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Amazon Fire Phone is a Go : 3D-like features, Live Recognition

Amazon at a press event, today, has announced possibly the most anticipated smartphone of the year, the Fire Phone. Dubbed simply the Fire Phone, all rumours of the smartphone being called a Kindle Phone have been put down, as the device features a 3-D, 4.7-inch high-definition display, aluminum buttons, a 2.2 GHz Qualcomm processor, Adreno 330 graphics, and 2GB of RAM

There’s also a 13-megapixel camera, a f/2.0 lens, and optical image stabilisation; letting the shutter stay open four-times longer than most cameras to counteract hand tremors when taking photos.

An impressive new service, built into the phone, called Firefly will let users recognise physical objects using the camera. Things including books, video games, food, household products and other items can be recognised with this “Firefly” and then be bought on Amazon instantly.

Anyone using Amazon services will be happy to know that there’s X-Ray for seeing information about what you’re watching, an AirPlay-like system for sending video to your TV, and the neat ASAP feature that caches video you might want to watch so it can start streams instantly.

For previous Prime users there is Prime Music, Prime Video, and more, while, for reading, there’s Amazon’s Immersion Reading, and WhisperSync for Voice.

Amazon’s Mayday customer service feature, already in use on tablets, will also be available on the Fire Phone. It includes 24/7 access to tech support in 15 seconds or less. The Fire Phone will cost $199 with a two-year contract, available exclusively on AT&T’s network for the time being. It is currently available for pre-order on Amazon’s website, and it will begin shipping on July 25.

No information or hope of the device hitting other markets soon but we will keep you posted.

Box Contents

Full Specifications

Size	5.5″ x 2.6″ x 0.35″ (139.2mm x 66.5mm x 8.9mm)
Weight	5.64 ounces (160 grams)
Processor	2.2GHz Quad-core Snapdragon 800 CPU, with Adreno 330 GPU and 2GB of RAM
Display	4.7″ HD LCD display, with 1280 x 720 resolution at 315 ppi, 590 cd/m2 brightness (typical), 1000:1 contrast ratio (typical)
Cameras	13 MP rear-facing camera, multi-frame HDR, auto focus, optical image stabilization, f/2.0 5-element wide aperture lens, LED flash 2.1 MP front-facing camera
OS	Fire OS 3.5.0
Storage	32 GB or 64 GB
Cloud Storage	Free cloud storage for all Amazon content, and photos taken with Fire phone
Battery	Battery size: 2400mAh. Talk time: up to 22 hours; standby time: up to 285 hours. Video playback: up to 11 hours; audio playback: up to 65 hours.
Video recording	1080p HD video recording at 30 fps (front- and rear-facing cameras)
Audio playback	Dual stereo speakers with Dolby Digital Plus audio processing
TV and Video	Supports screen mirroring and Second Screen
Content formats supported	Audio: Dolby Digital (AC-3), Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC-3), non-DRM AAC, MP3, MIDI, OGG, PCM/WAVE, AAC LC/ELD, HE-AAC (v1 & v2), AMR-NB, AMR-WB, AMR-WB+, Audible Enhanced format (AAX); Video: MPEG4, VP8, H.264/MPEG4/AVC,MPEG4 SP, H.263,AVI,HDCP2.x, PlayReady DRM; Images: JPG, GIF, PNG, BMP, GIF87a,GIF89a; Viewable docs: PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively, DOC, DOCX, Kindle (AZW), KF8, TXT
Sensors	Dynamic Perspective sensor system with invisible infrared illumination, gyroscope, accelerometer, magnetometer, barometer, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor
Location	GPS, Assisted GPS, GLONASS, Wi-Fi/Cellular location, and Digital compass
Cellular	UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz), Quad-band GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), 9 bands of LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 17, 20), supports carrier aggregation
Connectivity	802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, up to 300 Mbps with channel bonding; Bluetooth 3.0 wireless technology; NFC enabled
Headphones	Premium, tangle-free headphones with remote and mic
Rating for hearing aids	M4, T4
SIM Card	Pre-installed Nano SIM card
Ports	Micro USB 2.0 3.5mm headphone
Warranty and Service	1-year Limited Warranty included. Use of Fire phone is subject to these terms
Included in the Box	Amazon Fire Phone with Fire OS 3.5.0 Premium headphones with remote and mic Micro USB to USB charging cable USB power adapter (5W) Quick Start Guide

June 19, 2014

Lenovo Launches Two New Laptop-Tablet Hybrids In India

Lenovo has launched two new laptops/tablet hybrids in India – Lenovo Yoga 2 and Flex 2. First, let’s have a look at the Lenovo Yoga 2.

It is a new addition to the Yoga line of Lenovo laptops is a Laptop-Tablet hybrid and features a 13.3-inch Full HD (1920×1080) LED Backlit display with 10 finger multi-touch support.

The many phases of the Lenovo Yoga 2

It is powered by a 4th-gen Intel Core i7 4500U quad-core processor running at a clock speed of 1.8GHz. Yoga 2 runs Windows 8.1 operating system and Intel HD 4400 Graphics. It has 8GB of RAM and comes with 500GB of Solid-State Hard Drive coupled with 16GB of SSD for faster performance.

Yoga 2 supports Intel 7260 b/g/n Wireless network card, Bluetooth 4.0 and is powered by a 6-cell 50 Watt Lithium-Ion battery. Lenovo claims that the battery will last 8 hours of usage after a full charge. The hybrid is 0.68-inch thick and weighs around 1.5kg. The screen on Yoga 2 can be rotated all the way to 360 degrees so that it can be used as a tablet.

Coming to second device, the new hybrid in the Flex series of Lenovo is the Flex 2 which features a larger display than the Yoga 2. Flex 2 is equipped with 14-inch Full HD (1920×1080) display. It can be used as a laptop and also supports 300 degree rotation for use in “stand mode” which is introduced for touch-based use or watching movies. It also features the 10-point multi-touch display. Users can choose between an Intel processor or an AMD A8 APU on the Flex 2. One model comes with Intel Core i7 processor with NVIDIA GPU while the other comes AMD A8 APU with Radeon M230 GPU.

The 300 Degree rotation feature of the Lenovo Flex 2

The Flex 2 comes with 1TB of HDD storage but users can buy the upgraded versions which features up to 256GB SSD as well. It supports Bluetooth 4.0, USB 3.0 and microHDMI as well. Lenovo promises 6 hours of battery life on the Flex 2. Even though the company claims that Flex 2 is designed for users who are light-travelers, it weighs almost 2 kg which makes it even more heavy than the Yoga 2 hybrid.

Both the hybrids are based on Windows 8.1. The devices will be available at all Lenovo Exclusive stores, multi-brand outlets and other retail stores. Yoga 2 has been priced at Rs 59,990 while the Flex 2 costs Rs 41,900.

June 18, 2014
Is Flipkart Getting Ready to Launch its Own Range of Tablets?

The recent round of rumors are that Flipkart is gearing up to launch a range of tablets under its own private label, DigiFlip. The label already sells a number of accessories under the same label, including earphones, portable speakers, laptop accessories, etc. This move would be huge step for the company to set up a tight race against E-commerce giant and arch-rival Amazon, which already sells tablets, apart from e-book readers under its Kindle brand.

Apparently, Flipkart has tied up with MediaTek to build its tablets that have been acquired from manufacturers based out of China and Taiwan. While pricing and hardware specifications would be key to the success of these tablets, it also remains to be seen whether Flipkart can weave in its primary online retail offerings that include e-books among other categories and make the tablet as a tool to access its services.

Though, the company is tight-lipped about this new venture, it will be worth noticing how it differentiates itself in an already crowded tablet market space. In India, more than 4 million tablets were shipped last year making it one of the biggest tech segment in the market. The tablet market is right now ruled by likes of Samsung, Micromax and Apple.

Flipkart has been working continuously to gain more customers and sales. Few months back, Flipkart took over Myntra.com and online shopping store. If done right, Flipkart can easily take the throne and become the domestic Amazon.

June 18, 2014
All That We Know About Amazon’s Secret Smartphone

Amazon is said to be releasing its first ever Smartphone today at an event in Seattle, where it will finally show off what it’s been working on for past year. The event will see a new addition in Amazon’s gadget family, which currently consists of Kindle Fire Android-based tablets, Kindle line of e-readers and the very recent set-top box called Fire TV. This new Smartphone will be the latest component of the retailer’s hardware family.

Rumors have been insisting that the Amazon Smartphone has been in the works for quite a while. They’ve also talked about its unusual features such as the multi-camera gesture-tracking system and a pseudo-3D eye-tracking interface.

Some of the earlier rumors suggested that Amazon would team up with HTC in order to produce a joint-effort smartphone. It had been said that talks between the two had been ongoing since June 2013 and that anything could change at any given moment. While more recent rumors also suggest Amazon has built its phone in-house, the HTC partnership still remains a possibility.

Amazon released a teaser video two weeks back that doesn’t show the device in question, but it does depict users interacting with a device. They talk about how it “moves with them” and there are shots of them tilting their heads back and forth to see how the product responds. It gave us a basic understanding of how its 3D effect might work.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Amazon is building a phone with a 3D screen back in May 2013. This report said that the device will use a retina-tracking camera, and 3D hologram-esque imagery would appear to float above the device’s display. But, we’re not entirely sure how it would look and work when used physically.

The device is said to be equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 SoC, with the display being a 4.7-inch 720p panel and 13MP rear-facing camera, a 2MP front-facer which seems unequipped to compensate with 3D technology.

Amazon is also said to be expanding its hardware family with its secretive think tank called Lab126. This is apparently where Amazon engineers come up with innovative gear that leads to features like the Amazon smartphone’s expected multi-camera gesture-tracking and parallax pseudo-3D system.

Some rumors suggested that the phone may be given away for free to current Amazon Prime subscribers, but Amazon shot those down pretty quickly. We don’t know if or when we’ll see the device launched, but one thing we know for sure is that Amazon will always have it in stock.

June 18, 2014
BlackBerry’s Comeback : New Z3 to Launch in India Next Week
It’s been a hard two years for Canadian phone-maker Blackberry. And now, as part of an efforts to regain its lost status, BlackBerry Ltd is all set to launch its latest Z3 smartphone in India next week, on 25th June. The phone is likely to be priced below Rs.12,000 which will set it directly in competition with likes of Samsung, Motorola, HTC, Microsoft and Micromax.

The same device was launched in Indonesia earlier this year, the full touch screen device was priced at IDR 2,199,000 (USD 190 or INR 11,500) and is the most affordable device powered by the latest BlackBerry 10 operating system.

BlackBerry has already started sending out press invites to media houses for the launch event on 25th June. We have no doubt about the fact that the recently unveiled BlackBerry 10 OS-based Z3 will be the star of the event next week. BlackBerry Z3 is the first smartphone to come out of the partnership between BlackBerry and Chinese manufacturer Foxconn, which is popularly known for its relationship with Apple Inc.

BlackBerry has been a laggard in the global smartphone space, including India as it failed to keep up with the competition and has lost a significant market share in the past two years. But the latest launch is an effort to win back some of its lost market share in India where it once was on top of it smartphone sector.

Blackberry’s new Z3 fashions 5.0-inch qHD (960x540p) and is newly updated with OS (v10.2.2) powered by a 1.2GHz snapdragon dual-core processor with huge 1.5GB RAM and 8GB inbuilt storage (expandable up to 32GB). It is also backed by a 2500 mAh battery which is non-removable. The budget Smartphone is also equipped with 5.0-megapixel camera with flash, 5x digital zoom, image stabilization, and full HD video recording ability and a 1.1-megapixel fixed-focus front camera.

Recently, many Android KitKat OS powered low-cost devices have hit the market since the launch of Moto E such as Unite 2, Canvas Engage A019, Canvas A105, Lava Iris X1 and Xolo Q600s. Celkon Campus A35K also just released last week for just INR 2,999. It is touted as the cheapest KitKat OS based smartphone in India.

Indian market is furiously expanding in the budget Smartphone segment, mobilizing big players to cater to this segment. With Blackberry also joining the competition, market will become more intense. Besides India and Indonesia, BlackBerry would gradually introduce the Z3 in five other countries including the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia.

Key Features
- OS: BlackBerry 10.2.1 OS
- Dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400
- Dimensions: 140×72.8×9.26mm
- Weighs 164 grams
- 5-inch qHD (960×540 pixels) 220ppi
- 1.5GB RAM
- 8GB expandable up to 32GB using a microSD card
- 5MP rear/ 1.1MP front Camera
- 2,500mAh Battery
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June 18, 2014
Exosuit : A Powerful Underwater Iron Man-like Suit

About 71 per cent of the Earth’s surface is water-covered and the Oceans hold 96.5 per cent of that. It is an alien place for us. We’ve had more people go in space than the depths of the earth’s ocean. So oceans have largely been unexplored territories, mostly explored by submarines, but an Iron-man-like Atmospheric Diving Suit (ADS) called the Exosuit, hopes to change that.

The underwater arena, mainly the oceans, are not meant for the human body. As the pressure increases significantly underwater, issues like decompression, sickness and nitrogen narcosis may indeed cause fatal harm to the deep sea divers.

Scuba suits are helpful for maximum distance of 40 meters (recreational limit). Anything below that is the extremely dangerous for average folks, and you need professional training and diving equipment to dive deeper. The world record for a diving depth stands at 318 meters, but a lot have perished before reaching this point.

The Exosuit will greatly evolve the oceanic research process

The Exosuit, designed by Canada based Nuytco Research Ltd. is a kind of personal submarine. It has motorized thrusters whose controls are placed in the foot, They help the diver to hover through the ocean as bird scouting for prey. As the motion controls are in the foot, it frees the divers hands for work. The suit has motorized arms that help the diver to grab the desired objects. Its articulated joints help provide maximum flexibility to the diver. The Aluminium shell helps to keep it lightweight.

This pressurized suit can practically support a mission running as long as 50 hours. It will give archaeologists or other researchers the ability to spend extended periods underwater while physically analyzing samples. It is powered by an umbilical cord connected to the ship that also has voice and data link. It also has a “rebreather” which expels carbon dioxide and purifies the air inside the suit.

Like a spacesuit, it has multiple backup safety features. In the case of an emergency, the suits battery can cut power to everything except the thrusters and a communication system which keeps the diver in touch with the support staff. Its HD camera also helps the support to access the surroundings.

The suit was tested at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Massachusetts. It will be used in September of this year to explore the 2000 year old shipwreck of Antikythera. The ship is famous as an astronomical calculator called the Antikythera mechanism was recovered from it the last time. The scientists hope to find more archeological treasures from this two century old wreck.

ADS like Newtsuits are already used by Navy

The Exosuit is not the first of its kind. Its elder sibling, the Newtsuit is already being used at ocean drilling rigs, pipelines, salvage jobs, and photographic surveys and many Navy’s around the world. Hopefully, the Exosuit will be used mostly for exploration purposes.

This technology once inducted in research will help to ease up the process of oceanic data collection. A physical researcher will be much more accurate in finding samples that a robotic envoy which may not be as efficient. The Exosuit and technology will help unearth a lot of knowledge about the ocean which is waiting to be uncovered. Its a good time for Science.

June 18, 2014

Canvas Win W121 Vs Lumia 630 : The ‘Windows’ War

Micromax’s much talked about association with Microsoft took a huge leap with the launch of two new phones in its Canvas Win series; W092 and W121. Considering W121’s price tag (INR 9,500) and Windows phone 8.1 OS, it is expected to give a hard time to Nokia’s newly launched Lumia 630.

Lumia 630 is equipped with impressive quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor clocked at 1.2GHz in comparison to W121’s mediocre 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 200. People who love to use apps on their phones may have some problems with Lumia 630’s 512MB RAM against W121’s 1GB.

Canvas Win W121 fashions an 8MP rear snapper with LED flash and also a front-facing 2MP front-camera for selfies and video conferencing while in Lumia 630 front camera is missing, and it has a 5MP rear camera with auto-focus but no flash.

Considering the present state of the company, I personally won’t recommend Nokia Lumia 630. Furthermore, Canvas Win121 is a better option while comparing both. Canvas Win121 definitely provides you with better feature and performance

Specifications	Nokia Lumia 630	Micromax Canvas Win W121
General	Battery capacity (mAh): 1830 Colours: Bright Green, Bright Orange, Black, White	Form factor: Touchscreen Battery capacity (mAh): 2000 Colours: Black
DISPLAY	Screen size (inches): 4.50 Touchscreen: Yes Resolution: 480×854 pixels	Screen size (inches): 5.00 Touchscreen: Yes Resolution: 720×1280 pixels
CAMERA	Rear camera: 5-megapixel Flash: No Front camera:No	Rear camera: 8-megapixel Flash: Yes Front camera: 2-megapixel
RAM	512MB	1GB
Processor	1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400	1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200
Internal Storage	8GB	8GB
Software	Operating System: Windows Phone 8.1	Operating System: Windows Phone 8.1

June 18, 2014

Nike Finally Makes Nike+ Fuelband App for Android

Nike has finally answered millions of Android owners demands by making the Nike+ Fuelband App now available on Android OS.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Stefan Olander- Nike” link=”http://nikeinc.com/news/nike-fuelband-app-for-android-now-available#/inline/30666″]

With 30 million users, NikeFuel is rapidly becoming the universal measure of activity. Now, with the launch of the Nike+ FuelBand App for Android we’re delighted to help even more athletes get better, This is another important step in the continued growth of our powerful ecosystem of digital products and services.

[/quote]

Just like the iOS app, the Fuelband app on Android communicates with the fitness band via Bluetooth and syncs up your information. Any Android phone running Android 4.3 and UP and Bluetooth LE support can download and run this app, right now that list includes the Samsung Galaxy S3, Samsung Galaxy S4, Samsung Galaxy S5, HTC One, Nexus 5 and the Moto X.

So if you were waiting to get your hands on the fuel band and the Android device in your pocket was the only hurdle, you might want to get to it. Now should we wait for the Windows Phone variant?

The app will monitor the same activity, and users can sign in using their Nike accounts or Facebook Logins, once you have your Fuelband registered to your account all you need to do is log-in from the same account to get up and running. Some of the features highlighted by Nike:

NikeFuel Daily Goal – Create a goal, edit and view progress toward that goal.

Sessions – Track deliberate periods of movement, such as workouts and games, by starting and ending a Session on the Nike+ FuelBand SE. Review session data afterward for a focused analysis of movement. Users can calibrate and share sessions via Nikeplus.com.

Move Reminders and Win The Hour – Users can set up Move Reminders on their Nike+ FuelBand SE so they will remember to get moving for five minutes out of every hour. The Nike+ FuelBand App allows users to track their success with Win The Hour stats.

NikeFuel Leaderboards – Compare data with friends and the community by using Nike+ Friends and the NikeFuel community.

Activity and Session History – Analyze past activity data to see progress and patterns.

NikeFuel Daily Goal Recognition – When a goal is achieved, an onscreen celebration will appear.

Automatic Syncing – Bluetooth LE seamlessly syncs Nike+ FuelBand data to a compatible Android handset.

Profile and Settings – View and edit Nike+ account information and Nike+ FuelBand SE device settings on the app.

June 18, 2014
Android Vs Firefox OS : Beginning of the New ‘Low-End Phone’ Era

Celkon debuted its Campus A35K this week, it joined the ever growing club of affordable Android KitKat Smartphones in India. With a price tag as low as Rs 2,999 in an exclusive partnership with online marketplace Snapdeal.com, this device does indeed have quite a proposition on its hands, but how well will it work? Let’s find out.

The front surface is a 320 x 480 pixel display of 3.5 inches in size. The device itself is enclosed inside a 119mm x 63mm x 10.7mm body and its overall weight comes up to 102gms. A 1GHz processor powers it from within, gaining what little assistance it can from just 256MB of RAM. Touted as the cheapest Android KitKat-operating system based Smartphone, the handset has dual-SIM slot and supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Micro-USB, and AGPS connectivity options along with 3G connectivity. It comes equipped with a disappointing 1400mAh battery, but then again we can’t complain much considering the face that its priced so cheap.

Android KitKat is the latest version of the Google-owned operating system. While the market is flooded with devices based on the previous generation of JellyBean OS, handset makers are now focusing on launching devices with Android KitKat.

The price segment this phone caters to is still ruled by the old world feature phone. The new entrant is said to be eliminating most of these buttons phone soon.

Also, Indian phone makers Intex and Spice have decided to bring Mozilla’s Firefox OS to India. Intex calls its device the Cloud FX. The company said that the phone will be priced around Rs.2000, thereby bringing the Smartphone experience to the last group of people untouched by it. Spice on the other hand has just given a July release timeframe and announced that its phone will be a dual Sim device.

This may bring a revolution in the low-end phone segment mobilizing bigger players to enter that arena. If any one device in this segment works, there is a possibility of new trends in this segment. With major companies like Google and Facebook investing in initiatives to connect the massive unconnected population with internet, operating systems like these which facilitate cheaper devices which will further lead to more global interconnection.

June 18, 2014

Canvas Win W092 The Usurper of Nokia Lumia 525

There have been a serious shortage of Windows phones in the market. Micromax is the latest entrant in the segment. The Micromax Windows phones (Canvas Win W121 and W092) look like a good effort on the part of Micromax. The two phones have managed to create some buzz around and have been appreciated by tech enthusiasts. Micromax’s lower end offering – The Canvas Win W092 also looks like a promising Windows device.

This phone will directly compete with the Nokia Lumia 525, let’s see how the Win W092 scores up against the fallen legends offering.

First up, Win 092 runs Windows OS 8.1 out of the box, while the Lumia 525 runs on the Windows 8 Black. While the Nokia possesses a 1 Ghz Snapdragon s4 processor, the Canvas Win W092 flaunts a Snapdragon 200 processor with 1.2 GHz Quad Core CPU. Both phones have 1 GB RAM’s and 8 GB ROM.

micromax win 23 — Canvas Win 092 seems like an updated Lumia 525

The Micromax phone offers a dual SIM option whereas the Nokia is a Single- Micro SIM device.

Nokia has been known for its camera capabilities. The Lumia 525 has a 5 megapixel shooter and is capable of shooting 720p HD videos. The Win W092 also has a 5 Megapixel camera with LED flash but if the past experiences with Micromax camera at this price range are considered, the camera probably would not be comparable to the Nokia quality.

Looking at the specs it is evident that Lumia 525 must have been the inspiration behind the Win W092. Micromax has tried to one up the Lumia 525 in almost departments, while giving a competitive pricing. The Win W095 has the ability to challenge the Lumia and only time will tell if this would be the last usurping of the Nokia brand name.

The Lumia 525 is available on Flipkart at Rs. 8550 while the Win 092 is priced at 6500. This war just got serious. A Windows phone enthusiast now has to some serious option to choose from. XOLO has already geared up to release a new devices based on Windows OS 8.1. With Windows releasing the OS free for licensing purposes for screen size below 9 inches, many more companies might want to join the Windows OS ecosystem.

Specifications	Nokia Lumia 525	Micromax Canvas Win W092
GENERAL	Release date: January 2013 Dimensions (mm): 115.40 x 61.10 x 11.00 Battery capacity (mAh): 1430 Colours: Orange, Yellow, White, Black	Release date: June 2014 Form factor: Capacitive Touchscreen Battery capacity (mAh): 1500 Colours: Black
DISPLAY	Screen size (inches): 4.00 Resolution: 480×800 pixels Pixels per inch (PPI): 233 Colours: 16M	Screen size (inches): 4.00 Touchscreen: Yes Touchscreen type: Capacitive
CAMERA	Rear camera: 5-megapixel Flash: No Front camera: No	Rear camera: 5-megapixel Flash: Yes Front camera: 0.3-megapixel
HARDWARE	Processor: 1GHz dual-core Processor make: Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 RAM: 1 GB Internal: storage 8GB Expandable storage: Yes Expandable storage type: microSD Expandable storage up to (GB): 64	Processor: 1.2GHz quad-core Processor make: Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 RAM: 1GB Internal storage: 8GB Expandable storage: Yes Expandable storage type: microSD Expandable storage up to (GB): 32
Software	Operating System: Windows Phone 8.1 Java support: No Browser supports Flash: No	Operating System: Windows Phone 8.1 Java support: Yes Browser supports Flash: Yes
Connectivity	Wi-Fi: Yes Wi-Fi standards supported: 802.11 a/ b/ g/ n GPS: Yes Bluetooth: Yes, v 3.00 NFC: Yes Headphones: 3.5mm FM: Yes USB: Micro-USB	Wi-Fi: Yes Wi-Fi standards supported: NA GPS: Yes Bluetooth: Yes NFC: No Headphones: 3.5mm FM: Yes USB: Micro-USB
Sensors	Compass/ Magnetometer: Yes Proximity sensor: Yes Accelerometer: Yes Ambient light sensor: No Gyroscope: No Barometer: No Temperature sensor: No	Compass/ Magnetometer : No Proximity sensor: Yes Accelerometer: Yes Ambient light sensor: No Gyroscope: No Barometer: No Temperature sensor: No

June 18, 2014

GTA 5 Gets a Visual Upgrade For The PC

PC gamers have had it bad over the past one year. The most ambitious version of the Grand Theft Auto came out about a year ago and they still haven’t had the opportunity to try out the three menacing protagonists. The game released for the PS3 and the Xbox 360 last year. Rockstar games are now going to release the much awaited game on PC, PS4 and Xbox in the Fall of this year.

The Game itself is extremely enticing. A gamer can control three protagonists and navigate around the maps on foot or on vehicle, a cause a lot of damage. They have a massive open world to explore and conquer.

This GTA release will include the Grand Theft Auto Online. Apart from that, all content released after the launch will be included in the purchase. It will also carry on game data from previous versions and progresses can be carried forward to the new system.

Get Ready for some enhanced kickass experience

GTA 5 will be enhanced for the PC users. The makers say they want to utilize the full potential of the PC. The new version will have higher resolution and graphical detail, denser traffic, greater draw distances, upgraded AI, and advanced weather and damage effects. These will definitely add to the pleasures of the pernicious protagonists and the players alike.

The PC release is also touted to have new wildlife. Guess the open world exploration of the GTA world just got a lot more interesting. The release last year was a phenomenal success, the game earned a Billion dollars in just the first three days after its release. It also took home most of the “Game of the Year” awards. And with heavy demand on the new consoles and the PC, it is expected to recreate the success of last year.

It’s time that PC gamers stop damping up the floor with their saliva looking at the GTA gameplays. It’s time for them to take care of some serious business.

June 17, 2014
AirDog and HEXO+ : These Flying Puppies Follow you Everywhere

Go-Pro’s and Drone technology has made it super easy for regular or professional adventure sports enthusiasts to film incredible footage. Now two campaigns on Kickstarter are seeking pledges towards making a Personal Autonomous Drone. These Drones are programmed to track the subject continually without any pilot directing it. It can take the Go-Pro experience to a whole new level.

AirDog:

In the first glance, it would just appear like a plastic kids toy. But once you power it on, you will have a kickass drone which will follow you while you do some badass stunts. The device is portable and sturdy. The makers claim that the AirDog can face any challenge, like pelting rain, freezing temps, massive waves. Basically, it’s unstoppable.

The Craft is controlled by the AIRLEASH (aptly named) which is a wrist worn controller which tells the AIRDOG where the person it is filming is. All the user needs to adjust their altitude and distance preferences and press “Take off,” they are good to go. The drone performs in-flight calculations to correct its flying pattern, and points the camera at the user wearing AirLeash. The AirLeash is waterproof so you can easily take it into a wave.

AirDog uses a Physical tracker and smartphone to exactly map the subject

It gives a lot smoother aerial shots than a remote operated drone. It uses a Go-Pro camera on 2-axis Gyro stabilized gimbal so you can be rest assured of the footage quality. When not using it like a drone, fold it up, and you have a Steadicam.

If you are a control freak and don’t prefer a fully automatic, there is also an optional manual remote control. You can also use a combination of Auto and Manual modes to get that perfect shot. The drone uses GPS signals to map out its environment thereby preventing itself from running into trees and other obstacles.

The bundled in smartphone app provides professional adjustments to the flight path of the Drone. The app can be used from the iPhone as well as an Android phone. With it, you can control the distance, height, and angle.

You don’t even need to worry about running out of battery mid shoot and falling off grid into unreachable spots. The craft finds its way back to the takeoff spot and lands there. The landing is completely automatic.

Specs of the AirDog:
•    Durable and weather resistant construction
•    10-20 minutes flight time depending on flight speed
•    Interchangeable 14.8 V, 4000mAh, LiPo batteries
•    Wind resistance up to 28 knots (14 m/s)
•    Top speed, 40 mph (software limited)
•    AirLeash range up to 1000 feet (300m)
•    Operational ceiling, 3000 meters above sea level
•    Weight 3.08 lbs (1.4 kg). 3.96 lbs (1.8 kg) with battery

AirDog is attracting a lot of attention on Kickstarter, as in the morning the project had 15 backers but by the time of posting it had reached 166. It also reached halfway to its target of USD $ 200,000/- standing at $120,000 with 39 more days to go.

HEXO+:

The Hexo+ looks more like a full-fledged professional camera drone with 6 propellers. It is controlled using a smartphone app. Unlike the AirDog there is no wearable tracker (AirLeash), which might be the biggest issue with it.

Hexo uses the app to find subject

It is faster that the AirDog as its top speed is at 70 Kilometers per hour for the duration of 15 minutes. HEXO+ could therefore be beneficial for high speed sports enthusiast like Skiers, mountain bikers, snowboarders and motocross athletes.

This project has also received massive support as it stood at above a whooping $300,000 of its pledging goal of $50,000 with 29 more days to go. One of the reasons for this surge is that they have promised to deliver live video feedback if they crossed $250,000.

Armed with GPS sensors and command module in the smart phone, the drone is capable of constant, totally autonomous following of its subject. A smartphone dependency of the Hexo+ to communicate might cause it some issues. They use the MAVLINK protocol which helps to smoothen the communication between the phone, the drone and the camera gimbal.

The Drone constantly tracks subject using GPS, Sensors and mobile App

Specs of the HEXO+:
General
• Dimensions: 62 x 52 x 12 cm
•Total weight: 980 g – 2.2 lbs Drone
•Hexacopter design with 30° tilt propellers
• Speed range: up to 70 kmh – 45mph
•Flight time: 15 min with 3S battery, gimbal and GoPro attached
Flight controller
• Filming distance range: up to 50 meters
•Auto take-off and auto landing
• Trajectory anticipation
•Video target locking*
•GPS + onboard sensor position tracking
•Processor with MAVLINK protocol
Gimbal
• High performance 2D brushless gimbal
• Easy attach/detach from drone body for transportation
• GoPro mount

Both these products look promising and will probably start a whole new revolution in action sport shooting like the Go-Pro did. It is also great for athletes who want to observe and review their performance. With the serious interest shown by Kickstarter backers for both these projects, it’s evident that pretty soon we can see them flying all over the place.

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June 17, 2014
Hands on with Micromax Canvas Win W121 And W092

Although it is not Micromax’s first foray into Windows domain, its is their first set of Windows Phone 8.1 Smartphones. The two devices 5 inch W121, and 4 inches W092 are both relatively lower end devices, and their prices below the Rs. 10000 bracket.

The Micromax Canvas Win W121 is their 5 inch handset with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 Chipset with 1 GB RAM 8 GB ROM, along with 32 GB storage expansion via MicroSD card. The W121 costs Rs. 9500 and features a much better build than its lower sibling, almost mimicking the “Pleather” seen on the Note 3. On the back of the W121 is an 8MP camera, with a 2 MP front facing camera. Overall the device is an impressive looking unit, when compared to many other phones available in this price bracket.

The OS seems build on the prototype units we saw, and Windows Phone 8.1 comes preloaded with many of the new features of the OS. For most using Windows as a main PC OS will enjoy the continued features that were earlier available on devices like Nokia Lumia.

The Micromax Canvas Win W092 is a lower end variant of the two and costs a significantly low Rs. 6500. The w092 comes with many identical specs when compared to the elder brother, including the Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 Chipset with 1 GB RAM 8GB ROM, along with 32 GB storage. Whats different here is a smaller 4 inch display the 5 MP main camera and a 1500 mAh battery. The secondary camera also comes down to a mere 0.3 MP vs. the 2 MP on the bigger sibling.

Both the Micromax Canvas Win w121 and the W092 are expected to be available early July and we will keep you posted on further news.

June 16, 2014
Micromax Launches Windows-based Canvas Win series!
And it’s here! Micromax just announced its brand new Smartphone series at an event in New Delhi. The two new budget smartphones – Canvas Win W092 and Canvas Win W121 are powered by Microsoft’s new Windows Phone 8.1.

Specs of the Canvas Win W121 include:
- 12.7 cm (5″) HD IPS Screen
- 1.2 GHz Quad Core Processor
- Qualcomm Snapdragon Processor
- 1GB RAM and 8GB ROM
- 8MP AF Rear Camera with LED Flash
- 2MP FF Front Camera
- Leather Finish Back Panel
- 2000mAh li-polymer Battery
- 32GB External Storage Capacity
Specs of the Canvas Win W092 include:
- Windows Phone 8.1 OS
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor with 1.2 GHz Quad Core CPU
- 4-inch IPS display
- 1500 mAh battery
- 5MP rear camera with flash; 0.3MP front camera
- Dual-SIM
- 1GB RAM; 8GB ROM
The Canvas Win W121 and Canvas Win W092 are priced at Rs. 9,500/- and Rs. 6,500/- respectively, will be available starting early July 2014.

Hands-on coming up shortly.
June 16, 2014
Huawei Is All Set To Launch Ascend Mate2 4G in USA

Huawei Technologies Co. has been surrounded by controversies in USA about security concerns raised by lawmakers in Washington. But they believe it can trounce all that as it makes a larger push in the U.S. and tries to build on its successes elsewhere. While Apple and Samsung dictate the all-inclusive Smartphone market with a mutual market share of 46 percent, Huawei has a minor lead among the rest, with about 5 percent, recent data suggested.

Keeping up with the market’s pace, Huawei is all set to launch Ascend Mate2 4G, a mid-range Android phone touted as a reasonably priced substitute to high-end phones such as Apple’s iPhone 5s and Samsung’s Galaxy S5.

The Mate2 will go for $299 and will be sold directly by Huawei. It will work on AT&T’s and T-Mobile’s networks, but not on Verizon or Sprint. The new Mate2 is missing some of the features found in the iPhone or the S5, but it does well on the basics. In addition, it works with 4G cellular networks, while many cheaper devices are attuned only with the slower 3G networks.

The phone is huge, with a screen measuring 6.1 inches diagonally. The company says it’s targeting a few types of customers, such as those who watch a lot of video and those who need a big screen for heavy-duty email and other business functions. Further, it is equipped with impressive 3,900 milliamp-hour battery, allowing you to stream videos for almost 16 hours at a stretch.

The device also fashions 13MP rear camera and 5MP front one, which means sharper selfies and better video calling. The screen resolution is 1,280 pixels by 720 pixels comparably lower than the most Android phones.

Huawei has started taking orders, with phones starting to ship within the week. The Mate2 won’t equal a high-end phone, but it offers a lot for about half the price. That’s quite impressive for a phone of this size. It’s not a good deal if you’re already getting expensive phones at a subsidized price of $200, but it’s one to consider if you’re looking to get away from contracts and subsidies.

June 16, 2014