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Huawei’s Upcoming Nexus Might Come With a 5.7-inch Display

We bring you more rumours about the Huawei Nexus 6 (codename: Angler) just as it gets ready to launch alongside the LG Nexus 5X on the 29th of September 2015. New reports suggest that details about the Huawei Angler were spotted on a site called GFXBench.

Here is a picture of the leaked table :

According to this leaked image of the specifications the new handset could sport a 5.7 inch display with Quad HD resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels. The Angler is also expected to come with a Snapdragon 810, 3GB of RAM and up to 24GB of storage. Apart from all this it is also expected to run on the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow and could come with a 12MP rear camera with 2160p video. The selfie camera is expected to be at 8MP.

These specs honestly seem quite moderate. It’s not something Samsung or any other mainstream vendor cannot offer. The only way we can judge this smartphone is after the price is announced. Pre-orders are expected to begin two weeks after the unveiling. But, till then that’s all we’ve got.

Source: [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”https://gfxbench.com/device.jsp?benchmark=gfx31&D=Huawei+Angler&testgroup=info”]GFXBench[/tw-button]

September 16, 2015
Top 4 Ways to Get Your Apple Device Ready For iOS 9

Those of you who were up-to-date with the Apple event that took place last week will remember that the new iOS 9 update is scheduled for a September 16 release, which is today. The update is compatible for all current iPhones and iPads.

However, before you press that ‘Download and Install’ button, here are a few things you can do to prepare your phone for the update.

Check Compatibility

Before you get too excited, you should check whether you iPhone is compatible for an iOS 9 update. This is especially the case for those who are using really old Apple devices (we’re talking almost ancient). The new iOS 9 is compatible devices as old as the iPhone 4s, iPad 2, and 5th generation iPod touch, but will not work for the iPhone 4.

Free up some storage

The new iOS 9 comes as a huge relief for 16 GB users as it will take up only 1.3 GB of space compared to iOS 8’s massive 4.58 GB. We can almost here the cries of joy over this news. However, before you can enjoy all that extra free space chances are that you’ve already filled up your 16 GB device to the brim. Any update requires some free space, so now would be a good time to delete some of the really old apps that you no longer use. You can press and hold on an icon till it does its little jig and then tap the X on the upper left to delete it, or you can go to the Usage option in Settings to find out which app is taking the most space and delete it from there.

Back-up your data

There’s always that hint of fear when you go for a new update. Sometimes due to some bugs, your device may crash a lot like it did with iOS 8 in its initial months, or you may find that some of your data missing. Hence, we suggest you back-up your data using either iCloud or iTunes to be on the safe side.

If you’re backing up using iCloud simply go to Settings > iCloud > Storage & Backup and toggle iCloud Backup to ON and finally tap on Back Up Now.

If you wish to back up using iTunes simply open iTunes and go to File > Devices > Transfer Purchases and once that is done go to File > Devices > Back Up.

Clean up your media

The iOS 8 recently introduced the Apple Music in which you can stream unlimited music for a monthly subscription. Those who have subscribed to it most likely stream all their music freeing up a lot of space. However, those who still have a lot of music or videos saved to their devices should take some time out and delete the ones you no longer listen to or watch.

Once you’ve sufficiently freed up your space, you can go ahead and download the new iOS 9. Wait for your Settings app to show a little red circle on the top-right corner sometime today, and update away.

September 16, 2015
HTC One A9 Expected to Come with Android Marshmallow Out of the Box

Some new information on the planned HTC One A9 (Hima Aero) release has emerged. According to latest leaks by @evleaks, the mid-range smartphone is set to have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 chipset.

We had earlier mentioned about rumors about HTC’s ‘dual-flagship’ launch on the 29th of September, and had revealed rumored specs on both the HTC One A9 and the HTC Butterfly 3. New rumors on the HTC One A9 specs, however, seem to suggest that the smartphone will most likely battle the OnePlus 2 and Zenfone 2 rather than Samsung and Apple.

Earlier in the month some big specs were floating about suggesting that the HTC One A9 will feature a 5.5-inch QuadHD display, MediaTek Helio 10-core X20 processor, and 4GB of RAM. While some remain true as of today, new rumors suggest that the smartphone will now have a 5-inch FHD AMOLED display, and 2GB of RAM instead.

Other features leaked by Blass include 16GB of expandable storage, 13-megapixel camera (4 UltraPixel front), 2150mAh battery, a fingerprint sensor, and a metal design. It is also revealed by @LlabTooFer that the phone will run on Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS with custom UI Sense v7.0 out-of-the-box.

With the launch rumored to be pushed to November, we’ll have to wait and see if HTC can bounce back with its mid-range smartphone. Follow this space for more on the HTC event.

September 16, 2015
Relive the Force in the New Star Wars: Uprising Game

The Force is getting stronger as we approach December for the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. And we know just how unbearable the wait can be during the final months; there is a special kind of excitement to watch a Star Wars movie on the big screen in our time.

To keep the excitement going, Disney has released a ton of Star Wars: The Force Awakens merchandise. You can now play Star Wars: Uprising, a diablo-like mobile RPG that is set between the events of The Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. You’ll find many moments in the game where the story intersects with the main universe.

Players will return to Hoth to see what is left of the planet post-Return of the Jedi. Players will find a ravaged wasteland, that is filled with scavengers, Wampas, ruins of the Echo base an the Rebellion/Empire’s shattered vehicle (Star Wars fanatics will understand every bit of that). Playable characters include the Smuggler, Bounty Hunter, Rebel Guerrilla, Diplomat, Gambler. However, you won’t get to be Jedi and wield your own lightsaber. Sigh.

Yet there is plenty of action in this game for both fans and non-fans alike. The story will keep you engaged make you reminisce scenes from the original trilogy. While we’re not sure how much of The Force Awakens is in this game, it does provide some new details of the environment that well may be featured in the upcoming movie.

While the story has fun, humorous moments, the gameplay itself is quite repetitive, which is surely to bore players after a little while. Also, those who want the really cool skills and upgrades to do some serious galactic damage will have to buy them using Chromium (the currency in Uprising), which has to be purchased using real money.

Star Wars: Uprising is a game that works like many RPGs before. You won’t find much novelty in terms of gameplay, but for fans who could do with some wise-ass smugglers and droid-blasting, and yes, Jabba the Hutt, too, before the release of the The Force Awakens can pass some time with this game and relive the memories. To download the game, click here for Android and here for iOS.

September 16, 2015
Google Play Rolls Out New Gift Cards in India Starting at Rs.750

Here’s some interesting news for all you Google Play users. While, you already know that they had recently launched the Google Play prepaid vouchers in June, they’re now announcing the roll-out of physical gift cards in retails stores across the country.

Google Play is an pretty cool digital store where you can buy apps, games, e-books etc. The app is compatible with smartphones and other smart devices too. So, now the Google Play gift cards will help you purchase stuff on Google Play with much ease. They will be available at three different rates – Rs.750, Rs.1000 and Rs.1500, and can also be purchased via Snapdeal as COD shipments.

“We hope the increased availability of Google Play Gift Cards will make it easier for users to enjoy your favourite movies, books, magazines, apps, and games across all your devices” – says Saurabh Agarwal, Head of Retail Partnerships – Google Play, India

As mentioned above, these gift cards will also be available in retail stores such as – Spice Hotspot, Vijay Sales, Planet M, Planet Mobile and Sangeetha Mobiles.

If you avail of this new deal, let us know what you think of it.

September 16, 2015
Apple CEO Tim Cook Reveals His Favourite iPhone 6s Feature

Before the iPhone 6s launch, rumours and multiple leaks of the iPhone 6s had suggested that it would come with a massive battery, USB Type-C port and fast-charging tech. Unfortunately, we weren’t so lucky. The few new features Apple did announce were upgraded cameras, new Force Touch and an upgraded body.

Now, Apple CEO in a conversation with Buzzfeed News revealed his favourite new feature about the iPhone 6s – the 3D Touch. This feature is an ungraded version of Force Touch, which was introduced with the MacBook. Just like Force Touch, it also senses your action depending on the amount of pressure you apply on the iPhone screen. Adding to the multi-touch gestures like Tap, Swipe, Pinch, 3D Touch brings Peek and Pop. Tim Cook admitted that these features “save so much time.”

With Peek and Pop you can preview the content without opening it entirely. For example, If someone sends you a link to a website, you can Peek at it without leaving the screen you’re on. If you want to open the full page in Safari, press the link a little more deeply to Pop into it.

I personally think 3D Touch is a game changer, I find that my efficiency is way up with 3D touch, because I can go through so many emails so quickly. It really does cut out a number of navigational steps to get where you’re going.

In the same interview, Tim Cook revealed that, going forward, the company may decide to make stock iOS apps optional. Some of the apps we will be able delete are Tips, Podcasts, Compass, Stocks and iBooks. This would mean good news for people who have opted for the lower storage space iPhones.

Source : [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://www.buzzfeed.com/johnpaczkowski/twenty-minutes-with-tim-cook#.dxoNYbbmA”]Buzzfeed [/tw-button]

September 16, 2015
Like, Unlike and Now a Dislike Button For Facebook

Our favourite social networking site, Facebook is now expected to come out with a new ‘dislike’ button. Why? Well, you know all those sad posts about bad things happening to someone, or a world crisis that is so appalling and you can’t really do much to help, but you still have an opinion about it? This button is for that. So, now when your friend posts a status about losing a dear one, you don’t have to ‘like’ the status and later feel awkward that you didn’t feel the need to comment but yet wanted to express support, so you went ahead and ‘liked’ the fact that your friend just lost a loved one. These kind of situations can hopefully be avoided in the future.

The unique element about Facebook that seems to keep it running, is its ability to stay updated with all the current trends, and today the world seems to have moved on from merely ‘liking’ things or ignoring things that they’re not comfortable with. Today, if you don’t like something you’re expected to give an opinion about it, ignoring things is apparently cowardly, escapist and spineless etc. nowadays. So therefore, ‘dislike’ and let the world know.

However, Facebook’s reason for introducing the ‘dislike’ button is more constructive than merely voicing an opinion for the heck of it. This button is expected to help Facebook build their NewsFeed better. As of now the content for each person’s NewsFeed is basically constructed by an algorithm that takes into account many actions of the user, but is mostly guesswork. This algorithm can’t tell what exactly the user dislikes and does not want to see. So, the introduction of the ‘dislike’ button will now help Facebook to not only show us things we like, but will also make a conscious attempt to hide the things we dislike.

In conclusion, we would just like to say that you have nothing to worry about, Facebook should not become a hateful and sad place for people with complex issues. But yes, you may see a lot of Taylor Swift haters and Miley Cyrus lovers being more vocal as ever. So, if you’re not a celebrity you should be fine. No one is going to hate on your new Facebook display picture more than they already do. The solution: Take it all with a pinch of salt!

What do you think about your new right to dislike on social media?

September 16, 2015
Apple May Give Us an Option to Delete Built-in iPhone Apps

Starting the day off with some good news – the current Apple Inc. CEO, Tim Cook, in a conversation with Buzzfeed News commented that a few in-house Apple apps may become optional. He didn’t indicate exactly when we should expect this change, but agreed that he understood that a majority of users wanted out. His comments suggested that the company was working towards making a bloatware-free iPhone a reality.

However, Tim Cook also said that we won’t be able to do away with all of the apps. Some of more important stock iOS apps such as Mail, Messages or Safari are interlinked with other functions of the phone and removing them may affect the phone’s performance, if removed.

We’ll figure out a way [for you to remove them]. It’s not that we want to suck up your real estate, we’re not motivated to do that. We want you to be happy. So I recognize that some people want to do this, and it’s something we’re looking at. – Tim Cook

Some of the apps we will be able delete are Tips, Podcasts, Compass, Stocks and iBooks. This would mean good news for people who have opted for the lower storage space iPhones. Considering the amount a 128GB iPhone costs, this is an excellent development.

Source : [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://www.buzzfeed.com/johnpaczkowski/twenty-minutes-with-tim-cook#.dxoNYbbmA”]Buzzfeed [/tw-button]

September 16, 2015

Unboxing and Hands On With the Samsung Galaxy Note 5

Touted as one of Samsung’s high-end phones which could give the iPhone some competition, the Galaxy Note 5 was grandly launched last month in New York. Packed with an S-pen and other features, the price of this phablet had been announced in India at Rs.53,900.

The Note 5 runs on the Android OS, v5.1.1 (Lollipop) with an Exynos 7420 chipset, a Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 & Quad-core 2.1 GHz Cortex-A57 CPU and a Mali-T760MP8 GPU. As far as storage capacity is concerned, this handset comes in two variants – 32 and 64 GB along with 4GB of RAM. However, it does not have an expandable microSD card slot.

The phablet runs on the Android OS, v5.1.1 (Lollipop) with a Octa core (2.1GHz Quad + 1.5GHz Quad), 64 bit, 14 nm processor. It does not have an expandable microSD slot, but comes in two variants – 32GB and 64 GB, both with a 4 GB RAM. The S-Pen this time comes at the bottom of the phone with a spring system which makes accessing it a lot more fun.

In the photography section, the Note 5 comes with a 16 MP, 5312 x 2988 pixels, optical image stabilization, autofocus, LED flash primary camera and a 5MP front camera. Other connectivity features include, Wi-Fi 802.11, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, the Bluetooth v4.2, with GPS and NFC support.

The Galaxy Note 5 has some very interesting features that allow you to perform various tasks such as signing documents with the S-Pen on your PDF directly, instead of having to print it out.

The Galaxy Note 5 is powered by a Non-removable Li-Po 3,000mAh, fast charging, wireless charging compatible with WPC and PMA battery.

We as usual, bring to you the hands on and unboxing of this device, just as promised:

To give you a better idea, here are the complete specs:

Features	Samsung Galaxy Note 5
Display	5.7 inches
Resolution	1440 x 2560 pixels
Processor	Octa core (2.1GHz Quad + 1.5GHz Quad), 64 bit, 14 nm process
OS	Android OS, v5.1.1 (Lollipop)
RAM	4GB
Storage	32GB and 64 GB
Primary Camera	16 MP, 5312 x 2988 pixels, optical image stabilization, autofocus, LED flash
Front Camera	5MP
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, the Bluetooth v4.2, with GPS and NFC
Battery	Non-removable Li-Po 3,000mAh, fast charging, wireless charging compatible with WPC and PMA
Price	Rs.53,900

September 15, 2015

Huawei Nexus Passes GeekBench With Snapdragon 810 and 3 GB RAM

In an earlier post we had mentioned that Google is planning to launch two new Nexus phones on the 29th of September – LG Nexus 5X and Huawei Nexus. New leaks have been found ahead of the Google event that reveal a few key specs of the Huawei Nexus. The phone codenamed ‘Huawei Angler’ was found to have passed through the GeekBench benchmark software.

As the image shows, the Huawei Nexus will sport the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset, with 3 GB of RAM, and will run on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The new OS will debut along with the Nexus smartphones on the 29th.

Other rumours that have surfaced on the Huawei Nexus in the past suggest that the phone will either have a 5.5 or 5.7 inch screen, with either 1080p or QHD display. The phone is also rumoured to have a USB Type-C port and a fingerprint scanner. We’ll have to wait for the 29th to see how many of these rumors are true. Follow this space for more on the Google event.

September 15, 2015
Shipping of iPhone 6s Plus Likely To Be Delayed

Apple’s new iPhones – iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus – were revealed last week. Pre-orders for the new models have already begun in the United States and other regions. However, due to some technical issues the shipping of the iPhone 6s Plus is likely to be delayed by 3-4 weeks.

Reports suggest that the delay is due to issues with the backlight hardware of iPhone 6s Plus. Japanese supplier Minebea, which produces the backlight for the iPhone 6s Plus, is having issues related to supply. According to a note by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo to investors, Apple will hand over the order of the backlight to its other suppliers, Radiant, which will see orders upto 4-5 million units in September.

“To accelerate availability, we believe Apple has been transferring substantial 6s Plus backlight module orders to Radiant. As such, we estimate the company’s iPhone 6s Plus backlight module orders to increase by 70-80 percent to 4-5mn units in September, boosting its order allocation from 35-45 percent to 70-80 percent,”

Apple is looking to top the pre-orders of last year’s first-weekend record that sold over 10 million iPhone units. Apple is expected to have 1.5-2 million iPhone 6s Plus units ready to be shipped on 25 September, according to Kuo’s note.

September 15, 2015
Students Send GoPro to Space, Find It Two Years Later

What happens if you send something up in a weather balloon and instead of it coming back down like you expect it to, it gets lost somewhere in a desert 80 kilometers away from you?

This is exactly what happened to a group of Arizona-based students who wanted to see what their GoPro camera could capture when attached to a weather balloon and sent it high up to the edge of space. No doubt their intention was on seeing something spectacular when the camera returned back.

The preparation for it was all planned well as the video below shows. The team spent months testing parachutes, calculating wind trajectories, custom 3D printing their GoPro case, and a spacecraft. The launch took place in June of 2013 on a clear day. They released the balloon which slowly went up capturing the Grand Canyon from afar. It went to an altitude of 30 kilometres and an hour and a half later, the balloon exploded leaving the camera to plummet down to the ground.

Till here everything went according to plan, however, the package’s return to earth didn’t go down as smoothly. Due to GPS and data coverage difficulties, the package could not be tracked after it had landed.

“We planned our June 2013 launch at a specific time and place such that the phone was projected to land in an area with cell coverage. The problem was that the coverage map we were relying on (looking at you, AT&T) was not accurate, so the phone never got signal as it came back to Earth, and we never heard from it….

The phone landed ~50 miles [80 km] away from the launch point, from what I recall. It’s a really far distance considering there’s hardly any roads over there!”

The device was found two years later by an employee of AT&T who was hiking in the desert. She identified the SIM card and returned the camera to its owners. The package had landed approximately 80 kilometers away from the launch site.

The whole affair may not have gone as planned, but the video shows some amazing footage on its way up, and a really cool slow motion capture of the balloon exploding into tiny bits.

September 15, 2015
App of the Week: Pintasking

Move over, Apple, Android has arrived with its own multitasking app called Pintasking, that creates bubble shortcuts on the homescreen allowing users to switch between favorite apps and webpages, quicker. The app was launched last month and has since seen positive reviews.

Pintasking uses Facebook Messenger-like bubbles which will stay in the corner of your screen or anywhere else according to your preference. You can pin apps and documents of your choice and switch between them with ease. You can even pin an app by pulling down the notification drawer and tapping on the “Tap to Pin” option. Once you choose the apps and websites you want pinned to your homescreen, the bubbles will appear on the right edge which you can reposition to your choice.

Basically, the app works like a Windows taskbar that allows you to quickly access those applications that you use most often. You can have apps like Google Hangouts and Android Messenger pinned right there for you to switch back and forth. Another way to pin apps is by tapping and holding the Home button and dragging it up (an action that usually launches Google Now). You then open the setting of Pintasking and customize your pins. Once you’ve set it up, you can switch between two or more apps by pulling up the Home button. It works kind of like the Alt-Tab on Windows.

While the free version allows for only two pins and limits the way you want them to appear on your screen, it’s still enough for you to check out whether the app is worth your time and money in case you wish to go for the full features. Though Android already has a fast app switcher, we think this app adds an extra bit of speed which is always welcomed for smartphone users. You can download the app here and let us know whether it eases the way you use your phone or not. The app works on Android 4.1 and above.

September 15, 2015
Moto X Style to Come to India Soon

We saw the arrival of the awesome Moto X Play that was unveiled yesterday, and now it’s time for more good news. Our readers had asked us when the Style is going to hit Indian markets and we now have an answer.

The Moto X Style is set to test Indian markets by the second week of October, as per reliable sources. No more details about the device have been revealed but if rumours are to be believed, the Style will definitely fit in the same price bracket as the OnePlus 2.

October is just two weeks away so we won’t have to wait long for yet another Motorola phenomena that should hopefully see success, like its counterparts.

Stay tuned for more updates and information about the Moto X Play and Style.

September 15, 2015
This Camera That Has a Mind of its Own

Have you ever felt that the pictures you take of popular places around you have been photographed to no end? You go to a beautiful location and you’re ready to take pictures to upload on Instagram and Pinterest, but you look around and find everyone else doing the same thing – taking pictures from generic positions and angles.

Well, what if we told you that there is a camera that pushes you to take new and innovative pictures of popular locations and won’t let you click them from angles that are too common? This is exactly what a German designer Philipp Schmitt has developed. Schmitt has created a concept camera called, Camera Restricta, that stops you from taking pictures from frequently snapped locations.

The camera uses geotagging to find pictures on the internet that are posted too many times from that particular location and will make a clicking sound and the lens will retract back into the body. Yes, the camera will disobey you if it has to. Unless you find a place from where you can take a picture that is new and different, the camera will refuse to listen to you.

Schmitt stated in his website that geotagging is mainly used as an indicator to determine whether the photo lacks originality. He says that “the camera scans an area of roughly 35×35 meters around its exact location for geotagged photos. Cities and especially tourist sights are so thoroughly photographed that it often finds dozens or even thousands of photos.”

Would you buy a camera that only lets you take new and original photographs? The camera is an open-source software and can be found here.

September 15, 2015