Xiaomi Launched More Affordable Redmi 2A with Dual SIM and LTE Support

As a celebration for its 5^th Anniversary, Xiaomi, a China-based smartphone company has announced a new device, Redmi 2A. Redmi 2A is a more affordable smartphone range compared to other Xiaomi’s products. It has a very low starting price of 599 yuan or about $96.

Redmi 2A is powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core Leadcore L1860C chipset, 1GB RAM and Mali T628MP2 GPU for its graphic card. It has a 4.7 inches display size which is the perfect size for a single hand grip. The screen resolution is measured up to 720p. There are two cameras found on the device, an 8MP camera at the rear side and a 2MP front camera. It supports two SIM card slots so that you do not have to change SIM card whenever you go overseas. On top of that,it is LTE-enabled.  The smartphone also comes with 2,200mAh battery size which supports fast charging.

Despite the low pricing, Redmi 2A is decent enough to bring high performance when it is used for watching videos, browsing the web or playing 3D games. There are five different colors to choose from, white minimalist, dark, yellow, green, and pink. The back cover is made of matt coating which will prevent fingerprint to leave a mark on it when it is touched.

Redmi 2A is available starting on April 8 onwards.

Xiaomi Launched More Affordable Redmi 2A with Dual SIM and LTE Support

MediaTek Announced Helio Chipset Range to Compete with Qualcomm and Samsung SoC

MediaTek announced two new ranges of processors which will be used in high-end smartphones, Helio X and Helio P SoC. Hopefully with these two new chipsets, they will bring the gap closer between MediaTek and other chipset market leader such as Qualcomm or even Samsung.

There is not much information released for Helio P, however, for Helio X or specifically Helio X10, it is a 64-bit chipset with eight Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 2.2GHz. On top of that Helio X10 can support refresh rate up to 120Hz and slow-motion video recording up to 480fps in undisclosed resolution. This is considered better compared to the devices which are also supporting slow motion feature such as iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus which can record videos at only 240fps.

As for Helio P, eventhough there is not much information released currently, it is described to fall into the premium performance chipset category. The similarities between Helio X and Helio P is that both chipsets offer high-performance and low power consumption.  The first smartphone which will be powered by Helio chipset are expected to launch in Q2 2015.

MediaTek Announced Helio Chipset Range to Compete with Qualcomm and Samsung SoC

Specs and photo of the upcoming Xiaomi budget smartphone leaked

Well, it seems that Xiaomi has yet another budget handset on the cards to be announced! An executive from the China Mobile – the largest carrier in the world, unveiled on his Weibo account about Xiaomi’s new budget smartphone. Moreover, the executive also came out with an image and the specs for the device.

According to the leaks, this new Xiaomi device would have a 4.7inch display with a resolution of 720×1280 pixels. Under the hood, would be a quad-core Lead Core LCI LC1860C CPU supported with a Mali T628 GPU for graphics control. The device would be having a 1GB of RAM memory with 8GB of internal native storage. To its back would be a great 13MP camera in spite of being a budget handset. The connectivity option for the handset would include a 4G LTE Cat 4 with a maximum download speed of 150Mbps. The device would run the Android 4.4.4 KitKat pre-installed. To its front, there would be a 2MP front-facing camera and would also have a microSD card slot for expandable memory.

The pricing details for the handset have yet not been unveiled. Take a look at the leaked image of the device below.

source: Weibo.com/Blovesky

Specs and photo of the upcoming Xiaomi budget smartphone leaked

Blueprint of the Huawei Ascend P8 shows a possible fingerprint scanner

The Huawei Ascend P8 would be unveiled on the 20^th of April next month at an special event in London. The rumors mill for the handset continues to roll still. A supposed blueprint for the Huawei Ascend P8 has been recently leaked wherein the drawings for the handset gives out a bit of insight into the company’s upcoming flagship device. The images for the handset seem to be quite authentic and the bottom side of the device is pretty much identical to the earlier leaked images.

Now we are having the exact measurement of the device which shows it 5.7 x 2.83 x 0.26 inches. This means that compared to its predecessor (5.50 x 2.71 x 0.26 in) the handset would have turned fatter, wider and taller. The Huawei Ascend P8 would be having a larger screen with 5.2inch display. the back side of the handset shows a interesting rectangular cut-out. The handset is also expected to have a fingerprint sensor on-board with a smaller touch pad placed t its bottom.

The Huawei Ascend P8 is expected to have a 5.2inch touchscreen with full-HD 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution. To its heart would lie a octa-core Kirin 930 chipset which would be supported with 3GB of RAM memory. To its back would be a 13MP powerful camera snapper and its front would have a 5MP secondary snapper. The device would have a battery capacity of 2600mAh.

source: NowhereElse

Blueprint of the Huawei Ascend P8 shows a possible fingerprint scanner

Apple working with Beats to develop Streaming Music Service to take on Spotify

Apple had acquired Beats, a company making hip headphones and speaker products as well as offering a streaming music service, back in August 2014 for a sum of $3 billion. There were reports that Apple was planning to refurbish Beats and integrate it with iTunes. It was also rumored that the streaming service would be overhauled by Apple and launched with an entirely new design and concept.

The New York Times reports that Apple is teaming up with Beats executives and engineers to make sweeping changes to its digital music services and launch its own subscription music streaming service that will rival current services such as Spotify, Rdio and Rhapsody. The subscription prices haven’t been announced as yet but Apple won’t keep the prices lower than the rival services.

Apparently, Apple had tried to convince the record labels to reduce their licensing costs but failed. This was disclosed to the New York Times by some music executives on the condition of anonymity. Lower licensing costs would have enabled Apple to offer its streaming service subscriptions for $8 per month instead of $10 that is standard for other similar services.

The Cupertino giant also plans to upgrade its iTunes Radio and tailor it to provide region-specific content to listeners. Apple is trying to get the best new albums on iTunes first before others get them.

The company has made a musician and former chief creative officer Trent Raznor a point man for redesigning iPhone’s music app. Zane Lowe, erstwhile DJ of BBC Radio 1 will be playing a major role in re configuring the iTunes Radio and making it more regionally targeted like the traditional radio stations.

Currently, Apple is the largest music retailer and iTunes has over 800 million customer accounts. However, Apple has lagged behind in offering streaming services where the Swedish company Spotify has got a head start. Apple’s streaming service is not going to offer free music like Spotify, which has made major music labels happy.

Apple’s new streaming service doesn’t have a name yet but the name “Beat Music” is expected to be dropped. The service is likely to be launched sometime this year. Word is that it will be a part of Apple’s next iOS, the iOS 9 and will launch with its next iPhone.

Apple working with Beats to develop Streaming Music Service to take on Spotify

Bill Payment Feature from Google’s Gmail

There are a lot of things that you can do in Gmail. You can send out email, exchange notes with others as well as chat with online contacts. Bill Payment is another feature from Google’s Gmail. Apparently Google is reported to be in the development stage of “Pony Express”. With this service, users are able to pay bills or split costs with other Gmail users.

The service is linked directly to your bank accounts or debit cards. Before the user able to use the service, he/she needs to provide personal information such as name, address and Social Security Number via third-party company.

There is no confirmation whether Google will use “Pony Express” as the service name. However, the service is expected to be available for the public in the fourth quarter of the year. This is seen as a good move to Google since nowadays, more and more people are using computers and mobile devices to do mostly everything and it is no surprise to add the bill and payments into it.

There is also no further information on what Google would do with the data that it collects from the service.  Google’s Gmail has been around in market for 11 years and currently has more than 425 million users.

Bill Payment Feature from Google’s Gmail

PayPal Allows You to Return Your Purchase in Australia

Australia market is the third in the world to introduce a policy whereby you can return the purchase which is received not in a good condition or received in the wrong color from the color in your invoice. The other two countries which offer this service are Canada and France. Users who opt-in to the service able to request a refund on the PayPal website and able to receive shipping costs up to A$45 for four items.

According to Emma Hunt, Director of Small Business, PayPal Australia, Australians like to shop online since online shopping offers flexibility and convenience in how and when they make purchases. However, the complication of potential return costs and processes are preventing them to enjoying the online retail experience.

Furthermore, a study by the company showed that 5 millions Australians were receiving products which are not according to their liking with a total purchase price of A$460 million or 13 million items. However, there are some items which you cannot request for the refund of shipping cost, intangible items such as music, vouchers or items. It is written in the fine print of the return policy. Another condition is that you need to pay the whole amount from your PayPal account and you can only claim up to a total of $45 across four returns up until July 2015. After that, the service will still be exists but with small amendments.

PayPal Allows You to Return Your Purchase in Australia

Apple rumored to launch 3 new iPhone models in 2015

A new rumor suggests that Apple may be preparing to launch three new iPhones this year. Two of them will be the usual “S” models that come with certain enhancements including a bump in the processor, and the third is an additional model that will belong to a new class “C”.

Taiwanese site DigiTimes reports that the Cupertino giant is planning to introduce three new iPhone models this year, the iPhone 6S, the iPhone 6S Plus and a low-end 4-inch iPhone that the industry sources are currently referring to as iPhone 6C.

All the three handsets will feature Low Temperature Poly Silicon (LTPS) panels covered with Corning Gorilla Glass, Touch ID fingerprint recognition and NFC for Apple Pay, all of which are present in the latest iPhone 6 series. Display panels for all the three models will be procured from Japan Display and LG Display, while iPhone 6C panels will also be additionally sourced from Sharp.

Apple had released its low-cost iPhone 5C in 2013. The handset had a plastic body and came in various colors such as pink, green, yellow and white. It was later rumored that Apple would be phasing out its “C” iPhone lineup but that doesn’t seem to be the case however, if rumors are to be believed.

The 6S series of iPhone models will be using A9 chips and the iPhone 6C will use the A8 chip. DigiTimes also reports that Foxconn Electronics and Pegatron will assemble the 6S series devices and the 6C handset will probably be made by Wistron.

It should be kept in mind that DigiTimes has a mixed track record with respect to rumors, though some of its reports in the past have been spot-on. Apple hasn’t said anything about these three new iPhones yet.

Apple rumored to launch 3 new iPhone models in 2015

Microsoft launches new Hoop by Coloud headphones for Lumia Smartphones

Microsoft has launched a new Hoop by Coloud headset for Lumia smartphones, which it has developed in collaboration with a Swedish company, Coloud.  It is an in-ear headset meant for users with an active lifestyle. The Hoop has several “exercise-focused” features that can “handle your favorite workouts”.

The Hoop earpieces fit snugly in your ear and have an adjustable support loop which prevents them from slipping out of your ears. There is a reflective coating on the cable which helps to make you visible in the dark. You can easily reach the buttons to adjust the volume and you can also clip the cable to your clothes.

Technical specs for the Hoop by Coloud include speaker impedance of 32 ohm; frequency response of 20 hz to 20,000 Hz; stereo audio and 3.5 mm stereo headset connector. The headset weighs 20.5 g and has answer/end key and volume keys. Its cable is 120 cm long and tangle-free.

The Hoop is protected against dust, sweat and splashes, and operates at temperatures between 15⁰ to 40⁰C. It is available in three colors – orange, green and black, and costs €29.

Microsoft recommends using the Hoop by Coloud headset with Lumia 640 dual SIM, Lumia 640 XL LTE dual SIM, Lumia 640 LTE dual SIM and Lumia 640 XL dual SIM.

Do you own any of the above Lumia smartphones? If so, would you like to buy the Hoop by Coloud headset?

Microsoft launches new Hoop by Coloud headphones for Lumia Smartphones

Apple Invents 3-sensor iPhone Camera for Better Quality Pictures Taken in Low-Light Environment

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has approved Apple’s application for digital camera with light splitter. The patent consists of the possibilities of embedding three sensors prism-based camera module in a thin wireless device such as iPhone. In this arrangement, it is expected that the pixel array resolution can be maximized since it does not require color channel processing which then will enhance the picture quality.

The light splitting system currently found in video cameras and recently in handheld camcorder models. The system splits the incident light entering the camera into three wavelengths or colors using a single prism or prisms. The colors normally split into red, green and blue are then picked up by dedicated imaging sensors which is located on or close to the prism face.

Apple uses the similar design as above; however, Apple uses an additional cube arrangement built using four identical polyhedrons which meet at interfaces.  On top of that light splitters offers desirable effects such as sum and difference polarization. This will give the same result as polarization imaging without filtering out the incident light. This process is useful when you want to extract the image data further by using computer applications.

The patent is actually an extension of the previous Apple’s optical image stabilization which uses mirrors and optics. There is no confirmation if Apple plans to implement light splitter into a future product. Apple’s cube light splitter camera system is filed first in 2011 and mentions Steven Webster and Ning Y.Chan as its inventors.

Apple Invents 3-sensor iPhone Camera for Better Quality Pictures Taken in Low-Light Environment

A New Startup Company Olio to Compete with Apple Watch

Olio is a new startup company in San Francisco which has been around for a couple of years now.  It has been working on its own version of smartwatch which includes the hardware and software.  The smartwatch is made of stainless steel body and measures in 48mm wide and weighs just 2.36 ounces.  Similar to Apple, Olio will offer two types of watch face material, a steel or black steel. The steel material will be priced at $595 while the black steel will be priced at $745 respectively.

Olio watch comes with Bluetooth radio which is able to sync features with a compatible iOS or Android smartphones. On top of that, the device will offer a number of hardware sensors such as gyroscope and accelerometer as well as an audio capabilities which will allow users to interact with Google Now or Siri depending on the platform which the smartwatch is connected with.

What makes Olio different than other smartwatches from other companies is that Olio does not comes with app store or additional apps for the watch.  This is because Steve Jacobs, the CEO and founder of Olio believes that Apple and other manufacturers had made a mistake by trying to repeat the success of the smartphone app store into smartwatch as the display size of a smartwatch is much smaller than smartphone.

Olio currently has 14 employees in the Bay Area with the smartwatch manufactured outsourced to Flextronics in China. Olio will be available to pre-order today in limited numbers and it will start shipping in summer.

A New Startup Company Olio to Compete with Apple Watch

Apple gets patent for a new Camera invention that could bring True Zoom Lenses to future iDevices

Apple has recently been granted a patent for its new camera invention having a real zoom lens system that we may see in future iDevices such as the iPhones, Macs and TVs. In order to bring a true zoom lens mechanism with moveable lenses to iDevices, a new type of light splitter has to be integrated inside the iSight camera.

The light splitter was invented by Apple back in 2011 but the company has got patent for it only recently. The new digital camera system includes a light splitter cube. This cube splits the incident light falling on it from the camera scene into 3 color components which are picked up by 3 image sensors so positioned, that each sensor receives 1 color component. The color splitting cube helps to improve contrast and enhance the visibility of the subject, giving good images even through fog, clouds, rain or smoke.

This highly technical camera mechanism also consists of a folding mirror that acts as a deflector. This mirror can be tilted or rolled by an automatically controlled actuator. This is a part of the Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) mechanism present in current iDevices. In this system, the deflector mirror is moved instead of moving the sensor or lens as is done in the traditional system.

Such an OIS system has been implemented in the new iPhone 6 Plus. OIS works with an A8 chip, a gyroscope and a M8 motion co-processor that measures the motion data and causes the lens to move precisely, compensating for the hand shake in low light. The long-exposure and short-exposure images are fused together which helps to reduce movement of the subject and give great images even in low light.

The third feature of the camera system is the true zoom lens. In the image below, we can see the deflector #20, the zoom lens #21 and the light splitter #2 which are housed together inside a camera module.

The zoom lens consists of one or more moveable lenses whose position is controlled automatically by a motorized actuator. This may be a true zoom lens that maintains focus even when its focal length or magnification is changed. Apple is still working to build a high quality true zoom lens system.

According to Apple, such a camera module could be fit into iDevices and other portable wireless gadgets including PCs and TV monitors. Well, we certainly hope to see this new camera technology in iDevices soon.

Apple gets patent for a new Camera invention that could bring True Zoom Lenses to future iDevices

Everything about Facebook announcements at its F8 Conference

At its annual two-day long F8 Developer Conference in San Francisco, Facebook announced a number of new features and other stuff. Although the announcements are meant mostly for developers and app designers, FB users will also get benefited eventually.

Facebook announcements include a major update to its chatting platform, the Facebook messenger. Users will now be able to send photographs, music, GIFs as well as integrate with apps such as The Weather Channel, ESPN, Giphy and others. Enhancements were also announced for Facebook’s analytics platform and its video player. The social network giant is also going into Internet of things.

Here are the details:

Facebook Messenger unveiled as a platform

Facebook officialy opened up its Messenger Platform for developers who will now be able to add messenger features to various iOS and Android apps. So the Messenger service will enable users to do much more than just chatting with others.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in his F8 keynote, “It’s a new platform that developers can use to build apps that help people connect”.

Developers will now be able to add the Messenger button to other apps for example a movie ticketing service app. After purchasing a movie ticket, the customer can share the details with friends on FB.

Though Facebook’s new platform is available to all developers, it has already partnered with 40 companies including ESPN, Giphy, The Weather Channel and Imgur. Most of them are about photos and entertainment. Some apps are adding Messenger as an additional feature while some apps have been developed specifically for the Messenger platform.

Facebook Messenger Business

This is an interesting new feature in the Messenger Platform. Users will be able to communicate with retailers by sending direct message through the messenger. They will be able to make reservations and also check shipping details.

Facebook says that users can now have personal conversations with companies’ representatives. They can now get immediate responses to their queries and requests.

Support for 360 degree videos

Mark Zuckerberg announced that soon spherical 360 degree videos will be supported in Facebook’s newsfeed. 24 high-resolution cameras will be used to shoot the videos and users will be able to use their mouse cursor to pan around it. Such spherical videos may look odd on a flat screen but will work very well if you put on a VR headset.

Embedded Videos

In direct competition to YouTube, Facebook will also be allowing its users to embed Facebook videos in other websites.

Refreshed Comments

Facebook’s comment feature is getting an update. When users comment on a webpage, it will show up on the official shared story on FB page also.

Analytics for Apps

Facebook is offering a new tool to developers – Analytics for Apps which will tell them the demography about the people using their apps, whether males or females, teenagers, older people etc.  The info will help developers and marketers to know their audience.

Mobile Ad Exchange with LiveRail

Facebook bought LiveRail last year. It is a monetization platform that helps publishers to manage their video ads so that the relevant ad appears for the users. In the new update, LiveRail’s capabilities have been extended to mobile display ads. Publishers can now fill ad spaces for mobile display ads too.

In addition, LiveRail will be using anonymized Facebook user data to help publishers target their ads in a better way on platforms other than FB.

Parse for Internet of Things

Facebook is doing its own bit for the “Internet of Things” (IoT) vision where all the objects, animals and humans will be part of a huge network which will facilitate exchange of data  without the need for human to human or human to computer interactions.

Facebook has introduced SDKs for its Parse mobile app development suite, that will support IoT by helping developers to incorporate data from web-connected devices into their apps. The platform is compatible with Arduino first and other platforms will follow.

Everything about Facebook announcements at its F8 Conference

Periscope – New App from Twitter Which Allows You to do Live Video Stream from iPhone

Twitter has launched new app called Periscope which allows users to easily stream live video to your followers. Before Periscope was launched, there is only one app name Meerkat which does the similar things. However, a lot of Meerkat’s user complains that are a lot of links which are not working when they click on them.

Periscope has a lot of features and functions. One of them is the ability of transmitting your own live broadcasts over a platform, notify all your followers instantly whenever your feed goes live which then allow them to tune in, post comments or send hearts in real time. The “Replay” feature is the feature that sets Periscope apart from other apps. With this new feature, followers will be able to tune in to videos even though the broadcast has ended, complete with the ability to comment or like the uploaded videos. Unfortunately, this feature lasts for 24 hours only.

Furthermore, broadcasters will be able to share their live feeds with specific users by invitation only. You also able to share on Twitter by clicking the bird icon before you go live in order to share your video to the public. The app is also capable to suggest people you can follow on the network based on your Twitter network composition.

Periscope is free to download on App Store. However, the Android version of the app is currently a work in progress.

Periscope – New App from Twitter Which Allows You to do Live Video Stream from iPhone

Amazon Launched Unlimited Cloud Storage at Low Prices to Compete with Dropbox, Google and Microsoft

To compete with other companies who provide Cloud Drive services such as Dropbox, Google and Microsoft; Amazon, the online retail giant has announced two unlimited cloud storage plans for its own Cloud Drive service in almost half of the price that its competitors offer for the same kind of service.

The cloud service from Amazon also offers “Unlimited Photos” as well as “Unlimited Everything” plans. With just $11.99 a year for the Unlimited Photos plan, users are able to upload as many photos and images as they want to their Cloud Drive. Furthermore, users also able to upload videos, however, the video files are capped out at 5GB.

The Unlimited Everything plan is suitable for users who want to upload more than just photos or users who have a lot of important files which they have a hard time organizing the files. The plan is priced at $59.99 a year whereby you can dump all sort of files, from photos to videos into the Cloud Drive. Besides these two plans, Amazon also offers paid storage limited to a certain capacity.

Amazon started to launch the unlimited photo storage plan for its Prime members since last year. This service continues for all Prime users as it is, however, it has been expanded to Amazon’s user outside the loyalty program. For those who are interested, you can go to amazon.com/clouddrive to get started.

Amazon Launched Unlimited Cloud Storage at Low Prices to Compete with Dropbox, Google and Microsoft

LG Display and Samsung Display New Technologies: Transparent and Flexible Displays Respectively

The two leading companies in the global display market, LG Display and Samsung Display are working to develop new types of technologies which will offer new experiences for their customers. The two new technologies that are currently being developed is transparent displays and flexible displays.

Transparent display is a technology whereby a picture can be displayed on a glass. It is currently being used in commercial aircraft, fighter planes and billboards.  On top of that, it is also used in luxury sedans to display the driving information which is placed in front of the driver. Some of these luxury sedans which currently use this technology are Hyundai Motor, Mercedes-Benz and BMW. A senior official from LG Display informed the public that the development of this display technology is already completed and the promotional prototype is also available, however, it will take some time to commercialize the product due to demand and supply.

The other technology, flexible display, is a paper-like display which produces the same quality when the product is bent. The challenge of this technology is to make the display as accurately as possible while making the product as light as possible.  The stage of evolution of flexible display technology can be defined as curved, bended, foldable and rollable. Some of the examples of the products which is using this technology is LG G Flex 2 and Samsung curved edge display which is placed between the first and second stages.

The flexible technology is currently used in mobile devices as well as wearable devices. However, it can be further expanded to entire IT industry including laptops and monitors. An official from Samsung Display said that the commercialization of foldable smartphone will be made possible in 2016.

LG Display and Samsung Display New Technologies: Transparent and Flexible Displays Respectively

Namikoshi Electronics of Japan Unorthodox 4-in-1 New Concept Engine

It is always a challenge for the engine designers to increase power output while improving efficiency. Namikoshi Electronics of Japan has designed an unorthodox 4-in-1 concept engine as an alternative powerplant to automobile industry.

Initially it was designed as an electrical generator; however, the company realized that the engine could possibly change to suit the automotive industry. Instead of the conventional engine layout, the new 4-in-1 engine layout will consist of a big central unit surrounded by ball bearings, a central rod and a planetary gear.

This design has significant advantages over traditional engines in terms of friction and vibration. Compared to the conventional design which use lubricated friction bearings in crankshaft, connecting rod and piston pins, the new design mounts opposing pistons onto a reciprocating hub which uses ball bearings. In this way, the friction will be reduced. On top of that, the conventional design put the pistons connected in-line to the crankshaft whereas Namikoshi puts the opposing pistons onto one central unit which enables the engine to move back and forth in parallel. This design is believed to reduce vibration and it produces vibration levels similar to a rotary engine.

The Namikoshi concept engine weighs around 90 kg (198 lb), 1,500 cc and measured 800 mm (31.5 in) x 500 mm (19.7 in) x 250 mm (9.8 lb). The diameter is measured at 62 mm (2.4 in) and the stroke of each piston is set at 125 mm (4.9 in).

Namikoshi Electronics of Japan Unorthodox 4-in-1 New Concept Engine

The New Apple TV Comes with Siri and A8 CPU

There are a few reasons to celebrate with the new Apple TV from Apple. Although they are just rumors, however, they do sound really exciting. One of it is that the price is slashed to starting from $69 from $99 previously. This is believed to make room for its successor. This announcement was found on Apple’s webite. The second reason for celebration is that new Apple TV box itself will come with new design and new hardware.

The new Apple TV will be running on A8 CPU processor which is also found on iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. On top of that, it will also support 4K video playback. It is kind of surprising since the current Apple smartphone devices still do not support 4K video recording even though all of them are using the same processor chip.

Furthermore, the internal storage is increased to beyond 8GB which means that it can accommodate more apps than its predecessors. It also comes with an improved operating system for the hardware which will also support Siri voice control for Apple TV. This means that it enables the remote selection of Homekit-enabled home automation.

If all of the above good news is not enough, Apple will also introduce the new HBO Now streaming service for the latest Apple TV.  If all these rumors turn out to be true, it will be announced at the upcoming Apple Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in San Francisco in June 2015.

The New Apple TV Comes with Siri and A8 CPU

Select Samsung devices to come with pre-installed Microsoft Services and Apps

Samsung and Microsoft are further expanding their partnership to bring Microsoft mobile productivity services to more consumers and businesses. The Korean company has announced that it plans to pre-install Microsoft services and apps on select Android phones and tablets.

As already announced in the Mobile World Congress earlier in the month, the new Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge will come with Microsoft OneNote, OneDrive and Skype out-of-the-box. They will also get extra 100GB free cloud storage space from Microsoft OneDrive for two years.

Samsung will also offer pre-installed Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote, OneDrive, and Skype in certain selective Android tablets in the first half of 2015.

Those businesses that purchase devices directly through Samsung’s business to business sales channels will have a choice of three versions of Office 365 (Business, Business Premium and Enterprise) together with Samsung’s KNOX security pack. The package will include Samsung set up service which will help them to get their business up and running as well as provide ongoing support.

Microsoft’s Office 365 is powered by cloud and allows users to access several of Microsoft apps such as email, up-to-date documents, calendar and video-conferencing. Samsung KNOX allows customers to switch easily between their business and personal profiles in a secure way.

Peggy Johnson, executive VP of Microsoft’s Business development says:

“Great things happen when you converge services and devices. Our partnership with Samsung is emblematic of our efforts to bring the best of Microsoft’s productivity services to everyone, on every device – so people can be productive wherever, however and whenever they want.”

SangChul Lee, executive VP of Samsung’s Strategic Marketing Office, IT & Mobile Division says:

“Our goal is to meet the ever-evolving needs of both consumers and business customers and give them more power to discover new mobile experiences. We believe our suite of premium mobile products coupled with Microsoft’s productivity services will offer users the mobility they need in both their personal and business life.”

Looks like Samsung and Microsoft have decided to move ahead with new partnership ventures after they resolving their legal dispute over patent royalty payments.

Select Samsung devices to come with pre-installed Microsoft Services and Apps

LG announces a TV Tuner and A Sports Portable projectors

Two new portable projectors have been announced by the brand LG; both of them are LED projectors. There are quite differences between the devices in case of specs and usage terms.

PF1500 is a full HD native resolution projector with capability of 120 inches diagonals output. 1.1 factors is the optical zoom feature of the image enlarging section. Now, connect your smartphone, tablet or PC using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi system because this can work both wired and wireless.

The projector has a compact design at 132 x 220 x 84mm measurements and LG promises to provide 10 years support in case 8 hours a day. That calculates, the projector will support up to 30,000 hours, weight is only 1.5kg, quite good for the users.

LG Dubbed PW800 projector is a TV tuner that can go up to 1280 x 800 pixels resolution and can be used instead of a TV. This model also comes with same lifespan of 30,000 hours and 140 x 140 x 50mm measurement. However, its brightness can go at 800 ANSI lumens but only .06kg weight.

The model will be available 3 to 6 weeks before shipment on Amazon with a price tag of $999.99 price. The press release of the two products will be available soon for the United States and Korea. At the same time Amazon has not listed the PW800 model yet.

LG announces a TV Tuner and A Sports Portable projectors

5.5-inch Lenovo K3 Note launched, Price at $145

Lenovo has made a press event on March 23, and likely to announce the next flagship of smartphone and tablet. People are expecting to get the announcement of Vibe Z3 Pro but, Lenovo disappointed the users.

However, Lenovo announced new Meizu m1 note that would known as Lenovo K3 Note, a new mid range tablet for the users. This is a better vVibe Z3 Pro ersion of the existing Lenovo K3 with some upgrades.

This is a mid range tablet having 5.5 inch Full HD display for the users with a yell paintjob on the back side of it. A 64-bit Mediatek MT6752 chipset with 1.7GHz octa-core processor will power the tablet with 2GB RAM and 16 GB internal storage.

Using microSD card, expand the storage of it to 32GB. Camera function of the new tablet comes with a good look of 13 mega pixels with dual tone LED flash light. Selfie camera is having 5 mega pixels having good quality extended pictures.

Lenovo K3 Note has a dual SIM functionality with 2G/3G one SIM and another GSM only. A super powered 3,000 mAh battery will give good time back up time to the users with a weight of 150g only.

The regular version of the Lenovo K3 Note will cost you $145 only but Teana called option will cost you nearly $160. CNY100 premium vibration speaker has used in this version to provide you the best quality sound on the 16GB version.

5.5-inch Lenovo K3 Note launched, Price at $145

Google develops an Ebola-proof tablet to collect patient data in Ebola-hit Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone is facing a worst outbreak of the Ebola virus that has claimed numerous lives so far. Collecting patient data was becoming a problem from inside the protective zone. At the request from doctors of Medecins Sans Frontieres, (Doctors without borders), Google has devised an Ebola-proof tablet for use by the health workers, according to a report in The Telegraph.

Doctors treating Ebola patients inside the protective zone had to shout out patient details over the fence to someone who would then write them down and later enter them in the patients’ records. Passing details outside by writing them on a piece of paper faced a risk of transmitting the deadly disease.

The shouting method was tedious, time consuming and prone to errors. So they approached several contacts in the field of technology including someone in Google’s Crisis Response Team. Google assigned engineers to work on a solution and they designed the Ebola-proof tablet.

The Ebola-proof tablet is based on a waterproof Sony Xperia Android tablet. This tablet is housed inside a special protective casing so that it can be safely dipped in Chlorine to make it free from contamination. The medics can use it while wearing gloves and safely record patients’ data. The sharp edges of the tablet have been made more rounded so that they don’t pierce the protective clothing of the health workers.

This special Ebola-proof tablet can also withstand highly humid conditions and storms that usually occur in Ebola hit areas of West Africa. It can be charged wirelessly by placing it on the table. The Sierra Leone treatment center has received eight such tablets.

The devices will help to store patient data and map out symptom patterns that could help in better understanding of the disease. These tablets can also help in outbreaks of other deadly diseases.

Google develops an Ebola-proof tablet to collect patient data in Ebola-hit Sierra Leone

Google updates its smart lock for Android with on-body detection

Tech giant Google, recently updated its Google Play Services with some coupe of new security options. In addition to the existing trusted Faces, the smart lock has now got new Trusted Places. In order to bring further enhancement to its smart lock, Google is now rolling out the new “on-body detection” feature in the Smart Lock mode.

The concept behind this new feature is to allow your handset to detect its proximity to you in order to save it from being stolen. This new on-body detection makes use of an accelerometer in order to estimate whether you are holding the handset or it is still in your pocket. In both these cases, the device would remain unlocked for quicker access. If the on-body detection in smart lock is enabled and you leave your device on the table or in a bag for that sake then it would automatically get locked.

However, note that this new feature is being rolled out to Android 5.0 Lollipop and other higher handsets. For this update user needs the Google Play Store 7.0.97 and higher version and a Lollipop based handset.

Google updates its smart lock for Android with on-body detection

Apple iPad Pro/Plus 3D renders confirm the tablet to be sporting four speakers

The recently leaked images showing up the 3D renders of the case for the much rumored of the Apple iPad Pro/Plus have confirmed that the tablet would have four speakers. The casing show four cut-outs which would align with the four tablet speakers. Two of which are placed at the top and the other two at the bottom. Earlier this year, we have seen images where the tablet casing also had four cut outs for the speaker.

These leaked renders also show the openings for volume rocker, camera, power button and a second microphone that would placed next to the rear camera. The upcoming iPad Pro/Plus would be featuring a large 12.9inch display. the tablet is likely to feature a 2GB of RAM along with the Apple A8X chipset. The famous Touch ID would also be included to its home button and a stylus is also said to be offered.

It would be at the WWDC conference in June when we could expect Apple unveiling its Apple iPad Pro/Plus. The increase in screen size of its latest iPhone 6 and iPhone 6  Plus has really proved to be very useful for Apple. We expect the same response for its large-sized tablet too. Check out the renders below.

via: HDBlog.it

Apple iPad Pro/Plus 3D renders confirm the tablet to be sporting four speakers

Xiaomi and Li-Ning rumored to produce “smart shoes”

Recent reports coming from Reuters show that the Chinese smartphone giant and the Chinese footwear giant are likely to team up in order to produce what is said to be “smart shoes”. These shoes are said to be endorsed by three time NBA champion of Miami Heat – Dwayne Wade. It is said that Huami Technology who worked with Xiaomi to design its Mi Band fitness tracker would be would once again be working together for this smart shoe technology.

These smart shoes would have chips placed in the sole and would be assigned the task of sending your running information and personal workout to a mobile app. This app would ensure that you meet your daily routine and targets, would analyze different data and would even celebrate once you hit your milestones.

The pricing for this new smart device cannot be decided at the moment, but Li-Nang says that it would be very affordable. These new smart shoes would face the competition from Adidas’ miCoach Speed Cell which is placed in the shoe soles to track distance, speed, steps and much more. Whether or not the shoes would be available out of China is not known, but most probably we think they would available only in the hometown. Below is the statement from Li-Nang

“We hope to use this opportunity to provide professional “smart” running shoes to running enthusiasts in China at an affordable price.”-Li-Ning.

source: Reuters

Xiaomi and Li-Ning rumored to produce “smart shoes”

Explanation of Bayer Filter or How a Smartphone Sees Color

Smartphone uses

Smartphones are highly versatile devices of our time that are used for many purposes besides just making a phone call. These devices are manufactured in a way that they can do perform many technological functions such as surfing the internet, running games and apps, taking pictures and recording videos. One can easily notice that nowadays smartphone is the primary camera device of many people. That is the major reason why most smartphone purchasers are seriously concerned about the quality of their phone’s camera.

 

The secret

Almost all people who buy a smartphone look for the handsets that have a very good camera; however, there is a small number of people who actually how that how a phone’s camera work. It is quite interesting to know how the digital camera of a smartphone captures all those colors.

 

Camera’s working

In the shortest possible way to describe, there are sensors inside the camera on which there is a huge amount of light-sensitive pixels. For example, the 12-megapixel camera has about 12 million of these pixels. When the shutter button is pressed, the light hits the pixels where it is further processed to form a digital image. This image is stored on the smartphone’s gallery.

 

Bayer filter

What is really interesting is that the light-sensitive element on a pixel is unable to detect color rather it only detects the intensity of the light that hits it. Now here is why Bayer filter is required; it calculates the RGB color value of every pixel. RGB stands for red, green and blue. The Bayer filter places a blue, red or green filter on each pixel which detects the value of a color. The color values are also estimated from the adjacent pixels in order to capture missing colors that a pixel might miss. It is quite a simple thing though it might confuse some people.

Explanation of Bayer Filter or How a Smartphone Sees Color

Check out some cool concept renders of Sony’s upcoming Xperia Z4

Sony’s upcoming flagship smartphone Xperia Z4 has been in the news a lot. It is not certain when the company will unveil the handset but it did say that the device will be launched in summer before September this year. It is possible that Sony announces the Xperia Z4 at the Computex event that is to be held in Taiwan in a few months or maybe hold an event of their own.

Meanwhile, everyone is curious to know what it will look like and several concept renders of the upcoming Xperia Z4 have surfaced online. We cannot say that the actual device will look anywhere like the concepts, but they sure are great to look at.

Here are a few cool concept renders of the device:

1. Renders of Xperia Z4 and Z4 Ultra

These look very real with thin bezels and all. Sony has been reducing the bezel size of its Xperia phones but such thin bezels on the big sized Xperia Z4 Ultra don’t appear realistic. Also, according to rumors, the device will be having stereo speakers at the front which will be impossible to fit in such thin bezels at the top and bottom.

2. Xperia Z4 concept renders by Ashraf Amer

Up till now, the concepts we have seen were made in 2014. We now have Xperia Z4 concept renders made keeping 2015 in mind, incorporating the latest technologies.

3. Xperia Z4 renders by Jermaine Smit

There are 3 phone versions by Jermaine Smit of which, the main version features a 5.2” screen which the actual Z4 is rumored to come with. It is an elegant ultra slim model with rounded top and bottom.

4. Another render by Jermaine Smit is the Xperia Z4 with curved model.

 

 

5. Bebak Soren’s concept for Xperia Z4

This one has a curved back thick at the middle and slim at the top and bottom.

6. Victor Cao’s Xperia Z4 renders

He conceptualizes it as a 5.5” phablet with Snapdragon 810 and dual streo.

7. Xperia Z4 renders by Kiarash Kia

Here, the device is conceptualized as only 5.6mm thick with metal frame that is less rounded than its predecessors.

 

Check out some cool concept renders of Sony’s upcoming Xperia Z4

Take a look at the official “Rich Accessory Collection” for the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge

Earlier this month, Korean tech giant Samsung announced its much awaited flagship the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge smartphones. This week, the company has announced the “Rich Accessory Collection” for the two handsets that include the protective cases designed and made by some of the top fashion brands in the industry. During this announcement, the company said that it is looking forward to unite “the worlds of fashion and technology.”

Some very renowned and premium brands like Montblanc, Swarovski, Burton, Romero Britto, Rebecca Minkoff would contribute to the accessories of the handset with their own style patterns. Montblanc would contribute with luxury covers and leather made flip-cases while Swarovski would have a “crystal embellished covers” with different glass shades covering the handsets. Rebecca Minkoff is expected to come with leather pouch designs with edgy flower prints.

Images at the bottom

Executive Vice President of Global Marketing, IT & Mobile Division, Samsung Electronics, Younghee Lee said, “Samsung has a long history of designer partnerships and an unparalleled understanding of how technology enhances fashion and how fashion inspires technology. The premium accessory collection for the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge represents our commitment to uniting the worlds of fashion and technology. Samsung has and will continue to pursue and create innovative, meaningful collaborations with the fashion industry that resonate with the ever-evolving consumer and provide them with essential tools for self-expression.”

These accessories would be offering an additional style to this premium handset and the accessories would be available from the company’s (Samsung’s) online store and even at the retails locations. This collection would have a protective cover, clear cover, clear view cover, flip wallet, S-view cover, external battery pack and wireless charger.

Take a look at the official “Rich Accessory Collection” for the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge

OnePlus teaser shows up a new “gamechanger” product called curveball

Last year, a Chinese start up OnePlus managed to make a very good presence by launching its OnePlus One smartphone with one-of-its-kind specs then! The handset is loaded with some pretty good specs and is priced very affordably which helped the company to gain a good amount of attention in the industry. In addition to the handset, the company also announced different earbud models called as the Silver Bullets priced for $14.99 and the E1+ earphones made with JBL collaboration priced for $39.99. Just a few days back, the company also announced a new portable power bank with capacity 10,000mAh priced at very affordable rate of just $14.99.

Now the company has released another teaser for its new “gamechanger” product called as curveball. This is what the company had to say “The One was built to disrupt the smartphone world […] When thinking about our next product, we decided on a curveball.” For this the company has also released three promo posters indicating that this is not a smartwatch and not a tablet but says it’s a gamechanger. Now saying this a curveball it might be a Android-powered gaming console or either a controller for mobile games.

The company has said that this new product could be unveiled some time in April.

source: OnePlus

OnePlus teaser shows up a new “gamechanger” product called curveball

Leaked image of the upcoming Huawei Ascend P8 shows metal framing

Chinese handset manufacturer Huawei is going to host a big event next month on the 15^th of April for the official unveiling of Huawei Ascend P8 and now the image for this upcoming  handset has been leaked out which shows up the flagship to be coming with a metal framing with a glazed black coating. The leaked image has arrived from the Chinese rumor mill and has been leaked out by serial leakster @OnLeaks from France. From the previous leaks from same source many of the things have turned out to be almost true and so we expect this too to be authentic in its form. However, it should be noted that this image stands as the pre-release prototype of the handset, and thus the final handset might differ.

Other rumors from the industry have also put a light to the specs for the handset that shows a 5.2inch display with 1080×1920 pixel resolution, a ceramic unibody constructed design, an octa-core Huawei’s latest Huawei Kirin 930 chipset on-board supported with 3GB of RAM memory, a dual 13MP camera setup to its back, Android 5.0 Lollipop skinned with the company’s Emotion UI and a 2600mAh of battery capacity.

The two-camera setup feature would be really interesting to see as what new photographic features Huawei would come up with!

source: @OnLeaks

Leaked image of the upcoming Huawei Ascend P8 shows metal framing

Some stunning images found on Google Street View by an artist

Canadian artist Jon Rafman likes to explore the boundaries between the real and the virtual world. He is well known for his collection and exhibition of some amazing images captured from Google Street View.

His photo project titled The Nine Eyes of Google Street View contains bizarre and stunning scenes captured by the nine camera lenses of Google as they rove and capture millions of images across the world.

Jon says, “My work explores the paradoxes of modernity. In 2008, a year after Google sent out an army of hybrid vehicles bearing nine cameras on a single pole to photograph the world, I began an exploration of this new virtual world, and was fascinated by how powerfully Street View photographs can represent our contemporary experience, the conflict they can express between an indifferent robotic camera and man’s search for connectedness and significance.”

About the images he says,” I think the first second I used it I recognized its artistic potential.—– and the fact that they’re all captured by this robotic camera that’s just programmed to take pictures. But you see some of the images, and they’re incredibly poetic, sublime or violent and scary.“

His 9eyes project has been published as a book that contains numerous images found through Google Street View. He has also created a Tumblr account 9eyes where he posts some great images he finds on Google Street View. He just wanders around the virtual streets where his fancy takes him and clicks a scene he finds interesting or bizarre.

Some of these stunning images are given below:

Some stunning images found on Google Street View by an artist