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iGyaan Gift Guide: 10 Gadgets for your High-Tech Mother

The festive season is the time to show love to your family. From Dussehra till the beginning of the new year, Indians have a lot of reasons to celebrate and no celebration is complete without gifts. However, it is always a task to find the perfect gift for your loved ones. Don’t worry, iGyaan is here. We are listing 10 gadgets to gift your high-tech mother this season.

1. iPad Mini

Whether your mom is a computer genius or not, iPad Mini would make for an amazing gift for her. Once she gets a hold of the small and handy device, you will see her make full use of it. You can pair it up with an iPad kitchen stand, making it a useful gift for everyone in the family. The iPad’s 7.9 inch backlit display gives great viewing angles. The device is also super thin and unbelievably light, so she can even stash it in her bag easily when on the go.

 

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2. Garmin Car Navigation System

Navigation systems in the car are not only convenient but help avoid traffic, finding better roads, speed limit notifications and much more. So, if your mother complains about the traffic a lot you need to gift her this gadget. Garmin Nuvi car navigation series is one of the best navigation system available in the market. Our pick for your mom will be Garmin Nuvi 2568LM Car Navigation System. It is very user friendly, comes with lifetime updates, bluetooth compatibility and preloaded with Travel Guide.

 

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3. Coffee Machines

We’re telling you by our personal experience, having a coffee machine around is such a relief. Gifting your mom one will cheer her mood up, we can promise you that. There are loads of coffee machines available in market. Our pick for you mother will be Philips Saeco Poemia HD8325 1-Litre Manual Espresso Machine and Oster BVSTEM6601S-073 1050-Watt Prima Expresso and Latte Maker and if you are ready spend little bit more then Delonghi EC850M 1450-Watt Pump Espresso Coffee Maker is perfect all in one solution for coffee lovers, it comes with thermo block heating system and 15 bar professional pressure and an amazing stainless steel body.

 

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4. Camera

The Festive season means n number of family pictures being taken. Smartphones come with excellent cameras these days, however they’re unable to compete with the many feature packed cameras available in market. From point to shoot to new mirrorless cameras, there are wide variety of products to choose from. We would recommend Panasonic DMC-ZS40K or Sony Cyber-shot RX100 II for your mom.

 

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5. FitBit Ultra

If your mom is a fitness freak, gift her FitBit Ultra. With this fitness tracker, she can set her fitness goals, plan workouts and monitor performance. It features Foursquare-esque badges and an altimeter for counting how many steps you’ve climbed. It is very easy to use and FitBit analysis is amazingly helpful too.

 

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6. Tata Sky HD

Every mom has a favourite soap opera she is addicted to. Gift your mother TATA Sky HD set top box with Metro subscription so that she can record stuff in HD. It would make for a unusual gift, however improve her daily life.

 

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7. iPhone 5S

This is a best time to gift your mother an iPhone 5S. Recently, prices went down since the new new gen iPhone 6 has been released.

 

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8. Skullcandy Knockout

Skullcandy has this amazing headset range called Knockout specifically designed for women. They come in amazingly beautiful floral design and leather finish. It will be your moms favourite accessory apart from her expensive jewelry.

 

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9. RoboVacuum

Festive season means a lot of cleaning in the house. We recommend you to gift her a RoboVacuum. Trust us, it will make you your mother’s favorite amongst your siblings.

 

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10. Amazon Gift Voucher

If you still can’t decide what you want to gift your mother, here is the one last option. You can gift your mom an Amazon Gift voucher worth from Rs. 10 to 10,000. She can choose whatever she wants from the website.

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October 4, 2014
Technology We Need in India

India’s new government is putting proactive emphasis on the Digital India Project. The country is a high priority market for smartphone companies with major releases happening almost instantly with an international release. For more than a decade the country has been a tech hub and exports a mammoth number of tech-based workforce all over the world.

But still the country lags behind in terms of inculcation of technology in everyday life. There are various causes for this ranging from red-tapism to lack of understanding of the issues. Some of the major focus arenas are:

Electric Cars

The future of vehicle technology seriously lacks on Indian roads. The most prominent name is the Reva which came at the price of a regular car but doesn’t give acceptable range. India has great technical workforce from automobile engineers to talented designers. If encouraged through the administrative institutions can be a leader in this field. Moreover by subsidizing these cars and incentivizing them, you can have cars that are not just good for your monthly budget, but also for the environment. While its great to know that the present government is focusing attention on Solar energy, pushing for electric vehicles along with solar will be a symbiotic transaction to a clean fuel economy.

Research

For the growth of any civilization, corporation, country, new ideas are absolutely important. There is a lack of funding for research in the country. As mentioned earlier there is no shortage of talented, hardworking individual who can take charge for a change. Currently, India’s share in R&D spending to the total global R&D spending stands at just 2.1 percent while the share of China is 12.5 per cent. For the third biggest economy in the world, that is a puny figure. To bring real change, the government has to aggressively invest in R&D.

Good Internet

An important component of the 21st century economy, the information superhighway, or the internet. It is the economy making force of the 21st century but India is limited by its speed. TRAI classifies the broadband at 512 KBps, which is not an acceptable speed in the first place. AKAMAI’s study showed India lagging behind all Asian and BRICS countries in terms of broadband speeds. With 4K streaming becoming available in most countries, it’s high time India puts its investment in information infrastructure as the world is moving to a knowledge-based economy. An accessible, faster and trustworthy internet would not just bring us closer to the world; it will bring a whole new empowered consumer base for the economy. This should be a priority issue for the government.

Agriculture

India has long touted itself as an agricultural priority country, but its agricultural yield is amongst the lowest in the world. Seed technology also needs to be looked into to prevent ethically immoral MNC’s to dictate terms to Indian farmers. A second green revolution is the need of the hour and the pride of doing it ourselves will help the country raise its sense of self-respect. It is also an important field as people can live without all the gadgets and tech under the sun, but can’t live without food. Apart from raising the number of agricultural research institutions, agricultural knowledge should be effectively disseminated amongst the farmers; the Krishi Darshan on DD just doesn’t cut it anymore. The acute importance of agricultural revolution should also be understood by the general public as they are on the consumption end of the spectrum and it’s always good to know what’s on your plate and how it got there.

There are certainly a lot more areas in need of a technology revolution but none greater than in our educational institutions. We are currently creating a knowledge platform that churns out over 10 lakh engineers every year with a sole goal of earning big pay packages. There is an immediate need for induction of an innovation and entrepreneurial spirit in the minds of the Indian youth. Instead of being cheap labour to international MNC’s, they should instead be able to tie their shoelaces and aim to create the next big thing. Only and only then can this country claim for greatness instead of just brandishing past glories. This country deserves a technology revolution to be an active member of the global decision makers. We got the talent, all we need is leadership.

October 4, 2014
Micromax Plans to Bring a CyanogenMod-Powered Smartphone in India

According to CounterPoint Research, Micromax has raced fast to become the biggest mobile phone company in India by replacing Samsung. But the company still has a reputation of dismal after sales service. The company has also been slow in delivering software updates that are really important. Now it seems like the company has the found a partner who can take care of some of its woes.

Micromax will be partnering with CyanogenMod to bring a phone running on a custom OS in India. CyanogenMod is extremely popular, especially amongst advanced users. It is an open source operating system for smartphones and tablet computers, based on the Android mobile platform. It is also the default operating system on the flagship killer, OnePlus One.

OnePlus One Runs on Cyanogen and it’s a great user experience.

A feature that will be appreciated by most users is the regular updates on the system. Phones running CyanogenMod get regular updates, and they give amazing themes and customizability features. Also, it gives an almost stock experience and hence lets you get better performance out of your phones. It also provides cool button options like long-pressing the volume buttons to switch music tracks.

Micromax will not just get a good OS here, it will be an updated OS. The company seems to be adressing one of the major complaints it has been facing. It won’t really be wrong if it moves its entire line-up to Cyanogen. But that might not happen considering Micromax is in a serious business with Google through the Android One devices. Google had previously tried to buy CyanogenMod to improve the Android development team, but they turned Google’s option down.

This move by Micromax might be advantageous for the company. They plan to bring the device out by the end of the year. That’s when we’ll know if Micromax got this right.

October 3, 2014
Moto X 2nd Gen Review : Better Android Smartphone Experience
The Moto X was the reason Motorola was able to bounce back from extinction. With the help and financial backing from Google, Motorola revamped their lineup of smartphones and today is one of the most coveted Android smartphone manufacturers. Although Motorola was unloaded by Google to Lenovo, the company’s principles have remained similar. With the Moto X 2014 Motorola is back with a vengeance, giving you the best mix of hardware and performance.

Overview

The new Moto X aka Gen 2014, is a major overhaul of what was already an impressive kit of a smartphone. The great mix of design build quality and top notch hardware makes the phone an aggressive competitor in the major smartphone market. In most countries the phone is available on the cheap with a contract, in countries like India however it has to be bought outright. Its price at launch is Rs. 31,999, which is much higher than the last generation’s price.

Hardware

Unlike the previous edition, the new Moto X is not impaired by old tech, it’s packed with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset with Adreno 330 graphics, has a larger 5.2 inch display with a Full HD resolution. New optics include a 13 MP camera with a faux dual led ring flash, and a front facing 2 MP one. The rear camera does 4K video and slow motion at 1080p which is really impressive. Storage is limited to 16 GB and RAM is kept at 2GB.
- 5.2-inch 1080P Display – 401 pixels per inch
- 2.5 GHz Snapdragon 801 Quad-core processor
- 2GB of RAM
- 16GB and 32GB storage options
- 2,300mAh battery
- 13MP rear facing camera w/ 4k video, 2MP front camera
- Dual LED Ring Flash
- Android 4.4.4 KitKat
- Over 25 customizable back options – India Gets Black Leather or White + Bamboo!
- 140.8 x 72.4 x 9.9mm – 144 grams
Build and Design

Thanks to the Stainless Steel frame, the Moto X is one of the most robust smartphones in the market, the reinforced design with the lack of easily ding-able parts makes the phone more sturdy than expected. The Moto X will not bend, not with your hands, and many videos are trending online to prove it. The phone is solid and engineered well, but the leather finish will not last. We used the phone for a mere 2 weeks and the leather at the back has a lot of nicks and cuts and basically wears easy, the bamboo variant of the new Moto X 2nd Gen costs an additional Rs.2000 but may be worth the moolah. Design is great, however, we are not too sure of the lager Moto logo in a steel insert, it looks great in the leather variant but not on the wooden one. Reactions have been mixed about that one bit, everything else is an excellent change up from the 1st gen. Stainless steel bezel adds premium class and functionality and looks good, the shape is well fitted and curves just right in the hand. It is a handsome smartphone and its built well.

Performance and Android OS

The overall performance from the handset is impressive, it runs top notch hardware on an almost vanilla build of Android 4.4 with an experience only south of Google’s own Nexus line. Benchmarks score upwards of 40,000 in Antutu and they translate to real life usage, RAM is managed well and the Moto X remains pretty smooth through the day of use. Motorola has managed to use its own features like, smart notifications which are now called “Moto Display” and the new voice assistant which can be called up by a custom phrase and not the traditional “Ok Moto” or “Ok Google Now”. Motorola has also managed to leverage Moto communicate, allowing for phone calls and SMS messages to be received and responded to from your laptop/computer, while the setup may seem tedious it works well, although is a major drain on the battery life. The new Moto Assist is also well rounded, it knows when you are sleeping, driving or whether you are at home or work and can customize the alerts according to that, it needs a basic setup, but works mostly flawlessly after that.

Camera

The camera is a big upgrade, a 13 Mp sensor, 4k video and 1080 slow mo, all sounds great on paper. Images however do not justify all that, they are still grainy and low light performance is terrible. Continuous burst mode is a great feature, but is randomly sluggish and will cause images to get blurry and out of focus. The concept of the ring flash is simulated and does do nothing really to enhance the image quality, although the color correction in post flash images is good. The flash module is just like any other on any other smartphone. The camera app is really basic and could use some better features, like filters and on the fly changes. Focus during video will jump in and out, and will cause heartache. 4k video sounds great, but the limited 16GB storage will fill up with just mere minutes of 4k footage.

Without Flash

With Flash

Slow motion works well, focus is tight and quality is impressive. It will do Slow motion at 1080p vs 720p in the last year’s model. The front camera remains basic with a 2MP snapper, it captures 1080p video, which is usually overexposed and grainy, not the best optics in the lot.

Display and Multimedia

The new display on the Moto X larger and brighter, looks good outdoors, and has a crisp 401 ppi density. The glass on the front is Gorilla Glass 3 and it rounds off and meets the bezel at the edges adding to a natural feel when using the touchscreen. The display has excellent viewing angles and looks great indoors and out doors. touch response is excellent and according to Motorola the whole ecosystem is run at 60 fps throughout which adds to the experience, although may not be perfectly accurate. The bezels on the front are really minimal so the display is what takes up most of the front adding to a better look and better content consumption. Thanks to a larger display you will enjoy watching movies and videos on the phone, performance is excellent so no lag or buffer is experienced in the usage of the phone. The speaker is now forward facing, but unlike HTC’s boomsound it’s still a single speaker , yet sounds good and is very loud.

Phone, Networks and Battery

The Moto X 2nd Gen uses the metal fame to boost networks and boy does it work well, we found excellent indoor reception even on 3G networks and no call drops. This goes to show that maybe not all networks are to blame for bad reception. In this case Motorola has really got its antenna design right and yes it is very functional. Call quality, thanks to the impressive reception, is better than most handsets, although noise cancellation is not very great. Microphone is sensitive and the earpiece is loud and crisp. Battery is a smallish 2300 mAh unit that will mostly last a day, but if you use your phone a lot a portable charger or a USB cable will soon become your best friends. Averaging a mere 4-5 hours of talk time, we wish the phone had more juice to go on about its day. If you need the new Moto X to last longer you may want to invest in the Turbo Charger. Although, not yet in India, this optional accessory can charge the Moto X incredibly fast, pumping in eight hours of power in just 15 minutes.

Conclusion

Motorola has a winner with the Moto X 2nd Gen, and while a lot of people are looking at the bump in price, we are looking at the bump in specs. The previous Gen Motorola Moto X was underpowered, under spec’d and smallish. The new Moto X, is powerful, has excellent specs, top notch performance, has the right size and it looks good doing daily deeds. The leather back is tastefully damage-able and will add a custom look to each Moto X, however extreme wear may happen sooner than later. Thanks to quick Android updates and a simple basic Android UI, the handset is customizable and fast from the get go. The display bump is a boon and is well received, the new design is flawless and the built appreciable. The phone is also water resistant and will last you a very long time. But, should you get it? If you want an android phone now, and the price bracket fits, Yes ! get it now. Alternatively wait for the OnePlus One launch or the Next Nexus, which may as well be a Moto X in a cheaper format, who knows?

Review Video

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GOOD THINGS
- Superb Built
- Handsome Looks
- Top Notch Hardware
- Excellent Performance
- Moto Display
- Voice Assist
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BAD THINGS
- No Customization in Global Market
- Leather prone to Wear
- Camera is Sluggish and Not Refined
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October 3, 2014
Google to Take on Whatsapp with its own Messaging App

There is no shortage of messaging apps for smartphones. For whatever operating system you are using, there would be multiple messaging app options for you. Now internet’s Godzilla, Google will be making its foray into the market. The app is expected to be put to test in India and other emerging markets.

The report published by Economic Times said Google sent its top product manager Nikhyl Singhal to India for a recce of the messaging app ecosystem in the country. The app is currently in the developmental stage and is expected to be launched in 2015.

The app will take on the likes of Whatsapp, Hike and Others

The app will be free to use and will not require users to use a Google account for login. It will also free to use in comparison to Whatsapp’s freemium model. Google might give the app some autonomy just like Facebook gave Whatsapp.

Google is paying heightened attention to India because the country is expected to become the second biggest mobile market by 2019. It is also expected to have a 500 million strong internet using population by 2018. There appears to be a huge scope for the tech giant to cash in on these users.

Coming to the app at hand, Google really has to bring something convenient and unique on the table as there is a massive user-base in India which has grown comfortable with Whatsapp. To lure them the company has to put in some serious effort otherwise it will also turn into a ghost town like Google Plus.

October 3, 2014
Indian E-Commerce Websites Offering iPhone 6 Before Official Launch

Apple’s latest phone is still a couple of weeks away from being officially launched in India, but that hasn’t stopped e-commerce website from hosting the phone through vendors. The phone is currently available on Ebay and ShopClues.

On Ebay, the phone is available at Rs. 55,954 with an October 8th delivery date. The phone is available without any shipping charges which is the least they can do considering the massive price tag of the device. On the other hand, Shopclues shared the price of iPhone 6 16 GB at Rs. 59,999 in a mailer. The website says it will deliver the device by 8th October and is charging a shipping charge of Rs.149, really Shopclues, really?

The phone is available through vendors on e-commerce sites

Apple will officially bring the phone for sale on the 17th of this month. The phones will come in two variants, iPhone 6 with a screen size of 4.7 inches and iPhone 6 Plus with a screen size of 5.5 inches. Vendors at eBay have started pre-booking iPhone 6 Plus for starting around Rs. 77,000.

Both the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus come with 8-megapixel main camera and 1.2-megapixel front camera. The phones support 2G, 3G and 4G networks. They come in three versions in terms of storage: 16GB, 64GB and 128GB.

If you want to know more about the new iPhone, check out our full review.

October 3, 2014
Limited Stock Moto 360 Goes on Sale Today

You have waited for this device for a long while, and now it’s finally here. Comeback Superstar Motorola’s 1st generation Smartwatch, the Moto 360 will be listed for sale by mid-day today. The device will be priced at Rs. 17,999.

It is one of the few Android Wear devices with a round display. Though this display does tend to cut the corners of the content but it is nothing to lose sleep over. Just like an update cleared the battery woes of existing users, a future update can get the round screen friendly UI.

The Moto 360 responds to your voice with voice control which makes it easy to get things done, even when your hands are full. Just say, “Ok Google” and you can send texts, set a reminder, check the weather, and even ask for directions.

The device will go on sale at MId-day.

The device can also be used as a health monitor; it comes with Pedometer and Optical heart rate monitor (PPG). It has a 1.56-inch LCD display with 320 x 290 resolution (205ppi) with Corning Gorilla Glass 3. It has IP67 rated water resistance. The device is powered by 320 mAh battery which now lasts a lot longer since the update.

At present, the company only has a limited stock so you can expect the device to run out of stock soon as there is a huge demand for it. So if you were on the lookout for one, now would be a good time to log onto your Flipkart account.

Watch us go hands on with the Moto 360 here:

October 3, 2014
iGyaan Gift Guide: Top 5 Gadgets for Your Brother

They are difficult people to buy gifts for. Even if you get them what they wanted all along; they’ll pretend to dislike it just to tease you. Well, we want you to gear up to buy gifts that your brothers cannot even pretend to dislike!

Here is a list of 5 gadgets that you can gift your brother:

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5. Logitech PowerShell Controller

One of the first Apple approved gamepads for iPhone, Logitech PowerShell Controller is built to easily slot the iPhone directly inside, without having the need to pull the controller apart to fit it in. Its rubbery surface and solid deign is comfortable to hold and carry as well. You can keep gaming non-stop using its 1500 mAh battery. It supports iOS 7 controller games and is sure to be a winner!

 

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4. Pebble Steel SmartWatch

Pebble Steel SmartWatch is any man’s cup of tea. With a long battery life, the watch can go upto 7 days between charging. It can connect wirelessly with iOS and Android devices and will let you read texts, mails, change the music, take calls and operate various apps and games while your phone sits comfortably in your pocket. It is not just classy, it is tough as well. With waterproofing up to 5 ATM, this may be exactly what your brother needs!

 

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3. Beats Solo 2.0

Far better than the previous products of the Beats Solo range, Beats Solo 2.0 are sturdy and provide a comfortable fit. Available in 6 colours including black, blue and green, these headphones have a rubber-topped headband which is lightweight and firm. This means you can wear the Beats Solo 2 when you run without having to worry that they might fall off. Comfortable and with amazing sound quality, these headphones are totally worth the price.

 

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2. Iron Man LED Pendrive

This festive season, think geeky. The Iron Man LED Pendrive is funky, stylish and useful. With an 8 GB capacity and eyes that glow, this pendrive transfers data up to speed of 12 Mb/s. Why settle for something boring, when you can gift your brother a superhero style customized pendrive?

 

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1. Sony PlayStation 4

With more graphical force than the Xbox One, 32 times more framework memory than the Ps3 and a firm concentrate on immaculate gaming encounters as opposed to media mojo, the Ps4 has made itself as the cutting edge support to beat. The new Dualshock Controller, the PS4 framework is based on a capable custom chip that contains eight x86-64 cores and a state of the workmanship 1.84 TFLOPS representation processor with 8 GB of ultra-quick Gddr5 bound together framework memory. Yes, your brother wants it.

 

October 2, 2014
Microsoft Launched Three New Lumia Smartphones in India

Microsoft seems to be gearing up to get in the celebration mood. The company has launched three new Lumia phones – the 730, 830 and 930, in India. The double-SIM Lumia 730 has been priced at Rs. 15,299, while the Lumia 830 and 930 are estimated to have a tag of Rs. 28,799 and Rs. 38,649, respectively.

The Nokia Lumia 730, also being called the company’s first selfie smartphone, features a 4.7-inch 1280 x 720 pixel Super Sensitive Touch HD OLED display. Microsoft says the 5 megapixel wide-edge front camera on the Lumia 730 double SIM will help buyers click and share better quality selfies. This phone has been updated remembering the Skype application as they let users switch from voice to Skype feature calls with one single tap. It comes powered by a 1.2 Ghz Snapdragon quad-center processor. The Lumia 730 has a 6.7 megapixel back camera, 2220mAh battery, 8GB of interior stockpiling and 15 GB of free OneDrive stockpiling. It can back a microSD card of up to 128GB.

The Lumia 830 is the most slender and lightest Lumia yet. Microsoft calls the metal-encircled Nokia Lumia 830 “the reasonable lead” of the Nokia Lumia range. It has a 10 megapixel back camera alongside a 1 megapixel front camera and is fuelled by a 1.2GHz Snapdragon quad-core processor. The affordable smartphone has a 5-inch screen with 1280×720 pixels resolution protected with Corning Gorilla 3.0 glass.

The battery in the Lumia 830 is 2200 mAh and storage option includes 16GB of internal memory and an extra 15GB space accessible on Microsoft’s OneDrive. It can also back microSD cards of up to 128gb. The Lumia 830 will accompany the Lumia Denim update that presents gimmicks, for example, Live Folders, Apps Corner and an refurbished Glance screen.

The Lumia 930 has a 5-inch 1920 x 1080 pixel display. Powered by a 2.2 Ghz quad-center Snapdragon chipset with 2GB of RAM and 32GB inside capacity, the phone is extremely stylish and stands out from the other phones in the entire range. The Lumia 930 smartphone also offers a 20MP primary camera with Pureview tech and a 1.2MP secondary camera with ZEISS optics and updated Rich Recording. The Nokia Lumia 930 is stimulated with a Li-Ion 2420mAh battery.

October 1, 2014
After Apple’s Bendgate, Samsung Now Faces Gapgate

Samsung may have ganged up along with other phone makers to ridicule iPhone 6 Plus’ bending incidents but now it has its own issue. Some of the users of Samsung’s latest flagship are complaining about a gap in the frame.

The metal frame was one of the most flaunted design features from the company. It marked the company’s departure from excessive plastic use on their smartphones. The phone went on sale in Korea and is being sold at a premier price of 957,000 Korean Won (about Rs.55,000).

According to the images posted by the iTToday in South Korea, the gap is big enough to fit in a business card. It’s not yet sure if it’s a bigger issue or a problem with select devices.

Samsung though has firmly rejected the claims. An official spokesperson from the company said the issue does not impact the functionality or quality of the Galaxy Note 4. They told TrustedReviews that “We assure our customers that all Galaxy Note 4 units meet our strict manufacturing and quality control standards.”

Though Samsung says it’s not a big issue, we’d love to see other companies take on the gap gate. It’s about time someone gave Samsung a taste of their own medicine. It will at least make for good entertainment.

October 1, 2014

New Xolo Q2100 Priced at Rs.13,499 Boasts a Built-In Fingerprint Scanner

Xolo has just launched the Q2100 smartphone for Rs. 13,499. The USP of the new smartphone is the built-in fingerprint scanner, and an IR blaster that is capable of functioning as a universal remote along with the preloaded Peel Smart Remote app. The fingerprint scanner is at the back of the Q2100 and it lets you securely access and unlock your smartphone in just a swipe over the the sensor.

Maximum 3 fingers can be enrolled and successfully decoded as a part of this authentication process. The Last Pass app comes pre-loaded in the device which is secured by a fingerprint sensor to safeguard all passwords.

It has a 5.5-inch HD display, powered by a 1.3 GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6582 processor and runs on Android 4.4 (KitKat). It has a 8-megapixel auto focus rear camera with Exmor R sensor, 1080p full HD video recording, dual LED flash and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. It comes with dual SIM support with dual standby and packs a 2800 mAh battery.

Other connectivity options on the Xolo Q2100 include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, USB OTG, A-GPS, and FM radio. The smartphone comes with an ambient light sensor, accelerometer, magnetometer, and proximity sensor. The Xolo Q2100 comes in Black and White colors and is priced at Rs. 13,499.

Specifications	Xolo Q2100
Display	5.5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD IPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection
Processor	1.3 GHz quad-core MediaTek MT65882
Storage	8GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 32GB with MicroSD
RAM	1GB
Camera	8MP rear and 2MP front camera
Battery	2800 mAh
Operating System	Android 4.4 (KitKat)

October 1, 2014

Dual Screen YotaPhone May Come to India Soon

Russian Smartphone manufacturer Yota is now ready to step onto the Indian soil. The company is probably going for a tie-up with Flipkart. The Indian E-tail giant accidently listed the phone on their site before taking it off moments later.

The phone listed on the website is the Yota C9660, which was showcased at CES 2013. It is a one of a kind device. The USP is its back-to-back dual screens. On one side is the usual LCD screen, while the other side is an eye-friendly E-ink display which is great for reading e-books.

Both screens have 4.3 inch displays. The LCD is a 720p HD screen(342 ppi) whereas the opposite side has a 640Ã—360 pixels E-Ink display (170 ppi).

The phone is powered by a 1.7 GHz Dual core, Snapdragon 400 processor. It comes with 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal memory. The phone is currently running Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean but might be upgraded to Android KitKat through OTA updates. It gets its juice from an 1800 mAh battery.

On the camera front the Yotaphone provides a 13 MP camera on the back but has a paltry 1 MP front camera for selfies.

There haven’t been any official announcements as of yet, but this is one interesting device that comes with some decent specs. It is a great device for those who like to read on their mobile devices but don’t want to carry e-readers like Kindle. It is a true amalgamation of the best of mobile devices, and we’d definitely like to take it for a spin.

October 1, 2014
OnePlus Expected to Continue the Invite System and Launch OnePlus Two in 2015

OnePlus had taken the smartphone market by storm with their flagship killer, the One, which sure sounds like a Matrix reference. The phones unique features and high-end specs at a convenient low price have won hearts globally. The biggest hitch with this excellent phone is its lack of availability. In a Reddit AMA(Ask Me Anything), OnePlus’s Carl Pei and David S answered many important queries about the future of the company.

The company said that they misjudged the demand for their phones. According to them, they underestimated the demand for their phone and now they are “scrambling to catch up.” The team they established wasn’t big enough to handle the gargantuan demand, and so they are hiring like crazy. They are hopeful that the situation will normalize in a few months.

OnePlus said they underestimated the demand and are now scrambling to catch up.

The disappointing bit of the AMA was the revelation that the invite system is not going anywhere at least in this year. It was previously reported that the company will be doing away with the invite system for a pre-order system. Carl Pie said, “We understand that our current method may be slowing our growth down, but we’d rather grow slower and in a healthy way than take too much risks and go out of business. Risk management is extra important in our scenario where we don’t have hardware margins.”

The most prominent announcement was about the successor to the mighty OnePlus One. The new phone, OnePlus Two will be launched by the second or third quarter of 2015. It is a good enough time span considering the future-proof OnePlus One will continue its formidable stand in the market for the considerable future. OnePlus Two will also come with Android L pre-installed. This phone too will begin sale with an invite system but will gradually be rolled out through pre-orders.

They also said they are considering the requests for reducing screen size for their next device.

The company said they were considering the screen size issue as that is one request they have been getting bombarded with. The 5.5 inch screen is just too big for everyone. The company has made it clear they will not be bringing it down to iPhone 6’s size of 4.7. We think a 5.0 or 5.2 inch is a great size that everyone can get used to. They said they would continue using the IPS screens instead of OLED’s as they cost more, and their benefits are not really worth the extra bucks.

OnePlus also said that they are testing products in various other categories, but are not sure of what they’ll release into the market. They said “The Nexus tablets are pretty good. We don’t think we can make anything significantly better in the near future.”

Overall this was a great discussion. We appreciate the honesty of the folks at OnePlus, who didn’t leave their potential customers in the dark. Now we just hope that the next OnePlus device is as epic as its current sibling.

October 1, 2014
All You Need to Know About Windows 10

Microsoft launched its new Window OS operating system at a small event yesterday in California. What came as surprise was the name that the company decided to give it. It is not Windows One, not Windows 9, but Windows 10, which combines the reborn Start Menu with Windows 8’s colorful live tiles and adjusts its behavior depending on how you’re using your device. Microsoft wants us to think of the latest version as a fundamental change to how Windows works, and the company skipped a version number to show it.

Return of the Start Menu

Originally codenamed Windows Threshold, the new operating system essentially drops the tiled “Metro” user interface that Microsoft had attempted to implement across its entire device line, from desktop PCs to Surface tablets and Windows Phone devices. Replacing it is a combination of the so-called live tiles, squeezed comfortably in the new Start Menu. It is a more retro Windows experience that will, according to the company, suite both touch and keyboard-and-mouse users.

Windows 10 is such a substantial leap, according to Microsoft, that the company decided it would be best to skip Windows 9, the widely expected name for the next version.

“Windows 10 will run on the broadest amount of devices. A tailored experience for each device,” Myerson said at a press event here Tuesday. “There will be one way to write a universal application, one store, one way for apps to be discovered purchased and updated across all of these devices.” “We believe that, together with the feedback you provide us, we can build a product that all of our customers will love,” Myerson added. “It will be our most open collaborative OS projects ever.”

The New Continuum Mode

Microsoft is also working on a tweaked UI that isn’t in Windows 10, yet. For two-in-on devices, a “Continuum” mode will adjust the UI depending on whether or not the mouse and keyboard is present. When a keyboard is disconnected, the Windows 8-style Start Menu appears and a back button is available so that users can easily back out to a prior command. Menus grow larger. But when a mouse and keyboard is connected, the desktop mode reappears, Windows apps return to desktop windows, and the Start page disappears.

That means your software will know when you’re using the OneDrive cloud service or Microsoft Word on a Surface device or a Lenovo laptop and adjust accordingly in a way that will unlock that productivity that Microsoft feels has been eluding its family of devices with Windows 8.

Windows 10 will work across devices.

The goal with Windows 10, the company stressed, is to find UI approaches that use the same mouse and keyboard experience evolving from Windows 7 so the touch users get something natural. During the event, Microsoft also offered insight into what went wrong with Windows 8. The goal of that OS was based on the effect that two-in-one’s can have for the productivity of Windows to help people get things done. Two-in-one devices can shape-shift from laptop to tablet, and Microsoft hopes that Windows can dominate that dual form factor in a way that their competitor Apple cannot, with its separate iPad and laptop lines.

Windows Mobile 10

For the Windows smartphones, the Windows Mobile OS will share the UI and the name. The company also said that the it will not have a desktop. However, it did not elaborate on what the next version Microsoft’s mobile OS may look like.

How Much will it Cost?

The company didn’t talk about the business model for the new OS either. The earlier reports suggested that the new Windows 10 may come for free as Apple does with its OS X upgrades or for nominal fee of $20. However, nothing is official yet.

When it Will be Available?

Microsoft expects to release the OS sometime in 2015, after the company’s Build Developer Conference in April. Microsoft also announced its Windows Insider Program, a developer’s program to allow enterprise people to evaluate it early, and will be available starting Thursday. Members of the program will have access to the ‘tech preview build.’

October 1, 2014
Microsoft Skips 9, Unveils Windows 10 Instead

The next big Windows is finally here. Microsoft did what it does best; arbitrarily name its products. First there were Windows 3.1x, then there was Windows 95 followed by the 98 and then the ME. After these came the modern Windows, namely the XP, Vista, 7 and the 8. Now Microsoft has brought out Windows 10, and it seems it wants to challenge Apple with this one.

This release will bring back some of the traditional characteristics of Windows that were lost in the Windows 8 transition. Microsoft has said that users from any previous Windows OS can easily switch to Windows 10. The bit that will excite a lot of users is the glorious revival of the Start Menu, which was a characteristic feature of Windows until the 8. It will also be one operating system percolating through desktops to tablets to smartphones.

Windows 10 will work across devices.

The new operating system was unveiled at San Francisco for Business customers. Microsoft will be releasing a technical preview version for selected users. It will be unveiling consumer features early next year. Windows 10 is expected to reach the market by mid-2015. Considering Microsoft nails its flagship operating system in every alternate release, we have a lot of hopes with this one.

October 1, 2014