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Buy a Xiaomi Mi3 In The Next Sale Using These Tips to Better Your Chances

The Xiaomi Mi3 has been a drop of evil for a lot of people, some have waited through the three sales patiently trying to get one of these chinese “wonder phones”. On August 12th 2014, at 2:00 pm the Xiaomi Mi3 will go on sale yet again, this time with a proported 20,000 handsets, says online shopping website Flipkart.

If you really want to buy a Xiaomi Mi3 this time around, here are a few tips to better your chances of scoring one of these budget bad boys.

1. Pre Register

Possibly the most obvious tip, you need to pre register to buy the phone, so go ahead and do it by : Clicking Here

2. Know the Time

The Xiaomi Mi3 will go on sale at precisely 2:00 pm IST on the 12th of August, so try and reach the buying page at least an hour earlier, even though it seems like overkill.

3. Multiple device logins

Try being online from multiple devices, preferably on different internet connections; in order to have different I.P. addresses accessing the site, this will improve your chances and bring to one step closer to buying a Xiaomi Mi3.

4. Flipkart App

The Flipkart app uses a separate server and has a higher chance of “not failing” at the time of sale. If you want to buy a Xiaomi Mi3 the app might prove to be easier, “might being the key word.

5. Super Refresh times 40,000

When the sale starts, most people are struggling to open the webpage, ctrl+R / f5 (refresh) is your best friend, hit it till you get a page to buy a Xiaomi Mi3. (cmd+R on a mac). Other people have reported opening several tabs being helpful.

6. Cart it!

If you do get a page loaded, add that phone to the cart like there is no tomorrow, once you have the handset in your cart, your chances have just gone up from 1 in a million to 50:50 in order to buy a Xiaomi Mi3.

7. Patience

Once you have it in your cart, attempt payment by refreshing several times, in most cases you won’t be able to make payments due to overloads on the server so keep trying.Here the app helps too.

Also, if the website fails completely, there is a very high chance that the phone is in your cart when Flipkart comes back online, thats the perfect moment for you to buy a Xiaomi Mi3.

Once you do get through to the payment section and make your payments in whatever the mode you select, pat yourself on the back sir, you my friend are a lucky owner of the coveted Xiaomi Mi3.

Yay!

Now watch our Review Here:

August 11, 2014
Sapphire Glass Troubles Apple, iWatch Release Date Delayed

Rumors of the release of Apple’s iWatch have been flying high for a long time. Seems like we’d have to wait a little while longer before we have the device wrapped around our wrists. The latest speculation suggests that the device could be delayed from September to October, while some even believe that it might be slated for a November release.

Apple has supposedly been working on their version of a smartwatch since 2011. Well, it has taken them way too long, hopefully they’re working on something substantial and path-breaking, which would be worth the wait.

Meanwhile, Apple refuses to confirm the development or the existence of the smartwatch. Re/Code, independent tech news reporters, which are considered reliable sources, said the rumored wrist item would be introduced in October. “People familiar with Apple’s plans tell Re/code that the company hopes to schedule a special event that month to show off the device,” their website quoted. It is also purported that the iWatch will likely to be integrated with the new Healthkit app that is to be introduced with iOS 8. It is said to display all the essential health-related information recorded by the watch.

Apple’s iwatch concept

In June, Reuters revealed the Cupertino-based company’s plan on making multiple screen sizes and designs for market release this fall, which was supported by a leaked patent from USPTO indicating a multitude of smartwatch devices. The patent mentioned of a device called “iTime” that deals with convertible and removable parts from a central unit. Apple has also allegedly sought an “iWatch” patent in Japan recently.

According to KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who also, has been a reliable source for predicting Apple product plans in the past, said that the iWatch is believed to debut later than expected, due to complications related to both the new hardware and software. “We have pushed back our estimated time of iWatch mass production from late-September to mid/late-November. We also lower our forecast of iWatch 2014 shipments by 40% to 3 million units,” said Kuo.

The reason, Kuo pointed out, is the ongoing issue of sapphire glass covered lens production. This suggested further that Apple could only be shipping half of the targeted units with sapphire-covered features while the other half with the old Gorilla Glass close, at the end of the year.

It is also reported that Apple is taking the luxury route, targeting the “geek to chic” market by wooing Swiss watchmakers ‘Swatch’ to partner with them. “Fashion is the name of the game; most expensive model is likely to be priced at several thousand US dollars. Referring to the rules of the fashion market, we predict the iWatch casing and band will come in various materials. The most expensive model of the iWatch line will carry a price tag of several thousand US dollars,” Kuo added.

August 11, 2014
Samsung to Launch Stand-Alone Smartwatch ‘Gear Solo’ This September

We think the idea of stand-alone smartwatches is not yet feasible in the present market scenario, but Samsung thinks otherwise. Reports indicate that Samsung is moving ahead with plans for a smartwatch with its own SIM card and hence, doesn’t need a paired phone. It seems likely that we’ll hear about it as soon as next month.

Korean newspaper The Chosun Ilbo reports that Samsung intends to unveil the Gear Solo watch at the big IFA conference in September. As speculated, the Gear Solo will not require a smartphone for communication functionality, and will be able to place calls, send texts and emails, and perform other tasks with its own SIM card, cellular radio, and service plan.

Samsung Gear 2 Neo

The inclusion of SIM support in a smartwatch would enable users to make phone calls from the device, but it is yet to be revealed how Samsung has tackled the issue of heavy battery drain. Samsung has launched three Tizen-powered versions of its Gear smartwatch to date, and one Android Wear model in the form of the Galaxy Gear Live.

Samsung released the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo at this year’s MWC, less than six months after their predecessor. The logic of releasing a smartwatch alongside a smartphone makes sense, but in this case the Gear Solo won’t depend on tethering itself to any other device, hence will get a different sort of treatment in the market.

However, Samsung used last year’s IFA to launch the original Galaxy Gear, so it seems a good time as any to unleash a new smartwatch frenzy. Timex Group also announced a smartwatch with its own cellular connection, letting it transmit data without needing to be connected to a smartphone. The company calls it the Ironman One GPS+, and while it may have features commonly found in a smartwatch, it is made mostly for athletes like its predecessors.

August 11, 2014
Image of HTC One M8 Running Windows 8.1 Leaked

It was reported a few days ago that HTC is intending to bring Windows Phone OS back to its stable with a One M8 windows variant. The company which was at the forefront of smartphone technology during its beginning days had begun its operations with the Windows Mobile OS. HTC had quit the Windows game for a while and had concentrated on bringing awesome Android devices to its consumers.

WPCentral managed to screen grab a blunder by the Dutch Telecom company, Telfort. In one of its advertising visuals, the company accidently posted what looked like a HTC One M8 running Windows Phone OS. Telfort took down the image as soon as it realized its folly.

The phone as shown in the promotional image also shows a Cortana tile which further confirms the phone running the Windows Phone 8.1. Apparently according to WPCentral the phone might be just around the corner and might release on August 19 at a press event in New York City. That will be a pleasant surprise for all Windows and HTC enthusiasts. The Windows sibling of the phone might be called One W8.

HTC might also use some of the lessons it learned with its Android smartphones to give a better Windows Phone experience than it did in the past, when it released HTC 8S, 8X and 8XT.

HTC has made some of the most beautiful phones in the Android ecosystem and so it will be real fun to see its take on a revamped Windows release.

August 9, 2014
uBeam to Bring Revolutionary Wireless Charging Technology to Market

Los Angeles-based startup uBeam is developing a wireless charging technology that will allow people to charge their devices without cords and without having to be right next to the charging station.

The uBeam system developed by Meredith Perry uses ultrasound and converts electricity into sounds, that are then transmitted by ultrasound to the required devices, charging them in the process.

Originally Perry studied astrobiology at the University of Pennsylvania with the goal of finding life on other planets. However during this process she accidentally stumbled upon the wireless charger technology to charge portable electronics using the ultrasound system. Perry explained :

“This is the only wireless power system that allows you to be on your phone and moving around a room freely while your device is charging. It allows for a Wi-Fi-like experience of charging; with everything else you have to be in close range of a transmitter. If wireless power is everywhere, then the size of your battery can shrink because it’s always charging. You’ll never need a cord again, and you won’t need international charging adapters.”

Ms. Perry’s company, uBeam, announced on Wednesday that it took an early prototype concept of this technology, first developed for Ms. Perry’s college innovation competition, and turned it into a fully functional prototype that the company now plans to build for consumers.

The company’s technology converts electricity to ultrasound, which is then picked up by a receiver in the device, where the ultrasound is converted back into energy. The transmitters can fill a room with ultrasound, charging devices that are equipped with receivers (much as Wi-Fi can provide connectivity to an entire room). Larger transmitters are being developed for stadiums and other large spaces. uBeam’s charging technology is expected to enter the market within the next two years.

Check out their video here:

August 9, 2014
Canword: All Your Information in One Place, Instantly

“Wow, that was fast,” that was our first reaction when Canword installed on our smartphone, almost instantly. The company flaunts the fact that it takes 10 seconds to install and only 10 more to set up.

Canword is a feature-laden compilation app for browsing feeds that you prefer. The app tailors the content according to your interests. You can select from a wide assortment of genres such as art, technology, breaking news, fun, food, etc.

Canword is rather easy to set up; the home screen gives you the option to choose your interests from which it tailors a personalized feed. How is it different from the likes of LinkedIn Pulse or Google Currants? It has more functionalities in terms of saving the articles, seamless assimilation with social media and best of all, it’s Made in India. Also, it lets you get feeds from your social media accounts at one place to give you further convenience. Through Canword, you can share the stories you like to your Facebook and Twitter simultaneously.

The features provided by this app are great for folks who want the information they need, consolidated in one place for a quick skim. Quite like the other readers, Canword lets you read the entire story in the app itself but some links do get directed to the original webpages. The app stitches the feed together using geographical locations. If you want a wider reading space and don’t want to be geographically restricted, it can easily be circumvented if you link the app to your Facebook account.

The journal feature of Canword allows you to bookmark stories for later read.

It has a personalisation feature, through which you can change the appearance of the stories on the app. The option for increasing or decreasing text size will also come handy for folks with visual issues or people who prefer a bigger font size. The app is created by Harscelle Goenka and his team at Valvirt Technologies Pvt. Ltd. The team took three months from conception to launch this app. It was designed and developed right here in India. Being a startup themselves, the makers have a special category for start-ups, found only on Canword. The young team seems confident about their app and have received predominantly positive reviews on the Play Store.

You can download the app for Android phones here, and for iOS devices here.

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August 8, 2014
Facebook Updated its Messenger App With Android Wear Support

Android Wear is the platform of choice for many, and Facebook recently added itself in the list. They’ve updated their popular Messenger app to work with Android Wear, leaving your phone to rest in your pocket.

Facebook recently had pulled out the chat option from its app, making Facebook Messenger a standalone app. Mark Zuckerberg is”The reason why we’re doing that is we found that having it as a second-class thing inside the Facebook app makes it so there’s more friction to replying to messages, so we would rather have people be using a more focused experience for that,” Zuckerberg said.

In an announcement by Facebook’s Ian Lake, an updated version of the Messenger, version 9, will include lots of new Android Wear focused improvements. First on the list is voice replies. The update includes the ability to tap the reply button when a message comes in, and speak what you want to say. Also included is the ability to mute a conversation directly from the Android Wear device.

Lake also mentioned that users will be able to reply to messages with the ‘thumbs up’ icon. No word on whether or not Facebook will follow suit and expand the selectable replies beyond just a ‘thumbs up’, but with Wear support constantly growing, we can’t help but imagine that new features are just around the corner.

Even with the shortcomings wearables can bring, this is still a major app supporting Android Wear. These are still early days for Android Wear, and Facebook Messenger support is pretty impressive

August 7, 2014
Pinterest Rolls Out its Own Messaging Feature

With the ever-growing market of instant messaging app, every social networking company is coming up with innovative new ways to get in touch with your friends and families. Facebook recently announced the stand alone Messenger and dropped chat window in the app. Meanwhile, new startups are also coming up with innovative ideas to make instant messing fun such as Fling.

Now, Pinterest is joining this race by rolling out a new messaging product called “Conversations”. It seems to be growing up to become a true social network. The digital scrapbooking service announced on Wednesday that its users can now send each other direct messages.

“Say you’re organizing a camping trip with friends – try sending Pins to the whole gang so you can figure out where to go and what meals to make,” Pinterest product designer Tom Watson wrote in a blog post. “If you need a reminder of who’s bringing what, just pull up the conversation right from your notifications.

Direct messaging is meant to be an addition to the “send a pin” feature Pinterest rolled out in May 2013. The idea now is that when users receive a pin, they can reply with a message or send back another pin.

Starting today, the company is rolling out messages on Android, iOS, and the web. Like Facebook’s ‘chat heads,’ the recent messages pop up to the left of the feed as bubbles with your friends’ faces. You’ll find the others under the pin icon where notifications pop up.

Just click the ‘+’ icon, type in the name of a friend on Pinterest, and you can send a pin or a standalone message. The impressive thing about Pinterest messages is that the pins you send within the app retain all the functionality of a pin you see anywhere else on the site.

Anything you can do with a pin on Pinterest’s web site, you can do inside a message: pin it to a board of your own, send it to another friend, or click the ‘heart’ to add it to your list of favorites. You can even drag a pin from the site into a message.

Earlier this year Pinterest launched “guided search” which recommends keywords to help refine searches on the service. The feature helps people find the stuff they are looking for and the stuff they didn’t know they were looking for.

August 7, 2014
Rumor Roundup : All That We Know About the Moto 360

The most hotly anticipated wearable of the year, the Moto 360 smartwatch, couldn’t come soon enough. Announced way back in March, the device hasn’t exactly been Moto’s secret project with multiple demos and hands-on videos at this Google I/O this year.

But do we really know every detail about the smart watch? Here’s a rumor roundup to sum up everything we know other than the official information on Motorola’s website.

Use of Premium Materials

As Motorola and Google have made sure to point out several times now, the Moto 360, unlike its Android Wear siblings, the LG G Watch and the Samsung Gear Live, will be crafted of premium materials, namely glass and metal. Yes, no cheap plastics here.

But is this really true? A Chinese website, G for Games, recently made claims that the Moto 360 would actually be made of plastics that mimic metal. Now, before you start frowning, we should point out that a lot of tech reviewers are claiming these rumours to be fake. But we can’t be certain until the watch officially releases.

Standard Dimensions

Ever since the announcement, Motorola has made a big deal out of how the Moto 360 will look and feel just like a regular watch. It will have a regular 44mm round dial and a leather strap that can be switched with any other strap.

However, another rumor recently surfaced that Motorola will have to increase the thickness to 13.5mm to incorporate wireless charging into the watch. This will make it considerably thicker than either of it’s siblings, the G Watch and the Gear Live, who stand at 9.95mm and 8.9mm thick, respective

Wireless Charging

In the past couple of months, this has been one of the most consistent rumors. If the Moto 360 manages to support any Qi Wireless Charger, this will be a major accomplishment for the smart watch as it will eliminate the need for proprietary charging docks.

Water Resistant

It has been confirmed by Motorola that the watch will be water resistant. However, no comment has been made on whether it will be IP67 rated or not.

Leaked Images from Mistergadget.net

Optical Heart Rate Sensor

Recent leaked pictures by Italian website Mister Gadget show the Moto 360 flaunting an optical heart rate sensor on its back. We are yet to find out how it will be implemented.

Release Date

Finally, the Moto 360 is believed to be be launching by the end of this summer. This is exciting news, as summer is just coming to an end, and we should expect the watch to be launched at an event in the near future. A very recent rumor is floating that the watch will be released this September. We wish this stands true.

The Moto 360 has definitely managed to become one of the most hotly anticipated gadgets of the year. While we all wait with baited breath for the launch event, if you haven’t already, check out this video by Motorola:

By Pranav Arora

August 7, 2014
Samsung Dealers Unhappy About E-Pricing, Threaten Boycott

As if Samsung wasn’t facing enough heat from the market and the users, the dealers of Samsung are taking them on the retail and e-tail price gap. The representatives of Samsung Retail dealers have told Samsung if the massive discrepancies in prices are not stabilized, they may have to boycott the brand.

Samsung has not had a good time against the competition in the past couple years. The phones are seen as identical replicas of each other and their features are unable to compete with the likes of Motorola, LG and the latest entrants, Xiaomi and Asus. In fact, Samsung, which boasted of holding the throne of the biggest smartphone company in the top two populous countries in the world saw itself dip to 2^nd spot. Micromax toppled Samsung’s majority in India and Xiaomi stole its spot in China.

The center issue is that Samsung offers its dealers a margin of 5.5% while the phones can be bought online for 20-25% discounts. The dealers say that they are not able to meet their sales targets as consumers are scared the prices might keep dropping. Times of India reports that some of the dealers have been selling the phones in wholesale markets to achieve their sales goals. These phones too make their way on the internet and are sold at discounted rates.

The dealers have threatened the company with a boycott that includes blacking out Samsung’s branding. Samsung executives have asked the dealers to not take any drastic steps as of yet. The dealer body has given the South Korean electronics giant time till the 15^th of August to resolve the pricing issue. Samsung needs a strategy reanalysis if it wants to prevent a certain dip in sales numbers which includes focus on mobile innovation. Or else it won’t be long before they follow Nokia’s path.

August 6, 2014
Timex Unveiled a Smartwatch That Has its Own 3G Data Connection

Timex Group is launching a smartwatch with cellular connectivity and a high-visibility display from Qualcomm Inc. It’s a 3G-connected smartwatch that doesn’t even need to pair up with a phone. Unlike earlier smartwatches, Timex’s watch has its own cellular connection, letting it transmit data without having to be connected to a smartphone.

The company calls it the Ironman One GPS+, and while it may have features commonly found in a smartwatch, it is made mostly for athletes like its predecessors. It has the capability to upload your run data to a fitness website with one tap. You can even assign contacts to monitor your run in real time.

Priced at 350$, this version comes with a heart monitor like Samsung Gear Fit and a chest strap. Timex’s move into smartwatches is among the first by traditional watchmakers and follows products from electronics companies including Samsung and Sony that have failed to garner major support from consumers.

The device, due out later this year, is made with a chipset from Qualcomm as well as Qualcomm’s Mirasol low-power display technology, which can easily be viewed in direct sunlight.

Timex has a 160-year history of making watches, which led it to a decidedly different vision for a smartwatch. This one doesn’t get notifications from your smartphone and doesn’t tell you what’s next on your calendar. It’s a connected wearable intended to help athletes and adventurers be safer, smarter, and just a little bit more connected. It’s quite simple, not like anything we’ve seen before.

August 6, 2014
The Next Moto G Might Go Big with a 5-Inch Screen

Motorola has gathered a lot of goodwill this year. The company has been a star in the developing markets where its low-priced-high-speced products have found a massive fan following. Motorola’s upcoming products are their flagship Moto X+1 and their much awaited smartwatch, the Moto 360. Both their products have found takers in the rumor mills and they are generating a good amount of steam. Now it is being reported that one of their super hits, Moto G is apparently going to get a makeover too.

The specifications of what is touted to be the next Moto G offering is listed under the model no. XT1063 on GFXBench. One spec that catches the eyes is the 1280x720p, 4.5 inch screen of the Moto G has expanded to a 5-inch screen. This maybe an issue with some enthusiast who appreciated the size neutral 4.5 inch screen of the Moto G, but for multimedia enthusiast, this is welcoming news.

The rest of the features in terms of hardware appear to be constant. The phone’s processing power comes from a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 SOC with an Adreno 305 GPU. The RAM listed is at 0.8 GB and internal storage is 4 GB, these maybe rudimentary figures to keep sniffers away or maybe Motorola will finally offer expandable storage. The only prominent complaint users had with the phone was the lack of expandable storage.

The camera department might see some upgrades too. The main camera will supposedly feature a 7 MP which might be bumped to 8MP and the front camera goes from 1.3MP to 2MP.

We will keep an eye on the happenings in the Moto department and will bring you the latest. Keep checking this spot.

August 6, 2014
Garmin Launched its Fitness Tracker ‘vivofit’ on Flipkart for Rs. 9990

Garmin, satellite navigation provider, just announced a new fitness tracker called vivofit. The plastic tracker is set on a rubber wristband that will be exclusively available on Flipkart in black and slate colour options.

The fitness tracker’s design seems inspired by the Nike+FuelBand. It comes equipped with all the basic features needed to track ones activities – a step counter, distance travel meter, calories burnt, sleep tracker, basic clock, date and time, and is capable of syncing with Garmin’s Heart rate monitor.

“Garmin has been providing fitness monitoring devices for over a decade, and with vívofit we say hello to the fitness band that knows your potential,” said Tony An, Sales and Marketing Director, Garmin Corporation, “Being able to monitor the quality of rest after retiring for the night, being challenged by personalized daily goals and doing so without having to charge it every few days, makes vívofit a fitness band that should be on everyone’s wrist.”

The Garmin vivofit keeps an eye on everything from your sleep patterns and steps to calories burned and distance traveled. It’s water resistant and durable, and syncs with your smartphone.

But where vivofit really sets itself apart, is its ability to let you completely forget about charging it. This fitness band can keep chugging for a full year before you even have to think about swapping out its power supply.

To sync this data to your mobile phone you need to download the Garmin Connect application from the App store for Apple devices and Play Store for Android devices and connect with Bluetooth. This tracker along with smartphone sync, can also be synced to any computer using the ANT+ dongle, which is included in the box and Garmin express software, syncing it to Garmin Connect.

You can buy Garmin vivofit exclusively on Flipkart for a mere Rs. 9,990.

August 6, 2014
Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro with 6-inch Quad HD Display Officially Launched

After weeks of rumours and leaks, Lenovo has finally made the Vibe Z2 Pro official. This is the latest flagship from the Chinese manufacturer, and carries all high-end specs you would expect from a flagship. The star of the show is definitely the 6” Quad HD (2560×1440) IPS display, that is capable of outputting 500-nits of brightness.

The rest of the specs are equally impressive. The Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro will come with the latest Android 4.4 KitKat pre-installed. Under the hood, the device will contain Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 801 chipset with a 2.5 GHz quad-core Krait 400 CPU. This will be paired with the Adreno 330 GPU, making sure that the device can handle all your processing needs.

It will come with 32 GB of in-built storage, however there will be no microSD card slot for expansion. The rear camera will be 16 megapixels, a BIS sensor with Optical Image Stabilisation, dual LED flash and 4K video recording. The phablet will also feature dual-SIM capabilities, with two micro-SIM card slots.

All of this goodness will be encased in a premium unibody metal body that measures only 7.7mm in thickness. The body will weigh 179 grams. Now, some people may not like the sheer size and heft of the phablet, but that size allows the manufacturer to fit in a larger than normal 4,000 mAh battery.

The device is set to release in September, in black, white and gold colours.

Take a look at the video and tell us what you think.

By Pranav Arora

August 6, 2014
Oppo Teases the Indian Market With the Hint Of N1 Mini

Remember the Oppo N1? Announced way back in September last year, the device featured a unique rotating camera at the top, giving you the capability of taking your selfies in ultra-sharp 13 megapixel quality.

Now, Oppo is teasing the launch of it’s younger sibling, the Oppo N1 Mini, in India. The company on Sunday tweeted an image of the Mini with the text “Revolutionary 24 Mega Pixels Ultra HD Camera, Coming Soon!”. The picture carries the caption “Mini in size, Max on fun”.

If you missed the official launch of the N1 Mini back in June, we don’t blame you. It was a silent affair, with no extravagant event or hype. However, it did manage to tell us the official launch specs that the device will carry.

The N1 Mini sports a 5” HD (1280×720) display. Under the hood, it comes with a 1.6GHz quad-core processor and Adreno 305 GPU paired with a healthy 2GB of RAM. There is 16GB of non-expandable storage available. Similar to its bigger brother, it features a 13-megapixel ‘swivel’ camera with LED flash.

The battery capacity is 2140mAh. The body is 9.2mm thick, and weighs 150 grams. It comes in White, Blue and Yellow colour options. The Oppo N1 recently received a price cut in India, bringing it down from Rs. 39,999 to 32,990. So if Oppo learn from their mistakes and price the N1 Mini competitively, they could have a winner on their hands.

By Pranav Arora

August 6, 2014