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

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How to Root & install Google PLAY Store in Nokia X Android Phone

Android is android and for all those who wanted to install the Google Apps Package and root the all new Nokia X Android Smartphone can now do the same. While Nokia unveiled 3 new android Smartphones which were Nokia X, Nokia X+ and Nokia XL in the recent Mobile World Congress event. The rooting has been achieved for Nokia X android device which will allow users to side load the Google PLAY Store and also other android apps like Google Now launchers etc. So after checking out the detailed list of quick pre requisites, you can now proceed on to check on what are the instructions with which you can apply the update.

Quick Pre Requisites:

·         Don’t use any PC tools for backing all the data present in your Nokia X Android Smartphone.

SMS – Currently there is no automated way to backup SMS
Contacts – Sync with the Outlook application,
Images, Songs, Videos, Files – Copy to internal / External SD Card,
APN and MMS Settings – Note down from the path “Applications > Settings > Wireless and Network > Mobile Networks > Access Point Names”

·         Enable the USB Debugging Mode in your computer from the path “Settings > Applications > Development > USB debugging”. Also, the minimum battery life should be a minimum of 40% or else there is a risk of device getting Turned Off in the middle of firmware update.

·         For applying this custom ROM firmware, you need to make sure that your Note 3 is rooted. To check whether your Galaxy Note 3 Android phone is rooted or not, you will have to check the same from Root Checker app.

Procedure to Root Nokia X Android Phone:-

• Download the Rooting APK, Google Apps APKs in your computer and place the same in your Nokia X Android phone. After downloading the zip package, all you need to do is to unzip to get the APKs.

• Connect your device to the computer with the help of original USB cable and place the APKs in your device.

• With the help of file manager app, head over to the placed APK and tap on the same to follow on screen instructions and root your Nokia X android Smartphone.

• Up next, head over to the Google Apps APKs which you have placed in the device to /system/app and change permissions for this files in the device.
• Up next, you need to install the Google Apps Package which you have earlier placed in the device.
• Now, all you need to do is to just open the Google Play Store app in your Nokia X android phone after which it will ask you to add your Google Account.

Download Rooting APK here

Download Google Apps APKs here

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Install Cortana In Asha Phones (Bing bookmark app)

Microsoft has started providing updates for its windows phone users worldwide with the update to 8.1. the most awaited feature was Cortana, a personal digital assistant just like Apple’s Siri and Google Now in Android. Cortana uses bing as its search engine and it replaces the bing app in Windows phone 8.1. Read more about Cortana here.

 

Nokia Asha smartphones (or feature phones) runs on a new Nokia Asha OS, an updated version of Nokia’s S40 platform. As it is a feature phone,and has just 64MB ram, it is impossible to use voice assistants like Cortana or Siri as they wont perform like they do in iOS and Windows Phone 8.1.

 

I have created an app that runs on almost all Nokia S40 phones, especially Asha 501. This is a simple app that opens the bing search page in the phone’s default browser(Nokia Browser) as Cortana is powered by Bing. This app can be used to search in Bing.com, nothing much. But, yeah, its really nice to see a Cortana logo in your home screen. Whoever takes your phone will surely be amazed to see A Cortana logo in the phone.

 

   

 

NB: THE MENTIONED APP IS SUCCESFULLY INSTALLED AND WORKED ON MY NOKIA ASHA 501 DUAL-SIM AND NOKIA 112. I WONT BE RESPONSIBLE IF ANY MISHAPPENINGS OCCUR TO YOUR PHONE. DOWNLOAD AT YOUR OWN RISK.

[INSTALL FACEBOOK IN LANDSCAPE MODE IN YOUR ASHA PHONE]

 

Steps To Install

1. 1. Open the below icon with UC BROWSER(recommended) or OPERA 8
2. 2. Press DOWNLOAD
3. 3. Press SAVE (not OPEN)
4. 4.Select a folder in your memory card or phone memory
5. 5. Press OK
6. 6. Make sure the download is full and close the browser
7. 7. Navigate to the downloaded file (cortana_by_vivek_jar)
8. 8. Long press on the file and RENAME it to (cortana_by_vivek.jar)
9. 9.Now open the file, it will get installed.
10. 10. Now open and enjoy.
11. CREDITS: shinewap.mobi

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Xaiomi to Launch in India this year

 
China’s third biggest smartphone maker Xaiomi announced its launch in India this year via its official twitter handle. Famous for its smart user interface and aggressive pricing, is coming to 10 countries including India. The tweet said "Xiaomi is coming to 10 countries in 2014! Malaysia, Philippines, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Russia, Turkey, Brazil and Mexico...". The announcement came after the company renamed it official website from Xiaomi.com to Mi.com. Founded by Lei Jun, the Mi1 smart phone was first announced in august 2011, shipped with Xaiomi’s MIUI firmware which is based on android and resembles samsung’s TouchWiz and Apple’s iOS. Xiaomi Mi3, which is the last one launched, comes with a modified Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor and is tested as the worlds fastest Android smartphone. It runs on MIUI, which is a stock and after market android firmware for smartphones and tablets. More details regarding the launch are not yet revealed by the company, but is sure to be launched in 2014 itself. It will be launched in India only after Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand.

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Install Facebook App in Landscape Mode in Full-Touch Asha Phones

Hello everybody, here I am posting on "How to make your Facebook app landscape?" Well, sadly, this method cannot be done to the official Facebook app that came pre-installed with the device as it is a signed version and the .jar file cannot be accessed from the phone memory. So here I have used a handler app of an old version which works perfectly in the phone. As this is an old version, the official app don’t mess with this one so you are able to use two facebook apps in your phone which is very helpful for those maintaining two facebook accounts at a time. The new Asha phones has got a really good keyboard but the 3" scren ruins the fun of typing. But you can type freely if you hold it horizontally.

The method  is so simple and can be done with the help of a computer. As i have provided the app below for you to download, I will explain briefly. Unpack the .jar file to a folder and open the MANIFEST.MF in notepad. Now include one more line, “Nokia-MIDlet-App-Orientation: landscape”. Now save the file and carefully repack all the files to a .zip file and rename it to jar format. This can make the app run in landscape mode.

But what I have done here is a little more intresting. If you hold your phone in portrait mode and open the app, the app opens normally in portrait mode and if you hold it horizontally and open the app, it will open in Landscape mode. Instead of using “Landscape” in the code, I have used “Manual” which is making the app so cool. The code is “Nokia-MIDlet-App-Orientation: manual”. The app makes use of the proximity sensor and open accordingly to the phones position. The boring Facebook icon is also changed and I have used the icon of Facebook-Home app for Android. I know, now you can’t wait to modify the app.

[Releated read: Learn how to remove Ads from games in Asha 5XX phones]

   
  
As I've said earlier, App has been uploaded for you to download. Follow the steps carefully to download.sorry for these low-quality screenshots.

NB: THE MENTIONED APP IS SUCCESFULLY INSTALLED AND WORKED ON MY NOKIA ASHA 501 DUAL-SIM. I WONT BE RESPONSIBLE IF ANY MISHAPPENINGS OCCUR TO YOUR PHONE. DOWNLOAD AT YOUR OWN RISK.

hahaha..chill brothers.. believe me I have been using this app for the last 3-4 months
And once again i am concluding with the steps  to follow in order to get the app.

1. Open the below icon with UC BROWSER(recommended) or OPERA MINI
2. Press DOWNLOAD
3. Press SAVE (not OPEN)
4.Select a folder in your memory card or phone memory
5. Press OK
6. Make sure the download is full and close the browser
7. Navigate to the downloaded file (fbmod_by_vivek_jar)
8. Long press on the file and RENAME it to (fbmod_by_vivek.jar)
9.Now open the file, it will get installed.
10. Now open Facebook app and enjoy.
(HOLD YOUR PHONE STRAIGHT TO OPEN IT IN PORTRAIT MODE, HOLD IT HORIZONTALLY TO OPEN IN LANDSCAPE MODE and remember to untick “Show On Start” which comes in the first screen after installing).

DOWNLOAD

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Basics to Android App Modification

Android is a complete operating environment based upon the Linux® V2.6 kernel. Initially, the deployment target for Android is  mobile-phones including smart phones and lower-cost flip-phone devices. Creating apps for android is not easy as it seems. You need to have deep knowledge on some programming languages.For a start, the most important thing is your desire to learn. There won’t be many opportunities for you to learn development from third party institutions and also,if you are serious on it, try getting a Certification directly from Oracle. Almost all of the successful developers out there had learned development with their own effort and with the help of internet.

Basically I am also a newbie to this field with a small base on java programming language. I have searched a lot about the basics but not satisfied with the google results. The results from XDA were also a little complicated. And at last I found this post from XDA's senior developer Dark Wraith. And In my view, it’s the best one I have seen for a good start. The document(.pdf) is loaded with basic introduction to the some programming languages and the development. Best of Luck.!
you can also visit the thread to his post(link included in the document), download from below.

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Micromax partnered with Microsoft

Well, both the ‘Micro’s are gonna make ‘Macro’ changes in the Indian gadget market. At the Microsoft's BUILD conference in San Francisco, Terry Myerson(Microsoft Executive VP), has officially announced their new partnerships with 11 new partners including India's homegrown handset maker Micromax to offer Windows 8.1-powered devices. The deal  is expected to intensify competition in the smartphone and tablets market especially in India.

Micromax is considered one of the leaders in Indian market for smart devices, standing second to the giant, Samsung. Micromax's revenues were Rs 3,168 crore for the financial year 2012-13 and it expects to clock revenues of $1 billion for the last fiscal ended March 2014,helding about 16 per cent market share in 2013. Some its top selling models were the entry level smartphones like A35 Bolt and A67, IDC data showed.

Besides, Microsoft has also announced that they will offer Windows OS free to smartphone and tablet makers which will help them to compete firmly with Google's Android and Apple's iOS in the fiercely competitive market. This offering also enables hardware partners to provide their customers a one-year subscription to Office 365.

Indian Customers can expect entry level Windows 8.1 powered smartphones from Micromax at a cost less than that of Lumia520.Well it will be a tough competition for the  Finnish phone maker Nokia, As the companys Windows phone range starts from 8000-8500 INR. Micromax is expected to launch their devices later this year. The phones will be having dual-sim functionality for sure, where as Nokia has launched their first windows 8.1 powered dual-sim phone Lumia 630 at Rs.10000 INR along with Lumia 630(single sim),635 and 930,all powered by WP8.1. Microsoft is also planning for Universal apps which will work with all four platform variants from Microsoft including Xbox One and 'WINDOWS IN THE CAR' similar to Apple Car Play. Some other announcements at BUILD conference are featured here.

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How to Activate your sim card instantly

When you buy any new sim card, the shopkeeper will tell you to wait for few hours/days to get the sim
 card activated.
When you purchase a new sim card you will get two or three papers in which you have to fill the details.
Check the page in which your mobile number is written and near your number you can see SR NUMBER [serial number].
You can also find SR. No. on sim card's slip on plastic cover.

If you want instant activation then insert your sim card in your Mobile and then Dial the Serial Number two times.
Thats all. Your sim card will be activated within one minute.

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How To Use Android Mobile Phone As Webcam

This is a tutorial of How To Use Android Mobile Phone As Webcam.

Note: In-order to use this application you will need a Wi-Fi connection on your mobile device

The things we need:-

IP Webcam application (free)
IP Camera Adapter (free)
Chrome or Firefox Browser (free)

The steps to use Android Mobile as a Webcam are:-

Step 1:First of all install the downloaded IP Webcam application on your android mobile phone. Also install the IP Camera Adapter on your PC.

Step 2:Now open the installed IP Camera app on your phone after it you will many options like username, password, screen resolution and many more which you can adjust according to your choice. Now after doing so just click on the Start Server.

NOTE : This app uses back camera as default foe better quality but you can also change camera mode to front but it will reduces your video quality.

Step 3:Now when you clicks on the start server then after that you will see a IP at the bottom of mobile's screen. Now open this IP in your mobile's Chrome or Firefox browser. If none of these browser is installed on your android mobile and select Browser built-in viewer option.

Step 4: Now open and install the downloaded IP camera adapter on your PC. Now in the "Camera feed URL"just enters your IP and port which you got from the app you installed on your phone and remember don't delete /videofeed and then click on "Autodetect".

Step 5: Now that's it your are done. Open any video conferencing application on your PC like Skype,Facebook messenger, Yahoo ! messenger and you will see the video streaming on your PC from your android mobile phone"

Now open any video conferencing tools like Skype, Google Hangout or Facebook messenger and you must see your video streaming from the Android phone camera on your computer. The application uses the secondary camera of your mobile phone as default and that’s because the secondary camera will have more clarity when compared toward the front facing camera.

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Motorola to enter into Smart watch battle with new OS

It’s time for a watch that looks and feels great and gives you the information you need, when you need it.

Google owned Motorola’s first launch to the smart watch market which is currently ruled by Samsung’s Gear and Pebble. Powered by Android Wear, The new OS dedicated completely for smart watches from Google.

The wristwatch for the future, Moto 360 keeps you on time and up to date without taking you out of the moment or distracting you, telling you what you need to know before you know you need it through subtle alerts and notifications. With just a glance you can see who’s emailing or calling, what time your next meeting is or a friend’s latest social post.

Moto 360 also responds to your voice. Just say “Ok Google” to ask questions like who won the last match or what time your flight leaves, or to get stuff done like scheduling an appointment, sending a text, setting an alarm or taking a note.

Most importantly, Moto 360’s iconic design, featuring a round face and premium materials, feels comfortable and familiar on your wrist. It’s everything you need, with a look that you want.

Moto 360 will be available in a variety of styles globally in Summer 2014, starting in the US. To learn more about Moto 360 stay in touch with VWS.

Posted in behalf of +Vivek MT 

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Nokia Lumia 630 specifications and images tipped in new leaks

While Nokia's big event is just a few days away (2 April), alleged specifications of the much-anticipated Nokia Lumia 630 (thought to be codenamed Moneypenny) have been leaked along with the first alleged live shots of the device.
The report comes via GSMarena via Chinese and French websites. According to the report, Nokia Lumia 630 will be equipped with a 4.5-inch display with a resolution of 480x854 pixels, which is slightly different from the earlier rumoured 4.3-inch display. It is said to pack a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S400 processor supported by 1GB of RAM. The reports adds that the Lumia 630's 5-megapixel rear camera will not feature a flash, while there is no front camera on offer.
The Lumia 630 is touted to have 8GB of built-in storage, and will allegedly measure 129.5x66.7mm. The smartphone is also said to be will be the first Windows Phone 8.1 with dual-SIM, dual-standby functionality. The Chinese website along with the specifications also published an alleged press render of the Lumia 630, alongside the recently launched Lumia 1320 and 1520.
The other leak by the French website, which also corroborated the Chinese report's specifications, showcased the alleged Lumia 630 in pictures. The tipster has managed to click pictures near what is being claimed to be an official poster for the Nokia Lumia 630, though the images don't really reveal the design of the phone, except the two network operators (indicating dual-SIM) and front navigation buttons.
At Nokia's 2 April event, the company is expected to reveal two budget Lumia devices - Nokia Lumia 630 and Nokia Lumia 930 (thought to be codenamed Martini). No details have been reported about the Lumia 930 handset till date. It is also speculated that we might see other Windows Phone 8.1 devices alongside such as Nokia Lumia 1820, Lumia 1525 and Lumia 1520 V.
A recent report on Friday had speculated specifications of the Nokia Lumia 1820. It is said to feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor coupled with 3GB of RAM. The smartphone is also said to feature a 5.2-inch display with a 2K resolution.

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How to Take Screenshots in Windows Phone 8

Windows Phone 8 is the next big thing. It is the second major version of Microsoft's operating system, which comes after Windows Phone 7. One of Windows Phone 8 new features is the ability to take Screenshots. After reading this article, you will be able to successfully take screenshots on your windows phone in a flash. the steps to take screenshots are:-

1. Navigate to the place where you wish to take a screenshot at.
2. A successful screenshot is indicated when a screen of your accent color flashes over the whole screen.Press and hold the windows button, then press the power button.
3. Go to the photos app, and then to 'albums'. You'll find your screenshot in the screenshots album.

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More than megapixels - what really counts in a smartphone camera

Just about every new phone that launches has ads that focus on photography. While most refrain from saying it in as many words, manufacturers manage to coyly suggest that their phone's camera is better than even a DSLR, pointing, on most occasions, to the high megapixel count. Nokia holds the crown for the smartphone with the highest-megapixel count with the 41-megapixel 808 PureView and the Lumia 1020, though rumours now point to a 50-megapixel camera in Oppo's next phone.

In real world testing though, only a few phones have managed to come close to the quality and control that you get with even a mid-range point-and-shoot camera - forget about being better than a DSLR. Why is that?

When Nokia first came up with the PureView technology used in the 808, its announcement of the 41-megapixel camera toting phone made no sense. However, thanks to the camera companies themselves, the term megapixel had become a kind of shorthand for image quality. When point-and-shoot digital cameras were gaining in popularity, Nikon, Canon and other manufacturers got into a race to fit in higher-resolution sensors into their compact cameras, and marketed the term widely. This has parallels with the GHz wars that played out between Intel and AMD during the heydays of the PC industry.

Today though, this tactic has come to haunt the camera manufacturers (much like what Intel and AMD suffered), and people in both Canon and Nikon are the first to point out that a 5-megapixel resolution is high enough to take a clear print-out on an A4 sized page.

That, incidentally, is the standard resolution for images you will get on the Nokia Lumia 1020 PureView. This is because Nokia uses a technology called oversampling, which uses software to treat the individual pixels as a single unit, and essentially creates artificially big pixels on the image sensor.

The image sensor - essentially a plate where the light falls through the lens, where the picture is formed - is probably the most important factor in actually determining quality. NDTV Gadgets spoke to Abhishek Singh, a Technical Officer at Nikon India, who shared his thoughts on the subject.

"The current thinking about megapixels is highly misleading," Singh says. "As a measure of resolution, it just tells you how big the image you're taking is. How much can you crop, without pixelation. That's when the original image is too small and you zoom, so it starts to look blocky. But with a 16-megapixel image, even if I crop to 50% of the image, it won't look pixelated when printed."

In fact, the 8-megapixel iPhone 4S camera was used by the Time magazine in November 2012 for its cover photo. The only time you would actually use a full 41-megapixel image is if you wanted to print the image on a billboard, which is why Nokia over-samples the pictures and produces clearer 5-megapixel.

The real reason that a Lumia 1020 produces better pictures than it's contemporaries is twofold. One of the reasons is that it simply gives the user a lot more control over individual settings like aperture. But the first - and most important reason - is that it has a much bigger sensor than any other smartphone (other than the 808 PureView).

"The image is formed when the light forms on the sensor," Singh explains. "If the sensor size is big then the image will be more detailed, even when you crop into smaller parts of the image and enlarge them."

So where do the megapixels fit into this? According to Singh, the problem comes when you try and pack too many pixels into a small sensor.

"It's like a room. A room that has space for 10 people, you put ten people there and everyone is comfortable. But when you squeeze 20 in there, then it becomes uncomfortable, and when you reach 40 people, no one can breathe," Singh says. "When you pack the individual pixels too tightly on a sensor, the image quality goes down." That is why the images on many budget phones look blurry as they struggle to balance 'advertising friendly' megapixel counts, while still keeping the sensor small enough to fit on the thinner than ever devices.

According to Singh, finding out about the sensor size of a device - instead of the megapixel count - is a quick way of knowing how clear a picture will be, whether you are looking to buy a smartphone, or a compact digital camera. He says that another detail that casual buyers need to learn more about is the ISO or sensitivity of a camera. "A high ISO setting means that you will be able to take a picture in poor lighting without difficulty, but what's happening is that your camera (or phone) is electrically stimulating the sensor to brighten the image. So this can introduce graininess into the image as well."

With a growing trend towards low-light photography and a popular shift away from flash photography, Singh says buyers should also look at the lenses they are getting. Aperture, or the size of the lens opening through which light falls on the sensor, is very important in these scenarios, he says. He adds, "an aperture of f2.2 or f1.8 is becoming more common even in the smaller compact cameras, because of low-light photography." So when a phone's ad promises better pictures in low-light conditions? That has nothing to do with how many megapixels are mentioned in the ad.

Camera manufacturers deserve their share of blame for making people equate megapixels with quality, but it's a figure that phone makers picked up and ran with because it is an easy competition. The fact is that if you want a phone that is super slim and super light and still has a battery life that will last a full day and more - then some compromise has to be made, and that is often done by making a smaller sensor, and making compromises on the lens. If an 8-megapixel camera is good enough for Time magazine's cover, then maybe it's time for customers who'll just be sharing pictures on Facebook to think about what they want from a smartphone camera - and the answer is almost never more megapixels.

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Will BlackBerry ever resurface as the preferred business smartphone?

Most of us can’t help but notice how BlackBerry the once-dominant Canadian smartphone maker is desperately trying to get back into the game – the one that it lost to the iPhone and several Androids.

We witnessed the transition of BlackBerry from being the quintessential and coveted smartphone, to being an insignificant number in the whole smartphone pie. Is it too late for BlackBerry to regain lost share? We take a look at the situation, from a complete gadget-critic’s point of view.

What went wrong?

We don’t want to keep harping on the fact that BB was late to react to the first iPhone, but that’s where it all began. The first iPhone debuted in mid-2007; the Z10 arrived in January 2013.

So while Z10 with the new OS was late to arrive in the premium smartphone market, BlackBerry was ousted in the budget and mid-range segment by a number of Android devices.

Sure, for a BlackBerry, the Z10 was good – we loved the gesture based navigation, the build quality and the BlackBerry Hub (the all-encompassing notification hub). The camera just about cut it, and screen quality too was decent. And, of course, a reworked BBM was appreciated.

The app ecosystem, however, seriously lacked options for users. For a while, we cut BB some slack, agreeing that it was still too early for the new OS to have as many apps as say iOS or Android.

But when you’re in a market that’s as competitive as this, you can’t use the newbie excuse for long. And BB failed to work on it even by the time Q10 and Q5 were rolled out.

And then there was the price – even some hardcore BB fans were seen shaking their heads in disbelief after learning about the price (considering what the device offered). For a consumer, it just didn’t make sense to pay ?40,000 plus for a BB handset with features that they could get on a device that was significantly less expensive. That was just too much for a smartphone with BBM (WhatsApp wasn’t present on the ecosystem initially). Just those few initial bad notes ruined what could’ve been BB’s symphony of survival.

Bad balancing

The devices that BlackBerry claimed were made to strike the perfect balance between ‘work and life, just fell short on the ‘life’ part. BlackBerry was, and will always be known for its secure BlackBerry Enterprise Servers (BES), which was the reason why BB became the must-have corporate phone in the first place. But then once you got back home, the BB10 device just wasn’t enough fun.

And now even though the prices for Z10, Q10 and Q5 have been slashed, BlackBerry still doesn’t have enough market share for its BB10 devices. That’s primarily because office mails and apps can be installed and synced on other smartphones too, say an iPhone or an HTC One.

What’s next?

With Z30, BlackBerry proved that it can keep up at least in the hardware department – the 5-inch device comes with a brilliant screen and good processing power for hardcore multitasking. But hardware isn’t the only thing that matters – a smartphone should be fun as well.

It’s time BlackBerry created something new, because on the ‘life’ part of their smartphones, they should have something more than BBM to show off (and that isn’t exclusive any more either).

It needs a sort of reinvention – it needs to come out and offer new features – features that are new, practical, and those that the customers can readily fall in love with. The company really needs to ask this question to itself once before they roll out every device – what will this device offer that its competition doesn’t have.

Before its decline, BB had become a very popular device with younger customers. Even if the company decides to make its way through that price segment, it has some serious competition, in form of the new Nokia X series and seriously powerful budget smartphones such as Moto G.

We see a tiny ray of hope in the form of BlackBerry’s announcement about two new devices, the Z3 and Q20 at MWC this year. While these two devices will hit the Indonesian markets soon, there’s no word on these devices’ pricing and availability in other markets, including India.

With migrating loyalties amongst the buyers of today, for BlackBerry, time is everything. If it brings out either the Z3 or the Q20 right away, it might pick up sales in markets where there’s still some BB presence left. If it waits for Christmas, well, we don’t think BB10 will turn two.

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Xiaomi confirms 5.5-inch, octa-core Redmi Note phone with teaser

The leaked Redmi phone we saw a couple of days ago is coming sooner than we expected, and it now bears an interesting name: Redmi Note.

Does it mean we'll be getting a stylus with this Chinese phone? No idea, as Xiaomi's midnight teaser -- pictured above -- doesn't reveal much, other than confirming the 5.5-inch screen (the leak indicates a 720p resolution) and the octa-core processor (1.4GHz or 1.7GHz).

What's missing is the price, but it should sit somewhere between the current Redmi's CN¥699 (about $110) and the MI2a's CN¥1,499 ($240) -- so maybe CN¥999 ($160) at most.

Folks in China will be able to pre-order at local time 8pm on March 19th using Tencent'sQzone app, which got the exclusive for the Redmi Note's debut sale. For those outside China, your usual gray market channels are standing by.

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Three new flagship models to heat up smartphone battle

Gone are the days when tech giants would launch just one flagship smartphone a year and that too at a specific time. With new and big devices coming much more frequently, the latest instance being Samsung Galaxy S5, Sony Xperia X2 and LG G Pro 2 phones at the Mobile World Congress, Gadgets and Gizmos takes a look at what's on offer.

The last year saw the launch of a number of flagship smartphones that were capable of giving the iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S4, a run for their money. The HTC One, Sony Xperia Z1 and even the LG G Pro - each one of them had something special. Barely three months into the new year, we already have the wraps off some of the new flagships phones.

Samsung Galaxy S5

The fastest growing Android smartphone maker in the world has stepped into the fifth stage of the Galaxy series. Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy S5, which features several improvements over the S4. The smartphone has a 5.1 inch Full HD display and aa 16MP camera which can capture ultra-HD videos at 30 frames per second. It operates on Android KitKat and runs on 2.5GHz quad core application processor, paired with 2GB of RAM. A fingerprint scanner has been integrated into its home button, much like that of the iPhone 5s. Samsung has followed Sony's footsteps as well and waterproofed this phone. It is water and dust resistant and certified as such. It can withstand water up to a depth of one meter for a maximum of 30 minutes. Connectivity options onboard include USB 3.0, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, Wi-Fi, and LTE support.

Sony Xperia Z2

The successor to the Xperia Z1 has also arrived. The phone has a slightly bigger display than most, measuring 5.2 inch. It has a 20.7MP camera - an Exmor RS for mobile image sensor, featuring the award-winning G Lens. The phone can also capture 4k videos. It will run on Android KitKat, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor - a 2.3GHz quad-core Krait CPU and 3GB RAM. It can support LTE and NFC connectivity, and has a 3200mAh battery. Sony is calling it "the world's best camera and camcorder in a waterproof smartphone"

LG G Pro 2

Successor to the LG G Pro, the Pro 2 has picked up the industrial design and material feel of the recently launched LG G2, which includes back mounted buttons for volume and power, as well as the curved back cover and the 13MP camera module. But there are a few changes. The phone comes with the 5.9 inch display with 1080p resolution, which makes it a phablet. It runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon quad core processor clocked at 2.26 Ghz and paired with 3GB RAM. It also has Dolby mobile sound enhancement and LG Optimus UI onboard.

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You can now mirror your Android screen on Chromecast, if you have a Nexus 5

The prospect of mirroring your Android screen on Chromecast has been teased for a few weeks, but the feature can now be finally tried out -- if you have the right smartphone, that is.

An updated version of the Mirror for Android beta includes early support for mirroring to either a Chrome browser or Chromecast, but only if you have a Nexus 5.

Google's phone is the sole device with the hardware video decoder needed for this mirroring technique.

You also have to get root-level access to the operating system with the current release, although that won't be necessary in the future. Provided you meet the app's exact requirements, you can give mirroring a spin at the source link.

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Adobe Revel photo-editing and sharing app finally arrives for Android

Adobe has finally launched its Revel all-in-one collaborative photo-editing and photo-sharing app for Android, nearly three years after it was launched for iOS in 2011.

The Adobe Revel app is now available for download for free via the Google Play store. With it, users can upload photos and videos, edit them, and can keep them organized. One can also share edited photos and videos on social networks.

Users will be able to invite friends and family to join a Group Library, and then control who can see, add, or edit content. The application includes private web galleries for sharing content with only those members whom the user has selected.

The editing option in the Revel app includes some basic tools such as filters, cropping, exposure and contrast adjustment, tools from built-in Elements apps, "Adobe Revel is also integrated with Photoshop Elements 12 and Premiere Elements 12, making it easy for you to bring your edited photos and videos with you anywhere you go," states the Adobe blog post.

The users can upload unlimited images and videos for the first month. After this period, users will be limited to 50 photos and video uploads per month. However, one can still opt for the unlimited uploads via an in-app purchase of $5.99 a month or $59.99 for a year.

Adobe Revel for Android is also seen receiving positive reviews from users on the Google Play store, with a rating of 4.4 stars out of 5. The Abobe Revel app is sized at 17MB and requires Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and above OSes to run.

In January, Adobe rolled out an updated version of its Photoshop Express app for Android, which is now compatible with Android 4.4 KitKat, and boasts of some new features.

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Micromax Canvas Tab P650E CDMA tablet with Android 4.0

Micromax Canvas Tab P650E, which is a CDMA variant of the company's first flagship tablet, the Canvas Tab P650, is now listed on the company's official website. However, the popular domestic manufacturer is yet to reveal the pricing and availability details of the new tablet.

Recently, the Canvas Tab P650E was available via an e-commerce website at Rs. 8,999.

The Canvas Tab P650E offers single SIM functionality with support for CDMA network. It comes with a 7-inch display with a resolution of 1024x600 pixels. The tablet runs on the dated Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system.

The Canvas Tab P650E is powered by a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 (MSM8625) processor clocked at 1GHz (unspecified chipset) along with 512MB of RAM. Other specifications include a 2-megapixel rear camera, VGA front-facing camera and 4GB of inbuilt storage, which can be expanded up to 32GB.

The Canvas Tab P650E is backed by a 3000mAh battery which, according to the official listing, delivers up to 220 hours of standby time and up to 11 hours of talk time.

Micromax in February also listed the Funbook Mini P410i on the company's website without pricing or availability details.

Notably, the Micromax Funbook Mini P410i is the successor to the Funbook Mini P410 tablet launched last year, and comes with upgraded specifications.

The Micromax Funbook Mini P410i tablet, like its predecessor, comes with a 7-inch TFT LCD display with 1024x600 pixels resolution. The Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean-based tablet supports dual-SIM (GSM+GSM) functionality with voice-calling.

It is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core MediaTek (MT8377) processor alongside 1GB of RAM. The Funbook Mini P410i includes 4GB of inbuilt storage which can be expanded up to 32GB via microSD card. The tablet sports a 5-megapixel rear fixed focus camera while there is a 2-megapixel front-facing fixed focus camera.

Notably, the Funbook Mini P410i packs a 2800mAh battery, like its predecessor, rated to deliver up to 6 hours of talk time and up to 120 hours of standby time. The Micromax Funbook Mini tablet will be available in White.

Micromax Canvas Tab P650E key specifications

• 7-inch display with 1024x600 pixels resolution
• 1GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor
• 512MB of RAM
• 2-megapixel rear camera
• VGA front-facing camera
• 4GB inbuilt storage (expandable up to 32GB)
• Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
• SIM support (CDMA)
• 3000mAh battery

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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.

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