits comfortably in the hand, making it perfect for single-handed usage.

The smartphone flaunts a 5.2-inch 720p IPS display, which is protected by a tempered glass. The handset runs on the latest Android OS, Lollipop. The Material Design interface is super impressive and makes the phone more quick and fluid. A 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 615 processor, Adreno 405 GPU and 2GB of RAM is equipped to the M4 Aqua.

Optics of the handset includes a 13MP Exmor RS primary camera and a 5 MP selfie cam in the front. The phone comes in two storage variants – 8GB and 16GB, both of them are expandable up to 32GB via MicroSD support. The smartphone derives juice from the 2,400mAh cell. One of the strong points of the M4 Aqua is its aforementioned waterproof feature. It has got IP65 and IP68 certification, which prevents it from any damage until 1.5m underwater for up to 30 minutes. Also, it doesn’t feature a rubberized cap for the microUSB port.

The handset comes at an introductory price of €299, which roughly translates to Rs. 23,000. For now, take a look at its specifications:

Specs	Sony Xperia M4 Aqua
Display	5.2-inch IPS display (720p)
Processor	64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 615Adreno 405 GPU
RAM	2GB
Onboard Memory	8GB/16GB
Expandable Up to	32GB
Primary Camera	13MP Exmor RS
Secondary Camera	5MP
Battery	2,400mAh
Price	€299 (approx Rs. 23,000)

Here’s our hands on with the smartphone at launch:

March 2, 2015

Qualcomm Teases its Next Snapdragon 820 Self Learning Chipset

Chipset maker Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 SoC marked the beginning of a new era, deployed in latest devices like the HTC One M9. However, it seems the company has something more in store. At the ongoing Mobile World Congress, it offered a brief teaser of their next iteration of chipsets.

Expected by the end of the year, the Snapdragon 820 will use a custom 64-bit architecture, the Qualcomm Kyro, and will be built using the FinFET process, similar to Intel’s tri-gate ‘3D’ fabrication method. These 64-bit processors will be based on Qualcomm’s own Kro design replacing ARM’s.

Moreover, the Snapdragon 820 will be the first SoC designed and integrated with the company’s own Zeroth platform, a cognitive self learning module. This allows devices to have an AI of their own, making them more personal and adaptive to external factors.

The 820 SoC is expected to arrive by end of the year and may show up devices by next year. In addition, Qualcomm also announced that it’ll be rolling out new modems named X5, X7, X8 and X10 and X12 depending upon their capabilities.

Do check out the teaser video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF8ecUmo8hI

March 2, 2015
MWC 2015 : Lenovo Presents the Affordable A7000 with Dolby Sound

Lenovo brought out A6000 at CES this year to take on the likes of Redmi Note, and Yu Yureka. The company is already ready with the A7000. The device has a pocket-friendly price tag and offers some amazing features at the same time.

The Lenovo A7000 sports a 5.5 inch HD display. It is powered by a 1.5 GHz MediaTek True8Core processor with 4G LTE. It flaunts 2 GB RAM and 8 GB internal storage which is expandable through MicroSD. The device is 7.9 mm thick and weighs just 140g. The smartphone runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop.

On the camera front, this budget device offers an 8 MP shooter on the back and a 5 MP selfie camera on the front. It gets its juice from a 2900 mAh battery that might just cut it for its massive display.

The USP of the device, apart from its price, is the Dolby Atmos sound. This technology will tweak the audio of the content to make it sound like it is coming from all directions. You will, of course, require a pair of headphones to get the true Atmos experience.

Lenovo A7000 will be priced at $169 (about Rs.10,500). The device will come to the market this month itself. It seems like Redmi and Yureka now have some real competition in the market and luckily for the consumers, it will be available very soon.

March 2, 2015
Hands on With the New Super Slim Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet

Today, at the Mobile World Congress 2015, Sony officially announced the successor of its Xperia Z2 tablet, the Xperia Z4. The new iteration stands true to the definition of sleek and gives a tough competition to Apple’s iPad Air 2 with only 6.1mm thickness.

The company has considered business enterprises by adding a keyboard to the device. The Android tablet is attached with a Bluetooth-enabled keypad and comes with built-in Microsoft Office Productivity suite. With the keypad on, the Xperia Z4 gives a laptop-like experience. The tablet weighs a mere 393g, which makes it convenient for people constantly on the go.

The waterproof tablet features a bigger display at 10-inch with 2K resolution. The latest octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor, together with 3GB RAM, is embedded onto the tablet to boost its processing speed. The tablet holds onboard storage space of 32GB, which is expandable through a MicroSD slot.

Sony hasn’t compromised on the build quality and the tablet holds a very solid and pleasing construction. The devices comes with a 6,000mAh battery that is just enough to go for a day of heavy usage. Running on Android Lollipop, a 13MP rear shooter is placed at the back of the device, along with a 5MP camera up front.

The device will work with PlayStation 4 Remote Play, allowing users to stream the games straight on the console. The tablet will launch in two variants – LTE and Wi-Fi-only. For now, the Japanese firm hasn’t disclosed the prices of any of the models.

Stay tuned, video hands on coming up shortly.

March 2, 2015
Lenovo Vibe Shot is a Camera Masquerading as a Smartphone

With the saturation of the smartphone market, companies are looking for a unique proposition for their devices. Lenovo, the Chinese device maker, has put its bet on a better camera for its new device, the Lenovo Vibe Shot.

The Vibe Shot looks fantastic in the first glance. The back of the device is designed to look like a camera, and the top end has a brushed metal type surface that is partnered with a black surface that makes the device look classy. It has a thin light aluminum frame that give it a fantastic metal appeal. The device has physical control that allow the user to have a camera like experience. It features a physical camera button as it just doesn’t feel like taking an image unless you press a button. This feature has been absent from smartphones for quite a while.

Vibe Shot has a light Aluminium body and comes in multiple colors.

Apart from the physical camera button, the device also has a physical slider to switch between smart and pro-mode. The camera on the device is a 16 MP Shooter with OIS and tricolor flash. At the front, the device sports an 8 MP front shooter. It sports a 5 inch display Full HD display for the user to get the best glimpse of the action.

Lenovo has also packed the Vibe Shot with some great innards. The handset is powered by a 64 bit, 1.7 GHz, Snapdragon 615 processor along with 3 GB RAM. It has 32 GB internal storage that can be expanded up to 128 GB through MicroSD, so space is not an issue on this one. It will run the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop.

Lenovo Vibe shot will be available from June this year for a price of $349 (Approx Rs. 21,000) which is simply fantastic for a device that offers so much. We can’t wait to get our hands on this one. It will be available in red, white or grey color options.

March 2, 2015
Exclusive : Samsung S6 and S6 Edge Arrive in India on 10th April; Pricing Revealed

Samsung officially unwrapped its latest flagships, the S6 and S6 Edge, yesterday in Barcelona. Now sources close to iGyaan suggest that the two new entrants will go on sale in India on 10th April.

The normal Galaxy S6 boasts a slightly larger screen size, than its predecessor, with a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED QuadHD display with a pixel density of 577ppi. Powering the new Galaxy S6 will be an Exynos Octa-Core chipset clocked at 2.1 Ghz which is bundled with a 3GB LPDDR4.

Meanwhile, in terms of optics, it retains the same 16MP count just like its predecessor, though it gets OIS which was missing in the previous iteration. In addition, it also gets a 5MP front facing camera.

On the memory front, the Galaxy S6 will be available in three variant, 32, 64 and 128 GB variants. All based on UFS 2.0 (Universal Flash Storage). And yes, just like the iPhone – the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the S6 Edge will not have micro SD expandability.

Connectivity on the new flagship has been given a slight upgrade, it gets LTE Cat 6 compatibility, while other connectivity options include Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, while globally unlocked variants will work on TDD and FDD LTE bands. So networks should not be a problem for Samsung this time around. It also gets a fingerprint scanner while juicing up the smartphone would be 2550mAh battery.

Coming to its curved counterpart, all specs and features are the same except it gets a slightly beefier battery unit at 2600mAh along with an Exynos Octa core chipset clocked at 2.5GHz. Meanwhile, the edge is mostly for aesthetic appeal. At the event, the company announced that it took up to 800-degree to bend the Gorilla Glass 4 display.

Samsung has included quick charging and wireless charging capabilities in the new S6 and the S6 Edge. The company claims that a 10 minute charge will result in 4 hours of usage.

The latest flagship, or should we say flagships from Samsung go on sale in India starting April 10th meanwhile pricing is expected to be around Rs. 52,999 for the S6, while its curved counterpart will likely get a price tag of Rs.61,999.

Do check out our Hands-On with the new Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge in the video below:

March 2, 2015
Xiaomi Announces GoPro-Like YiCamera, Priced at a Mere $64

After dethroning Samsung as China’s top smartphone company, it seems Xiaomi is now eyeing the world of cameras. Xiaomi’s latest offering is the YiCamera, which looks like a GoPro HERO, but costs less than half its price.

The YiCamera, is going to be available for roughly Rs 3,964 ($64). As of now, the device is limited only to China, and can be bought via the official MI website. Features of this camera include a 16 MP Sony Exmor R CMOS image sensor with f/2.8 aperture, built-in Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity and capability to record videos at 1080 p along with 60 fps. Additionally, it is waterproof and supports adjustable time-lapse shooting and 155 degrees paranoma mode.

Though it seems that Xiaomi has made this device for more of indoor use than outdoor. It does not offer a rugged exterior casing like the GoPro and includes accessories like a selfie stick and a harness to strap the device to your pets.

The YiCamera is available on the company’s official Mi site and will go on flash sale in China. Its availability in India and other regions has been confirmed for later this year.

March 2, 2015
Sony Launches the Sleek Xperia M4 Aqua at MWC 2015

Sony has announced its latest Xperia M4 smartphone at MWC 2015 in Barcelona. In addition, Sony also announced its Xperia Z4 tablet, making them the only two devices Sony has announced so far at MWC 2015. The Xperia M4 gets a launch price of €299 (Rs. 23,000 approx.), making it a mid range smartphone, which is a bit surprising as Sony hasn’t spruced up its flagship and not launched a successor to the Xperia Z3.

The newly launched Xperia M4 is the first IP68 certified waterproof phone which does not feature rubberised caps for its microUSB port. It gets a 5.2 inch 720p IPS display, while powering the smartphone would be a Snapdragon 615 octa-core 64-bit processor, Adreno 405 GPU and 2GB of RAM.

Optics on the phone include a 13MP primary camera and a 5 MP selfie cam, while storage options include 8GB and 16GB internal memory and microSD card support. The Xperia M4 runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop, gets 4G LTE connectivity, while juicing up the smartphone is a 2400 mAh battery.

The Xperia Z4 Aqua design is quite similar to the Xperia Z3, featuring a tempered glass to protect the display and the frame. It also gets a dedicated camera shutter.

The smartphone will be available globally this spring in white, black, coral and silver colour options. As of now there’s no word yet on an Indian launch date or price but we expect Sony won’t be taking too long to launch the Xperia M4 here.

March 2, 2015
Microsoft Announces Lumia 640 and Lumia 640 XL with Free Office 365 for a Year

The Mobile World Congress 2015 witnessed a fabulous opening yesterday with a slew of devices from Samsung, HTC, Acer and Huawei, and today morning, Microsoft kicked off (early) at the smartphone carnival. The consumer electronics manufacturer just brought out two low-cost Lumia smartphones, Lumia 640 and Lumia 640 XL. Both are based on the latest Windows 10 and offer free Office 365 for one year.

Talking about the Lumia 640 first, the gadget sports a 5-inch HD display which is protected by Gorilla Glass 3. The company has equipped the device with 1.2GHz Qualcomm 400 quad-core processor paired with 1GB RAM and 8GB storage. It comes in four colour options – cyan, orange white and black.

The rear camera is 8MP and comes bundled with LED flash. A 1MP snapper with wide angle lens sits at the front side above the screen. For now, the handsets will be shipped with Windows 8.1, but it will soon be updated to Windows 10.

The other one, Lumia 640 XL, is a bigger sibling of the Lumia 640. It has a 5.7-inch screen and comes with a 13-megapixel camera with LED flash and Carl Zeiss optics. The front has a 5MP shooter with wide angle lens.

The Lumia 640, arriving next month, is priced at 139 Euro for its 3G version ($155), while the LTE variant will be priced at 159 euro ($178). The biggger Lumia 640 XL will be debuting this month itself. It comes for 189 euro ($211) for the 3G version and 219 euro ($245) for the LTE variant. There are also dual SIM versions available for both the phones. Each of them is available in 3G dual-SIM, and LTE single- and dual-SIM models. More information about the handset and other releases from Microsoft keep checking this space.

March 2, 2015

Hands On | Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge

At the Mobile World Congress today, Samsung unveiled two flagship handsets, Galaxy S6 and its the curvy and stylish sibling, the Galaxy S6 Edge. The new S iterations are a complete overhaul and triumph over the bugs and lags of the previous releases. Both the premium gadgets proved to be the showstoppers of the event. At the same event, Samsung also announced the arrival of its new payment system.

Coming back to the stars of the show, both the smartphones sport a new design language with an all glass front and back highlighted with stainless steel. The Galaxy S6 is standard in appearance, while the edgy Galaxy S6 is the one that gathers the extra points for its one-of-a-kind design. Galaxy S6 Edge has appealing displays on either edge.

Talking about the internal specifications of the handsets, then the two bad boys pack a punch. The devices are almost identical and differ only in terms of their processor and battery power. The S6 is equipped with the latest 2.1 GHz Exynos octa-core processor, while a peppier 2.5 GHz Exynos octa-core chipset is embedded on to the edgy Galaxy S6.

The RAM capacity of both the devices stands equal at 3 GB. The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge resemble the iPhone in their storage capacity options. Just like Apple’s flagship, the two phones come in three variants – 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB, all based on UFS 2.0 (Universal Flash Storage).

Both the phones run on Android 5.0.2 Lollipop with TouchWiz UI on top. A 2550mAh battery is fixed to power Galaxy S6 and a slightly higher 2600mAh battery supports the S6 Edge. The handsets sport a new 5.1-inch Super AMOLED QuadHD display that delivers eye burning sharpness.

Considering the camera, then 16MP rear shooter with Optical Image Stabilization sits on the phone, along with a 5MP snapper that grabs a spot at the top the screen. With the new flagships, Samsung introduced quick charging and wireless charging capabilities along with Fingerprint scanner. The connectivity options comprise of LTE Cat 6, Bluetooth 4.1 and Wi-Fi.

SPECS	SAMSUNG GALAXY S6	SAMSUNG GALAXY S6 EDGE
Display	5.1-inch QuadHD Super AMOLED (577ppi)	5.1-inch QuadHD Super AMOLED (577ppi)
Processor	2.1 GHz Exynos octa-core	2.5 GHz Exynos octa-core
RAM	3GB	3GB
Storage	32GB/64GB/128GB	32GB/64GB/128GB
Expandable Upto	–	–
Main Camera	16MP + OIS	16MP + OIS
Front Camera	5MP	5MP
Battery	2550mAh	2600mAh
Operating System	Android 5.0.2 Lollipop	Android 5.0.2 Lollipop
Network	4G LTE	4G LTE

Check out our exclusive hands-on video below:

March 2, 2015

Huawei’s MediaPad X2 Flaunts a Slim Design With All Round Specs

Huawei has made an unexpected, huge entry in the ongoing Mobile World Congress with a slew of gadgets. The latest one to get our attention is a dual SIM phablet titled Huawei MediaPad X2. The device is the successor of MediaPad X1, and is the first ever device to hold a 64-bit ultra octa-core chipset with 4G-enabled LTE. The MediaPad X2 is launched in two variants – one with 2GB RAM + 16GB storage and the other with 3G RAM and 32GBstorage.

Richard Yu, CEO, Huawei Consumer Business Group made a statement –

Following the success of the Huawei MediaPad X1, and having inherited the signature feature of our large screen design, the Huawei MediaPad X2 represents our faith and commitment in creating better quality products with our technology and innovation.

At a thickness of 7.28 mm, the MediaPad X2 is the world’s slimmest 7-inch phablet. The HD IPS display is laminated and has a resolution of 1200 x 1920p, with pixel density of 323ppi. The 2.0GHz Kirin 930 ultra-octa chipset bundled with 64-bit GPU Mali-T628 is powerful and consumes less power. The phablet is juiced up through a 5,000 mAh Li-ion battery.

On the camera expect as well, the phablet stands at a good spot. It is equipped with a 13MP rear shooter and a 5MP front shooter which is ideal for selfie lovers. Connectivity options include LTE Cat6 and Wi-Fi; surprisingly Bluetooth is not an option in the Huawei phablet. The devices are available two colour option – amber gold and moonlight silver.

The phablet is undoubtedly one of the best and packs some incredible features that makes it stand out. Meanwhile, the price tag is missing, but the Chinese equipment producer is likely to disclose it soon.

March 2, 2015

HTC One M9 vs Galaxy S6 vs Galaxy S6 Edge : New Arrivals Battle it Out

Finally, the day has arrived which all of us were waiting for. The extravagant smartphone carnival, Mobile World Congress kicked off in Barcelona and we brought the ground report from the show, live.

HTC took the veils off the much-awaited product from their stable, the One M9. It impressed us with its all-metal unibody design that had mirror polished gold sides. Alongside HTC, Samsung too made a big entry with its two high-end, metallic devices, Galaxy S6 Edge and Galaxy S6.

All of these phones pack quite a good set of specs. Let’s have a look at the detailed specs sheet that compares the three of them.

SPECS	HTC One M9	Samsung Galaxy S6	Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Display	5-inch Full HD	5.1-inch QuadHD Super AMOLED (577ppi)	5.1-inch QuadHD Super AMOLED (577ppi)
Processor	64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 octa-core	2.1 GHz Quad + 1.5 GHz quad Exynos 64-bit	2.1 GHz Quad + 1.5 GHz quad Exynos 64-bit
RAM	3GB	3GB	3GB
Storage	32GB	32GB/64GB/128GB	32GB/64GB/128GB
Expandable Upto	128GB	–	–
Main Camera	20MP with Auto-focus, BSI sensor	16MP with F1.9 + OIS	16MP with F1.9 + OIS
Front Camera	HTC UltraPixel	5MP	5MP
Battery	2840mAh	2550mAh	2600mAh
Operating System	Android 5.0 Lollipop with HTC Sense	Android 5.0.2 Lollipop	Android 5.0.2 Lollipop
Price	Rs.	Rs. 49,900	Rs. 58,900

Samsung’s new bad boys clearly have a winning list of specs on the table. The only disappointment with the S6 siblings is the lack of expandable storage. These gadgets will hit the stores by April and then the consumers will get to decide which metallic marvel gets the podium finish.

March 2, 2015

Samsung Pay is Now Ready to Go Head On With Apple Pay

Samsung has announced its own version of Apple Pay, titled Samsung Pay at MWC 2015. With S-Pay customers can make secure mobile transactions. Samsung has collaborated with Visa and Mastercard and is planning to further expand the eco-system with the likes of American Express, Bank of America, Citi, JP Morgan and US Bank.

Samsung offers this capability by deploying a technology called Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST). Consumers can use Samsung Pay in merchant locations regardless of whether the terminals support NFC or traditional magstripe, which is the vast majority of existing terminals.

The system essentially relies on the Galaxy S and Note devices fingerprint sensor. Users just need to swipe up from the bottom to launch the Samsung Pay app, choose their credit card and simply authenticate the transaction with their fingerprint. Proper safety measures have been taken, Samsung has integrated the system with its KNOX platform, ARM TrustZone and tokenization.

Samsung claims it has tied up with 90% retailers in the US already. Samsung Pay launches in the United States and Korea in the summer, while other regions (such as Europe and China) will follow later. The first devices to support it will be the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge.

March 1, 2015

Category: Tech

Specs

Sony Xperia M4 Aqua

SPECS

SAMSUNG GALAXY S6

SAMSUNG GALAXY S6 EDGE

SPECS

HTC One M9

Samsung Galaxy S6

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge