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Facebook Jumps into Live Streaming

Seems like the live streaming hype is taking over all social media networks. We already have Meerkat, Periscope and now the biggest social media network, Facebook, has dived right into the mania.

Although it isn’t available to use for public just yet, celebrities through the app ‘Mentions‘ can live stream bits and pieces of their life. The feature will show up on your NewsFeed if a celebrity you follow is shooting a live stream, you can also get notifications about broadcasts if you have recently commented, liked or shared any celebrity’s post. Apart from watching the stream, this feature also allows you to comment, like or share the video while viewing it.

On the other hand, for the celebrities who would like to start live streaming, can just tap the Post button inside the Mentions app and then select Live Video, after which they can add a description for the video and click on Go Live.

The app, will also feature an option to toggle between their smartphone’s front and rear cameras, so that they can see how many viewers have tuned in and can monitor comments. The video will be saved to their Facebook pages after the stream.

Facebook director of platform Deborah Liu, at a keynote this year, pointed out that users on Facebook, watch over 3 billion videos daily, while celebrities with verified accounts use Facebook Mentions, and therefore justified the launch of this new Live Stream feature on Facebook.

Some of the celebrities who are helping promote the app are, Dwayne Johnson, Serena Williams, Michael Bubble and Martha Stewart.

Do you think the app will go viral, despite the existence of similar apps such as Meerkat and Periscope? Let us know.

August 6, 2015
Sony Confirms Jumanji Remake Set to Release Next Christmas

Most of us have watched the Robin Williams starring blockbuster move, Jumanji, released in 1995. The film is an adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg’s children’s book by the same name. Recent reports suggest, that Jumanji is ready for a reboot, with Sony Pictures releasing a date for the film – 25th of December 2016.

It is rumoured that Zack Helm – writer/director of Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, was brought in to write the script, however there are no further details on who will actually direct or star in the film.

Here is a little information on the original Jumanji that was released in December 1995: it was directed by Joe Johnston, Robin Williams played the adult version of a boy who was sucked into the game years earlier and re-emerged in a present day (1995) neighbourhood when two children freed him from the game, and along with him, all the adventures hidden in the game.

The cast also includes, Bonnie Hunt, Kirsten Dunst, Bradley Pierce, David Alan Grier, Jonathan Hyde (in two roles) and Bebe Neuwirth. The movie then, had special effects, that were impressive for its time. However, it is yet to be seen, how the present day technology and special effects can enhance the Jumanji experience.

Are you sceptical about the reboot of a classic? Let us know in the comments below.

August 6, 2015

Lenovo K3 Note Goes on Open Sale on 10th August

Lenovo announces its ‘Independence Day special open sale’ today, for the K3 Note. Both versions of the device, that is, black and white, will be on sale on Flipkart on the 10th of August 2015. The company reported its sales at 62,000 units, for the K3 Note during the fifth flash sale on Flipkart today. It has been reported, that the K3 Note had received over 2 million registrations during the first five weeks of its sale and over 2 lakh devices have been sold since.

Priced at Rs. 9,999, the K3 Note competes against the likes of budget contenders – Yu Yuphoria and Xiaomi Redmi Note. This smartphone is exclusively sold on Flipkart.

The specifications for the phone are reminiscent of the Xiaomi Mi4i, which is currently in demand and has a dedicated fan base. Like Mi4i, the K3 Note boasts a 5.5-inch full HD display. In addition to that, the K3 Note costs less than the Mi4i.

The K3 Note runs on 1.7GHz MediaTek MT6752 octa-core 64-bit processor with 2GB of RAM. The phone has an internal storage capacity of 16GB which can be expanded upto 32 GB through MicroSD card. The device runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop which has been combined with Lenovo’s Vibe UI.

As far as connectivity is concerned, the phone has Dual SIM card slots and supports both LTE bands in India. The phone sports a 3,000 mAh battery, which is replaceable. The K3 Note sports a 13 MP rear camera with Dual LED flash and a 5 MP front camera.

If you are looking to buy the K3 Note, here are the specs:

Specs	Lenovo K3 Note
Display	5.5 inches IPS capacitive touchscreen (1080 x 1920 pixels)
Processor	1.7GHz MediaTek MT6752 octa-core 64-bit processor
RAM	2 GB
Storage	16 GB
Expandable Upto	32 GB
Main Camera	13 MP
Front Camera	5 MP
Battery	3,000 mAh
Operating System	Android Lollipop 5.0 out-of-the-box, wrapped under Lenovo Vibe 2.5 UI
Price	Rs. 9,999

August 6, 2015

Xiaomi Expected To Create Their Own Processors By 2016

Apple, Samsung, Huawei and other companies, already use processors that have been developed by their own company. Now, Xiaomi would also like to follow suit. As of now it uses either Qualcomm or MediaTek in its devices, apart from the Xiaomi Redmi 2A, however, reports suggest that it might be gearing up towards creating its own mobile processors and even launch it in 2016.

Reports also suggest that this new processor would only be used for the low-end Redmi series, and that the Xiaomi Mi 5 is expected to sport a Qualcomm chipset. It is said that Xiaomi has recently hired Qualcomm China Head Wang Xiang, although the company itself has not confirmed anything officially.

Currently, Xiaomi is scheduled to host an event on the 13th of August 2015, where the company will unveil the MIUI 7, and is expected to reveal the Xiaomi Mi 5 as well. The event is to take place at the China National Convention Centre.

Source : [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://www.cnbeta.com/articles/417417.htm”]CN Beta[/tw-button]

August 6, 2015

Meizu Brings Out the M2 Note in India

Meizu, a Chinese company, began its smartphone venture with the Meizu M8 is 2008 and back in June 2015 revealed its M2 Note in China. As of today, they have announced the phablet in India, and have priced it at Rs. 9,999. The M2 Note is said to go on sale exclusively on Amazon.in, starting on August 10th, 2015.

This device comes with a 5.5 inch full HD display with 1920 X 1080 pixels resolution, powered by the MediaTek MT6753 octa-core 64-bit processor and 2GB RAM. Other features include a 16GB internal storage with an extendable microSD card slot, a 13MP f/2.2 primary camera with a dual – tone flash and a 5MP wide-angle selfie camera and supported by a 3,100mAh battery.

The connectivity options include dual-SIM card slots, 4G LTE support, Wi-Fi dual-band 802.11 n/g/b/a, and Bluetooth 4.0. The device runs on the Android 5.1 Lollipop-based Flyme 4.5 OS.

Following are the specifications:

Features	Meizu M5 Note
Display	5.5-inch 1080p
processor	MediaTek MT6753 octa-core
RAM	2GB
Storage	16GB (expandable)
Rear Camera	13-megapixel
Front Camera	5 megapixel
Battery	3,100mAh
OS	Android 5.1 Lollipop-based Flyme 4.5
Connectivity	Dual-SIM, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Price	Rs. 9,999

At this price, the Meizu M2 could face tough competition from Yu Yureka Plus and the Lenovo K3 Note. What do you think?

August 5, 2015

Specifications of the Galaxy Note 5 and S6 Edge Plus Revealed

Samsung has been gearing up to reveal its flagships for 2015; the rumour mill has been abuzz with details of the new phones. There have been several images leaked of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus and today, the spec sheet for both phones have been leaked.

Speculated specifications for the Galaxy Note 5:

Display	5.7-inch Quad H, 2560 X 1440 pixels resolution
Processor	Samsung Exynos 7420 octa-core SoC
Storage	32GB of internal storage
RAM	4GB
Rear Camera	16MP OIS
Front Camera	5 MP
OS	Android 5.1.1 Lollipop with TouchWiz UI

According to leaks the Galaxy Note 5 will feature a 5.7 inch diplay with a 2560 X 1440 pixels resolution with a pixel density of 515 ppi. The phone is said to be powered by the Exynos 7420 Soc, also found in the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. Other features include a 4GB LPDDR4 RAM, a Mali-T760 GPU and 32GB of internal storage, a 16 MP primary camera and a 5MP front-facing camera, all supported by the Android 5.1.1 version.

The Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, on the other hand, is said to be similar to the Note 5 with a smaller display of 5.5 inches and a 2K resolution with 534 ppi. It is said to be powered by the Exynos 7420 chipset along with a 4GB of RAM space, Mali – T760 GPU, 16MP and 5MP cameras.

If leaked AnTuTu scores are to be believed, then it is said, both the devices will manage to increase and outperform current Samsung performance. The Note 5 is said to have a score of 69,702 and the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus has a 68,345.

Samsung has not verified any of the rumours, so we might have to wait till the August 13th unveiling to confirm all of it.

Source: [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://www.antutu.com/view.shtml?id=8104″]Antutu.com[/tw-button] via [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_note_5_and_galaxy_s6_edge_full_specs_sheets_get_revealed-news-13386.php”]gsmarena.com[/tw-button]

August 5, 2015

LG’s New Flip Phone Comes With Android Lollipop and 4G Connectivity

We mentioned earlier that LG may come out with a smartphone that caters to that sect of customers that still appreciate the good old flip phones. Well, now it’s official. LG has launched a flip phone called the Wine Smart that will cater to a global audience.

“Our goal with LG Wine Smart was to create a smartphone that fans of flip phones could embrace. Consumers shouldn’t have to miss out on the smartphone revolution because they prefer a particular phone design over another. With LG Wine Smart, they won’t have to.”

This phone will not just release in its home market, South Korea, but also in select nations like France, Italy, Poland, Spain and Japan, followed by other regions. The pricing and availability of this phone is yet to be announced by the company and will be done at the time of launch.

LG Wine Smart has the same features as the LG Gentle as shown in the picture above

The Wine Smart is a sort of upgrade to the previous LG Gentle and it is also better compared to the phone that the Korean company released last year, under the same name. The company stated:

“Thanks to the positive response to the original Wine Smart introduced in Korea last year, LG optimised the latest model with more advanced multimedia features to make the transition from feature phone to smartphone as seamless as possible.”

Specifications wise, the new LG Wine Smart has the same features and specs as that of the LG Gentle that had released last month. The LG Wine Smart smartphone features a single 3.2-inch LCD touchscreen with a resolution of 320×480 pixels. This means it doesn’t have the front half screen that most flip phones are spotted with. It runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop and the flip phone is powered by a 1.1GHz quad-core processor alongside 1GB of RAM. It also has 4GB of inbuilt storage along with an expandable storage via microSD card.

The phone sports a 3-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, while also including a 0.3-megapixel front camera. It has a removable battery of 1700mAh. Apart from 4G LTE, the LG Wine Smart includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Micro-USB, and 3G connectivity options. It measures 117.7×58.7×16.6mm and weighs 143 grams.

What one can look forward to is the fact that the Wine Smart will come in two colours; Wine (Burgundy) and Navy Blue. The second thing that might either strike you or put you off, in an era of touch screens is that the flip phone features a T9 keyboard that will bring back good memories or perhaps frustrating ones. Lastly, the phone sports a leather-like finish on the rear panel.

The specs for the LG Wine Smart are as follows:

Display 3.2-inch

Processor 1.1GHz

Front Camera 0.3-MP

Rear Camera 3MP

Resolution 320×480 pixels

RAM 1GB

OS Android 5.1.1

Storage 4GB

Battery capacity 1700mAh

August 5, 2015
Report : Apple’s Cheaper Option iPhone 6c to Release in 2016

Reports suggest, that the “iPhone 5c successor” will be launched in the second quarter of 2016. This report comes from Digitimes, who also points to the rumoured iPhone 6c, said to arrive with a 14/16nm FinFET chips from TSMC and Samsung, in order to provide a better performance and lower power consumption to the new lower range devices.

“The 14/16nm FinFET chips will be manufactured by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and Samsung, the sources said. The original plan was to equip the devices with chips built using TSMC’s 20nm SoC process, said the sources, but the adoption of FinFET processors would enable specs upgrade and lower power consumption.”

Other sources like KGI’s Ming-Chi Kuo also state that Apple is planning to launch a new 4 inch iPhone in 2016. Other rumours suggest that the iPhone 6c might be similar to the size of an iPhone 5s and will have a similar hardware vein as that of the iPhone 6. The smartphone is said to come with a full metal unibody construction in comparison to the plastic iPhone 5c.

Source:

[tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20150803PD207.html”]Digitimes[/tw-button]

August 5, 2015
Apple Rejects Rumours About Launching its Own MVNO Cellular Service

Yesterday, we reported that Apple was looking to start a mobile wireless service. However, in a statement to CNBC, Apple has clarified and said that it “has not discussed and is not planning MVNO cellular service following reports saying it was planning on doing that.”

This statement crushed all rumours that Apple was looking to expand by exploring to become an MVNO. Besides, Google had also announced their own MVNO initiative, Project Fi. However, Apple has clearly rejected all rumours surrounding their own so-called initiative and has no plans to offer consumers an MVNO cellular service.

Even Tim Cook, had earlier stated that Apple doesn’t need to “own the pipe” and that their aim was to focus on making great and efficient devices while leaving the cellular issues to “people who own it” and “who know more about it than we do”

Source: [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”https://twitter.com/CNBCnow/status/628584165311692800″]twitter.com[/tw-button]

August 5, 2015
Government Listens to India, Ban on Porn Lifted

After the GOI (Government of India) received a lot of criticism for banning porn all over the country, they have now made the decision to lift the ban on all those websites except the ones containing child pornography.

Previously, the government had made the hasty decision of telling ISPs (Internet Service Providers) to ban all pornography available on the internet. Under this, 857 sites were blocked and even those that had jokes and memes bearing no pornographic content, like 9GaG and CollegeHumour, were shut down. However, in a new directive issued by the Telecomm Minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad, he stated:

“The intermediaries (ISPs) are hereby directed that they are free not to disable any of the 857 URLs… which do not have child pornographic content.”

In a previous statement, while commenting on the governments commitment towards freedom of communication, Prasad had said, “The government compliments the dissemination of idea on the social media. We have launched the mygov platform seeking views of people of India on developmental agenda and lakhs of people are participating on this platform.”

Naturally then, this platform would’ve been bombarded with resentment and disapproval by the Governments involvement in censoring the internet, especially in a day and age where people are already battling censorship guidelines in all other forms of media and communication.

It may come as a relief that all sites have now been left alone, barring those containing child pornography and with good reason.

While it is good to see the government taking the peoples view into consideration, it is ironic that they made such a controversial decision around two weeks before ‘Independence Day.’ Perhaps, we will soon be able to celebrate freedom of censorship or is it too soon? Let us know your views in the comments below.

August 5, 2015
OnePlus is Selling OnePlus 2 Invites for Charity

Yes, OnePlus has given us a legit way to purchase OnePlus 2 invites. The Chinese company on their official blog admitted that they have always known that people sell OnePlus invites on third-party websites. In their words, since they couldn’t beat them, they decided to join them. But all for a good cause.

OnePlus is auctioning a total of 100 invites. Fifty invites are already up for grabs and the next batch of 50 will go live tomorrow. Currently, the bidding range is between $151-$405 (Rs. 9,600-25,000 approx). Seems like a heavy cost added to a smartphone which costs only Rs. 24,999 ($400 approx.) You could look at it this way – It’s the cost you pay to be one of the first people in the world to own a OnePlus 2.

The proceeds from the OnePlus invites auction will go to the UNICEF Tap Project. For those of you who don’t know much about it – it’s a cause which contributes to providing clean and safe water to underprivileged children around the globe. The company states that 100% of the proceeds would be given to the charity.

So, if you’ve been planning on donating a percentage of your hard earned money, and want to purchase a OnePlus 2. This might be a good option for you. Click here to check out the eBay auction.

Watch the unboxing of the OnePlus 2 here:

August 5, 2015
Report : Apple to Release a New iMac With a 21.5-inch, 4K Display

Good news for those who would like a high definition desktop computer but one that is less expensive than the iMac 27-inch, 5K retina. Recent reports claim, Apple is said to bring out a new desktop computer with a 21.5-inch display and a 4K resolution. This new iMac has a 4096X2304 display and is said to release in a few months.

The previously launched 27 inch iMac is priced at $1,999 (approx. Rs. 1,27,640) which is cheaper than when it first came out and was $2,499 (approx. Rs. 1,59,511). However it is said that even with a $1,999 computer, one might still have to spend more money in order to get an SSD or fusion drive.

A French website has discovered some new images in the El Capitan beta, two of which are said to show a new 5K iMac and the third one, showing a new image of a 21.5 inch iMac with retina display. While the current 21.5 inch iMac has a 1920X1080 display the new display (4096 x 2304) will allow one to watch a 4K video in its native resolution.

However, the design of this new iMac seems to be the same as before. Currently, the 21.5-inch iMac is priced at $1,099 minimum (approx. Rs. 70,160), however, the new 21.5-inch with 4K display will be slightly more expensive. It will remain a lot cheaper than the 27-inch with 5K display iMac.

Do you think this device will be accessible enough? Let us know.

Source: [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://consomac.fr/news-3651-el-capitan-beta-6-trois-nouveaux-imac.html”]Consomac[/tw-button]

August 5, 2015
Leak : This is the New Flagship Phone from Microsoft

There have been many rumours afloat, about Microsoft launching their new Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL. Along with these rumours we have had leaks about their specifications, and now, thanks to a Chinese website WPXAP, we have a prototype of what the new Microsoft phone could look like.

The prototype seems encased in a black casing, so what we do know, is that the new Microsoft phone will come with a USB port Type C. It is reported that Microsoft is currently testing the handset in this casing in order to prevent anymore leaks.

Microsoft is expected to unveil the 5.2 inch Lumia 950 and the 5.7 inch Lumia 950 XL in late September or October. It is said that the Lumia 950 XL will include Microsoft’s Pen Technology, a new smart cover with a circular cut out. Both handsets are said to be high-end and will come with a 20MP PureView camera with a triple LED flash.

Do you think the Windows phones would make a good comeback with these two devices? Let us know.

Source: [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://www.wpxap.com/thread-853886-1-1.html”]wpxap.com[/tw-button]

August 5, 2015
Samsung Releases Official Teaser Image Of the Galaxy Note 5

As reported earlier, Samsung is about to launch a new set of next-gen supersized phones at its Unpacked event, on the 13th of August 2015. However, just two weeks before this, Samsung has posted a small teaser image, which shows a dual edge display design and a protruding stylus attachment.

Along with this, Samsung has also mentioned a number of reasons why a bigger smartphone is more convenient. The reasons include, a clear display that allows lining up pictures and editing videos, more space for reading e-books and messaging, S-Pen for taking memos, watching movies, and playing games etc.

Besides, this official teaser, what we know about the Samsung Galaxy Note 5, through unofficial leaks,is that it might feature a 5.66-inch 2560×1440 display, Samsung’s own Exynos 7420 SoC, 4GB of RAM and a 16 megapixel rear camera. The downside of this phone is that it might not feature an expandable microSD card.

This launch event will be held in New York at 11:00 EDT on August 13th 2015, and will be streamed live on its YouTube link, here.

August 5, 2015
OnePlus’ Exclusive Invite System Gets Hacked

Line-cutting, is by far the most annoying thing on earth. This happens at banks, colleges, restaurants, coffee shops etc. and now it has happened on the, already miles long, OnePlus 2 sales line.

How did this happen? We are all aware that OnePlus has an exclusive system in place, if you want to get a hold of its new device – OnePlus 2. This system needs one to score an invite to avail the new device. The invites are limited in number and tough to get a hold of. However, even after registering for the device there are a couple of other things one needs to do in order to get ahead. For example- one has to be up to date with all the giveaways, one needs to pair up with a friend by using the invite that can be shared with friends or family, keep up with all the contests on social media about the new device, and one can even join the company’s forum to get a preference of receiving an invite.

This system has been kept in place to ensure that they only manufacture enough inventory as the demand, so that the supply will never overpower the demand. Again you ask why? This is because they are a young start up and this system will help them manage their risks far better than a mass-scale production would.

Now one particular user, Jake Cooper, an avid OnePlus follower, who fulfilled all these commands and finally got a position on the OnePlus invite waiting list at number 9000, was faced with a strange crisis after falling to a position of > 70,000 even after following all the processes. However, for the OnePlus 2, the company suggested, that in order to get ahead in line, one can refer as many friends to the invite list, and accordingly one’s position moves forward.

His solution: he hacked the system via a number of technical manoeuvres, a couple of python lines and mailinator.com, and managed to send a number of references to random email ids through an affiliated account. He actually managed to get from > 70,000 in line to just 1,694 in about 20 minutes.

However, he has actually notified OnePlus about the hack, and has even shared the entire procedure on a website, as to how he skipped so far ahead on an exclusive and protected line. He has also offered to take down the procedure if notified by OnePlus. For more details of how this happened, click here.

Do you approve of this technical manoeuvre?

August 4, 2015