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World’s Thinnest Smartphone Vivo to Debut in India on 15th December

Chinese electronic giant BBK Electronics made its debut in the Indian market with its Oppo brand and now the company has all intentions to extend its roots here. After securing the position of the world’s thinnest smartphone by Oppo R5, BBK Electronics is all set to give competition to its own subsidiary through Vivo X5Max.

Media invites for the debut of Vivo has already been sent by the company and the function to unveil X5Max will be held on 15^th December, 2015 i.e. next Monday in New Delhi.

The company has chosen Viacom 18 to target the Indian audience. It has partnered with the media group to promote its smartphone on channels like MTV, VH1, Colors and Comedy Central.

The X5Max is the newest entrant to make it to the Guinness Book of World Records measuring 4.75 mm. It has beaten the world’s thinnest smartphone tag holders Oppo R5 and Elife S5.5.

Coming to the specs, the X5Max has a 5.5-inch Full HD display with screen resolution of 1080x1920p. It runs on 1.7 GHz MediaTek octa-core processor and comes packed with 2 GB of RAM and Android 4.4 KitKat. On the camera front, it has a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front snapper to take selfies. The device offers dual-SIM card slots with support for 4G LTE and TD-SCDMA.

BBK has been doing tremendously well and has even beaten Apple, which is leading the race of World’s Most Valuable Brands. BBK’s market share has crossed Apple’s in China. It is reported to set up a distributor network across 20 states and may launch more phones in the market, which are expected to cost between Rs. 7,000 to Rs. 40,000.

December 8, 2014
5 Super Cool Home Automation Gadgets You Need to Add to Your Wishlist

Want to pimp up your home and make life easier? Well, thanks to our smartphones, wireless internet and companies that make some awesome innovative gadgets, we can now control everything in our homes anytime and most importantly, from anywhere. The smart home automation industry is still in its nascent stage, however, there are some devices that are already making our lives easier.

Here’s a wishlist of new home automation gadgets that you would love to have in your bedrooms:

1. Belkin WeMo Light Switch

Are you one of those who always forgets to switch off the lights? Well, then this one is for you. Belkin WeMo Light Switch connects to your home Wi-Fi network and you can control the lights using your iOS or Android device. Control options include switching lights on/off and scheduling lights to go on and off at specific times.

2. Philips Hue Personal Wireless Lighting

Well, this light is available in the Indian market; however, you need to shell out almost Rs. 30,000 to get one kit. The whole kit will give you amazing lighting experience in your bedroom. This kit includes 4 LED light bulbs that can be controlled wirelessly using a smartphone or a tablet. But here’s the actual fun part – you can change the hue of the light by picking any colour from a picture. Also, the brightness level can be easily controlled through the app as well.

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3. Nest Smoke Alarm

Nest Protect is a smart and quiet alarm that will give you a heads-up before it goes off. Also it can identify the part of the house from which smoke is coming. A convenient way to ensure that your iron is not burning your house down.

4. Belkin Conserve Socket

Here’s one if you tend to forget to turn the socket off after you’re done charging your phone. This smart outlet automatically turns off after a set amount of time has elapsed. Use this simple, handy tool to prevent mishaps and save money on your monthly electricity bills.

5. iRobot Roomba

Roomba is a solution for all those who totally rely on technology to solve their problems. iRobot has developed this product that will clean your apartment at the touch of a single button.

December 8, 2014
Sony Opens World’s First Underwater Xperia Aquatech Store

While most companies pay a premium price to get real estate in popular malls to utilise their high foot fall, Sony is taking a very different approach. Recently, Sony opened its first of a kind underwater store called the Xperia Aquatech store. It is a promotional activity carried out by the Japanese company in Dubai, or rather 4 metre under sea level near the city.

The underwater store is only open to some lucky competition winners, a few people from the media and some special Sony VIPs. The three-day long event aims to demo the marine capabilities of some of Sony’s water-proof devices and most of all, build publicity.

Sony provided scuba training and dive instructor guides to help people reach the store, along with a boat. They also provided waterproof cases for people who owned an Xperia Z3 or Z3 Compact phone, because they are only waterproof up to 1.5 metres for fresh water.

Well, what can we say. Of course, the whole point of this marketing exercise is to underline Sony’s innovation and commitment to making waterproof devices. The whole experience looks extremely pricey and also little risky, but it definitely is very out of the box and should bring about a lot of viral heat.

December 8, 2014
Indian Government Plans Rs.10,000 Crore Innovation Fund for Tech Start-ups

In the Information Age, the winner of the game is the one who takes the lead in innovation. Countries and corporate investors are proactively looking to push talented individuals and companies to create the next revolutionary product. Never has been the pace of innovation this fast. In just the last decade, we have seen radical changes in technology especially in the consumer electronics field. Internet has not just connected the world together it has also allowed for the proliferation of knowledge and made the world a globally accessible marketplace. Luckily for India, it is already a part of the ground-level innovation game called start-ups. Now the Indian government is planning to give an adrenaline shot to the innovation process in the country.

The Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY) is planning to set up a Rs. 10,000 crore fund for innovation and development purposes in the fields of electronics and IT. The announcement was made by DeitY secretary R. S. Sharma at InfoComm 2014.

The government will partner with the existing venture capitalists to select the start-up where it would invest the fund. The government is also looking towards strengthening Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) to promote the development of the sector.

The present government is actively engaging with the industry to grow India’s technical might. The Digital India program is an audacious plan by the government to boost information interconnectivity across the nation. By investing in innovation, the government strengthens the nation’s ability to create its own technology as well as reduce dependency on technological import from other nations. India currently imports electronics worth $100 billion, which is expected to go up to $400 billion by 2020 which will be more than the bill for importing oil. If India forms an encouraging technological ecosystem that supports research and production of the products, it will lead to a considerable reduction in the import bill.

If the government is serious about innovation then, it should also invest heavily in green energy technology as that will lead to severe cuts in the bill for fuel import. By aggressively pushing for a green energy, India can become a frontrunner in changing the future of the world. The government should heavily subsidise green car production and off-grid electricity solutions instead of giving billionaires like Adani a loan of $1 billion for a coal project. The government should rather invest in citizens of the country who pay for that money in taxes. The foundation of an innovation fund by the government is an encouraging and appreciable step, but it needs to do a lot more to make this country into a technology frontrunner.

December 6, 2014
Sony Pictures Employees Receive Threatening E-mails from Alleged Hackers

It seems like troubled times for folks working at Sony Pictures is not going to come to an end anytime soon. The company that faced a massive hack which rendered most of its computers useless also faced release of its movies online. The attack was handled by a hacker group which calls itself Guardians of Peace or #GOP. It is now being reported that the employees of Sony Pictures are now getting threatening e-mails.

Sony has lost a lot of ground in this attack. Not only has there been the loss of business days, but also they are not yet sure of the scale of the theft due to the hack. Four of Sony’s upcoming movies were released online along with the recently released and exceptional Brad Pitt movie, Fury. The hackers also released several documents relating to the company’s financial records, employee details and data relating to several movies.

Sony has hired security firm FireEye Inc and its Mandiant forensics unit to investigate the hacking. FBI spokesman Joshua Campbell has said that the department is aware of the threatening e-mails received by the employees at Sony. It is not yet clear though that if the e-mails were actually sent by the hackers or if it is a work of some prankster who scored the e-mails of the employees through the leaked documents. In either case, this is now a serious issue as this is criminal intimidation. The case has fast escalating from thievery and blackmail to terrorising the production company and the people who work for it.

This leak can lead to pernicious effects on people who work for the company. If the hackers have access to personal information, identification and financial details of people who’ve worked for Sony, they can attempt identity theft and cause harm to individuals. This attack can be easily be called a terrorist attack and maybe we could start seeing more of these in the coming future. The need of the hour is to train a massive workforce dedicated to cyber security just like a standing army. Our economies and identities have shifted from physical to the digital world, so it’s absolutely important to have soldiers online to protect our interests.

December 6, 2014
Microsoft Likely to Push Back Windows 10 Release to Late Next Summer

Well, everyone has been waiting eagerly for the Microsoft’s new OS Windows 10 but unfortunately we might not see it anytime soon. The new version, which is a significant upgrade from Windows 8, is now expected to launch next year in spring. That means, we will have to wait until late summer of next year to get our hands on it.

Mary Jo Foley, an influential ZDNet reporter, has revealed that Microsoft might delay the launch of the new OS to next year’s late summer or early fall. The report also added that the new Technical Preview of Windows 10 will be coming early summer.

Microsoft is also expected to roll out Windows 10 Mobile SKU, which is compatible with Windows Phones, ARM tablets and Intel tablets, late January, along with the consumer preview of Windows 10 which will integrate Cortana into desktop OS. The mobile version of Windows is believed to integrate itself into the desktop OS.

Foley also confirmed that Microsoft will be holding its Build 2015 Conference late april, where it is expected to launch the enterprise version of the Windows 10, which will be constantly updated and tweaked until it gets ready for the public roll out.

Foley further stated that we could expect the touch version of Office 365 to launch with the Windows 10. Microsoft has made a great deal of iterations with the new OS. The company has emphasised on the return of the Start Menu, and the Continuum mode which detects whether the keyboard and mouse are hooked to the desktop or not and provides you suitable UI.

December 6, 2014
Street Fighter V Unveiled, Expected to Arrive Exclusively on PC and PS4

Street Fighter V teaser trailer was spotted on YouTube. A NeoGAF user reported the YouTube clip, which led to the whole revelation. Since then, it has been set to private. Though, there are still doubts whether the trailer appeared on Capcom’s site or was leaked.

The supposed teaser points out that Street Fighter V is apparently a PC and PS4 exclusive, though we can expect it go cross-platform since all modern arcade games run on computer hardware. Moreover, the fact that the word ‘exclusive is sometimes referred to as ‘time exclusive’, the game could eventually come on the Xbox as well. Just like the case with Street Fighter IV, which initially came out in 2008 as an arcade game before going cross-platform.

So far, there are no details available on the game, but we’ll update you as soon as we get more information about the game. There’s also a slight possibility that Capcom might officially announce the game at the two-day PlayStation Experience event to be held in Las Vegas. In the meantime, you can have a look at a few GIFs for Street Fighter V below.

December 6, 2014
Spigen Cases for Nexus 5 Review : Seamless Blend of Protection and Style

One cannot deny that Google’s Nexus 5 is one heck of a device and even after all this time, one of the hot favourites in the market. Owing largely to the fact that it comes at a relatively economical price and packs amazing specs. As you all might be aware, the Nexus 5 fares quite poorly in drop tests, hence, protecting your investment should be a no-brainer. So if you’re a Nexus owner, you should consider buying a case. Hence, we’ve reviewed some of the best Spigen cases for the smartphone, to make sure your investment keeps those high-end specs intact.

Moreover, they offer better value for money compared to what Google and LG have on offer. So without further adieu, here’s a list of some of the best Spigen Nexus 5 cases available in the market.

ULTRA FIT

If you’re looking for a form fitting case without adding that extra bulk, and at the same time don’t want to spend a substantial amount of money, then Spigen’s Ultra Fit case might be the perfect solution. It’s the slimmest Spigen case for the Nexus 5 and lightest of them all at only 2 mm thick. Made out of premium polycarbonate plastic, this snap-on case covers the entire back of the Nexus 5, leaving only the display area exposed. It is suitable for scratch protection and lighter impacts. Cutouts are made with absolute precision around the sides of the case to allow easy access to ports and buttons.

Overall, the Spigen Ultra Fit is as generic as it gets and is available in black, gold and white colour options. Like we already mentioned, it comes at a relatively economical price of Rs. 899 and is easily available on various e-commerce websites. It’s highly recommended for users who like to retain that original naked look, without adding bulk.

ULTRA HYBRID

Spigen’s Ultra Hybrid case is all about adding that extra persona, style and personality to your Nexus 5. The Ultra Hybrid case also comes with a fairly decent quality screen protector and two back graphic designs that are visible through the Ultra Hybrid’s clear hard polycarbonate rear shell.

For the most part, the case is made out of soft yet durable TPU material that cushions the handset in the event of a drop or fall. In addition, the rubberised sides significantly bolster the grip on your Nexus 5. The case has also been slightly raised around the edges that protects your Nexus 5’s display from directly touching the surface.

Meanwhile, even though there are no cutouts made on the sides, accessing the power button and volume rockers isn’t a hassle by any means. Eventually, the case offers style while keeping your device protected and also comes with a screen protector.

Priced at Rs. 999 and available in four different colour variants, the Spigen Hybrid Ultra is one case that should be on every Nexus 5 owner’s radar.

SLIM ARMOUR

The name says it all; the Spigen Slim Armor case for Google Nexus 5 is a deceivingly slim robust case that sports a double layered design. And it provides this protection without making the device significantly bulky. It’s form fitting though some might argue that it adds some bulk to the overall handset size, largely due to case’s shock absorption and full enclosure.

There’s also a TPU inner case that absorbs shocks in the event of a fall and along with that, it has a polycarbonate midsection that further bolsters the entire frame. Spigen offers the case in four different paint jobs which include smooth black, infinity white, champagne gold and bright red. The case can also be easily wrapped around the device and allows easy access to ports, including the 3.5 mm jack as the opening is quite wide even for those fatter jacks. Meanwhile, holding it feels quite good in the hands. The Spigen Slim Armour case is slightly more expensive than its peers and is available for Rs. 1,299 via online retailers.

All in all, it’s a well-built case brimming with style while the quality, sturdiness and feel of the case is just amazing. And at the same time, it’s quite affordable, notably cheaper than official Bumper case offered by Google.

Certainly, a very good option if you’re planning to invest in a protective case.

SPIGEN NEO HYBRID

Last but not the least, we have the Spigen Neo Hybrid. In terms of aesthetics and design, it’s probably the best-looking case out of the lot and turns the Nexus 5 into one badass phone. At the same time, it warps perfectly around your Nexus 5, with precise cutouts for the headphone jack, speaker grills and camera at the back.

It features a dual-layered protective system, manufactured from a combination of soft matte TPU sleeve and polycarbonate outer bezel. The sleeve does its job of absorbing shocks or drops while providing a superior grip at the same time, while the polycarbonate outer bezel takes most of the impact in the event of a fall. It comes in champagne gold, satin silver, and metal slate colour options; needless to say our review case made the Nexus 5 look like a Batman accessory.

The Spigen Neo Hybrid looks fantastic, offers adequate protection and allows you to set the phone face down, courtesy of a slightly raised bezel. The case does add some bulk to your device, as a lot of us would want to preserve that naked feel of the phone, but it’s a sacrifice one can easily make. The finish does not even leave any fingerprints, while sweat and moisture from the hand jumps right off.

Meanwhile, fitting of the case is tailor-made for the Nexus 5 as your device is housed firmly leaving no gaps around the TPU sleeve. While port and button layout are not messy, making volume rockers and power button all the more responsive.

Perhaps the only turn off with the case would be its width. Though it adds just a millimeter or so, it made a significant impact to the overall feel of the device. Apart from that, it’s a great case which provides adequate protection and significantly enhances the overall look of the phone.

VERDICT

Well, it’s hard to pick one out of the lot. All of them have their set of attributes that give them a slight edge over the others. Though it’s our job to pick the best which offers significant protection for your Nexus 5, and our pick would be Spigen’s ‘Neo Hybrid’. It’s a damn good case and not only protects the device, but also retains the original feel of the Nexus 5. Combined with a tempered glass screen protector, we are pretty confident your Nexus 5 can withstand just about any fall.

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December 6, 2014
8 Recent Google Updates You Might Have Missed

Google is on an update spree. Lately, the company has been rolling out new updates across its Android apps and services frequently, however, it is hard to keep track of all the updates. So, we are rounding up recent Google updates that you might have missed.

1. Google Lollipop 5.0.1

After the roll out of Android Lollipop, Google has begun the process of getting Lollipop 5.0.1 out the door. The company quietly updated its Factory Images page to reveal a 5.0.1 built for the Nexus 9, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10. Installing images from this page does require the flashing of devices in order to update them, and does not carry user data across in the process, unless backed up and restored by the user.

2. Gmail

With the new update, Gmail inbox allows users to edit Microsoft Office documents sent as email attachments. The new feature adds a Google Drive edit icon to Gmail attachments that says ‘Edit with Google Docs’. By clicking on this, the Office files get automatically converted into Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides.

3. reCAPTCHA

Google has announced that it is dropping Captcha, its anti-bot system that asks users to identify a deconstructed word or two in order to avoid spamming. The company has admitted that 98 percent of bots can now correctly answer a Captcha and so they are switching to a simple ‘tick the box if you’re not a robot’ system, with all the clever stuff behind the scenes rooting out impostors instead.

4. News & Weather app

Google has released an updated version of its News & Weather app on Google Play, which brings brand new dark themes and other changes. The company will roll out the update globally soon. In addition to the dark themes, which can be activated from overflow menu, the updated News & Weather app includes search option, new UI tweaks and bug fixes.

5. Device Assist

Google has rolled a new troubleshooting app called Device Assist that offers specific tips and access to support Nexus, Google Play edition, and Android One running on Lollipop. Device Assist will alert you about any settings that could give you trouble, such as battery drain from cranking up the brightness too high. The app also includes a list of common tasks and how to perform them, such as taking screenshots and customising notifications. There is also an option of contacting to the Google Play support via call. Apart from requesting a call, you can also submit your smartphone statistics for more elaborate troubleshooting.

6. Chrome Beta

Chrome Beta for Android has been updated by the company with minor design changes. The address bar has been redesigned for Lollipop users with Merge Tabs and Apps option enabled to go all the way across the display. Google has also added several new flags to the app, allowing users to enable a new bookmark manager and password generator.

7. Google +

Google+ has also received an update, debuting the app version 4.8. This update makes a few minor design enhancements too, like Chrome Beta. The ‘new post’ page has been slightly reworked with the publish button moving from bottom to the top and swapping places with the menu button.

8. Google Play Games (version 2.2)

This update adds a new interface for picking an account to use. The interface also now appears for all users, even those that have added only one account, with a new prompt to easily add another email. Finally, the game detail page has been enhanced with new ‘View in Play Store’ and ‘Share’ options.

December 6, 2014
Here’s the First Look at Cortana Running on Windows 10

Well, it has been a month since the technical preview of Windows 10 is out; although, it doesn’t run Cortana as for now. Cortana is Microsoft’s obvious response to Apple’s Siri, and with Apple looking to integrate Siri into OS X, Microsoft desperately needs to do it right. Right now, Cortana doesn’t have much of a personality in Windows 10, but we expect that it will be there by the time the company rolls it out to the public.

Anyway, it is pretty much clear and evident that Cortana be will coming to desktops once Windows 10 is available commercially. We are still waiting to see Cortana in action on desktops.

In a recent video post, WinBeta got access to Cortana on Windows 10. The early version of the Microsoft’s virtual assistant isn’t pretty, however, we can expect Microsoft to tweak it before the roll out of public version.

This early version, which the popular publication got hold off, got most of the basic stuff in place, such as calling Skype contacts, reading out your calendar and setting reminders just like on Windows Phone. The hard truth is, there are not many Windows Phone users out there and so, this might be the golden chance for the company to push out Cortana to a larger user base.

Google Now has been available on Chrome and other platforms for some time now. These companies’ devotion towards virtual assistants shows how important they have become. The mere fact that all the big names have come up with their virtual assistants and are looking out to integrate them into desktops defines the future of personal computing.

December 6, 2014
NASA’s Orion, The Spacecraft Capable of Carrying Humans Gets a Lift-Off

It has been a long, long while since the human species have left the confines of the planet and its lower Earth orbit. During the peak of space-age, the folks thought we could reach Mars by the 80s, but it is 2014 and our biggest achievement on the red planet is landing an SUV size robot to further our “Curiosity” about the planet. But now we are ready to take the next step. Today, the long-awaited test flight of the Orion spacecraft was finally scheduled after the cancellation yesterday because of some technical issues. As of 05:35PM IST(7.05am ET) the spacecraft has made a successful launch atop a Delta IV Heavy rocket, and will orbit the earth for a four-and-a-half-hour duration.

The launch live streamed on NASA TV, and it relayed some spell-bounding visuals of Earth from the spacecraft. The spacecraft will travel to a distance 5,800km above the surface of Earth. No astronaut capable spaceship has gone this far in decades.

The mission will be testing the capabilities of the spaceship to reach deep space while preserving the lives of the precious human cargo inside it. There is a lot of radiation in the interplanetary space which we are spared from, thanks to the natural shield that the earth has around it, which makes it life compatible. This flight will assess if the 16ft wide heat shield and the protection will prevent the pernicious radiation from seeping in and causing harm to the astronauts during their long journey to Mars. Nasa will also test the emergency abort function which can save the lives of the astronauts on board in case of a faulty launch.

The spacecraft while returning back to earth will travel at a blazing speed of 27359 km/h. The capsule will then separate and return to earth and will drop into the Pacific by the coast of southern California. While returning to earth, it will face scorching temperatures of about 2,200 degree Celsius. There are more than 1000 sensors on board that will constantly analyze the health status of the craft. While falling towards the ocean, the craft will deploy three massive parachutes that will slow it down before its deep impact in the ocean.

Orion can carry up to six astronauts on an interplanetary voyage.

The unmanned mission does carry some human elements inside. Nasa has packed in a Tyrannosaurus rex fossil, poems by Maya Angelou, Gustav Holst’s The Planets and many artifacts from the TV program Sesame Street.

The test flight costs $375 million which is about five times the cost of India’s Mars Orbiter Mission, though it’s an imprecise comparison. NASA has planned for a second test flight for 2018 and a possible orbital mission to the Moon in the 2020s. If everything goes right, Orion could be our ride to the red planet and maybe some Asteroids in the 2030s.

We are species who need a horizon to grow. This sedentary life of jobs, living in the city, mass consumerism has become boring. Mars is our next horizon. At heart we are wanderers and having conquered planet Earth; it’s time to look up, and it’s great to see NASA stand up to the promise it was set up on. The agency has battled severe budget cuts and an unfriendly legislative body to reach its goal. NASA is a commendable organization, and it should be applauded for getting ready to take the next step in the human journey. Now all we need to do is not destroy ourselves fighting unnecessary wars, instead spending those resources in science and furthering the interests of us, the Earthlings as a whole.

December 5, 2014
Micromax to Launch Moto E Competitor Canvas Xpress Exclusively on Flipkart

Micromax has had a good year. It has seen a comfortable rise in its market share as Samsung has steadily dropped down. In Q2 of this year, the company outsold Samsung according to market research consulting firm, CounterPoint Research. It has also partnered with CyanogenMod and will be bringing the custom ROM based device under the brand name ‘Yu’ in the Indian market soon. While everybody waits for the Yu phones to come out, Micromax has gone ahead and pulled a Motorola. The company will be launching its phone in the same price segment as the Moto E and that too exclusively on Flipkart.

The company will be launching the new Canvas Xpress.. The device has a 4.5 inch FWVGA(854×480) display, which is bigger than Moto E, but falls behind the Moto E’s qHD (960×540) resolution. The device runs on Android 4.4.2 KitKat.

MIcromax Canvas Xpress

It is powered by 1.3 GHz quad core processor along with 1GB RAM. The storage on the device is expandable up to 32 GB. The main camera on the device is a 5 MP shooter, while on the front is a 0.3 MP camera. The device gets its juice from a 1950 mAh battery.

It offers features like HotKnot with which you can transfer data by just tapping the compatible phones together. It also offers Smart Wake using which users can open their favorite apps through customized gestures and access apps directly from the locked screen.

The device will be available exclusively on Flipkart from 8th December. It is priced at Rs. 6,999. The pricing irks a bit as Micromax’s own Android One powered devices come cheaper. They also have the benefit of being related with Google, so they might get one thing that Micromax has always lagged behind in i.e updates.

It is weird that Micromax has launched a device so close to the launch of the Yu brand of devices. Maybe it’s a way to assert the existence of the original Canvas line of devices before the launch of the Yu brand. It may be a good thing for Micromax not to have a plethora of devices with different names. Instead, it’s time it went into making its own devices and bringing new versions of it every year, especially if it wants to set its place permanently in the mobile markets podium. The features on the device sound good, but the specs could have been better. Come on Micromax, we are waiting for a flauntable Indian brand, impress us already.

December 5, 2014
Google Play Store Update Adds Attractive Visuals and Full-Height Navigation

Time to bid farewell to the Hamburger menu, as Google Play Store has been updated with its latest version 5.1.11. This version brings along a few changes, the most important of which is the useful full-height navigation.

The new version is being rolled out in phases and does not sport a lot of changes, though is filled with slight tweaks and minor improvements that should make the overall experience of the Play Store much better. In addition, there are a plethora of Android 5.0 tweaks which include various new animations.

Other changes include real time card shadows for Android 5.0 and onwards, visuals and scrolling optimisations in the My Apps menu along with a brand new look on the My Account screen.

You can download the updated version of the Play Store here or here. Though users need to be reminded that some features might only work on devices with Android 5.0 and onwards.

December 5, 2014
Apple Finally Gives India the Attention it Deserves, Plans to Set Up More Than 500 Stores

India is fast becoming the go-to market for technology-based companies to try out their luck. A growing middle class with its increased purchasing power is growing more comfortable with experimenting with offerings of various companies. Almost every global company sees India as a potential market for their product. Every company is trying to impress the Indian consumer with better features and improved updates. Apple too understands the importance of this market and hence is pushing for an aggressive growth in the number of stores across the country.

The Cupertino-based technology superpower is planning to set up over 500 stores across the length and breadth of India. The company seems to have finally recognized the importance of our country to increase their hold on the international market. The company is already a major player in next door China and actively competes against the big brands there.

Meanwhile, India has mostly been Android dominated. A mass variety of offerings based on everyone’s preferences and budgets are available in the Android ecosystem. iPhones and other Apple offerings are seen as aspirational, as well as often berated for their high price values. But there is still a large Apple fan base which is almost as fanatical in support of the products from the company.

The stores will be set up in smaller towns and cities such as Amritsar, Pathankot, Moga, Coimbatore, Trichy, Nagpur and Nasik as the company sees a big number of potential consumers there. These stores are going to be small though, about 300-600 sq ft as opposed to the ones in bigger cities with a size of 2,000 sq ft. Apple will also be increasing its investments in direct advertising in the country.

Apple has been in India since 2011 but has till now operated with two distributors, Redington and Ingram. It is not sure as of yet how the business plan will incorporate the distributors as of yet. It is anticipated though that the company might adopt a franchise model to bring its products to the consumers. Reliance is also one of the reseller for Apple and had a 5 year contract with the company. But Apple might drop this partnership as they feel the service offered by Reliance is not up to their standards.

It sure is a great thing that Apple is putting its focus on the Indian soil. The setting up of 500 stores also means that any release by Apple will immediately come to India. This will surely increase competition amongst other brands to counter the giant. In the end, the winner will be the Indian consumer, who is already getting giddy with all the amazing options to choose from.

December 5, 2014
Top 5 Must-Have Accessories for iPhone Owners

Gotta admit, iPhone users get the choice of picking up some of best phone accessories in the world. From Infrared cases to bike mounts, anything seems possible if you own an iPhone.

We are listing top 5 iPhone accessories, that will put your old ones to shame.

1. The Pocket Spotlight

The Pocket Spotlight is basically a bank of 32 diffused LEDs that will provide soft, even illumination for up to an hour on a full charge. For smartphone users it includes a mount for attaching it to the headphone jack.

2. Belkin Easefit Plus Armband

The compact, modern design makes this a solid effort from Belkin. The lightweight, flexible neoprene material has a touch-through window covering the display. This accessory can also be hand washed. It’s not just for iPhone 6, there are other versions that are compatible with older models of iPhones, and are just as durable.

3. Quadlock Bike Kit for iPhone 6

The tool locks the phone onto a bicycle’s handles, allowing a user to make hands-free calls, keep track of GPS directions and free up pocket space. With Quadlock Bike Kit for iPhone 6, avid cyclists can put it to the ultimate test by mounting their handset on their bike and taking it for a ride.

4. Olloclip 4-in-1 iPhone 6 photo lens

Well, this one is for Instagram fanatics. If you want up your game in the photo-sharing social network, you desperately need this one. Olloclip 4-in-1 iPhone 6 photo lens attaches to the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, clipping onto the corner of the device and enhancing the built-in camera. The lens can shift between fisheye, macro, video and wide-angle.

5. Grand Cord tacos

These tasty looking tacos won’t fill you stomach, however, they will solve some one of the most irritating problems : tangled chords. Ground’s Cord Taco helps you clean up all of those wires for your iOS devices or Mac in your bag, pocket, car, or anywhere else. Seal the 100-percent premium leather structure with its metallic clasp and the look instantly changes from messy to cool and organized. Works great for earbuds, USB cables, and other small wires. Each package includes five Cord Tacos.

December 5, 2014