Nokia announces 3 Android smartphones

Nokia has introduced three Android smartphones under the Nokia X series at the ongoing Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona, Spain. The smartphones Nokia X, X+ and XL run on the Nokia X software platform that is based on Android. The Nokia X, X+, and XL are priced at € 89 (Rs 7,500 approx), € 99 (Rs 8,500), and € 109 (Rs 9,300), respectively.

Nokia X Android smartphones

Nokia X smartphones

Nokia X is the entry-level model that comes with 4-inch IPS LCD display, 512 MB RAM and 4GB memory expandable up to 32 GB. It has a 3MP fixed focus camera. Nokia X gives 13.3 hours of talk time on 2G and 10.5 hours talk time on 3G network. Standby time is up to 28.5 days.

Nokia X+ also has 4-inch IPS LCD display but it packs 768 MB RAM and has 4GB memory expandable up to 32 GB. There is 3MP fixed focus camera. It gives 13.3 hours of talk time on 2G and 10.5 hours talk time on 3G network. Standby time is up to 28.5 days.

Nokia XL sports 5-inch IPS LCD display, 768 MB RAM, 4GB memory expandable up to 32 GB. It features a 5MP autofocus camera with flash and 2MP front camera. It gives 16 hours of talk time on 2G and 13 hours talk time on 3G network. Standby time is up to 41 days.

The Nokia X software is a forked variant of Android and it has added elements from Nokia's Asha and Windows phone software to offer a different user experience. The drawback here is that you can install Android apps through Nokia store but not through Google Play store.

These phones are dual-SIM devices and are powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-core processor. They come with pre-installed apps such as BBM, Plants vs Zombies 2, Viber, Vine and Twitter. Nokia’s Here Maps and offline maps come pre-installed. There is also a 7GB of free cloud storage from Microsoft OneDrive.

Nokia X+ and Nokia XL would be available in early Q2 2014. However, Nokia did not give the time frame for India launch.

Google I/O preview: Five things you need to know about Android TV

By Nimish Sawant /  23 Jun 2014 , 10:34

Google I/O is just around the corner and we should expect some interesting announcements on 25-26 June. While Google has got most things sorted on the mobile front and there will be evolutionary announcements on the Android OS front, there is one area where Google has not tasted as much success as it would love to – the TV platform. Thanks to reports from The Verge and recently GigaOm, we are most likely going to see the announcement of Android TV at this edition of Google I/O.

In the 2010 Google I/O, we had seen the announcement of Google TV, which attempted to combine the best of web and TV. Companies such as LG and Sony had announced TVs with Google TV integration as well. This was supposed to be bundled with major TV brands, but for reasons best known to Google it did not taste roaring success, considering Eric Schmidt, the then CEO had proclaimed that most TV sets would have Google TV on board by 2012.


Google came out with two hardware products – the Nexus Q and the Chromecast – last year. Of these, the Nexus Q which was a streaming device which required a second screen device as a remote control and could only play content off Google Play, Movies and TV shows from the Google Play Store, was discontinued by Google. On the other hand, Chromecast has been a relatively successful device from Google when it comes to streaming content to a TV. However the number of apps which support the Chromecast is still rather limited.

Long story short, Google has not yet cracked the TV platform. Will Google I/O 2014 see that changing? Only time will tell. But let us see what we know so far.

Platform, not hardware
Android TV is a platform on which a lot of video content providers will build apps. This platform can be used by TV makers and set-top boxes to bring streaming services to the TV. Unlike Google TV which had a similar philosophy, Android TV will concentrate on online media services and Android based games.

Simple interfaces

Android TV will have a horizontal set of scrolling cards which represents different kinds of content – TV shows, movies, apps and games. There is a universal search bar at the top where you can either type in your search term or speak out your search term as it does voice searching as well. This definitely seems inspired by Amazon’s Fire TV which supports voice input for searching video content. According to Gigaom, the internal codename Pano basically lets the apps place individual content cards right on the homepage (instead of just the app logo) which reduces navigational steps towards approaching content.

Universal search across apps
Google TV was about every video service providing app having its own content, and you would have to enter the app to search the content within it. With Android TV, Google is planning to have a universal search for content across apps. So if you are searching for a TV show, it needn’t necessarily be from within a particular app (although there will be a provision to do that). Also according to the documents obtained by Verge, Google is getting developers to develop apps which have consistent interfaces. Big names such as Hulu, Netflix, Vevo and so on are already seen in the screenshot.

Likely TV partners

LG was one of the first TVs tp incorporate Google TV. With Android TV that will not be the case thanks to its commitment to developing webOS based Smart TVs

Google had partnered with LG and Samsung, when it had announced the Google TV back in 2010. With Android TV, LG will most likely not be a partner, as it is developing its own webOS Smart TV and ultraHD TVs. This leaves companies that do not have their own platforms such as Sony and Chinese makers such as Haier and so on.

Wooing casual gamers
Another big segment that Android TV is looking at is attracting the casual gamers. With Google supporting games on Android TV, it gives casual gamers a chance to play their favourite mobile games on the big screen TV. Amazon’s Fire TV and Roku 3 offer gaming functionality with Amazon even having a separate gaming controller. Android TV could certainly provide some competition in this area.

With the Android TV platform, Google is looking at creating a universal smart TV platform, something that the likes of Roku, Amazon’s Fire TV and Apple TV have tried to do with their set top boxes. Maybe Google has some more plans in the offing regarding Android TV. We shall find out more details at this year’s Google I/O.

Is the new Ford Fiesta 2014 worthy enough to buy?

SummaryFord Fiesta has been one of the most talked about car since its display at the 2014 Indian Auto Expo.

Ford has launched the updated model of Fiesta sedan silently at a compelling price tag of Rs 7.69 lakh. It has been one of the most talked about cars since its display at the 2014 Indian Auto Expo. It now comes with a number of upgrades inside-out. Maintaining Ford's driving dynamics, now it is the fuel efficiency that comes at par with the top car in the segment, Honda City. With alluring aspects, the 'Blue Oval' company is now looking forward to target big sales numbers. Can it do that? Let’s find out.

Ford has studied the market very well this time. The captivating price tag compromises on some aspects as there are no major or tempting upgrades for the 2014 model, yet a few alterations might make buyers change their minds in its favor. Starting from the outside, the car represents company’s second installment of Kinetic design philosophy – 'Kinetic 2.0'. The front fascia does get an improvement in the form of new marquee trapezoidal grille with chrome accents that reminds of Aston Martin cars. There is a new set of swept back headlamps while the hood is sculpted to pose a muscular look.
The side outlining is reminiscent to the old one, while it gets new pair of shoes in the form of twin 5-spoke 15-inch alloy wheels and some modification to the wing mirrors. Rear has been tweaked with revamped tail lights showing LED effect and refreshed bumper with chrome inserts. Fiesta is now available in six graceful colors options including two new colors to choose from. Overall, the exteriors have been revitalized to some extent.
Previously also, the interiors of Fiesta were great looking but it now gets updated with subtle changes. The new black piano finishing makes dashboard and the door handles more opulent. The major modification comes in the form of updated Ford’s SYNC infotainment system debuted in the outgoing version along with 'Applink Connectivity' and 'Emergency Assistance'.
The ‘SYNC’ system synchronizes with your smartphone for music streaming, make calls and operates several other functions, all through voice control panel. The stereo system supports USB, CD and Aux-In playback while music can be enhanced through 6-speakers. The Emergency Assistance system provides instant help by automatically calling to emergency service number 108 via your smartphone in case of any mishap. It provides exact location of the incident.
Other than these, the new Fiesta also comes with automatic air conditioning system,

Karbonn launches Titanium S99 with Android KitKat at Rs 5,990

Karbonn Titanium S99 sports a 4-inch IPS capacitive touch display.

NEW DELHI: Following the likes of Micromax and Lava, Indian handset brand Karbonn has launched its entry-level Android KitKat smartphone, Titanium S99, to take on Motorola's Moto E. The phone is priced at Rs 5,990.

Karbonn Titanium S99 sports a 4-inch IPS capacitive touch display. It is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core processor and 512MB RAM. Internal storage is 4GB but the phone offers a microSD card slot that supports cards up to 32GB.

The phone features a 5MP rear camera with LED flash, and a VGA front camera. It comes with a 1400mAh battery.

In terms of connectivity options, Titanium S99 offers 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS and supports dual-sim functionality.

The phone will be available in Black and White colours, and comes with an additional protective silicon case.

"The advantages of using Android 4.4 KitKat are numerous. It takes system performance to a whole new level by offering better memory management. It provides all-in-one solution to user's communication needs by providing upgraded Hangouts App supported with improved SMS & MMS integration. Hot 'Ok Google' feature predicts information based on user's location, favourite sites and TV programs. In addition, Android KitKat includes a variety of new features like Smarter Caller ID, faster multitasking, low-power location monitoring, redesigned downloads app and easy home screen switching to name a few. The combination of these extraordinary features make KitKat a solid addition to the Android family", said Shashin Devsare, executive director of Karbonn.

In Delhi, it’s E-rickshaws vs Auto-rickshaws

Though there is no data on e-rickshaws, Transport department says there are nearly one lakh e-rickshaws in the capital. (Source: IE photo by Tashi Tobgyal)

Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari’s announcement of a special scheme for e-rickshaws last Tuesday has given a boost to these battery-operated vehicles, which have already replaced cycle-rickshaws in most areas and are slowly inching out auto-rickshaws.
With Gadkari coming out in support of e-rickshaw drivers, these three-wheelers have been ensured a free run with a proper policy yet to be worked out by the municipal corporations.
The new scheme — Deen Dayal e-rickshaw scheme — will allow e-rickshaws to operate without any testing to ensure basic quality standards. Also, Traffic Police can no longer fine them.

From China to Chandni Chowk
“No case can be registered against e-rickshaws and no challan can be issued as these battery-operated vehicles do not fall under the category of motor vehicles,’’ a traffic police officer said.
But all this has done little to dampen the popularity of these vehicles, which are proliferating by the day outside Metro stations, malls and colonies.
“Unlike a cycle rickshaw, a family of four can travel comfortably in an e-rickshaw. I no longer have to take my car to go to the market,’’ Radhika Singh, a resident of East Delhi, said.
AAP, BJP & Cong scramble to take up e-rickshaw cause
Auto unions  have sought a meeting with Gadkari to ask him to limit these battery-operated vehicles to colonies.
“They will create a traffic nuisance otherwise. Also, how have the poor benefitted from the relief given to e-rickshaws owners and drivers? It is the cycle rickshaws drivers who need relief. Government should give e-rickshaws to them and take steps to prevent the formation of a cartel,’’ Rajinder Soni of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh said.
Fare and cost of vehicle
The traffic hazards caused by e-rickshaws have been a cause for concern for a while now. A study by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) — done on the request of the Delhi government — had recommended that these battery-operated vehicles be kept off the main roads. A difficult ask, considering that this is the only mode of shared transport in the city which doesn’t hurt the pocket.
“We charge Rs 10 each passenger for distances between 2 km and 5 km. There are no fixed charges. Each association has its own fare.
For instance, if someone needs to go from Tilak Nagar to Punjabi Bagh, we would charge them Rs 100,’’ Gurmeet Singh of Khalsa Battery-Operated E-rickshaw Union, said.
Compare these charges to auto-rickshaw fares, which were last hiked in May 2013. A commuter has to shell out a minimum fare of Rs 25 for the first 2 km and Rs 8 for each additional kilometre.
Fares apart, the cost of auto-rickshaw is double that of an e-rickshaw. While an

MoFirst plans smartphones in all regional languages by March 2015

Indian technology start-up MoFirst has plans to launch regional-language based smartphones, whose patent technology allow users to change languages with just a swipe, across India by March 2015.

"Language is one of biggest barriers thats prevents people from using mobile phone functions exhaustively. We have launched and tested response to smartphones that supports Gujarati language. By March 2015, we will launch phones for all regional languages," MoFirst Solutions Co-founder and CEO Rakesh Deshmukh told PTI.

The company, founded in December 2008, has developed smartphones under brand name Firstouch in which it has installed its patent technology of translation and transliteration from English to regional language and vice-versa.


"Our swipe technology helps customer to communicate in regional as well as in English even if they don't know one of these languages. A message typed in regional language can be translated to English by swiping finger left to right and transliterated by swiping finger right to left," Deshmukh said.

He said that customers have the option to keep all menu of the phones in regional language and even application store.

The company has plans to launch Firstouch phones in Hindi and Marathi language in July, Tamil, Telegu and Bengali by September, Kannada and Malayalam by November and rest of the regional languages by March 2015.

"We will launch 10 models of Firstouch Regional Smartphones in price bracket Rs. 3,500 to Rs. 12,500 in next one year. By the end of March 2015, we want to present all over India," Deshmukh said.

NaMo anti-virus software to protect PCs for free

IT firm Innovazion has named its new anti-virus software 'NaMo', the popular short name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

NEW DELHI: Homegrown IT firm Innovazion has named its new anti-virus software NaMo, the popular short name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The software will provide free protection to PC users against malware and virus attacks.

While the current version offers basic protection, the company plans to launch advanced versions of the software as well as those for Apple's Mac computers. The current software will also get regular updates.

"India is the third largest country globally in terms of Internet users. However, statistics show that only 13% are using valid license of anti-virus software and 30% tend to re-install trial versions of same or other anti-virus software," Innovazion CEO Abhishek Gagneja told PTI.

However, the remaining 57% systems either have no protection or are using unknown applications for protection of their devices and this is the segment that NaMo AV is targetting, he added.

Gagneja, however, clarified that the company has no association with any political party or its leaders.

"By building this software, we wanted to... congratulate the current government. We also want to pass a message to the government that the nation has high expectations from them," he said.

The anti-virus has features like real-time detection of infections, intelligent scanning, custom detection and is light on hard drive.



Started in 2007, Innovazion has a presence in seven countries including India, the US, the UK, Germany, Canada, Romania, China and Singapore with over 500 employees. Its primary services are application development, business consulting, IT infrastructure management and marketing research.

Asked about the revenue model, Gagneja said the company would continue to offer the security software for free.

"We have other businesses that are doing well. Last year, the group's revenue was $16 million, which we expect will grow 100 per cent this year. NaMo AV will continue to be a free product," he said.

HTC Desire 816 with 13MP camera outed in India

The HTC Desire 816 smartphone has finally gone on sale in India. Online retailers have started offering the Desire 816 for a price slightly higher than what was announced by the company.
The HTC Desire 816 was said to retail for Rs 23,990, but is currently listed on listed on Infibeam for Rs 24,450. Flipkart on the other hand, is charging even more at Rs 24,999. The handset is currently the best you can get from the Desire series and it competes with Sony’s T2 Ultra and Samsung’s Note 3 Neo. A 5.5-inch HD IPS display sits pretty on the front along with a 5MP camera and there’s a 13MP snapper on the rear which can record videos at 1080p HD resolution.

The phone features a plastic design and has a very minimalistic appearance. It has the same dual front-facing BoomSound speakers with built-in amplifiers found on the flagship series. Being dual SIM enabled, the
handset comes with a 1.6GHz quad core Snapdragon 400 processor and supports HSPA+ connectivity along with Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, GPS and Bluetooth 4.0 radios. The phone runs on Android KitKat and features HTC’s Sense UI with the BlinkFeed interface.
The HTC Desire 816 was launched in multiple shades, but only the white and grey models are available for purchase online.

Here are the key specs of the HTC Desire 816:
- Android KitKat with Sense 5.5
- 1.6GHz quad core Snapdragon 400 SOC
- 1.5GB RAM
- 8GB internal storage, 128GB expandable
- 5.5-inch HD display
- 5MP front camera
- 13MP rear snapper
- 2600mAh battery

Bharti Airtel gains on definitive agreement with Loop Mobile

Bharti Airtel stock rose over one per cent to touch a high of Rs 342.6 in opening trade at the BSE.

SummaryBharti Airtel gained ground after company announced signing of a definitive agreement with Loop Mobile.

Shares of telecom major Bharti Airtel today gained ground after the company announced signing of a definitive agreement with Loop Mobile to create Mumbai's largest mobile network.
Bharti Airtel stock rose over one per cent to touch a high of Rs 342.6 in opening trade at the BSE. However, it pared most of the early gains in a weak overall market and was trading 0.1 per cent up at Rs 338.65 in mid-day trade.

Earlier on February 18, Bharti Airtel had announced an agreement with Loop Mobile to create "Mumbai's largest mobile network".
Taking the announcement forward, the company said this morning that it has now signed a definitive agreement with Loop Mobile (India) Limited in this regard.
Under the agreement, Loop's 3 million subscribers in Mumbai will join Airtel's over 4 million subscribers. It will also bring together Loop Mobile's network supported by 2,500 plus cell sites and Airtel's network supported by over 4,000 cell sites across Mumbai.

Honda recalls 2 mn cars globally over airbag flaws

Tokyo, June 23:  

Honda Motor Co is recalling about 2.03 million vehicles worldwide to fix flaws in airbags made by Takata Corp, the carmaker said on Monday.

The recall covers the Fit compact globally and includes about 1.02 million vehicles in North America, 666,000 in Japan and 154,000 in Europe, a Honda spokesman said.

Also on Monday, defective airbags produced by Takata also prompted Nissan Motor Co and Mazda Motor Corp to recall 128,000 vehicles and 11,800, respectively.

Toyota Motor Corp recalled about 2.27 million units over the airbag flaws earlier this month.

Asus Zenfone 5 first look: The dark horse in the mid-range segment?

#asus zenfone

By Roydon Cerejo /  23 Jun 2014 , 10:42

If rumours are to be believed then Asus will be announcing their entire Zenfone series come July 9. This will mark Asus return to the smartphone game in India after a long hiatus. Luckily, you need not wait till next month to get a first hand look as we managed to snag a unit off a cargo truck on the way to Asus’s warehouse. Just kidding, but we do have, what is likely, the final retail unit which will go on sale in India next month.



We have the Zenfone 5, which is the 5-inch version in the series and from the looks of it, seems like a serious contender against offerings from Samsung and Sony. The phone was first announced at CES 2014 but since then, Asus has made a couple of changes to the final Indian retail unit. For starters, the Zenfone 5 ditches the Intel Atom Z2580 for a Z2560 SoC, which runs at 1.6GHz instead of 2GHz. This is not a major setback as it’s still a dual-core with HyperThreading based on the CloverTrail+ platform. To make up for it, Asus has also increased the RAM to 2GB and boosted the battery to 2,110mAh.

The rest of the specifications remain pretty much the same. You get a 5-inch HD IPS display with Gorilla Glass, quad-band 3G and 2G, dual-SIM, expandable memory (8GB onboard) and a 8MP camera on the back.

The phone feels very well built and put together. It’s extremely sturdy as well and the back cover sits flush with the rest of the body. The little brushed aluminium trim at the bottom adds some flair to the phone and is in keeping with the Zen-series design language.

The Zenfone 5 had a launch price of $149, which should translate to an India retail price of roughly Rs 14,000 to Rs 16,000, after adding taxes and duty. If this is indeed true then it’s not too bad considering the specifications. We’ll be putting the Zenfone 5 through the ringer over the next week so stay tuned for the full review.

BlackBerry Z3 launch special: Four reasons why it might be a good buy

 

The Z3 has the potential to bring the Canadian smartphone maker back to the forefront in India.

How to install Android apps on BlackBerry till it opens up to Amazon store

BlackBerry is all set to launch its new device, the Z3 in India this week. The phone has been designed for emerging markets like Indonesia and India. It is also the most affordable BlackBerry 10 device till date. The Indonesia launch was successful enough for it to find a mention in the company’s results for the first quarter of 2014.

But will the phone be good enough for India and the customers here? There are still a lot of loyal BlackBerry users in India, but that is a vanishing tribe. The once ubiquitous BlackBerry devices are almost on the verge of being relegated to a senior management device again. But the Z3 has the potential to bring the Canadian smartphone maker back to the forefront in India. Here are three reasons:

1. Affordability: BlackBerry got its volumes in countries like India thanks to devices like the Curve 8520, which brought the company’s unique features to very low price points. The Z3 is also a very affordable device, having been launched in Indonesia for the equivalent of Rs 11,500. That is a good price for a 5-inch all-touch phone from a global player. However, Indians still have some fixation with the Rs 10,000 price point. If the company devices to launch the phone below that price point, it would have won half the battle.
REPLUG: You first read about the launch and price here
2. Android apps: The BlackBerry OS 10 is a good operating system that exploits the company’s expertise in security, device management and, of course, great keypads. However, the best feature of the latest OS is the fact that on top of all this you get to add any, yes any, Android application you want to. This solves one of the biggest problems people had with BlackBerry, the lack of apps that are popular in other ecosystems. While you can side-load apps from any app store, BlackBerry will in a few months offer official access to the Amazon app store. That will give BlackBerry 10 OS a slight edge over Android.
ALSO READ: How load Android apps on your BlackBerry
3. BlackBerry OS 10.2.1: The latest version of the BlackBerry operating systems plugs most of the gaps in the first version of the phone. With BlackBerry Hub the OS manages your mails and notifications much better than others, you can now act on notifications from the lock screen itself and the entire experience is intuitive and simple.

4. The device: Even at the price of Rs 11,500, a 5-inch smartphone with Android apps is a steal. On paper, the Z3 gives you 8GB of storage and a battery that is good for 15.5 hours of talk time. Which is at par with any phablet in this price range.

BMW-7 Series 760Li High Security launched in India

BMW India sprang surprise by launching armoured variant of 7-Series saloon in domestic market christened, 760Li High Security. The armoured version of the saloon is built specifically for individuals who require high security for which the company has bestowed 760Li High Security with the necessary modifications to make it meet the stern safety standards. BMM 7-Series 760Li High Security has been certified to the international standard guideline, BRV2009 and complies with the top most requirements of the ballistic protection. The vehicle has been tuned to provide adequate safety and is a strong contender on individual mobility segment.

BMW-7 Series 760Li High Security launched in India

The company says that the security variant was developedin line with the standard avatar of 7-Series and amalgamation of safety components were done at the company’s manufacturing unit located in Dingolfing alongside the standard variant. Revivifications have been made to the chassis of the vehicle to render sturdiness, suspension has also been revised, dampers and strut top mountings have been tweaked too which are responsible for balancing excess weight due to armour plating.

To maintain the confidentiality of the customers, BMW India is also extending services including consultancy, personalized sales and service support to the customers in the country. Servicing of the new BMW 7-Series 760Li High Security can be done at the certified special garages only where the access to the vehicle is allowed to select trained personnel. Driver training programmes for BMW security vehicles can also be availed by interested customers, these programmes are being conducted by BMW itself.

Ministry terms for spectrum sharing

Connecting call

New Delhi, June 12: The finance ministry may push the Telecom Commission to accept the sharing of spectrum provided the company farming out the scarce resource pays a percentage of the revenue it earns from such a deal to the government.

According to officials, with the Telecom Disputes Settlement & Appellate Tribunal allowing roaming pacts, stalling spectrum sharing did not make sense, unless the government decided to challenge roaming before the Supreme Court.

They said the alternative was to foster a healthy market for sharing unused spectrum with a fee that would add to the coffers of the government.

The government is likely to agree to spectrum sharing within the same circle, officials said. However, this will depend on inter-ministrial consultations.

The government will also have to decide on the spectrum usage charge and how they will be levied on a company taking extra spectrum within a circle.

At present, the formula to calculate the charge is based on slabs, with the charge varing from 3-8 per cent of revenue, depending on how spectrum is being used. This means when an operator buys or rents fresh spectrum, it moves to a higher slab. Analysts maintain that the implementation of this rule will lead to the clubbing of total spectrum being shared by two operators to calculate the fee.

“For example, if telco A has 7 MHz of spectrum and B has 4.4 and A rented out 2 MHz to B, both will pay a proportionate but higher charge calculated on the total, that is 11.4 MHz,” independent telecom sector analyst Sudipto Bose said.

Telecom regulator Trai had called the differential spectrum usage charge “a disincentive for any merger or acquisition, spectrum sharing and trading as well as in acquiring any additional spectrum”.

Idea QIP

Idea Cellular today said it had raised Rs 3,000 crore through qualified institutional placement (QIP) which witnessed strong interest from both foreign and domestic investors.

The company will raise Rs 750 crore through private placement of 5.18 crore shares to its Malaysia-based existing shareholder Axiata.

Xolo Win Windows tablet launched at Rs 19,990

NEW DELHI: Indian mobile device brand, Xolo has launched its Windows 8.1 tablet Xolo Win at Rs 19,990. The tablet is exclusively available through online retailer Flipkart which is also running promotional offers for buyers. It was first showcased at CES 2013.

Xolo Win features aluminium chassis and sports a 10.1 inch LED screen (1366x768p) which has 10 point multi-touch support. It is powered by a 1GHz AMD Temash A4-1200 processor (which has two 2 CPU cores, a 28-nanometer chip with a Radeon HD 8180 GPU) and 2GB RAM. The tablet comes with 32GB internal storage and a microSD card slot.

The tablet runs Windows 8.1 and comes also pre-installed with Microsoft Office, enabling users to view, edit and create reports, documents and spreadsheets. It also offers apps such as Kindle, Skype and One Drive.


Xolo Win Tablet comes with a 2MP rear camera and a 1MP HD front camera.

In terms of connectivity, it offers a micro-HDMI port, support for internet connectivity via dongles, and support for Keyboards, Printers and Headphones through a Micro-USB port and Bluetooth. It also has a 3.5mm audio jack for headphones. You can also connect to the internet through WiFi.

Flipkart is running several promotional offers on the tablet including an exchange offer, Rs 200 cash back on reviewing the product post purchase, a lucky draw offer, 50% discount on the purchase of a Bluetooth keyboard and free e-books.

Oppo Find 7 at Rs 37,990. Flagship smartphone are becoming cheaper

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Tom Lu-CEO and Steven Shi Feng-General Manager- OPPO Mobiles India launch Find 7.

LG Optimus G Pro with 13 MP full HD camera launched in India at Rs 42,500

Micromax Canvas 4 launched at a price of Rs 17,999 in India

Oppo, a mobile phone brand that has been eyeing the India market for a few months, on Wednesday launched its latest smartphone, the Oppo Find 7, in the country.
The phone comes with a lot of innovative features not available in other models at the moment and is priced competitively at Rs 37,990. The company has also launched a cheaper version of the phone, the Find 7a, priced at Rs 31,990. This could be a signal that more top-end phones are coming down from their lofty price points.
The Find 7 stands apart with its 5.5-inch Quad HD screen, the smallest screen size for its 2560×1440 resolution. The phone is powered by a 2.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 8974AC and runs Android-based Color OS. The phone uses VOOC flash charge technology to enable quick charging of its 3000 mAh battery – a 5-minute charge can let you finish a 2-hour voice call.

  

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The phone features a 13MP rear camera with Sony’s new IMX214 stacked sensor. The camera has a Ultra-HD picture mode that lets you combine 10 images into a 50MP picture file. It also comes with 4K video recording and a 32-second slow shutter. The Find 7a is a cheaper phone as it does not have the the QHD screen and comes with a smaller battery.
The Find 7a will be available tomorrow, while the Find 7 will start shipping a month later.

FIFAWorldCup, Tata Sky now takes Everywhere TV to PCs

Tata Sky launches its everywhere TV app on PCs, Mobiles and Tablets.

Past vs present in a glimpse of future

Shah Rukh Khan is excited about FIFA World Cup 2014

After cycles for girls, Nitish Kumar plans tablets,digital classes for women

Continuing its push to be available across devices, pay TV operator Tata Sky has launched its Everywhere TV application on personal computers along with the smartphones and tablets it was already catering to.
Combined with the ability to record and playback content, this new feature could prove to be hit during the FIFA World Cup starting on Thursday. Everywhere TV subscribers can already watch the match from Sony Six live at no additional cost.
Chief Commercial Officer, Vikram Mehra, said the move was prompted by the success of Everywhere TV on phones and tablets.
“The service launch has been timed just before the football World Cup, to ensure that home laptop doubles up as the 2nd TV at home, thus allowing youngsters to watch late night football matches on their laptops and headphones, without disturbing their entire family,” he added.

Intex plans to launch smartphone under Rs 2000

Indian smartphone manufacturer Intex is planning to launch a smartphone under Rs 2,000. The smartphone is known as ‘Cloud FX’ and it will feature the recently announced Mozilla Firefox OS for phones. Yesterday we covered story which revealed the plans for Spice and Intex mobiles work on ultra low budget smartphones with the Firefox OS.
Today Intex has officially revealed the time frame and some of the specs of its first Firefox OS based smartphone. The smartphone would feature a 3.5-inch display and will be powered by a 1GHz processor (likely to be single core). There will be a 2-MP rear facing camera for photography (basic photography needs though) and will use WiFi and Bluetooth for connectivity.

The Firefox phones are reportedly supported by Spreadtrum processors which can support HVGA displays. These ultra budget smartphones will be basic smartphones, so don’t expect mumbo jumbo apps and games experience on these devices. They will support multimedia, email, music, video and social networking. The OS also accepts apps made using HTML5 technology codes. So if developers are focusing on this phone they can actually build apps environment for this operating system as well.
Looking at these specs and the limitation of the Operating System, we expect the price of the Intex Firefox phones to cost around Rs 1,500-1,800. What is your take on these ultra budget smartphones? Let us know.

Apple earphones may not work with other devices in future

With the upcoming iPhone 6, looks like Apple plans some massive changes to its earphone/headphone compatibility. Its acquisition of Beats further strengthens this possibility. Now, 9To5Mac has learnt Apple is introducing new specifications for manufacturers in its Made-For-iPhone/iPad/iPod (MFi) program, allowing them to build earphones for iOS with Lightning connector instead of the usual 3.5mm jack.


“The Lightning headphones will be capable of receiving lossless stereo 48 kHz digital audio output from Apple devices and sending mono 48 kHz digital audio input. The input means that the headphones will also support a microphone for audio input following Apple’s upcoming update,” adds the report. Manufacturers reportedly will also be capable of taking advantage of Apple Headphone Remote controls like volume and other buttons for launching specific apps. It is quite possible that the headphones could also be made to work with a companion iOS app.

Currently, the Apple-made EarPods use a regular 3.5 mm headphone jack and hence they can be used with any other device with a 3.5 mm audio port. It also means you can use virtually any other pair of non-apple headphones with your iPhone. But that is not going to be for long.

The port switch could also means headphones could be made to work exclusively with a particular app – or even launch a specific app once they are plugged in.

So, instead of being able to plug in your EarPods and listen to whatever streaming music app you want, a pair of future EarPods could only work with the iOS Music app and iTunes Radio.

With input from IANS

Nokia XL review: Going one size up

Nokia XL is priced at Rs 10,870.

SummaryThe XL is a larger Nokia Android phone with a better camera than its smaller brother.

This is going to be a rather short review, not because the Nokia XL is a boring phone or has very little features, but because it is like going a size up on the Nokia X which we reviewed recently. The XL is a larger Nokia Android phone with a better camera than its smaller brother. The rest of the features are more or less the same.
Quick Tech Specs: 5-inch 800 x 480p LCD display | 1 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor | 768 MB RAM | 4GB internal memory, microSD up to 32GB | 5MP rear camera with auto-focus + 2MP front camera | Dual-microSIM (GSM + GSM) | 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth | 2000 mAh battery | Android-based Nokia X software platform

Price: Rs 10,870
This is going to be a rather short review, not because the Nokia XL is a boring phone or has very little features, but because it is like going a size up on the Nokia X which we reviewed recently. The XL is a larger Nokia Android phone with a better camera than its smaller brother. The rest of the features are more or less the same.
Quick Tech Specs: 5-inch 800 x 480p LCD display | 1 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor | 768 MB RAM | 4GB internal memory, microSD up to 32GB | 5MP rear camera with auto-focus + 2MP front camera | Dual-microSIM (GSM + GSM) | 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth | 2000 mAh battery | Android-based Nokia X software platform
Price: Rs 10,870
Design: The design is exactly the same as the Nokia X, or the Nokia Asha series. Vibrant colours that now symbolise the company’s devices, a single back button on front with power and volume buttons on the right side. The camera has no bump on the rear, but has a small LED flash on top of the lens. The rear flap is hard to open like with other Nokia phones in this range, so this might not be a good choice for people who keep swapping their second SIM. It might be a good idea to bring the hot-swappable slot to these phones.
Screen: The phone has a WVGA 480p screen that might put off some buyers as there are quite a few models out there offering qHD or even HD at the same price point. However, the screen is quite good and has decent viewing

Amazon intros streaming Prime Music with iOS app

Amazon has introduced Prime Music, a new unlimited, ad-free streaming music service featuring more than a million songs and “hundreds of playlists.” It comes free with an Amazon Prime subscription ($99), but is otherwise inaccessible. Users can download songs and playlists for offline playback, as well. Amazon’s Cloud Player iOS app has now become the Amazon Music app in version 3.0.0, and adds Prime Music functionality. 

At this point, we ran into a few issues with the app, as some Prime users were having trouble getting access. Also, it appears that only primary users of a Prime account can access the service using their own password — any shared, secondary users on someone else’s Prime account will have to use those primary credentials to access the service, as is the case with Amazon Instant Video. We’ve reached out to Amazon for
comment, and will update if they respond.

Read more at http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/news/comments/amazon-intros-streaming-prime-music-with-ios-app/#cVKs4X48E40TOp3E.99

Aukey Mini Lock 3000mAh Portable Power Bank

With a 1-Amp output speed and 3,000mAh capacity, Aukey's Mini Lock ($40) is a battery pack best suited to iPhones and iPods, instead of iPads. It's clear it was designed with size in mind, as the pack is both thin and light. The cell is located inside a colorful plastic housing, with one USB output, and one Micro-USB input. Four battery indicator lights turn on when you swipe over them. A silver plastic loop allows you to hook Mini Lock onto a keychain or carabiner.

About the same depth as a credit card, Mini Lock is half an inch wider, and of course, thicker, measuring 0.425”. That’s still pretty thin for a battery though, especially one with a 3,000mAh cell. The plastic body
feels fine; it’s not the highest quality plastic we’ve ever seen, but it’s also not the cheapest. It’s certainly not going to fall apart in your hands. While it’s practicality may be somewhat questionable, the clip doesn’t hurt, and is a differentiating factor. Because it’s plastic instead of metal, it can be easily scratched when fitted onto a keyring.
Based on dozens of prior reviews, we’ve found that, on average, a 3,000mAh battery will deliver a charge of about 150 percent. It’ll completely recharge a depleted iPhone 5, and have enough energy left for a half charge on another. We were surprised to see then that this one actually did much, much better in our tests. It was able to deliver two full charges, a full 50 percent more than we’d expect and even better than Aukey advertises.
At $40, and with the charging output we saw in our tests, Mini Lock earns our high recommendation. To pack that much power into such a small box is an impressive feat, especially for the price. We’d appreciate faster charging for iPads—we got a 58 percent charge on a first-generation iPad mini, but it took four hours and 16 minutes. Other than that, there’s not too much more we can ask for in terms of functionality. For a cheap, highly portable pack, it’s a great way to go.

Read more at http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/entry/aukey-mini-lock-3000mah-portable-power-bank/#oZ5brHFv8ldvtBRt.99

Incipio offGRID Rugged Battery Case for iPhone 5

Incipio's new offGRID Rugged Battery Case for iPhone 5 ($90) looks like a combination of its standard offGRID combined with elements of its highly protective Atlas case. The result is a battery case that can take a beating, or at least more of one than most competitors can. offGRID Rugged's sled component into which the iPhone connects seems to be identical to that of offGRID, although it only has a 2000mAh cell, down from 2600mAh on that earlier model. The new piece is the frame, a somewhat thick combination of rubber and plastic, that snaps around the handset. It offers button protection plus shock absorption. Incipio's latest battery case comes in white/purple, gray/black, blue/black, and black/green color schemes, each of which
ships with a Micro-USB cable, a headphone extender, and a screen film. Although the iPhone 5s isn't listed as a supported device, it does physically fit.

Read more at http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/entry/incipio-offgrid-rugged-battery-case-for-iphone-5/#mqkGW64jPksMoabc.99

Nest’s Fadell talks about relationship with Steve Jobs

Nest founder and “father of the iPod” Tony Fadell is featured in a new Fortune profile that devotes plenty of time to his relationship with Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Fadell regrets that he never got to show Nest to Jobs. “I would have loved to have been able to show it to him, but the timing didn’t work,” he said.
The article describes the Jobs-Fadell relationship as alternating “between the father/son and school principal/naughty student archetypes,” with Fadell saying, “He thought I asked too many questions,” and Jobs often returning the favor. While it’s believed Jobs fired Fadell on numerous occasions, instead, Fadell
says he “repeatedly quit.” The article notes that on at least two occasions, Fadell recanted his resignations, “having gotten his way each time.”
Fadell says he’s adapted well to the Google culture after selling Nest to the company: “I’m getting emails from people from all over the world inside Google,” he says. “At Apple the communications were very well structured.”

Read more at http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/news/comments/nests-fadell-talks-about-relationship-with-steve-jobs1/#GlJGH0B4Q8duDo2p.99

Equil Smartpen

Equil's Equil Smartpen ($150) is the second smartpen to make it to us this month, after Livescribe's Livescribe 3. Instead of relying on custom paper to beam notes and sketches back to compatible devices, this pen uses a special sensor that can clip onto any sheet of paper. Using an ultrasonic frequency, the pen and the sensor speak to each other to transfer your writing. The overall feel of the products isn't as nice as that of Livescribe's, and it's more complicated to set up, but you don't have to worry about buying and using the right accessories to go with the kit.

Our favorite part of this collection has nothing to do with the pen itself, but rather, how it’s stored and charged. Equil came up with a really clever travel case that holds all the pieces together, and allows them to charge at once. The battery lasts up to eight hours per charge. At the core is a 6.25” extruded triangle that’s 1.35” long on each side, and it’s wrapped in a cover that feels a lot like the polyurethane material Apple uses for its Smart Covers. It opens up to expose a holder for the pen along the top, with two small metal contacts
for transferring power. There’s a similar but smaller opening at the bottom of the front for the sensor; an extra pen cartridge is hidden underneath. The case also has a Micro-USB charging port, as well as a pen cartridge ejector slot. On the opposite side you’ll find a pen cap, which pops up when you slide a lever along the back. It’s a really cool way to handle all the pieces cleanly and neatly.
Then pen itself is also triangular, half an inch on any side, and 6” long. It feels somewhat cheap for such an expensive product, perhaps because of how light it is. We find the shape less comfortable than that of a round pen. Mostly white plastic, it’s translucent at either end, and there’s a single button towards the bottom third. The sensor is even smaller — a block measuring 3” across, 1” deep, and almost 0.6” tall. It has a single button along its top right edge, and sensors on its face. A small magnetic flap on the bottom grabs whatever paper you’re using, holding it tightly.
Equil offers two separate, free apps for use with its system: Equil Note HD for writing, and Equil Sketch HD for drawing. Both work with the same hardware, but have different UIs and functionality. Regardless of which you use, the process is the same. Sync the sensor to your device, clip it to your paper, and launch the app. Once the pen is on, the pieces will speak to each other. Speak is the right word here, as there’s an annoying buzz that emanates from the pen. This is the biggest downside to the whole thing, as the noise drove us a little crazy.
Putting that aside, it’s impressive how well Equil works. Start writing on the paper, and your strokes will appear on the screen. There’s no need to write differently, or worry about where you’re writing on the paper, as Equil does a great job of keeping track of relative position. The only issues come within the two centimeters below the sensor, which is a blind zone.
Both apps are full-featured, rather than proof-of-concept skeletons. They allow for multiple pages, editing, sharing, and even automatically back up in the cloud with iCloud, Dropbox, or Evernote. We’re impressed with both. Another cool feature, found in each, is the ability to use gestures. Hold the pen button down and draw a clockwise or counterclockwise circle in the air, or double-click the button, and you can achieve quick actions. They come preset but are programmable.
If forced to choose between LiveScribe 3 and Equil Smartpen, we’d take the former, but by a small margin. It’s certainly easier to be able to start writing without having to set up special hardware, even if you do have to buy proprietary notebooks. That is to say, it’s a tradeoff: do you prefer ease of use, or scope? We also like certain aspects of both companies’ apps, with neither being the clear winner. Ultimately, the two balance out in many regards, and the truth remains that $150 is a high price to get your text from the page to the screen anyway. It’s a niche product at a high price, squarely fitting our definition of a limited recommendation.

Apps: Broken Age, (R)evolve, Skype 5.0 + VVVVVV Read more at

Broken Age ($10) from Double Fine Productions is the first graphic adventure game in 16 years from developer Tim Schafer. Famously funded through Kickstarter, Broken Age is an iPad-only game which was first released on other platforms in January. Players control two teenagers who find themselves in similar situations, but in completely different magical worlds. A star-studded affair, it features the voice talents of Elijah Wood, Jack Black, Jennifer Hale, Wil Wheaton, and Pendleton Ward. The game has been well reviewed, and if you’re a fan of point-and-click adventures, it would make a lot of sense to get the iPad version. Act 1 is now available, and Act 2 of the game will be added as an in-app purchase in the future.

(R)evolve (free) is a new release from Team17 Software, best known for developing the Worms series. The game tasks players with taking care of life on an alien planet as meteors crash down upon it in different waves and patterns. Controls are simple — press the left side of the screen to spin the planet to the left, and likewise for the right. You’re aimed with making sure the meteorites hit the bare spots on the planet. Winner of The Great British Game Jam 2014, (R)evolve is a neat little game that’s worth a try for free; a $1 in-app purchase removes ads.

Skype has redesigned its free Skype for iPhone app in version 5.0. The app has been revamped to start up faster and puts recent conversations first. Users can now create groups, share photos, and leave video messages. The updated app makes it easier to switch between conversations, and new in-app controls lets users better manage notifications.

Terry Cavanagh’s platformer VVVVVV ($3) was released for Mac in 2010; it hits iOS nearly four years later. Of course, if you haven’t played it — or heard of it — it’s new to you. The touchscreen controls are simple, as players use the left side of the screen to move, and the right side of the screen to “flip” — you reverse gravity to stand on the ceiling or the floor. This is how you get around obstacles, rather than jumping. It introduces some interesting play dynamics. Graphics are very basic, but don’t detract from the experience at all. If you haven’t tried it before, VVVVVV is a fun twist on the platform genre.

Read more at http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/news/comments/apps-angry-birds-epic-broken-age-skype-5.0-vvvvvv/#01Xmj8wFRaUFgTel.99

Daily Deal: Get The MacX DVD Video Converter Pro Pack for only $20 Read more at

In today’s iLounge Deal we’re offering our readers The MacX DVD Video Converter Pro Pack for only $20—81% off its regular price. Providing all of the tools you need to rip and convert your DVDs for OS X and iOS, the bundle includes MacX Video Converter Pro, which allows you to convert multiple videos formats for iOS playback and MacX DVD Ripper Pro for pulling your DVDs into a conversion-ready format.

Get The MacX DVD Video Converter Pro Pack now for only $20

Read more at http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/news/comments/daily-deal-the-macx-dvd-video-converter-pro-pack-20/#fKVbYzj4zYT5a5UC.99