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How to Post GIFs on Facebook

Facebook is gung ho about videos and animated pictures taking over the social networking site. Today, GIFs are the new way to greet and add some humour to your News Feed (because words were so 5 years ago). And it’s time people caught up with the trend. GIFs are short animated videos that say what you want to say in a funny, ‘pop culture’ referenced way, only minus the need to use words. To put it simply, GIFs are the new emojis.

Memes have been around for a while now. But Facebook felt that memes and smileys weren’t enough to convey ones feelings anymore. Initially, Facebook was against using GIFs, fearing that along with its autoplaying video feature the News Feed would become too cluttered. But the company had to cater to the users love for meme’s and GIFs. So, without further ado, here’s how you can post GIFs on Facebook.

Posting a GIF on Facebook

Posting a GIF is simple, however, you won’t be allowed to upload your own GIF files to your post as you would a photo. You’ll either need to create one and upload it on another hosting site or simply find a GIF that aptly describes your Monday morning blues, for example, from sites like Giphy, Imgur and Tumblr. Open the GIF and right-click on the image.

If you’re using Google Chrome, select the option ‘Copy Image URL’. For Firefox, the option is ‘Select Image Location’. And for Opera it’s ‘Copy Image Address’. Basically, every browser will have a similar option that allows you to copy the URL.

Next, log into your Facebook account and simply paste the URL in the ‘What’s on your mind?’ status field. Once the image appears, you can edit the status and write something so that people understand what the GIF is trying to convey. Hit Post and you’re done.

Now that you know how simple it is, go ahead and find your perfect GIF for the day and share it with your gang on Facebook. It’s all about spreading the joy and knowing that there are people out there who feel the same way about Mondays. Sigh.

You may have also noticed a GIF option in your Messenger and chat as well. Facebook has been testing the GIF and attachment buttons for the Messenger, though not all users have the feature yet. Open a chat window on the Facebook site or through the Messenger app and you’ll find a new GIF button next to the smileys icon.

The GIF option will show you some trending GIFs and it also lets you search for the GIF you want. Now you can have more animated discussions with your friends when you feel words just don’t cut it.

October 19, 2015
Lumia 950, 950XL May Launch in India on 5th November
Microsoft is all set to ship over a 1000 Lumia dummy devices in the country. The company will be holding a technology conference, ‘Future Unleashed’, for the same in Mumbai on the 5th of November, and it will be attended by CEO, Satya Nadella.The company is shipping 500 Lumia 950 and 500 Lumia 950 XL dummies to India, according to Zauba, a website that records imports to the country. These devices will be available at retail stores for potential buyers to take a look at. The current price tags they come with are $587 (about Rs. 38,000) USD for the Lumia 950, and $665 (about Rs. 43,000) for the Lumia 950 XL. We had expected the two devices to come out at IFA Berlin this year. Even though this was not to be so, around late September, leaked images with specs of the two Lumia phones appeared on the internet.

According to the slides, here are the specs for the Lumia 950 and the Lumia 950 XL. These specs also matched the earlier leaks that had been around for a while.

Lumia 950:
- Display: 5.2 inches, QuadHD
- Processor: Qualcomm 6-core Snapdragon 808
- Camera: 20MP PureView rear camera with optical image stabilization (OIS) and dual flash; 5MP HD front camera
- Storage: 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage
- Battery: 3,000 mAh, with rapid charging via USB-C
Lumia 950 XL:
- Display: 5.7 inches, QuadHD
- Processor: Qualcomm 8-core Snapdragon 810
- Camera: 20MP PureViw rear camera with OIS and triple LED flash; 5 MP front camera
- Storage: 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage
- Battery: 3,300 mAh, with rapid charging via USB-C
These devices would perhaps be available just in time for Diwali for customers. For more information about the conference and other details, click here.

Source: Zauba via [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://wmpoweruser.com/microsoft-prepares-for-wide-distribution-of-the-lumia-950-range-in-india-imports-1000-display-dummies/”]WM Power User[/tw-button]
October 19, 2015
Android Devices Vulnerable to New LTE Security Threat

AT&T and Verizon devices have been revealed to be open to a security threat which can lead to data spoofing, eavesdropping and incorrect billing for millions of users. Implementations of LTE by these networks have left Android devices open to these security flaws.

T-Mobile was facing the same issues until a spokesperson revealed in an official statement that the problem has been ‘resolved’. However, T-Mobile and Verizon are two companies which are both susceptible to peer-to-peer attack. Apple users don’t have anything to worry about when it comes to this.

When contacted, Google did not confirm which Android versions were affected but it did go ahead to assure Nexus users that their devices will be free of the risk with the November Monthly Security Update of the company. As per the current update, researchers have revealed that every version of Android is at risk, while at the same time attacks are also dependent on the users’ network.

Consequently, because the security trouble is carrier-dependent, it is unclear when other gadgets running on Android OS will cease to be at risk. Both AT&T as well as Verizon have refused to comment on this so far.

October 19, 2015
Battery Management Lessons for iPhone users

It is a well known fact that we consider the iPhone as an amazing development made in technology, but it often becomes a slab of glass and metal once it’s drained out of battery.

And as irritating as it gets when we run out of battery, there are some easy ways of extending its battery for a while longer.

Here are some simple tricks and tips for iPhone users fed up with their phone’s battery:

Low Power Mode

The recent introduction of iOS 9 came with a special feature of a power saving mode. This update warns you with a message when your battery drops down to 20% and offers Low Power Mode. Activating Low Power Mode reduces animations throughout the system. It also decreases the time before the screen darkens and makes every effort to save your battery for a little longer. When power saving mode is activated, the battery indicator turns from either green or red, to yellow.

Also, Low Power Mode can be activated at other times: look for the option in the new Battery section of Settings once you’ve upgraded to iOS 9.

Toning down on visual effects in iOS 7 and iOS 8

The parallax effect introduced in iOS 7, which makes your icons and notifications appear to be floating, might be pretty and cool. But at the same time, it drains the battery of your phone like a vampire, by constantly using your phone’s graphics processor. So, when you’re` in a place where charging your phone would not be possible, you could save your battery by disabling this feature.

You can switch to static rather than dynamic wallpaper – the iOS 7-style wallpaper that moves around as you tilt your phone. This will cut down the power drain a little. When you set a new Wallpaper, tap where it says ‘Perspective Zoom: On’ to turn it off.

You can also go to Settings > General > Accessibility > and switch on Reduce Motion to temporarily turn off all the parallax effects.

Cool not Hot Phone

There is no other way to say this – heat is really bad for batteries. It would be wise not to leave your phone lying in direct sunlight. The ideal comfort zone claimed for its best performance is between 16° to 22° C (62° to 72° F). Exposing it to a temperature higher than 35° C (95° F) can permanently damage battery capacity, so battery won’t power your device for long on a given charge. Also, it is advised that the cases should be removed while charging, as certain cases tend to generate excess heat that can affect battery capacity.

Reduce Screen Brightness, Turn Off Vibration and AirDrop

A simple way of saving battery is by reducing the brightness level of your iPhone screen. The brighter the default setting for the screen, the more power it consumes.There are a number of ‘Beep’ and songs to choose from for message and call notifications. Leaving out the rattling of your phone when a call or a message comes can save a little of your battery.

Also, turning off bluetooth and AirDrop whenever it is not in use can help in retaining battery life. Next time you are done transferring photos and files to and from other phones, make sure your bluetooth and AirDrop is turned off immediately after.

Disable Siri Shortcut

Yes, even Siri can be a bit of a drain on battery life. You’ll find the ‘Raise to Speak’ option in Settings > General > Siri -if you aren’t using it, make sure to turn it off. That sensor is active whenever your phone is unlocked. If it detects you holding your phone next to your face, it will make Siri listen automatically.

Update manually, Avoid Background Refresh App

Although updating your phone automatically seems to be the easiest way of updating, it is best to update manually. As it is handled automatically within the device it eats up tremendous amount of battery.

Go to Settings> iTunes & App Store> In the Automatic Downloads section, find Updates> Move slider to off/white.

It is also advisable to not use background app Refresh. We know how convenient it is when your device automatically updates the most used apps for you -but for the love of battery- it is better if this is disabled.

Go to Settings> General> Handoff & Suggested Apps> Move the My Apps and App Store sliders to Off.

High-Impact Games

This comes as no surprise that games and apps with high-end graphics and quality tends to consume more battery. So when you are playing games with 3D image quality or apps like the GPS chip for maps, and location-based apps it consumes more battery than when you are reading a book on Kindle.

Follow these simple steps to prevent your iPhone from draining out of juice. Next time you land yourself in a dystopic world which lacks all forms of charging options, you’d know what to do.

October 19, 2015
Evolution of the Camera: From Dark Boxes to Selfie Sticks

It all started with a desire to capture a moment, to freeze it in time and space -to get back to when the heart thus desired once again. And that is how, ladies and gentlemen, the thought of the first photograph, even though that’s not what it was called yet, came to be. The thought led to efforts which led to results and one fine day, humans had discovered a way to record memories, which they eventually chose to call photography.

However, cameras came into existence much before photography. It all started with the camera obscura -a Latin term which translates into ‘dark room’.

Camera Obscura:

It was the very first device that led to photography and the innovation of the camera. Optical in nature, it would allow light to pass in a dark box or room through a hole on one side and then use it to capture photographs, as they existed back then. This device dates back to 470 to 390 BC, its earliest extant written record found in the writing of Mozi, the Chinese philosopher.

The Very First Photograph:

The first ever successful photograph of a camera image was developed by Nicéphore Niépce in 1816 using a camera he had made himself. However, the photograph was not permanent and eventually ended up getting darkened due to repeated exposure to light necessary for viewing it.

The Daguerreotype Camera:

Next came Louis Daguerre, a French artist who found a way to store the finished image on a shiny mirror finished copper plate treated with chemicals. Daguerre shared his technique with the public in exchange for a life long pension. It was later used in the film cameras of the past as well. By 1850s, there were over seventy daguerreotype studios in just New York, and the face of photography had changed forever.

A daguerreotype of Edgar Allan Poe in the nineteenth century.

Birth of Photography:

There were several significant developments in the realm of photography starting with negative to positive processing by a contemporary of Daguerre. This was followed by tintypes -a thin sheet of iron used for light sensitive materials, and therefore helped in obtaining positives, wet plate negatives, dry plate negatives and finally, hand held cameras. Cameras now became less bulky and a little more convenient to carry around. By the second half of the nineteenth century, a flexible roll film had also been invented by George Eastman which finally allowed for a mass-produced box camera.

Coloured Photography and Twentieth Century:

The second quarter of the twentieth century brought with it coloured photographs within the reach of users when coloured films became commercially available. Twentieth century also marked the confluence of different art forms in a more significant way than before. Overlaps between photography and painting were no longer unheard of. One form drew from another.

Photography meets painting: The photographer threw around objects for hours to get the perfect Surrealist shot with Salvador Dali.

The first coloured photographs were so unstable because of organic dyes which were used to colour them, that the image would literally disappear after a while, leaving a blank film behind. Not so cool after-all. Kodachrome was the first colour film to produce photographs that could last for over fifty years. You know times have changed when instead of performing vanishing acts, images can be stored for eternity.

Digital Photography:

The first breakthrough in this field was made by Canon in 1984 with its first digital camera for still photography, and there was no looking back post that. At the same time, on the turn of the new century, possibilities of mobile phone cameras began to be explored. Photography became a separate, fully-formed realm of art in itself. Debates between its position in the hierarchy of art, especially when pitted against painting continued, but there came a zeal and fervour to be intrinsically associated with photography.

First digital camera by Canon 1984.

When photography was first introduced to people by and large, it took several seconds to a minute to click a single photograph. That explains why people would never smile for portraits. One wonders what their views on the contemporary selfie parades would be.

The first important development in cellphone-photography is owed to Apple and its very first iPhone with its pedestrian 2 megapixel camera in 2007. Other tech giants too became part of the race, perfecting their own technology in terms of cell-phone photography until another breakthrough was made in the form of front, or more aptly termed, ‘selfie’ cameras. Next came selfie sticks, with social media not doing much to help the obsession, and voila! Now photography blogs and Facebook pages have declared everyone a photographer.

The whole idea behind technological developments is to make things simpler, easier, more consolidated. But on the contrary, there seems to be an endless deluge of photography paraphernalia in contemporary times. When a bunch of kids were handed over a camera from the previous century, this was their reaction. You might want to sit down for this.

Cameras have covered an incredibly long journey to be where there are today. It is an art form that continues to evolve and surpass itself. Let’s see where it lands itself next.

October 18, 2015
5 ‘Star Wars’ Technologies That May Not Be So Far, Far Away

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there were droids, space lasers, lightsabers and landspeeders. Of course, we’re talking about the fictional world of the cult sci-fi space opera movie, Star Wars. But how fictional is all that technology – that was seen in the series about 40 years ago – today? Let’s take a look at how close we’ve come to creating some of the technological marvels found in Star Wars.

Landspeeder

Landspeeders originally debuted in the original Star Wars series 37 years ago and since then fans around the world have been drooling over the prospect of zipping over the ground in an anti-gravity vehicle. While it might be a while before you see a population of people riding in their own hoverbikes, there is (a new) hope nevertheless. Malloy Aeronotics and Aerofex are two companies among others who have been actively working on trying to make the hoverbike a reality.

Aerofex has been testing its own hoverbikes in the Mojave desert. There has been keen interest in this area with many parties interested in this technology. So it won’t be long before one can see some insane anti-gravity drag-racing, once these hoverbkes are ready. Watch the video of Aerofex testing out the hoverbike below.

Droids

Droids are robotic machines possessing artificial intelligence. The term ‘droid’ was popularized by Gearge Lucas in the original Star Wars films, and originated as an abridgment of ‘android’. Droids are seen throughout Star Wars in various shapes and sizes, the most famous ones being R2-D2 and C-3P0. Ever since the classic twosome appeared in Star Wars: A New Hope, people have been waiting for the day droids and robots will become an everyday thing. Technology is progressing along, but it’s just not fast enough.

It takes a new Star Wars film for technology to kick it into overgear. The new Star Wars: Force Awakens movie is out in December, but a small 40 seconds trailer that was released a few months ago got the whole world in a frenzied state. Every scene from the teaser was dissected to bits, including one scene which showed a new droid, the BB-8. The little ball of a droid was seen rolling along the desert of Jakku. One never expected any droid to top R2-D2 but fans are adoring BB-8, which is why a company called Sphero has done the deed. Yes, BB-8 is real and it is available on Amazon for $149.

The BB-8 toy can be controlled via mobile app and it is all kinds of awesome. The BB-8 can roll around, listens and responds to your voice, and has a mind of it’s own. Look at the promotional video below and see for yourselves.

Lasers

It’s 2015 and we should be having lasers by now, right? Well, not exactly, but there are people working on it. Lasers are among the top technologies that comes to mind when you think of the ‘future’. That and flying cars, of course. We’re probably a few hundred years away from having fancy lasers like the ones seen in Star Wars with bright colours that zipped by the screen and were trippy as hell. But laser technology today is a fact and while it may not shoot red or blue bolts into the target, they can still burn holes when concentrated on the target long enough.

We’re talking about the Laser Weapons System (LaWS) that is employed by the U.S Navy on a warship, the USS Ponce. The weapon was first tested in 2014 and the United States Navy reported the LaWS system works perfectly. Here’s what it looks like when a ship lasers a drone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0DbgNju2wE

Space Travel

If there was a real-life Millennium Falcon, space travel would be a blast. You could make the Kessel Run in under 12 parsecs and have a Wookie for a co-pilot. But alas, we’ll probably never see a real-life Millennium Falcon. But space travel is not off the cards. Indeed, consumer space travel has been around for a while now. Although, you’ll need really deep pockets if you want a ticket to the stars and back. As of now, space travelling will be available only to the filthy rich.

Boeing has partnered with NASA and will soon have seats for paying tourists in their CST-100 vehicle, allowing members of the general public to visit the International Space Station along with the astronauts. The price of admission is high and you’ll probably have to wait a couple of decades for fares to reduce once space travelling becomes part of normal human life. Fingers crossed.

Lightsabers

Perhaps the one piece of technology that is truly the star of Star Wars is the lightsaber. That awe-inspiring laser sword is a signature weapon of the Jedi order and the Sith alike. The lightsaber is used for close combat typically between the Jedi and the Sith. The lightsaber’s energy blade can cut, burn and melt through pretty much anything. It can also deflect blaster bolts and other lightsabers as well.

Lightsabers were so loved by film fans around that it was voted the most popular weapon in the film history in a 2008 survey. So naturally, a weapon so admired must be made into a reality. Over the decades, we have seen two groups of scientists who have expressed their opinions on the lightsaber. There are the killjoy scientists who believe that a real-life lightsaber is not scientifically possible. And then there are believers who will do anything to bring this technological work of art to life like the boys from Harvard and MIT back in 2013.

Based on the findings by the team from Harvard and MIT, a group of theoretical physicists from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recently discovered a mechanism that can bind photons together in a pseudo-molecule, bringing us a little closer to real-life lightsabers.

All right, so that’s Obama with a toy lightsaber. But if he’s excited about the prospect of a real lightsaber in the future then so are we.

October 18, 2015
This Could Be The Reason Your iPhone’s Battery Is Dying On You

Has your iPhone been dying on you faster than usual? Facebook could be the reason for it. The company recently confirmed that its iOS app is causing serious battery drain issues and is working to fix it. Apparently, the app continues to run in the background even when your Background App Refresh is turned off.

A spokesperson for Facebook gave a statement to TechCrunch confirming the issue and promising that the company will fix the problem soon.

“We have heard reports of some people experiencing battery issues with our iOS app. We’re looking into this and hope to have a fix in place soon,” the spokesperson said.

The reason behind the battery drain is not yet known. While some believe that it could be due to Facebook’s new update that allows for autoplay of videos, other believe that this does not take up battery any more than the previous version did.

Facebook hasn’t commented on the various theories around why the app has been gulping down battery, and has only stated that they’re working to fix it. Whether this is a bug or ‘audio hijacking’ as some conspiracy theories suggest is something only the company would know about. If you find yourself facing the same issue, be patient. For now, you can ditch the iOS app and log on to Facebook through the mobile web until Facebook comes out with a new update.

October 18, 2015
Apple To Pay $234 Million For Patent Infringement

A US jury has passed its verdict and it’s definitely not going to please Apple. The tech giant has been ordered to pay Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) a sum of over $234 million as penalty for patent infringement. WARF is in-charge of all the patent licensing of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The jury had previously reached a decision that Apple had used a patented microchip technology in its iPads and iPhones to which Apple had appealed. After about three hours of deliberation, the amount was set at over a hundred million dollars less than what the University had demanded of Apple. We did a story on this lawsuit which you can read here.

Though Apple is at least free of one lawsuit, more legal trouble awaits the company courtesy of WARF again which is suing the company on the same lines for using patented technology in its latest iPhones -6s and 6s Plus. However, legal trouble is not a territory unknown to Apple which has been waging copyright, infringement and patent related battles with other tech giants as well, Samsung being one of them. Such penalties are not likely to be more than a puny amount for a company which reported its annual revenue for 2014 to be around $182 billion.

October 17, 2015
First Official Promo of BlackBerry Priv is Out

BlackBerry has come out with its first official promo of BlackBerry Priv. The video showcases the slide-out QWERTY keyboard of the phone which is definitely going to be the highlight of the device.

This video shows you all that you need to know about BlacBerry Priv as a user. With the pre-registration of the phone begun just two days ago, some of the specs of the phone have also been revealed.

https://youtu.be/5nO8EdLtJj0

The revealed specs tell confirm that Priv will have a 5.4 inch Quad HD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 SoC and an 18 MP camera. The phone comes with a price tag of $630, which is about Rs. 40,000. This seems like an interesting move -BlackBerry making its comeback in the tech-world with such an exorbitant price tag.

Let us know if you’d be willing to put your trust in BlackBerry and Priv in the comments below.

October 17, 2015
G-RO – The First Suitcase To Come With a 23,000 mAh Battery Source

If you’re a frequent flyer who never seems to get over travel anxiety because of your luggage, Kickstarter might just have the answer for you. G-RO, the first carry-on luggage of its kind is flying off the charts on the website. It has already reached the mark of $360,000 in pledges. The goal fixed by the G-RO team was $125,000 which was reached within a day of the product being put up on the website. There are another 58 days to go before the campaign ends.

The suitcase comes with especial features to make the whole travel experience much more convenient and hassle free. It has huge all-terrain wheels that allows G-RO to be taken anywhere comfortably irrespective of the surface. There are distinct, neat compartments for personal belongings as well as for gadgets and stationery, along with a separate section for keeping liquids.

The G-RO Team

G-RO has been designed keeping in mind international travel regulations, along with compliance with TSA and FAA. Just when you thought this suitcase is too cool to be true, it gets better. The carry on luggage also comes in an electronic module which offers a 23,000 mAh battery that can charge phones, tablets and laptops, a universal power outlet, a location tracker and a wireless proximity tracker. Check out the video below to find out how this beauty was put together and everything that it’s capable of.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwO_li6aNi4
The cheapest G-RO model is priced at a $279 (having an expected $499 retail price) while the optional electronic module cost an extra $99. It will be ready for shipping in August next year.

October 17, 2015
YU Sets Up A Pre-Registration Page For Yutopia

YU Yutopia has been confirmed by the company and the market is rife with speculations about the device. YU has released four smartphones so far and now Yutopia is going to be it’s fifth launch. The company has put up a page mentioning pre-registration for the device. However, the page is not what you may assume. It’s not for buyers to register or pre-order Yutopia, but only to leave their information there. They will be informed by YU when the phones finally go on sale or are up for pre-order.

The company also mentions, ”This phone will not be available to the users through flash sales”. This could mean that the YU Yutopia would be available for purchase in an open sale since day one of its launch, or maybe that it could be bought only by those who sign up for this pre-registration page. Who knows if YU has decided to go the older OnePlus way and is opting for an invite-only system of sorts by allowing only the registered people to buy the phone? Only time will tell what the company has up its sleeve.

YU Yureka Plus

YU, which is a Micromax-owned smartphone manufacturer based in India, is set to launch its first high end smartphone. YU Yutopia, expected to go on sale next month, is the fifth phone YU is launching within a period of eleven months. The four other smartphones include entry level YU Yureka, followed by YU Yuphoria, YU Yureka Plus and Yunique which was launched last month.

Rumoured specs of Yutopia suggest a 3 GB as well as 4 GB variant in terms of RAM, along with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset. It is expected to have a 21 MP rear camera, 8 MP front camera and run on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. We’ll keep you updated as soon as we have more dope on the device.

October 17, 2015
Apple’s Next iPhone May Have Intel Inside

Intel is looking to get a piece of Apple’s booming sales by taking a version of its cellular modem into Apple’s next iPhone, likely to be called iPhone 7, stated reports by VentureBeat. The partnership is yet to be official, though. As of now the two companies have exchanged words and work is already underway. So, you can expect Apple or Intel to come out with an official statement soon.

Intel CEO Brian Krzanich

Apparently, Intel has an ‘army’ already working on the project. Around 1000 people are working to supply Apple’s next iPhone with Intel’s next-gen 7360 LTE modem. VentureBeats also reported that Apple will be sending some of its own crew to work with Intel. Meanwhile, Intel looks to take out Qualcomm from the top position of modem suppliers for Apple.

Currently, Qualcomm’s 9X45 LTE chip has been the modem for Apple’s handset. A few years ago, Infineon used to supply the iPhone with 3G modems before Intel bought the German semiconductor company. Apple then moved to Qualcomm and made it its modem supplier. Like with its A9 chip, Apple may dual-source the LTE modems from both Intel and Qualcomm if Intel comes through. However, nothing has been officially stated on this matter.

The current task ahead for Intel is to scale its 10-nanometer process so that it can work with Apple’s A9 chipset. This is one of the reasons that Apple has been attracted to Intel. Intel has both 14-nanometer and a new 10-nanometer process in the works. A 10-nanometer could yield faster and smaller processors. Apple is currently dual-sourcing its A9 chip from Samsung, which employs 14-nanometer process, and TSMC which uses 16-nanometer process.

The end goal for Apple is to have an SoC that is capable of holding both the processor and LTE modem on a single, small, fast and power efficient component and the fabrication of this can fall into Intel’s hands if all goes well. This is a “must-win for Intel” as it has been struggling to keep pace with Qualcomm, a source told VentureBeat.

October 17, 2015
Samsung Galaxy S7 to Come With a USB Type-C Port

Here’s another reason for Samsung fans to glory in as news of Samsung Galaxy S7’s USB Type C port gets confirmed. Instead of the standard microUSB port, the new Samsung smartphone will come equipped with the new-age port, which has recently become a popular choice for many smartphone manufacturers.

Type C ports have been in news for a while now, and for all the good reasons. One of the biggest advantages of these is that they allow reversible charging options, which means the cord can be plugged in either way. It also allows for faster charging as well as data transfer. The latter is more efficient than data transfer using USB 3.0.

Samsung has always had an edge over other tech giants in terms of fast charging, so this is one advantage of the Type-C port that is not the highlight of S7. But the reversible cable is definitely a nice touch. Let’s see how soon other companies, which haven’t opted for it already, make this switch to USB Type C.

Source

October 17, 2015
TRAI Makes it Mandatory for Telecom Companies to Compensate for Call Drops

There is someone out there who feels that people have suffered long enough from dropped calls. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) today made it mandatory for telecom companies to compensate consumers for call drops. Customers will now be compensated by 1 rupee for every call drop with a limit of three dropped calls a days.

This new ruling will be made effective from January 1, 2016. Telecom operators will have to send a message through SMS or USSD to its calling customer giving details of the amount credited in his/her account within four hours of a dropped call. The detail of the credit should be provided in the bill for post-paid customers.

TRAI said that this mandate will give some relief to consumers who have been troubled by call drops. At the same time, this new rule will cause service providers to improve their quality of service. TRAI also said that it will make sure service providers are compensating consumers properly and will undertake a review after six months.

Accroding to some reports, telecos are not at all pleased with this decision and are looking in to this matter with a possibility of taking TRAI to court. Individual service providers are complaining of serious financial hit with this move. “It will be a hefty payout and, in many cases, it is not technically feasible to monitor call drops.”

A final decision is expected to be taken in a day or two.

October 16, 2015
OnePlus X to Cost $249, Will Come With a 5-inch Display

OnePlus India recently posted a teaser about the OnePlus X, suggesting its launch on the 29th of this month. So far there were only speculations regarding the specs of the phone but now details have been confirmed by a listing on OppoMart.

The phone is called OnePlus X (aka OnePlus Mini), making the two names of the phone official. The confirmed specs include a 5-inch full HD screen and 1920×1080 pixels display. The chipset is Qualcomm Snapdragon 801, along with a 2.5 GHz processor.

On the camera front, the phone is equipped with a 13 MP rear camera and an 8 MP selfie camera. OnePlus X will have 3 GB RAM and 16 GB of internal storage as well. The phone is marked at a price of $249 which is about Rs. 16,000. The phone is also rumoured to feature Force Touch technology, something quite similar to the 3D Touch of iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.

Watch this space for more updates about the OnePlus X.

October 16, 2015