Google unveiled its first prototype of a self-driving car built from scratch. The self-driving car is essentially a two-seater that looks quite similar to a Tata Nano and has no steering wheel, accelerator or brake pedal. On the inside, the car doesn’t offer much in terms of luxury and all you will find are two seats with seatbelts, a bit of space for the passenger’s belongings, a start-stop button and a screen that shows the route to one’s destination. The car is driven by an onboard computer and has a top-speed of 25mph.
The blog post mentions that Google plans on building around a hundred prototypes later this summer for testing and a pilot program is likely to kick off in California in the next couple of years. The Google self-driving car project was started initially in 2009 under Sebastian Thrun, CEO and cofounder of Udacity. Since then the car has evolved a lot with features like pedestrian and cyclist detection and sign reading among others. Recently these cars were allowed for use on public roads in California, and Google demonstrated the car’s abilities.
LG G3 was announced just minutes ago with a 5.5″ QHD display, Snapdragon 801 chipset and a 13MP OIS+ camera with laser auto-focus. The device will be hitting South Korea tomorrow, while the rest of the world will get in in the next couple of weeks.
We have a lot of coverage about the phone’s announcement but we thought you may also enjoy the first official G3 promo video.
Enjoy!
You order a pizza, and as always, 30 minutes later the door bell rings. You’re expecting a cheery delivery guy with the hot cheesy pizza you ordered. But wait, what if instead it’s being delivered by a flying drone?
A lesser-known pizza chain in Mumbai called Francesco’s Pizzeria, did just that last week. It succeeded in making a test-delivery, less than 3km away from its outlet in Lower Parel by using a remote-controlled, GPS-enabled drone. A four-rotor drone took off with the order from its outlet in central Mumbai’s Lower Parel area and delivered it to a high-rise building in adjacent Worli area. It dropped the 13-inch plain margherita pizza, weighing half a kilo, on the 21st floor rooftop before taking off again for the return journey. The speed with which the delivery was made thus beat the record for most leading pizza chains, which manually deliver pizzas within 30 minutes. The company claimed that it was the first time a drone has been used for such a purpose in the country.
The drone used was custom-made, said an official from the pizza chain, adding that an auto engineer friend of his had helped him make the flight possible. The official said the chain had carried out the test-delivery as an experiment because they want to be ready for when regulations in India loosen.
Since commercial deliveries by drones is not allowed in India, the ‘customer’ was a friend of the chain’s CEO. It may not be considered an official sale, but in a way, it was a first time for an aerial product delivery.
Several roadblocks have ensured their limited use and drones are mainly used in India by filmmakers. Legal restrictions make it clear that they are only allowed to fly between the altitude of 200 to 400 feet. They are also barred from flying over security establishments, and then there are the technical difficulties such as the limited operating radius of 8 km, after which their batteries go dry.
In the past, Taco Bell and Dominoes USA have attempted similar strategies. An idea called the TacoCopter — an app that would dispatch a drone to deliver a taco to your door — went viral last year, but the service is illegal under U.S. law as well. Dominoes USA tried pizza delivery which help of drone called ‘Domicopter’. Even Amazon has been in the news for testing and planning an unmanned aerial vehicle delivery system since quite a while.
It’ll take some time for them to figure out the nitty-gritties, but this seems to be the future of quick-deliveries. Till then, it is working well for the companies as a marketing gimmick.
As expected, Apple has launched the iPhone 5C 8GB in India for Rs 37,500/-. Mobiindia earlier reported about Apple’s plans to launch the iPhone 5C 8GB in India and had reported about stocks being shipped into India earlier this week. Apple might also offer an inaugural discount of Rs 3,000 and throw in a case worth Rs 2,300 for a limited period, NDTV Gadgets reports. Mobiindia could not verify the additional offers.
The pricing isn’t very exciting at the moment as one can buy the iPhone 5C 16GB for Rs 34,400/- with a buyback scheme worth Rs 7,500/-. The official price of the iPhone 5C 16GB is Rs 41,900/-.
We expect Apple to become more aggressive with the iPhone 5C 8GB pricing. Hopefully, the company would launch a similar buyback scheme, which would bring its price down to Rs 30,000/-.
Micromax today launched the Unite 2 Android smartphone, which is essentially the company’s take on the Motorola’s recently launched Moto E budget smartphone that is already selling well in the market. With this phone, Micromax has ensured to offer a similar or better set of specifications on its phone to place it against the Moto E smartphone. The Unite 2 runs on the latest Android 4.4.2 KitKat version, which is also one of the major attractions of the Moto E smartphone. Micromax has in fact even priced its newbie at Rs 6,999/- to match up the price point of the Moto E.
As far as the specifications are concerned, the Micromax Unite 2 comes with a 4.7-inch display WVGA display with 800×480 pixels resolution. Inside, it has a 1.3GHz quad-core processor coupled with 1GB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage. It sports a 5-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera.
The phone runs on Android 4.4.2 KitKat. Moreover, just like Motorola, Micromax too is guaranteeing an upgrade to the software. In addition to that the phone will come pre-loaded with several apps including Micromax’s own apps like Mad which allows users to get paid for watching advertisements, M!Games, M!Live, and others like Hike and Opera Mini.
On the connectivity front, it comes with dual-SIM support, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS. Other features in the phone include of support for 21 languages namely English, Hindi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Odia, Bengali, Assamese, Marathi, Nepali, Bodo, Dogri, Konkani, Kashmiri, Maithili, Manipuri, Sanskrit and Sindhi. The phone is available in red, white, green and grey colors.
With this phone, Micromax is clearly targeting the Moto E smartphone, which sold out on Flipkart. The Moto E comes with a 4.3 inch qHD (960×540 pixels) display with a pixel density of 256ppi and protected by Corning Gorilla Glass. It is powered by a Snapdragon 200 dual-core SoC clocked at 1.2GHz, while the Micromax’s phone boasts a quad-core chipset. Both the phones have 1GB of RAM and 4GB internal storage, which can be expanded by up to 32GB using microSD card. Both the phones have 5-megapixel primary camera, however while the Moto E lacks a front-facing camera, Micromax offers a 2-megapixel camera on the Unite 2. Motorola’s Moto E is the first phone to offer Android 4.4.2 out of the box, guaranteeing further updates to the software at the earliest. What sets the Moto E apart is that the phone comes with a nano coating on the inside as well as the outside, which can protect is against the accidental splash of water, which is missing from the Micromax’s Unite 2 smartphone. As mentioned already, the Moto E is priced at Rs 6,999/- and is available exclusively through Flipkart.
Its not often you see a phone sell out hours from launch, especially in our country India. The Motorola Moto E saw sales skyrocket the minute the handset went on sale, and there is a good reason behind it. The Moto E is built on the philosophy of the Moto X and the Moto G, two phone essentially responsible for bringing Motorola back into the same game they had originally started back in the day. But is the Moto E good enough to live up to the hype? Lets find out!
Overview
Motorola is trying to change the need of the hour, by re organizing spends and delivering Android in the purest form. The Moto E is a perfect example of what a user needs from a budget device. It lives up to almost any needs in this spend, however there is no kitchen sink.
Build Quality and Hardware
The Moto E is exceptionally well built, in fact if you put the Moto E and the Moto G side by side, there is hardly any noticeable difference in the build quality of both devices. The Moto E has a brilliant mix of quality materials and reinforced design along with a gorilla glass 3 front that will ensure that no one is disappointed with the phone. The Moto E also boasts water resistance and has an unknown IP coating that we will be soon putting to test. However the company claims that the handset is splash proof, just like the G and the X.
The Moto E also comes with customization options like replaceable back panels and special rubberized grip panels that will add color and strength to the already solid phone.
Hardware wise Moto E runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 chipset on dual cores with 1 GB RAM and 4 GB storage, an Adreno 302 GPU completes the mix. You have a 5 MP camera at the back, that does not live upto anything, and then there is the 1980 mAh battery which is simply wow. The display is a 4.3 inch 960 x 540px capacitive panel with great color reproduction and brightness.
The Moto E is a dual sim phone, which will create mobile hotspots using your 3G connection and can tether upto 5 devices for the use of 3G data. Battery life does not drain and the hotspot feature is very stable. The phone also has a nice white notification light on the right of the earpiece, that breathes once you get a new notification and goes away the minute you pull down the notification panel (you can disable this from the settings panel)
UI and Android
There is less to say here, it runs a sort of pure, yet tweaked version of Android 4.4.2 Kitkat out of the box. You do get two bloatware apps which can be uninstalled and some useful Moto apps like Moto Assist, Migrate and Alert. You might find yourself using these more than once. The great thing about Motorola’s intention behind a pure Android experience, unlike other manufacturers, is that the company plans to deliver updates almost as soon as Android gets updated in Mountain View. The Moto E also has a FM radio which will be appreciated by many, the FM reception is solid and the earpiece is needed as an antenna.
lives up beyond expectations and still remains very responsive. The OS is buttery smooth and honestly you can’t ask for more from the handset, it lives up beyond expectations and still remains very responsive. This phone will be the benchmark for all phones going forward in this price bracket.
Battery
The Phone will beat all odds and defy all logic when it comes to battery performance. The Moto E can even run some heavy games, albeit one at a time, but games like Asphalt 8 runs on this 7000/- phone and it is actually playable.
Battery life is also excellent from this dual sim handset, once you get over the initial phase of playing with the phone, most users should expect a good 1.5 days of use on this phone, with talk times running into 6+ hours in most cases with both sims installed.
Basically Motorola has a beautifully built rom of Android, that does not leak RAM and drain power, cellular antennas are strong so network searching is minimal and hence battery is saved there as well.
Phone and Networks
The dual sim capability is just like the Moto G, and there is no surprise there. Calls are smartly forwarded to the next number once a SIM is busy. The network strength, as mentioned in the previous segment is surprisingly powerful and we are happy with the overall quality of networks and the call drops or the lack thereof.
Microphone and earpiece speaker are great and both sides will be pleasantly happy with the loud volumes.
Display, Camera and Multimedia
For all the coverage you have already seen, you should be aware by now that, the Moto E has the best possible display in this price bracket. Stop looking at specs and look at the actual quality of the display. It is crisp and bright, even outdoors, its got great viewing angles, its got gorilla glass 3 and smudge proof coating, which is very convenient for most humidity like climate and it is insanely responsive for an under 10k or even under 8k phones.
The Camera is there, because its there. Honestly don’t plan on becoming a lifestyle fashion photographer with this phone. The fixed focus camera is there because they wanted people to have a camera, and it solves purely that purpose. That being said whatever pictures are clicked in good lighting and end up in focus, have good color reproduction and almost no noise.
The LED flash is missing which is quite a shame. More than the need of a flash for the camera, consumers in this price bracket would have appreciated the LED flash as a torch. We really love our phone torches Motorola, our streets are not very well lit or atleast during power cuts..
Multimedia wise, Motorola did a few good things; the speaker is now in the front, and not easily blocked by the hands, so it doesn’t muffle with ease. The audio is loud and clear, with a balanced output and an impressive sound from the 3.5 mm headphone jack. Lose the included handsfree for some real headphones to truly enjoy that audio bit. Display, like mentioned, is good so watching video or playing games is really enjoyable on this powerful budget device.
Conclusion
The Moto was sold out within hours of launch of sales in India, on the online shopping website Flipkart. This phone leaves little to complain about, it is well built, has great specs and features bundled with a unique and stock Android experience that will leave many happy. This is the best “first phone” for those wanting to jump the feature phone/Blackberry ship to a uber – budget Android device. It is also customizable with panels on the exterior and has a Gorilla Glass 3 and splash proof front making it a pseudo rugged, long lasting handset.
There are, however, major flaws in the current positioning of the phone. The handset is supposed to be an average mans everyday phone. It is supposed to be a emplacement for a feature phone and it’s supposed to be a phone for the masses and on a low end budget. This category of user is currently not happy or capable of shopping online. So by the time the phone gets sold from Flipkart and reaches the masses, the price escalates to Rs. 10000 and more, thanks to black market dealing and short supplies on this impressive product.
Motorola has made a fantastic phone, a phone that is truly a reason to switch from an old gen phone to Android on a budget. Why should you have to spend tens of thousands, when all you want is a phone that works well and gives you some basic functionality. Well the Moto E is here and it has changed the perception of the budget phone in our eyes. If you want to take our word for it, then the Time to Switch is Now!
Keeping infected apps off your Android requires common sense more than anything
It's not exactly a secret that Android's pretty open, and that it's possible for bad people to do bad things with apps. That's possible with any computer system, of course. And like any other computer system, Android has checks and balances that help keep you safe. Most of them are done without you having to lift a finger. There are gates that have to be opened for malware to get through, and chances are the bad guys are hoping you'll hand them the key in the first place.
There are basic steps you can take to help make sure that doesn't happen.
I'll walk you through five easy ways for keeping virus- and malware-laden apps off of your Android.
1. If you don't know what it is, don't install it
Treat your apps like you treat your food. Well, like you should treat your food. If you don't know what it is or where it came from, you might want to think twice about installing it.
It's not all that unusual to get e-mail with links to an app — but we'd advise against blindly installing full apk files (that's the file type for Android applications) you receive in email, or may be are linked to in spammy text messages. Or even that you find in various forums around the Internet. You simply have no way of knowing what's in there without some serious hackery.
2. Only install from Google Play or other reputable app stores
Where would you rather buy your meat? From a tent on the side of the road? Or from the refrigerated case at the well-known grocery store? You've got a far smaller chance at getting food poisoning at one of those places.
Where else do we recommend? The Amazon Appstore, for one. There's a good bit of duplication between it and Google Play, but you should also be able to download in safety and comfort. Well, in safety, anyway. And Amazon's always running deals on apps.
What would we avoid? Random download locations on the Internet. App stores that seem too good to be true. Anything that promises scores of paid apps for free (and not in a "deal of the day" sort of situation, ya know?).
3. Protect ya neck: Uncheck "Install from unknown sources"
So, yes. There's some scary stuff out there. The good news is that, by default, there's a pretty simple mechanism in place that keeps you protected.
By default, every Android phone that has access to Google Play ships with a lock that keeps applications from outside Google's store from installing themselves. It's a safety feature, is all, and not about stifling competition. With that lock in place, you'll get a warning should an application try to install itself from outside Google Play — whether you initiated it, or not.
Should you need to, disabling that lock is just a matter of ticking the "Unknown sources" box in your security settings. And you'll need to do it if you want to, say, install the Amazon Appstore.
4. Read the permissions
This part's hard. We have to force ourselves to do it, too. But any time you install any app on your Android phone — whether it's from Google Play or anywhere else — the app will declare permissions. That is, it's telling you what it has access to do on your phone. Maybe that's having access to the camera. Or to the Internet. Or maybe it has access to record your keystrokes. Or to know your precise location. Or access to your contacts. Or to send and receive email.
Some of those sound more scary than others. But they all have functions. Keyboard apps need to record your keystrokes. Anything that uses GPS will know where you are. If an app can send email or place phone calls for you, it'll need access to your contacts.
Google still needs to do a better job explaining in plain English what permissions do, and why an app might need them. Good app developers will list the reasons in their app listings. (There's another reason to make sure you're using good app stores.) But you as an end user can also be vigilant. The classic case is an app that lets you download and change your wallpaper on a regular basis. Does it need access to the Internet? Sure. Does it need access to your camera? Maybe, if it lets you set a wallpaper by taking a picture of something. Does it need to be able to record your keystrokes? Probably not.
5. Yes, you can use a virus scanner if you want
We get asked this all the time: "Should I use an antivirus app on my phone? Do you use one?"
Some of us here do. Some of us don't. Do you need to? Probably not. Google scans everything that goes through Google Play. It has the ability to check apps that you've sideloaded to your phone. That's not 100 percent foolproof, of course. There have been a few instances of fake antivirus apps being purchased off Google Play. (We'd stress that that's the exception and not the norm.) And there have been plenty of times that antivirus apps cause false positives.
If you're really that worried, then by all means, use an antivirus app. We'd recommend sticking with one of the big names out there. And we'd recommend finding one that has a bunch of extra features, like the ability to locate and wipe your phone if you lose it. (Though that's another feature that Google does for free, too.)
See, it's really not all that hard to avoid malware and viruses on your Android device — never mind what all the fear-mongers say.
Microsoft today launched the Surface Pro 3 that comes with a bigger 12-inch display and running on Intel’s fourth generation Core processor. Microsoft is positioning the Surface Pro 3 as a no-compromise PC that can double up as a tablet. It has a 2,160×1,440 pixel 2K display and is just 9mm thin, and Microsoft is promising up to 9 hours of battery, which is 10 percent better than the Surface Pro 2.
The Surface Pro 3 will be available in Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 configurations and will come with a choice of 4GB and 8GB RAM with internal storage starting from 64GB going all the way up to 512GB.
Microsoft has also improved the pen input that can be used to jot down notes, mark presentations, clip and share notes, or take screenshots. The kickstand has been improved too offering custom tilt angles.
Microsoft Surface Pro 3 specs:
Operatingsystem
Windows 8.1 Pro
Exterior
Dimensions: 7.93 in x 11.5 in x 0.36 inWeight: 1.76 lbs
Casing: Magnesium
Color: Silver
Physical buttons: Volume, Power, Home
Storage
64 GB, 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB
Display
Screen: 12-inch ClearType Full HD displayResolution: 2160 x 1440
Aspect Ratio: 3:2
Touch: Multitouch input
Pen input
Pen input and pen (included with purchase)Pen features 256 levels of pressure sensitivity
CPU
4th-generation Intel® Core™ i5-4300U (1.6 GHz with Intel® Turbo Boost up to 2.90 GHz) with Intel® HD Graphics 4400 4 GB or 8 GB of RAM — dual-channel LPDDR3TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module — for BitLocker encryption)4th-generation Intel® Core™ i3/i5/i7 Processor
System memory: 4GB or 8GB memory options
TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise security
Wireless
Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11ac/802.11 a/b/g/nBluetooth 4.0 low energy technology
Battery
Up to nine hours of Web-browsing battery life
Cameras and A/V
5MP and 1080p HD front- and rear-facing cameras Built-in front- and rear-facing microphones Stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio-enhanced sound
Ports
Full-size USB 3.0microSD card reader
Headset jack
Mini DisplayPort
Cover port
Charging port
Along with launching the Nokia XL last week, Microsoft today also launched the X+, and this completes the trio of Android devices Nokia unveiled at the MWC. The Nokia X+, which is identical to the X except the bigger RAM, is priced at Rs 8,399/-
As far as specifications are concerned, the X+ is near identical to the X, which means it flaunts a 4-inch WVGA (800×480 pixels) display and is powered by 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core chipset paired with 768MB of RAM. Also included is 4GB internal storage that can be expanded up to 32GB using a microSD card.
The smartphone also features a 3-megapixel camera at the back, no front camera and a 1,500mAh battery that the company claims is good enough for 10.5 hours of talktime. On the software front, it runs on Nokia X software platform.
In comparison, the Nokia XL features a 5-inch WVGA (800×480 pixels) display, 1GHz Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor, 768MB of RAM, and 4GB internal storage that can be expanded up to 32GB using a microSD card. It is priced at Rs 11,489/-, but is already available on e-commerce sites for as low as Rs 11,049/-.
Features
Nokia X
Nokia X+
Display
4-inch WVGA (480×800 pixels) with 233 ppi
4-inch WVGA (480×800 pixels) with 233 ppi
Dimension, weight
115.5x63x10.4 mm, 128.7 grams
115.5x63x10.4 mm, 128.7 grams
Processor
1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core chipset
1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core chipset
Memory
512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal memory, up to 32GB external memory using a microSD
768MB of RAM, 4GB of internal memory, up to 32GB external memory using a microSD
Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S5 has now been spotted retailing for much lower than its official launch price of Rs 51,500 in India. The phone is now available for Rs 39,925 on Snapdeal, or about 21 percent less than its official price, TOI reports. Samsung’s online store is however selling the phone at its launch price only.
Samsung recently announced a buyback offer on the phone, under which the Galaxy S5 is available at a rebate of Rs 7,500 on trading in another phone for the Galaxy S5, which brings its price to Rs 44,000. In addition to that the company also announced a Rs 5,000 voucher for buying accessories worth the price from Samsung’s eStore.
Recent reports had shown that brick and mortar store owners have not been pleased with the company’s buyback offer and addition value added schemes. In fact, a contingent of retailers has already reached out to the company for finding out a solution for its pricing issues, which include its price on online retail stores as well.
The Lumia 630 is the first Windows Phone 8.1 device to go on sale in India by this week and is also the first Dual SIM Windows Phone. The ability to use two SIM cards in one device has been a much requested feature amongst potential Windows Phone customers in markets like India.
Microsoft claims that the Smart Dual SIM implementation in Lumia 630 offers seamless switching to help people manage their contacts and communication with ease. While we’ll bring a comprehensive review of Lumia 630 here on Windows Phone Central soon, let’s have a walkthrough of the dual SIM experience on the device.
Personalize
The color coding of the two SIM cards keeps calls, contacts and calendars separate so that it is easy to juggle between the two. The Start screen has separate phone and messaging tiles marked 1 and 2 that also notes the service providers’ name. You can also link the individual phone and/or messaging tiles into one unified tile.
You can personalize these names as well for an easy recall, such as ‘work’ and ‘personal’, ‘home’ and ‘roaming’, ‘wife’ and ‘girlfriend’ (not recommended) to avoiding any confusion between call and messaging history of the two.
While data is defaulted to use one SIM at a time, you can go into settings and configure which SIM you'd like to default for data use at any time.
Easy Switch
For a contact, your messaging thread appears integrated and switching to the other SIM is very easy without running a parallel thread or changing settings. All you need to do is toggle between the two SIMs through the button on the top, and continue the conversation without breaking a beat.
Similarly, for each individual contact and further for each individual number, you can set a default SIM to make calls to that particular number. Of course, you would always want to call your boss from your work number and the girlfriend from your personal number. Again, using the toggle button you can easily change it within the contact's profile details.
Smart Dual SIM
The Smart Dual SIM feature has been built by Nokia on top of Windows Phone 8.1’s support for two SIM cards. The feature ensures that a user is always reachable on both SIMs and calls are forwarded to the available SIM of the intended SIM is unavailable.
As soon as you insert the second SIM, an Action Center notification informs you to configure the Smart Dual SIM settings. When you proceed to configure the Call settings, you get four options for the Smart Dual SIM feature.
You can keep the setting off, and if one of your SIM is unreachable, the caller on that number would be informed of the same like in a single SIM phone.
You can configure the option between SIM cards in which case when either of your SIM would be unavailable the call would be seamlessly forwarded to your other SIM and neither you nor the caller would have to bother about broken communication.
You can also configure the forwarding from SIM 1 to SIM 2 or the other way around unidirectional. This is helpful for example when you are travelling internationally, and you want the calls to your home SIM to be forwarded to your local SIM, but not vice-versa.
Of course, call forwarding would incur the operator charges, but it’s a very useful and well-executed feature.
Dual SIM phones allow consumers to have two phone numbers on a single device and are quite popular in certain markets. The Lumia 630 packs in the functionality with an intuitive user experience that should help the platform win a lot of customers.
Would you prefer to pick a dual SIM or a single SIM variant of the Lumia 630?
OneNote or Evernote not doing it for you? No worries, take Sticky Notes HD for a spin. It’s a popular iOS app that has found its way into the Windows Phone Store. Over on iOS it’s rocking high ratings from users and has many fans around the globe. The app is now available for free in the Windows Phone Store. Let’s check it out.
Sticky Notes HD is used to take notes and note down anything you want. Here’s what you get with the Windows Phone version of Sticky Notes HD:
Intuitive design
Personalization
Live tiles
Lock screen background
Reminders
Sharing
OneDrive backup/restore
Instant note search
Password protected notes
Sticky Notes HD can be used for anything. Use it for notes, lists, reminders, memos, tasks phone numbers and more. You get over 20 colors for the various notes and can personalize them how you want. Expanding on the personalization front is the ability to change the note size, alignment, order, text size, color and font.
And like every good Windows Phone app you get Live tile and Lock screen support. You can pin any note to your Start screen and use your notes as your Lock screen image. You can even have it to only show specific colors on the Lock screen.
Sticky Notes HD seems to be a winner of an app for Windows Phone users. It’ll also make those coming over from iOS have an easier transition. It’s also worth noting that the iOS version of Sticky Notes HD will set you back $0.99, while the Windows Phone version is free!
Google has updated its Google Now service to remind users when their bills are due and the amount of the bill based on emails in your Gmail inbox. The bill payment reminder will appear as a card that sits alongside Google's existing cards for boarding passes, sports and news updates, weather, package tracking and more.
Like Google's other cards, Google is able to generate its bill payment reminder card by scanning any emails in your Gmail inbox. As such, Google doesn't need you to add account information directly into its Google Search app. Google will scan your email and automatically generate a card inside Google Now with the biller's name, amount owed, and payment due date. If you need more information, you can also tap the "view email" button to be taken to the original email to find out more about the bill.
It isn't clear how many payment processors and bill collectors are supported at this point, but just like other card classes we can be sure it'll expand over time.
Remember when Temple Run 2 came out in December with Xbox Live? It launched without support for low-memory devices like the Lumia 520. That changes today with the latest update for Temple Run 2. Head into the Windows Phone Store and you’ll be able to pick up Temple Run 2 for your 512 MB Windows Phone.
Temple Run has been updated to version 1.9.1.0. We’re not seeing any feature changes to the game, but that doesn’t really matter since millions of Windows Phone owners finally get access to the game. Do let us know if you notice anything else new with the update, but so far this looks just to be about giving access to those with low-memory devices.
How many folks with a phone like the Lumia 520 are picking up Temple Run 2 today? Don’t forget to check out our Temple Run 2 review. Don't forget this is a FREE game!
Today is the big day when the results for the Lok Sabha Elections will be announced and many of you will be in office or travelling and miss being in front of the television. To help you be up-to-date with all the happenings of the day, YouTube and Airtel will be live streaming the Lok Sabha Election Results 2014.
The YouTube tab on Google’s election portal will have live streams from all leading news channels in India as they cover the counting day. The list of news channels include IBN Live, Headlines Today, Times Now, NDTV, Boom News, Gateway House, NewsX, DD News, Rajya Sabha TV, News Laundry, TV9, Sun News, Firstpostin and YouthKiAwaaz. In addition to live counting, you will also be able to relive some of the Hangouts with politicians from the last two months.
Airtel too is ensuring that its subscribers are able to follow the counting day live wherever they are. The company has announced a special offer for its Pocket TV app, wherein one will be able to download the app for free and watch all English, Hindi and Regional news channels. This offer is only valid till the end of the day and to use it you will need to activate the service by sending a SMS (ADD TV) to 54325. You can download the Pocket TV app from the App Store or the Google Play Store.
Whip out your credit cards now! After running out of stock in less than 24 hours, Motorola’s Moto E is back in stock on Flipkart. We hear the stocks are still limited as Motorola scrambles to fill Flipkart’s warehouses. From what we know, the Moto E has done a few times more in first-day sales than the Moto G.
The Moto G has been a success for Motorola after the company re-entered the market after two years. Motorola is close to selling half-a-million smartphones in India since it launched the Moto G.
You can buy the Moto E from Flipkart for Rs 6,999 from here.
Microsoft has just launched the Microsoft India News Center - a portal for all Microsoft India news and happenings. A lot of Windows Phone Central readers comment on our increasing focus on the Windows ecosystem in India, and this initiative from Microsoft underlines the scope and need for the same.
The revamped press outlet aims to showcase Microsoft products, people, culture, and impact in India, in an engaging way.
The portal is a unified destination for the latest stories, campaigns, and opinion pieces from across Microsoft’s businesses in India. It features not just press releases and authored stories but includes a mix multimedia tools including images, videos, and social media feeds.
The Microsoft India News Center features comprehensive sections like:
App of the Week: The section highlights the best of Windows apps. In coming days, there would be another section for ‘Device of the Month’.
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HTC has made the One mini 2 official, which is a smaller and less powerful version of the One (M8) flagship device. The device will be available in Asian markets sometime later this month, but HTC hasn’t revealed a specific date for the launch in India.
As far as specifications are concerned, the One mini 2 features a 4.5-inch HD (1280×720 pixels) display and is powered by a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 quad-core processor paired with 1GB of RAM. On the photography front, unlike the flagship device’s Duo Camera, the mini variant gets a 13-megapixel rear camera with Zoe, supplemented with a 5-megapixel front-facing camera.
The device also features 16GB of storage that can be expanded up to 128GB using a microSD card,dual-front speakers with BoomSound technology and 2,100mAh battery. On the software front, it runs on Android 4.4.2 KitKat wrapped under the latest Sense 6 UI.
One mini 2 will be available in Gunmetal Gray, Glacial Silver and Amber Gold color variants and goes on sale sometime later this month.
Nokia has officially launched the XL Android smartphone in India today. The device, which is a bigger and slightly better version of the Nokia X, is available on Nokia’s store priced at Rs 11,489/-.
As far as the specifications are concerned, the Nokia XL sports a 5-inch WVGA (800×480 pixels) display, and is powered by a 1GHz Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor paired with 768MB of RAM. Also included is 4GB internal storage that can be expanded up to 32GB using a microSD card.
The smartphone also features a 5-megapixel rear camera, 2-megapixel front-facing camera, and a 2,000mAh battery. The software is what gets the most attention, as the device runs on a forked version of Android called Nokia Software X. The UI borrows a lot of elements from Windows Phone and the company’s Asha smartphones and also replaces Google’s services with that of its own or Microsoft’s.
While Nokia has priced the XL at Rs 11,489, the device is already available on e-commerce sites for as low as Rs 11,049/-.
The Motorola Moto E has been launched in India with a price tag of Rs 6,999/-, and it will be available on Flipkart from midnight. The e-commerce site has also announced a few launch day offers to tempt you to buy the device on the launch day itself.
The Moto E has removable back panels and you can choose from nine color options. Flipkart is offering a 50 percent discount on these covers when you buy them along with the phone tonight. Unlike the Moto G and the Moto X, the 4GB internal storage on the Moto E is expandable via a microSD card and Flipkart is offering a 50 percent discount on 8GB Transcend memory card when you buy it alongside the device. Lastly, you will also get free eBooks worth Rs 1,000 with the purchase of the smartphone.
The Moto E sports a 4.3-inch qHD (960×540 pixels) display, and is powered by a Snapdragon 200 dual-core SoC clocked at 1.2GHz and paired with 1GB of RAM. Also featured is 4GB expandable memory, 5-megapixel camera, 1,980mAh battery and connectivity options like dual-SIM card slots, 3G support, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. On the software front, it runs on Android 4.4 KitKat, with Motorola guaranteeing that it will be upgraded to the next version
Motorola has launched the Moto E in India. Motorola’s entry-level phone is priced at Rs 6,999, and will be exclusively available on Flipkart at midnight.
The specifications are consistent of 4.3-inch qHD (960×540 pixels) display with a pixel density of 256ppi and protected by Corning Gorilla Glass. Like the Moto G, the Moto E too has a nano coating on the inside as well as the outside, which can protect is against the accidental splash of water. It is powered by a Snapdragon 200 dual-core SoC clocked at 1.2GHz and paired with 1GB of RAM. Also included is 4GB internal storage, which unlike on the other two Motorola smartphones, is expandable using a microSD card.
The Moto E also features a 5-megapixel rear camera, but misses out on a front camera, a 1,980mAh battery and connectivity options like dual-SIM card slots, 3G support, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The dual-SIM function on the Moto E comes with intelligent calling, which learns your usage and automatically selects the SIM based on the contact you are calling.
On the software front, it runs on Android 4.4 KitKat, with Motorola guaranteeing that it will be upgraded to the next version. Motorola has also added features like Moto Alert, which automatically alerts preset contacts when you leave a particular location, Instant SMS with your location for emergency situations, and an Emergency mode, which sends a call to a preset contact or sound an alarm. These new features will first be introduced on the Moto E. Customization options include removable shells in nine colors.
Karbonn Mobiles has tied up with Amazon India to finally launch the Titanium Hexa smartphone in India. Unveiled in March this year, the Titanium Hexa will be available exclusively on Amazon.in on pre-order starting from May 13 and will go on sale from May 20. The phone is priced at Rs 16,990/- and will come with a free Plantronics Bluetooth headset.
Talking of the specifications, the Titanium Hexa is Karbonn’s first hexa-core smartphone which is powered by a 1.5GHz MediaTek MT6591 hexa-core processor. It comes with a 5.5-inch full HD (1920×1080 pixels) LTPS display with pixel density of 401ppi. On the memory front, it comes with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage, but lacks a microSD card slot.
The Titanium Hexa sports a 13-megapixel rear camera with auto-focus and LED flash and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. Connectivity options include 3G support, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and AGPS. Other features include a 2,050mAh battery. The phone runs on Android 4.4 Kitkat out of the box.
Under this partnership, Karbonn has also announced that its smartphones including the Titanium Hexa, the Titanium Octane and the Titanium Octane Plus will come pre-loaded with Amazon’s shopping app.
Nokia Lumia 630 has been launched in India today. The single-SIM variant is priced at Rs 10,500/- and the dual-SIM variant is priced at Rs 11,500/- and they will be available from May 14.
The Lumia 630 runs on Windows Phone 8.1 and is also one of the first devices to boast dual-SIM card slots. It gets a polycarbonate body with multi-colored replaceable back panels. It also gets new features like SensorCore low-power motion sensor with Bing Health and Fitness apps, Microsoft Office, Nokia Camera, free Nokia MixRadio streaming, and HERE maps among others.
As far as specifications are concerned, the Lumia 630 flaunts a 4.5-inch ClearBlack FWVGA (854×480 pixels) display with a pixel density of 218ppi and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. It is powered by a Snapdragon 400 quad-core chipset clocked at 1.2GHz and paired with only 512MB of RAM. While this sounds less, Nokia has said that 512MB RAM is enough to run the device smoothly. Also included is a 8GB of internal storage that can be expanded up to 128GB using a microSD card.
On the photography front, the device features a 5-megapixel rear camera with Auto Focus and burst mode, but misses out on a front camera. The device also misses out on proximity sensor. It includes a 1,830mAh battery that the company claims is good enough to survive 13.1 hours of talktime and 25 days on standby mode.
Nokia launched Treasure Tag accessory and the Nokia wireless speaker MD-12 in India. The NFC accessory is priced at Rs 2,100 and will be available towards the end of this month, while the wireless speakers are priced at Rs 5,499 and will be available in mid-June.
The Treasure Tag was launched in February, and is targeted at people who tend to misplace things and then have to spend time looking for it. This accessory can be connected to a Lumia smartphones via Bluetooth or NFC and requires you to download a companion app (available on the Windows Phone Store). If you are to leave behind the Treasure Tag, it will start beeping, and in case it is far enough that you can’t hear the beep, then the app will show you the device’s last known location using HERE Map.
The MD-12, on the other hand, is a tiny wireless speaker that can connect to devices via Bluetooth or NFC. In addition to playing music, the speakers also support speaker-phone functionality and according to Nokia, the speaker’s battery is good enough to last 15 hours. Like most of Nokia’s devices, the MD-12 will be available in yellow, green, orange, and white.
LG has announced three new tablets in its G Pad line, to be unveiled at MedPI 2014 in Monaco this week. The new sizes accompany 2013's G Pad 8.3 and include the G Pad 7.0, G Pad 8.0 and G Pad 10.1.
Each will include LG's innovative Knock Code feature, which allows the user to unlock the device with a series of taps. A new version of Q Pair also will be on board, allowing the tablet to sync up with a smartphone and have phone calls and text messages passed on to it in real time.
Three New Tablets Satisfy Consumer Demand for More Choices to Fit Their Lifestyles
SEOUL, May 12, 2014 ― LG Electronics (LG) is adding three new tablets to its G Pad series to offer more options for tablet users. The new G Pad devices ― G Pad 7.0, G Pad 8.0 and G Pad 10.1 ― will be unveiled at the MedPI 2014, one of the biggest IT/Tech trade show in Europe, taking place in Monaco from May 13-16. LG's extended tablet portfolio, which also includes the well-received G Pad 8.3, will significantly expand LG's footprint in the tablet market.
"Customers tell us that they want a wider range of devices that offer sizable screens without compromising portability," said Dr. Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of the LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. "Unlike smartphones, tablets are not one size fits all. So we designed the G Pad Series for a diverse target audience, some who prioritize portability while others want the best multimedia experience possible. G Pad delivers on all counts."
Highlights of LG's new G Pad Series tablets are:
G Pad 7.0: Designed to be held in one hand, LG's smallest tablet is an on-the-go entertainment hub that delivers both portability and power.
G Pad 8.0: With its 8-inch display, LG's mid-sized tablet offers an immersive multimedia experience and smooth multitasking.
G Pad 10.1: With the largest display and battery, LG's 10.1-inch tablet provides endless hours of entertainment and fun.
The latest G Pad tablets will also include LG's proprietary UX features such as QPair 2.0 and Knock CodeTM. With an updated version of QPair, which was first introduced on G Pad 8.3, users can effortlessly connect to their Android-powered smartphones via Bluetooth to receive notifications of calls and messages and now be able to respond directly from the G Pad. What's more, Knock Code™ enables users to power on and unlock their LG smartphones in one easy step by entering a personalized "knock" pattern on the smartphone's display. Knock Code™ offers convenience and greater security as the knock pattern can be entered anywhere on the screen in any size ― with the display on or off ― using a personalized sequence of two to eight taps for more than 80,000 possible combinations.
Additional details of LG's new G Pad tablets including specifications and availability will be announced locally in the weeks ahead.
Apple is preparing to launch the 8GB variant of the iPhone 5C in India soon, sources close to the development have confirmed. The Cupertino, California based company had launched the iPhone 5C 8GB in select markets in March and has been expanding its availability since then. There is no word of the pricing of the iPhone 5C 8GB but the official price is expected to be somewhere between Rs 30,000/- -40,000/-. However, Apple already offers the iPhone 5C 16GB at Rs 34,400/- with a buyback scheme. With the 8GB variant, Apple could possibly bring an LTE-enabled smartphone under Rs 30,000/- with a buyback scheme.
Apple has been pretty aggressive in India since the last few months and has used buyback schemes to its advantage across the iPhone product portfolio. For the first time, consumers could buy a new iPhone for under Rs 20,000-/ with the iPhone 4. At the moment, Apple has the iPhone 4S available at Rs 24,000/-, the iPhone 5C 16GB for Rs 34,400 and the iPhone 5S hovering around Rs 47,000/- mark. The introduction of the iPhone 5C 8GB would strengthen Apple’s portfolio further.
The aggressive sales and marketing moves in India have had their impact with India iPhone sales having doubled year-on-year, which Tim Cook mentioned during the company’s Q2 2014 earnings call. “The iPhone also continued to perform exceptionally well in many developing markets. In Greater China, Brazil, Indonesia, Poland and Turkey. iPhone sales grew by strong double-digits year-over-year, and in India and Vietnam sales more than doubled.”
Earlier reports have shown that every second smartphone shipped in India above Rs 30,000/- was an iPhone.
With smartphones transforming into more and more potent computing devices, it makes sense that we want larger screens than before. After all, a 3-inch display will hardly allow you to be very productive -- items are too small, and your fingers are just too big. This has caused some serious growth in device's dimensions, with 5-inches now being something of an average across the industry. And while those larger screens definitely come in handy, they can also be quite frustrating to handle with one hand, whenever you just need to perform an operation quickly -- like calling your mom. God forbid you need to reach for the status bar to pull down the notification panel.
In other words, it's safe to say that features, such as the special one-handed mode available with the 6-inch LG G Pro 2, comes in handy. Unfortunately, such perks are still far from the norm with manufacturers, and it's very likely that your phone doesn't have such a mode. Well, today, we'll show you how to mod just about any device with Android 4.0+ and get a one-handed mode, and it's quite straightforward, too. As you can guess, you'll need to be rooted in order to install the Xposed framework -- a wonderful platform that allows all kinds of customization of Android -- and then use its app to download a specific module. Sounds simple enough? It is.
How to get a one-handed mode on almost any rooted Android device Fullscreen
First of all, you'll need to download and install the aforementioned Xposed Framework, developed by XDA developer rovo89. You can download the .apk from here. It's best that you download it directly to your device, though nothing is stopping you from simply loading it on your phone through your computer in a way that you find most convenient.
Step #1
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Once installed, just navigate into the app and follow the steps highlighted on the image to your left: Go to Framework > Install/Update > Grant Superuser privileges to Xposed.
Step #2
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A few short seconds later, the framework will be installed onto your device. You now need to reboot for the changes to take effect.
Step #3
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Once your device boots back on, fire up Xposed Framework again. Click Download and then click the magnifying glass (on top) to perform a search. Type in "One-handed mode", select the first (and only) result, and scroll down to locate the Download button.
Step #4
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Now just install the OneHand Mode like you would any other app. After that, navigate to the home page of Xposed and click Modules. Once there, tick the box next to OneHand Mode. You'll need to reboot again for the module to become active.
Step #5
image
Once back online, search for the OneHand app in your drawer, and launch it. You'll be met with a menu like the one in the picture. In order for the app to know how small you want the windows to be, it needs your input (in pixels). For example, as righties, we use 200 for Left Margin, and 250 for Top Margin. Click Apply and exit the app. Your homescreens should now appear re-sized, and nudged to the bottom right of the screen. You can now use your device with one hand. Check the next few slides for an example.
Whenever the mode is active, you'll find a (removable) notification in the notifcation panel. You can use it to quickly toggle the mode on and off, or you could use the secondary app (OneHand Toggle) that comes with the module.
First of all, you'll need to download and install the aforementioned Xposed Framework, developed by XDA developer rovo89. You can download the .apk from here. It's best that you download it directly to your device, though nothing is stopping you from simply loading it on your phone through your computer in a way that you find most convenient.
First of all, you'll need to download and install the aforementioned Xposed Framework, developed by XDA developer rovo89. You can download the .apk from here. It's best that you download it directly to your device, though nothing is stopping you from simply loading it on your phone through your computer in a way that you find most convenient.
2. Step #2
Once installed, just navigate into the app and follow the steps highlighted on the image to your left: Go to Framework > Install/Update > Grant Superuser privileges to Xposed.
3. Step #3
A few short seconds later, the framework will be installed onto your device. You now need to reboot for the changes to take effect.
4. Step #4
Once your device boots back on, fire up Xposed Framework again. Click Download and then click the magnifying glass (on top) to perform a search. Type in "One-handed mode", select the first (and only) result, and scroll down to locate the Download button.
5. Step #5
Now just install the OneHand Mode like you would any other app. After that, navigate to the home page of Xposed and click Modules. Once there, tick the box next to OneHand Mode. You'll need to reboot again for the module to become active.
6. Step #6
Once back online, search for the OneHand app in your drawer, and launch it. You'll be met with a menu like the one in the picture. In order for the app to know how small you want the windows to be, it needs your input (in pixels). For example, as righties, we use 200 for Left Margin, and 250 for Top Margin. Click Apply and exit the app. Your homescreens should now appear re-sized, and nudged to the bottom right of the screen. You can now use your device with one hand. Check the next few slides for an example.
Whenever the mode is active, you'll find a (removable) notification in the notifcation panel. You can use it to quickly toggle the mode on and off, or you could use the secondary app (OneHand Toggle) that comes with the module.
