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Google Maps Now Available in 25 More Countries
Anyone who has used Google Map Navigation will probably know how important it can be at some point or other. Be it searching a good place for a meal or searching the way to home from an unknown place, Google Maps has helped in most cases.

While, some people enjoy using Google Maps Navigation others do not have access to it yet. This will soon change as Google has added 25 new countries to take an advantage of this features. Here are the countries which recently got access to Google Navigation:
- Andorra
- Bangladesh
- Bhutan
- Burundi
- Central African Republic
- Croatia
- Djibouti
- Gabon
- Guadeloupe
- Haiti
- Lesotho
- Libya
- Maldives
- Mongolia
- Puerto Rico
- Republic of Congo
- Samoa
- Serbia
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- Togo
- Tonga
- Tunisia
- Vanuatu
- Zambia
The Google Maps Navigation is now available on approximately 100 different countries. However, few countries like Algeria, Bahrain and Russia do not support the navigation in all regions. The company says’s they are trying to bring the Navigation Beta to more countries gradually. Google Maps Navigation (Beta) requires at least Android OS 1.6 and comes included as part of Google Maps for Android v3.2 and higher. For more information you can check out the source:

[Google]
December 14, 2013
Twitter For Mac Users Gets Updated to Version 3.0, Brings Detailed Tweets and More

Not very long ago, Twitter updated its mobile application with in-line media previews. And now, the company is doing the same with Mac computers. The Twitter application for Mac users gets updated with some new features.

The Twitter 3.0 for Mac users bring in-line photo views and detailed tweets. The Timelines now display previews for Twitter photos, making it easier to go through new Tweets. Whereas, now when you click a Tweet, you’ll be taken to a detailed view that includes photos, favorite and retweets , and other Tweets in the conversation.

Other than adding new features and some tweaks the company has also changed the design of the application to make it cleaner and more modern.

[App Store]

December 13, 2013
UC Browser For iPad Gets Updated With New Features

UC Browser updates its application for iPad users in order to enhance the user experience. Not very long ago, the company updated the Android version to 9.4 adding great speeds and now the UC Browser+ HD 2.3 brings new features to the iPad.

The latest update for iPad brings in features like Social Links and an upgraded Floating Video Player. These new features are added by the company to ease user’s social life, and to give them a different online video playing experience. The Social Links feature fetches posts in all of the users social streams that contain url links from popular social networking sites, including Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and displays them in a pop-up widget.

One of the other features added in the update is the Floating Video Player which allows users to play videos in full screen or in an adjustable window that can be placed anywhere for viewing. Furthermore, the browser comes with multiple wallpaper options which can help users to personalize according to the mood.

Whereas, there are few features that can are user friendly and useful in daily routine like the Gesture control feature and the inbuilt Evernote feature.

December 13, 2013
Investors Gives $75 Million To Oculus Rift Makers For Finishing Consumer Model

Ever since its launch the Oculus Rift has always been one of the most talked about product for the future of Gaming Gadgets. The wearable gaming tech is still in the hands of developers which does not allow everyone to get a hands-on experience with it.

This might change soon, as Andreessen Horowitz, an investment firm known for funding companies like Jawbone, Facebook Twitter and Skype has funded the makers of Oculus Rift with $75 Million. With this investment, Mark Andreessen, owner of Andreessen Horowitz will join Oculus Rift as a member in the companies Board of directors. Mark said in a statement:

We believe Oculus will not only alter the gaming landscape, but will redefine fundamental human experiences in areas like film, education, architecture and design”, ‘We’re incredibly excited to help them change the world.”

This funding might help Oculus Rift to bring the consumer variant of the gaming wearable soon for everyone. Furthermore, company’s CEO Brendan Iribe said in a statement:

This additional infusion of capital, as well as the leadership and experience of Marc Andreessen, will help us take the final steps toward our ultimate goal: making virtual reality something consumers everywhere can enjoy.”

December 13, 2013
YouTube Will Now Allow Live Streaming For All Verified Channels

YouTube is no doubt one of the most visited website on the internet today. The company announced the Live Streaming feature last year itself but it was not available to everyone by then. YouTube claims to have seen creators across music, gaming, sports and more categories using the power of live videos and creating an amazing experience for their audiences.

Now, Google wants the rest of the world to take advantage of Live Streaming. YouTube will now soon allow all verified accounts and accounts with good standings to use the Live Streaming feature. You can check if you have access to this feature by visiting the account feature page or simply by checking if it is available on the video manager. Users can also launch Google+ Hangouts directly on YouTube streaming live.

The Live Stream feature might bring in a flood of videos as it gets available to everyone. For now, YouTube says this should be available in next few weeks.

December 13, 2013
Windows Phone and Windows RT May Soon Be Free Of License Fees

The Verge is reporting that sources close to Microsoft have indicated the company is seriously considering making Windows Phone and Windows RT available to device manufacturers free of charge. Microsoft would most likely move to a free licensing model with the upcoming “Threshold” update, the next major Windows update rumoured to bring back the Start menu.

The majority of Windows revenue currently comes from licensing Windows 8 and Windows RT to OEMs. However, Microsoft’s recent acquisition of Nokia’s handset division virtually eliminated any significant Windows Phone licensing revenue, as the Finnish manufacturer was responsible for 80% of all Windows Phone shipments.

It is expected that Microsoft will try to make up for the revenue loss through apps and services, the company has experimented with running ads in Windows 8 apps so something along the same lines can be implemented in those operating systems as well. The aim is to combat Android, but it remains to be seen if free versions of its mobile operating systems will entice OEMs to develop more Windows Phone and Windows RT powered devices.

December 12, 2013
Win a Nexus 5, Courtesy UC Browser

Want to Win a Nexus 5 ? iGyaan is always thankful to its readers and is giving away a shiny new 32 GB White Nexus 5 to one lucky winner who takes part in our Giveaway below. The giveaway is brought to you by UC Browser, one of the most popular browsers for Mobile devices, available on Android, iOS and even Windows Phone.

UC Browser has been updated with exciting features like AutoPager , Speed Mode II and a new Facebook Video Uploader

Check out our Video on the UC Browser and take part in the Contest Below.

Here is your chance to Win a Nexus 5, for either your self or for one of your friends. Standard Contest rules apply, and Valid Identification is required by the Winner to claim a prize. Tell your friends that they can plan as they will stand a chance to Win a Nexus 5 courtesy of UC Browser on iGyaan

Winner

Congratulations Vikram Chandhok for winning the UC Browser Nexus 5 giveaway! Here is your winning entry:

“The best thing about iGyaan is the emphasis it pays towards the quality of its content, both for high end products as well as low end products.”

“The answer is pretty obvious, we need a fast mobile browser because of our country’s slow mobile networks”

We will be contacting you soon to co-ordinate with you.

To all those who did not win the grand prize, we will be coming up with another major giveaway pretty soon. So stay tuned for iGyaan for more updates.

[youtube url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZ7UZ7Ndbfs” autoplay=”1″]

December 12, 2013
Gmail for Android Gets Updated With Universal Attachment, Vacation Responder and More

Smartphones are full of applications, and almost every morning we get an update for one or other applications. Following the tradition, Google today updated its mailing application for Android, Gmail is now updated with some more features.

Gmail application for Android has now got additional useful features. Today’s update add features like Vacation Responder, which can be set using the application from the mobile itself and will notify everyone who sends you an email that you are out on an vacation. Furthermore, Google has also added an universal attachment feature which will allow users to attach any kind of file through email(documents, PDFs, zip files).

Other features include enhanced performance of the application on low memory devices. Google has also update the application adding an option to print your emails, but this option is however available only to users on Android KitKat. The update is spreading gradually, so be patient for your turn.

[Gmail]

December 12, 2013
Now You Can Create Your Own Google Street View, Even With a Smartphone Camera

Google’s Street View has shown us various places closely, and it seems now Google wants us to see even more places. In order to capture images for the Street view, Google uses various techniques one of them is called the trekker. We saw the trekker(image below) when Google launched Street view for the Indian Monuments.

However, Google wants people to now submit there own Street View, which means users can now now take multiple pictures of the place they like and put in Street View. To get started, users just need to create photo spheres using Android phone or a DSLR and then share them on Views, which is a special section made for these kind of images. After that, users simply need to connect them on a map.

We are excited to see the different types of Street View experiences that everyone will contribute. For example, this feature can now enable environmental non-profits to document and promote the beautiful places they strive to protect. It also opens up a new tool for photographers to showcase diversity in a specific location — by times of day, weather conditions or cultural events — in a way that Street View currently doesn’t cover.

Evan Rapoport, Product Manager, Google Maps & Photo Sphere, shared a self made Street View for a location visited in a vacation. The Street View shown below is made with help of a Nexus 4 and DSLR.

Views: Dunluce Castle Stairway by Evan Rapoport

For more information check out the source below.

[Google Blog]

December 10, 2013
Scroogled: Do You Hate Google Chromebooks ? May Be Not, But Microsoft Does

Microsoft’s Scroogled(anti-Google) campaign might not be loved by everyone, but that does not stop the company to do even more. After the launch of Anti-Google merchandise the company is now targeting the Google Chromebook.

Microsoft, has something new for viewers in its Scroogled campaign. Microsoft hates Google Chromebooks and wants you to feel the same. We all know the merits and demerits of a Chromebook, it does not work on most of things when offline, cannot run Microsoft Office and few more applications. Microsoft released a video highlighting these facts, but is it worth the hate ?

Check out the video below:

[youtube url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wAgB5J1gSQ”]

What do you think ? Windows 8 or Chromebook ? it is your choice completely, as these videos can not change the mind of a person who wishes to buy a Chromebook. Somehow, this video is another attempt from Microsoft which is not liked by people.

Just few days back, the Scroogled campaign got famous with a video featuring the famous Pawn Star Rick Harrison. The video shows a lady trying to sell her Chromebook in the Pawn shop in order to get a ticket to Hollywood. Rick Harrison says, ‘When you are not connected(to the internet), it pretty much is a brick’. You might want to watch the video below:

[youtube url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-y2mqoDjQXI”]

These kind of advertisements are not new for Microsoft, remember the less talking, more doing? Microsoft targeted iPad in its Windows 8 advertisement. What do you think of these ads from Microsoft ?

December 9, 2013
Microsoft, Facebook & Google Says ‘Current Laws and Practices Need to be Reformed’
Microsoft, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Yahoo and AOL have together asked the world’s governments to reform its current laws and practices.

All of these companies have issued a letter to the government directly and also posted it in various publications to spread it worldwide. This is what the letter says:

The undersigned companies believe that it is time for the world’s governments to address the practices and laws regulating government surveillance of individuals and access to their information.

While the undersigned companies understand that governments need to take action to protect their citizens’ safety and security, we strongly believe that current laws and practices need to be reformed.

Consistent with established global norms of free expression and privacy and with the goals of ensuring that government law enforcement and intelligence efforts are rule-bound, narrowly tailored, transparent, and subject to oversight, we hereby call on governments to endorse the following principles and enact reforms that would put these principles into action.

All of this will work on five principles as per these companies:
1. Limiting Governments’ Authority to Collect Users’ Information
2. Oversight and Accountability
3. Transparency About Government Demands
4. Respecting the Free Flow of Information
5. Avoiding Conflicts Among Governments
All these companies have openly acknowledged the government’s need to take actions for the public good. Here is what the CEO’s of these company have to say:

Reports about government surveillance have shown there is a real need for greater disclosure and new limits on how governments collect information. The US government should take this opportunity to lead this reform effort and make things right.”

—Mark Zuckerberg, CEO, Facebook

People won’t use technology they don’t trust. Governments have put this trust at risk, and governments need to help restore it.”—Brad Smith, General Counsel and Executive Vice President, Legal and Corporate Affairs, Microsoft

The security of users’ data is critical, which is why we’ve invested so much in encryption and fight for transparency around government requests for information. This is undermined by the apparent wholesale collection of data, in secret and without independent oversight, by many governments around the world. It’s time for reform and we urge the US government to lead the way.”

—Larry Page, CEO, Google

[Reform Government Surveillance]
December 9, 2013
Google Voice Search Will Now Speak French, German and Japanese on Android and iOS

Google voice search has improved with time for its voice recognition capabilities. Google voice is successful to recognize the universal language ‘English’ very well, specially with different accents of people all around the globe.

In the journey to improve the voice search, Google has expanded the voice recognition capabilities of its voice search by adding new languages to it. Which means, Google voice search will not be limited to English and will now speak languages like French, German and Japanese.

This new add on will recognize any of these languages and reply back accordingly. It is not clear when Google will add other languages but it seems Google has already started the journey. Lastly, this new update is available both on Android and iOS devices. If your device did not update yet, check the links below.

[Android, iOS]

December 6, 2013
Apple: 74% of App Store Users Are Using iOS 7

Three months back, Apple launched its latest OS – iOS 7 in the market. Ever since then, users have treated the iOS 7 with mix reactions, as for some it is improved and for some it lags and freezes.

Despite of the mixed reactions from users, the iOS 7 is now on 74% of Apple devices registered in the App Store. Apple has mentioned this on its developer page. This is a 10% increase in iOS 7 users from the month of October. Coincidentally, Google also announced that in just a month of release, 1.1% of Android users are on KitKat OS.

However, alongside the iOS 7 other iOS versions are still in use. As per the report from Apple, 22% of users in the App Store are still on iOS 6 and 4% users are still on older versions of iOS. The rest 26% might want to know what is iOS 7 all about from the video below:

[youtube url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5-KmW1QhcE”]

[Apple]

December 6, 2013
Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2 Will Support 10 Different Languages

With the ever increasing products in the Galaxy(series), Samsung recently added two more products to it. The Galaxy Grand duos 2 along with the Galaxy S Duos 2.

The mid range Galaxy S Duos 2 features a 4 inch WVGA display with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels which is same as what we have seen on the Galaxy S Duos. However, on the inside this phone is powered by a 1.2 GHz Dual-Core processor, which was 1 GHz in the oldie S Duos.

Other features include a 5 MP primary camera with LED flash and a VGA secondary camera. The Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2 has a 768 MB RAM, 4 GB internal memory which is expandable up to 64GB with microSD.

The device runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and is packed with a 1500 mAh battery. Samsung claims that the Galaxy S Duos 2 is especially created for the Indian market, the phone’s regional language support enables consumers to access apps from the Samsung Application Store in Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Assamese, Marathi and Gujarati. Users can experience apps such as ChatOn, Facebook, Gmail and Newshunt in their own preferred language.

The Samsung Galaxy S Duos 2 will be available in two colors and is priced at 10,990 INR

December 5, 2013
Microsoft’s Acquisition Of Nokia Is Now Granted By The European Commission

It will not be long, when you can see Microsoft made Windows Phone 8 smartphones in the market. The Microsoft and Nokia deal which was in the picture a while ago, is not final.

As reported by Reuters, the European Commission has granted final approval to the $7.3 Billion deal of Microsoft and Nokia. This deal will allow Microsoft to make Windows Phone 8 devices with Nokia’s assets. The Union has approved this deal without any condition on Wednesday, the commission concluded:

The Commission concluded that the transaction would not raise any competition concerns,” the European Commission said in a statement, adding that it was unlikely “to lead to competitors being shut out from the market”.

With this, Microsoft’s acquisition on Nokia phone line is official. What will you expect from Microsoft, or what do you think Microsoft will bring to the table ?

[Via]

December 5, 2013