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Apple Music Arrives in India on 30th June; Pricing Revealed
The world was recently abuzz with the recently held WWDC’ 15 in San Francisco and we now have more great news for Apple fans, especially in India. That’s right, Apple Music is set to launch in India by June 30th. The company at the event had stated that it would be released 100 other countries worldwide, now recent reports claim that India will be included in the list.

“We love music, and the new Apple Music service puts an incredible experience at every fan’s fingertips, all the ways people love enjoying music come together in one app — a revolutionary streaming service, live worldwide radio and an exciting way for fans to connect with artists.”

We first brought you the news that Apple Music will be launched and that it will be a universal app catering to three things:
- Apple Music: We will have access to all kinds of music, whether from iTunes or ripped from CDs.
- Apple Connect: This is a way for fans and artists to connect by sharing videos, lyrics, backstage videos etc.
- Apple Radio: We will be able to stream live music and have access to all kinds of tunes, on a global platform.
In addition to this, Siri will be synced in with the App and we will be able to ask Siri to play our favourite tracks or even find songs of a particular genre. The statement released by Apple press contact stated:

Siri is also dedicated to helping you enjoy great music and will help you have fun with Apple Music. Ask Siri to, “Play me the best songs from 1994,” or “What was the number one song in February 2011?”

While all this seemed too good to be true, we in India often read posts like these and felt disappointed with the fact that this might either not come to India at all, or might come in really late. Therefore, you would be pleased to know that this time around, India will have Apple Music by June 30th, at Rs.120 and Rs.180 (family pack) a month.

This spells good news for Indian users as Spotify still hasn’t managed to make its way to the Indian market. This doesn’t matter anymore, though. Apple Music will really change the face of streaming music and will fit in every users requirements. Jimmy Iovine, Record Producer, stated:

“Apple Music is really going to move the needle for fans and artists. Online music has become a complicated mess of apps, services and websites. Apple Music brings the best features together for an experience every music lover will appreciate.”

We couldn’t agree more and we look forward to June 30th, eagerly.[tw-button size=”small” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank”]Source[/tw-button] [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”https://twitter.com/jayesh”]Twitter[/tw-button]
June 11, 2015
Google Wants to Use Tech to Solve All Urban City Problems

In spite of the presence of many search giants in the Internet industry, one thing that makes Google unique is its unremitting attempts to use technology for social welfare. The tech major has already touched a corner of human life with the launch of a medical wing, and now, a new spinoff introduced today will deal with improving city life. Urban innovation body Sidewalk Labs, launched by Google will focus on improving the city life of billions by developing and incubating urban technologies to address issues like cost of living, efficient transportation and energy usage, thus, enhancing the global quality of life.

The new company will be headed by the former CEO of Bloomberg LP and Deputy Mayor of New York, Dan Doctoroff. Doctoroff has given some vague clues on what the company’s approach is while keeping silent on how the execution of this approach. The company will touch the left out parts that need the utmost attention, such as efficient transportation, lower cost of living and much more. The official website of Sidewalk Labs says, while there are apps to tell people about traffic conditions, or available apartment price, the biggest challenge that cities face are reducing energy usage and helping governments operate more efficiently, among a few others. The company is said to be developing new products, platforms and partnerships to make progress in these areas.

The CEO of Sidewalk Labs stated at the launch –

We hope that Sidewalk will play a major role in developing technology products, platforms and advanced infrastructure that can be implemented at scale in cities around the world.

Google’s CEO Larry Page posted on his Google+ page, “With Sidewalk, we want to supercharge existing efforts in areas such as housing, energy, transportation and government to solve real problems that city-dwellers face every day.”

Very little is known about Google’s diverse project, but the picture laid out by the company speaks of technological installations in the present scenario rather than building up an all-new structure. No plans have been disclosed of how Google will carry out instating urban technology and what its budget for the project is. It seems like Sidewalk itself doesn’t have a strategy for its goal.

The construction of Apple’s futuristic spaceship-like headquarter is under way, and it now appears as if the new campus can be a blueprint of the massive project that it has taken on. If that’s true then, Google had the idea in mind for long, and hopefully, Sidewalk will touch the height of success just like Google[x] and Calico.

June 11, 2015
Top 5 Tech Companies With the Coolest Employee Perks

Keeping employees happy is the key to success for any company. No one knows more about a workplace than its employees. Employee ideas reflect on fundamental measures, such as pay, perks, benefits, and hours worked. But they are also determined by factors such as a company’s culture and general mood.

Below are our pick of the top 5 tech companies to work for:

Google

It is the people who make Google the company that it is today. They are motivated by the fact that their work has a positive impact on the lives of others. Google topped the list of ’50 Best Places to Work’ by Glassdoor. Since the inception of the list in 2007, Google has been steadily climbing the ranks and now is one of the top tech companies in the world.

Googleplex is Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, California. The interiors are furnished with items like shade lamps and giant rubber balls. You can access facilities like free laundry rooms, two small swimming pools, volleyball courts and around 18 cafeterias with a broad range of menu from around the world. The building has a series of solar panels that feed power to the whole facility.

Every given perk in Google has calculated reasons that are designed to keep its employees happy and satisfied. The company has everything, from on-site doctors, hairdressers to cafeteria food. It also offers parental leave from 12 weeks to 22 weeks.

Plus, if in any case, an employee decides to leave, having Google on their resume never hurts. Click here to apply.

Facebook

Facebook’s official headquarters is located in Menlo Park, California, and it employs an approximate number of 10,082 employees. The critical autonomy of Facebook is – We don’t have rules. Here, employees are their bosses in their space. Much of the designing on the wall are created by the Facebook employees themselves.

The company offers gourmet food courts, on-site doctors, laundry services and bikes to commute around the campus. New moms and dads are entitled to 4 months of parental leave with $4,000 in baby cash.

The idea behind the luxuries is to remove stress from the employee’s daily life so that they can concentrate on the company without having to worry about anything at all. Its emphasis on establishing a high-quality work environment makes it one of the best companies to work for.

Payscale? An experienced worker earns a median on $135,000 annually while interns earn around $6,000 to $7,000 per month. Click here to apply.

Adobe

Adobe was listed in the top ’50 Best Places to Work’ by Glassdoor in 2014. The company’s headquarter in downtown San Jose, California, is a huge skyscraper complex. The three towers, namely, West, East and Almaden, are known for their environmentally friendly designs that inflict minimum harm to the environment.

From the perk point of perspective, the company offers educational reimbursement up to $10,000 each year. Unlike most companies, employees here are entitled to Winter and Summer breaks. Employees are also entitled to a leave of 4 weeks after five years and five weeks after ten years. $360 are given for wellness activities like skydiving, surfing, kayaking, swimming, etc. Just like in college, employees have different fun clubs like soccer, photography, hiking, etc. Some of the other perks offered by Adobe are pet insurance, adoption assistance, backup child/adult care and financial wellness.

Click here to apply.

Apple

Apple is considered one of the most challenging companies to work for. Given Apple’s high-end products, employees have to be on top of their game to meet the ever-increasing pressure. But, working with Apple has more pros than cons. Apple’s newest campus has an area of a behemoth 2.8 million square foot, which is it is a 176-acre site and houses over 13,000 Apple employees. Apple offers benefit to its employees like college tuition fees, gym membership, healthcare, discounts off selected products and services, and much more. Expecting mothers can take up to four weeks to 14 weeks of leave.

Employees praised the leadership of the company, Tim Cook notching up 94% approval rating. Click here to apply.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a social media site where instead of making friends, you connect with people in your field of work. It is also one of the newest tech companies in the world. While most companies have inbuilt gyms where employees can work out, LinkedIn has free classes for Tai Chi, Zumba, InShape (a boot camp class), BOSU, TRX, Power Yoga and strength levels in the gym. Every month on a Friday, employees work on projects outside their daily grind. For instance in July, the theme was “LinkedIn for Good” where LinkedIn employees worked on 54 projects that got them interested in their communities.

Employees get $5,000 per year for professional education and get to pitch and run startup-like projects. They can grant up to $10,000 from the LinkedIn For Good Foundation to help their favorite charity or to start their own. Click here to apply.

June 11, 2015
Apple’s Next iDevice Might Feature a Front Camera Flash

The selfie has gained social, political and global recognition in the past two years, given its high popularity and almost contagious qualities, Apple may be coming up with a plan to up the selfie quotient in the next iPhone or tablet.

Hamza Sood, a developer, said that the phone or tablet will have, not just a front facing camera flash, but also the ability to record 1080p videos along with recording slow-motion videos in 720p. Referring to the codes, Sood also derived that one might be able to take panorama shots using the front facing camera.

iOS 9 is hinting at future device front cameras having: 1080p resolution, 240fps slow mo, panoramamic capture, flash pic.twitter.com/NkMjdsUZEX

— Hamza Sood (@hamzasood) June 10, 2015

So far, all the features that we mentioned, are only present in the rear cameras of smartphones. But with the new set of devices, Apple hopes to makes the selfie game, even stronger. Although these reports seem frivolous, Sood was previously right in recognising that Apple was coming out with fingerprint recognition two months before it actually came to the markets. He also identified slow motion shooting, before it finally made an appearance in the iPhone 5S.

Even though the iPhone 6s is expected to arrive later this year, we’ve already heard several rumours about the upcoming device. As reported earlier by an analyst from KGI Securities, the forthcoming iPhone 6s will sport a bumped up camera of 12MP. Powered by a next-gen A9 processor, 2GB RAM will equip the device with newfangled features like Force Touch. Some of the changes the ‘iPhone 6s’ is said to include is a new design using an improved casing material and a newly resurrected inner design. One more microphone is said to be added near the new handset’s speakers in an attempt to improve sound quality. It is also likely that Apple will release two variants of the iPhone 6s.

While we don’t know if the phone camera, that is slated to be bigger and better, will actually succeed, we hope to be clearer in September, when the announcement might be made.

June 11, 2015
5 Super Affordable Products We Wish Xiaomi Launches in India Soon

Despite being a young player, Xiaomi has become a brand that needs no introduction. The reason is that it sets a reasonable price for its dependable and feature-rich products. People all over the world are eager to get their hands on Xiaomi products, but only some nations have been able to get hold of its exciting offerings.

We have curated a list of devices that are available in Xiaomi’s home ground, but are yet to arrive in India. Here are the 5 devices most-desired products by Xiaomi, we can’t wait to get our hands on:

Mi Note

Launched mid-January, Xiaomi Mi Note is one device that challenges the likes of Apple, Samsung and OnePlus. The device flaunts a 5.7-inch 1080p display with Snapdragon 801 processor and 3GB RAM. The phablet will be available in 16 and 32 GB variants. The phone runs on Android 4.4 KitKat with MIUI 6 on top. It sports a 13MP primary camera with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) and a 4MP front-facing selfie camera. Powering the phone is a 3000mAh battery, which is sufficient enough to power the device for one full day. The Mi Note retails for 2,299RMB, which is about $371 or Rs. 22,893.

Yi Action Camera

Unveiled at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2015, the Xiaomi-manufactured Yi Action camera is a device taking the Chinese brand into a new arena, ruled by GoPro. The camera priced at CNY 399 (approximately Rs. 3,900) holds 16MP camera with Sony’s Exmor R BSI CMOS image sensor that records a video at 1080p (60fps). Weighing a mere 72 grams, Yi Action waterproof camera holds a storage capacity of 64GB.

Mi TV

A series of Mi TVs have been launched by Xioami in the international market. The 47-inch 3D Mi TV is virtually frameless with 8.4mm frame and features a 1920x1080p Full HD display. Inside the TV is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 600 quad-core 1.7G processor, an Adreno 320 GPU, 2GB DDR3 of memory and 8GB of storage. Users can connect their gaming controller and headphones via Bluetooth 4.0 to their television sets. Along with that, Xiaomi’s TV supports Dolby Stereo and DTS.

Mi Wi-Fi 6TB Router

Firming foothold deep into the consumer electronics market, Xiaomi recently launched a new Wi-Fi router that offers high-speed connectivity and is claimed to improve 2.4G performance by 100 percent and 5G connectivity by 30 percent. The device holds a 1.4GHz Broadcom 4709c dual-core chipset and 512MB flash memory along with offering 6TB hard drive for content storage. The 6TB Mi Wi-Fi will cost 2,999 Yuan (approx. Rs. 30,800). Xiaomi also introduced Mi Wi-Fi Amplifier along with Mi Wi-Fi. When the Amplifier is plugged into the router, it expands the Wi-Fi range without any hassle of wires. The Mi Wi-Fi Amplifier is priced at 39 Yuan (somewhere Rs. 400).

Yi Smart Webcam

Yi Ants Smart Webcam, is a multi-purpose camera that works as a webcam for chatting as well as security camera with recording capabilities. With 111 degrees wide-angle lens and 4x zoom, the Yi Smart Webcam offers a resolution of 720p and allows users to make two-way voice calls. Xiaomi has also launched a night vision edition, which can record even in the dark with 940mm infrared sensor. It is priced at 149 RMB, which translates to Rs 1,532 (approx.)

June 11, 2015
Canon Brings the World’s Highest Resolution Full-Frame DSLR Cameras to India

Today, the imaging and optical product label Canon, made official an array of high-resolution full-frame DSLR cameras in India – the 5DSR and 5DS DSLR. Both the cameras are said to be a cut above the highly-appreciated 5D series and are claimed to be the world’s highest resolution DSLR cameras in its segment. Besides this, the company also unveiled a professional yet compact camcorder XC10 4K that is convenient for 4K/Full HD video shooting and captures images at 12MP resolution.

The class apart 5DSR and 5DS DSLR feature 50.6-megapixel 35mm full-frame CMOS sensor that set them high in Canon’s range of high-res cameras. The processor powering the devices is the latest dual DIGIC 5 that offers users a continuous shooting speed of 5fps at 50.6MP maximum. The Fine Detail Mode on Canon’s latest camera line-up allows users to capture the finest image. The mode configures the sharpness, therefore giving a detailed image which can be cropped extensively. All new 1,50,000-dot RGB+IR Metering and automatic exposure system is also installed on the cameras.

Canon has set the price of the 5DS at Rs. 2,52,995, while the 5DSR will cost you Rs. 2,65,995.

Coming on to the XC10 4K, the camcorder is built of Canon’s proprietary components. It features a Canon 10x Wide-Angle Zoom lens with 2x Digital Teleconverter and Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) that offers a zoom ratio of 27.3-273mm for movies and 24.1-241mm for photos. The handy camera packs a specially designed Canon 12 MP one-inch CMOS sensor that the company claims can “deliver 12 stops of exposure latitude”. The densely packed powerhouse will come for Rs. 1,70,000.

In the past years, Canon has recorded an extraordinary growth report in India. It has carved a niche in almost all the segments, whether photography and videography. With the launch of the two flagship EOS cameras, Canon aims to get hold of 50% market share in the DSLR segment.

June 10, 2015
OnePlus 2 is (Almost) Here

We all agree that it’s about time OnePlus brings out its next flagship. And the OnePlus One, which released a year ago in June, needs to take a back seat.

We have an inkling that the Chinese-based tech company agrees with us as well. We know this because, yesterday, the company began promoting its next flagship.

OnePlus released a teaser for a contest on its Instagram account. The winner of which gets a chance to be one of the first to experience the OnePlus 2, at the company’s headquarter. This includes an all-expenses-paid trip to Hong Kong. The company also promised that the winner gets to play an important role in a secret project they have planned for the OnePlus 2 launch. You can click here, if you wish to participate.

Another thing to point out – with this, OnePlus also confirmed the name of their next smartphone as OnePlus 2 (barely a surprise.)

Share your photos for #PhotoMania2015 and you could be one of the first to try the #OP2! http://bit.ly/OP2pm

A photo posted by OnePlus (@oneplustech) on Jun 9, 2015 at 5:40am PDT

A few days ago, the company also announced that they will be permanently dropping the price of the One; a clear indication that they’re clearing stock to make room for the next iteration. The price of the One now starts at $249 (Rs. 15,899 approx) in the US and in select European countries. However the price of the handset has not reduced for India as of yet, it still remains Rs. 18,998 (16GB) and Rs. 21,998 (64GB.) However, if you’re a potential OnePlus One customer, we’d advise you hold off adding it to your Amazon cart just yet.

Based on everything we’ve heard about the OnePlus Two till now, it seems to be a solid step up. The much-awaited device is expected to make a debut in the third quarter of this year. India will be one of the first countries to see the launch of the next probable flagship killer.

If you’d like more information about the upcoming smartphone, click here.

June 10, 2015
New Photos Reveal Apple’s Insane Spaceship-Shaped Campus

Apple is in the process of setting up a new campus in Cupertino, California and its architectural design is what’s drawing the attention of the world. Their second campus, which has been under construction since 2013, will reportedly the biggest with exceptional “spaceship-like” structure. Thanks to Nearmap, we now got a glimpse of sleepy Cupertino transforming into a fully developed space centre from the future.

Nearmaps, which is a geospatial mapping and visual analytics company, made public some images of Apple’s new headquarter that illustrates the campus taking shape in the sand. The released GIFs given below give a bird’s eye view of the under construction site. The developments happened in the past few months can be seen below:

The idea of a spaceship-shaped property was proposed by the then-CEO Steve Jobs on June 7, 2011. The new campus, built on 175 acres, is said to house 13,000 employees, a cafe with 3,000 strong seating, extensive landscaping and a parking – both underground and in a parking structure.

Other services include an auditorium with 1,000 seat, R&D facilities on 300,000 square feet, a fitness centre, an orchard, and a dedicated generating plant to produce electricity. The power plant will generate electricity through natural gas and other environment-friendly measures. It will reportedly cost Apple $5 billion, up from $3 billion estimated in 2011.

June 10, 2015
5 Dream Jobs For a True Tech Lover That Actually Pay

Our society is in continuous need of skilled professionals who are willing to work hard and fast. Luckily for us, demand for tech experts is not going down anytime soon.

But which technological post offers the highest paycheck. We have listed down the top five jobs for a tech geek:

Quality Assurance Testers AKA Computer Game Tester

What can be more awesome than to get paid for playing the latest games? Yes, it sounds like a fantasy world, but in reality, companies pound out an enormous chunk of their revenues for computer game testers. This is done to put out multi-million titles with the minimum bugs. In a more proper term, computer game testers are known as ‘Quality Assurance Testers’ and they earn by testing out games. They point out all the faults while playing, including spelling mistakes.

This job requires a great deal of skills like expert play and an obsessive eye for details. On the bright side, you get to play the game before anyone else in this world.

Web Developer

They are responsible for everything you see on a website. The layout, the fonts, the pictures and videos, everything! Web developers work alone or in a team either as full-time employees, part-time consultants or on-contract basis (freelancers). While the trend is still catching up in India, Web Developers are the some of the highest paid people in places like California, San Francisco and Baltimore.

Ethical Hacker

If hacking is your super power, then this job is for you. Many companies employ ethical hackers to protect their network from hackers who would try to access private and sensitive information of the company. The goal of the ethical hacker is to expose all the weak and vulnerable areas in the main framework of the company’s network. The spot is patched once it is identified. Also, you don’t have to a programmer to be an ethical hacker, which is a common myth.

Gadget Reviewer

A photo posted by iGyaan Network (@igyaan) on Dec 8, 2014 at 4:14am PST

Almost every other day, you receive a courier containing all your favourite toys and gadgets, and in return, you get to write your honest opinion about it. But, be warned, this job is not as easy as it seems. Speaking in front of the camera and differentiating between ten similar handsets is tough. Also, don’t expect to make the big bucks as a newbie in the business. This one takes time and patience.

Game Developer

Developers are perhaps the trendiest people you will see, and it is also considered one of the most fun jobs in the technological sector. A game developer gets to work on titles for computer, consoles, mobile phones and tablets. Creativity is as important as working in a highly pressurised environment. But, if your game does well in the market, it will be perhaps, be the greatest victory in your life.

June 10, 2015
5 Amazing Ways Drones Are Helping Out

Slowly and steadily, drones are finding their space across several kinds of industries in this world. Some companies use it to provide WiFi signals to remote places, while some high-end resorts use it to follow skiers and videotape them as they come downslope.

Drones, or Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), are aerial vehicles that do not need to be piloted by any person on board. Drones are scaled up functionality model aircrafts that serve more of purpose than the enjoyment of flying a remote-controlled aircraft.

They are remotely controlled by a pilot or a computer, which means that some drones are pre-programmed to carry out actions without direct human piloting.

Here are some amazing examples of how this tech is making our lives easier:

Saving Lives

Drones were used during the Nepal earthquake to search for survivors under the debris of buildings.

From firefighters to rescue personnel, a drone can be used to fly over hard-to-reach areas to check for survivors before rescuers risk their lives through the thick bush. Rescue drones are equipped with infra-red cameras that can help in search-and-rescue efforts. They also help determine the hottest area during a house fire. In the recent chain of earthquakes in Nepal, drones were put to use to search for survivors.

Supporting law enforcement

Police forces around the world are slowing starting to see the advantages of UAVs to aid them in their work. Drones are now being used to give the cops a wide range of view and to provide quick and accurate information. If used on a regular basis, drones will soon revolutionize the way police force operates.

Safe Infrastructure Management

Across countries, drones are already being used on a considerable scale for the betterment of the society and community. Considering the difficulty to inspect the top of a skyscraper or under a bridge, drones can help in minimizing the risks taken to otherwise examine such areas. These UAVs can just be deployed to assess a structure’s condition remotely, thus reducing the need for cranes or harnesses, along with the associated risks.

Agriculture Management

Using drones, farmers can target areas that need special attention. Most of the farms are acres in size, and it is not viable for a farmer to access far ends of the farm every day. By working in those areas, farmers can improve their yield and avoid wastage of resources.

Media Access for Hard-to-Reach Places

While we can already understand how this power might be abused by the media, if utilised cautiously, photography for a news channel can easily be taken using drones without risking the lives of the media person.

Some of the other potential uses where drones can be utilized are earth and climate monitoring, mapping, wildlife research and anti-poaching, temporary communications, etc. Besides in Disaster Management, India should soon start using UAVs for other purposes as well as its usage is almost endless and will prove to be beneficial for the nation.

June 10, 2015
iGyaan Turns 5 : But Who is Counting Anyway

On the 7th of June 2015, iGyaan turned five years old. But what also reached five years, is our love for technology. We have constantly strived to serve a purpose in the online space. With our visual introductions and our fun cues, we have often set the ball rolling. The last few years have taught us a lot, about the internet, about technology, about people and hostility and most importantly about survival.

However, we stand here at five, young and proud, stronger than ever and even more resilient than when we started. How do we do it? We don’t know. But, with the amount of love and support we get from you;

WE ARE NOT STOPPING ANYTIME SOON

Happy Birthday to iGyaan and to each and everyone of our readers. See you for another five.

June 9, 2015
Coolpad’s Dazen 1 Adds Heat to the Flash Sale Fever

It all started last year in July when Xiaomi entered the Indian market with a bang. Our country was happily surprised when the Chinese tech company decided to launch the Mi 3, priced at a mere Rs. 13,999. It was the first time, potential Indian buyers were asked to pre-register and patiently wait at a particular time and e-commerce website, to try and buy a smartphone. Flash sales by Xiaomi caused such an uproar that even Flipkart was unable to cope with the traffic. Xiaomi brought the smartphone in small stocks, which only helped increase the enthusiasm of the Indian market to get their hands on the device.

This wildly successful (and frustrating) practice has since been adopted by Asus, Yu, Honor, Micromax and many more companies. The latest one to join in the flash sale madness is Coolpad.

Chinese manufacturer Coolpad had announced that it will be bringing in the Dazen 1, a week back, and it went on sale today at 12pm on Snapdeal. The company claimed that the smartphone had already received over 1 lakh registrations since the window opened.

Keeping up with the trend, this smartphone also comes with high specs at a low price. As a direct competition to Xiaomi Redmi 2, Yu Yuphoria and Moto E Gen 2, the Dazen 1 has been priced at a mere Rs. 6,999.

Specs-wise, the smartphone stocks a 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor coupled with 2GB of RAM along with 8GB of built –in storage, which is expandable upto 32GB via a microSD card. The LTE capable phone comes with a 8MP rear camera, and a 5MP front camera. The Dazen 1 is powered by a 2,500mAh battery.

While there were 1 lakh people eagerly waiting to add a device in their digital cart, the company put out only 10,000 pieces on sale. We wish these companies soon realise that week after week, impressing an audience with the news that their “stock was sold out in seconds” will get old. While it may create a temporary hype, potential buyers would rather go for a device which wasn’t using an old marketing gimmick to persuade them.

June 9, 2015
Apple Music Rivals Are Not Impressed

At the Worldwide Developers Conference last night, Apple introduced to the world its new music streaming service. Over the past few months, we’d heard multiple rumours that this service was in the works, and last evening, Apple finally threw the covers off.

There’s a lot going on with this service. You can use Apple Music to stream songs, listen the Beats 1 radio, watch music videos, follow your favourite artists. The company claims that they’ve managed to combine the best ways of consuming music, into one consolidated app. While this all sounds super, our first reaction to the Apple Music was, how is this going to affect its competitors?

Just like us, Apple Music rivals not only followed the event minute-by-minute, but also decided to comment on it.

Daniel Ek, CEO and Founder of one of the successful music service, Spotify, was the first to publicly snark Apple music. He tweeted a sardonic ‘Oh ok.’

The tweet was deleted minutes later, but the damage was done.

Rdio, an online music and radio streaming service, perhaps gave the most brutal response to Apple. They copied Apple’s old advertisement from 1981, and welcomed Apple to the party as a latecomer. The original Apple ad was released two weeks after the debut of IBM PC back in 1981 by Apple, in a way to ‘welcome’ IBM into the PC marketplace.

Welcome, Apple. Seriously. #applemusic pic.twitter.com/AnoeKZ5ZIa

— Rdio (@Rdio) June 8, 2015

Slacker Radio also sent out a similar message in a less hostile way, tweeting that Apple is too late for the race.

Great radio = artists + DJs + curation. Welcome to the party, @AppleMusic: http://t.co/LihSRb09kV #WWDC15 @Beats1 pic.twitter.com/4qmvfYuhKl — Slacker Radio (@SlackerRadio) June 8, 2015

Finally, 8tracks responded to an Apple critic.

HA, true…but we don’t need one celebrity DJ when we have millions of people like you making beautiful playlists. ???? https://t.co/IfyigzmEfq

— 8tracks (@8tracks) June 8, 2015

While it’s easy to conclude that Apple Music may not be the “revolutionary” service the company claims it is. The music service has, however, managed to consolidate various forms of music consumption into one single widget on our phones. Not only that, it will be available for Android and Windows, later this year.

With the absence of services like Spotify in India, we’re quite excited to find out if Apple Music will arrive in our country.

June 9, 2015
Samsung Galaxy S6 Active Adds Power, a MicroSD and Ruggedness

Samsung’s Galaxy S6 when launched earlier this year lacked a few features that people actually liked about the Galaxy S5. The S6 is not water resistant nor did it have a replaceable battery. Samsung had also left out a microSD card slot aiming for a more Apple-like approach towards storage.

The Galaxy S6 Active is a more rugged version of the Galaxy S6 from Samsung and it has been presently launched in the US exclusively for AT&T. The S6 Active is an IP-68 rated dustproof and water and shock resistant handset from Samsung.

AT&T confirms the phone has a 5.1-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED screen, a 16-megapixel camera and a 5-megapixel wide-angle front-facing camera. It also packs a large 3,500mAh battery, an Exynos 7420 processor and Android 5.0.2 Lollipop.

Like many other handsets in the US the galaxy S6 Active will go on sale starting this Friday for a price of US $ 199 on a two year contract. The handset will be available in two colours : Black and Camouflage white.

June 9, 2015
Apple Pay Steps Out of the US For the First Time, Arrives in UK Next Month

The WWDC 2015 kicked off in style. Along with introducing iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan, another set of important announcements made by the tech giant were about Apple Pay, the company’s NFC and Touch ID-based mobile payment solution.

Jennifer Bailey, Vice President of the Online Store of Apple, came up on stage to talk about the service. She announced that it will finally be made available in the UK, from July 2015. People will now be able to make quick transactions at Boots UK, BP, Costa Coffee, Dune, JD Sports, KFC UK & Ireland, Liberty, LIDL, Marks & Spencer (M&S), McDonald’s UK, Nando’s, New Look, Post Office, Pret A Manger, SPAR, Starbucks, SUBWAY stores, Wagamama and Waitrose.

Apple is partnering along with HSBC, Santander, Natwest, Nationwide, First Direct for the UK launch, and many more. Users will also be able to redeem reward cards from Kohl’s, Walgreens and Dunkin’ Donuts. The biggest news of all was that Apple even managed to rope in Transport for London to accept Apple Pay. So you can use your iPhone or Apple Watch to pay for your travel or daily commute.

Physical stores aren’t the only places where this service comes of use, you can use Apple Pay to pay within apps; cutting short the procedure. Apps that will accept Apple Pay in the UK, include Addison Lee, Airbnb, Argos, Booking.com, British Airways, Domino’s, easyJet, Hailo, HotelTonight, hungryhouse, JD Sports, Just Eat, lastminute.com, Miss Selfridge, Ocado, Stubhub, thetrainline.com, Top 10, Topshop, Uncover, Vueling, YPlan, Zalando and Zara, among others. To pay within apps, Apple Pay is compatible with iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3. Another important advancement to Apple Pay is that later this month, Pinterest will launch ‘buyable pins’ that will allow you to buy things from Nieman Marcus and Macy’s using the Apple Pay.

Other than the UK, Apple also announced Apple Pay will be adding support for rewards programs and store-issued credit and debit cards. Apple Pay has managed to expand merchant acceptance to over one million locations in the coming month. With this addition, Apple Pay will accept credit and debit cards across all major card networks, issued by the most popular banks, representing 98 percent of all credit card purchase volume in the US.

Paying using Apple Pay is as simple as holding your iPhone near the contactless reader in the store, while keeping a finger on the Touch ID. With Apple Watch just double click the side button and hold the face up to the contactless reader to make a purchase right from your wrist. For now, Apple Pay is currently supported for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus and the new Apple Watch, allowing you to pay for items. Apple uses the NFC technology and the Touch ID fingerprint reader to authenticate purchases for buying goods in a store. Keep on checking iGyaan for more updates.

June 9, 2015