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NASA Joins Instagram, Posts Vintage Moon Pics

Behold! There finally exists an Instagram account that doesn’t contain images of Starbucks or obnoxious selfies!

Nasa has joined the world of Instagram – and had attracted 17,000 followers within nine hours of posting up its first picture. Making its debut on the social media photo sharing site, the agency posted an image from 1969 of the Earth as seen from the Moon.

Of course, NASA is no stranger to social media. The agency’s Instagram profile complements NASA’s strong social media presence on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, YouTube, Flickr, Foursquare, Reddit and other sites. NASA’s strategy with social media: engaging and inspiring the public with unique content.

An image of the Earth, peeking above the alien horizon of the moon, is extraordinary in any context, but seems especially so amid the very ordinary stuff of Instagram.

Speaking about NASA boldly joining Instagram, Lauren Worley, NASA press secretary, said in a statement, “Instagram has a passionate following of users who are hungry for new and exciting photos. We believe we have some of the most engaging images on and off the planet — and we can’t wait to engage with Instagrammers.” Worley also said Instragam fits the space agency’s “story of exploration and discovery.”

Along with the new official NASA account, the agency’s Goddard Spaceflight Center and Ames Research Center also have profiles on Instagram.

September 7, 2013
Screenshots From Windows Phone 8 GDR3 Update Leak

Rumours of Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 GDR3 update have been circulating for much of 2013, claiming that the new software will bring with it a number of new features that include support for larger displays, quad-core processors, screen rotation lock and more. Today is the first time that we’re getting a look at what may be GDR3 in action, though, thanks to a WPCentral forums user that claims to have gotten hold of a Lumia 920 that’s running the update.

User ‘xs2k’ allegedly purchased a Nokia Lumia 920 from Craigslist, the prior owner supposedly a multiplatform app developer. The device appears to be with firmware based from India and there are four screenshots posted so far.

As far as new features are concerned – Driving Mode mutes calls and texts automatically when paired by Bluetooth to a car, or you can choose to mute them manually. You can close apps in the multitasking view too, saving time. There’s screen rotation, so you can orient your display how you like, and custom sounds are coming to text, voicemail, email and reminder alerts. You’ll also be able to restore from back-up over Wi-Fi, which is handy if your device is wiped.

Obviously these leaked screenshots can’t give us a look at some of the bigger features that are coming with Microsoft’s GDR3 update, like support for large 1080p displays and quad-core processors. However, the images do serve as evidence of other new capabilities like closing apps from the multitasking interface and screen rotation lock, two goodies that we’re sure Windows Phone fans are excited to finally be receiving.

September 7, 2013
Alleged iPhone 5S Retail Packaging Leaks, Hints At Fingerprint Sensor

When potential packaging of the iPhone 5C leaked online last week it looked authentic. These pictures of what is believed to be the retail packaging for the upcoming iPhone 5S are definitely questionable. Who knows what camera the photos were captured with as they are all incredibly blurry – almost sore to look at – which leads us to believe they’re fake.

However, the box has a similar design to previous iPhones and clearly shows and iPhone with iOS 7, plus the rumoured 5S branding. In addition, the most notable change is to the home button with a silver ring – this addition could be the heavily rumoured fingerprint sensor.

Fox News anchor Clayton Morris previously claimed that the upcoming iPhone 5S would “have a silver ring around it” in an interview last month, while also noting the button is convex to make way for an embedded fingerprint sensor.

Regardless of what Apple decides to unveil, iGyaan will be in covering the iPhone 5S / iPhone 5C launch event on the 10th at 10AM PT — so tune in on the day of the event so you can follow our live blog for every piece of news as it happens.

[Via]

September 7, 2013
BBM For iPhone Confirmed By BlackBerry Executive

“The BBM app will be launched for Android and iOS”, we have been hearing this news from a long time. About a month ago BlackBerry was rumored to test the messenger on both Android and iOS platforms. Now, as per a tweet from Alex Kinsella(Senior Strategic Account Manager for BlackBerry), it shows that BBM will launch first on iOS. As the tweet said:

“BBM for iPhone was submitted for review 2 wks ago #waiting”

Earlier in May BlackBerry officialy announced that BBM will be available on Android and iOS, ever since then we have heard rumors of it launching soon. Here is what Mr. Bocking said when he officially announced messengers availability on Android and iOS.

“For BlackBerry, messaging and collaboration are inseparable from the mobile experience, and the time is definitely right for BBM to become a multi-platform mobile service. BBM has always been one of the most engaging services for BlackBerry customers, enabling them to easily connect while maintaining a valued level of personal privacy. We’re excited to offer iOS and Android users the possibility to join the BBM community,” said Andrew Bocking, Executive Vice President, Software Product Management and Ecosystem, at BlackBerry.

The tweet above shows that BBM might be available for iOS anytime, so when you wake up tomorrow do not forget to check your app store. Few years back, BBM was one of the most popular communication means, but today we have others like Whatsapp, hike, we chat and ALOT more. Will the availability of BBM on Android and iOS bring the change back ? We will have to wait and see.

September 7, 2013
XOLO Tab Launched With Android 4.1 and Voice Calling

Xolo has officially launched its first tablet, the Xolo Tab is priced at INR 13,499. The Tab(QC800) comes with a 8 inch IPS display with a resolution of 1280 x 768 pixels (160ppi). The tablet is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 8225Q processor paired with a 1GB of RAM and Adreno 203 GPU. The tablet includes 4GB of internal storage that can be expanded up to 32GB via microSD card. The device comes with SIM support and voice-calling.

It has a 2 MP rear camera and a 0.3 MP front camera that can be used to make 3G video calls. It supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for connectivity options. The Xolo tab sports a 4,000 mAh battery. It will be available in white color, and will hit the stores by the end of this week.

Stay tuned for our review!

[toggle title=”Press Release “]XOLO expands its portfolio, launches its first Tablet- XOLO TAB

6th September 2013: After making a successful entry in the Indian Mobile Phone industry last year, XOLO now enters a new segment with the launch of its first Tablet. XOLO – a premium smartphone manufacturer came into existence last year in April, 2012 with the launch of the world’s first mobile phone with the power of Intel Inside and since then XOLO has launched various phones in the mid to high end smartphone segment. The brand’s philosophy since the inception has been to provide something better and extra to its customers, with an intent to deliver an experience of +1. XOLO’s latest addition to its portfolio is Slim and Powerful Q1000s and XOLO Play, a true delight for gamers that is powered by 1.5 Ghz NVIDIA Tegra quad-core processor with NVIDIA GeForce GPU.

XOLO today expanded its portfolio with the launch of its first Tablet – XOLO TAB. The light weight XOLO TAB comes with a big IPS 20.32cm (8) screen that offers clear and crisp display with a resolution of 1024×768 for an amazing and comfortable experience. It supports multi-touch and pinch to zoom. It has an Adreno 203 GPU and is capable of playing HD videos at 720p @30fps.

It runs on Android Jelly Bean 4.1.2 and comes packed in with a powerful Snapdragon 1.2 GHz quad-core processor for faster and improved performance. It also supports 3G video and voice calling to ensure users are always connected with their friends and family.

For faster and smoother experience the new XOLO TAB is equipped with 1GB RAM. It comes with 4GB of internal memory of which 2.5GB is available for the users and the external memory can be expanded using a microSD card up to 32 GB to store lots of songs, movies and games.

It has a 2 MP rear camera and a 0.3 MP front camera that can be used to make 3G video calls. It supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity as well.

Its 4000 mAh battery ensures that it doesn’t need frequent recharges and assures you of uninterrupted fun.

This big 20.32 cm (8) quad-core Tab with 3G connectivity is available for purchase at Rs. 13,499 only. It will be availabe in the white color in the retail stores by the end of this week.

Key Specifications

20.32 cm (8) IPS Display
3G Video Calling (using telecom network)
Snapdragon 1.2 GHz quad-core Processor
Adreno 203 GPU
1 GB RAM
4000 mAh Li-pol Battery
Android Jelly Bean 4.1.2
Wi-Fi
A-GPS[/toggle]

September 7, 2013
Yahoo Reports 29,000 Data Requests From Government

Yahoo received 29,000 government data requests on its users this year, with almost half coming from the United States, according to the company’s global transparency report released Friday.

Yahoo said in the report, covering the first six months of 2013, that 12,444 of the requests from worldwide governments came from the United States.

At Yahoo, we take the privacy of our users seriously,” general counsel (Yahoo) Ron Bell said in a blog post. We also recognize our role as a global company in promoting freedom of expression wherever we do business. That’s why we’re issuing our first global law enforcement transparency report.”

He added that the report includes US “national security requests” which have become a major issue in light of reports on secret government surveillance programs run by the United States. “Our legal department demands that government data requests be made through lawful means and for lawful purposes,” Bell said.

“We regularly push back against improper requests for user data, including fighting requests that are unclear, improper, overbroad or unlawful. In addition, we mounted a two-year legal challenge to the 2008 amendments to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and recently won a motion requiring the US government to consider further declassifying court documents from that case.”

The US data requests:

Yahoo said the numbers reported “include all types of government data requests such as criminal law enforcement requests and those under US national security authorities, including the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and National Security Letters (NSLs), if any were received.”

In addition to the United States, Yahoo listed requests from 16 other countries or territories including Australia, Hong Kong, India, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Britain, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico.

September 7, 2013
Ex-Nokia Exec Anssi Vanjoki : Acquisition “Shameful, But Unavoidable”

Microsoft had recently acquired Nokia which seemed like a major win for Nokia, but it seems that not everyone feels that way, especially since Microsoft has no plans to keep the Nokia brand around once the deal is complete. Speaking to The Verge, Anssi Vanjoki, the man who would have been Nokia’s CEO, felt that the deal was in his own opinion, “shameful, but unavoidable”.

Vanjoki was apparently being groomed for the CEO post himself, but eventually Microsoft’s Elop was installed as the first non-Finnish CEO of Nokia. He eventually left the company.

“This is a complete failure of chosen strategy and its implementation,” he said. As a true patriot, he added that he hopes Microsoft can make “it work” for the sake of Finland.

Needless to say, there may be some bruised egos involved, but Vanjoki really isn’t saying anything that countless Nokia fans and industry watchers weren’t saying all along. Elop’s and to some extent Ballmer’s Windows Phone strategy did not work very well. But to be fair, Nokia was in a world of trouble a long time before Elop took the helm, as it was focused on Symbian for way too long, without much of an alternative strategy.

September 6, 2013
Apple Testing Six-Inch iPhone For Next Iteration

Apple is reportedly testing iPhones with larger screens than previous models, according to a new report. The Wall Street Journal says Apple is going as large as 6 inches, which would be 2 inches bigger than its current models. The publication cites people familiar with the matter to report that the company is introspecting whether it should offer screens ranging from 4.8-inches to 6-inches on future iPhones.

Although Apple is expected to unveil two new handsets next week – the iPhone 5S and cheaper iPhone 5C – its research and development boffins never rest, and have long been working and experimenting with plenty of designs for possible future handsets and other iDevices.

Nearly every Apple rival sells phones with screen sizes much larger than the one found on the iPhone 5. In recent years, many top devices have come out with screens larger than 5 inches and, in some cases, 6 inches.

Apple may choose to sell the iPhone with a larger screen, or it could take an approach similar to that of Samsung and HTC by offering multiple versions of the iPhone with different screen sizes.

Either way, such moves would be counter to what late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs said during his final years with the company.

Jobs was known for being adamantly against making an iPhone with a screen larger than 3.5 inches (the first five iPhones had that screen size) and a smaller-sized iPad. Since his death, Apple has released both, and it appears it will continue to follow that strategy.

September 6, 2013
Rumour : Samsung Galaxy Note 3 To Be Priced At Rs. 47,990

Ever since the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 a couple of days ago, people in India have been curious about the price tag which will be associated with the device. While there has been no official confirmation yet, the newly launched Phablet has surfaced on a couple of online shopping portals as “Coming Soon”, with an expected price tag of Rs. 47,990 .

This would seem to be in line with the news that Samsung will be increasing the price of its devices by 20% from now on, given the state of the currency at the moment.

The 5.7-inch Galaxy Note 3 has been upgraded to 1920×1080 pixels, and at 168 grams and 8.3mm thick, it’s actually thinner and lighter than the Note II. It comes with a soft-touch, textured backing in three colours, black, white and pink.

he backside of the Galaxy Note 3 features a 13-megapixel camera which is capable of 4K video recording and a faux leather cover. Sandwiched in-between those parts is a Quad-core 2.3 GHz Krait 400 (for the LTE model) / Quad-core 1.9 GHz Cortex-A15 & quad-core 1.3 GHz Cortex-A7 (For the 3G model) with 3GB of RAM, 32GB/64GB storage expandable up to 64GB and a 3,200mAh battery. As expected, it runs on Android 4.3 with TouchWIZ.

The new Galaxy Note 3 is slated to begin rolling out to consumers on Sept. 25, and Samsung says that it’ll eventually hit 140 countries around the globe.

Would you be interested in the device if the above mentioned price tag turns out to be official? Let us know below!

September 6, 2013
Facebook Delays Privacy Policy Update

Facebook has said it will not roll out a scheduled update to its privacy policy till next week, after it takes the time to “ensure that user comments are reviewed and taken into consideration to determine whether further updates are necessary”.

Six consumer watchdog groups have asked the Federal Trade Commission to block the Facebook privacy changes that they say would make it far easier for the company to use the names, images and personal information of its nearly 1.2 billion users — including teens — to endorse products in ads without their consent.

“We are taking the time to ensure that user comments are reviewed and taken into consideration to determine whether further updates are necessary and we expect to finalize the process in the coming week,” Facebook said in a statement emailed to the Los Angeles Times. The social networking website is vehement that it isn’t changing its policies but simply clarifying the language they’ve been written in to eliminate all possibility of confusion.

Facebook said it proposed new language in response to a $20-million settlement of a 2011 lawsuit that alleged the company used personal information for commercial purposes without consent or compensation.

The original proposal has drawn tens of thousands of comments from Facebook users, most of them opposed to the changes.

September 6, 2013
MyGlass Update Lets You Control Google Glass UI With Android Devices

The developers at Google are constantly trying to experiment with the possibilities of Glass. Google Glass has been used to fly drones, broadcast live surgeries from a doctors POV and a lot more.

The device is still not available for everyone, but there are some serious questions on the usability of Glass. Google Glass’ ability to understand our gestures and voice is what has led to this next control based development. In a real world scenario, in some situations we might not be able to use some simple gestures like nodding, swiping or talking to the Glass.

But, Now you can perform all the controls remotely, all because of an update to the MyGlass companion Android app. It uses Glass’ screencast experience, which is a way of letting other users see what you’re seeing on Glass from their Android device’s screen.

Now a Glass user can touch, swipe or tap to control the Glass UI through the screencast experience. Some users have noted that the remote control part is not working yet and probably requires a matching Glass update. Google mentioned:

“If you don’t have Glass, then downloading this(app) will be a waste of time. Sorry about that. But if you swipe the screenshots to the right you’ll see there’s a picture of a puppy in pajamas. So not a total waste of time after all.”

The UI of the Glass seems to be improving with all necessary updates, and it is possible that soon we might have the Google Glass with many capabilities that can be used for everything!

September 6, 2013
Sony and Samsung products to get Price Hike upto 20% Across All Categories

Sony India on Thursday said it will soon initiate a price hike on its products across all categories to offset the impact of rupee depreciation.

“With the weakening of the rupee, the company will raise the prices of its products. This will be done shortly,” Sunil Nayyar, Head Sales, Sony India.

The products that Sony India sells, including flat panel TVs (Bravia), digital cameras (Cyber-Shot), laptops (Vaio) and smartphones (Xperia) , are shipped to India from other countires.

Nayyar said the weakening of the rupee was affecting the company and the prices have to be raised. “The rise will be a mild one and not be a burden on the consumers. The company will absorb the most impact,” he said.

As Diwali and other festivals festivals are round the corner, the company plans to earn a revenue of Rs 400 crore during the period of August to November, 30 percent higher than the last year’s figure as last year at the same time, the revenue earned was Rs 310 crore, he said.

Nationally, the company is eyeing a growth of 25 percent. It will also increase the distribution network from 850 to 935 across the country, Nayyar added.

Sources close to iGyaan have also confirmed that Samsung is also contemplating a price hike of 15-20% on all its products, that can majorly affect the prices of the upcoming products like Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy Gear and the Galaxy Note 10.1 2014.

Depreciating Rupee and the deteriorating economy has caused a major stall in the purchase power of the consumer, with prices shooting sky-high, companies are ready to look at major decline in sales across the board (even though most. Companies in all retail segments from cars to mobiles all products have been increasing prices and it should have a negative impact on the commercial growth of India. Hopefully we can recover from this in time.

September 6, 2013
Sony Xperia Z1 Available For Pre-Booking in the UK, Priced At 599 Pounds

Sony recently announced the Xperia Z1, the device has a 5-inch full HD 1080p display (441ppi) sporting Sony’s TRILUMINOS screen tech and X-Reality for mobile that debuted on the Xperia Z Ultra 6.4-inch phablet. There is a 2.2Ghz Snapdragon 800 SoC inside, along with 2GB of RAM. 16GB of storage (expandable via MicroSD) and a 3000 mAh battery.

The 20.7 MP camera adds up to the prominent features of this device, the device has an aluminium body which is waterproof with an IP58 rating. The new flagship from Sony has gone up for pre-booking in UK, Sweden, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, France and Germany priced at 599 Pounds!

If we convert the currency it shows up approximately INR 61,650 (at current Rupee strength), we will have to wait and see what would be the price in Indian market.

September 6, 2013
Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro Announced With 3200 x 1800 Pixel Display

Lenovo has launched a new version of their Yoga notebook in the form of the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro which comes supplied running Microsoft’s latest Windows 8 operating system and is fitted with a 13-inch display offering a 3200 x 1800 (QHD+) pixel resolution. Together with 10-point multitouch support and Lenovo Voice Control, to help control your system as you use it using simple voice commands. The 350-nit screen features IPS 178° wide angle viewing for great views from nearly any line of sight.

It’s very light — 3.06 pounds — and comes with a range of new Intel Core processors, up to a 512GB SSD and a nine-hour battery.

The Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro will be available with up to an Intel Core i7 Haswell processor, up to 512GB of solid state storage, and up to 8GB of RAM.

It features WiFi, Bluetooth, Dolby audio, and Intel HD graphics. Lenovo has also moved the antenna to offer better performance with Intel’s WiDi wireless display technology.

The computer runs Windows 8.1, and Lenovo is also pre-loading it with a series of new apps including a Phone Companion for sharing content from your PC to your mobile device, a photo sharing app, and a few other apps. This device works with motion control through its front-facing 720p camera, allowing users to navigate through PowerPoint presentations, browse e-books, and move through photo albums.

The Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro will be launching during October and will be priced at around $1,100. Indian pricing and availability has not been revealed yet.

September 5, 2013
Microsoft Awarded $14.5 Million In Patent Case Against Motorola

A federal jury late Wednesday backed Microsoft Corp. in a dispute over Motorola Mobility’s licensing of so-called standard, essential patents used in Microsoft products.

In the second of two trials in federal court in Seattle, the jury agreed with Microsoft’s claim that phone maker Motorola, owned by Google Inc,, broke agreements with standard-setting bodies to license certain patents at a fair and reasonable rate, according to Microsoft.

The case revolves around patents owned by Motorola on the 802.11 wireless technology standard and the H.264 video compression. These technologies are used in numerous devices, including Microsoft’s Xbox game consoles. It is common business practice to pay patent owners a licensing fee in order to use the said patents, but it seems that the two tech giants couldn’t see eye to eye on just how much money is really involved.

In 2010, Microsoft filed a lawsuit against Motorola, claiming that the now Google-owned company is charging excessive licensing fees that could reach up to $4 billion per year. While Microsoft has no qualms about paying royalty fees, it could not agree to Motorola’s demand to be paid 2.25 percent of profits from Microsoft’s products using the said patents.

The jury awarded Microsoft about $14 million in damages, Microsoft said, about half what the company had asked for. That consisted of $11 million for the costs of relocating a warehouse in Germany due to an injunction on certain Microsoft products brought by Motorola in that country, and about $3 million in legal fees for fighting that injunction.

“This is a landmark win for all who want products that are affordable and work well together,” Microsoft said in a statement.

September 5, 2013