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OmniVision Delivers New 16-Megapixel Image Sensor for High-Resolution Mobile Imaging

OmniVision Technologies, Inc. a leading developer of advanced digital imaging solutions, today announced the OV16850, a new flagship 16-megapixel imaging solution designed for the next generation of premium smartphones.

The new image sensor uses 1.12-micron pixel layered with OmniVision’s stacked die technology. The PureCel-S OV16850 captures high resolution images and video in native 16:9 aspect ratio, optimizing users’ viewing experience on smartphone displays.

“16-megapixel sensors represent another milestone in the ‘megapixel race’ for higher resolution cameras in smartphones. Coming in a native high definition 16:9 aspect ratio, the OV16850 is designed with the smartphone camera user’s experience in mind,” said Bahman Hadji, product marketing manager at OmniVision.

“As smartphone OEMs increase display resolutions to 1080p Full HD (FHD) and 1440p Quad HD (QHD), the OV16850 offers a camera experience matching these display aspect ratios and filling the smartphone screen without any loss in field-of-view for snapshots and video. It also utilizes OmniVision’s stacked die technology and a high chief ray angle to enable a 16-megapixel camera solution in a compact 9.5 mm x 9.5 mm x 5.5 mm module.” Hadji added.

The 1/2.6-inch OV16850 is capable of capturing full-resolution 16-megapixel images at 30 frames per second (FPS), 4K2K video at 30 FPS, QHD video at 60 FPS, and 720p video at 120 FPS. According to the company, it provides best-in-class sensitivity, signal-to-noise ratio, and full-well capacity for a 1.12-micron pixel-based imaging solution. Additionally, the OV16850 features alternate-row high dynamic range timing to ensure crisp video capture in difficult lighting conditions. The new sensor is under the sampling stage and will enter volume production in the first quarter of 2015.

October 8, 2014
Sony Brings Out Sleek New Wireless Headphones for Bass lovers

Sony India today announced the launch of its latest wireless headphones, the MDR-XB950BT Extra Bass Bluetooth Headset. The latest pair from the audio stable of Sony looks and sounds a little different than some of its earlier over-ear Bluetooth headphones.

The headset implements support for SBC, AAC, and aptX wireless audio streaming codecs with an electronic boost circuit for more substantial low end. The headset features 40mm dome drivers to deliver a frequency response of 3 to 28,000 Hz with a sensitivity of 102 dB/mW when used passively with the supplied cord. In wireless operations, the headphones can transmit a frequency response of 20 to 20,000 Hz approximately 30′ by using the A2DP Bluetooth.

The headphone come with NFC that offers a One-touch connection with smartphones, allowing users to listen to rich wireless sound with soaring highs and rich, solid lows. Further, it also feature a built-in microphone, letting users take calls and chat hands-free while on the move.

Calls can be answered and terminated with a simple push of a button on the headset. When a call is over, any music or media that was playing will automatically resume. The swiveling earcups fold flat for greater portability and the headset comes with both a micro-USB cord for charging as well as a stereo connecting cable for passive operation.

Also, Sony is providing an option of a premium leather carrying case exclusively with the MDR-XB950BT. The new wireless headset is already available on online and offline stores for Rs. 12,990.

October 8, 2014
Facebook is Reportedly Working on an App for Anonymous Sharing

Facebook is reportedly building a standalone app that will let its users interact and communicate under the cloak of anonymity. This is said to be the outcome of recent criticism for Facebook’s stance on real names. Sources within the company told the New York Times that Facebook plans to release an app that would let people talk anonymously.

Facebook’s long held policies require verified email addresses, and originally required college-specific email address logins per its collegiate origins. Those policies clashed recently with drag queens, some of whom had their profiles outright removed from Facebook by algorithms.

Earlier this year, Mark Zuckerberg said that Facebook would branch out from real-name apps. “I definitely think we’re at the point where we don’t need to keep on only doing real identity things,” he said in an interview. “If you’re always under the pressure of real identity, I think that is somewhat of a burden.”

Little else about the software is known at this stage. We don’t know what it will be called, or whether it’s indeed meant to be a direct competitor to apps like Secret and Whisper, which are built entirely around the idea of staying anonymous. Facebook is also widely criticized for its use of user information. When Facebook made its Messenger app standalone and required more access to users’ information, many decided to drop the service entirely.

Obviously this new app wouldn’t change Facebook’s overall strategy, but it could be an interesting experiment for both the company and its billion-plus users.

October 8, 2014
After Bendgate, Apple’s iPhone 6 Now Faces Hairgate

Forget #bendgate, iPhone 6 Plus users have discovered a new problem with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The online uproar started after some iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus owners got strands of hair caught between the screen and the aluminum frame of the iPhone. And soon after, Hairgate caught on and started trending.

It is difficult to decipher whether there is any real issue, but Twitter users have made #hairgate a rising social media trend, leading major news outlets to glomp on the story. Bearded iPhone users have also complained that their facial hair gets yanked during calls, leading to the separate trend #beardgate.

However, it has been regarded as fabricated and misleading. Gordon Kelly, Forbes’ reviewer said, “The gap between the front glass and aluminium does not exist. There is a bevel, but the glass front panel is actually fused to the aluminium and the tiny gap you do see is significantly narrower than a human hair.”

“Furthermore even if a significant gap did exist, hairgate would still make no sense. It has been pointed out that ‘Gapgate’ on the Galaxy Note 4 (where a tangible gap exists in the phablet’s seam) was also present in both the Note 2 and Note 3 designs and owners go by without widespread reports of hair trauma. The Note 3 alone sold 10 million units in 2 months, so that’s a pretty wide test base.” Kelly added.

Meanwhile, Twitter has been flooded with funny tweets about the new false scandal. Apple has faced quite a bit of criticism since the mega launch event in Cupertino. The technology giant had to face massive social media bashing for news that their new iPhone 6 Plus has the tendency to bend in tight pockets. Apple’s biggest competitors like Samsung, LG and HTC got together with some brutal take downs of Apple’s latest flagship in an event dubbed “bendgate”. Adding to the woes was the faulty iOS 8.0.1 update which caused issues in the new iPhone and had to be withdrawn.

October 8, 2014
Everything We Know About the Upcoming iPad Air 2

It is said that the refreshed version Apple’s iPad Air is going to launch as soon as the end of this month. The rebooted version of the 2013’s hugely popular 9.7 inch tablet is tipped to feature the company’s new A8 system on chip and TouchID, and many other features which debuted with the iPhone 6.

According to reports, suppliers are gearing up to begin production of the next-generation iPad Air dubbed iPad Air 2 later this month.

Design and Hardware

Back in June, Ortud forum shared some images of the dummy unit claiming it’s not a working model but all the dimensions, design, ports and buttons will be in the exact same place. The dummy illustrated the change in the home button which seemed like the Touch ID style from iPhone 5S. All the buttons are in their normal place with the rocker on the side but the lock key on this model is missing. Another big change is a small microphone next to the rear camera.

It is said that the big changes will be on the inside; a new CPU, more RAM and the implementation of TouchID, as well as Apple’s new iOS 8 software will make up the share of USPs for Apple’s 2014 iPad Air. Apple has now launched the iPhone 6 with a next generation A8 processor on board and it is likely Apple will follow suit and use the same technology on the iPad Air 2. On the iPhone 6, the A8 chipset comes with a clock speed of 1.39GHz and on the iPhone 6 Plus it’s a little less powerful at 1.32GHz.

Display

Number of reports have claimed that Apple is adopting IGZO display technology in its next-gen iPad models. IGZO display panels are said to offer better viewing angles, improved colour reproduction, as well as being more power efficient than existing LCD setups. However, it is said that this may not happen because of the never ending production issues. According to Korea’s ETNews, “The reason for this is because Sharp is currently facing low yield issues which will not be dealt with in a timely manner”. For this reason, the report adds, Apple will wait until at least 2015 to debut iPads with IGZO panels, meaning we’re likely to see them implemented inside the iPad Air 3

Color Variants

According to Bloomberg, sources close to the production of the new iPad Air 2 suggest there will be a new colour option. Plans are in place to manufacture a gold version of the new 9.7-inch iPad as well as the usual grey and silver colour options. The publication’s sources claim it is in an effort to increase sales in the iPad market that is, as we know, been flagging recently.

Release Date

Apple has planned a major event on October 16th, and it seems like it would be the day the sleek tablet is unvieled. Last month, Bloomsberg reported that the production of the iPad Air 2 is now underway and Apple is looking to bring the slate to market in late-Q3, early-Q4. They said, “Mass production of a full-sized iPad with a 9.7-inch screen is already under way, with an unveiling projected for the end of this quarter or early next year. A new version of the 7.9-inch iPad Mini is also entering production and will probably be available by the end of the year.”

Earlier, it was believed that Apple might launch the iPad Air 2 alongside the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus. This of course didn’t happen and Apple instead focused on handsets, mobile payments and wearables in the shape of the Apple Watch. With regards to a new iPad Air, nothing so far is known, apart from it being in production and tipped to launch before Christmas. The iPad Air launched in October last year and Apple, known for repeat launch dates, is expected to launch the new iPad Air during the same time frame.

October 8, 2014
New Stats Show iOS 8 is the Least Successful Upgrade by Apple

Latest figures show that Apple’s iOS 8 usage has grown by a mere 1 per cent in the last three weeks. Which means fewer than half of its users are running iOS 8, nearly three weeks after launch. Compared to previous roll outs of new versions of iOS, these figure are shockingly low.

Despite the introduction of custom keyboards, the Notification Center widgets and a lot more, there has been a slow adoption. By September 21, iOS 8 was installed on 46 per cent of devices, 47 per cent of iOS users continue to stick to iOS 7, possibly due to a number of bugs that had plagued the launch of iOS 8.

By this point last year, iOS 7 uptake was already hovering around 60 per cent, according to analytics firm Fiksu. Apple said on its developer pages that it measures usage from App Store visits over a period of time. Figures are typically released every two or three weeks. iOS 8, which comes re-installed on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, has been dogged with problems from its initial release.

Just ahead of the launch of iOS 8, all Health Kit-enabled apps were pulled from the App Store due to a major HealthKit bug. A fix was quickly released, but the update, iOS 8.0.1, disabled the cellular service and Touch ID functionality on iPhone 6 and 6 Plus devices. iOS 8.0.2 fixed the problems introduced with iOS 8.0.1 and brought several other bug fixes. The publicity surrounding the iOS 8.0.1 issue may have discouraged some users from updating.

It is said that the major problem with the new iOS 8 is also the large file space; it needs almost 4.6GB of free space to install and then update. Users with 16GB and 8GB iPhones struggle to spare that much memory for the upgrade.

October 7, 2014
Image of Google’s Upcoming HTC-Built Nexus 9 Tablet Leaked

After a slew of rumours regarding Google’s Nexus 9 tablet, we now have an image to see what we can expect from this new device built by HTC. Famous leakster @Upleaks, which has a track record for getting its hands on products ahead of launch dates, tweeted a picture of what appears to be the next generation Nexus tablet yesterday.

Leaked image of the new Nexus tablet, which the leakster referred as T1, features the same model number shown in earlier leaks in the past months. The new device is expected to launch this m0nth, however there is no credibility to this rumor.

T1 pic.twitter.com/yfxumLP1J7
— @upleaks (@upleaks) October 6, 2014

While it’s uncertain whether or not the product is legitimate, the photo is in line with earlier rumors about Nexus 9’s design and built. The device, which appears to be more square than other Android tablets we’ve seen, has the HTC logo at the bottom of the back casing.

It is said that Google is dropping the Nexus 8 which was expected to come after Asus built Nexus 7 in favour of Nexus 9, more likely because of its 9-inch screen. It is believed that the Nexus 9 could be the first device to get Google’s new mobile operating system Android L. Other features include a rear-camera with LED flash, a microUSB port and a possible NVIDIA Tegra K1 chip.

October 7, 2014
Diwali Giveaway : Asus Zenfone 4 and Xiaomi In-Ear Earphones

Consider this the beginning of many exciting giveaways to come for this festive season. With this giveaway, we give you the chance to win a pair of these sleek earphones by Xiaomi and the Asus Zenfone 4. Simply enter the sweepstakes below.

Follow the instructions carefully and read the terms and conditions on the form as well as given here. This Giveaway is open only for residents of India.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Watch our unboxing and hands on video with the Asus Zenfone 4 here:

October 7, 2014
Apple iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus Pre-Orders Start Today in India

Apple’s latest flagship iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are all set to launch on October 17th, right before Diwali. The launch, about a month after the phone arrived in the US, will go down as the fastest launch of a new iPhone model ever.

This time around, Apple has chosen e-commerce dealers for the new iPhones. Amazon.in and Ahmedabad-based Infibeam promise a firm dlivery date for iPhone 6 sales in India. Both website will take pre-order starting noon today. The online retail firm has promised to deliver iPhones 6 and iPhone 6 plus on October 17 in all urban areas, and in rural areas in a couple of more days.

The 16GB version of Apple iPhone 6 will be available for Rs. 53,500, while the 64GB version is priced at Rs. 62,500. The 128GB version of the phone will sell for Rs. 71,500. The 16GB version of Apple iPhone 6 Plus will be available at Rs. 62,500, while the 64GB version is priced at Rs. 71,500. The 128GB version of the phone will sell for Rs 80,500.

Offline retailers have repeatedly complained to phone brands about low prices being offered by online retailers. As a result, companies are increasingly going through ‘exclusive’ partners for online selling to retain control over prices. The prices announced by Infibeam are exactly the prices that Apple has stipulated, and not lower than that. The prices are what you can get in offline stores as well.

October 7, 2014
HTC Set to Unveil New Flagship Smartphone Tomorrow

HTC has gathered a lot of appreciation for their line-up smartphones this year. HTC’s recent flagship HTC One (M8) has been touted as one of the best Android smartphone of the year. However, the HTC enthusiasts weren’t quite satisfied with the camera quality.

Anyhow, it seems the company is gearing up to fulfill what their fan’s want with a new device which is said to be HTC One (M8) Eye or HTC Desire Eye. HTC on Monday posted a teaser picture on its Twitter account that seemingly shows off its newest smartphone that will reportedly feature a 13-megapixel camera. A vast improvement over the camera found in its HTC One (M8) flagship phone.

Don’t adjust your screen. Just focus on the date. #HTCLive http://t.co/Eyc1sYHxxw

— HTC USA (@HTCUSA) October 6, 2014

The new device has a top camera lens that seems to look larger than the one we see on the HTC One (M8). According to recent leaks, the new HTC One (M8) Eye or the HTC Desire Eye will feature a 5.2-inch full HD display, a Snapdragon 801 quad-core 2.3GHz processor, 2GB of RAM, a 2,400 mAh removable battery and a 13-megapixel camera.

With this in mind, HTC is all set to awe us with this new device that will address the criticism by combining a vastly improved camera with the widely appreciated hardware design that has earned the company much praise. HTC has scheduled a big media event on October 8th in New York. The invitation for the event teased that the event would have a focus on “double exposure,” which confirms camera improvement in the new device.

October 7, 2014
Skype to Terminate Free Local Calls Within India

Skype has announced that it is withdrawing the Skype call service to Indian landlines and mobiles in India, starting from 10th November. The Microsoft-owned company has not given a concrete reason for the same.

The discontinuity of the service is said to be the result of law and regulation in the country. As per current laws, VoIP calls originating from within India cannot be terminated on mobiles or landlines in the country, however the companies have been routing calls internationally to avoid this regulation until now.

While Skype users in India will no longer be able call Indian landlines and mobiles, they will still be able to send SMS messages to mobiles within India.

In a support page, Skype said, “If you’ve bought a subscription to India specifically to call within the country, you can cancel your subscription to avoid being billed in the future. Keep in mind that before 10 November 2014, you can still use your subscription and Skype Credit to call within India, so be sure to use up any remaining minutes or credit you have before then.”

October 6, 2014

LG Brings Out the Pen-Enabled G3 Stylus in India for Rs. 21,500

LG has launched a new variant of its flagship G3, LG G3 Stylus in India for Rs. 21,500. The LG G3 Stylus is a pen-enabled smartphone that offers a large display and many of the premium user experience features of the G3.

The Stylus version of the G3 comes with a 5.5-inch qHD IPS (960 x 540) display and mounts a 13 MP rear camera along with a 1.3 MP front camera. The LG G3 Stylus runs on a 1.3GHz quad-core processor with 1 GB of RAM and Android 4.4.2 KitKat operating system. It offers 8 GB of internal storage which is further expandable via microSD card slot and is powered by a 3000 mAh battery.

The G3 Stylus boasts the same Floating Arc design with gradually tapered edges, thin bezels and metallic skin back cover that was first introduced on the LG G3. According to LG, the proprietary Rubberdium stylus pen feels comfortable in any hand.

“We believe that the G3 Stylus is perfect for consumers looking for a powerful display and sophisticated design with a reasonable price tag. The G3 Stylus smartphone offers not just a stylus experience but also the same premium user experience and design heritage of the G3,” said Amit Gujral, Marketing Head, LG Mobiles.

This smartphone is equipped with G3’s key camera features such as Touch and Shoot, Gesture Shot and Front Camera Light. Additional UX features that have become standard offerings across LG’s newest smartphones include Dual Window, Smart Keyboard and Knock Code. Optimized for various 3G markets’ wireless networks, the G3 Stylus will be offered in Dual SIM with NFC capability in three colors: Black, White and Gold.

Specifications	LG G3 Stylus
Display	5.5-inch qHD IPS (960 x 540)
Processor	1.3 GHz Quad-Core
Storage	8 GB MicroSD slot
RAM	1 GB RAM
Camera	Rear 13MP, Front 1.3MP
Battery	3,000mAh (removable)
Operating system	Android 4.4.2 KitKat
Add-on	Stylus Pen

October 6, 2014

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 to Launch in India on 10th October

With Apple fans waiting for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus to launch in India later this month, Samsung seems to be attempting to stay ahead of the game. The South Korean giant shared the worldwide roll-out schedule of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 in a Facebook post. The phone maker prepares to cash in on buyer interest during the apt timing of Diwali.

According to the post, Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will hit the Indian market on 10th October. Though there is no word about the price of the phablet, it is expected to cost more than Rs 50,000. Its predecessor, Samsung Galaxy Note 3, was launched last year at Rs 49,990. According to earlier reports, Samsung is expecting overall sales to rise in the three month period beginning October to December, with new announcements and launches during the quarter.

The Galaxy Note 4’s roll-out thus far has not been ideal for Samsung, with some buyers in South Korea complaining of a manufacturing defect in the handset. Some users even posted images of the new phablet from Samsung showing the defect – a gap between the phone’s screen and the metal casing. However, Samsung was quick enough to respond and rejected the claims. It stressed that the gap was a natural part of design that “does not impact the functionality or quality” of the phone.

The Note 4 has a design similar to that of the Galaxy Alpha, which was launched a few days ago in India. It has a 5.7-inch screen size with QuadHD resolution (2560 x 1440 pixels). The Indian version of the Note 4 is likely to be powered by Exynos 5433, an octa-core processor that has fours Cortex A15 cores clocked at 1.9GHz and the four Cortex A7 cores clocked at 1.3GHz. The global version uses Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 chipset clocked at 2.7GHz.

The Note 4 has 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot that supports up to 64GB of storage. It uses Android 4.4 along with Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface. The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 fashions a 16-megapixel autofocus rear camera with Smart OIS, and a 3.7-megapixel front-facing camera with an f/1.9 lens. It comes with 32GB of built-in storage, and expandability via microSD card.

It also comes with additional software optimized to make use of the S Pen stylus. Compared to Note 3, users can multitask better in multi-window mode of Galaxy Note 4, which supports minimizing apps as floating widgets. It also has better text selection and crops selected areas on the screen for later viewing.

October 6, 2014
Flipkart’s The Big Billion Day Sale : The Top 5 Smartphone Offers

Everyone is gearing up for the most important event of Indian year, Diwali. With popular companies and electronic giants offering festive sales and deals, there is too much to choose from. One such big sale is going on on Flipkart, called The Big Billion Day sale.

The sale is to be held from 6-10 October and opened at 8 am today. Flipkart has gone big this time with big discounts on 70 categories, flash sales, deals of the hour, lucky draws every hour and unprecedented offers and discounts. We are listing our Top 5 smartphone deals on Flipkart’s Big Billion Day sale.

If you’ve been thinking about investing in a new smartphone, today’s the today.

1. Moto E

It’s no secret that Motorola and Flipkart have a long running and healthy relationship. Well, this healthy relationship has given us great offers and easy availability of Motorola blockbuster handsets. Moto E is one of the most Android friendly smartphone in its price bracket. Flipkart is offering flat Rs. 1500 off on Moto E which means you can buy the smartphone for Rs. 5,499 only. Check out our Moto E review here.

2. Moto G (Gen 2)

Another great offer for Motorola fans is on the new Moto G. You can exchange your old phone with the new gen Moto G and can get upto Rs. 4000 off. You can exchange your old Moto G or Moto E to get Rs. 3000 off and Moto X to get Rs. 4000 off.

3. Moto X (16 GB)

If you wanted to buy this smartphone but couldn’t because of the pocket constraints, this is the best deal you can get for the Moto X. Flipkart is offering the device at Rs. 17,999. The original price of the device is Rs. 23,999.

4. Asus Zenfone 4

Asus Zenfone 4 is a value-for money gadget which has been one of the best selling phones by Asus. The original retail price of the handset is around Rs. 6000, however, Flipkart is offering the device for Rs. 4999 under the Big Billion Day sale.

5. Nokia Lumia 520

Lumia 520 is one the best selling smartphones from Nokia’s Lumia series. The original market price of the device is Rs. 6,999. FlipKart is offering Lumia 520 at the price of Rs. 4,999.

October 6, 2014
Tips For a Happy Traveler: 5 Best Websites to Check and Apps to Download

All great travel apps have one thing in common: they all solve problems you don’t even realise you have. Whether they’re helping you in easy and quick navigation, pointing you in the direction of authentic local nosh or simply showing you how to ask after a toilet in Japanese, you need to pick and choose which one works for you best.

Here are our picks of apps and websites for the best travel experience you can have:

Ultimate Travel Packing Guide

Do you travel often, reach your destination, unpack your things, and ask yourself, ‘Where is my toothbrush?’. It happens to the best of us because it’s far easier to create a mental list of things to pack in the week leading up to your departure than it is to actually remember them all when you’re packing. The logical thing to do would be to create a small travel pack or make a list of things to pack as you remember them. Ultimate Travel Packing List is a little web app that generates a list of things you should pack based on your gender, the length of your trip, the climate you’ll be experiencing, and the nature of your trip.

Seatguru

Which seats are the best seats on the plane? Since airlines began charging for everything from a checked bag to a bag of peanuts, the answer is, “Whichever ones I don’t have to pay extra for.” SeatGuru provides commercial cabin seat maps, advising travelers which seats in the cabin to select or not select when booking a flight. The free app lets you access over 700 seat maps from over 100 airlines. It features advice and insights drawn from over 45,000 passenger reviews, so you can always find the best seat before you fly. Plus, the new app now helps you compare and find great low airfares from low-cost carriers, big online travel agencies, and the airlines themselves. You can even set up real-time flight alerts that monitor your flight arrival time and other information.

Bing Travel App

The Bing Travel app lets you explore over 2,000 destinations from all over the world through beautiful photos and panoramas. Travel guides, booking tools, real time currency conversion, and weather provide everything you need to turn travel inspiration into your next great trip. Enable location services for Bing Travel Beta, so they can have more specific recommendations. For example, the destinations section recommends several places near New York. Each destination displays a summary syndicated from Frommer’s, traveler photos, attractions, restaurants, and hotels. Prices for hotel rooms are displayed by the app, grabbing rates from services like Booking, Kayak, Travelocity, Expedia, and more. Click on the rate you like and the web browser opens for you to continue the booking on that particular site.

Tripit

The iPhone app TripIt offers a unique service to travelers. It automatically connects to your email accounts, finds travel-confirmation emails, and turns them into a neat, complete itineraries. TripIt is familiar with purchases you make on all the major search and booking sites, such as Orbitz and Kayak, as well as airlines, car rental services, hotels, restaurant reservations, and much more. If TripIt misses an important travel email, you can forward it along, and the service will either figure out what to do with info or stick it to the side until you can review and type in the details manually.

Uber

Uber hit 100 cities recently, and what many call the fastest growing cab company in the world is adding more cities fast. When you open the app in any of the 100-plus Uber cities and order a car, the app will estimate the arrival time and send a text saying your driver is on the way. A small photo with the driver’s name and phone number pops up on the app, while a car icon on the map shows you in real time where the car is located. Cash isn’t an issue, Uber bills your credit card at the end of the ride. Both users and drivers can rate each other at the end of the ride using the app for other users to view. Rather than a cheap taxi app with prices similar to local cabs, in Asia Uber provides a luxury experience, with much higher prices and limo chauffeurs.

October 4, 2014