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With the 360 Degree View, Google Has Made Advertisements Interesting

After rolling out 360 degree videos on YouTube in March, Google has now extended the same to video ads from today. No one prefers to sit through advertisements, but Google’s latest move should lead to some interesting ad campaigns, like this one:

Google says that these 360 degree videos are best enjoyed on Cardboard, its VR platform for Android. The VR does give an added advantage to 360 degree videos as it increases the presence of interactive elements in the video. Google says that for every one of these videos run as ads, the results have been impressive. For instance, Google says that Coca-Cola’s 360 video celebrating the 100th anniversary of their iconic bottle design outperformed standard in-stream video ad view-through rates by 36%.

The 360 degree videos can only be viewed on Google Chrome and YouTube apps for iOS and Android. If you want to create your own 360 degree video, you have to use one of these cameras as described by Google: Ricoh Theta,Kodak SP360, Giroptic 360cam, or IC Real Tech Allie.

Check out some more 360 degree videos:

July 23, 2015
What We Know About The Apple Car So Far

As reported earlier by us, Apple has not yet made an official announcement about its new electric car project that is currently being called Project Titan. What we know about it, is that Apple has been on a recruiting spree, hiring about a hundred new professionals from Tesla, Ford, Mercedes-Benz and the like. They have also hired former deputy director of the Autonomous Systems Lab at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Paul Furgale. In fact very recently, Apple just settled a law suit filed against them by automotive battery manufacturer A123 Systems accusing them of an attempt to use A123 employees to start a battery operation.

Their latest hire is Mr.Betts, a former VP for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), who has also worked with Toyota and Nissan in the past. He worked at Chrysler from 2007 to 2014 and is said to have left one day after after the company had a relatively poor showing in a Consumer Reports quality survey. It is said that Mr.Betts may be the first major automotive executive to join Apple.

Furgale is said to be hiring recruits and researchers to work with him while Apple CEO Tim Cook is also said to have hired Steve Zedesky, a veteran product designer and former Ford Motor Co. engineer, to hire a 1000 member team and recruit employees from other parts of Apple.

This initiative from Apple Inc. comes at a time when many other software companies are looking at opportunities in the automobile industry by creating software savvy, driver-less cars. Google and Uber have also been reported as developing and testing what might be called the next-gen automobiles.

Source: [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://www.wsj.com/article_email/apple-hires-auto-industry-manufacturing-veteran-1437430826-lMyQjAxMTI1NjIwMDgyODA4Wj”]Wall Street Journal[/tw-button]

[tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://mashable.com/2015/07/22/apple-hires-fca-vp-car-project/”]Mashable[/tw-button]

July 23, 2015
Here’s the Closest Look We’ve Got at the Samsung Galaxy Note 5

Samsung may be months away from launching the upcoming Galaxy Note 5, but this hasn’t stopped people from looking for a glimpse of the new phone. A new set of images has been released by a retailer that shows the colour renders for the Note 5 cases, giving us the closest look at the phone so far.

As you can see in the above image, the Galaxy Note 5 will have a curved back, just like the one we saw a few days back in a render based on leaked CAD data. The design of the new Galaxy Note could be real since the render is for a case of the phone. The cases are from the Rearth Ringke Fusion and Rearth Ringke Slim series and are already up for preorder.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is likely to feature a 5.4-inch or 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with curves on both the edges. The display is likely to also feature a 4K resolution. According to reports, the Note 5 will feature 3GB LPDDR3 DRAM, 32GB of eMMC (embedded multimedia card) along with a controller. The phone may also feature a 16MP rear camera and a 8MP secondary shooter.

Source: [tw-button size=”small” background=”” color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/cat/Galaxy-Note-5-Cases-and-Covers.htm”]MobileFun[/tw-button]

Via: [tw-button size=”small” background=”” color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://www.gsmarena.com/new_galaxy_note_5_render_confirms_curved_back-news-13188.php”]GSM Arena[/tw-button]

July 23, 2015
New Moto X (3rd Gen) Leak Shows Front Facing Flash and Fingerprint Scanner

A new set of images about the upcoming Moto X have leaked and reveal some new details that were missing in the previous leak. The new images have leaked on a Facebook page called Peru Android and while the authenticity of the images cannot be claimed, it still provides some interesting information. According to the images, the new Moto X will feature a front facing flash and a fingerprint sensor in a very unique position.

Source: Peru Android

Moto X (3rd Gen)

As you can see in the images above, Motorola has placed the flash in the top right corner of the phone. This is good news for selfie enthusiasts, who have to find a bright spot for every time they take a selfie. Moto X (3rd Gen) will reportedly come with a 5MP front camera, which means you can finally post the desired selfies you always wanted.

As far as fingerprint sensor is concerned, Peru Android says that Motorola has built it on the lower front speaker, which is an interesting choice. Unlike Apple and LG, both of which have created a dedicated button for the fingerprint sensor, Motorola has integrated the fingerprint sensor into a functional component.

Motorola will unveil the new Moto G and Moto X at an event on July 28. Till then, we will be on the lookout for any new details.

Source (images): [tw-button size=”small” background=”” color=”” target=”_blank” link=”https://www.facebook.com/androidperu”]Peru Android[/tw-button]

Via: [tw-button size=”small” background=”” color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://www.androidauthority.com/moto-x-2015-images-front-flash-fingerprint-speaker-627743/”]Android Authority[/tw-button]

July 23, 2015
Leaked: Micromax’s Next Ultra Budget Snapdragon 615 Smartphone

If our source is to be believed, this is Micromax’s next big thing. However it is going to be an ultra budget device. Details are sketchy at the moment, however it appears to have a black and gold design with a metal frame. The phone is expected to be below the 10k price bracket considering their own Yureka sells for Rs. 8,999.

The second image illustrates the device slightly better and also shows off the 13MP rear camera. The Micromax logo appears to be in a gold colour as well. The rear appears to have a rubberised back cover. Our source (who refuses to be named) also tells us that the device will be a Snapdragon 615 handset and may possibly run Cyanogen OS.

We know that this device will be competitively priced and may be sold through an online exclusive partner. The details of RAM, storage and display etc. are presently unknown. We are trying to get more information or at least a name for the handset. The leaked smartphone is expected to launch soon, however, all this must be taken with a pinch of salt. It is just as likely that this could be a prototype or a test device.

Micromax officially declined to comment on the same.

July 23, 2015
About One Billion People Use Mobile Phones in India

This news hardly comes as a surprise. India has fast held second place in the list ranking the countries of the world by the number of mobile phones in use (China is on top). A report released by COAI, stated the all India GSM cellular subscriber figures for the month of June 2014 and the figures were very grand for the fast developing country that we live in today.

As per the report, that included Telecoms like Airtel, Idea, Vodafone etc. We were at 720 million till December. Once they added other GSM subscribers in June, the figure stood at a whooping 932 million.

The most recent report submitted by TRAI on 10th April states that India has 960 million mobile subscribers.

Therefore, seven months into 2015, and a quick calculation using the growth rate, it’s easy to conclude that atleast 1 billion people out of a population of 1.2 billion, possess mobile phones. That’s almost the whole of India.

As the population increases and as we go into various technological developments, mobile phone usage will also increase. We see everyone from three year old toddlers, grandparents and even people living in remote villages, with a phone today. It’s surprising that we hadn’t crossed the 1 billion mark, already.

Source: [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://www.trai.gov.in/WriteReadData/PressRealease/Document/PR-TSD-Feb-10042015.pdf”]TRAI[/tw-button]

July 23, 2015
Google Maps Now Helps You Retrace Your Every Step

One of the features of the modern day lifestyle is the GPS tracking devices on our Android or iOS phones and laptops, with the most famous tracking app being, Google Maps. We all know how this works regardless of whether we own a smartphone or not. Google Maps already knows your location so you just have to add your destination address and voila, it shows you the way.

Image Source: Mashable

This app is usually helpful, but there are times when Google Maps either takes you to some remote location or you forget which road to take etc. Although, Google Maps previously did have a location history setting, now, it has come out with a new feature called Your Timeline.

The new Timeline is curated in a more efficient way than the location history and allows you to rename a location or remove a location and allows you to check where you were at any given time.The location history of the Timeline is private and can be deleted by the user from the settings menu. The new feature also allows you to control your account settings if you don’t want Google to track your location history.

The new Your Timeline feature is soon to be out for desktop users too.

Source: [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://mashable.com/2015/07/22/google-maps-your-timeline/”]Mashable[/tw-button]

July 23, 2015
Xiaomi Teases its Highly Anticipated Smartwatch, the Mi Band 1S

In the wearable segment, Xiaomi hit a jackpot last year, when it announced the Mi Band. The device was another bonafide hit from the company and it looks like the company is keen to follow its success. Xiaomi has announced the possibility of Mi Band 1S in a teaser. Although the band was expected to be announced yesterday, it seems some delay has come up.

https://twitter.com/miuirom/status/623471204871999489/photo/1

Unveiled in July last year, the Mi fitness band is an aluminium surface band that comes with a micro laser perforation and no display screen. It can be used as a fitness and sleep tracking band and connects to a user’s smartphone and can unlock the handset without the need of passwords or patterns. It is water resistant and has a battery life of 30 days. It is available in a variety of colours like blue, pink, brown, grey and purple. It can also be customised with leather straps.

Xiaomi Mi Band is one of the cheapest wearable device in the market, which explains its success in the international market. In May, Xiaomi held the first flash sale for the Mi Band in India, which got over within seven seconds after opening at 5 p.m.

The new Mi Band 1S, is expected to feature a heart-rate monitor and a couple of other improvements. The Mi Band is currently available in India at a price of Rs. 999.

July 22, 2015
The New Full-length Bond Trailer is Here

The full-length version of the new film ‘Spectre’ directed by Sam Mendes, that is part of the James Bond franchise, has been released. The film is rumoured to be the biggest and most expensive Bond movie till date. The trailer opens with M (being played by Ralph Fiennes aka Lord Voldemort) questioning Bond about his unofficial and controversial trip to Mexico City for which he gets a typical Bond-like response “I was on a vacation”.

Instantly, one gets the new Bond vibe that Daniel Craig has so effortlessly created.

The trailer seems to have all the ingredients of a successful Bond film – exotic locations in Mexico, fast cars, witty dialogues, a Bond-like story and a stellar cast. But we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves. Sam Mendes has returned with Spectre and the trailer sees Bond going rogue to infiltrate a secret organization called Spectre. This movie is also expected to tie up lose ends from Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, especially where Bond villain Mr. White (Jesper Christensen) is concerned and deals with Bond’s past.

The star studded cast sees Daniel Craig reprising the role of James Bond, Ralph Fiennes as M, Christoph Waltz as the new villain (perhaps the only one who can compete with Javier Bardem),the underrated but absolutely brilliant, Ben Wishaw as Q, and of course, the new Bond girl Monica Bellucci. The film also stars Naomie Harris,Léa Seydoux and Andrew Scott (from Sherlock fame).

Dates for a worldwide release have not been announced although Spectre releases in the UK first on October 26, 2015 and in the U.S. on November 6, 2015.

Are these ingredients enough to make Spectre as smart and riveting as Skyfall? Watch the trailer below and let us know.

July 22, 2015
Starting at Rs. 999, Xiaomi Mi Headphones and Mi In-Ear Headphones Now Available in India

It’s amazing to note how Xiaomi transformed itself in India, from being ‘a Chinese company’ to ‘It’s Xiaomi’. No other Chinese company has been able to achieve a loyal fan base in India until now and for celebrating its first year in India, Xiaomi has released two new products for the Indian users – Mi headphones and Mi in-ear headphones, priced at Rs. ~~5,999~~ 5,499 and Rs. 999, respectively.

The Mi headphones’ acoustic system is supported by a large 50mm diaphragm that is 4 times harder than steel and 60% lighter than titanium alloy. The Mi headphones are 25% larger than your usual headphones. It is also said to deliver 3D audio realistic surround sound, features dual-damping system to reduce ambient noise and has a built-in microphone for taking calls and music controls. Available in Gold, it comes with three replaceable on-ear and over-ear cushion kits and can be folded to fit in a durable carrying case for portability.

The Mi In-Ear headphones have the same features as the Mi headphones and share some materials, such as Kevlar fibers and built-in Knowles microphones. Xiaomi claims that both headphones perform better than headphones from Sennheiser.

The products will go on sale on Xiaomi India’s website from tomorrow. We are expecting Xiaomi to launch more such products in the coming week, so stay tuned.

July 22, 2015
New WhatsApp Update Enables ‘Mark As Unread’ Feature

Few months back, WhatsApp announced a much talked about ‘calling’ update, and just recently it announced another update that enables you to mark a conversation as unread. To activate the updated feature you have to tap and hold the conversation you wish to respond to later. This doesn’t change the status of the conversation if you have already read it, rather, it acts as a reminder for a conversation you didn’t have the time to respond to immediately, and in the process, avoids many a conflict that has been caused by the little blue tick marks.

Image Source: AndroidPolice

Apart from this WhatsApp has made itself very efficient by introducing other updates such as the low data usage feature for voice calls, useful when you’re on a limited or slow data plan and the ‘mute’ button on the customized settings options. This feature enables you to mute a group conversation for up to a full year! One can also customize settings for specific tone, vibration length, light, popup notification, as well as the call ringtone and vibration.

With multiple updates and new features it seems like WhatsApp is here to stay, at least till the near future.

July 22, 2015

Major OnePlus 2 Leak Reveals its Design Ahead of Launch

It seems OnePlus cannot catch a break. A new set of images about the highly anticipated OnePlus 2 have leaked online and this time, it’s from TENAA, the Chinese regulator for wireless devices. The new images (kind of) give a confirmed look at the OnePlus 2.

The new images confirm that the phone will feature a fingerprint reader, with a setup similar to LG’s G4. Although judging from the photos, it seems that the new OnePlus won’t sport a metal body. The images do not reveal anything else and more can only be learned when OnePlus launches the phone on July 27th through a virtual reality event.

Take a look at the video below to know more in details about the phone and check out the specifications that we have learned so far.

Specification	OnePlus 2
Display	5.5 inches LTPS LCD Capacitive touch screen
Resolution	1080 x 1920 pixels (401 ppi)
Chipset	Qualcomm MSM8994 Snapdragon 810 v2.1 SoC
Processor	Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 & Quad-core 2 GHz Cortex-A57
GPU	Adreno 430
RAM	4 LPDDR4 RAM
Storage	16/64 GB
Expandability	N/A
Rear Camera	13 MP
Rear Camera Video	2160p@30fps, 2160p(DCI)@24fps, 1080p@60fps, 720p@120fps, HDR, stereo sound rec.
Front Camera	8 MP (Not confirmed)
Front Camera Video	1080p@30fps
Battery	Non-removable Li-Po 3300 mAh battery
Operating System	Android 5.1 Lollipop-based Oxygen OS
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot Bluetooth v4.1, A2DPGPS with A-GPS, GLONASS NFC, Radio FM,microUSB v2.0, Type-C reversible connector
Miscellaneous	Fingerprint sensor
Price	Not more than Rs, 28000

Source: [tw-button size=”small” background=”” color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://www.engadget.com/2015/07/22/one-plus-2-china-regulator-leak/”]Engadget[/tw-button]
[tw-button size=”small” background=”” color=”” target=”_self” link=”http://tenaa.com.cn/WSFW/ShowAllPic.aspx?code=IeqknMs21EA4t0EfpyP5o5H96bu6Gt%2bVSrdJR6n0gNFsUS9P9rmGHSswV0KlC%2byY”]TENNA[/tw-button]

July 22, 2015

Now, Trash Cans Provide Faster Internet Than Starbucks

Trash cans or dustbins are normally used to dump waste in, it is then, taken out and recycled or disintegrated. Trash cans are extremely vital for the modern concept of ‘a clean city is a healthy city’. Bigbelly, a New York Based firm, recognized as an industry leader in waste management, environmental, and innovative technology spaces, announced the use of their new smart-cans. As an initial test New York’s Downtown Alliance have already taken two trashcans to turn them into Wi-Fi hotspots.

Image Source: Gizmo

Bigbelly’s main aim was to create the best-possible waste-management system and it started off with the solar-powered recycling bins, which allowed the bins to collect five times more trash before needing to be emptied.

The idea of the ‘smart-can’ dawned on them when they realised that their cloud-based connectivity, could provide additional services, such a free public Wi-Fi with the use of a wireless repeater installed on the bottom of each station.

These Wi-Fi spots provide browsing speed up to at least 75mbps and can function smoothly, as long as there is no obstruction between the bin and the user. Which according to DigitalTrends is more than what Starbucks with 9Mbps can say for itself.The Wi-Fi service is free and runs solely on advertising revenue.The plan being to add more of these trash-cans soon with the focus on under privileged areas.

Leila Dillon, Bigbelly’s vice president of global marketing, told CityLab,

“We are a smart, solar-powered, connected technology platform that is literally sitting in the streets of New York. We are exactly where the people are.”

And as reported by Gizmo they also plan on tracking urban intelligence data to provide services, applications and benefits to “core city infrastructure that every city and town has and needs.”

Will the cities and towns become smarter with such new innovations? Let us know what you think.

Source : [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://www.gizmag.com/bigbelly-wi-fi-hotspot-solar-powered-recycling-garbage-bins/38561/”]Gizmag[/tw-button]

July 22, 2015

Vivo Launches X5 Pro in India Priced at Rs. 27,980

Vivo, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer has launched its latest smartphone, X5 Pro in India today. The X5 Pro was launched in China and is priced at Rs. 27,980. According to Vivo, the phone uses the company’s Hi-Fi sound system, which is poised to deliver a better experience to music lovers. What’s more enticing is that the phone features an eye-scanning technology that will allow users to unlock the phone.

The X5 Pro sports a 5.2-inch full-HD AMOLED display with dual-faced 2.5D curvy glass and runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop with the Funtouch OS 3.0 UI on top. The dual-SIM 4G phone is powered by a 1.5 Ghz 64-bit octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor with 2GB of RAM. It has 16GB inbuilt storage which can be further expanded up to 128GB via microSD card.

Vivo launches the X5Pro in India, priced at Rs. 27,980! More details up on iGyaan #VivoX5Max #iGyaanLife #NewLaunches

A photo posted by iGyaan Network (@igyaan) on Jul 22, 2015 at 1:10am PDT

Users can take photos using the phone’s 13MP rear camera and the 8MP front camera. The phone is powered by a 2450mAh battery, which seems low considering its price tag.

Earlier this month, Vivo India launched the V series in India, with two models, the V1 (Rs. 17,980) and the V1 Max (Rs. 21,980).

The X5 Pro will be available from August through Vivo outlets and users can pre-book on Vivo India’s website. Those who book before 31st July can stand a chance to win the X5 Pro.

Vivo has revealed plans to set up a manufacturing plant in India over the next few years and are setting up a plant in Noida soon.The company also plans to sell over two million units in India this year, which looks like an uphill task, considering how the likes of Xiaomi and OnePlus are already trying to displace Samsung from its top position in the market.

Specification	Vivo X5 Pro
Display	5.2-inch full-HD AMOLED
Resolution	1920×1080
Chipset	N/A
Processor	1.5 Ghz 64-bit octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615
GPU	N/A
RAM	2GB
Storage	16 GB
Expandability	128GB
Rear Camera	13 MP
Rear Camera Video	N/A
Front Camera	8MP
Front Camera Video	N/A
Battery	2,450 mAh battery
Operating System	Android 5.1 Lollipop-based Funtouch OS 2.1
Miscellaneous	Eye-scanner
Price	Rs. 27,980

July 22, 2015

Xiaomi Finally Launches the 32GB Variant of Mi4i

Xiaomi has launched a 32GB variant of its popular Mi4i smartphone, as we assumed yesterday. The new variant is a part of its first year anniversary in India. Priced at Rs 14,999, the new Mi4i will be available on the company website on July 28 via the flash sale model. The registrations are open now at the company’s website.

https://twitter.com/MiIndiaOfficial/status/623712968878895105/photo/1

In the past, Xiaomi’s Hugo Barra said that the higher capacity variants of the Mi 4i would be launched in India. The phone is priced at Rs.14, 999, which is around the same as the price for 16GB variant of Mi4. Apart from the increase in storage capacity, the specifications of the new Mi4i are same as for the 16GB variant.

Xiaomi Mi 4i has a 5-inch Full HD OGS IPS display with 441ppi pixel density. The phone is powered by a 64-bit octa-core Cortex-A53 processor. It features 2GB of RAM and runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop with the company’s MIUI 6. Camera includes a 13MP rear and a 5MP front snapper. The dual-SIM device is powered by a 3120mAh battery. Connectivity options include Micro-USB 2.0, Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi.

This is the first of Xiaomi’s plans to celebrate its first year anniversary in India. Since last year, Xiaomi has amassed its own cult followers in India and the company is expected to perform well in the near future.

July 22, 2015

Blog

Specification

OnePlus 2