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Panasonic Adds Two 4K TVs To Its Viera HD TV Range

Panasonic has added 5 models to its Viera HD TV range today. There are two new series, namely, the CX700 series of 4K Ultra high-definition 3D TVs and the XXL series. The former will be come in two display sizes, 55, and 60-inch sizes, respectively while, the later will also come in two variants, a 50 and 60-inch wide screen.

“4K technology is the most advanced for Ultra HD TV, delivering sharper and more vivid images than ever before” says Neeraj Bahl, Associate Director, AVD Sales, Panasonic India.

The CX700 series is supported by various apps and devices that run on the internal quad-core processor. The display features an LED Super Bright Plus screen that portrays images illustrated by Panasonic’s HEXA Chroma colour drive. It also has an 800Hz intelligent frame creation feature to capture fast-motion shots clearly.

On the other hand, the XXL full HD range, caters to a person to has a sharp ear for sound, by offering a Dolby Digital Audio with an LED screen that also supports an internal multimedia player across HDMI, USB and PC inputs.

The two new series come with screen mirroring technology, that enables it to connect between Android devices. It can also be controlled by a wireless remote app and through voice interaction technology, along with a light-sensitive LED backlight.

They are both powered by the Firefox operating system and has predictive content preference features such as Home Screen 2.0 and Info Frame. Last but not the least, you can stream web music on it, as well as video and live broadcasts, as it offers a compatibility with apps such as YouTube and Vimeo.

The availability and the price of these products are currently unavailable. However, we will bring you the updates soon enough.

October 1, 2015
Spec Leaks Hint at 6GB RAM, 23MP Camera in Next Generation LeTV Max 2

Barely six months after the release of LeTV One series smartphones, leaks about LeTV Max 2 are already doing the rounds. The first set of three smartphones were a big success in the Chinese market and anticipation about their successor is only a natural reaction. Additionally, since Max 2 is a top-end model, some pretty amazing specs are expected of it.The device is expected to come equipped with Snapdragon 820 and 6 GB RAM. Needless to say, the latter is the highlight of the phone. In terms of display and resolution, Max 2 will probably have a 5.7-inch screen and 2K Quad HD.

While the Samsung 1.5Gb x 4 RAM modules (total 6GB RAM) are assumed to be part of it, Sony’s new IMX300 sensor with 23 MP is another specification we can hope to find in the device. Double sided glass design set in a slim body is what you can expect in terms of external design. Speculations about its release date place it somewhere around the end of this year.

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September 30, 2015
Logitech’s G410 Mechanical Keyboard is a Gamer’s Delight

Logitech has come out with a new gaming keyboard, the G410 Atlas Spectrum. Logitech says that fans have been asking for a smaller keyboard that did away with keys that were of no use to gaming whatsoever. So the company did just that with the G410, which has a tenkeyless design (i.e no number pad or macro keys).

The tenkeyless keyboard makes the G410 small and light enough to carry around in your bag. The smaller board also makes it easier to identify keys for gaming and allows for a smoother, easier gameplay.

The keyboard is built around the custom-designed Romer-G mechanical switches. This means the keys have a shallow actuation point (1.5 mm of travel) and is designed to have a softer click as well. The company also says that the Romer-G switches register key presses up to 25 percent faster than its competitors.

Users who still prefer the old-school way of having a mechanical keyboard and who enjoy the loud clicks may find softer voice of the G410 a little too subtle. However, newcomers are sure to love the smaller, lighter board and the RGB (Red-Green-Blue) LED keys that light up the board beautifully when your fingers press on a key.

Typing on the G410 will surely bring back your early PC memories. It has everything a gamer could want, and everything else for everyday use. The G410 is easy to type accurately on, with keys that are easy to find by touch and can be pressed with very little force. However, those who prefer the hard clicking sound of the Logitech G310 will perhaps want to stick with the older keyboard.

Companies like Alienware and Razer have already used multi-colours inside their keyboards, but Logitech cleverly uses those lights to bring a sense of joy in typing, gaming, or simply looking at it. See the keyboard light up in the video below.

The Logitech G410 goes on sale in October at a price of $129.99 in the United States and €149 in Europe. No details yet as to when it will reach India. The G310 Atlas Dawn, however, is available in India on Amazon for Rs. 7,291.

September 30, 2015
Apple OS X El Capitan Available Today as a Free Update

Apple announced today that the latest update to its desktop operating system will be available for free for all Mac users. Apple claims to make features like Windows Management, built-in apps and Spotlight search part of its OS X EI. Performance improvements, to make everyday activities like launching and switching apps, opening PDFs and accessing email, will also be made part of it.

These added features are expected to make the Apple experience more refined and provide better system performance. Apple promises dozens of new features with this one, but we’ll have to wait before the company can deliver them smoothly and successfully. Its hands have been a little more than full with App Store glitches, crashing iOS updates and malware attacks in the recent past. Let’s see if Apple manages to steer clear of them and prove why it has been an undisputed name in the tech world for so long now.

OS X El Capitan is available as a free update starting Wednesday, 30th September from the Mac App Store. It supports all Macs introduced in 2009 and later, and some models introduced in 2007 and 2008.

September 30, 2015
Xiaomi Under Investigation For Allegedly Misleading Potential Buyers

New reports have suggested, that Chinese smartphone manufacturer, Xiaomi Corp is under investigation for allegedly violating China’s new advertisement law. This new law, that became effective from the 1st of September, 2015, states that the use of superlative adjectives in promoting products would be banned.

Investigation of the matter is being made on suspicion of the usage of phrases such as “the best” to describe their product. Zhu Dalin, an analyst at the Beijing based Internet Consultancy Analyses told the Economic Times :

“The new law will have a certain impact on Internet companies, but not too much-after all, consumers are so accustomed to cliches such as ‘the super phone’ and ‘the omnipotent TV’ that these phrases make no real sense to them now.”

Allegedly, Xiaomi has also been in a similar situation earlier, when it had launched the Red Mi Note 2, where it showed the device to be equipped with panels from Japanese electronics giant Sharp Corp and the Taiwan manufacturer AU Optronics Corp. Soon, after buying the product, consumers found that the screens were actually produced from a Microelectronics Co Ltd based in Guangdong province.

This kind of an allegation is probably going to cost the manufacturer its reputation. However, no official reports have been made by the company so far.

September 30, 2015
This is How Much it Costs to Build the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus

Research firm IHS Technology says Apple’s iPhone 6s and 6s Plus costs $211.50 and $236, respectively, in terms of hardware. The most costly feature of the new iPhones is the 3D Touch which is marked at $52.50. This is followed by the A9 processor at $22. The 16 GB NAND flash chip is believed to cost $5.50 approximately, and WLAN module and battery are estimated around $6 and $4.50.

The on board audio hardware, NFC controller, accelerometer/gyroscope, barometer and compass come in together at $18. Other miscellaneous items that include enclosures, circuit boards and connectors roughly add up to $42, along with assembly fees of $4.50 per device.

Now that you have all the required info, why wait till the 16th of October for the launch of the new iPhones? Tinker away and put your own device together. Who knows where a little bit of ambition and optimism might take you?

September 30, 2015
Twitter is Moving Beyond the Trademark 140 Character Limit

Twitter is finally moving past the 140-character limit that has long been the company’s trademark. Twitter recently announced that it is working on a product that will allow users to share long tweets that exceed 140 characters.

Over the past few months, the company has been loosening its 140-character rule. In April, Twitter added a ‘retweet with comment’ option to give more room to comment on tweets they share. The company also did away with the 140-character rule back in June.

As of now it is unclear what this new product will look like or how it will work. There are existing apps such as OneShot that allows you to post images of texts, or TwitLonger, which directs users to a website to read a full tweet. But it looks like Twitter is working on one that will solve the problem within the app itself.

Twitter is also looking at ways to remove links and user handles from the count so that frees up more characters.

In addition to the long-form product, execs have been openly discussing the idea of tweaking how Twitter measures its 140-character limit by removing things like links and user handles from the count, multiple sources say. In the past, Twitter has tinkered with the limit in other ways. Twitter Cards are still beholden to the 140-character limit but are intended to help people (and advertisers) share lots of information, and Twitter added a “retweet with comment” option in April to give people more room to comment on tweets they share.

Users have, for a long time, criticized Twitter on character restriction. And for many years Twitter has paid no heed to the hate, but it finally looks like the company is ready to make some sacrifices for the greater good.

September 30, 2015
BlackBerry Releases First Official Images of the Priv

BlackBerry has released official images of what the upcoming Priv smartphone looks like. It seems companies have grown tired of unofficial leaks and have decided to provide the details themselves knowing that images and specs are destined to come out weeks before a launch.

On Tuesday, BlackBerry revealed the first official photos of the security-focused Android device, the Priv. “Priv users will enjoy choice, innovation, security, privacy and productivity. In other words, no compromises,” BlackBerry said in its blog post along with the images. The photo below shows the device’s slide-out keyboard feature and also a curved display that is reminiscent of Samsung’s Galaxy S6 Edge.

Along with this, BlackBerry has revealed two other photos that show a side profile of the Priv, both open and closed.

The side profile shows a slender device that has managed to stay that way despite having a traditional slider feature.

The company has not revealed the prices or a specific release date, however, it is likely that the Priv will come out towards the end of the year. The company also said that more images, specs and features will be known in the coming weeks. From what we know already, the Priv will have a 5.5-inch curved display and is rumoured to come with an 18-megapixel camera, a hexa-core 1.8GHz Snapdragon 808 processor and 3GB of RAM. However, you can expect official details soon enough.

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September 30, 2015
HTC Reveals List of Devices to Receive Android Marshmallow

A new report suggests that HTC is all set to give their smartphones an update to the new Android Marshmallow 6.0. Obviously, this update will not be available to all their smartphones, but a select few which include the HTC One M9 and HTC One M8 before the end of this year.

We’re roasting marshmallows this fall! We’ll begin our Android 6.0 rollout to devices before the end of the year. pic.twitter.com/Zd59NaqTjx

— HTC USA (@HTCUSA) September 29, 2015

The list is however longer than this, since it also includes – the One M9+, One E9+, One E9, One ME, One E8, One M8 Eye and the HTC Butterfly 3.

All the above phones are HTC’s high-end phones, but it has also been said that HTC’s mid-ranged Desire 826, Desire 820, and Desire 816 will also be updated in the future. No dates have been confirmed for this update, but what we also know is that HTC will be adding more devices to this list. So sit tight and hope that one of them is yours.

September 30, 2015
Here’s Why SnapChat’s Profile GIF Changes Interaction

Snapchat seems to be changing its display, format and along with it, the way its users interact with each other. Snapchat originally became very popular amongst the younger generation because of the fact that it erased memories in 10 seconds and kept their live statuses for just 24 hours. So, unlike Facebook, where someone can look through your past and bring up an embarrassing status or profile picture, Snapchat erases it all.

However, there is one thing on Snapchat that does not self-destruct, and that is the profile GIF. The profile GIF was added in July along with the tap-to-view feature. So, now, on your profile screen, if you tap on the QR code you will be able to shoot a series of 5 selfies which turns into an animated profile GIF.

Initially this seemed like just a cool customization which encouraged people to share it more and thereby strengthening Snapchat’s user base. However, there is another purpose for this customization, and that is, it somehow solves Snapchat’s identification problem. Basically, previously, when you added someone on Snapchat, you knew nothing about them except for their username. The anonymous character of this app made it very popular with the youngsters.

However, now, when you add someone, their profile GIF shows. So, you can immediately identify the person’s gender, and perhaps even their sense of humour. So, you won’t have to follow a person, then check out their Snap Story and then unfollow them, if you’re not interested.

This is very useful for Snapchatters who make their profiles public, because they can efficiently decide whom to follow back. The profile GIF definitely seems to be providing more transparency to one’s identity, thereby allowing you to be more aware of whom you add and follow.

Oh well, in this fast-paced world where social interactions and networking seem to play an important

role, it is necessary for social media to catch up too. And that’s exactly what Snapchat is doing.

September 30, 2015
How and Why You Should Disable Autoplay on Facebook

Facebook’s newest change has been the addition of the autoplay feature in its videos. One day you’re happily scrolling down your homepage, and suddenly you hear a cat meowing in the background. Yes, the video has begun to play simply because you happened to stumble across it on your homepage. No, you did not give the command for it to start meowing.

Other than causing the annoyance of unnecessary cat-noises, this new feature is also a big toll on your internet data, not to mention taking away your right to completely ignore other people’s videos on your homepage.

So here’s a quick look at how you can disable autoplay:

iPhone:

Go to your settings, scroll down until you find Facebook and then select Settings again. Once there you could choose either ‘Wi-Fi Only’ or switch it off entirely.

Android:

You will find the autoplay settings in your Android app. Choose the Menu button followed by Settings and therein lies your answer.

Desktop:

Click the arrow in the upper-right corner of your Facebook profile and choose Settings. There will be Videos on the bottom left of your screen now. Click on it, which will take you to the autoplay settings and from there you can switch it off.

September 30, 2015
Customer Match by Google Will Target Ads Using Your Email Address

Google is letting advertisers in on your email address so that they can get you exactly what you’re looking for. And yes, this is a new feature by Google. The company is rolling out a new tool called Customer Match, which allows advertisers to use a list of email addresses to target specific users across Google. So now you can be tracked online by your Gmail address.

When you buy a smartphone, for example, from an online retailer and provide your email address, the retailer will feed your email id along with your recent purchase to the Google server. So the next time you’re surfing the net while logged in to your Gmail account, Google will be able to send you a whole bunch of ads related to you recent smartphone purchases such as phone covers, earphones, and other accessories.

“Let’s say you’re a travel brand. You can now reach people who have joined your rewards program as they plan their next trip. For example, when these rewards members search for “non-stop flights to new york, on Google.com, you can show relevant ads at the top of their search results on any device right when they’re looking to fly to New York. And when those members are watching their favorite videos on YouTube or catching up on Gmail, you can show ads that inspire them to plan their next trip.” Sridhar Ramaswamy, Google’s ads and commerce veep explained in a blog.

Google is perhaps trying to catch up with Facebook and Twitter who also use your respective email addresses to provide targeted ads within their site. Google calls Customer Match a “privacy-safe” product, but it is still a matter of concern for users who feel that advertisers are getting even more specific with their ad targeting, which calls into question just how much ‘they’ know about you. .

Google, however, has stated that companies will not be able to create personalized profiles of individuals and the tool mainly allows them to compile a list of the user’s habits on YouTube, Google search, and other Google related services. Customer Match will be available to advertise in the coming weeks and you can soon expect to see more specific advertisements pop up in your Gmail account, YouTube, and Google search.

September 30, 2015
Doctor Who Adds Headphones to Their Tech Merchandise

Massive Audio Inc announced their new set of ‘Doctor Who’ Headphone Collection today, under license from BBC Worldwide North America. The company had previously released other products such as the TARDIS and Dalek Bluetooth speakers for Doctor Who fans too. So, this new collection of TARDIS and DW insignia Bluetooth and Wired Over-Ear Headphones will add to their line of tech merchandise.

These Bluetooth Headphones have built-in buttons for full control over tracks, volume, phone calls and a bass boost option. The device also has a built-in microphone for phone calls without the need of a boom. Apart from these savvy buttons, the headphones also have a rechargeable battery which can be charged via the USC cable and will last for up to 30 hours with constant music.

The wired headphones are slightly different, since they come with an inline control box. However, they come with the same features and microphone. The packaging comes in a cool Doctor Who branded carry bag along with flat tangle-free wire packed in a collector’s-style windowed gift box.

The TARDIS & DW Bluetooth Headphones will come at a price of approximately Rs.7,889 while the TARDIS & DW Wired Headphones will be priced at around Rs.5,194. Both products will be released on the 1st of October 2015 and will be available for sale online an in retail stores starting early October.

September 30, 2015
Exclusive : India Pricing of the Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X Revealed

Last night Google threw the curtain off its new smartphones – the LG Nexus 5X ad the Huawei Nexus 6P.

Although we had all the information, thanks to previous leaks, the company officially confirmed that the Nexus 6P features a 5.7-inch QHD touchscreen, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 chipset, with 3 GB RAM, and a USB Type-C port. The camera sports a 12.3MP sensor at the rear and a rather impressive 8MP on the front.

The Nexus 5X on the other hand, comes with a 5.2-inch FHD display, USB Type-C and is available in three colours – Carbon Black, Sports White and Ice Blue. Pre-orders for the smartphones began last night in US, UK, Ireland, Canada, and Japan.

We now have information that the smartphone will go up for preorder in India in the 3rd week of October.

The 16GB Variant of the LG Nexus 5X will be priced at Rs. 31,900, and the 32GB variant will be priced at Rs. 35,900. Meanwhile the Huawei Nexus 6P (32GB) will cost Rs. 39,999, the 64GB variant will cost Rs. 42,999 and the 128GB will cost Rs. 47,999.

We also have information that the company will be bringing in a range of covers to India, along with the handsets, priced at Rs. 2,800.

We did an article earlier giving detailed specs of the new Google smartphones. Check it out here. Stay tuned; we’ll be bring you the hands on review of the two devices, shortly.

September 30, 2015
A Chromecast Upgrade, a New App and Much More

Google has announced a bunch of new devices at it’s event tonight, from the Nexus 6P to the Android Marshmallow. Among these, they have also announced a new Chromecast and another Chromecast Audio along with a Chromecast App.

So let’s have a look at all of them one by one.

The Chromecast: has been one of Google’s most successful ventures and it has decided to bring in a second option, an upgrade. The new Chromecast comes in a circular shape instead of a dongle shape. It also comes with an HDMI cable and various colours such as – lemonade, coral and black.

The new device comes with a new adaptive antenna system which allows it to stream higher resolution videos and can also support up to 5GHz Wi-Fi now. As mentioned earlier, there were speculations that it might come with a ‘fast play’ feature – well it does. This feature gives it the ability to establish a connection with the TV set much faster than the original version.

Google has also announced that you will now be able to use Spotify on your TV and Google Photos too. The Chromecast will go on sale starting today in 17 countries on Google Store, Best Buy or Wal-Mart. Obviously, you’ll get the best deal on Google Store.

The Chromecast Audio : is an extension that Google has created, for a higher audio experience. It looks almost like the new Chromecast except with a 3.5mm audio port instead of an HDMI. This audio port will conveniently plug directly into the back of your speaker, allowing you to stream audio over Wi-Fi from all your existing apps.

The Chromecast Audio will also support and cast music from Spotify, Play Music or Pandora and is expected to come with a multi-room audio streaming soon.

The Chromecast App: This app is pronounced as being “completely redesigned”. How? Well firstly, it shows you the popular activities on their ‘partner’ apps like – Twitch, ESPN, YouTube, Hulu, Netflix. Then, it also shows you content from apps you have installed on your smartphone. The company also announced that most of the apps would be cast-enabled, along with this, they’ve also added some playback controls on the app which should make accessing it much easier. You can also use voice search to access things within the Chromecast app and is universal across all services. The ‘Fast Play’ feature will allow you to pre-fetch video streams on the Chromecast app.

As if this wasn’t enough, the new app can also guess what you might want to watch as soon as you open an app, and will start caching the stream in the background. How cool is that? Oh, and did we mention that the app also supports Netflix (for those of you who have access to it). However, they have mentioned that some of the content prediction features will roll out next year. The new app will be rolling out on the Android and iOS devices soon.

September 30, 2015