Tag: smartphone

US Sets Up Three Centers for Treatment of Smartphone Addicts

Nomophobia is the fear of not having access to a smartphone. Yes, it exists and is real enough for an American fascility called Morningside Recovery to provide formal, systematic treatment for it. The treatment begins with collecting the smartphones of individuals with the condition. Following this, they are allowed only limited access to their devices, promoting other kinds of activities they may have been missing out on lately. By cutting contact with the outside world, the individuals are encouraged to interact with each other, and participate in group and individual activities.

The sufferers of nomophobia are encouraged to develop new behavioral patterns that do no involve smartphones. With the help of breathing exercises, the individuals are trained to deal with anxiety and panic attacks. Morningside Recovery has three centres providing this treatment located in California, Texas and Arizona.Dr. Waterman, the director of the programme, advises not just his patients but also smartphone addicts all over to “just try to put it [smartphone] down for a few moments and re-focus on their daily interactions.” Kindly take note. In a world where smartphones have become an extension of our bodies, it is not long until facilities like Morningside Recovery start popping up in India as well.

November 28, 2015
Oppo’s New Handset Seems Heavily ‘Inspired’ by the iPhone 6 Plus

After design overlaps between HTC’s One A9 and iPhone 6, looks like Oppo has also joined the league with its new smartphone. As hardware leaks of Oppo’s latest addition to the world of smartphones emerge, we see a device with a metal uni-body which looks very similar like that of the iPhone 6 Plus.

HTC had given its device a dash of originality by placing its camera in the centre of the back of the phone. Oppo, on the other hand, has refused to be too creative with its design -its camera is located exactly where it is in an iPhone. The only thing different is the orientation of the LED flash.

To add this, there are also other identical features which include a bottom-firing speaker grille, headphone jack and port for charging, all positioned on the underside of the phone.

What is this charm of Apple that has captivated both consumers and manufacturers all over? Whether you hate it or love it, or love to hate or hate to love it -either way it’s hard to ignore the presence the Apple in the tech world. Do you think the design of the iPhone is actually as popular as all other companies are making it out to be?

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November 24, 2015
$75 Smartphones by Cyanogen to Enter the Market Next

Cyanogen is working on developing $75 dollar handsets in collaboration with multiple OEMs. The highlight of these devices would be high performance, inexpensive software and minimal software bloat.

The operating system would be CyanogenOS 13 inspired by Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The ROM variant which will be equipped with CyanogenMod 13 will be out sooner than CyanogenOS 13 which is expected to arrive by early 2016.

Provision of SDKs for custom apps, differing based on OEM and region, will be made part of these new Cyanogen devices. Care will be taken to ensure there are no overlaps between apps so that no two apps perform the same function. For example, in Google Android devices there are often two browsers or calendars and so on.

Currently, Cyanogen has tied up with companies like Yu, ZUK and BQ, to name a few, to power phones. However, the $75 devices won’t be the only devices Cyanogen would be offering. There has also been a mention of a flagship as well. Time to sit back and hold our breath for this new addition to the smartphone industry.

November 14, 2015
Let Your Smartphone Help Cure Cancer as You Sleep: DreamLab

Set your smartphone to work as you sleep. Let it help cure cancer. DreamLab, which is a three year old collaboration between Vodafone Foundation and Australia’s Garvan Institute of Medical Research, has started an initiative that attempts to use smartphones to get some help in curing cancer.

You need to begin by downloading the free app from Google Playstore and ensure that the phone is being charged. Next, choose the type of cancer research you want to support -ovarian, pancreatic, prostrate or breast, and then simply choose the amount of internet data you’d like to donate.

This initiative has been made live only in Australia as of now. If the nation there puts their smartphones together, it will provide Garvan with a supercomputer to be able to conduct cancer research more skillfully. Garvans’s head of the breast cancer unit, Dr. Samantha Oakes, said in an official statement:

“As a nation who loves their smartphones, we now have a tremendous opportunity to put them to good use and help find a cure for cancer. Together, we can come to a greater understanding of how to treat it more swiftly. With the help of game-changing innovations like DreamLab, I am hopeful that we will see cures of certain types of cancer in our lifetime.”

The Institute further stated that with 100,000 DreamLab apps working on smartphones in a nation which has about 5 million users, the rate of processing data would increase by 150,000 times and with a speed 3,000 times faster than the current one. The initiative seems a big step in the field of cancer research. Let’s see how long India would have to wait before something like this makes its way to the country.

November 9, 2015
Samsung Galaxy J3 Passes FCC, To Launch Soon

It’s hard to keep up with the number of devices under Samsung’s belt. It seems like everyday sees a new Galaxy phone being launched. The company recently launched a new line of budget smartphones as the ‘On’ series. Now, Samsung is expected to come out with a successor to the J2 (which was launched in September this year), the Galaxy J3.

Early last month, the J3 was listed on GeekBench and has now passed the FCC. This means that the device could be made official soon. The certification documents only reveal that the device carries a model number of SM-J3109, and was tested for 2G, 3G, and LTE.

From what the GeekBench listing has told us, Samsung’s Galaxy J3 sports a 5-inch 720p display and is powered by a Snapdragon 410 SoC with 64-bit Cortex-A53 CPU. The handset comes with a 1GB RAM and 8GB internal storage, which is expandable, an 8MP primary camera and 5MP front. The phone will run on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.

November 2, 2015
Leaked Images Reveal Details of Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 2 Pro

Xiaomi is reportedly working on a ‘Pro’ version of its recently release Redmi Note 2. A few days ago some leaked images of the upcoming device revealed a sleek, all-metal body as well as a fingerprint scanner. A new leaked image straight from China shows a clearer view of the metal back.

As rightly suggested, the Redmi Note Pro will have a metal body and it will be the first Xiaomi device to feature a fingerprint scanner. The sensor will be just below the the camera and LED flash on the back. You will also notice a speaker at the bottom while the power and volume buttons will be on the right side.

In terms of hardware specs, this model is expected to come with the same specs as seen in the Redmi Note 2. The Redmi Note 2 Pro will likely sport a 5.5-inch touchscreen, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 808 chipset, and at least 2GB of RAM and 16GB of built-in storage with a 3,060mAh battery. On the camera front, the device will likely feature a 13 MP primary camera and a 5 MP front.

With an all-metal design, the Redmi Note 2 Pro can be expected with a price slightly higher than the Note 2, but still in the budget friendly zone nevertheless. The Redmi Note 2 has proved exceptionally successful in China due to its $150 price tag, making it one of the bestselling smartphones in the market currently.

Nothing is official as of yet so the leaks and rumours should not be considered the final word on the Xiaomi device Watch this space for more Note 2 Pro updates.

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October 31, 2015
HTC Desire 728 to Launch in India Soon

HTC recently launched the One A9, but it will be a while before the phone hits the Indian market. In the meantime, you may be interested in the HTC’s Desire 728G that is set to arrive in Indian stores soon.

The news comes from a Mumbai-based retailer that says that the device will be priced at Rs. 17,990. The HTC Desire 728G is a variant of the 728 that was launched in China recently.

The device comes with expected mid-range specs such as a 1.3GHz MediaTek octa-core processor paired with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage expandable up to 2TB via MicroSD card slot.

The handset will also feature a 13 MP primary camera and a 5 MP front camera with 1080p video recording capabilities, a 2,080 mAh battery, and will run on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. Other connectivity features include dual-SIM card slots, 4G LTE support, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1 and GPS.

No further details on the exact date of launch have been revealed yet. Let us know if you’re interested in the Desire 728 or would rather hold out for the One A9 in the comments below.

October 31, 2015
Here Are 5 Mobile Apps You Can Use To Scare Friends This Halloween

Halloween is around the corner, and yes, we are aware as Indians we do not need another festival to celebrate in the month of October, but there’s no harm in spooking a couple of your friends out. Here’s a list of five smartphone apps that you can download specifically for the purpose.

1. Ghost Lens App

The first one you can try out is called the Ghost Lens app, which happens to be free on all iOS devices. It’s a very efficient app, where you just have to choose from a selection of backgrounds and filters, then you shoot your own video or pictures and save it. This is what your end result could potentially look like:

2. The Camera Hoax

The Camera Hoax, yet another free iOS app, allows you to choose an image from the given options within the app, such as ghosts, ghouls, UFOs etc. after which you can add a picture of yourself from your phone gallery and upload it. This app comes with a bunch of expert photoshop features too.

Minecraft:

In the spirit of Halloween, even Minecraft has vamped up its settings. Therefore, along with skeletons, and zombies, it now added a Halloween Costumes skin pack as a 79p in-app purchase to give your Minecraft character a Halloween makeover.

Halloween Sounds Pro:

Visual effects aside, sound also plays a very important role in scaring people, therefore to amp up your experience there is a free Halloween Sounds Pro app which lets you choose from a series of gory sounds such as a hiss or a scream to scare people around you. This app comes free on the iOS and has a $1 fee on the Android version.

The Hunting Part 1:

Last but definitely not the least, we have The Hunting Part 1, which basically puts you in a Blair Witch Project kind of simulation that you need to get out of. The film is shot from a first-person view, and it’s perhaps one of the most interactive zombie movie apps till now. This one should be a whole lot of fun to play on the 13th of Friday, after having said “Bloody Mary” to the bathroom mirror thrice. Go save yourselves!

October 30, 2015
BlackBerry Priv: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

We’ve been hearing about it for a while now. BlackBerry will soon be out with the BlackBerry Priv and we will know if the company’s Android-powered gamble has paid off or not. Over the past few weeks, there have been a lot of rumours and leaks about the device that have revealed everything there is to it.

But now that we know what to expect, let’s see whether BlackBerry can bounce back with the Priv or not. Let’s have a look at what’s going for the Priv and what isn’t.

The Good

The BlackBerry Priv is the company’s last lifeline. BlackBerry is literally going all in with this one, which means that it will do everything it can to make sure the device is everything a BlackBerry fan (if there are any left) hopes for. This is a good thing. This means that the company will look to work on some key areas that were a problem with its previous phones such as having more native apps and freedom to customise.

This is also one of the reasons the Priv is the company’s first Android-powered device. BlackBerry knows that its own OS has been far too restrictive. Furthermore, every mobile brand (except Apple) has either adopted Android or has left the game. So, there really was’t much of an option for BlackBerry.

Let’s talk about the device now. Yes, it’s Android-powered, but it is very much a BlackBerry phone. Privacy and security is of major importance here and that’s what Priv stands for. The handset is a hybrid. It has a full touchscreen as well as a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. This means the phone caters to both touchscreen fans as well as keyboard loyalists. And given that very few devices today offer a keyboard, this may just work in BlackBerry’s favour.

The phone looks sleek despite having a slide-out keyboard. It has the traditional BlackBerry feel to it and a bit of nostalgia is always welcome. From the promo of the Priv, the UI and overall functionality looks smooth, but one can’t judge everything from a video clip.

Finally, renders of the handset suggest that the Priv will have a curved display similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Edge series. Sure, BlackBerry is borrowing ideas here, but at least it’s open to trying something different.

The Bad

It has been a few years since BlackBerry has been in the game. In today’s world, a break of 2-3 years can be really bad. You have a number of new players today. Startups like OnePlus have done well to gain a fan base. The competition is fierce, to say the least. Can BlackBerry take them on?

Two years is enough for loyalties to change. No doubt there were and perhaps still are BlackBerry loyalists. But it is also safe to assume that BlackBerry has lost a lot (and we mean a lot) of customers over the years. So the company may not see sales of the Priv take off initially, as was the case with Z10, its previous handset. Sales of the phone will mostly rely on how initial customers take to it and by word of mouth. Yes, it is not easy to convince people to buy your product today. Especially when it comes to a smartphone.

The Ugly

It all boils down to the price, really. And from what we have heard and is pretty much confirmed now, the Priv will come with a not-so-modest price tag of $699. What’s more, the Indian pricing of the device is rumoured to be over Rs. 50,000. Now this is a serious gamble by the company. Many potential buyers were hoping that the Priv will be reasonably priced. Given that this is a comeback phone, one would have expected the company to focus on getting as many units out as possible. But at $699, we’re just not sure how many handsets will make it out of the stores.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nO8EdLtJj0&feature=youtu.be

The price is especially ridiculous given that there are loads of other phones out there that are cheaper and provide better specs than the Priv. In case you’re wondering, the Priv is said to come with a Snapdragon 808 processor and 3 GB of RAM with 32 GB extendable storage. It features a 5.5 -inch curved display with a 1440×2560 pixel resolution and 537ppi. Finally, the Priv has an 18 MP primary camera and a 5 MP front. Now while the specs of the Priv aren’t bad, it certainly doesn’t deserve a Rs. 50,000 price tag.

But this is just what we feel right now. The phone will be out soon enough and so will the verdict. For now, you can leave your comments below on whether you think BlackBerry has a win with the Priv or not.

October 28, 2015
Latest Leak Reveals OnePlus X Design and Pricing

We earlier mentioned to you that the OnePlus X is set to come to our markets by the end of this month. Now, official leaks of the much awaited phone reveal what seems like its final design and price tag.

The OnePlus X is said to be 5-inch which will be smaller that the current OnePlus’ that are both 5.5.” The phone is expected to sport a 1080p display, in a 140 x 69 x 6.9 mm chassis and will sport a 13 MP rear camera, an 8 MP camera on the front, 3 GB of RAM, and 16 GB/32 GB of expandable storage space.

The device is likely to be announced on 29th October which is just three days away. The poster also showed the highly anticipated price tag which is 1699 yuan (Approximately Rs. 17,362). This doesn’t seem cheap considering that competition phones are cheaper and also because it was first rumoured to be three thousand rupees cheaper. It isn’t yet clear if that is the pricing of the 32 GB variant as there is another 1099 yuan price tag, present on the poster. However, that is probably going to be the price for event attendees.

Whatever said and done, the OnePlus X has caused a great amount of stir and the 29th of October will answer all your unanswered questions so watch this space for more.

October 26, 2015
Huawei Replaces Xiaomi as China’s No. 1 Smartphone Manufacturer

Research firm Canalys reports that Huawei has replaced Xiaomi as the number one manufacturer of smartphones in China, a first for Huawei to have topped the ranking. While Xiaomi’s sales declined, Huawei’s increased by an 81% over the last one year. Though Canalys didn’t share the exact details, the firm says other details will be made available by the end of this month.

Both Xiaomi and Huawei have been warmly welcomed in the country as well, providing smartphones with impressive specs and price-tags friendly with the average Indian pocket. Huawei however has been more in news lately primarily because of one of the two latest Google Nexus smartphones. Nexus 6P is the device which is made by Huawei and has provided a high-end gadget to the smartphone industry.

Huawei Nexus 6P

Xiaomi on the other hand grabbed the limelight with its Mi 4c, which has similar specs as the other Nexus device launched recently, Nexus 5X, but at half the price. You can find the entire comparison here. While the two tech giants fight it out in the world, tell us your preference in the comments below.

October 23, 2015
First Official Promo of BlackBerry Priv is Out

BlackBerry has come out with its first official promo of BlackBerry Priv. The video showcases the slide-out QWERTY keyboard of the phone which is definitely going to be the highlight of the device.

This video shows you all that you need to know about BlacBerry Priv as a user. With the pre-registration of the phone begun just two days ago, some of the specs of the phone have also been revealed.

https://youtu.be/5nO8EdLtJj0

The revealed specs tell confirm that Priv will have a 5.4 inch Quad HD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 SoC and an 18 MP camera. The phone comes with a price tag of $630, which is about Rs. 40,000. This seems like an interesting move -BlackBerry making its comeback in the tech-world with such an exorbitant price tag.

Let us know if you’d be willing to put your trust in BlackBerry and Priv in the comments below.

October 17, 2015
This Is How Siri and Google Now Can Help Hackers Break Into Your Phone

Next time you think of leaving your wired headphones plugged into your iOS or Android phone, think again. The wires of headphones act as antennae which can be used to hack into your phone with the right equipment. Welcome to the world of hacking where radiowaves are the newest tool.

A group of researchers at a French government security unit have figured out a way to send silent commands to phones. All that they needed was a laptop and an antennae -things that fit pretty much in a bag.

Like FM radio chips, the antenna on the headphones catch radiowaves to convey the command of the hacker to your handset. Depending on these commands, your phone can be used to make calls, send messages, open websites, subvert governments or spark a revolution. However, since this specific kind of hacking doesn’t disable the display of the phone, users are highly likely to realise if their phones start obeying ‘silent’ instructions.

This test was conducted from a distance of 6 feet, with above average gadgets. If they throw in slightly fancier gadgets, hacking would be possible from a distance of up to 16 feet. Looks like it’s time for Apple and Google to sit up and listen.

October 16, 2015
Our Best Look at the HTC One A9 Yet

The rumored HTC event scheduled to take place on the 20th of October will see the launch of the HTC One ‘Aero’, also known as HTC One A9 smartphone. Leaked images from a couple of weeks ago suggested that the A9 will be an iPhone 6 doppelganger and is expected to come in six colours, one of which is quite similar to the iPhone 6s Rose Gold.

New leaked images of a dummy HTC One A9 handset tweeted by @OnLeaks confirm that the phone will definetely be an iPhone 6 rip-off. There are some obvious aspects to the design of the A9 that reminds one of the iPhone 6. The curved edges, the raised camera hump at the back, the plastic strips at the top and bottom, the speaker grill and 3.5mm audio jack are all reminiscent of the iPhone 6. Though, one difference is that the camera hump is centered in the A9 whereas the iPhone 6 has it in the top left corner.

It also seems like HTC is ditching the front-facing speaker and is going for a sleeker look. The home button will also feature a fingerprint sensor. Again, apart from the oval shaped home button for the A9, the rest of the front design looks very much like the iPhone 6. Moreover, The HTC One A9 is said to be 7mm thick, which is around the same as the iPhone 6 (6.9 mm).

As for the specs of the A9, the smartphone will sport a 5-inch Full HD AMOLED display with 1080 x 1920 resolution and 441ppi, Snapdragon 617 octa-core processor and Adreno 405 GPU, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage. On the camera front the A9 will feature a 13MP rear camera with OIS and a 4MP Ultrapixel front. The HTC One A9 will run on Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

We’ll give you the full monty on the A9 once the phone is officially out. We’ll also know just how much the phone is ‘inspired’ by the iPhone 6 once we get a better look at it.

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October 12, 2015
Can BlackBerry Make a Comeback with the Priv?

It’s been a while since BlackBerry has made any sort of major statement in the mobile world. There was a time when BlackBerry had so much going for it as it stood apart from the typical smartphones on the tech circuit. BlackBerry loyalists loved a great deal of what the QWERTY-centric phone was providing.

Pretty soon people started expecting more -more apps, more services, more everything, which BlackBerry was having a tough time providing. But you can’t say the company didn’t try. The BlackBerry Bold range were a great set of handsets by the company. It did have most of your favorite social media apps such as Facebook, Twitter, BBM chats. It also looked great and had a distinctive BlackBerry feel to it with finger-friendly QWERTY keyboard that was more premium than the Curve.

BlackBerry Bold

The problem the Bold lineup was facing was that it lacked a lot of native apps. Around 2010, the iPhone did not face this problem and neither did the Android devices, which is what made many people trade in their BlackBerry devices for an iPhone or an Android phone. After the influx of Android devices, BlackBerry got pushed to the sideline. It was no longer ‘cool’ to own a BlackBerry. By 2011, BlackBerry was almost out of sight.

In 2013, BlackBerry made a comeback with the Z10 and Q10 which ran on the BB10 OS. The reactions towards the devices were mixed but overall it was fairly positive. While the Q10 had the traditional QWERTY keyboard, the Z10 went full touchscreen. This move was expected from a company that was literally trying to save itself. But it did not quite work well. The phones came equipped with BB10 OS. Now while the Z10 could make full use of the new OS but didn’t, the Q10 didn’t even have a chance. Quite evidently, the new OS was made for a full display. Yet the Z10 had the same problem as its predecessors – lack of native apps.

BlackBerry Z10

Jumping to present day -we see that BlackBerry is trying to make a comeback again with the new Priv. Much has been said about the Priv, which is like a hybrid of the Z10 and Bold. Judging solely on the renders of the device that have been seen, the Priv looks great. It looks attractive and the slide-out keyboard does not seem to hamper the device’s sleek look which is still distinctively BlackBerry at heart.

BlackBerry Priv

The phone features a full touchscreen display and a slide out keyboard to please fans of both types. Yes, there are still people out there who love the feel of a keyboard even though almost every device today is based fully on touch. Along with this, images of the Priv also suggest that the device has a curved display much like the Samsung Galaxy Edge. Furthermore, the phone is going big on security -a feature BlackBerry is already known for. There is a special security app for the device that monitors it for any threats. Also, it will also be the first Blackberry phone that will run on Android.

The specs of the Priv sound good, too. It will come with a Snapdragon 808 processor and 3 GB of RAM with 32 GB extendable storage. It features a 5.5 -inch curved display with a 1440×2560 pixel resolution and 537ppi. Finally, the Priv has an 18 MP primary camera and a 5 MP front. With a reasonable price tag, we could see BlackBerry right back into the game. Only time will tell if people are ready to go back to BlackBerry or if the company is a little too late.

Would you be willing to give the new Blackberry Priv a try? Tell us in the comments below.

October 9, 2015