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Google’s New Policy Bans Unofficial Chrome Extensions
Next time you might not find your favourite extension on Chrome unless it is available on the official Chrome Web Store. Yes, in a bid to protect its users from malicious add-ons, Google will force them to use only those hosted on the Chrome Web Store.

This policy was first announced in November 2013 and was supposed to go live in January 2014. The plan finally went into effect on May 2014 but was left open to people using the developer version of Chrome, to install their choice of extensions. Google said that this action led hackers tricking users into using the malicious malware.

Extensions manager, Jake Leichtling says:

Affected users are left with malicious extensions running on a Chrome channel they did not choose.

The FAQ page gives more details:
- Users can only install extensions hosted in the Chrome Web store, except for installs via enterprise policy or developer mode.
- Extensions that were previously installed, but not hosted on the Chrome Web Store will be hard-disabled (i.e., the user cannot enable these extensions again), except for installs via enterprise policy or developer mode.
Further, Google said the extensions that are not on the Chrome Web Store and are already installed on Chrome will automatically be disabled and cannot be re-enabled or reinstalled. Unless, of course, Chrome Web Store includes that particular extension to its store.

Google’s new policy may finally help in lowering malicious extensions on Chrome, however, limiting the user’s choices of add-ons.
May 14, 2015
Meizu Makes its Grand Debut in India on May 18

India’s booming smartphone market is attracting the attention of many international brands. Chinese labels Xiaomi, Oppo and Gionee have already strengthened their position in the smartphone arena, and now Meizu has decided to try its luck in one of the most lucrative markets of the world. The China-based consumer electronics firm has announced its official debut date in India as May 18.

The Twitter handle of Meizu India states –

We’ve heard you and here is the date. #0518 pic.twitter.com/eOMAVGwNQb

— MEIZU India (@Meizu_India) May 14, 2015

As you can see, the post reads “Are you ok?” and below it has unveiled its arrival date in India. There is no mention of the phone that will make it to India, but Meizu is anticipated to start its journey with two of the popular products in Blue Charm series, the Meizu M1 Note and the Meizu M1 Mini. The former one is priced at $220 (approx. Rs. 14,000), while the later cost $112 i.e. around Rs 7,000.

For now, there is no concrete information about the devices coming to India, and these are just speculations. But seeing its large catalog of low-end and mid-range products, it is certain to put a dent on the significant market share enjoyed by Xiaomi and OnePlus in the country. Initially, Xioami had seized all the attention for its highly specced, low price handsets, but today many Chinese companies have jumped into the Indian battleground and have intensified the competition. It will be interesting to see if Meizu can lure the budget sensitive Indian customers and secure a place for itself.

May 14, 2015
HTC Reportedly Working on an Affordable ‘H7’ Tablet

The Taiwanese electronics manufacturer HTC is hiding a new device up its sleeve, which is expected to see a launch in the second quarter of this year. According to a reliable source called @upleaks, the firm will launch a new tablet titled ‘HTC H7’, whose cost will be lesser than the present high-end offerings.

There are no other details about the upcoming device other than being lowly priced. We are speculating it to boast a screen size of 7 to 8 inches. It is certain to run on Google’s Android operating system, which has built up an ecosystem with its presence on a majority of handsets, tablets and smartwatches.

HTC only has Nexus 9 in its catalogue of tablets. The stock Android tablet was one of the best products and was launched under HTC brand name. There is a high possibility of Google’s involvement in the ongoing HTC H7 device, but nothing can be ascertained until we get an official announcement from either of the companies.

Meanwhile, it is just a leak and we suggest you to take the report with a pinch of salt. We will come up with more information on the same as soon as something comes out. Keep checking back for updates on HTC H7.

May 14, 2015
Google Rolls Out Android 5.1 Lollipop Update for Moto E (Gen 2) Users

Launched a few weeks back with Android 5.0 Lollipop on-board, Motorola’s Moto E second-gen is now receiving the software update. Google is rolling out the latest version of its Android OS, Android 5.1 Lollipop for its newest budget contender worldwide. The update will appear on your screen via an OTA update and may take some time to hit your device.

The new Android 5.1 will occupy 259MB of space on your new Moto E. Although it’s a minor upgrade, but will bring a lot of bug fixes and performance updates that the earlier version was missing out on. The new OS version includes features like multiple SIM slot, Device Protection, HD Voice calling, Quick Settings and few more. Everything about Android 5.1 can be read here.

At a time when more than 75% of the Android devices still don’t have the first version of Android Lollipop 5.0, it is a big announcement for a low-end device like Moto E (Gen 2). A few Motorola devices have already received the update; more handsets are likely to get the notification soon.

May 14, 2015
Samsung to Confront Apple Watch’s Digital Crown with a Rotating Bezel on its Next Smartwatch

Apple’s first wearable Apple Watch was a unique wearable in certain aspects. The device houses the Force Touch feature and an innovative navigation-based Digital Crown that takes users through the watch interface. Samsung has a tough task ahead to bring out a competitive smartwatch in the wearable market, and seems like it is ready to knock out Apple Watch with its entirely distinct tool. Some details have surfaced in the latest release of an SDK for developers, which speaks that the stand-out feature of Samsung’s next Gear will be its display bezel.

According to a report by SamMobile, the next-gen smartwatch will have a circular display of 1.18-inch that will be paired with a rotating bezel. The bezel will be the key to interface navigation on the smartwatch, served by a Digital Crown on Apple Watch. The rotating mechanism will perform a variety of functions such as zooming, scrolling, adjusting volume and numerous other functions. Here are some of the images that show how will it work:

The image above shows how users can toggle between multiple apps like emails, messages, music player and more just by twisting the movable bezel on the Gear smartwatch.

Another picture shows the inclusion of the swipe feature that seems to perform a slew of additional functions.

Few other images reveal further uses of the rotating bezel like zoom in and zoom out photos, controlling volume and scrolling through the contacts list.

To embed rotating bezels on the next-gen Gear smartwatch is certainly an innovative approach by Samsung. It makes the wearable stand out of the pack and pits it directly against the Apple Watch.

Late last month, Korean electronics maker teased the round display of its future smartwatch while sending an open invitation to global developer community members. The pictures said about its partnership with CNN, Baidu, Yelp, Apposter, and FidMe. The next Gear device will run on Tizen OS with Exynos 7420 powering it. The smartwatch may launch in two variants. The company hasn’t come up with an official announcement till now, and we expect to hear it soon.

May 14, 2015
Gmail Quietly Rolls Out a New Login Screen

Gmail was the only Google subsidiary that had not undergone many updates for a long time. But, Google has quietly rolled out a new update that may change the phase of web logins. According to TechCrunch, Gmail has rolled out a new login screen that would require you to go through two different pages, one asking for your Email ID and the other for your password.

Before, to log into your Gmail account, you were required to enter your Email ID and password on the same page, which would later be directed to your inbox. With the new login screen, you will first have to enter your user id. The next page will ask you for your password, and then you will be directed to your inbox.

Google’s official product forum reads that the new login screen will prepare for ‘future authentication solutions that complement passwords.’ It also claims that the new login screen will reduce confusion among people having multiple Gmail accounts. It also reads that a better experience is promised for SAML SSO users, like university users or corporate that sign in with a different identity other than Google.

Google has not made clear what the above points meant. But the thread saw many users complaining about the change being unnecessary. Users have complained that the two-screen login process wastes time. Some users who have more than two accounts say the new screen have broken their ability to login using various password managers.

TechCrunch also pointed out that the method is somewhat similar to the ‘Trusted Device’ option in Android devices that lets users unlock their devices when they come in vicinity of their smartphone or tablet while they have a chosen trusted device on their person.

May 14, 2015
Online Shopping In Bihar Will Attract Upto 12% Entry Tax

The country is enjoying the perks of the commerce boom, all consumers of the online marketplaces have experienced easy shopping and great discounts. However, online shopping as it turns out, is going to become expensive for the residents of Bihar. The Bihar state government has introduced an entry tax of upto 12% for all the products bought online from E commerce Websites. A notification was issued by the state commercial taxes department that brings online business under this tax net.

According to the notification, the products purchased on the web will be charged with additional 12% of entry tax (maximum) and the minimum charges on the products would be 5%. The additional tax will be levied on the products listed under the entry tax list and whose cost is Rs. 1,000 or more.

Here’s how Bihar government has decided to impose entry tax on the online products:

While many believe that this will promote retail growth, the future still looks bleak for retail merchants. The online marketplace has become the home of many products, some which are rarely available offline. The online only model has also attracted the likes of YU, Xiaomi and Oneplus among many other to do business in India.

May 14, 2015
Apple iPhone 6s Expected to Arrive with 2GB RAM,12MP Camera and a Rose Gold Colour Option

Apple’s latest products in the market, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus include the most significant upgrades that the company has incorporated since years. The two smartphones arrived last year in September, and were accompanied by the grand announcement of the Apple Watch. Now, it is time to begin discussing what Apple has in store for us this year. According to AppleInsider, Ming-Chi Kuo, an Analyst from KGI Securities issued a security note that read Apple will be offering an additional Rose Gold option for the upcoming iPhone, to keep its market in momentum.

iPhone 6s is Expected to Include Force Touch Technology.

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 the sound quality. Kuo also said the device will come with 2 GB RAM and a 12MP camera. Kuo also reveals that Apple’s upcoming iPhone 6s models will be powered by a next-gen A9 processor. Another highlight of the new iPhone would be the inclusion of Force Touch, a feature which we’ve recently seen on the Apple Watch and MacBook. As every year, the smartphones would be released in the month of September.

This concludes one of the first major leaks about the upcoming iPhone, we should expect to see more rumours emerge as the launch date approaches.

May 13, 2015
Leaked Photo of Samsung Galaxy S6 Active Suggests Robust Construction

Korean tech powerhouse Samsung carved a niche in the smartphone market with the unveiling of its new-fangled Galaxy S6 series. It is Samsung’s best product in terms of design and, of course, specifications; the design has been considered delicate. But the major flaw in the high-end device is that it’s not waterproof and weatherproof. The South Korean equipment maker is planning to remove that glitch by introducing another version of Galaxy S6, the Galaxy S6 Active, and today a source has authenticated its existence. GSMArena has released a picture of the next iteration of Galaxy S6, which is yet not announced.

The image speaks of a rugged Galaxy S6 Active, immune to accidental drops. The front has three physical buttons, which means fingerprint scanner will be absent in this model. As per the source, the phone will sport the model number SM-G890A and a significantly larger battery of 3,500mAh. Being a variant of the expensive Galaxy S6, the S6 Active is sure to maintain its top-notch specifications.

We earlier reported that the smartphone will boast features like detachable battery and MicroSD card. Besides fingerprint scanner, a heart rate monitor will also be missing in the next S series device. The phone will be water and dust resistance and will launch sometime in mid-summer.

Stay tuned for more updates on the same.

May 13, 2015
PM Modi Calls on Samsung, LG to Help Give ‘Make in India’ Campaign a Push

The Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day speech, shared his vision to make the country a technology hub. He hopes for an India where government services can be delivered through the creation of technological infrastructure. Giving a push to his Make in India campaign, Modi will sit down with top officials of the two leading tech powerhouses, LG and Samsung, to set up a manufacturing unit in India. The establishment of their manufacturing plants will stimulate the production of smartphones in India.

Minister of Communication and IT, Ravi Shankar Prasad, confirmed about the meeting with the South Korean companies, saying, “Earlier, I had personally met senior executives of these companies and we expect something concrete now.” Modi will have a talk with Samsung Electronics’ President and Head, JK Shin and LG’s Global CEO and Vice-Chairman, Bon-Joon Koo. LG India’s Managing Director stamped the ties to some extent stating Modi’s visit will enhance bilateral ties.

How LG and Samsung’s Participation will Make a Difference

LG and Samsung are the two front runners in the smartphone race whose products are appreciated worldwide. Not to forget, these firms have a strong foothold in the smartphones domain as well as the semi-conductors arena. Samsung manufactures Exynos chips equipped on the Galaxy S6 series, and if the company sets up a plant on the Indian soil, smartphones will become a lot cheaper than their current launch price.

For now, only 74% of the Indians own a mobile and considering the large size of the Indian population, there is still a massive number of people who are yet to own mobiles. Modi aims to reach that 26% residing in the rural area with cheaper phones produced on our homeland. He aims to connect India through its length and width by 2019. The Prime Minister has sanctioned Rs. 113,000 crore fund for the Digital India project.

Investment in technological infrastructure will lead to a speedy growth in the economy. It will also help in bringing better, technology-aided education to the children of India, thereby forging a promising future of the country.

May 13, 2015
Asia’s Largest Google Campus Will Be Based In Hyderabad

After being the first Indian city to get the Street View (a technological feature by Google Maps and Google Earth that provides paranomia views along many streets), Hyderabad may have yet another surprise announcement up its sleeves. Google has decided to set up its first Asian campus here in India’s largest IT corridor, Hyderabad. It is touted to be its biggest campus outside the USA.

Excited to announce that Google & Govt of Telangana has inked an MoU to build their largest campus (outside US) 1/3 pic.twitter.com/iMiPFa3hf7

— KTR (@KTRTRS) May 11, 2015

in Hyderabad. First campus in Asia. 2 Million sq ft space would be built. Investment of Rs. 1000 crores and in four years employee size 2/3

— KTR (@KTRTRS) May 11, 2015

to double from 6500 now to 13000. David Radcliffe, Sr VP of Google & IT Secy Jayesh Ranjan signed the MoU at Google HQ in Mountain View 3/3

— KTR (@KTRTRS) May 11, 2015

IT Minister of Telangana, KT Rama Rao, who is on a visit right now to the US, has signed a MoU with Google Inc, under which Hyderabad will allot 7.2 acres in the Gachibowli area. KT Rama Rao said an investment of Rs 1,000 crore would be used for the same and they will increase its employee size from 6,500 to 13,000. Google also expects the facility would be developed and be fully operational by 2019.

The minister also spoke with Google about supporting the intended Telangana programme that is aimed to promote digital literacy among school children.

With powerhouses of tech like Google, forging its way to Indian soil, it could very well mean that we could be heading to a very bright technological future along with a rise in employment.

May 13, 2015
YU Yuphoria | Benchmarks | Questions Answered

Micromax’s subsidiary Yu Televentures recently updated its smartphone lineup with the new Yuphoria. The firm was striving to carve a niche in the developers community and has succeeded to a large extent. At a price of Rs. 6,999, the device has some exceptional features like its all-metal body and speakers that produce loud and clear sound. We put the device to test and checked its hardware and graphic capabilities.

Have a look at our full benchmark and hardware test along:

The smartphone boasts an impressive 5-inch display and is powered by a 64-bit 1.2GHz Quad-Core Snapdragon 410. The Adreno 306 GPU takes care of the graphics quality of the phone, making the videos run quite well. The next device by YU packs the latest Cyanogen OS 12 based on Android Lollipop. The company has made use of its partnership with Cyanogen, which will surely give an edge to Yuphoria over other contenders.

We ran AnTuTu and NenaMark 2 on our device and here are its scores along with Redmi 2, and Moto E (Gen 2):

Test

Yuphoria

Xiaomi Redmi 2

Moto E (Gen 2)

AnTuTu 23,779 21,155 15,362

NenaMark 2 54.4fps 54fps 51.2fps

So, as you can see above, Yuphoria scored 23,779 in the AnTuTu test and 54.4fps in the NenaMark 2 test. It has left behind Xiaomi’s Redmi 2 and the latest low-budget Motorola product, Moto E (Gen 2). Although the device doesn’t deliver the best performance, given its economical price tag, it certainly is the best pick among other contenders.

Questions Answered:

There have been several queries regarding the OTG support on the device. We checked out this aspect and found that Yuphoria doesn’t support OTG. The smartphone doesn’t have a Notification LED light either.

Yuphoria sports a ‘Double Tap to Wake Up’ feature, which enables you to lock and unlock the screen with a double tap. Enable the option, and the screen will wake up when tapped twice. To lock the screen, do the same again on the status bar and nowhere else; your device will lock instantly.

As we’ve mentioned before, the YU Yuphoria is the first smartphone to integrate Truecaller. It is optional, and can be disabled easily.

We will soon come up with a full review of the blockbuster smartphone. Meanwhile, you can click here to watch our exclusive Unboxing and Hands-on video.

May 13, 2015
Skype’s Super Cool Live Translator App is Finally Accessible Worldwide

Skype’s futuristic software was first introduced to the world in December 2014. Skype’s Translator app that provides instantaneous translation of both, spoken and written languages, is now ready to be offered worldwide almost after six months of its first preview.

Earlier, when the app was in its preview stage, users had to sign up via the Skype Translator preview page. This was limited to users of Windows and Windows Phone OS and was available in just two languages; Spanish and English, along with forty instant languages. Now, Microsoft has removed the signup requirement for masses to preview, translating languages like English, Spanish, Italian and Mandarin in real-time. Meanwhile, under Instant Messaging, the app supports fifty languages.

The Redmond-based firm is planning to launch a distinct app specially designed for India. Filipp Seljanko, Skype spokesman, said the precise Skype app will be optimised for India’s mobile networks to offer better experience over 2G and 3G networks.

Skype’s Translator app is available only on Windows for now, and users will need a Windows 8 or Windows 10 OS for it to work. You can download the app here.

Know more about Skype Translator app here.

May 13, 2015
Xiaomi Launches Internet Finance Unit to Compete with Alibaba and Tencent

The widely popular Chinese electronics manufacturer Xioami is making headway into the finance sector with the launch of a new product service. Termed as ‘Huoqi Bao’, the newly launched personal finance service will offer deposit rates higher than the traditional Chinese banks. The recently inaugurated financial unit by Xiaomi pits it against the big players in the online finance arena like Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu.

The China’s Apple has collaborated with a fund management company called E Fund Management that, as per Xiaomi, will expand into offering personal lending and security brokerage in the near future. The Huoqi Bao service will be accessible via an app bundled with Xiaomi’s operating system.

Xiaomi Co-Founder Hong Feng said in a statement –

We’re aiming to build a smart platform to help financial partners find high quality clients, while helping our users earn money and borrow money.

China’s two biggest internet companies, Tencent and Alibaba, have established themselves in such a short span of time. Xiaomi aims to follow the footprints of the firms and provide investors with higher growth rates and cash-on-demand service. As per Reuters report, the world’s third largest smartphone brand has recently “generated annualized returns on deposits of 4.5 percent.”

Alibaba’s financial arm Yu’E Bao was reported to have assets of worth 578 billion yuan ($93 billion) by end 2014. The E Fund Management is not exclusive to Xiaomi only and will also provide services to the Tencent’s Licaitong.

May 13, 2015
You Will Soon Be Able To Sell Second Handed Goods Directly From Facebook

After working on a new feature that may give Google a direct competition in the terms of a search engine, Facebook is now eyeing a feature that will let its users buy or sell goods through groups. Although, this feature is not new to Facebook as the social networking giant tried it briefly back in December 2014.

Right now in its test mode, Facebook’s latest extension is a group called ‘All Sale Groups’ that will allow users to scan through a catalog of items that are up for grabs. The items are shown along with the Groups or categories they are a part of, in a unified manner. Facebook search box would enable people to search for goods that are made public and are up for sale. Categories like books, event tickets, clothing, video games, furniture, etc. helps in faster search results.

When a person lists an item for sale, they mention the price and state whether the price rate is negotiable or not. The details include information about the product along with photos, pick up and delivery option.

Vendors would not have to pay any commission to Facebook. In return, this raises up the chances that the user will stay on the social networking site for a long time.

According to TheNextWeb, this feature is now in its infant form, and work is being done for its worldwide launch within the next few weeks. Looks like eBay has got its competitor!

May 13, 2015