Google ‘Scraps’ Orkut!

Orkut has now officially shut down. Google has bid farewell to the site that unfolded the world of social networking to all of us. Through scraps and communities, we found long lost friends and made new. All of this will now only remain in our memories and in archives.

Google will preserve Orkut Community Archive – 51 million communities, 120 million topics, and more than 1 billion interactions. So, we can still go down the memory lane to visit it once in a while.

Probably, we will not miss you Orkut but your mention will always be nostalgic!

App that Drives Safety Straight to the Home

When it comes to creativity, sky is the limit. But when it is matched with the need, its importance is all the more highlighted. Parenteen is a result of such perfect combination of creativity and need. This app is specifically developed for parents of teens who are acquiring driving skills.

Parenteen allows parents to virtually be with their child while he/she is driving. With the help of driver’s location and driver behaviour data they can also track their child’s progress. It also offers more such features that ensure child becomes a master behind the wheel. Know more about the app, click here. 

Sony WowZ the World with Z3 Series of Smart Phones

Sony India adds a new feather in their Xperia series of smart phones – Z3. This smart phone comes in two models – Z3 and Z3 Compact. The Z3 boasting a 5.2” display, while the Compact sporting a 4.6” screen. Both phones are waterproof. So that you can capture the beautiful scenes of the receding monsoon without much worry!

Here is a narrow down on their awesome features:

Camera

First and foremost, both the Sony Z3 and Z3 Compact quip the modern day photographer with an amazing 20 MP rear camera. That lets you shoot impressive 5248 X 3936 pixels beauties. While the front camera provides a 2.0 MP, 1080 resolution picture quality.

The 1/2.3” ExmorRS for mobile sensor and BIONZ for mobile processing engine takes Sony’s signature photography experience to a further level.

It also comes with a 25mm wide-angle Sony G Lens that allows you to fit more in the camera.

And when it comes to shooting videos, Sony gives us the SteadyShot technology with Intelligent Active Mode. Additionally, it also gives you the freedom to pause and resume video filming with a time gap.

Audio

Audio is the second ground where the Sony Z3 series cuts ahead through the crowd. It uses intelligent noise cancelling technology that reduces ambient noise by up to 98% when connected to the MDR-NC31EM Digital Noise Cancelling headset!

Gaming

These phones have some of the revolutionary features when it comes to gaming.

Your Z3 and Z3 Compact can turn themselves into a remote for your PS4 console! How’s that? And on the other hand, the PlayStation App allows you to use the Sony Z3 and Z3 Compact as a second screen and remotely watch your friends’ game or chat with them through PSN.

You can even sync your PS4 with your Z3 phones to buy games online and download it on the PS4 device.

It is very clear that Z3 and Z3 Compact are leagues ahead in terms of camera, audio and gaming. But it also provides a mighty battery life. The Z3 rocks a 3100 mAh battery while the Z3 Compact is upped to 2600 mAh capacity. With this capability you can use the phone for up to 2 days.

Additionally, the Z3 and Z3 Compact incorporate Stamina mode which enables turns off the operations which are not in use.

Some other notable features of both Z3 and Z3 Compact:

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor
• 2.5 GHz quad-core CPU
• 4G LTE modem
• 720p HD display on Xperia

Pricing

The Z3 is now available in the Indian market at the price of Rs. 51, 990 while Z3 Compact costs 44,990.

BlackBerry, Back With An Edge. Launches Passport, a Square Shaped Smart Phone!

Are we seriously bored of the slimmer, weightless, rectangular slabs of technology what we call smart phones? Because BlackBerry has come up with a wonderful square piece – Passport, their latest flagship phone.

Roughly the size of a passport, this QWERTY touch-enabled keyboard, 4.5” square screened phone is designed to break boundaries of design and functionality.

Let’s take an overview of what features this beast packs.

Design

Shaped for the modern mobile professionals, BlackBerry Passport is portable enough to be slipped into your pocket. It sports a Corning® Glass 3 for the display and is great for viewing.

Keyboard

It has the industry’s first touch-enabled keyboard with gestures that make typing, editing and navigating feel like a breeze.

Operating System

The BlackBerry Passport is one of the first devices to run the latest OS platform, BlackBerry 10.3.

Productivity enhancing features

It features BlackBerry® Blend and BlackBerry® Assistant, as well as the BlackBerry® World™ storefront and Amazon Appstore.

BlackBerry Blend

It is their latest messaging and content integrating feature. It syncs your data with your computer and tablet. That means you can access your  documents, calendar, contacts and media in real time on whatever device you are on, powered by your BlackBerry. You can even get notifications for messages, personal and official email and BBM™ too. Now that’s a definite plus!

BlackBerry Assistant

It is the first-of-its-kind digital assistant BlackBerry has ever had. It assists you with managing your official and personal emails, contacts, calendar and other native BlackBerry 10 apps. It interacts too. Responding through text, voice and with Bluetooth on, it speaks back with additional context too.  

Apart from the unique features mentioned above, the new BlackBerry Passport comes with a powerful
3450 mAh battery providing a whooping 30 hours of mixed use. It also rocks a solid Quad Core 2.2 GHZ Processor, powered by 3 GB RAM. It has a 13 MP OIS rear camera that makes it shutterbugs-ready and comes with a 32 GB memory.

Quick Specs

Display: 4.5”

Resolution: 1440 X 1440 pixels

Processor: 2.2 GHz

RAM: 3 GB

OS: BlackBerry OS 10.3

Battery: 3450 mAh

Rear Camera: 13 MP

Front Camera: 2 MP

Storage: 32 GB

With Great Power of ASUS Graphic Cards Comes Great Detail

ASUS has recently introduced Strix GTX 980 and Strix GTX 970 graphic cards with new technologies that offer cooler, quieter and faster performance. That would make gaming an amazing experience. The 0dB fan technology offers silent performance, while the new ASUS Digi+ voltage-regulator module (VRM) technology and Super Alloy Power components deliver enhanced durability and cooling. On the other hand, the GPU Tweak feature allows overclocking and online streaming.
It's taking gaming to the next level!

Pricing
ASUS Strix GTX 980 will be available in the Indian market at the market price of Rs. 42,500 (excluding taxes) while Strix GTX 970 is priced at Rs 26,700 (plus taxes). 

HTC Launches Its Truly Desirable Range!

HTC extended its range of "Desire" phones with three new models namely HTC Desire 820, HTC Desire 820Q and HTC Desire 816G. This stunning range of mobile phones promises to revitalise the already strong HTC brand. Power and performance has always been the cornerstone of HTC phones. Let’s see what these stunners bring.

HTC Desire 820

The HTC Desire 820 rocks a solid 64-bit Octa-core and runs the latest Android Kit Kat. It also sports a 13 MP rear camera with LED flash and an 8 MP selfie-ready 8 MP shooter.

It runs on 2 GB RAM and comes with 16 GB storage, which can be expanded further. You will have to wait to slip it in your pocket. It is expected to be available in the Indian market in November 2014. The company has not disclosed the price yet.
HTC Desire 820Q
HTC 820Q has identical specifications as HTC Desire 820 but comes with quad-core processor and 1 GB RAM. Both the models have dual-sim capability. Notably, both the phones are compatible with 4G connectivity.

HTC Desire 816G
HTC Desire 816G is the next version of HTC Desire 816, which was launched few months back. However, it lacks compatibility to LTE 4G connectivity. Also, its processor has been downgraded to 1.3 GHz. This model will be available in the Indian market from early October at the price of Rs 18,990.

Three... Two... ONE. Xbox One India launch.

Gaming aficionados, the countdown begins. Just bear the next three hours, Microsoft will launch its most awaited Xbox One gaming console in India at midnight today. Although, it is already up for pre-order, exclusively on Amazon India.

Pricing

Go on, own your Xbox One with Kinect bundle at Rs. 45, 990 and without at Rs. 39, 990

What’s inside?

Every Xbox One system packs one Xbox One console having a 500 GB hard drive, Blu-ray player and built-in Wi Fi, a Xbox One Wireless Controller and a free 14-day trial of Xbox Live Gold for its new members.

The one with Kinect will take your gaming experience to a new level. It brings loads of games and gesture controls, biometric sign-in, controller paring, Skype video calls, instant personalization, instant scanning of QR codes, and enhanced features.

Apart from that it will also include:

•       Xbox One Chat Headset
•       High Speed HDMI Cable
•       2 AA Batteries
•       Power Supply and AC Power Cord

Happy Gaming!

On Your Marks, Get... Set... 4G!

4G, a much awaited dream of techno-enthusiasts, is likely to come true in the near future. Reliance Jio has recently announced to launch 4G services across 400 cities of the country by March 2015.

Reliance Jio is said to speed up work such as the laying of Optical Fiber Cable (OFC) and installing other necessary equipment. Reportedly, the company is making an investment of Rs. 70,000 crore and will set up to 1, 70,000 km long OFCs across the length and breadth of the country.

So, want to browse through one of the fastest network? Just hold your horses for a while!

Sparkling New Kindle - The Next Best Thing to Paper When it Comes to Reading

It is indeed true; reading a book on a screen is painful. Especially, when it’s so engrossing, that you can’t keep the book down. And when it comes to continue reading way past your bedtime, well you can take a book to bed but not a screen.

The people at Amazon like to think otherwise. As they have launched a new successor to their e-book reader, the most popular – Kindle. This new version is 20 per cent faster than its predecessor while it also boasts twice the storage.

It is light, small and can be tossed into your bag or pocket easily.

(Haven’t given a try to e-book readers? Then you should definitely try this baby. You’ll never go back to reading paper. It throws no glare back at your eyes even under the brightest sun. It also mimics paper like texture and page turning feel.)

Apart from the physical appearances and ease of usability, this small wonder packs lots of new and impressive features:

Whispersync: It saves your last page read and synchronizes with Kindle app, so that you can start exactly from the point where you stopped. More like a bookmark, but the one that appears across all your multiple devices and Kindle apps.

Kindle FreeTime: Call it your kids’ personal motivator for improving their reading skills. It provides a set of select must-read books for your kids to read, and also reward them with achievement badges once they reach reading milestones. If you are a parent then this will definitely help you keep a track on total time spent reading, number of words looked up, badges earned and books read.

Vocab builder: It automatically stores words looked up in the dictionary to expand your knowledge and reinforce retention.

No set up required: Start right-out-of-the-box reading.

Smart Lookup: Integrates a full dictionary definition with references linked to X-Ray and Wikipedia.

 
Improved battery-life: Enjoy reading for weeks without touching your charger.

Auto backup: Cloud backups your Kindle books.

ETR (Estimated Time to Read): The device has become smarter and will be able to tell you how much time you will take to finish the book or a chapter based on your reading speed. 

Share: Like a book, loved a quote, share it on Facebook and Twitter

Want to toss the Kindle in your pocket? You can pre-order it even now.

Not sweet, not sugary, it’s simply iOS 8

Apple’s latest gift to mankind-iOS 8 is here, up and running. Here’s our first impression on its top features.

 The newest operating system for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch is finally here. You too can get the update directly onto your iOS device using Wi-Fi or via iTunes. Just remember to backup all your data on iCloud or iTunes before updating.

Check out its features:

Camera

The Camera app gets a new ‘Time Lapse’ video mode that can create time-lapse videos by connecting photos taken at time intervals. A self-timer feature has also been introduced to the Camera.

Continuity

iOS and Mac OS X working as one. Improved integration between Apple devices is a major focus point of iOS 8. Features in continuity include Airdrop, Handoff, Text message integration, Call integration. Regrettably, you will have to wait until Yosemite is released in October, unless you have signed up for the public beta program.

Health app

It's an umbrella app that will aggregate data from third-party health and fitness apps. It will also sync with the Apple iWatch. As Apple iWatch will have sensors to monitor your activity and vital signs. This is surely an interesting biggie!

Family Sharing

A feature for sharing location data, photos, movies, music and apps in a family group (up to 6 people) using the same credit card looks good on the first impression.

Widgets Finally!

Those who envy Android users know what widgets really are.

By Neha Kulkarni

nehacoolkarni@gmail.com

And that’s not all. There are some other great features too, which we’ll be covering pretty soon. This is just a peek into the surprises stored in iOS 8.

Study: New Technology Becomes Obsolete After Five Years

Technology is an ever-evolving field. It progresses by constantly replacing outdated and obsolete technology. The electronic products and gadgets that you hold so dearly become outdated sooner than you think. To illustrate it more clearly, The Consumer Electronics Association has recently revealed its report on a survey they conducted, named as ‘CE Product Life Cycle study’.

It tries to understand users’ perspectives of product life cycles for various consumer electronic items such as smartphones, cameras, laptops, computers, gaming consoles, etc.

As per the findings of the survey, on an average, these products lose their relevancy in five years and need to be upgraded. The highest life expectancy is 7.4 years, voted for televisions; while smartphones have the lowest expectancy of 4.6 years. So, if recently you think your relationship with your gadget has lost its spark, you are ‘obseletely’ right! 

Super-space: SanDisk Brings 512 GB SD Card

Exactly, how much space is enough space? Apparently, there’s no specific answer to that query. And as it goes with power, same applies to space - there’s no limit to having more space. That’s why, no matter how high capacity storage device we had a year ago, we can’t imagine using it today.

Merely a decade ago, even a 512 MB SD card was a big thing to have, but now SanDisk has introduced Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I memory card with a capacity of whooping 512 GB! It is undoubtedly the world’s highest capacity SD card on the market.

The card will turn to be a boon for photographers and videographers as it has a huge storage space for ultra high definition and full high definition videos. It will also offer an added advantage to creative enthusiasts shooting in RAW file format.

Apart from big on size, it is big on security too. The Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I is temperature-proof, water proof, shock-proof and X-ray proof too. 

One for Everyone: Android One

Google does it again what it does best - make the latest technology available to all at an affordable price, This time, in the form of Android One. Android One is a platform for smartphones, launched with Google's three phone partners, Micromax, Karbonn and Spice. And the three Android One smartphones are Micromax’s Canvas A1, Karbonn’s Sparkle V and Spice’s Dream Uno. All available at a starting price as low as Rs. 6,299!

These smartphones are loaded with basic features such as camera, dual-sim, FM radio, and expandable memory slot and will offer a complete smartphone experience to people who could not afford such gadgets until now. That’s not all. To ensure that users stay updated, Google One smartphones will receive the new versions of the operating system directly from Google.

Initially, these devices will run on Android Kitkat, but shortly, they will be amongst the first few phones to get upgraded to the most awaited Android L. Moreover, Google has also announced an offer with its telecom company partner Airtel, which will offer special data plans for these mobile devices.

Seems interesting? You can buy Micromax Canvas A1, Karbonn Sparkle V or Spice Dream Uno exclusively on the e-shopping sites amazon.com, snapdeal.com and flipkart.com respectively. 

7 Ways to Extend Battery Life of your Smartphone

Draining battery is one of the worst nightmares in today’s world of smartphones. Your phone be of any brand, operating system or configuration, your relieving moment is when you see plug point to connect its charger. Here are some simple tips we've gathered over our personal experiences you may consider to extend the battery life.

1 Uninstall apps you do not use

Take a quick look at the number of apps installed on your phone. You may find few apps that you have not used in ages. Uninstall them. They may be consuming power. If there are few such pre-loaded apps that you cannot uninstall, at least disable them. That will help. Same goes with unnecessary widgets and live wallpapers.

2 Delete junk

Once in a while take some time out to maintain your phone. Delete all the unnecessary files such as forwarded photos, videos, or blurred photos. They consume space and make the phone run slow, which further results in consuming more battery.

3 Update apps

Many times apps are updated to consume lesser power. Keep the apps updated so that they co-operate with you to extend the battery life of your smartphone.

4 Keep a tab on apps running in the background.

Many times, even after closing, particular apps silently run in the background. Go to Settings and check for the apps that are running in the background and force stop them.

5 Turn the data connection off

At some places where you know that the signal strength is very low, switch off the data connection. Your smartphone continuously searches for the network draining the battery.

6 Reduce refresh frequency

Apps such as facebook, gmail, twitter, etc notify you on every e-mail or message received. While it is a good idea to be in touch with your friends, it may cost the battery life. It is best to check for such notifications manually. If not you can at least reduce the frequency of getting alerts. E.g if your facebook app refreshes every 30 mins, you can set it to refresh after couple of hours or more. 

7 Power saving mode

If your phone’s battery is still running low, you can extend its battery life by using power saving mode. This limits the phone’s operation to bear minimum and allows battery to run longer. 

First Mozilla OS Smartphone, Cloud FX Priced at Rs 1,999

You got it right! Intex Technologies has released Cloud FX, a smartphone at a price as low as Rs 1,999. This is the first smartphone running Firefox  OS, and is loaded with features such as Wi-Fi, 2  MP rear camera and Bluetooth.

Key features of Intex Cloud FX :

• Spd 6821 1.0 GHz processor
• Display size  – 3.5” 
• Display resolution - HVGA
• Firefox OS
• 2 MP rear camera
• RAM- 128 MB
• ROM- 256 MB
• Memory expandable up to  4 GB
• Available in black and white colors

It is exclusively available on snapdeal.com

Sony Launches High-end LED TVs in India

When it comes to picture quality, LED TVs are unmatched. To enhance the viewing experience further, Sony has unveiled new range of BRAVIA 4K televisions recently. Thanks to embedded X-tended Dynamic technology, these TVs offer double brightness than the conventional LED TVs. On the other hand, its backlight algorithm enables cinematic experience on a relatively smaller screen.

Moreover, the BRAVIA 4K TVs range comes equipped with Sony’s backlit TRILUMINOS display to deliver a gamut of hard-to-produce colors delivering true to life picture quality. Some of the models in the range boast wedge structure, offering stability to the TV.

Every TV in the BRAVIA 4K series supports latest HDMI 2.0 standards, as well as, 4K output from smartphones and tablets. You can alsp stream movies online and watch videos stored in your USB drive.

The Sony BRAVIA 4K LED TV series is available in six sizes starting from 49” to 85”. The pricing starts from Rs. 174,900. You may have to wait for few days to buy these TVs as they are expected to be available in the market from end of September. 

Say ‘Hello’ to Hangout’s New Feature

When your loved one is at the other end of the globe, it is best to video chat with them. However, it is not always possible. To take you out of this conundrum, Google has upgraded Hangout with Voice Call feature.

Now, Android, iOS and web users in the US and Canada can get in touch with the help of Hangout, that too for free! Yes, you read it right, calling other Hangout users or numbers in the US and Canada is free of charge. Furthermore, Google also claims that international calls from Hangout will be at a lower charge. In a nutshell, the Voice Calling feature of Hangout will make communicating simpler and affordable.

Installing it is easy as well. Just get the latest Android version of Hangout (v2.3) and the Dialer app to turn on voice calling, and you are good to go. For iOS and web users, your Hangout will upgrade itself the next time you open the app.

Captain Cook reveals the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in Style

Giving a full stop to all rumors and speculations, Apple has finally unveiled the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The iPhone 6 features 4.7” Retina HD display, while the iPhone 6 Plus sports a display size of 5.5”. Both models feature iSight and FaceTime HD cameras to enable you to capture memorable moments.

Both phones carry iOS 8, Apple’s latest operating system. It also features Apple Pay, a shopper-friendly technology for contactless payment. Moreover, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are bundled with QuickType keyboard and iCloud Drive. To help you keep an eye on fitness, both models are preloaded with a Health app. This app will keep you abreast with information such as distance you covered walking, number of stairs you climbed, and other relevant data.

The key differential of this generation of iPhones will be increased space. As for the first time it will available in 128 GB. Talking about the pricing, iPhone 6’s 16 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB versions will be available for $199, $299 and $399 respectively.  On the other hand, iPhone 6 Plus will be available for $299 (16 GB), $399 (64 GB) and $499 (128 GB) in the US market. Although there is no official word about the Indian pricing of iPhone 6 but it is speculated to be available in India by October end. Both the models are available in three colors  – gold, silver or space gray. It goes without saying that prices for iPhone 5S has been dropped!

ASUS Launches New Wireless Router

ASUS has introduced RT-AC87U, an AC2400-class dual-band 802.11ac wireless router. It features four-transmit, four-receive (4x4) antenna configuration. Moreover, it gives blazing fast 1734Mbit/s 802.11ac speeds on the 5GHz frequency band.

The ASUS RT-AC87U router enables multiple devices such as smart phones, laptops, smart TVs, tablets, etc simultaneously to share the internet without compromising on speed. Thanks to its four separate spatial data streams, connecting to the internet through multiple gadgets feels like a breeze. The company’s AiRadar, MU-MIMO and adaptive QoS technology further boost the browsing experience. The AiRadar uses universal beamforming to smartly detect the location of multiple devices and directs the wireless signal towards them for optimum reception.

On the other hand, RT-AC87U’s four high-performance antennas cover 33% more area than standard 3x3 models. It is capable of covering a large area of up to 465m². That means the router is typically suitable for large or multi-storied households or offices.

The ASUS RT-AC87U is available in the Indian market at Rs. 24,400 with a 3-year warranty.