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Motorola Rolling out Android Marshmallow for Moto X Style in India

Update:
Marshmallow 6.0 Update for Motorola rolling out now. Watch this space for our hands-on video.

Here’s another one of #MotoXStyle’s list of amazing features. Get Android 6.0 Marshmallow & improve your experience! pic.twitter.com/TuxViqXuoQ

— Motorola India (@motorolaindia) November 20, 2015

Motorola has just announced that they will begin rolling out the new Android Marshmallow 6.0 on the Moto X Style and Moto X 2nd Gen. What is even better is, that for the first time it is getting rolled out in India before anywhere else! This initial integration will be available only to Brazil and India for the Moto X Style and Brazil will be exclusively availing the Moto X 2nd Gen rollout. However, this is just the current market strategy, more markets will be added in the near future.

Moto X Style gets Android 6.0 updates ! #android #motox #igyaan #igyaanlife #marshmallow

A photo posted by iGyaan Network (@igyaan) on Nov 19, 2015 at 10:39pm PST

Therefore, let us give you a brief recap on some features you can expect with the Android 6.0. Firstly, you will have an ‘app standby’ feature that will allow you save battery energy by putting your seldom used apps into a reduced activity state. You will also have a ‘Doze’ feature, to help you further save your phone’s battery life by recognizing when your device is idle and automatically going into a ‘deep sleep’ state. This basically means, that when you are not using your phone, the new software will automatically shut down all unnecessary background functions to save power.

Apart from battery saving skills, this Marshmallow will also allow you to have greater control over what you share with a new permissions model that comes with the newly designed ‘app permissions’. This also allows you to install a feature when required, instead of installing the entire thing all at once. Another feature called ‘app links’ allows you to decide what action you want to perform for each of your apps when you click on a web link.

Android Marshmallow will also affect your expandable storage options by allowing your SD card to extend to its maximum internal storage rather than just using it for media files. There will also be a ‘do not disturb’ button, whose functions are self-explanatory, and volume controls are expected to be more efficient too.

Two final features are the ‘Now on Tap’ and ‘Direct Share’. The first one will provide Google Now with context to show your results according to the app you are using and ‘direct share’ will enable sharing anything, from a contact or a conversation, within an app directly.

That was our little recap, for more details about the Android Marshmallow click here. Until then, if you own the phones mentioned above, sit tight and await your update.

November 13, 2015
Xiaomi Mi Pad 2 Gets Benchmarked, Will Have Intel Inside

It looks like the wait for Xiaomi’s Mi Pad 2 will soon be over. Rumours about the tablet began as far back as December last year. In September, the Mi Pad 2 was certified in China and today the tablet has passed the Geekbench benchmark test. According to the test, it looks like the Mi Pad 2 will have Intel inside. The test revealed that the tablet will sport an Intel X5-Z8500 SoC under the hood, with a quad-core 2.24GHz CPU, 2GB RAM and will have Android 5.1 pre-installed.

That’s not all the test revealed. The Mi Pad 2 with Intel chipset scored a 985 on the single-core test and a 3268 on multi-core. The original Xiaomi Mi Pad scored a 1113 (single-core) and 3481 (multi-core) back in 2014.

Not much is know about the upcoming tablet. Rumours suggest that the Mi Pad 2 will sport the same 7.9-inch glass found in the original Mi Pad. It is likely that Xiaomi will unveil the Mi Pad 2 along with the Mi 5 on the 3rd of December.

Source: [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://browser.primatelabs.com/geekbench3/4084530″]Geekbench[/tw-button]

November 13, 2015
YouTube Launches its Own Music Streaming App, Challenges Apple Music and Spotify

Watch out Apple Music and Spotify, YouTube Music is here. The world’s largest and most popular free music service has started rolling out a dedicated music app, which includes a paid subscription option.

YouTube has been dominating online video streaming for years and has become a household name today. Now the video giant wants to do what it does best – bring music to the masses. YouTube has stuck to free music videos for years to the dismay of some in the music business. The contention was that YouTube doesn’t generate nearly enough revenue when compared to the number of hits it gets on a daily basis.

The YouTube Phenomenon

Videos are becoming the next big thing for social networking sites. Facebook’s big video push is now providing a real competition to YouTube, and Facebook has also shown interest in music, too with the newly launched Music Stories. But the impact on YouTube has been massive and the video giant knows just how big it is. in their official blog, YouTube said that, “today, any artist can upload a video to YouTube and get discovered by over 1 billion people around the globe. That global exposure has allowed YouTube and Google to pay out over $3 billion to the record industry to date. But it’s also provided an incredible source of promotion for artists, helping fuel ticket sales, move merchandise, and boost album and song downloads. Just this month, Adele’s “Hello” became the fastest rising video of the year on YouTube, while also breaking the record for first week download sales.”

The fact that YouTube is coming out with a standalone app when Google Play Music already exists is a bit confusing. However, those who are subscribers to YouTube Red can avail benefits on both the apps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwj1qFPnhow

How Does YouTube Music Work?

The app works like a standard music service. You search for artists or songs and then YouTube suggests more songs based on your search. It’s unlike Apple Music and Spotify in that while the latter services offer curated songs and playlists, YouTube Music doesn’t. The app lets computers rather than humans pick out songs for you, and will do so once you already have a song in mind.

No matter where you start in the app, the music will never stop. Every song you play or artist you choose will take you on an endless journey through YouTube’s music catalog. A simple tap and you’re on your way, enjoying your favorite music and discovering new artists effortlessly. The home tab will recommend tracks just for you and create personalized stations based on your tastes.

You cannot create playlists, however. Instead YouTube Music creates a daily playlist for you in ‘My mix’, which combines tracks you’ve listened to, tracks you’ve liked and some new suggestions based on both. The app is also unlike Apple Music and Spotify in that it is the first music streaming app that includes videos. You can share and listen to music for free, with ads, or go for an ad free version by subscribing to YouTube Red for a monthly fee of $10.

The YouTube Music app is available only in the U.S as of now and YouTube plans to roll out the service in other countries soon. Let us know what you think of YouTube’s newest app in the comments below.

Source: [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://youtube-global.blogspot.in/2015/11/a-youtube-built-just-for-music.html”]YouTube[/tw-button]

November 13, 2015
Scientists Achieve Breakthrough by Making Porous Liquid

liquids now have holes thanks to an amazing breakthrough by a team scientists at Queen’s University Belfast. Researchers in the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Queen’s, along with colleagues at the University of Liverpool, have invented a porous liquid with a potential for a massive range of new technologies including ‘carbon capture’. The liquid has the ability to dissolve massive amounts of gas, which are absorbed into the ‘holes’ in the liquid.

This discovery will effectively lead to what scientists call ‘carbon capture’ – trapping carbon dioxide from major sources, a fossil-fuel power plant for example, and storing it to prevent its entry into the atmosphere.

Prosessor Stuart James of Queen’s School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering said: “Materials which contain permanent holes, or pores, are technologically important. They are used for manufacturing a range of products from plastic bottles to petrol. However, until recently, these porous materials have been solids. What we have done is to design a special liquid from the ‘bottom-up’ – we designed the shapes of the molecules which make up the liquid so that the liquid could not fill up all the space. Because of the empty holes we then had in the liquid, we found that it was able to dissolve unusually large amounts of gas.”

James went on to say that the discovery is still in its early stages and a few more years will be needed to fully understand the ways in which the porous liquid can work.

“While these are early findings, this research could pave the way for greener energy production in the future.”

November 12, 2015
Apple Pay Likely to Incorporate Peer-to-Peer Payments in 2016

Apple is in talks with a number of top U.S banks to create its own person-to-person mobile payment service, which could see an early 2016 launch. Banks like Chase, Capital One, Wells Fargo, and U.S. Bancorp have discussed the prospects with Apple.

Apple Pay currently deals with sending money to businesses, but that could change by next. Currently, apps like PayPal’s Venmo and Google Wallet allow for person-to-person transactions, while some banks have their own apps that allow you to make payments directly. To get this plan off the ground, Apple will have to navigate its way through individual bank platforms and find a way to incorporate the banks within the Apple Pay world.

Apple may look to simply tap into an existing payment service from top banks called clearXchange, and loop that into Apple Pay. That would allow users to send money from a checking account to anyone with an email address or mobile number. Apple may not be looking to make money off this latest idea, and likely wants to broaden the scope of Apple Pay and the overall benefit of the iPhone.

This is all part of Apple CEO Tim Cook’s vision that paper money will no longer exist in the future. “Your kids will not know what money is,” he said during his address at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. In today’s technological world most transactions are taking place online. The biggest challenge here is to avoid cyber attacks.

During his speech, Cook said that Apple will dedicated itself to preventing hackers from stealing customers’ information. “We plan to continue to encrypt end to end with no back door,” Cook said. “We will productively work with the governments to try to convince them that’s also in their best interests in the national security sense.”

November 12, 2015
Bluetooth To Amp Up Speed and Connectivity In 2016

Bluetooth SIG has made some important announcements today regarding an upgrade in the upcoming year. The company is set on increasing the ‘Internet Of Things’ by including updates such as longer range, higher speeds and mesh networking. They also aim at taking a stride towards industries that deal with smart homes, industrial automation, locations-based services and smart infrastructure.

“There is significant demand from our members and the industry at large to enhance Bluetooth with the new capabilities we’re announcing today,” said Toby Nixon, chairman of the Bluetooth SIG Board of Directors

Bluetooth has also further announced that apart from the above mentioned updates, users will also experience a 100% speed boost along with a 4X better range than the usual. Their mesh networking updates are targeted to allow a collection of individual devices to work together to blanket an entire building. With all these developments, 2016 does seem like an interesting year to look forward to, at least in the tech department.

November 12, 2015
Android Wear Now Supports Cellular Connectivity

In today’s wearable news it seems Android has taken a leap forward and has finally made LTE support for its smartwatches a reality. Google has updated its Android Wear OS for smartwatches with cellular service, which means you can now leave your phones at home when you’re on the go. Android wearables will be able to stay connected with a SIM card even when your phone isn’t nearby.

LG’s Watch Urbane 2nd Edition will be the first smartwatch to ship with the SIM feature along with support for cellular connectivity. The watch will be available in the US and South Korea this week. This features puts Android Wear ahead of the Apple’s WatchOS 2 and other platforms out there that don’t support cellular connectivity.

What this feature does is that it allows you to use all the apps on your smartwatch including receiving and sending messages, calls, among other, without having your phone nearby. It will come in handy when you want to go out for a run and leave your phone at home.

While this does put Android Wear ahead of Apple’s WatchOS in terms of functionality, it may not attract too many buyers as cellular connectivity means more strain on your smartwatch’s tiny battery. You may find yourself having to charge your watch frequently. Currently, AT&T and Verizon are selling the watch with cellular connectivity from today.

November 12, 2015
Everything You Need To Know About Samsung’s New Exynos 8890 Chip

We are all aware that the Samsung S7 will be the company’s next handset, what we also know is that the company just announced it’s first new chip in the Exynos 8 Octa series, called the Exynos 8890. This chip is also the first 14 nm FinFET process chip with an integrated CP and modem chip and is also the first custom core design chip.

Now you are probably wondering why this piece of information is relevant to you. The answer is that not only does this new chip affect the ‘tech geek’ in you, but will also show tangible changes that will affect the average smartphone user. The small size of the chip is said to affect power consumption and performance positively. The smallest size so far is 14nm and this chip will be used by the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, which hopefully be seen in next year’s smartphones.

While the details will surely excite more technical people, the implications of those features will also be felt by regular users. Chip manufacturers have forever been trying to use smaller and smaller manufacturing processes for their silicon. The smallest so far is 14 nm, which has now arrived on mobile thanks to Samsung. Using a smaller process not only results in smaller chips but also includes benefits to power consumption and performance. The new Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 uses the same 14 nm FinFET process, so we’ll be seeing the results of this new process in next year’s smartphones.

Samsung Galaxy On7

If you’re done processing all that information, we’re sorry to bother you but there’s more. This Exynos chip will also provide you with faster internet. How? Well, this chip combined within itself both the CPU and the LTE modem which can reportedly support 600 Mbps on down-link and 150 Mbps on uploads with the help of the Cat 12 and Cat 13 LTE. Furthermore, this chip, as mentioned earlier, is Samsung’s first custom core design chip. So, it will come with its own CPU core design which will only optimize its performance on the company’s devices. The Exynos also comes with four CPU cores and four Corted-A53 cores with the latest Mali-T880 graphics chip.

Availability wise, the Exynos 8 Octa will start shipping later this year and is expected to come integrated with Samsung’s next flagship smartphone. Until then, let us sit tight and await Samsung’s Unpacked event scheduled for the 21st of February 2016.

November 12, 2015
Tim Cook Comments On the Surface Book, Calls It “Sort Of Deluded”

The tech war between Apple and everything else continues, as Tim Cook goes on record about his feelings towards the Microsoft Surface Book. At a talk in Trinity college Cook said that the Surface Book was:

“a product that tries too hard to do too much. It’s trying to be a tablet and a notebook and it really succeeds at being neither. It’s sort of deluded.”

Tim Cook later said that he was actually going for “diluted” rather than “deluded”. This comment comes after the release of Apple’s 12.9 inch iPad Pro and is not even the first time that Cook has dissed the 13.5 inch Surface Book. However, he has not only dissed the Surface Book, but has also praised the iPad Pro by implying that it is one of the most efficient products available. He also implied that if one uses the iPad Pro, you would no longer require a PC and added that he himself travels only with an iPad Pro and an iPhone. Tim Cook also announced the launch of Apple Pay in Ireland stating that future generations will no longer know what hard cash is.

This is all very confident and progressive and everything, but really, isn’t it high time Apple just moved on from making petty comments about their rivals? Apple tried to bridge the gap between tablet and laptop with the iPad Pro (which also includes a stylus and keyboard), so the comment on Microsoft’s Surface Pro feels highly ironical. Do you think a response suggests weak spots? Let us know in the comments below.

November 12, 2015
Apple Music has Come to Android But With Glitches

Apple Music has finally arrived on Android. The newest music streaming app is the third Apple app to make its way to Android – the first to being Move to iOS and BeatPill+. Apple Music is something many Android users have been waiting for. It is one of Apple’s better launches this year and one that has pleased music lovers all over.

The Android app looks similar to Apple Music on iOS with only some differences that are particular to Android. The design is pretty much the same and all the Apple Music options are there including Beats Radio. True to Android the app has a left slide-out menu that features the For You, New, Radio, Connect, Playlists and My Music tabs. The For You section is packed with albums and curated playlists based on your taste. The suggestions look just like the iOS.

But those are just the pros to the story. The Android beta version of the Apple Music comes with a host of bugs and glitches that are quite putting off.

The app is far from working smoothly at the moment. Saved playlists and album artworks take a long time to load properly even with fast network connectivity, and you’re left with black spaces and a white background that makes the overall app a dull affair.

Downloading multiple songs or a playlist seem to fail occasionally while single downloads work fine. Since it’s still in beta stage one expects the app to come with some issues. The updated version will look to smooth things out.

Furthermore, the app does not sync with your music folder, which one would have preferred since Android users tend to use their phones like an MP3 player, storing music files for years. Thus, the My Music page will only show songs purchased from iTunes and songs saved from Apple Music. Google Play Music allows streaming as well as downloaded music files so Android users may just stick with that.

Apple Music has a massive library of music and one can pretty much find anything in there. For users in India, this means that there is now a great alternative for popular music streaming apps like Saavn, Wynk and Gaana. To download the Apple Music for Android, head on over to the Google Play Store and try it out. As mentioned above, the app has a 3-month free trial after which you’ll have to pay to stay on.

November 12, 2015
After Priv,BlackBerry Might Be Creating Another Android Device For You

BlackBerry seems to be in the forefront of things currently, and along those lines there seems to be another leak about an alleged Android device being created by BlackBerry and code-named Vienna. The Vienna is slightly different looking, as compared to the Priv. While the Priv has a hidden keyboard which can be revealed by sliding the display upwards; the Vienna has a visible QWERTY keyboard.

Image Source: crackberry.com

However, one must note, that this is just a leak and the images may not be the end design of the project. It is further speculated that this product could possibly be cheaper than the BlackBerry Priv. Now, as we speak about the display of the Vienna, it can be seen that there are three physical Android keys above the QWERTY keyboard. Along with that, we can also see the rear and front cameras.

As of now, this is all we know about the Vienna. There is no information about the launch or announcement of the device.

November 12, 2015
Android Safer Than iOS According to Reports

The mythbusters are back, and this time one of the all time popular myths regarding iOS has been busted. According to a new study, it turns out that iOS isn’t as malware-proof as people have come to believe. In fact, reports suggest that Android is safer and more secure than iOS.

The study carried out by Checkmarx and AppSec Labs claim that Apple’s ‘wall garden’, that is the App Store, is filled with apps that have greater percentage of critical or high severity security vulnerabilities when compared to Android apps.

According to the report, a critical vulnerability is defined as one “that exposes a major security risk with a direct exploit (not needing user involvement). If exploited, the security threat might cause major damage to the application and/or have major impact on the company.”

Here’s what the claim means for everyone. Firtsly, it breaks the image of iOS being regarded as the most fool-proof operating system. Secondly, it also means that there is now no safe operating system out there as all the major players are now on the same boat. Of course, it was only a matter of time for a report such as this to come out. Hackers do tend to target big names, especially ones that claim to be unbreakable.

“With more than 1.5 million apps available in the two main app stores, Apple and Android, and hundreds of billions of downloads to date, the mobile landscape has quickly become the main playground for hackers and attackers.”

As the reports suggest, 36 percent of Android apps were found to be potentially critical or highly severe while a surprising 40 percent of iOS apps were deemed critical, crushing the common misconception that iOS is a safer platform.

There seems to be some credibility to this report, especially after the recent news that a popular app on the App Store, called InstaAgent, has been leaking Instagram username and passwords and sending them off to a remote server as well as publishing unauthorized images to users account without their consent.

Checkmarx’s Amit Ashbel explained to GeekTime that most of the security flaws are the result of vulnerabilities in developers’ code. “The mobile application industry as a whole is lagging behind on secure coding best practices,” he added.

Well, that’s one less thing for iPhone users to brag about now.

Source: [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”https://www.checkmarx.com/2015/11/05/the-state-of-mobile-app-security/”]Checkmarx[/tw-button]

November 12, 2015
China to Target Online Music Platforms in 2016, Apple Music Likely to Suffer

Aren’t we all aware of China’s internet policing? So, nothing it does can further surprise us. Now they are going to tighten their policing on online music services including Apple, in order to filter out “harmful” content before streaming.

The self-censorship program states that companies offering streaming services will need to start filtering out content from the 1st of January 2016. As of now, Chinese customers rely on local firms such as Ali Baba, Baidu etc for streaming music.

However, Apple had just launched a special Chinese version of Apple Music alongside an access to iTunes Movies and iBooks. So, customers who signed up then, are halfway through their three-month free trial period, soon after which China will enact the above mentioned regulations.

As of now, nobody knows how much these regulations will affect Apple Music. Although if Apple Music chooses to give China a miss, which is most likely what will happen because Apple has usually always been against censorship, then it might mean a whole lot of profit for other music platforms such as Spotify and Pandora. But what good is a platform without the global musicians, who might also back out with all the censorship issues? Let us know what you think about this.

November 10, 2015
TAG Heuer Launches Its First Luxury Smartwatch Called Connected

We have some more news for you in the tech wearable department; Tag Heuer has launched its first smartwatch called TAG Heuer Connected, inspired by Tag Heuer Carrera, at $1,500 (Rs.99,653). This smartwatch was launched at an event in New York City and is an android wear powered timepiece created in collaboration with Google and Intel.

The TAG Heuer Connected is powered by a 1.6GHz dual core processor from Intel, and has a 1.5 inch circular transflective LTPS LCD display with 360 X 360 resolution and a pixel density of 240ppi. Moreover, this watch is protected by scratch resistant sapphire crystal glass and comes with 1GB of RAM and 4GB of internal memory fueled by a 410 mAh battery.

Other features include a tilt detection sensor, microphone, a haptic engine and a gyroscope. Connectivity options include Bluetooth BLE 4.1 and Wi-Fi. The luxury smartwatch weighs 52 grams and is 46mm wide and 12.8mm thick. It is compatible with Android 4.3+ and iOS 8.2+, it also comes with extra equipment to detect the direction of the wind and weather monitoring while also being water and dust resistant.

Now, we can speak about its availability, the smartwatch will arrive in various colours in the US, however, only the black band bracelet option will be available for purchase online. If you want the other colours, you’ll have to get yourself to a store in the US. It arrives in Europe on the 12th of November.

November 10, 2015
Samsung’s Galaxy View Tablet Goes On Sale In the US

The Samsung Galaxy View tablet that was unveiled last month, is now ready for sale and purchase in the Unites States of America at $599 (Rs.39,770).

This tablet comes with an 18.4 inch screen, a built-in stand and also offers live television in some places. There’s a handle at the back of the device, and the screen features a 1080 X 1920 resolution with 119ppi pixel density. It runs on the Exynos 7580 chipset which comes under the hood with an octa-core 1.6GHz CPU inside. In the memory department, it comes with a 2GB of RAM space and 32GB of internal storage.

The Samsung Galaxy View comes with a 2.1MP camera in the front while the entire device is fueled by a 5,700 mAh battery with 8 hours of internet. The cell reportedly will allow you to listen to music for up to 299 hours, the device is also compatible with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity. It will come in a regular black colour with the Android 5.1 pre-installed.

However, we should note, that currently the model with cellular connectivity will not hit sales anytime soon. So, we will only have access to the Wi-Fi only variant.

Even up till a fortnight ago, we were wondering why exactly had Samsung launched an 18 inch device which seemed like a hybrid of a TV and a tablet. Perhaps time will tell. Would you be willing to lug the Samsung Galaxy View around for some video-streaming pleasure when it arrives in India?

November 10, 2015