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Indian Scientist Invents the World’s First Self-Sustaining Camera

A team led by T.C Chang Professor of Computer Science, Shree K. Nayar, built the world’s first fully functional self-powered video camera that can produce an image per second in a well-lit environment. The resolution is not great, but it can go on recording forever.

Here’s the explanation of the working of the machine: When the camera sensor is exposed to light, the pixels use photodiodes to generate electricity. This helps the sensor to measure the intensity of the light that is then used to produce images. In the case of Nayar’s prototype camera, the team used a 3D printer to construct the body of the camera. The camera takes advantage of a photodiode’s ability to be used in both, a digital camera (photoconductive) and solar cells (photovoltaic). When exposed to light, the camera sensors switch between capturing an image or are used to generate and charge other devices like a phone. After measuring the intensity of light, these sensors convert the light into electricity, which in turn powers the camera.

Nayar states that, even if the invention is at its toddler stage, this could help in boosting a new generation of cameras, like security cameras, CCTV camera or any other camera that works round the clock without needing to be powered. Nayar’s team will present their work officially at the Rice University in Houston April 24-26.

The video below demonstrates the video quality of the camera.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13dKKJxSKeg

April 16, 2015
Xiaomi Mi 4 Faces a Price Drop in India, Ahead of Tentative Mi 4i Launch

The Mi 4 was one of the top-selling products by Xiaomi, and it is still taking a lead with its amazing specifications and reasonable pricing. The Chinese consumer electronics firm has given one more reason to its customers to pick the handset over the 2014 flagship killer OnePlus One. Xiaomi has slashed the price of its Mi 4 handset, making both the 64GB and 16GB variants cheaper by Rs. 2,000.

The official Mi India website speaks about the refreshed price tag of the Mi 4:

The 64GB version will now cost Rs. 21,999 instead of Rs. 23,999, while the 16GB version can be purchased at a price of Rs. 17,999 down from Rs. 19,999. Users can buy it through Flipkart or The Mobile Store, whereas the recent online partners Snapdeal and Amazon will receive it soon. Xiaomi India Head Manu Jain notified about the same via Twitter:

#Mi4PriceDrop – new price is permanent. Mi 4 is available on @Flipkart n @themobilestores. It’ll soon be available on @Snapdeal n @amazonIN

— Manu Kumar Jain (@manukumarjain) April 16, 2015

Unlike the Mi Fan Festival flash sale that offered the Mi 4 at discounted rates, this price cut by Xiaomi is permanent. Also, it should be worth noting that the announcement of the price cut came a week before the Global premier of a mysterious new smartphone. The upcoming smartphone is speculated to be a low-end version of the Mi 4.

Meanwhile, we earlier surfaced the news that the company is working on a bigger sibling of Mi 4, the Mi 5. The smartphone is said to mark the debut of the new interface MIUI 7. According to official AOKP blog, the new interface is codenamed MiKangy, and will be a whole new take on the Android UX, combining the salient features of top ROMs like CM, PA, Omni and AOKP.

The Mi 5 is yet to go official. Till then, you can buy the Mi 4 through the links provided below:

April 16, 2015
Google Adds ‘Find my Phone’ Support to Help Locate Your Missing Android Device

Google has volunteered to lend a hand in searching for our missing devices. The search giant has added a new super-useful feature called ‘Find My Phone’ that helps Android users google their smartphone.

Google hasn’t gone for a tangled tracing process and has kept it straight and simple. Just log in to your Gmail account fro your computer’s browser and type ‘Find my phone’ on a Google omnibox. Make sure that you are logged in to the same account as on the device. You will be directed to a page with a map view, depicting the location of your phone. While the map appears on the screen, and it may ask you to log in again. Once logged in, call your device with the ‘Ring’ option provided below.

Google will call your handset within a few seconds and user can track the location of the handset. The loud ringing bell can be turned off by pressing the power button on the handset.

Though it’s a hassle-free approach to find your phone, one should have the latest version of Google app installed to access the benefits. The latest feature shows the location of your phone on the map, but to erase the content of your phone, one needs to have Android Device Manager installed.

April 16, 2015
Lenovo’s New A6000 Plus Might Arrive in India Soon

The tussle to bring the best in the budget is getting stiff among Chinese smartphone producers. Lenovo recently enticed customers with the launch of the A6000. Now to keep ahead of its competitors, the Beijing-based firm has launched the successor of the previous iteration, Lenovo A6000 Plus.

Lenovo hasn’t reworked on the device from scratch, this one comes with a few modifications missing in the former model. The Plus moniker houses an enhanced 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage space, which can be extended up to 32GB. While the previous iteration, the A6000 holds 1GB of RAM and 8GB of onboard storage.

Other specifications of the device are untouched. The Plus moniker holds the same 5-inch display with 720p resolution. A 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor provides computing power to the device. The device runs on the KitKat version of Android OS.

The dual-SIM phone holds a battery of 2300mAh, which is sufficient for a device of these specifications. An 8MP rear shooter with Autofocus and LED Flash, and a 2MP secondary camera sits on the phone to capture selfies. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, Micro-USB port and audio jack.

The device will come in black, white, yellow and red colour options. The company has not decided its price, but it is speculated to cost a bit higher than the non-Plus variant; somewhere around Rs. 9,000. A final word about its price and availability will be given by the manufacturers soon. Although, according to India Today, the handsets should be arriving in India within the next few weeks.

April 16, 2015

Asus ZenFone 2 | Exclusive Unboxing and Hands On

Recently Asus introduced the successor to its affordable Zenfone series, the Zenfone 2. The company also announced that there are three variants of the device that would share the Zenfone 2 name. Chinese tech giants, Xiaomi and OnePlus, who have successfully created a niche in the Indian market, may find themselves facing severe rivalry in the mid-range category.

The Asus ZenFone 2 box consists of:

An Asus ZenFone 2 Handset.
Documentation including Warranty card and User Guide.
Earphones (Although, our box did not)
Standard Asus Charger
USB Cable

The phone is expected to launch on 23rd April, exclusively on Flipkart with an expected price tag of Rs. 19,000. The device comes with a 5.5-inch 1920x1080p IPS Display, protected by Gorilla Glass 3. It is powered by an Intel Atom 23580 Quadcore processor with 2.3 GHz CPU. One of its notable features is that the phone comes with two variants of RAM; 2GB RAM and 4GB RAM. The one we unboxed came with 4GB RAM. The juice is supplied by an adequate 3000mAh non-removable battery and the smartphone comes pre-loaded with Android 5.0 Lollipop.

The device is well-built and similar to the LG G3, and HTC One M8 in terms of its colour finish. Its User Interface was clean, fast and responsive. In our initial impressions, we did not experience any lag.

Asus Zenfone 2 has a 13MP primary camera and a 5MP front camera. The dual LED flash paired with the rear camera, comes in two colours, to help you get the right white balance. Both the microphones consist of the noise cancellation feature, thus enabling you to talk with least hassle.

To get a clearer idea of the specs, you can check out the table below:

SPECIFICATION	ASUS Zenfone 2
Operating System	Android 5.0 Lollipop
Screen Size	5.5-inch 1920x1080p IPS Display
RAM	4GB
Battery	3000mAh Lithium Poly-ion Non-Removable
Processor	Intel Atom 23580 Quadcore processor
CPU	2.3 GHz
Front camera	5MP
Rear Camera	13MP
Price	Rs 19,000 (Tentative)

Check out the in-depth video below

April 15, 2015

OnePlus to Release OnePlus Two Along with a Cheaper Alternative By End 2015

The OnePlus Two can easily be considered as one of the most awaited devices of 2015. But it may not be the only new phone coming from OnePlus. A report published by Bloomberg suggests that the Chinese company may be working on a cheaper alternative as well.

Bloomberg said the OnePlus Two is set to launch in the third quarter of 2015, adding that a friendly cheaper alternative is due to release at the same time. OnePlus has not yet confirmed the news.

The OnePlus Two is expected to have almost the same features as the OnePlus One while adding an up-to-date processor, a 5.5-inch 2K display and a bigger battery. It is also rumoured that the new phone could also feature a high-tech biometric scanner. This could potentially increase the pricing of the device. Maybe, because of this, OnePlus might be working on a cheaper option along with it – catering to a wider audience.

The report also states that OnePlus aims to sell between 3-5 million smartphones in 2015, and 10 million by the end of 2016. OnePlus also revealed that the company is now gearing up to enter a new product this month, which is neither a smartphone nor a tablet. We’ll have to wait and see what’s up ahead, and knowing OnePlus, our hopes are high.

April 15, 2015
Airtel Finally Speaks Up About Net Neutrality

In the past few weeks, Airtel has managed to unite the online world against it. It did so, by launching the infamous Airtel Zero plan, which is a clear violation of net neutrality. Earlier today, Flipkart, paying heed to the online negativity gathered, announced that it had made the wise decision of backing out of the Airtel Zero plan.

Read what Airtel has to say below:

Airtel fully supports the concept of Net Neutrality. There have been some misconceptions about our toll free data platform – Airtel Zero. It is a not a tariff proposition but is an open marketing platform that

1. Allows any application or content provider to offer their service on a toll free basis to their customers who are on our network.

2. Such customers whether on a data pack or not will therefore be able to access these toll free services free of charge.

3. No site whether on the toll free platform or not under any circumstances is blocked, throttled or provided any form of preferential access.

4. The toll free platform is open to all content providers on a completely non discriminatory basis and operates on the same principle as 1-800 toll free voice services.

The statement made by Flipkart regarding their decision not to offer toll free data service to their customers is consistent with our stand that Airtel Zero is not a tariff proposition. It is merely an open platform for content providers to provide toll free data services. The platform remains open to all companies who want to offer these toll free data services to their customers on a completely non discriminatory basis.

April 14, 2015

Spec Battle : Samsung Galaxy S6 Vs Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Vs HTC One M9+

Today, HTC brought out the One M9+ in India, skipping the speculated launch of the original M9 unveiled at MWC 2015. The One M9 might not make its way to the Indian sub-continent, but we’ve got the bigger Plus version to weigh against its competition. The top of the line smartphone packs hefty specifications, which may even manage to put a dent in Samsung’s market.

Let’s check out how the smartphones fare against each other:

Specs	HTC One M9+	Samsung Galaxy S6	Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Display	5.2-inch WQHD (1440x2560p)	5.1-inch QuadHD Super AMOLED (577ppi)	5.1-inch QuadHD Super AMOLED (577ppi)
Processor	2.2GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6795T	2.1 GHz Quad + 1.5 GHz quad Exynos 64-bit	2.1 GHz Quad + 1.5 GHz quad Exynos 64-bit
RAM	3GB	3GB	3GB
Storage	32GB, expandable up to 128GB	32GB, not expandable	32GB, not expandable
Rear Camera	20MP + 2MP Duo Camera	16MP with F1.9 + OIS	16MP with F1.9 + OIS
Front Camera	4MP HTC UltraPixel	5MP	5MP
Battery	2840mAh	2550mAh	2600mAh
Operating System	Android 5.0.2 Lollipop with HTC Sense 7	Android 5.0.2 Lollipop	Android 5.0.2 Lollipop
Price	Rs. 52,500	Rs. 49,900	Rs. 58,900

Clearly, the pricing of the phone might lead the audience to shift focus on the Galaxy S6 rather than HTC One M9+, especially since the smartphone runs on a MediaTek processor. The display size of the phones is similar, and the RAM of the three handsets also stands parallel. The battery and rear camera of the HTC One M9+ are slightly bumped up, but overall the devices hold comparable specifications.

Since we’ve got our hands on both the devices, we have to admit that the HTC One M9+ feels more sturdy in the hand. Another area where HTC One M9+ wins is the fact that it comes with an expandable memory option, a feature that would be appreciated by many. HTC has brought the One M9+ to compete with the big-sized rulers in the Indian market. We’ll have to now wait and watch how this move turns out for the company.

April 14, 2015

Along with M9+ and E9+, HTC Announces the Desire 326G Dual SIM for India

Along with the HTC One M9+ and M8+, HTC today brought out the Desire 326G Dual SIM. The handset is protected by a removable polycarbonate exterior and sports a 4.5-inch (480x854p) display. It is powered by a Quad-Core Spreadtrum SC7731G chipset clocked at 1.2GHz bundled with 1GB of RAM. With 8GB of internal memory and an additional 32GB via microSD card, the storage facility seems ample.

It has a primary camera of 8MP and a front snapper of 2MP. The main camera is loaded with different features such as ‘Smile To Capture’, ‘Burst Shots’ and is capable of shooting 1080p resolution videos. The phone comes pre-installed with Zoe TM Highlights, an app that allows users to create, edit and share videos easily. A 2000 mAh removable battery supplies power to the device.

HTC Desire 326G Dual Sim will be available in White Birch and Black Onyx colours at all major retailers in India from the second half of May. As of now, its price has not been disclosed yet.

Have a look at the specs table below:

SPECIFICATIONS	HTC Desire 326G Dual Sim
Operating System	Android (no specific details given)
Display	4.5-inch (480x854p)
RAM	1GB
Battery	2000mAh
Processor	1.2GHz Quad-Core Spreadtrum SC7731G
Internal Storage	8GB
Expandable Up to	32GB
Primary Camera	8MP
Front Camera	2MP
Connectivity	Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and Micro-USB

April 14, 2015

Thanks to Massive Demand, Apple Working to Accelerate its Smartwatch Production

Seems like Apple itself was dubious about the success of its first wearable, and ordered production of a limited number of Watch units. The demand of the Apple Watch, as forecasted by the US tracking firm Slice Intelligence, hit almost one million on its first day of pre-order, which outstrips the supply of the watch. As per Reuters, the consumer electronics giant is likely to speed up the production of the Apple Watch to meet the towering demand.

Analysts have predicted that Apple could see a total of 2.3 million to 4 million sales by June end. Meanwhile, Apple didn’t disclose the pre-order details on Monday as part of its usual strategy, and analysts are stating that this may be due to supply shortage.

A demand of 4 million is a great start for a company debuting in the wearables segment. Another Swiss analysis firm USB has revealed that the tech behemoth will sell as much as 16 million watches in FY 2015 ending September and 40 million in FY 2016.

Apple Watch was unveiled at the March 9 event and went up for pre-orders on April 10, and on sale on April 24. World over, the Apple Watch stores saw a huge flock of people patiently waiting to get a closer look at the personal luxury by Apple.

All these speculations point out to the fact that the fate of the Apple Watch was predicted wrongly by critics; they believed the device to be a worthless gadget with aggressive pricing.

April 14, 2015
Flipkart Backs Off From Airtel Zero, Sticks to the ‘Larger Cause of Net Neutrality’

After facing a barrage of criticism for tying up with the controversial Airtel Zero plan, e-commerce giant, Flipkart, has withdrawn out of the service. According to a Flipkart spokesman, the e-commerce giant has taken the wise decision to walk away from their partnership with Airtel and instead they want to commit themselves to the ‘larger cause of Net Neutrality’.

A week back, Flipkart caused a major outburst when they announced that they would be joining Airtel Zero. This act allows companies to buy data from telcos and offer their consumers free internet access. This lead to violation by discriminating various Internet services on the basis of price.

Here’s the complete official statement from Flipkart:

We at Flipkart have always strongly believed in the concept of net neutrality, for we exist because of the Internet. Over the past few days, there has been an enormous amount of debate, both internally and externally, on the topic of zero rating, and we have a deeper understanding of the implications. Based on this, we have decided on the following:

We will be walking away from the ongoing discussions with Airtel for their platform Airtel Zero.

We will be committing ourselves to the larger cause of Net Neutrality in India. We will be internally discussing over the next few days, the details of actions we will take to support the cause.

We will be working towards ensuring that the spirit of net neutrality is upheld and applied equally to all companies in India irrespective of the size or the service being offered, and there is no discrimination whatsoever.

To protest against Airtel’s net neutrality violation, a website has been launched called www.SaveTheInternet.in, using which anyone can send a direct mail to TRAI in support of the cause. According to reports, within three days a record of 1.5lakh petitions were emailed to TRAI.

After Flipkart, many politicians are showing concern and have joined in to pitch in for Internet freedom. Next month, a panel of six members will be set up by the telecom department, who will give in their final take on Net Neutrality.

To know more about Net Neutrality, click here.

April 14, 2015

HTC Announces One E9+ with a 5.5-inch 2K Display in India

As soon as the HTC launch event kicked off, the Taiwanese firm pulled out a whole lot of surprises. The first one was the introduction of the One M9+ instead of the One M9, followed by the release of two new handsets, the One E9+ and Desire 326G. The One M9+ is priced at Rs. 52,500 and will be up for grabs on May 3, while the rest will be available mid-May onwards.

Unlike One M9+, the One E9+ features a plastic body. It sports a 5.5-inch Quad HD (1440x2560p) display, with a 64-bit 2GHz octa-core MediaTek helio X10 chipset powering the device. 3GB RAM and 16GB internal storage space are just enough for the dual-SIM smartphone. The phone holds a MicroSDXC card support that offers to expand the memory by 2TB. The device runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop with HTC Sense 7 skin atop.

Coming on to camera specifications, HTC One E9+ holds a 20MP rear camera which offers 4K video recording. The upfront has HTC’s UltraPixel shooter that clicks fair quality pictures. The front also houses the company’s trademark BoomSound with Dolby Audio. The phone gets its juice from the 2800mAh embraced at its back.

Connectivity options include NFC, Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi, DLNA, Micro-USB port and an audio jack. The phone will come in three shades – Meteor Grey, Gold Sopia and Rose Gold. Meanwhile, HTC hasn’t revealed the pricing details of the handset, but it is likely to unfold before the official roll out.

Check out the spec table of HTC One E9+:

Specs	HTC One E9+
Display	5.5-inch Quad HD (1440x2560p)
Processor	2GHz octa-core MediaTek helio X10
RAM	3GB
Storage	16GB, expandable up to 2TB
Primary Camera	20MP
Secondary Camera	HTC UltraPixel
Operating System	Android 5.0 Lollipop with HTC Sense 7
Battery	2800mAh

April 14, 2015

HTC Skips One M9, Announces the Bigger One M9+ for India

Today, HTC refreshed its smartphone line-up in India with the launch of three new devices, the Desire 326G, the One E9+ and the One M9+. Surprisingly, there is no One M9 for the Indian market and the Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer has popped up a bigger sibling of its latest flagship. The 326G handset is an addition the Desire series, while the latter two are high-end gadgets. Coming on to the One M9+, the device is priced at Rs. 52,500 and will go on sale starting May 3 in the country.

The latest offering weighs just 168g and sports a 5.2-inch WQHD (1440x2560p) display. The device houses a 2.2GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6795T processor, coupled with 3GB RAM and 32GB inbuilt storage space. The handset comes with MicroSD card slot for expanding the storage volume up to 128GB. The One M9+ runs on Android 5.0.2 Lollipop with HTC Sense 7 UI on top. A 2840mAh battery is attached to the phone to juice it up all day long.

Coming on the optics of the phone, then the handset boasts a 20MP Duo camera setup with F2.2 aperture, along with additional options like the sapphire cover lens, auto-focus, BSI sensor and 4K video recording. The front of the phone features HTC UltraPixel 4MP with F2.0 aperture and 1080p HD video recording to capture selfies.

Connectivity options include NFC, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, DLNA, CIR, Micro-USB port and an audio jack. Customers can choose from Amber Gold and Silver Gold colour options. Along with that, the device will come with one year insurance package that will cover accidental and liquid damages.

Here’s a brief look at its specs:

Specs	HTC One M9+
Display	5.2-inch WQHD (1440x2560p)
Processor	2.2GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6795T
RAM	3GB
Storage	32GB, expandable up to 128GB
Rear Camera	20MP
Front Shooter	HTC UltraPixel 4MP
Battery	2840mAh
Operating Sytem	Android 5.0.2 Lollipop with HTC Sense 7 UI
Price	Rs. 52,500

Wondering what India is missing out on? Check out our hands on with the HTC One M9:

April 14, 2015

Lollipop-Based Cyanogen 12 Starts Rolling Out to OnePlus One Devices

Cyanogen 12 is officially out and is currently rolling out to OnePlus One devices first. The update for the rest of the devices will soon follow in the coming weeks. Cyanogen 12 brings Android 5.0 with Material Design language in all its glory on the modified OS.

It also brings a new App Themer feature that allows users to change the styling of the interface, including third party apps. Once updated, users can avail a vast variety of themes, both paid and unpaid.

Along with this, debuting for the first time is the new Cyanogen email, powered by Boxer. This version will be available for free to all Cyanogen OS users. The new Cyanogen mail brings features like Exchange Support, Multiple Account integration and canned responses for quicker replies. Boxer also added customization LED lights for email notifications. More news on the update will follow soon.

It is highly probable that the Yu Yureka devices may receive the Cyanogen 12 update next. Yu announced last month it would soon be releasing the update and have already started working on the beta version.

Till then, OnePlus One users, keep hitting that refresh button.

April 14, 2015
Report : Government to Intervene on Airtel’s Net Neutrality Violation

Net Neutrality is currently a heated issue amongst the people of India. Recently, Bharti Airtel has received a lot of flak for its contentious “Airtel Zero” plan from social media users. Following the reports of Airtel’s preferential treatment for websites, the government has reportedly decided to intervene and has said that it plans to keep a close watch on the company’s developments.

According to a report by the Times of India, the Department of Telecom (DoT) is looking into the Airtel’s Zero plan to give special privileges to some websites and confined access to the others. A high-rank official stated about the government will take on the Zero plan, “DoT is looking into finer details and whether it goes against the spirit of net neutrality.”

Meanwhile, the Telecomm Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has also started an online protest against net neutrality, which has received a tremendous response from users. Last Saturday, government uploaded a consultation paper called “Regulatory Framework for Over-the-Top (OTT) Services” where stakeholders were asked to comment. Within two days, the government received over 1.5 lakh e-mails asking to protect network neutrality in the country. A vast group of people are in support of net neutrality and want Internet to be a free space – where everyone can access anything at the same speed.

The inspection by DoT will be in conjunction with TRAI’s OTT program and will also bring to light Airtel’s previous attempts to assault net neutrality. The national telecom operator tried to induce differential charges for various online services like Skype, Viber, WhatsApp, but received an aggressive backlash resulting it to withdraw the proposed plan.

The source also stated that the government might not take any immediate action against Airtel and will scrutinize the matter initially. Meanwhile, Airtel has denied allegations and said that the Zero plan is “non-discriminatory” and doesn’t give undue preference to any company.

The net neutrality campaign has gained momentum over social media, and people of diverse streams are joining hands to make Internet a free and fair space. Various campaigns are trending on Facebook and Twitter like #SavetheInternet, #NetNeutrality in an attempt to make sure that the internet doesn’t get dragged into a class system.

April 13, 2015

Blog

Specs

HTC One M9+

Samsung Galaxy S6

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge

Specs

HTC One E9+

Specs

HTC One M9+