Category: Tech

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

HTC Launches New Desire Eye with Dual 13 MP Cameras

HTC at a live press event in New York launched the new HTC Desire Eye. The phone is the first of a kind phone designed to allow users to capture front and rear images in 13 mega pixels. Other specs mostly make it compete with several flagship smartphones out there, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset clocked at 2.3 GHz.

The HTC Desire Eye also boasts a 5.2-inch full HD 1920 x 1080p IPS LCD display, along with BoomSound speaker config. The cameras however, are the highlight of the Desire Eye, with a set of 13 MP cameras, and dual led flash on both sides, the rear camera is a f/2 aperture lens equipped module, whereas the front camera has a f/2.2 aperture lens setup.U

HTC has also added nifty features for the HTC Eye experience with face tracking, screen share, split capture, face fusion, live makeup, auto selfie, voice selfie, photo booth, crop me in.

The HTC Desire Eye is also IPX7 certified so it can take a 1 meter dip for about 30 mins. You get a 2400 mAh battery pack and nano sim card slots.

The Desire Eye is LTE enabled globally and will come with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of inbuilt storage, expandability will allow you to add upto 128 Gb via a MicroSD card.

Combined with the portable RE camera and the EYE software experience, HTC is essentially trying to capture the new age youth, those who have traditionally had a keen eye for taking pictures and most importantly “selfies”.

The design and built of the HTC Desire Eye, is essentially like the Desire 820 which was recently launched.

Stay tuned for our hands on.

October 9, 2014
Watch HTC’s Double Exposure Event from New York Live

HTC is launching a new flagship and not a lot of details are out for it. The event is called “Double Exposure” and the lifestream for it has been activated. The event is expected to go live in a few hours from now so we will get more info then. But speculations have been a plenty thanks to the name, we know it has something to do with cameras. Let see what this Taiwanese giant has in mind.

October 8, 2014
OmniVision Delivers New 16-Megapixel Image Sensor for High-Resolution Mobile Imaging

OmniVision Technologies, Inc. a leading developer of advanced digital imaging solutions, today announced the OV16850, a new flagship 16-megapixel imaging solution designed for the next generation of premium smartphones.

The new image sensor uses 1.12-micron pixel layered with OmniVision’s stacked die technology. The PureCel-S OV16850 captures high resolution images and video in native 16:9 aspect ratio, optimizing users’ viewing experience on smartphone displays.

“16-megapixel sensors represent another milestone in the ‘megapixel race’ for higher resolution cameras in smartphones. Coming in a native high definition 16:9 aspect ratio, the OV16850 is designed with the smartphone camera user’s experience in mind,” said Bahman Hadji, product marketing manager at OmniVision.

“As smartphone OEMs increase display resolutions to 1080p Full HD (FHD) and 1440p Quad HD (QHD), the OV16850 offers a camera experience matching these display aspect ratios and filling the smartphone screen without any loss in field-of-view for snapshots and video. It also utilizes OmniVision’s stacked die technology and a high chief ray angle to enable a 16-megapixel camera solution in a compact 9.5 mm x 9.5 mm x 5.5 mm module.” Hadji added.

The 1/2.6-inch OV16850 is capable of capturing full-resolution 16-megapixel images at 30 frames per second (FPS), 4K2K video at 30 FPS, QHD video at 60 FPS, and 720p video at 120 FPS. According to the company, it provides best-in-class sensitivity, signal-to-noise ratio, and full-well capacity for a 1.12-micron pixel-based imaging solution. Additionally, the OV16850 features alternate-row high dynamic range timing to ensure crisp video capture in difficult lighting conditions. The new sensor is under the sampling stage and will enter volume production in the first quarter of 2015.

October 8, 2014
Sony Brings Out Sleek New Wireless Headphones for Bass lovers

Sony India today announced the launch of its latest wireless headphones, the MDR-XB950BT Extra Bass Bluetooth Headset. The latest pair from the audio stable of Sony looks and sounds a little different than some of its earlier over-ear Bluetooth headphones.

The headset implements support for SBC, AAC, and aptX wireless audio streaming codecs with an electronic boost circuit for more substantial low end. The headset features 40mm dome drivers to deliver a frequency response of 3 to 28,000 Hz with a sensitivity of 102 dB/mW when used passively with the supplied cord. In wireless operations, the headphones can transmit a frequency response of 20 to 20,000 Hz approximately 30′ by using the A2DP Bluetooth.

The headphone come with NFC that offers a One-touch connection with smartphones, allowing users to listen to rich wireless sound with soaring highs and rich, solid lows. Further, it also feature a built-in microphone, letting users take calls and chat hands-free while on the move.

Calls can be answered and terminated with a simple push of a button on the headset. When a call is over, any music or media that was playing will automatically resume. The swiveling earcups fold flat for greater portability and the headset comes with both a micro-USB cord for charging as well as a stereo connecting cable for passive operation.

Also, Sony is providing an option of a premium leather carrying case exclusively with the MDR-XB950BT. The new wireless headset is already available on online and offline stores for Rs. 12,990.

October 8, 2014
Facebook is Reportedly Working on an App for Anonymous Sharing

Facebook is reportedly building a standalone app that will let its users interact and communicate under the cloak of anonymity. This is said to be the outcome of recent criticism for Facebook’s stance on real names. Sources within the company told the New York Times that Facebook plans to release an app that would let people talk anonymously.

Facebook’s long held policies require verified email addresses, and originally required college-specific email address logins per its collegiate origins. Those policies clashed recently with drag queens, some of whom had their profiles outright removed from Facebook by algorithms.

Earlier this year, Mark Zuckerberg said that Facebook would branch out from real-name apps. “I definitely think we’re at the point where we don’t need to keep on only doing real identity things,” he said in an interview. “If you’re always under the pressure of real identity, I think that is somewhat of a burden.”

Little else about the software is known at this stage. We don’t know what it will be called, or whether it’s indeed meant to be a direct competitor to apps like Secret and Whisper, which are built entirely around the idea of staying anonymous. Facebook is also widely criticized for its use of user information. When Facebook made its Messenger app standalone and required more access to users’ information, many decided to drop the service entirely.

Obviously this new app wouldn’t change Facebook’s overall strategy, but it could be an interesting experiment for both the company and its billion-plus users.

October 8, 2014
Skype to Terminate Free Local Calls Within India

Skype has announced that it is withdrawing the Skype call service to Indian landlines and mobiles in India, starting from 10th November. The Microsoft-owned company has not given a concrete reason for the same.

The discontinuity of the service is said to be the result of law and regulation in the country. As per current laws, VoIP calls originating from within India cannot be terminated on mobiles or landlines in the country, however the companies have been routing calls internationally to avoid this regulation until now.

While Skype users in India will no longer be able call Indian landlines and mobiles, they will still be able to send SMS messages to mobiles within India.

In a support page, Skype said, “If you’ve bought a subscription to India specifically to call within the country, you can cancel your subscription to avoid being billed in the future. Keep in mind that before 10 November 2014, you can still use your subscription and Skype Credit to call within India, so be sure to use up any remaining minutes or credit you have before then.”

October 6, 2014
Tips For a Happy Traveler: 5 Best Websites to Check and Apps to Download

All great travel apps have one thing in common: they all solve problems you don’t even realise you have. Whether they’re helping you in easy and quick navigation, pointing you in the direction of authentic local nosh or simply showing you how to ask after a toilet in Japanese, you need to pick and choose which one works for you best.

Here are our picks of apps and websites for the best travel experience you can have:

Ultimate Travel Packing Guide

Do you travel often, reach your destination, unpack your things, and ask yourself, ‘Where is my toothbrush?’. It happens to the best of us because it’s far easier to create a mental list of things to pack in the week leading up to your departure than it is to actually remember them all when you’re packing. The logical thing to do would be to create a small travel pack or make a list of things to pack as you remember them. Ultimate Travel Packing List is a little web app that generates a list of things you should pack based on your gender, the length of your trip, the climate you’ll be experiencing, and the nature of your trip.

Seatguru

Which seats are the best seats on the plane? Since airlines began charging for everything from a checked bag to a bag of peanuts, the answer is, “Whichever ones I don’t have to pay extra for.” SeatGuru provides commercial cabin seat maps, advising travelers which seats in the cabin to select or not select when booking a flight. The free app lets you access over 700 seat maps from over 100 airlines. It features advice and insights drawn from over 45,000 passenger reviews, so you can always find the best seat before you fly. Plus, the new app now helps you compare and find great low airfares from low-cost carriers, big online travel agencies, and the airlines themselves. You can even set up real-time flight alerts that monitor your flight arrival time and other information.

Bing Travel App

The Bing Travel app lets you explore over 2,000 destinations from all over the world through beautiful photos and panoramas. Travel guides, booking tools, real time currency conversion, and weather provide everything you need to turn travel inspiration into your next great trip. Enable location services for Bing Travel Beta, so they can have more specific recommendations. For example, the destinations section recommends several places near New York. Each destination displays a summary syndicated from Frommer’s, traveler photos, attractions, restaurants, and hotels. Prices for hotel rooms are displayed by the app, grabbing rates from services like Booking, Kayak, Travelocity, Expedia, and more. Click on the rate you like and the web browser opens for you to continue the booking on that particular site.

Tripit

The iPhone app TripIt offers a unique service to travelers. It automatically connects to your email accounts, finds travel-confirmation emails, and turns them into a neat, complete itineraries. TripIt is familiar with purchases you make on all the major search and booking sites, such as Orbitz and Kayak, as well as airlines, car rental services, hotels, restaurant reservations, and much more. If TripIt misses an important travel email, you can forward it along, and the service will either figure out what to do with info or stick it to the side until you can review and type in the details manually.

Uber

Uber hit 100 cities recently, and what many call the fastest growing cab company in the world is adding more cities fast. When you open the app in any of the 100-plus Uber cities and order a car, the app will estimate the arrival time and send a text saying your driver is on the way. A small photo with the driver’s name and phone number pops up on the app, while a car icon on the map shows you in real time where the car is located. Cash isn’t an issue, Uber bills your credit card at the end of the ride. Both users and drivers can rate each other at the end of the ride using the app for other users to view. Rather than a cheap taxi app with prices similar to local cabs, in Asia Uber provides a luxury experience, with much higher prices and limo chauffeurs.

October 4, 2014
Moto X 2nd Gen Review : Better Android Smartphone Experience
The Moto X was the reason Motorola was able to bounce back from extinction. With the help and financial backing from Google, Motorola revamped their lineup of smartphones and today is one of the most coveted Android smartphone manufacturers. Although Motorola was unloaded by Google to Lenovo, the company’s principles have remained similar. With the Moto X 2014 Motorola is back with a vengeance, giving you the best mix of hardware and performance.

Overview

The new Moto X aka Gen 2014, is a major overhaul of what was already an impressive kit of a smartphone. The great mix of design build quality and top notch hardware makes the phone an aggressive competitor in the major smartphone market. In most countries the phone is available on the cheap with a contract, in countries like India however it has to be bought outright. Its price at launch is Rs. 31,999, which is much higher than the last generation’s price.

Hardware

Unlike the previous edition, the new Moto X is not impaired by old tech, it’s packed with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset with Adreno 330 graphics, has a larger 5.2 inch display with a Full HD resolution. New optics include a 13 MP camera with a faux dual led ring flash, and a front facing 2 MP one. The rear camera does 4K video and slow motion at 1080p which is really impressive. Storage is limited to 16 GB and RAM is kept at 2GB.
- 5.2-inch 1080P Display – 401 pixels per inch
- 2.5 GHz Snapdragon 801 Quad-core processor
- 2GB of RAM
- 16GB and 32GB storage options
- 2,300mAh battery
- 13MP rear facing camera w/ 4k video, 2MP front camera
- Dual LED Ring Flash
- Android 4.4.4 KitKat
- Over 25 customizable back options – India Gets Black Leather or White + Bamboo!
- 140.8 x 72.4 x 9.9mm – 144 grams
Build and Design

Thanks to the Stainless Steel frame, the Moto X is one of the most robust smartphones in the market, the reinforced design with the lack of easily ding-able parts makes the phone more sturdy than expected. The Moto X will not bend, not with your hands, and many videos are trending online to prove it. The phone is solid and engineered well, but the leather finish will not last. We used the phone for a mere 2 weeks and the leather at the back has a lot of nicks and cuts and basically wears easy, the bamboo variant of the new Moto X 2nd Gen costs an additional Rs.2000 but may be worth the moolah. Design is great, however, we are not too sure of the lager Moto logo in a steel insert, it looks great in the leather variant but not on the wooden one. Reactions have been mixed about that one bit, everything else is an excellent change up from the 1st gen. Stainless steel bezel adds premium class and functionality and looks good, the shape is well fitted and curves just right in the hand. It is a handsome smartphone and its built well.

Performance and Android OS

The overall performance from the handset is impressive, it runs top notch hardware on an almost vanilla build of Android 4.4 with an experience only south of Google’s own Nexus line. Benchmarks score upwards of 40,000 in Antutu and they translate to real life usage, RAM is managed well and the Moto X remains pretty smooth through the day of use. Motorola has managed to use its own features like, smart notifications which are now called “Moto Display” and the new voice assistant which can be called up by a custom phrase and not the traditional “Ok Moto” or “Ok Google Now”. Motorola has also managed to leverage Moto communicate, allowing for phone calls and SMS messages to be received and responded to from your laptop/computer, while the setup may seem tedious it works well, although is a major drain on the battery life. The new Moto Assist is also well rounded, it knows when you are sleeping, driving or whether you are at home or work and can customize the alerts according to that, it needs a basic setup, but works mostly flawlessly after that.

Camera

The camera is a big upgrade, a 13 Mp sensor, 4k video and 1080 slow mo, all sounds great on paper. Images however do not justify all that, they are still grainy and low light performance is terrible. Continuous burst mode is a great feature, but is randomly sluggish and will cause images to get blurry and out of focus. The concept of the ring flash is simulated and does do nothing really to enhance the image quality, although the color correction in post flash images is good. The flash module is just like any other on any other smartphone. The camera app is really basic and could use some better features, like filters and on the fly changes. Focus during video will jump in and out, and will cause heartache. 4k video sounds great, but the limited 16GB storage will fill up with just mere minutes of 4k footage.

Without Flash

With Flash

Slow motion works well, focus is tight and quality is impressive. It will do Slow motion at 1080p vs 720p in the last year’s model. The front camera remains basic with a 2MP snapper, it captures 1080p video, which is usually overexposed and grainy, not the best optics in the lot.

Display and Multimedia

The new display on the Moto X larger and brighter, looks good outdoors, and has a crisp 401 ppi density. The glass on the front is Gorilla Glass 3 and it rounds off and meets the bezel at the edges adding to a natural feel when using the touchscreen. The display has excellent viewing angles and looks great indoors and out doors. touch response is excellent and according to Motorola the whole ecosystem is run at 60 fps throughout which adds to the experience, although may not be perfectly accurate. The bezels on the front are really minimal so the display is what takes up most of the front adding to a better look and better content consumption. Thanks to a larger display you will enjoy watching movies and videos on the phone, performance is excellent so no lag or buffer is experienced in the usage of the phone. The speaker is now forward facing, but unlike HTC’s boomsound it’s still a single speaker , yet sounds good and is very loud.

Phone, Networks and Battery

The Moto X 2nd Gen uses the metal fame to boost networks and boy does it work well, we found excellent indoor reception even on 3G networks and no call drops. This goes to show that maybe not all networks are to blame for bad reception. In this case Motorola has really got its antenna design right and yes it is very functional. Call quality, thanks to the impressive reception, is better than most handsets, although noise cancellation is not very great. Microphone is sensitive and the earpiece is loud and crisp. Battery is a smallish 2300 mAh unit that will mostly last a day, but if you use your phone a lot a portable charger or a USB cable will soon become your best friends. Averaging a mere 4-5 hours of talk time, we wish the phone had more juice to go on about its day. If you need the new Moto X to last longer you may want to invest in the Turbo Charger. Although, not yet in India, this optional accessory can charge the Moto X incredibly fast, pumping in eight hours of power in just 15 minutes.

Conclusion

Motorola has a winner with the Moto X 2nd Gen, and while a lot of people are looking at the bump in price, we are looking at the bump in specs. The previous Gen Motorola Moto X was underpowered, under spec’d and smallish. The new Moto X, is powerful, has excellent specs, top notch performance, has the right size and it looks good doing daily deeds. The leather back is tastefully damage-able and will add a custom look to each Moto X, however extreme wear may happen sooner than later. Thanks to quick Android updates and a simple basic Android UI, the handset is customizable and fast from the get go. The display bump is a boon and is well received, the new design is flawless and the built appreciable. The phone is also water resistant and will last you a very long time. But, should you get it? If you want an android phone now, and the price bracket fits, Yes ! get it now. Alternatively wait for the OnePlus One launch or the Next Nexus, which may as well be a Moto X in a cheaper format, who knows?

Review Video

[tw-column width=”one-half”]

GOOD THINGS
- Superb Built
- Handsome Looks
- Top Notch Hardware
- Excellent Performance
- Moto Display
- Voice Assist
[/tw-column]

[tw-column width=”one-half” position=”last”]

BAD THINGS
- No Customization in Global Market
- Leather prone to Wear
- Camera is Sluggish and Not Refined
[/tw-column]
October 3, 2014
iGyaan Gift Guide: Top 5 Gadgets for Your Brother

They are difficult people to buy gifts for. Even if you get them what they wanted all along; they’ll pretend to dislike it just to tease you. Well, we want you to gear up to buy gifts that your brothers cannot even pretend to dislike!

Here is a list of 5 gadgets that you can gift your brother:

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5. Logitech PowerShell Controller

One of the first Apple approved gamepads for iPhone, Logitech PowerShell Controller is built to easily slot the iPhone directly inside, without having the need to pull the controller apart to fit it in. Its rubbery surface and solid deign is comfortable to hold and carry as well. You can keep gaming non-stop using its 1500 mAh battery. It supports iOS 7 controller games and is sure to be a winner!

 

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4. Pebble Steel SmartWatch

Pebble Steel SmartWatch is any man’s cup of tea. With a long battery life, the watch can go upto 7 days between charging. It can connect wirelessly with iOS and Android devices and will let you read texts, mails, change the music, take calls and operate various apps and games while your phone sits comfortably in your pocket. It is not just classy, it is tough as well. With waterproofing up to 5 ATM, this may be exactly what your brother needs!

 

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3. Beats Solo 2.0

Far better than the previous products of the Beats Solo range, Beats Solo 2.0 are sturdy and provide a comfortable fit. Available in 6 colours including black, blue and green, these headphones have a rubber-topped headband which is lightweight and firm. This means you can wear the Beats Solo 2 when you run without having to worry that they might fall off. Comfortable and with amazing sound quality, these headphones are totally worth the price.

 

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2. Iron Man LED Pendrive

This festive season, think geeky. The Iron Man LED Pendrive is funky, stylish and useful. With an 8 GB capacity and eyes that glow, this pendrive transfers data up to speed of 12 Mb/s. Why settle for something boring, when you can gift your brother a superhero style customized pendrive?

 

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1. Sony PlayStation 4

With more graphical force than the Xbox One, 32 times more framework memory than the Ps3 and a firm concentrate on immaculate gaming encounters as opposed to media mojo, the Ps4 has made itself as the cutting edge support to beat. The new Dualshock Controller, the PS4 framework is based on a capable custom chip that contains eight x86-64 cores and a state of the workmanship 1.84 TFLOPS representation processor with 8 GB of ultra-quick Gddr5 bound together framework memory. Yes, your brother wants it.

 

October 2, 2014
Microsoft Launched Three New Lumia Smartphones in India

Microsoft seems to be gearing up to get in the celebration mood. The company has launched three new Lumia phones – the 730, 830 and 930, in India. The double-SIM Lumia 730 has been priced at Rs. 15,299, while the Lumia 830 and 930 are estimated to have a tag of Rs. 28,799 and Rs. 38,649, respectively.

The Nokia Lumia 730, also being called the company’s first selfie smartphone, features a 4.7-inch 1280 x 720 pixel Super Sensitive Touch HD OLED display. Microsoft says the 5 megapixel wide-edge front camera on the Lumia 730 double SIM will help buyers click and share better quality selfies. This phone has been updated remembering the Skype application as they let users switch from voice to Skype feature calls with one single tap. It comes powered by a 1.2 Ghz Snapdragon quad-center processor. The Lumia 730 has a 6.7 megapixel back camera, 2220mAh battery, 8GB of interior stockpiling and 15 GB of free OneDrive stockpiling. It can back a microSD card of up to 128GB.

The Lumia 830 is the most slender and lightest Lumia yet. Microsoft calls the metal-encircled Nokia Lumia 830 “the reasonable lead” of the Nokia Lumia range. It has a 10 megapixel back camera alongside a 1 megapixel front camera and is fuelled by a 1.2GHz Snapdragon quad-core processor. The affordable smartphone has a 5-inch screen with 1280×720 pixels resolution protected with Corning Gorilla 3.0 glass.

The battery in the Lumia 830 is 2200 mAh and storage option includes 16GB of internal memory and an extra 15GB space accessible on Microsoft’s OneDrive. It can also back microSD cards of up to 128gb. The Lumia 830 will accompany the Lumia Denim update that presents gimmicks, for example, Live Folders, Apps Corner and an refurbished Glance screen.

The Lumia 930 has a 5-inch 1920 x 1080 pixel display. Powered by a 2.2 Ghz quad-center Snapdragon chipset with 2GB of RAM and 32GB inside capacity, the phone is extremely stylish and stands out from the other phones in the entire range. The Lumia 930 smartphone also offers a 20MP primary camera with Pureview tech and a 1.2MP secondary camera with ZEISS optics and updated Rich Recording. The Nokia Lumia 930 is stimulated with a Li-Ion 2420mAh battery.

October 1, 2014
After Apple’s Bendgate, Samsung Now Faces Gapgate

Samsung may have ganged up along with other phone makers to ridicule iPhone 6 Plus’ bending incidents but now it has its own issue. Some of the users of Samsung’s latest flagship are complaining about a gap in the frame.

The metal frame was one of the most flaunted design features from the company. It marked the company’s departure from excessive plastic use on their smartphones. The phone went on sale in Korea and is being sold at a premier price of 957,000 Korean Won (about Rs.55,000).

According to the images posted by the iTToday in South Korea, the gap is big enough to fit in a business card. It’s not yet sure if it’s a bigger issue or a problem with select devices.

Samsung though has firmly rejected the claims. An official spokesperson from the company said the issue does not impact the functionality or quality of the Galaxy Note 4. They told TrustedReviews that “We assure our customers that all Galaxy Note 4 units meet our strict manufacturing and quality control standards.”

Though Samsung says it’s not a big issue, we’d love to see other companies take on the gap gate. It’s about time someone gave Samsung a taste of their own medicine. It will at least make for good entertainment.

October 1, 2014

New Xolo Q2100 Priced at Rs.13,499 Boasts a Built-In Fingerprint Scanner

Xolo has just launched the Q2100 smartphone for Rs. 13,499. The USP of the new smartphone is the built-in fingerprint scanner, and an IR blaster that is capable of functioning as a universal remote along with the preloaded Peel Smart Remote app. The fingerprint scanner is at the back of the Q2100 and it lets you securely access and unlock your smartphone in just a swipe over the the sensor.

Maximum 3 fingers can be enrolled and successfully decoded as a part of this authentication process. The Last Pass app comes pre-loaded in the device which is secured by a fingerprint sensor to safeguard all passwords.

It has a 5.5-inch HD display, powered by a 1.3 GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6582 processor and runs on Android 4.4 (KitKat). It has a 8-megapixel auto focus rear camera with Exmor R sensor, 1080p full HD video recording, dual LED flash and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. It comes with dual SIM support with dual standby and packs a 2800 mAh battery.

Other connectivity options on the Xolo Q2100 include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, USB OTG, A-GPS, and FM radio. The smartphone comes with an ambient light sensor, accelerometer, magnetometer, and proximity sensor. The Xolo Q2100 comes in Black and White colors and is priced at Rs. 13,499.

Specifications	Xolo Q2100
Display	5.5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD IPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection
Processor	1.3 GHz quad-core MediaTek MT65882
Storage	8GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 32GB with MicroSD
RAM	1GB
Camera	8MP rear and 2MP front camera
Battery	2800 mAh
Operating System	Android 4.4 (KitKat)

October 1, 2014

Dual Screen YotaPhone May Come to India Soon

Russian Smartphone manufacturer Yota is now ready to step onto the Indian soil. The company is probably going for a tie-up with Flipkart. The Indian E-tail giant accidently listed the phone on their site before taking it off moments later.

The phone listed on the website is the Yota C9660, which was showcased at CES 2013. It is a one of a kind device. The USP is its back-to-back dual screens. On one side is the usual LCD screen, while the other side is an eye-friendly E-ink display which is great for reading e-books.

Both screens have 4.3 inch displays. The LCD is a 720p HD screen(342 ppi) whereas the opposite side has a 640Ã—360 pixels E-Ink display (170 ppi).

The phone is powered by a 1.7 GHz Dual core, Snapdragon 400 processor. It comes with 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal memory. The phone is currently running Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean but might be upgraded to Android KitKat through OTA updates. It gets its juice from an 1800 mAh battery.

On the camera front the Yotaphone provides a 13 MP camera on the back but has a paltry 1 MP front camera for selfies.

There haven’t been any official announcements as of yet, but this is one interesting device that comes with some decent specs. It is a great device for those who like to read on their mobile devices but don’t want to carry e-readers like Kindle. It is a true amalgamation of the best of mobile devices, and we’d definitely like to take it for a spin.

October 1, 2014
OnePlus Expected to Continue the Invite System and Launch OnePlus Two in 2015

OnePlus had taken the smartphone market by storm with their flagship killer, the One, which sure sounds like a Matrix reference. The phones unique features and high-end specs at a convenient low price have won hearts globally. The biggest hitch with this excellent phone is its lack of availability. In a Reddit AMA(Ask Me Anything), OnePlus’s Carl Pei and David S answered many important queries about the future of the company.

The company said that they misjudged the demand for their phones. According to them, they underestimated the demand for their phone and now they are “scrambling to catch up.” The team they established wasn’t big enough to handle the gargantuan demand, and so they are hiring like crazy. They are hopeful that the situation will normalize in a few months.

OnePlus said they underestimated the demand and are now scrambling to catch up.

The disappointing bit of the AMA was the revelation that the invite system is not going anywhere at least in this year. It was previously reported that the company will be doing away with the invite system for a pre-order system. Carl Pie said, “We understand that our current method may be slowing our growth down, but we’d rather grow slower and in a healthy way than take too much risks and go out of business. Risk management is extra important in our scenario where we don’t have hardware margins.”

The most prominent announcement was about the successor to the mighty OnePlus One. The new phone, OnePlus Two will be launched by the second or third quarter of 2015. It is a good enough time span considering the future-proof OnePlus One will continue its formidable stand in the market for the considerable future. OnePlus Two will also come with Android L pre-installed. This phone too will begin sale with an invite system but will gradually be rolled out through pre-orders.

They also said they are considering the requests for reducing screen size for their next device.

The company said they were considering the screen size issue as that is one request they have been getting bombarded with. The 5.5 inch screen is just too big for everyone. The company has made it clear they will not be bringing it down to iPhone 6’s size of 4.7. We think a 5.0 or 5.2 inch is a great size that everyone can get used to. They said they would continue using the IPS screens instead of OLED’s as they cost more, and their benefits are not really worth the extra bucks.

OnePlus also said that they are testing products in various other categories, but are not sure of what they’ll release into the market. They said “The Nexus tablets are pretty good. We don’t think we can make anything significantly better in the near future.”

Overall this was a great discussion. We appreciate the honesty of the folks at OnePlus, who didn’t leave their potential customers in the dark. Now we just hope that the next OnePlus device is as epic as its current sibling.

October 1, 2014
Microsoft Skips 9, Unveils Windows 10 Instead

The next big Windows is finally here. Microsoft did what it does best; arbitrarily name its products. First there were Windows 3.1x, then there was Windows 95 followed by the 98 and then the ME. After these came the modern Windows, namely the XP, Vista, 7 and the 8. Now Microsoft has brought out Windows 10, and it seems it wants to challenge Apple with this one.

This release will bring back some of the traditional characteristics of Windows that were lost in the Windows 8 transition. Microsoft has said that users from any previous Windows OS can easily switch to Windows 10. The bit that will excite a lot of users is the glorious revival of the Start Menu, which was a characteristic feature of Windows until the 8. It will also be one operating system percolating through desktops to tablets to smartphones.

Windows 10 will work across devices.

The new operating system was unveiled at San Francisco for Business customers. Microsoft will be releasing a technical preview version for selected users. It will be unveiling consumer features early next year. Windows 10 is expected to reach the market by mid-2015. Considering Microsoft nails its flagship operating system in every alternate release, we have a lot of hopes with this one.

October 1, 2014