iPhone SE is back! What can Apple expect from the Indian market after pricing it for Rs. 42500

As we all know, Apple released the iPhone SE (2nd generation or 2020 as people are calling it lately) for Rs. 42,500 by the means of a Press Release keeping in mind the prevailing situation throughout the world due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. It was a well thought decision of not holding a event during this time.

Now coming to the point where I want to talk about the Indian markets in particular.

We have seen that the budget iPhone as we used to call it back then, the iPhone XR which launched in October, 2016

Let us evaluate the gains and losses of buying the SE over XR

Gains :-

• Comes cheaper
• Compact form factor suitable from small hands
• Touch ID 
• A13 Bionic Chip
• WiFi 6 and advance 
• Sapphire Crystal Lens cover for added protection against scratch
• Portrait lighting with background effects for the camera

 Losses :-

• Smaller Screen 
• Less battery life as claimed
• No Face ID

To sum this all up one can safely go for the SE even in 2020 as it is based on a design from apple that it continued from iPhone 6 on wards, with just minor changes here and there but running the latest iOS and would be supporting the future updates to the iOS as well. If you are into gaming and similar stuff like that which require a slightly bigger display, then considering the XR which would cost a couple of thousand bucks more than SE is not a bad option.

But the main point, that is, the difference in the pricing in USA ($399) which translates to Rs. 30631 and the launch price of India is more than Rs. 10,000 which I think is a way too much to ask for.

A humble pricing of Rs. 35,000 could have attracted even more audience towards Apple with this launch. But there could still be a cashback offer with specific brands like we saw with the iPhone 11 series which offered straight up discount of 7000 on the iPhone 11 if payment was made using HDFC Bank Card.

I will update this post as there is announcement of any Bank offers or best buy links as it will come to my knowledge, for anything else, comment down below.

PS: Trying to revive this blog once again. Please give me your support.

Read More

Refer and Earn: Google Tez easily get Rs. 51 on signup in your bank account

What is Google Tez?

Google Tez is Digital Payment App by Google which can be used to send money directly from one's bank account without any charges.

In the post, I will be giving the step to step guide through which you can easily earn Rs. 51 in your bank account if you don't have a Tez Account lately.

So here is the step by step guide:-

• Download Google Tez using this link only https://g.co/tez/u665l If you are viewing this on your desktop, then copy the link in the Google Chrome browser of your phone and it will automatically redirect to Google Play Store or Apple App Store 
•  
• Open the Google Tez app and follow the on screen procedures to set up your account.
•  
•  Once the Account is set up successfully and the UPI PIN is all set,  you can transfer amount to any other account linked with Tez (Or send it to me and I will return it back as soon as you get the Rs. 51 reward) The minimum amount recommended for that transaction is Rs. 51
•  
• After the transfer, you will get a notification that you have earned Rs. 51 and your account has been credited by Tez by Rs. 51 SMS will be sent by your bank as well. 
•  
• Simple, you have just earned Rs. 51 and you can earn even more by the transaction of Rs. 51 to other account in case you are lucky, I got Rs. 26 for that.

 Precautions:-

• Only the link provided must be used to download the Google Tez App, Pre - downloaded Tez App will not get Rs. 51 signup reward.
•  
• Minimum transfer amount to get reward is recommended to be Rs. 51.

If you have any 0 balance account like in Kotak 811 or ICICI Pockets and cannot transfer money, message on our Facebook page and I will transfer Rs. 100 to your account and you give that amount back to me, as soon as you give that amount back to me, you will have Rs. 51 in your own bank account. 

Facebook Page Link: VirtuaWorldSolution
Link to copy on your Google Chrome Browser to get the reward:  https://g.co/tez/u665l

Read More

iOS 8 Custom ROM for Micromax Bolt A47 (MT6572, UBIFS)

Hello everybody!

Before I say anything else.. Let me tell that a new version is already ready.. It will be available for download soon and no need of following the difficult procedure as mentioned below... So...
STAY TUNED!!!

I am Aditya Goenka and I am very happy to present to you all the "iOS 8 ROM"
This is the second ROM that I have released.

There are a few known bugs :-
1. Problem with screen resolution in many places such as while calling
2. It shows "Unfortunately, System UI has stopped." when Siri is selected.

NOTE: BACKUP ALL YOUR FILES/FOLDERS FROM THE SD CARD AND FROM THE INTERNAL STORAGE OF THE PHONE AND ALSO BACKUP THE CONTACTS. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY LOSS OF IMPORTANT DATA FROM YOUR DEVICES DURING THIS PROCESS

Please read the detailed Installation notes before flashing.
If you face any problem, Contact me. Aditya Goenka

ROM credits: Aryan

How to flash?
Here is how to flash ;)

First flash the main ROM file.That is "Ios 8 ported by aryan.zip". To do so:-

NOTE: Do not mount anything now!!

Reboot the phone in recovery mode 

Touch "Wipe menu" [Whenever here (in recovery mode) I say touch means that touch and then press the power button once] 

-> Wipe All Data -Preflash [This one is the must!] 

-> Wipe Cache 

-> Wipe Data - Factory Reset 

-> Wipe Dalvik Cache 

Now go back to the main menu.

Touch "Install Zip" 

-> Touch "Toggle Assert Verification" 

-> Touch "Choose zip Sdcard" 

-> Now search and choose the "Ios 8 ported by aryan.zip" and press enter 

-> Touch Yes and then enter Wait and let it flash 

Now go back to the main menu

Now flash the patch file. That is "[[ PATCH ]] iOS 8 Custom ROM.zip". To do so:- 

NOTE: Do not Wipe Data!!

Touch "Mounts and Storage" 

-> mount /cache -> mount /system 

-> mount /sd-ext -> mount /data 

-> mount /sdcard 

Now go back to the main menu Touch "Install Zip" 

-> Touch "Toggle Assert Verification" 

-> Touch "Choose zip Sdcard" 

-> Now search and choose the "[[ PATCH ]] iOS 8 Custom ROM.zip" and press enter 

-> Touch Yes and then enter

Wait and let it flash 

Now go back to the main menu 

Reboot the Phone 

Now your Phone will reboot and you can now enjoy the Custom ROM!!!

Screenshots:-

Download links :-

{Update} Files have been taken off servers, to download it contact the author of the post.


 Thank You!
-Aditya Goenka

Read More

How about Windows 98 in an iPhone 6 Plus?

The recent release, iOS 8 on iPhone 6 and 6 plus is said to be the most elegant mobile OS yet, from Apple. The phone is packed with such a nice user interface and certain iOS-only features like Credit Card scanning, WiFi phone calls, Real time Talk-To-Type, iCloud Photo library, App download via Siri, Recover deleted photos, ad blocking in Safari, Speak Screen, AirPlay etc. These are some well known information and there is nothing new. But what if you are bored of using iOS 8? Or need to try something else in your brand new iPhone 6 plus, like the legendary Windows 98? I know it sounds odd but there may be a hope.
According to a recent post on bbs.feng.com(a tech forum), a Chinese hacker xyqo58775, claims to have installed Win98 in his brand new iPhone 6 plus. He seemed to have used a Chinese version of the OS.  The classic grey window frames now looks so vibrant on the 6.9" retina display. The hack was made possible with an emulator app available on the app store. iDos can be used for playing original dos games on your iPhone or iPad. Although this is not the first time a version of Windows was ported for an Apple device but it is, in this case, for an iPhone 6 Plus. He has done it without actually jailbreaking the device.
iDos basically helps to emulate old 16bit dos games and no wonder why it supported Windows98. xyqo58775 has also made it clear that he used existing resources and tools to make it happen. He also tried to install Windows XP but failed and couldn't find a solution to bypass the error. As XP is a 32 bit OS and he may need to try with some other emulators available. He also claimed that he is currently working on bringing a stable version of XP to use in place of iOS 8.

You can find the full tutorial to install Windows 98 on iPhone 6 Plus here but proceed with this only if you know Chinese. There is no real-world use for this but its super cool and weird to see the 16 year old Win 98 running on such an advanced hardware.
Source- Crunch Gear

Read More

Rooms, A new blog-inspired app from Facebook

The social media giant Facebook recently launched its new app, Rooms. The message board application is more similar to a blogging platform. It lets you create tiny message boards for posting  text, photos and videos. You can create your own username and identity in each room. These rooms are invite only and requires a special code [QR Code] that needs to be scanned with your phone. The unique codes can be shared anywhere via emails, forums, social networks or even through news papers for inviting users of a particular region. This lets them gain entry to your room. The room created is a bit like mobile forum inside an Instagram styled vertical feed.

 

The NewYork Times reported earlier this month that Facebook will be launching an app that allowed anonymity. This isn’t exactly right. You don’t need to connect with your Facebook account to reveal your details or friend lists as both the platforms are entirely different. The invite system helps you to build a community based on your particular interest. The creator of the room is the Moderator and has full control over the room. There can be more than one Moderator for a room and they do the role of administrators. They can ban the unruly members and those who don’t follow the guidelines. Once banned, the user is restricted to enter the room with his banned device. Not just this, they can change the room’s look, add a nickname to the room or a background image, or use an emoji instead of the like button. The moderator can even set the room to 18+, in case.

 

After the launch, Facebook is sued by Damien Rottemberg, developer of the app, Room which was launched before Rooms. Maybe a huge coincidence, both the apps offer very similar experience with an identical name(almost). Anyways, Room is more like killed now as the small company’s app has been buried in online search results. Whether the search tags are ‘room’ or ‘rooms’ it will now lead only to Facebook’s app, not the other one.

 

Just 24 hours after the app’s launch, The Facebook product manager, Josh Miller discovered that the users have hacked it. The main discovery was the hashtag search on Instagram (#rooms). Searching for the term, Miller found a room called VSCO cam, started by a college student in England which had 32 members. And someone in the room posted an invite to another room! In order to access a room user needs take screenshot or capture a picture of the QR code with the app. Miller wrote in a post “They have essentially ‘linked’ to another room in the same way forums, message boards and blogs used to link each other in the early days of the web ”

 

Rooms is the next after the release of Slingshot and Paper that didn’t created much hike in the stores. Available in US, UK and few other countries and is free to download from Apple App Store. No words yet on a Windows Phone release but an Android version is expected to be released in early 2015.

 

Read More

Emojli: the emoji-only social network

Emojis or smileys are a great way to express feelings while a conversation happens between two. Whether happy, sad or moody you can convey it the right way with these emojis. This Japanese word simply means a pictograph(picture+character). Almost all instant messenger apps available out there has got these emoticons and there is  nothing new in it. But how about a messenger that allows only emojis to be sent and received and no words ?

I should say, its some thing that stands out of the box as there are numerous messengers available for all platforms. The users of Emojly app can communicate only with emoticons. Even the usernames are just emojis. So finding a friend is a bit hard but the app still uses some amount of words to make sure you can use the usual functions like changing password, logout, add friends etc.

@Emojly on twitter

Of the 250000 usernames available, more than 10000 were reserved in the month of june when the service was announced. In the first phase the users were asked to reserve for a unique emoji username and will be informed about the launch of their app via email. They have released their app in Apple App store recently which received a huge response. Android and Windows Phone users should wait a bit as your app is under development.

Read More

Free Recharge for Line Users in India

Social Messenger app LINE is launching Free Talk Time promotion once again to recreate the frenzy from the first edition. Starting from June 1,users can earn points every day by sending messages or stickers on LINE and gain up to 111 INR worth of free talktime on their mobile phone. The promotion would run for the whole month and this time the offer is bigger and better.
LINE is one of the most used messenger, available for almost all major operating systems. The offer is available for all prepaid and post-paid users of iOS and Android platform, with no restrictions from telecom service providers. LINE aims to free everyone from the burden of spending more to talk more. This offer is all about talking more for free. To redeem the Free Talk Time through LINE, the user need to send at least one message or sticker to a LINE friend every day and receive free talktime points. Each day is a milestone and with each milestone the Free Talk Time increases. In just 25 days, users can earn as much as Rs.111.

"The first leg of Free Talk Time exceeded our expectations. LINE users were blown away by our offer and we saw a huge number of users redeeming the offer every day. With every campaign we are getting a considerable number of active users on board and this testifies that our research is paying off. Our mobile messaging business is growing in India and we would continue to offer our users innovative options to experience the LINE app and extend usage beyond simple chat." said Daman Soni, head of LINE India in a press conference.

LINE also provides a chance to get exclusive deals by creating a dynamic market place through its platform. Along with messages on the go, the users have an option to shop from their favourite brands on a special price exclusively on LINE. Recently LINE has also released localized character stickers designed and created by famous Indian artistes and illustrators. The sprawling offering has made LINE a truly engaging and huge success in India. Till date, LINE has reached more than 440 million users worldwide, and more than 18 million users in India, competing firmly with Whatsapp, Wechat, and other giants.

Read More

10 Free Apps for Photo Editing on the Move

Editing photos is like applying finishing touches to a painting. Photographs often don't look as good as they could unless you apply that finishing touch. Since most people use their smartphones to take pictures, we have shortlisted the best photo editing apps that you can use on-the-go to take your photography to the next level.

1. VSCO Cam (iPhone, Android)

VSCO (pronounced visco) Cam started out as a paid app but went free last year. It is one of the best photo editing apps on iOS and Android if you want advanced controls. VSCO Cam has a great collection of filters, which are better than those on Instagram. While some filters are free, you'll have to pay for many others. Don't let this dissuade you from trying the app, as the free filters are good enough for most people.
VSCO Cam's editing tools include brightness, contrast, saturation, tint, crop, rotate, sharpness, highlights, shadows, among a few others. As evident, it has enough tools for professional photo editing.
However, beginners will take some time to figure out how to use VSCO Cam because the app relies on icons and code numbers instead of words. For instance, filters have names like B1, X1, etc., which may be hard to remember initially. All editing tools are icons (sharpness is a triangle, saturation is a rectangle with a gradient, etc.) and it may take you a little while to go through all the tools and find what you need.

Click here to download for iOS
Click here to download for Android

2. Snapseed (iPhone, iPad, Android)

VSCO Cam has almost everything you'll need, but it isn't yet available on tablets. If you want a great photo editing app for the iPad, Snapseed is a good choice. Snapseed's interface is intuitive. Once you add photos to the app, select manual tuning and swipe upwards or downwards on the picture. This shows you different variables such as contrast, saturation, etc. Select any one and simply swipe towards the right to increase its value or in the opposite direction to reduce it.
This app is walking the tightrope between ease of use and advanced functionality. So far, Snapseed has got the balance just right. For power users, Snapseed has the selective adjust feature. This lets you change contrast, etc. on any part of the photo, without editing the whole picture. Snapseed's filters range from great (Grunge, Retrolux, Vintage) to average (Drama, Black & White). VSCO Cam has a better variety of tools, but Snapseed makes it easier to access all of its tools.
Snapseed is available for iOS and Android.

Click here to download for iOS
Click here to download for Android

3. Adobe Lightroom (iPad)

Lightroom and Photoshop are the reasons behind Adobe's iron grip on the desktop photo editing market. Lightroom for iPad isn't good as a standalone photo editing app, but it shines when used in conjunction with Lightroom for Windows or Mac. This means that you will need an Adobe subscription (around Rs 2,000 per month) to make the most of this iPad app.

If you are a subscriber or don't mind getting a subscription, Lightroom for iPad lets you synchronise edits between your desktop and iPad. The problem is that Lightroom for iPad lacks the advanced editing tools that are cherished by those who use the desktop app. If you want to make a quick edit, or apply a preset effect, Lightroom for iPad saves you the trouble of returning to your desktop. Lightroom is one of the few apps that support RAW files, which might appeal to those who use DSLR cameras. For those who want advanced editing options, Adobe's Photoshop Touch is a better (paid) alternative on the iPad.

Click here to download for iPad


4. Instagram (iPhone, Android, Windows Phone)

Apart from being one of the world's most popular photo communities, Instagram is a fast, hassle-free photo editing app. Its filters are adequate for most people, but not for power users. If you are into black-and-white photography, you might want to try other apps because Instagram's filters aren't the best.

Click here to download for iOS
Click here to download for Android
Click here to download for Windows Phone


5. Pixlr Express (Android, iOS)

Autodesk's photo-editing app Pixlr Express is quite useful when you want to remove unwanted spots or marks from photos. Whether it is dust on your camera's lens or flash burning out a small portion of the image, Pixlr Express is a good app for image correction. Available for both Android and iOS, Pixlr Express has easy to use tools, which help you touch-up images quickly. It has enough tools for power users too, coupled with Photoshop-like effects such as pencil, poster, sketch and halftone, among others.

Click here to download for iOS
Click here to download for Android


6. Flickr (iPhone, Android, Windows Phone)

Like Instagram, Flickr has a great community of photographers. Unlike Instagram, however, Flickr has advanced editing tools, which is better for enthusiasts. Another advantage is that Flickr doesn't restrict you to square photos. Its built-in filters are fairly good too. The only major negative is that Flickr's Windows Phone app isn't as good as iOS and Android variants.

Click here to download for iOS
Click here to download for Android
Click here to download for Windows Phone


7. Photo Editor by Aviary (Android, iOS, Windows Phone)

If you are a Windows Phone user, Photo Editor by Aviary is one of the best apps for tweaking pictures. Although the app still works well, you should know that its developers stopped updating the Windows Phone version last year. This app - under active development for iPhone and Android - also makes it easy to add text, drawings and stickers to your photos. Apart from these, it has all basic editing tools such as filters, effects, crop, rotate, etc. It doesn't have much in the way of advanced options, but that shouldn't be a problem for casual users.

Click here to download for iOS
Click here to download for Android
Click here to download for Windows Phone

8. Repix (Android, iOS)

If you like pretty apps, then both Repix, and the next app in the list, will appeal to you. Apart from great design, Repix has some cool filters, basic editing tools (brightness, saturation, etc) and even effects such as flares and posterize. If you want more filters or effects, you can purchase those through the app.

Website


9. Litely (Android, iOS)

Litely is similar to Repix, but it has fewer features and is easier to use. You can easily apply preset effects to any photo. A two-finger swipe shows you a before and after view of the picture. This makes it easy to see how an edit has changed the picture.

Website


10. Photo Studio (BlackBerry 10, Android)

BlackBerry users don't have access to many great photo editing apps. However, Photo Studio is a fairly good option for those using BlackBerry 10. It is a simple image editor that lets you take pictures and apply effects and frames to those. Although its collection of filters is better than those on Instagram, the app lacks advanced editing tools, apart from one that lets you correct RGB levels. This means that those who want fine control over their images will be disappointed. Photo Studio also lets you make collages and apply sketch effects to your photographs.

We hope that these apps helped you make your photographs look professional. In case we missed any of your favourite editing apps or if you liked our choice of apps, please leave a comment to let us know.

Click here to download for Android
Click here to download for BlackBerry

Read More

Apple improving Siri with third-party integration and iWatch support

Apple is said to be working on expanding the functionality of its voice-based virtual assistant, Siri, enabling it to work with third-party applications other than Apple's own native apps, apart from making it more intelligent. According to the reports, the app is being worked upon keeping in mind its compatibility with the proposed Apple iWatch.

The report claims Apple is looking to make up for missing features on Siri, like booking a rental taxi or make hotel reservations, by enabling third-party app integrations on the platform. This would also allow for offerings like a third-party messaging app.

Other supposedly planned improvements to Apple's Siri virtual assistant platform quoted by the report includes the intelligence to decide what content to show on the screen according to the screen space, implying uses such as what to display on the expected iWatch wearable device, based on the user's movement and location.

The Cupertino giant's obvious goal with the Siri platform would be to make it an actual virtual assistant instead of just a little more than a voice-based intelligent search tool, by adding information gathering and analysis. Google has also been working on improving the functionality of its voice-based virtual assistant, Google Now, and if leaks of Microsoft's Cortana virtual assistant are anything to go by, the Redmond giant will also allow it to use various information about the user to offer suggestions and other assistance.

Besides Siri's availability on smartphones and tablets, it recently debuted as part of the core-interface of Apple's, a feature that allows users to plug their phones into compatible in-car systems in order to control entertainment, navigation, and call handling features via voice commands and steering-mounted controls.

With Apple CarPlay, users will be able to trigger Siri via a steering-mounted button, allowing them to control phone functions while keeping their eyes on the road. Siri can be used to dial numbers, answer or reject calls, read messages, take dictation, trigger music and podcast playback, and launching apps. Third-party apps will also be supported, and popular entertainment apps such as Beats Radio, iHeartRadio, Spotify and Stitcher have already been announced as launch apps.

Read More

A goto fails the iPhone

Apple released iOS version 7.0.6 last week. The update was to patch a security issue in its implementation of SSL (Secure Socket Layer) Encryption, the method by which the internet protects itself against eaves dropping. Companies usually provide details of security flaws, the nature of the vulnerability and how attackers exploit it, along with the patch that eliminates the vulnerability. Apple did none of these things, which led Security Experts to wonder about the exact problem. And when it came out, it stunned them. Some software bugs are infinitely subtle and complicated. Others are comprehensible almost at a glance to anyone who dabbled in BASIC as a kid. The iOS 7 bug is in the latter group.

The problem: a goto statement – a programming mistake that even newbie programmers avoid.

Read More