Category: Tech

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

Kochi-Based Start-Up’s Home Automation Device Has a Job For Your Spare Smartphone

Start-ups are a great big bastion of innovation. It is there where the real world changing innovations are taking place. There are many start-up’s working the field of home automation. One such startup happens to be Mindhelix, which is known for its personal security app. It came up with an innovative solution to take care of two issues at once. First it gives a new life to your old phone and second it takes your house into the future. The solution is called Rico.

Rico is a small toy shaped, sensor-laden device that uses your old smartphone to provide advanced home automation services. It can even work without a smartphone but considering that every house has or will have a spare phone lying around, this seems a great proposition.

Rico is available in multiple color options.

The device is capable of multiple functions on its own. It provides motion detection, temperature detection, carbon monoxide, smoke, humidity sensing along with the ability to control smart sockets. Add in a smartphone and the device becomes a home automation powerhouse which provides HD Camera for home monitoring, Wi-Fi connectivity and a more powerful processor.

The company plans to bring Smart sockets, which you can use to control your electronic devices such as refrigerator, AC’s and such. It is also a great way of getting rid of electronic wastes made by discarded phones that are still functional and end up adding toxic materials to the environment.

Rico’s Smart Sockets will let you control your electronic devices through its mobile app.

The greatest advantage of devices such as this is that it clears you of the worry of the security of your pad. The device can be controlled using a mobile app. As for the smartphone on the inside, it accepts any android devices running 2.2 and above and Apple devices with iOS 6 and above. It can take in any device up to the screen size of 5.7 inches (sorry Nexus 6).

Mindhelix’s Kickstarter page has achieved its required target of $100,000 with over 60 hours to spare. The company is expected to ship Rico to its backers by November of 2015.

It’s great to get a livestream of your house.

This seems like a great device to have in the house. The company is partnering with OEM’s in China to put the device into production. The Indian government also announced today that they want to set up a $15 billion dollar Internet of Things (IoT) market in India. If it is serious about it, the government has to encourage setting up of OEM’s in India by providing incentives to such small businesses. The Start-up village in Kochi where Rico was conceived is a fantastic example of how government-private partnership can lead to innovative solutions. This must be replicated across the country, especially in areas that are devoid of the IT boom. As we have said earlier, there is no dearth of talent in India, all that is needed is good leadership.

October 27, 2014
Malaysia is Using Drones to Fight Malaria

Drone technology may have raised some security issues in the past, but they have come a long way from being destructive modes to actually doing good for the society. The recent example of one such application can be seen in the remote areas of Southeast Asia.

A research team in the Borneo island, Malaysia, is using a flying drone to map out the areas affected by a dangerous parasite called Plasmodium knowlesi, which carries malaria. The malaria parasite usually targets macaque monkeys, which in turn spread it to humans via mosquitoes.

The researchers are trying to figure out the reason of a rapid increase in such malaria cases. Chris Drakeley, a professor of Infection and Immunity at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the United Kingdom, and one of the researchers involved in the project said that they are using a small camera-equipped drone called senseFly – an eBee to create maps and digital surface models of the land and vegetation surrounding communities where Plasmodium knowlesi has affected humans.

“What we’re doing is creating a detailed map, which we can then superimpose or overlay with human and the macaque movement,” Drakeley explained. The locals are asked to carry GPS tracking devices with them while several monkeys were fitted with GPS collars.

The aim of the project is to identify the contact point between humans and the affected monkeys. Meanwhile, the drones will help researchers figure out what these areas look like and why both species are drawn towards the particular area. “It was thought to be a relatively rare and specific kind of interaction,” Drakeley said. “But what the Malaysians we’ve worked with in the state of Sabah have described us that this actually isn’t always the case.”

Recently, there have been malaria cases which involve children and sometimes an entire family. The researchers hope to narrow down the contact between the two species and hence, provide a practical solution to avoid spreading of the disease.

October 27, 2014
New Update for Moto 360 Brings Better Battery Life and User Interface

Motorola Mobility is known for its timely updates for its widely popular Moto G, Moto E and Moto X handsets. It looks like the company is continuing its update strategy with its smartwatch Moto 360 as well. Motorola has rolled out a new software update for the circular Moto 360 smartwatch. It promises better battery life and UI among some other tweaks.

The company said that the new update will automatically turn off the ambient mode and hence, will save upto 15% of the battery life. The ‘Mood Lighting’ feature will adjust the brightness of the device according to the lighting conditions for a better ambient viewing experience.

‘Ambient Screen Off’ comes as a default setting and is preferred by most users. However, ‘Ambient On’ gives you an experience that more closely models a traditional watch with a watchface that is visible without any twist and tricks on your wrist. Motorola has also tweaked the device, and now one can connect bluetooth headsets with it.

Along with this, the company has added a new gesture for better notification viewing. This new gesture allows you to see the full watchface without permanently dismissing the alert. Now, you can just touch the notification, swipe it down, and it will show you the message again when you have another high priority notification coming through. This way, you can easily navigate through the messages without them covering the entire elegant watchface.

The company’s official blogpost reads, “We will roll out the new software in phases. Look for the update notification on your watch! You will be prompted to install it. To install the update, make sure that you’re connected to your phone with an internet connection and that your watch has at least 80% battery.”

The company also mentioned that they have added some bug removal application in the update for better overall user experience.

October 27, 2014
Indian Government Plans to Lead Internet of Things Race

The Internet of Things (IoT) is where the tech world is employing immense resources. It is an ecosystem in which everyday devices can converse with each other and make human lives easier. It will be the next generation technology revolution. It seems like the present Indian government recognizes the massive benefits of raising this futuristic industry. It is planning to set up a $50 billion industry by 2020.

The Internet of Things will make everyday devices which require human input into almost sentient interconnected objects. These devices will coordinate together and process the situation, and will provide solutions to human issues in an efficient manner. It will decrease human errors by using algorithmic capabilities to streamline human life. For example, your fridge will recognize that the milk will soon run out, and it will order a carton for you. There can be large scale application of this technology in the fields of medical, transportation, retail, industrial, communication and energy.

Here is a video from intel that explains some city-wide benefits of connected devices:

IoT will also bring immense safety and convenience in the daily lives of the public. The devices would still take human input. So you can imagine a thermostat in your house that recognizes that you are arriving home by tracking your GPS and will set a comfortable temperature inside. How cool does that sound?

This is a great new field that will also bring in thousands of technology jobs. So if you are in the technology field or a budding engineer, you know which area of study to concentrate on. This new industry can easily give way to the next generation of Eric Schmidt’s and Mark Zuckerberg’s.

There will be a lot of privacy concerns though, for which the government has to provide a clear privacy document that could be understood by all. In an age where data is power, it’s absolutely important to safeguard it. 2020 is six years away, and this is the right frontier to point towards.

October 27, 2014
PS4 System Update 2.0 Release Date Revealed

Sony has officially confirmed via Twitter that PS4’s next Firmware update 2.0, is coming much sooner than we expected. It will be made available on 28th October.

The update codenamed ‘Masamune’, will have a slew of new features including theme support, improved voice commands, a USB music player which allows users to insert the USB stick into the PS4 and play their own music in the background while playing a game. Also, the new update will feature enhancements to live broadcasting, which will include dedicated app support for YouTube and the ability to upload gameplay footage directly to it.

PS4’s next software update, Masamune, will be available on 10/28. Includes Share Play, USB Music player, and more! pic.twitter.com/FjfgcY91Ki

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) October 23, 2014

Masamune will also bring the highly anticipated Share Play feature, which creates an online local co-op experience, by allowing users to invite friends to join a game – even if they don’t own a copy of the game. Users will be able to play along with a friend, or even ask them to temporarily take over game controls, as if they were sitting in the same room. This feature will only be available for PlayStation Plus members.

Meanwhile, the PlayStation App for smartphones and tablets is also set to receive an update to version 2.0 within the same launch window. The new app update will feature a new layout for tablets with a redesigned home screen for the app.

October 25, 2014
Google’s Reinvented ‘Inbox’ App to Ease the On-The-Go E-mail Experience

E-mails have been one of the greatest tools of the last decade. The speed of communication they introduced has helped significantly to help economies grow. Though their place in personal interactions has been taken over by social media, emails have managed to stay relevant by offering features such as video chat. Gmail, world’s most used email service now brings an app that can make using e-mail in the mobility era a breeze.

“Inbox” is an email meant for folks who regularly use their mobile devices to check their emails. It is almost like a personal assistant neatly organizing your inbox so that you can just concentrate on the things you do. The app offers multiple features to make your life easy.

First of all is the ‘Bundles’. Google introduced an exciting feature on Gmail where emails were sorted into Primary, Social and Promotions which did the heavy sorting for you. Now with Inbox Google takes it a step further. Using technology that it had for Google Now, the app can read through your content and sort travel related mails into one bundle, and your purchase info into another. You can also create new bundles and customize your inbox according to your needs.

The Snooze feature will help you get that well needed rest from your inbox.

Second feature it flaunts is ‘highlights’. Using this, you can see order updates, flight status, reservation details, and pictures without having to open the message.

One important feature of the new inbox is ‘reminders’. You can easily set up reminders at the top of your inbox. This way they stay where you can always spot them. You can also use Google Keep for this but having reminders at one place does make sense.

A feature that will be appreciated by most working professionals is snooze. Using this feature, you can choose to ignore the mountains of work emails during your rest time. Just set the snooze period you desire, and you won’t get any message or reminders during that period. If you snooze a message for office, the app will recognize when you’ve reached the office and it will show up again.

The interface of the app is clean and lets you give quick access to all you need. Hope Google keeps this app to the basics and not try to add clutter like video chat. There are already too many video chat apps out there. The simplicity of this app is really inviting.

Now all this sounds enticing enough to hit the Play store to score yourself an Inbox but, unfortunately, all good things ask for patience. Currently, the app is only available through invitation. You can send an email to [email protected] to request your invitation. We will give you a more in-depth review once we get our hands on the app. So stay tuned.

October 24, 2014
HP Expected to Unveil a New Form Factor PC Called ‘Sprout’ Next Week

After phones, tablets and smartwatches, seems like the world needs to now get ready for a PC with a new form factor. HP is about to unveil a new device which is expected to be different from anything we’ve seen till now. The product is called ‘Sprout’.

Sprout is expected to bring a whole new way of interacting with computers. Its components are minimal. It is made of one large flat screen which will be similar to HP’s Pavilion Touchsmart line. Apart from the display, there’s a touch-enabled surface and a 3D scanner and projector placed in an overhead device.

Sounds like something interesting is being cooked behind the curtains at HP. Though its functionalities are not clear yet but looking at components, it looks ready for some advanced tasks. Re/code reports that the device might project an image on the surface from the overhead device. Users can manipulate this image with their hands or a stylus. Adding new objects to this image is fairly easy. By just keeping an image on the surface, the 3D projector captures it and introduces it in the image. It seems like a great proposition for at least the graphics industry.

The target consumers for this device are businesses and prosumers so one can expect the price to be on the steeper end. But like every technological innovation, its success will lead to cheaper copies, so there’s no worry in that. For long, Keyboards and Mouse have been our way of interacting with computers, it’s good to see HP bringing a new approach to interface with the digital world.

Sprout would be unveiled at a function in New York on the 29th of October. The device is expected to run on Windows initially but may even run Android OS in the future. We’ll be keeping an eye on the release and will bring you the latest. Keep checking iGyaan for more.

October 24, 2014
In a Post-Nokia World, Microsoft Unveils the New Microsoft Lumia Branding

With the era of Nokia coming to a close, a new phone ecosystem will take its place. Microsoft has unveiled the new branding for its smartphone line-up which will now be known as Microsoft Lumia. As a part of the transition, the websites and social media pages are already on the move from the old Nokia to new Microsoft’s mobile pages.

To make its name prominent on the device, the Microsoft name will be featured prominently on the front and back of devices. According to the acquisition agreement, Microsoft had a good 18 month long period for them to transition from the Nokia brand for its smartphone business. The Nokia name will not be completely scratched out yet. Microsoft still has a 10-year license to use the Nokia brand on basic phones. This was a really shrewd move by Microsoft as Nokia has immense brand recognition in the basic phone market. Microsoft can use it to their advantage to have a constant stream of income through this channel. It is not a resource intensive segment either so Microsoft can literally make easy cash off Nokia’s heavy lifting.

Microsoft won’t have an easy ride in the market. Though its devices have been commended for superior performance and with the 8.1 update, the Lumia ecosystem have got an immense boost. But the devices have failed to find users in the market that is ruled by Google and Apple. Mobility segment is important for the future of Microsoft as an institution. With the speedy shift towards mobility by the enterprise segment, Microsoft’s core consumers are at stake. With the one platform ideology of the upcoming Windows 10 OS, the company can make some gains in the mobility market too. We just need to wait until next year to see how it all works out for Microsoft.

October 24, 2014
LG Set to Release New Smartphone Featuring Company’s Own Chipset

We have heard for long about LG’s homegrown chipset. It was its effort to catch up with its compatriot and consumer electronics powerhouse Samsung. The chipset is supposedly going to be called Odin. Now it seems that the Chipset is well cooked, and it’s ready for the world to see.

LG has said that the processor will be inducted in the upcoming LG G3 Screen, which will be unveiled in South Korea. The processor will be called the NUCLUN (pronounced NOO-klun) and will boast of an Octa-Core (1.5GHz Quad-Core +1.2GHz Quad-Core) processing capability.

Nuclun processor is LTE Category 6 ready.

The company claims that the Nuclun processors are designed to handle LTE Cat.6 and can provide download speed of up to 225Mbps. It also provides backward compatibility with current LTE networks.

Dr. Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company said, “NUCLUN opens up a new chapter in LG’s history of innovation in the mobile industry. With this in-house solution, we will be able to achieve better vertical integration and further diversify our product strategy against stronger competition. NUCLUN will give us greater flexibility in our mobile strategy going forward.”

Samsung’s Exynos processors are still trying to find their mark and LG needs to bring an efficient chipset if it wants to take on the leader of the market; the Snapdragon family. The LG G3 Screen with its 5.9 inch Full HD display won’t make it to India anytime soon, but we’ll know pretty soon if LG has a worthy competitor for this ever-saturated market.

October 24, 2014
Facebook Brings Out an App for Anonymous Chatting Called ‘Rooms’

Facebook seems to be in the mood for experimenting with mobile applications. After bringing out Mentions, Slingshot, Paper and most recently, their independent messaging app, they’ve now brought out ‘Rooms’. Although they’re sticking to their key philosophy of connecting people, this time they’re going to be keeping their identities discreet.

We had earlier reported that Facebook was working on building a standalone app that will let its users interact and communicate under the cloak of anonymity. This was said to be the outcome of recent criticism for Facebook’s stance on real names. Facebook’s policies require verified email addresses. Those policies clashed with drag queens, some of whom had their profiles removed from Facebook by algorithms.

On the other hand, Rooms doesn’t require the user to reveal any personal information and allows them to create chat rooms based of common interests (think fashion, photography, automobiles, gardering etc.) These chat rooms can be made public or private. The private chat rooms are then made invite only, requiring a QR code that can be scanned with a smartphone. These Codes can also be shared on social media or via e-mail. Facebook’s new app doesn’t even allow you to import your contacts, it is entirely independant. Chat room creators or chosen moderators can customize the look, ban people from the room or set the room to be 18+.

Currently the app is free and available on the app store, you can download it here.

October 24, 2014
Heeding to Privacy Concerns, Xiaomi Shifts User Data Out of Beijing

Xiaomi has taken into consideration the massive privacy scares regarding their devices and are taking proactive steps towards addressing them. The company is planning to shift non-Chinese user data out of its Beijing data center. This comes after the directive issued by the Indian Air Force for its personnel, asking them or their families to refrain from using Chinese phones.

The Air Force had cautioned its employees, warning that Xiaomi was secretly sending user information to a secret location in China. Xiaomi has been a favorite amongst the young population because of high spec devices which are available for attractive prices. The buzz around it has led to a figurative stampede to get the device on Flipkart.

One of the most popular phones in India, the Xiaomi Redmi 1S sells out within seconds on Flipkart.

Seeing this accusation by the Air Force could cause trouble for its business in India, Xiaomi quickly went into damage control mode. Xiaomi’s Vice President of International, Hugo Barra wrote a detailed blog post on how the company plans to take on the issue.

Mr.Barra said that the company has been setting up servers in multiple locations and will be moving user data outside China. All international user data will be shifted to Amazon AWS data centers in California (USA) and Singapore. This migration process will be completed by the end of October and will benefit its users in Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Taiwan.

It was also said in the post that by next year the company will try to set up a local data centre in India and Brazil itself. This will give users faster access and privacy can be maintained in-country.

The Chinese authorities have been facing heavy criticism for engaging in a man-in-the-middle attack on Apple iCloud account. Considering the interfering nature of that government, it is rather safer to keep your data away from their prying eyes. We have to wait and see if these measures taken by the company offer some good solutions to the concern. People love these irresistible devices, but the importance of privacy cannot be overlooked.

October 24, 2014
NASA Starts its SoundCloud by Sharing Some Epic Moments in Space History

We all love the outer space. It has enticed us since childhood and everyone who came before us. But it wasn’t until recently that we could finally soar above the surface of the planet and bid adieu its atmosphere and stare at the great expanse. One agency that takes most credit for helping humankind cross this frontier is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration aka NASA. Now NASA just tuned into SoundCloud and has released, what can be called a space nerds ultimate audio fantasy.

It has released some of the most symbolic recordings in its tryst with space travel.

Here’s the sound from the first man-made object in space called Sputnik. The people who launched it wouldn’t have imagined it leading to a communication infrastructure that runs the world of today. These are one of the most iconic beeps ever heard.

The first one is from the moment during the flight of Apollo 13 when the oxygen tank exploded. The crew made a heroic survival in the harshest of conditions known to man to return back to their home planet.

These one’s have to be the saddest of all; they mark the end of the epic voyages of the Space Shuttle programs.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/172461628″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

Space is silent, the almost vaccum makes it impossible for sound to travel. But radio waves are everywhere. They are transmitted by activities of the heavenly bodies including earth. Nasa’s space probes have recorded the radio signals from the planets. Here’s what Cassini heard on Saturn.

Voyager is the ultimate space probe. It launched in the September of 1977 with a mission to study the outer planets, the gas giants. Its primary mission ended in 1980 but it kept going on and still continues to go on. Here is some of what is heard during its legendary voyage.

And at last, this is a message from the Stars. The sound we hear travel thousands or millions of years before it reached us. It may have left its host star even before humanity existed. This message truly travelled in time.

If you are crazy about outer space as we are, then go out to Nasa’s Soundcloud page and it surely will create a sense of nostalgia that will engulf you.

October 22, 2014
Apple Decides Against Offering EMI Options for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in India

In response to the unprecedented high demand for the new flagship iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in India, Apple has decided not to offer any EMI options. The reason quoted for this is that they are not able to cope up with the supply. Apple had tied up with Bajaj Finance and Capital First to offer a zero-interest finance options on their earlier products. However, the schemes are not applicable to the new line-up.

It has been said that the company will furthur evaluate the decision to offer EMI options for the new iPhones in the January quarter. Meanwhile, EMI options are still available on older models which include iPhone 5s, 5c and 4s.

Both phones deliver a good battery backup even with their massive displays.

The iPhone 6 has gone out of stock in India just days after its official release. In the nation’s capital, Apple’s ardent fans had even lined up at midnight to be the first to buy the device.

Apple had brought in a stock of 55,000 devices for sale in India on the midnight of 16th October. The entire stock got sold in just 3 days. Now the company is planning to bring 25,000 new devices soon to quench the demand for the latest bestseller. It was said that there will be a delay of three days before the devices are available again.

October 21, 2014
Philips Mobile and Mitashi Bring Out Smartphones for Senior Citizens

In this day and age of high end specs and 4K displays, manufacturers are launching phones for the aged, trying to venture into a demographic that generally stays away from high tech gadgets. Philips Mobile and Mitashi on Monday launched phones for senior citizens featuring larger buttons, a bright screen and a convenient flashlight.

“The senior generation, while being largely technophobic, is looking at their grandkids engaging actively on the Android platform and definitely wants to get onto the bandwagon. We thought of addressing the need of a smartphone exclusively made keeping senior citizen’s needs in mind,” said Adnan Chara, Vice President of gaming, toys and telecom at Mitashi.

With 5 per cent of India’s population over the age of 65, this is a huge market to tap into, added Chara. Mitashi introduced their Android KitKat PLAY Senior Friend AP 103, priced at Rs. 4,999, meanwhile Philips Mobile introduced its first feature phone for senior citizens called the Xenium X2566, priced at Rs. 3,800.

These so called feature phones are less complicated than smartphones, as elderly citizens have trouble adapting to new technologies. In time, we will find out how beneficial these smartphones are or if its just another marketing gimmick.

October 21, 2014
These Tiny Autonomous Quadcopters Might be the Builders of Tomorrow

Drones are one of the buzzwords of our times. Although the name became associated with the deadly unmanned aerial vehicles operated by the US armed forces, it has quickly lost that. They are now everywhere. They are being used for shooting professional grade videos at low costs, used for making deliveries and are a boon to action sports. Now a research video released by the University of Pennsylvania shows them doing some amazing things.

The quad copters called the Pico quadrotor are developed at University of Pennsylvania’s General Robotics, Automation, Sensing and Perception (GRASP) Laboratory. It integrates computer science, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering to build autonomous vehicles and robots, develop self-configuring humanoids, and making robot swarms.

It seems that the researchers at the GRASP Lab have already made robot swarms a reality. The quadroter showcased in the video flaunt their strong body, collision aversion systems and flying in a leader-follower formation.

The pico quadrotor weighs just 25 grams and 11 centimeters long. They are capable of flying up to six meters per second, about half the speed of a hummingbird. The demonstrations of the tiny drones are extremely impressive. The copters can collide with walls and poles and still survive.

The leader-follower bit of the demonstration blew our minds. These drones might as well inspire the future fighter planes and planets. Each quadrotor robot has its own set of sensors too, which assist it in making direction decisions in real-time, without the need to be connected to a computer. You can almost imagine a precision flying mechanism from any sci-fi movie. These almost feel like the DWARF drones from Agents of Sheild. Looking at experiments like this, it feels like the future is now.

Yash Mulgaonkar, one of the researchers behind the project told TechCrunch that these drones can assist in search and rescue, first response, law enforcement due to their “ability to fly through unstructured, constrained, 3-D environments.”

Though it does sound fantastic to look at, it does inspire speculation of a future where these devices can overpower humanity. Films like Terminator and Matrix come to mind. Even in the most basic of stages, the pico quadrotor looks capable of doing things better than a human mind. But these speculations are for a distant future, but it’s important to have a fail-safe plan before they are unleashed in the market.

Here is a detailed TED talk about this amazing device and the future applications of the Pico quadrotors.

October 20, 2014