It’s not been long since Google updated its proprietary operating system and brought before the world 5.1 version of Android Lollipop. The upgrade is hitting many devices and the latest device to receive Android 5.1 Lollipop is the Micromax Canvas A1. The Indian electronics firm is skipping the 5.0 version and is straight providing the improved version of Android Lollipop with bug fixes and new features.
The new version is coming with a build number LMY471 and it will occupy 409.8MB space on your device. The update comes with stock Android features like device protection, HD Voice calling, redesigned Quick settings menu and more. Canvas A1 users can check the update by following these steps: Settings > About Phone > System Updates > Check now.
The upgrade was first released by the company for its own Android One devices in Indonesia and other countries are gradually receiving the advanced version. Meanwhile, Nexus 6 has also started receiving the update along with Nexus 4, 5,7 and 10.
4K TV or UHD TVs have been around for a while, but their heavy price tag made sure potential customers steered clear from them. But in the recent past, some minor brands such as Vu have brought low-cost UHD TVs in India but their price tag was double than that of an HD TV. Micromax is breaking that price gap with the introduction of two UHD TVs which will challenge the conventional HD TV market.
Micromax is offering a 42-inch variant that will cost Rs 39,990 and a 49-inch version priced at Rs. 49,990. These are some of the lowest figures ever quoted for 4K TVs in India.
These TVs run Android OS that earns them the tag of Smart TVs. The 42-inch variant will run on Android 4.2 whereas the 49-inch variant runs Android 4.4. The TVs come preloaded with apps like Facebook, Twitter, Gmail and other prominent apps and buyers will also have access to Google Play store so they can download their preferred apps.
Both these TVs have a native resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels. The TV’s are powered by a dual-core processor along with 1GB of RAM. They come with 2.2GB of internal storage, which is expandable to 32GB. The 42-inch variant features 3x HDMI and 3x USB ports. On the other hand, the 49-inch variant with its higher price tag offers a gold-colored metal frame and glass finish back and has 2x HDMI and 3x USB ports.
A Smart Somato-Sensory remote control will let you navigate through the interface of the TV. The remote works like an air mouse that makes it fast and easy to access the features you are want.
Micromax will be selling these TVs exclusively on Flipkart from March 13th. With these prices, the company won’t have to convince a lot of folks to part away with their money.
No longer a part of Sony, VAIO Corporation is aiming at the smartphone market. The Japanese manufacturer of personal computer is geared to launch its series of smartphone and has unveiled its first handset called the VAIO Phone. The new device is Android-based and falls in the mid-range smartphone category.
The device sports a 5-inch IPS display of 720p resolution. It is equipped with a 1.2 GHz quad-core (unknown) processor bundled with 2GB RAM for multi-tasking. The onboard storage space is adequate at 16GB, which can be expanded up to 64 GB via microSD slot. The device gets pepped up through the 2500 mAh battery at the back of the phone.
The camera specifications of VAIO Phone are pretty impressive. A 13MP rear camera along with 5MP front snapper sits on the phone. The device runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop.
SPECS
VAIO Phone
Display
5-inch IPS display, 720p resolution
Processor
1.2 GHz Quad-core processor
RAM
2 GB
Storage
16 GB
Expandable Upto
64 GB
Main Camera
13 MP
Front Camera
5 MP
Battery
2500 mAh
Operating System
Android 5.0 Lollipop
The VAIO Phone was announced through Japanese MVNO B-mobile today. It will land in Japan on Friday i.e. on March 13 for $420. The company hasn’t stated if the phone will launch in other countries or not.
Google, which began as a search engine has over the years, transformed itself into a technology powerhouse with a wide variety of products in its portfolio. On the consumer side, the company offers smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, thermostats and a lot more. To make it easier for the customers to buy their products, the company has launched a new online store called the Google Store.
Google Store will replace Play Store as the address for buying Google products. This new store is dedicated to all hardware offering from Google including accessories for the device. The site is live and active in India, and the products are priced in Indian Rupees.. Just type in store.google.com and keep your cash ready to buy your favourite Google devices.
On the Indian website, you get to buy the Nexus 6 32 GB for Rs.44,000 whereas the 64 GB variant can be bought for Rs. 49,000. The Nexus 9 tablet is available for Rs. 28,900. In the smartphone section, you have the option of buying the LG G Watch for Rs. 14,999 or the Samsung Gear Live for Rs.15,900. Google’s media streaming device, Chromecast is available on the website for Rs. 2,999.
Google might also bring the recently launched Chromebook Pixel to the store in the near future. The present website simply redirects the user to the other online retailers. There are no accessories available on the website right now but Google might add them later.
From the price point of view, there isn’t a lot of difference between the Google Store and the other online stores but you do get the convenience of browsing through all the offerings from Google at once.
Months after the announcement of the Desire 820s, HTC has now launched the device in India. It has been priced at Rs. 24,890.
The Desire 820s boasts a 5.5-inch wide 720p display and is powered by the 64-bit Octa-Core MediaTek MT6572 processor clocked at 1.7GHz. The phone has 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage space onboard, which is expandable. Running on Google’s operating system Android 4.4 KitKat, the device has the company’s Sense 6 UI on top.
Coming to the camera fitted onto the Desire 820s, a 13MP camera paired with BSI sensor and LED flash is installed at its back. The front has a huge 8MP shooter, apt to capture selfies. HTC has given particular attention to the audio quality. HTC BoomSound speakers are equipped at the front along with built-in amplifiers.
The handset offers dual-SIM support and provides 4G connectivity option. The battery stands fair at 2600 mAH. The connectivity options comprise of Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 with aptX and GPS.
HTC has given two colour options with this device; one is the Milky-way Grey, while the other is Santorini White.
Xiaomi has launched the Redmi 2 (4G) in India, and it is a mere upgrade over its predecessor, the Redmi 1S. But even with the slight bump in the specs, the device is still unconquerable in its segment. The device that comes closest in competing with the Redmi 2 is the Moto E (Gen 2). So let’s take a look at how the two budget badasses fare against each other.
Specs
Xiaomi Redmi 2 4G
Motorola Moto E (Gen 2)
Display
4.7 inch
720 x 1280 pixels
4.5 inch
540 x 960 pixels
CPU
1.2 GHz, Quad-core, Snapdragon 410
1.2 GHz, Quad-core, Snapdragon 200
RAM
1 GB
1 GB
Main Camera
8 MP
5 MP
Front Camera
2 MP
0.3 MP
Internal Storage
8 GB
8 GB
External Storage
32 GB
32 GB
Battery
2200 mAh
2390 mAh
Operating System
MIUI 6.0, based on Android 4.4.4 Kitkat
Android 5.0 Lollipop
Price
Rs. 6999
Rs. 6999
The Redmi 2 definitely holds a lead in the specs sheet with its HD display and superior camera offering. The 4G ready Redmi 2 is priced the same as the 3G variant of the Moto E which would help it to attract the potential customers towards itself. The Moto E, on the other hand, can use its updated operating system and the bigger display in comparison to its predessesor to attract the buyers to itself.
The Redmi 2 also requires the troublesome effort of waiting for the flash sale whereas, the Moto E (Gen 2) is available right now for purchase which might work in Motorola’s favour.
Users can now glide along the trees, mountains and even visit remote villages, thanks to Google’s Street View. Teaming up with Apa Sherpa, who holds the record for reaching the peak of Mount Everest 21 times, and Nepalese non-profit organization, Story Cycle, Google has managed to scale and photograph the Khumbu region of Nepal for ten days. This created the new Street View images and has helped in improving the maps of the area the Sherpa people have called home for centuries.
Gorak Shep is the closest one can get in this virtual trek. Also, indoor imagery of the Everest Summiteer Lodge, which was built by Apa Sherpa in 1996, can be accessed to. Apart from these, other interesting sights includes lodges, schools, monasteries, clinics, etc.
“My hope is that when people see this imagery online, they’ll have a deeper understanding of the region and the Sherpa people that live there,” Apa Sherpa said in a blog post. “The region has much more to offer than just the mountains.”
The Mount Everest is not the only wonder to come to Google Street View. Users can take a virtual trip to the South American Amazon rainforests, visit the pyramids in Egypt, France’s Bordeaux region, etc.
Today, Xiaomi expanded its smartphone lineup in India with the launch of the new Redmi 2, the successor of Redmi 1s. Along with that, the firm brought to India its first tablet, the Mi Pad.
Now, shifting the attention back to the new smartphone, the Redmi 2 is another pocket-friendly device by the Chinese electronics brand. From the overall look, the Redmi 2 may look familiar with its predecessor, but its specifications are what makes it stand apart. With a revamped processor, front camera, GPU, battery, RAM, and many more things, the phone stands above the other devices in the same price bracket.
Have a look at the major tweaks done on the new phone:
Specs
Redmi 1S
Redmi 2
Display
4.7 inches 720×1280 pixels 312 ppi
4.7 inches 720×1280 pixels 312 ppi
Processor
1.6 GHz Quad-core Snapdragon 400
1.2 GHz Quad-core Snapdragon 410
GPU
Adreno 305
Adreno 306
RAM
1GB
1GB
In-Build Meory
8GB
8GB
Expandable Up to
32GB
32GB
Rear Camera
8MP
8MP
Front Camera
1.6MP
2MP
Operating System
Android 4.3 Jelly Bean with MIUI 5.0
Android 4.4 KitKat with MIUI 6.0
Battery
2000mAh
2200mAh
Price
Rs. 5,999
Rs. 6,999
Registration for the handsets will start today at 6pm and the phone will be available on March 24 through flash sale model.
The present Indian government had the mammoth task of bringing the Indian economy back on track. There was a need for radical reforms to pay off the country’s debts and boost the development process. There was though no mention of the radical reforms in the budget, but the government seems to be in a cost-cutting mode and has tabled a list of 65 sick public sector undertakings (PSU) in the Parliament whose future hangs in the balance.
The government has said that of the 65 heavy loss-making PSUs, it is shutting down five companies including the three HMT units. The Minister for Heavy Industry, Anant Geete informed the Lok Sabha during question hour that the employees of such PSU’s will be offered “very good” voluntary retirement schemes.
Air India, founded by J R D Tata in 1930, has been gathering huge losses
MTNL and Air India were the most prominent addition to the list of sick PSU. MTNL or the Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited is the state-owned telecommunications service provider in the metro cities of Mumbai and New Delhi in India and in the island nation of Mauritius in Africa. It was founded in 1986 and had a monopoly over New Delhi and Mumbai till 1992. The company has been struggling lately due to immense competition from private operators. MTNL has said that it has sent a revival proposal that is currently under the consideration of the department of telecommunication(DoT).
Air India, on the other hand, was founded by J R D Tata in 1930 as Tata Airlines. It has been India’s national carrier since 1948. The public owned airlines has been gathering huge losses and has slipped to the third spot behind Indigo and Jet Airlines.
Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Mahesh Sharma said that it was important to have a flag carrier for the country and so there are no plans for shutting down Air India. He said that the government is infusing the allocated funds in Air India as a part of its turnaround and financial restructuring plan, approved by the UPA government in 2012. Shutting down the national carrier would have been embarrassing for the country’s image.
These PSUs were declared sick as they incurred losses worth 50 percent or more of their average net worth during four previous years. Some of the reasons for their losses are obsolete plants and machinery, heavy interest burden, resource crunch, surplus manpower and shortage of working capital.
Indian Government PSUs sick as they incurred losses worth 50 percent or more of their average net worth during four previous years.
The board for reconstruction of public sector enterprises (BRPSE) has recommended revival packages for 48 CPSEs, which has been approved by the government. Some of the other companies in the list are Scooters India, Hindustan Shipyard, ITI and Hindustan Cables.
This is still a news in progress, and more details will be available soon. It seems like the government is seriously considering measures to trim down the fat so the resources of the nation can be used efficiently. But the government also needs to take care of the welfare of the employees who have given their lives to these companies.
Xiaomi’s launch event today wasn’t just about its new budget device, the Redmi 2. The Chinese electronics giant left the audience awestruck with the introduction of its first tablet in India, the Mi Pad. Priced at Rs. 12,999, the tablet is a direct opponent of Google’s Nexus 9.
At 9.4mm, the Mi Pad is thin and weighs just 360g. It sports a 7.9-inch IPS display with a resolution of 2048×1536 and a pixel density of 326 PPI. Corning Glass 3 protects the screen from accidental drops. The tablet is powered by 2.2 GHz Nvidia Tegra K1 SoC ARM Cortex-A15 processor paired with 2GB of LPDDR3 RAM. The MI Pad offers 16GB of in-built storage space which can be expanded up to 128GB via MicroSD card. The Xiaomi tablet runs on Android 4.4 KitKat with MIUI skin on top.
The optics of the device are great for its price. It sports an 8MP rear camera with Sony BSI sensor for full-HD resolution videos, along with a 5MP front snapper at the top of the display for selfies and video chats. The table is juiced up by a 6700mAh battery that keeps the device running all day long. Connectivity options include Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac.
The Xiaomi Mi Pad will be available for purchase on March 24 and there will be no flash sale for this device. Potential customers can buy the gadget through e-commerce website Flipkart. The Mi Pad comes in six colour options – Black, White, Red, Blue, Green and Yellow. So if you want a tablet with unique theaming options coupled with colorful exteriors, the Mi Pad can be a great option for you.
Google’s 2013 flagship smartphone, the Nexus 5, which debuted alongside the second generation Chromebook Pixel, will no longer be available for purchase. As promised by the search giant, the flagship remained up for sale during the first quarter of 2015, but now, its MIA in Google’s Play Store and the newly formed non-Play store.
The phone’s page reads ‘The Nexus 5 is no longer available for sale.’ It implies that users who are interested in a pure Google smartphone will have to opt for the expensive Motorola Nexus 6.
Specs of this smartphone included 5-inch display in Full HD (1920 x 1080), the modern Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and either 16GB or 32GB of non-expandable internal memory. With this processor and 2GB of RAM running pure vanilla Android, the device was smooth as butter.
The Nexus 5 is not the only product that Google has stopped. The very first Chromebook Pixel, a high-end laptop that is powered by Chrome OS, is unavailable for purchase too. It seems like Google is on a clean-up spree, which could have something to do with the introduction of the new Chromebook Pixel with two USB Type-C connector.
Nexus 6 is Google’s flagship phone and can be purchased from the Play Store.
Chinese smartphone brand Xiaomi, has today launched the new Redmi 2, a successor to the popular Redmi 1S. The smartphone packs some amazing specifications and is a budget superhero with a price tag of Rs. 6,999.
The Redmi 2 sports a 4.7 inch (720×1280 ppi) resolution display just like its predecessor. The device runs on MIUI 6 based on Android 4.4 KitKat. Powered by a 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 410 processor, the handset comes with 1 GB RAM. the phone has 8GB of internal memory storage, which is expandable up to 32GB.
On the camera front, the device sports an 8 MP rear snapper on the back and a 2 MP selfie shooter on the front. The phone gets its juice from the 2200mAh battery.
The company is holding the first flash sale on 24th of this month and registrations for the sale begins today from 6pm onwards. Xiaomi hasn’t introduced the coloured variants and the device will be available only in white and grey colour options in India.
Just like last year, the Redmi 2 is directed towards capturing the Motorola’s budget market. Xiaomi has priced the new device at par with the new Moto E(Gen 2). The arrival of the Redmi 2 has raised the stakes in the brutal affordable smartphone landscape and poses a serious challenge to its competition.
Google has something in store that may give Apple a shiver; well, to some extent. The Mountain View based tech giant discreetly expanded its web store the previous day with the addition of an updated Chromebook Pixel. Priced at $999, the Google’s new netbook resembles the original edition but overcomes the glitches reported in the 2013 version of the Chromebook Pixel.
The sturdy machine has an aluminium finish and packs some top features equipped in the new MacBook. The latest Chromebook Pixel sports two USB-C ports, first introduced by Apple just a few days back. The new Pixel sports two multi-functional USB C-Type ports, while Apple’s 12-inch MacBook offers just one. Google has an upper hand in here as users have two connectivity options rather than one. One port can charge the device and at the same time connect the laptop to another external device like a phone or hard disk. Apple has been heavily criticized for offering just one port.
Furthermore, Google claims that the upgraded Chromebook Pixel has a 12-hour battery life, another advantage over the lightweight Mac that lasts for 10 hours at most. Google has provided a fast charging option with the new Chromebook, which can pep up the laptop for 2 hours of usage in just 15 minutes. Now, that’s what Google can tap on to topple Apple’s fresh mean machine.
The Chrome OS-powered Pixel, comes in two variants. The first variant, priced at $999 is powered by Intel’s Core i5 processor (2.2 GHz Broadwell-U). It features 8GB RAM along with 32GB onboard storage capacity. The other version costing $1,299 is a bit high on specs and equips an Intel Core i7 processor. It offers 16GB of RAM and 64GB SSD storage.
Rest of the specs of the device are similar. Both the versions have 12.95-inch (2560x1700p resolution) touchscreen display and weight 3.3 pounds (1.5kg). The Wi-Fi only models house a conventional 3.5mm headphone jack. The netbook also features many Android apps.
The laptops are completely revamped, and the inclusion of battery indicator in the form of LED strip is entirely original. The new Chromebook Pixel seems to be a worthy contender to the new Macbook.
The Korean smartphone producer LG was amongst the few major smartphone vendors that skipped the Mobile World Congress 2015. Samsung, Huawei and HTC came out with their best offerings. On the other hand, very less is known about the forthcoming flagship from the tech giant LG, the G4.
Some images are making the rounds on Twitter, which claim to be early press renders of the unannounced phone. These pictures depict very much about the forthcoming device, and as we can see in the images, the new phone features a curved body just like LG Magna and LG G Flex 2. The device looks bigger in size and sleeker from all areas.
If you look at the backside of the device, the curve is clearly noticeable. Also, one can spot the tweaked power key and camera button. The camera lens is significantly bumped up and on its right is a dual-LED flash.
At a closer look at its side, you will notice a divot indicating that the back lid can be removed. That means the battery of the device is detachable, and the memory can be expanded through a slot.
The front is a full glass display from top to bottom, and the top of the screen houses a front-facing camera and earpiece strip. The bezel of the device has been reduced to a minimum, but nothing can be said about the display dimensions.
Putting together the innards of LG G4, the phone is anticipated to equip a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 SoC, QHD display, 16MP rear shooter and a 5MP secondary camera. The device is speculated to arrive in May this year.
HTC recently unveiled their flagship or the year 2015 at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The device was an upgrade over the previous generation devices and addressed the criticisms against the earlier device. HTC is now reportedly about to launch the One E9, which will be a successor to the E8 launched last year.
According to various rumors, the HTC One E9 will be a major upgrade over the last year’s version and will be competing in the market as a phablet. The device is expected to be launched in the mid to high range segments.
The reported image of the new HTC One E9.
The E9 is touted to sport a 5.5 inch Quad HD display which would make it the first HTC device to feature the ultra high definition display. Even HTC’s latest flagship, the One M9 sported a Full HD display.
The biggest change is HTC’s bet on MediaTek 64-bit 8-core processor for the new device instead of the usual Qualcomm Snapdragon line of chipsets. The E8 flaunted a Snapdragon 801 chipset. The handset is also expected to feature 3 GB RAM, 32 GB of storage with expandable storage and will be juiced up by a 2800 mAh battery.
On the camera front, the E9 is said to sport the 20 MP shooter we saw on the new M9. According to the leaked image, the device now features a massive camera on the back. For the front camera, it is said that the standard model of the device will house a 13 MP shooter on the front while a premium version of the E9 will sport a 4 MP ultrapixel camera.
Now these reports are still based on rumours so we cannot confirm the authenticity of these reports. The E9 does look like a considerable upgrade over the One E8, but we have to wait for official confirmations to be sure. Overall, like e8 was a stripped down version of the M8, the E9 seems like the slightly pocket-friendly version of the One M9.
