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5 Vintage Tech Ads That Will Make You ROFL

We frequently go back to quoting the relatable posts from ‘when we were a 90’s kid’. The times were simple and in the absence of screens we actually went out in the sun to interact with the real 3D world, instead of trying to grab at air while wearing dorky glasses. Remember when we spent countless hours on those 8-bit games with our sibling, screwing with them every time it was their turn? So, if you are a 90’s kid, you would have also grown up as a generation who experienced the big technology evolution.

This train of thought got me thinking about the technology that used to excite us in the past. And what records an era in time better than an advertisement of that period. So I decided to dig up some hilarious vintage tech ads. Watch them, they’ll make you wonder, “where we really so excited about this stuff?”

1. Motorola Flip phone (Vintage Early 90’s)

Motorola was a true pioneer in personal communications. They introduced the world’s first commercial portable cellular phone. Watching this commercial you will wonder how our lives have transformed in past few decades and obviously the funny voice-over tingle your nerves.

2. Ms-Dos 5 Upgrade Promotion (1991)

I’m sure you are going to ROFL-ing when you watch this video. It seems Microsoft spent quite a lot of money back in day, to get people use MS-DOS.

P.S.- Our pal MC C-Prompt paved the way for generations of goofy white rappers. You know, like Vanilla Ice. And Eminem.

3. The Kids Guide to the Internet (1997)

This is the best vintage video I have ever seen. It is not exactly an ad, but I so wanted you guys to watch it. Video starts with a text asking viewers ‘Adjust the VCR tracking for the clearest picture.’ Okay. But what the hell is VCR tracking?

4. Windows 1.0 (1986)

I didn’t know who this guy is introducing the then ‘New’ Windows 1.0. Trust me when you find out who this man is, it will make this ad even more hilarious. He is the present CEO of Microsoft, Steve Balmer. You have to appreciate the enthusiasm of Mr. Balmer though. Maybe it was this zealousness for the company that got him his present job.

5. IBM PS/2 (1989)

‘In your Business, you have got a mission: to rise up the competition. How are you gonna do it? Well, you have to PS/2 it!’ It’s all fun and games until this song gets stuck in your head for four days. Trust me.

June 22, 2014
Exclusive : Micromax to launch a 6 inch Windows Phone Soon!

In our recent interview with Shubhodip Pal, CMO of Micromax, we learnt that the company is not making Windows Phone handsets as a one off, and we will see a Windows Phone flagship with a 6 inch display in the coming weeks.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Shubhodip Pal” author_title=”CMO, Micromax”]

Put it on Record! We will have a 6 inch Windows Phone in the coming months and will many more phones that you will hear about soon.

[/quote]

The company is ready to show a new product that will run on high end chipsets like Snapdragon 800 will have impressive camera sensors and displays and will also have impressive battery life, said Shubhodip in conversation with iGyaan.

We have heard rumours of a Rs. 25000 phone which houses all the aforesaid specifications, including a 2500 mAh battery along with a 16 MP + 8MP camera combination and 2 GB of RAM, all of which would make it a beast on the Windows Phone device sheet.

Micromax plans to have this device out to the consumer as early as August, with a new lineup of products that are said to compete with the “Flagships of the world”, i.e. HTC One M8 and Galaxy S5 by the end of this year. But Shubhodip claims that, it will only happen once they have delivered their “Promise” on service issues starting next month.

Watch the full #LetsTalkShop to get the details.

June 22, 2014
#LetsTalkShop : Shubhodip Pal talks Micromax Mobile

An Indian company that a few years ago not spoken of, a brand that most would not associate with, and a manufacturer that was looked down upon, today is one of the most prominent names in the market. It’s never easy when you are talking to the game changers, but the conversation always turns out to be amazing.

This week on #LetsTalkShop a lot is revealed about Micromax. Shobhodip Pal, who is the CMO of Micromax India, delves deep into the problems faced by the company, the relationships within and outside the organisation.

Shubhodip has been with Micromax for 19+ months and has seen, while being instrumental; the company emerge as one of the biggest names in the Indian smartphone and mobile race. One of the busiest men in the organisation Shubhodip always is pepped on energy and throughout the discussion was energised.

According to Shubhodip, Micromax has always and will continue to deliver platforms that they feel the market is ready for. After Android, Micromax felt that the time is right for Windows Phone and once the partnership was announced at the build conference, Micromax was ready to build windows phones and recently delivered the two most important products in the line up.

The company is working on many more products in the lineup of Windows Phone, as this is not a one off for the company, he said.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Shubhodip Pal” author_title=”CMO, Micromax”]

Put it on Record! We will have a 6 inch Windows Phone in the coming months and will many more phones that you will hear about soon.

[/quote]

Micromax has usually ignored Software updates, however; the company is working on rolling out software updates for all their recent phones and promises quick updates going forward thanks to a new software development team that has been assigned.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Shubhodip Pal” author_title=”CMO, Micromax”]

Micromax is working hard to roll out Software updates for most of its models July onwards, with the help of a dedicated team.

[/quote]

The company is also planning to set up software update kiosks across the country, where people can bring in their phones for 30-40 minutes and get an updated phone back. While it seems a little ambitious, Micromax is keen on delivering this and changing the now negative chatter around updates to a positive one.

For reaching as far as he has Shubodip, asks that you remain persistent and are not scared to roll up your sleeves. Are willing to go out of your way to make your organisation shine, and you will grow once you start to believe in the organisation.

The full interview is a must watch so head over to the video for the juicy bits.

June 22, 2014
Amazon Lends a Lifeline to Blackberry

Just when we though that Canadian handset-maker Blackberry was counting its last days, they have come up with some exciting news. It looks like the former mobile giant is attempting a comeback, with a little help from Amazon. BlackBerry announced on Wednesday that when it launches BlackBerry OS 10.3 this fall, the Amazon app store – and its 240,000 Android apps – will come with it.

In an attempt to solve the app deficit that BlackBerry users are facing, the Canadian handset-maker has entered a licensing agreement with the Amazon Appstore. The deal will also allow BlackBerry to bundle Amazon Appstore on its devices. The company will provide access to two app stores BlackBerry World and Amazon Appstore when the BlackBerry 10.3 OS reaches the public in September-October 2014.

With the availability of Amazon Appstore on BlackBerry 10 devices, the company can meet two essential needs – greater app availability for its smartphone users and enhanced productivity solutions for enterprises. BlackBerry users can also access video and music through a number of popular third-party services available on Amazon Appstore and BlackBerry World.

Interestingly, BlackBerry 10 users (on BlackBerry OS 10.2.1) can also install third-party app stores like Amazon Appstore and 1Mobile Market through their websites and install Android apps through them.

With this move, BlackBerry is heavily expanding the app selection for its handsets, allowing for easy installation of Android applications in an officially-sanctioned way. And as Amazon lends BlackBerry a lifeline, the e-commerce company also announced its own foray into the smartphone market with the unveiling of a rumored 3-D mobile device called Amazon Fire.

June 21, 2014
Silicon Has a Circuit Partner in Carbon Nanotubes

After having ruled the electronic industry for the last many decades, the silicon circuits finally have a partner in Carbon Nanotubes. Researchers at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering have published a paper in the journal Nature Communication. They have figured out the technique that could make more flexible and energy efficient circuits.

The result can be achieved by combining carbon nanotube thin film transistors with other thin film transistors. This resultant hybrid could even replace silicon as a transistor material for electronic chips. These carbon nanotubes are more transparent, flexible, and are processed at a lower cost. Also, they will help to make a new generation of flexible devices too.

The process involves the integration of carbon nanotube (CNT) thin film transistors (TFT) with thin film transistors comprised of indium, gallium and zinc oxide (IGZO). The IGZO gives strengths to the nanotubes where they lack; CNT is not energy efficient; IGZO’s integration gives it that ability and also helps it to increase battery life.

Lead electric engineering professor Dr. Chongwu Zhou calls it “the perfect marriage” almost like Yin and Yang.

This will be a boon to flexible technology

As mentioned earlier, there are enormous practical applications of this form of circuitry. Technologies like including digital circuits, Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs), radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, wearable electronics, and flash memory devices will get a huge boost with this kind of circuitry. Even heads-up displays on vehicle dashboards like the one that was seen in Mission Impossible 4 will also be a possibility. Medical sensors can also be upgraded with this innovation.

The applications are unlimited, just like the silicon circuits created the modern economy of the last century, the Carbon Nanotube can be the technological revolution that this century deserves.

June 21, 2014
Google’s Revolutionary App Translates Sign Language into Speech

Google is building an app called Google Gesture which translates sign language into speech. It analyses the muscle activity and position of the hand and forearm using electromyography which then uses the smartphone application and translates it into speech in real time.

Google is working with students of Berghs School of Communication in Stockholm, Sweden for the development of this app that will help dumb people to communicate. Google Gesture will be paired with bands worn in forearms that read muscle movement while the user converses using signs. The readings are then sent to the app which analyse these movements and turn it into speech.

[quote]

For some people, sign language is a must. While others don’t understand sign language, which means a lot of interesting conversations never takes place. How can we at Google help bridge the gap between those who use sign language and those who don’t?

[/quote]

The aim of this project is to fix the problem of communication for people who are unable to speak and depend on gestures to communicate daily. Google has been constantly working with people around the world, creating technology that will help people from all walks of lives.

In the past, Google had developed a software that enables the deaf and hard of hearing to communicate via technology. For example, Android offers an option on its Google Translate App that turns speech into text.

June 21, 2014
Moto E Contender, The Lava Iris X1: Full Review
The Moto E is one tough nut to crack. Other Android phone brands despise it. Companies like Micromax and Lava and others were taken aback by the spectacular performance of the Moto E and the huge appreciation it has received in India.
Lava X1 is Lava’s challenger to the Moto E, and we’ve already had a hands on with the device. Now we take a detailed look into the phone to see how it scores up against its competing low budget KitKat devices.

Design, Hardware and Build:

Design though “inspired”, is good to the eyes. Especially the touch panel

The phone is another Lava phone with iPhone-esqe design features, using a lot of plastic. The device is light to hold in comparison to the Moto E, which is heavy on weight and features. The back cover looks extremely flimsy, but Lava provides a flip cover in-box and that is one good point about the Iris X1.

The screen goes to sleep when the flip cover is closed. The volume rocker buttons are marked on the cover and can be easily pressed, so they’re quick to access when traveling. The only issue with the flip cover is its affinity to attract dirt. Lava has provided three microphone openings for active noise cancellation.

Unlike the Moto E, the X1 can be appreciated as it has the power button and the volume rockers on right and left side respectively, which is much simpler to use.

Another attractive feature is the capacitive touch buttons at the bottom of the screen. These buttons are invisible in the bezel and light up when you need them.

Display and Multimedia:

The text is good to read on X1 even at 281 pixel density.

The 4.5 inch screen on the device is an IPS display. The resolution of the screen is 854 x 480 pixels. The display is capable of good color reproduction. The blacks are predominant on the display, and that gives a pretty saturated color. The viewing angles are a bit of a disappointment as the screen tends to dim down when viewed from the side.

2 finger multi touch is disappointing.

The display only supports two finger multi-touch. This flaw makes gaming on the device no fun. The display also has a matte feel which doesn’t feel all that smooth.

The videos and images look good on the display. Though sometimes, the videos tend to get choppy. Even games like Candy Crush Saga and Subway Surfers had a jerky performance.

Camera:

The X1 holds a 8 mega pixel auto focus camera with LED Flash. The image is captured using a BSI sensor. The secondary camera is a 2 megapixel shooter. The camera is decent for the price point. It is definitely better than the five megapixel shooters that are dominant at this specifications range.

The camera shoots videos at a maximum of 480p which maybe a downer for many.

Phone and Battery:

The X1 is powered by 1800 mAh battery. Lava claims it gives a standard talk time of about 9 hours 45 minutes. The phone would last you a whole day on regular use.

The phone keypad is pleasing to the eyes and easy to use.

Android and UI:

Simplistic KitKat is the best thing LAVA did.

The operating system running on the Iris X1 is a fairly unhampered Android KitKat OS with minimum bloat-ware. The only add-ons are an FM radio, a torch and the Office suite. This basic look gives full customizable options in the hands of the users.

Performance and Gaming:

The phone has a 1.2 GHz Broadcom quad core processor. It is supported by a 1 GB RAM and 4 GB ROM. Even with a quad core processor, the phone has several lags and might get annoying after a while. The phones normal functions are decent, but the multimedia performance needs a performance boost.

Conclusion:

The Phone is a decent try but Lava needs to buck up on the performance issue.

Lava seems to have come out with the device in a haste, and they could have worked more on it. Of course, the company lacks the innovation capability and years of experience that Motorola Mobility has. The phone has a good look, and the untampered Android KitKat is its strength. Lava does have to learn some lessons from the X1 and hopefully the X2 (if it ever comes out,) will have fewer of X1’s flaws and more of its fortes.

[tw-column width=”one-half”]

GOOD THINGS
- Capacitive Touch Buttons
- Active Noise Cancellation
- Good Design
- No Bloatware Android KitKat
- Flip Cover
[/tw-column]

[tw-column width=”one-half” position=”last”]

BAD THINGS
- Two Finger Multi Touch
- Low Processing Powers For Gaming
- Plasticity Feel
- Price High for Segment
[/tw-column]
June 21, 2014
LG Unveils Ultra HD TVs with Web OS in India

LG introduced its ULTRA HD TV line up with Web OS technology at the India Gadget Expo. These TVs have some of the best resolutions in the market, and the Ultra HD content showcased was spectacular to look at on the displays.

The USP of the TV is a Web OS based user interface. LG claims that it’s the simplest Smart TV to set up and operate. The sound system on the TV is a 5.2 channel system designed by Harman Kardon, which LG claims to provide an immersive experience when coupled with the stunning images on the screen.

The OLED Tvs from LG had some spectacular Displays

LG ULTRA HD Tvs incorporate IPS panels that give exceptional color accuracy and a consistent picture quality at any viewing angles. LG’s ULTRA HD Engine Pro powers the 4K resolution (3840 x 2160) of the TV. There is also a proprietary chip that works with the engine to eliminate any visual artifacts. The ULTRA HD TVs also have the ability to upscale standard HD and Full HD content to near 4K quality.

Another offering by LG was the CINEMA 3D TV. These TV’s provide realistic 3D effect with minimal flicker in 4K resolution. This year the TV’s are equipped with advanced 3D conversion engine so that it can add depth to the 2D content.

The Web OS system was a mobile OS platform developed by mobile phone manufacturers Palm. The company sold the OS to HP, who later sold it to LG. LG had been long talking about including Web OS on its TV, and the result is rather encouraging. The OS itself is looks clean and extremely easy to use even for novices.

The Magic Remote will make life easy for a lot of Couch potatoes.

The remote, called the Magic Remote (“The Wand” might have been a cooler name) provided with the TV works like a mouse or a Kinect system from Xbox. It makes it easier to access content. A launcher menu is accessible from the bottom of the screen. This easily customizable panel helps to access the featured options of the TV like YouTube, Netflix, or other apps added by the user.

Web Os is also open to third party content providers, and additional apps can be installed on the TV from the LG App Store. Contents like latest movies, television shows and games are on offer at the App store. From the Live Menu in the TV’s, you can browse your content and the Today menu shows you an entertainment listing so that you are never short of viewable options.

LG’s design reasoning with these TV’s is to bring simplicity in the operating of Smart TVs. Together with the Ultra HD TV, the Cinema 3D TV and the Curved OLED’s, LG hopes to capture 30% of the market share by the end of this year.

The Ultra HD TV new models are available in different screen size of 84, 79, 65, 55, 49 and all are within the price range of 1.5 to 15 Lakhs. The new WebOS Cinema 3D TV is available in 42, 47, 55 and 65 size options, in all leading outlets starting June 2014, and all are within the price range of 82,900 to 15 Lakhs.

LG has put some strong 4K and 3DTV contenders in the market. It’s now for the consumers to see if they want to be with their old idiot boxes or if they want to shift to intelligent Smart TVs which combine the TV and internet experience in one device; that too with incredible picture quality. Even at their exorbitant prices, these TVs are worth the money.

June 20, 2014
Nokia Releases the New ‘Z Launcher’ App

These are hard days for Nokia. Once the largest phone vendor by a staggering margin, Nokia has sold its devices and services business to Microsoft and will now try different sectors as it looks toward the future. The company tried something similar by launching an app called Z launcher, a truly novel home screen replacement for Android phones.

Launched on Thursday, this screen app is able to accomplish this by dynamically changing the most frequently used apps throughout the day. Z Launcher is also able to include your contacts and frequently visited websites into the mix and making it a more complete experience.

At the top of the screen are the time, date and the upcoming calendar event. Tapping the time will open Android’s clock app and tapping the calendar event will open the phone’s Calendar app. The remainder of the screen is dedicated to just a few apps, contacts and web pages.

Five static shortcuts appear at the bottom of the screen, while the majority of the launcher screen is occupied by six additional shortcuts. These items lead to a combination of apps, contacts and web pages that you open most often.

If Z Launcher does not offer the apps you are looking for, you can easily bring them up by accessing a feature called Scribble. Scribble works by just drawing the first letter or two of the app or contact you want to access. It then instantly brings you to the proper selection. This virtually eliminates the need to tap, scroll, and hunt for the application or contact you are searching for.

The Z launcher is a very nifty offering from Nokia and it has the potential to completely change the way you use your phone. Smartphones are all about apps, plain and simple. With the Z Launcher, your most used apps take center stage and everything else is a few short swipes away.

It’s currently available only to a limited number of users in a rough alpha release. And while the alpha should run on many Android phones, Nokia has only tested it on the Nexus 5 and the recent Galaxy S models.

June 20, 2014
Skullcandy Launches a New Series for Football Fans in India
The highly recognized audio brand has launched a new set of headphones for Football lovers who are currently losing it over the World Cup. They’ve created headphone assortments for three national teams heading to Brazil– England (FA), Germany (DFB) and France (FFF). The range of Hesh 2, Ink’d and Uprock headsets, complete with iconic federation logos and patriotic national colours was launched at selected retailers in India on 16th June, 2014.

The Utah-based company also made another major announcement – Thiago Silva has been chosen as their first ever football brand ambassador. Silva is the captain of the Brazilian national team and has led Brazil to its third consecutive FIFA Confederations Cup title recently.

The newly launched series is now available in Indian stores. As mentioned earlier, there are three headsets involved in this new Skullcandy Football World Cup Series and their features include:
1. UPROCK
These extremely comfortable headset is encased with plush ear pillows and has a soft-touch finish. Its name is based on an urban dance and it truly enables us to incorporate music in our daily routine. It consists of twin 40 mm drivers and tangle-proof flat cables. It also consists of mixed material so it can withstand intense pressure and prevents any damage. These are priced at Rs 2,899
1. HESH 2:
These have conical over-ear housing drives which give a really powerful sound. It has features which enables you to switch track and also has a built-in microphone for making and receiving calls. Its cable is detachable which helps you to move around and the soft leather touch ear pillows are there for the acoustics as well as to fit your ear perfectly for convenience. Hesh 2 are slightly expensive, they are priced at Rs 5,299.
1. INK’D 2:
These earphones have a supreme sound which delivers an attacking Bass, natural vocals and precision highs. These are the only in-ear headphones of the series with different sized ear buds which you can keep changing according to your needs. It also has a flattened cable for enhancing its visual appeal. The most inexpensive of the lot, these are available for Rs 1,549
June 19, 2014
10 Things You Don’t Know About Facebook (But You Should)

Long long ago, there was Orkut, Hi5 and MySpace. Somehow, none of them stuck quite the way Facebook did. In fact, Mark Zuckerberg’s brainchild has done way more than just stick around, it changed the way we connect with people.

It’s not only for frivolous stalking. Even if you’d like to quit the website, you can’t. How else would you log onto your Soundcloud, Pinterest, Tumblr or Spotify? Facebook’s made sure its got us entwined in a tight web.

Even though we’ve being using it for years, there are certain facts about Facebook none of us know. Here is the list of things you should know about Facebook, which you probably don’t:

1. You Can Calculate the Time You’ve Wasted on Facebook.

Yes, it’s addictive. And yes, most of the time you’re wasting hours checking out who your ex-girlfriend is hanging out with these days. I think we all can agree that we can survive without the information Facebook gives us. But since we’ve already established that quitting is not an option, you can check out this tool, developed by Time magazine, which counts the days of your life you’ve wasted on Facebook. A perfect reminder to restrict your time on the site.

2. Facebook has 1.28 billion Active Users

For most, it’s become a daily addiction. You’ve just woken up, sleepy and bleary eyed, you’re already checking your notifications or you click on your browser to check your emails, but before you know it, you’re scanning your news feed to see if anyone has done anything exciting. Sounds familiar? Clicking on the blue icon has become a reflex action.

3. Facebook has a 100 million active users in India

And 84 percent of those users access the site via their smart phones. These numbers were announced on 31st March 2014. Facebook’s biggest competitor is its very own WhatsApp, which has more than 40 million registered users in the subcontinent.

4. There is a Reason Facebook is Blue

A lot of you may already know this one, but the reason is that Mark Zuckerberg, the Founder and CEO of Facebook, is colorblind. Zuckerberg sees the color blue best, because of his red–green color blindness.

5. Facebook is currently blocked in 4 countries

There are bouts of the site being blocked off and on in several countries. North Korea, China, Iran, Syria, Vietnam have held on to the blockage for a long time.

6.Despite being blocked, China has about 63.5 million Facebook users

When there is a will, there is a way. Although, Facebook is very much blocked by the Great China Firewall, formally known as the Golden Shield Project, a surprising report gave whopping number of registered users in China.

7. You Can Schedule Status Updates on Facebook

Download Hootsuite and it will allow you to schedule posts ahead of time. So you could be sharing content even while you’re relaxing or if you’re busy with some other activity.

8. Viacom, MySpace,Yahoo and NBC Have All Tried to Buy Facebook

In the past ten years, according to David Kirkpatrick’s book The Facebook Effect, 11 companies have tried to acquire this social media giant. Makes us wonder, where would the website be if Mark Zuckerberg had given in and handed it over?

9. Facebook Has Spent a Total of 22billion on Acquisitions

Instagram, WhatsApp and now, Oculus are only three of the 45 companies that Facebook owns. Facebook has spent a total of 22billion on acquisitions. Some of the other acquired companies include Snaptu, Little Eye Labs, Face.com and Friendster Patents.

10. Mark Zuckerberg is the Youngest Self-Made Billionaire

Mark Zuckerberg dropped out of Harvard shortly after he came up with the idea of Facebook and now his net worth is 28.5 billion dollars. According to Forbes, Facebook’s shares are up more than 130% over the past year. That’s caused Zuck’s net worth to more than double over the same period, even after he gave away 18 million shares in late December.

June 19, 2014
PlayDrone Discovers a Serious Security Breach in Google Play

By developing a new tool called PlayDrone, Jason Nieh, professor of computer science at Columbia Engineering, and PhD candidate Nicolas Viennot reported that they have discovered a crucial security problem in Google Play – the official Android app store where millions of Android users get their apps.

PlayDrone uses hacking techniques to find a way around Google’s security to download Google Play apps, and then recover and analyse their sources. It scales down by simply adding more servers and in this way, it manages to compile over 880,000 of the 1.1 million free apps it downloads.

An image of the secret keys discovered by PlayDrone

While analyzing this, it was found that developers often store their secret keys of their app’s software similar to username and password data, which can be further used to steal user data or resources from entities such as Amazon and Facebook.

Even the “Top Developers” promoted by Google Play have included these vulnerabilities in their apps. These vulnerabilities can affect users even if they are not actively running the Android apps.

This tool, Playdrone, not only revealed this security loophole but also used it to provide insight into Android apps and improve the quality of Google Play. For example, the tool also found that roughly 25 percent of all free apps on Google Play are clones of other apps. This information could be used to help Google crack down on cloned content, which would be great news for developers who are creating original apps. Google Play has more than one million apps and over 50 billion app downloads.

It also performed an analysis of the 10 best rated and 10 worst rated apps on the Google Play store, and found that even the worst-rated app has over a million downloads. Google is now using the techniques to scan all the apps for such problems to prevent this from happening again in the future.

June 19, 2014
The 5 Major Differences Between Slingshot and Snapchat

We’ve known that Facebook has been working on Slingshot for the last six months. The app has just went live on Google Play. Along with that, they officially announced it on their Facebook page and also released a new promo video announcing availability of Slingshot for both Android and iOS.

If there were any doubt that Facebook will be taking on Snapchat, the public launch and availability of its new Slingshot app has now confirmed it.

The free app lets you take a quick photo or video, mark it up with colorful drawings, caption it with big white text, and then send it off to your chosen contacts. But when you receive your first message, you realize that this app is something completely different. Rather than just copying Snapchat feature by feature, Facebook is putting in a rather intriguing twist to the messaging trend by focusing on a more social aspect. So, we decided to list 5 things that make Slingshot different from Snapchat.

1. The Social Factor

When an app comes out of the Facebook oven, there is not even a slight chance that there can be anything lacking in its social media element. Slingshot does not solely rely on your Facebook friends list for contacts. Accounts are tied to your phone number, which you must verify before you can start using the app. Once you have verified your account, you can search for friends from your contacts list, Facebook or look up individuals by user name.

2. No Approval Needed

Slingshot allows you to search for people you know and there isn’t one central contacts menu where you can easily view all your connections. And, unlike Snapchat, there is no approval process for adding connections. Anyone can send messages to anyone whose information they might have. Facebook says an approval process is necessary because users can simply choose to ignore the message they don’t want to see. You can also choose to ignore all messages from individual users by hiding them.

3. No One-Sided Sharing

One noteworthy aspect of the app is that it won’t allow you to see a new picture messages unless you send one of your own back. Facebook says the reason behind this is to take the pressure off users to constantly read and send messages. With so many mobile apps competing for people’s attention, Slingshot’s ability to self-perpetuate engagement could be the key to traction. One friend doesn’t have to do all the work to entertain others, who consume without creating, breaking the chain. With Slingshot, the conversation never dies because the last message is always waiting to be unlocked.

4. Better Camera quality

Launching Slingshot immediately takes you to the app’s camera. The selfie button toggles between the device’s front and rear-facing cameras, and holding down the shutter button allows you to record a video. Slingshot’s overall camera quality is better than Snapchat’s, even when you zoom in. As with Snapchat, you can add drawings and text to the photos and videos you send in Slingshot but both features feel far more elegant and give you much more control in the latter.

5. Customized Text

Text is limited to 140 characters, but can be repositioned on the image. Unlike Snapchat’s text, which always remains the same size and at the same place, Slingshot’s text will get bigger when you drag it down from the top of the screen. The drawing tool is also far more advanced than Snapchat’s — you can adjust both the color and the size of the brush. Dragging along the color bar selects a color, dragging left or right changes the brush size, moving the tool right makes the brush smaller and moving it left makes it larger.

June 19, 2014
More Rumors Surface About Apple’s iPad Air 2 And iPad Mini 3

Rumor has it that we might witness the launch of two iPad variants this year. Following the iPhone 6, which regularly appears in pictures in mockup form, an iPad Air 2 mockup has also leaked in similar images.

The images reportedly show the final design of the iPad Air 2, with dimensions, design, ports, camera and button placements supposedly an exact replica of the device which is supposed to launch later this year.

Leaked Images of iPad Air 2 by GSMArena

The speculation started last week. According to the South Korean news agency, about 6.2 million LCD displays to be installed in the iPad Air 2 will enter initial production from June to September this year.

Not much is known about iPad Air 2, apart from rumors that it will come with the Touch ID fingerprint security feature that is going to be standard on all next-gen Apple mobile devices. This same technology will be available for the iPhone 6 and iPad Mini 3, both of which are also rumored to be under development.

Touch ID was one of the biggest innovation Apple brought to the iPhone 5S. Basically a fingerprint scanner used to lock your phone securely, or buy apps at the press of a button, its brilliance comes from how easy it is to use.

Leaked Image of iPad Air 2 by GSMArena

There are a number of rumors going around the internet that suggest the iPad Air 2 may not follow the path of the last two iPad releases. There are some reports of minor changes in the camera as well. It is said that it will be raised from 1.2 megapixels to 1.5 megapixels, while the rear-camera will be upgraded from 5 megapixels to 8 megapixels. Quite possibly the iPad Air 2 will come installed with Apple’s newest A8 processor, which the iPad Mini 3 will reportedly share.

Apple tends not to announce devices under development until shortly before release. Given the fact Apple has not given any new information regarding the iPad Air 2, it is difficult to confirm if such a device even exists. The same can be said of the iPad Mini 3, which is the fabled replacement of the current iPad Mini with Retina Display, more commonly dubbed as the ‘iPad Mini 2’.

June 19, 2014
Exclusive : Unboxing the Micromax Canvas Gold A300

Micromax today upped its market position by launching what the company is calling their “most premium” handset yet, the Micromax Canvas Gold A300.

The smartphone builds on the canvas series of devices and brings about a complete new design and build quality to the table. At first glance, the handset is a huge improvement over the previous generation of handsets and comes packed in a box that shows the new direction the company plans to head in.

The Micromax Canvas Gold A300 comes at a price of Rs. 23999/- making it the most expensive phone available from the company today. This handset comes in just a day after the launch of their first foray into Windows Phone 8.1 devices by the name of Micromax Canvas Win.

For the price (market price much lower: presently at Rs. 20,800), the phone offers a 1920 x 1080p 5.5 inch display with an IPS LCD panel. The Micromax Canvas Gold A300 also has an Octa Core 2.0 Ghz MTK6592 chipset, 2 GB RAM and 32 GB of storage.

The build and finish on the Micromax Canvas Gold A300 are impressive, and the device is a unibody device which lays flat on the table and has chamfered edges. Packing the optics is a 16 MP main camera and a 5 Mp front facing selfie booster, both will capture 1080p video at 30fps. The main camera is very impressive with a f/2 lens and excellent low light performance in our initial tests.

The Micromax Canvas Gold A300 will accept two SIM cards, one micro SIM and one full size SIM, both capable of data connectivity.

The device comes out of the box with Android 4.4.2 KitKat along with standard features like Mobile Hotspot, FM Radio and Micromax apps preloaded (which may not essentially be appreciated).

The display is stunning on the Micromax Canvas Gold A300 and has great visibility and colour reproduction, almost making the handset feel a notch above the price bracket it is available in. For now check out the video up top, and images below, and stay tuned for more.

Images

June 19, 2014