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.

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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

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Beware, Android malware NotCompaitable is back in action

Recently, Android smartphones worldwide are said to be affected new virus, NotCompaitable. As many of you may have heard of this malware before and this is not a new virus. This is an improved and dangerous version of NotCompaitable which first appeared in 2012. In this third version, the creators behind the bug have rewritten the code and that makes it harder to defeat. In this modern world, people spend more of their time with smartphones and tablets rather than using desktops. Activations of new Android devices per day are increasing at a huge rate which the hackers are well aware of. So this makes them aim to Android as well as iOS platforms.

The newer version of NotCompaitable found is as complex as malwares found in computers. The virus is being spread by spam and through various download sites that are hijacked. Mobile security firm Lookout reported that the new version is much more stable and uses end-to-end encryption, peer-to-peer networking and stealthy operating procedures which makes it hard to detect. The phones that enabled to install apps from unknown sources are more exposed to this threat. If you happen to land on an infected website while browsing with your phone browser, a file 'update.apk' will be downloaded and installed automatically. The phone may pops a notification for a security update. If the user grants permission, thinking that its just a normal security update, the virus will gain full control over your device. The phones affected are found to be sending spam emails, buying tickets on bulk, attacking blogs etc

. 

The rate of mobile malwares are rising as more time being spent on hand-held devices. They are normally spread through apps and games whose apk files are repacked with files that harm the device. Wirelurker, Masque, Dendroid etc are just three of a variety of malwares released worldwide. Android being an open source project, makes it less secure, especially the devices that have root access. In one way or the other, this just motivates the cyber criminals. They are keen to get access to other devices so that the user's data can be acquired without his consent or knowledge. This sensitive data can be used for various uses. Hackers can sell the data, use it for sending phishing emails or even get access to victim's bank account. It has been found that 70 percent of people reuses the password across different sites so it also helps hackers to access victim's social accounts.

How not to get affected ?

Always try to follow these simple steps while using your phone. Following these strictly will be an annoyance but what if you get a phone bill of $500 for bad SMS calls or lost $2000 from your bank account because your credit card details got stolen from your phone? I’d prefer getting annoyed with following some of these rules.

• Never Root/Jailbreak your smartphone if you are not much aware of it. Rooting may allow you to Superuser access but also strips away some essential security features.
• Only download apps from trusted app stores like Google Play, Amazon or 1Mobile but try to stick with Google Play.
• Be cautious when allowing permissions to the installed app.
• Try not to install cracked apps and games. These files may be repacked with harmful contents.
• Use an antivirus program in your phone. TrusttGo, LookOut, Norton are recommended.
• Try to update your phone software to latest version.
• Don’t use Banking and other private apps on public WiFi.

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Free subscription for Saavn Pro if you purchase from Snapdeal

Indian e-commerce firm, Snapdeal announced its partnership with Saavn today, for providing two month free subscription for Saavn pro app for Android users. Saavn is an online music service that offers millions of Indian songs in various languages just like Spotify. The pro version is priced at 220 INR ($3.60) per month and provides ad-free listening and even offline access to tracks.

Snapdeal,  competing with Amazon.in, Flipkart and some other online retail sites in India, has raised an amount of $6.27 million of its own. The company said that 70 percent of its orders come from smartphones and tablets and it is found that 90 percent of smartphones in India are powered by Android. Saavn also has its competitors in the industry. Rdio and Gaana also offers services similar to Saavn. The giveaway is found to be one of its kind. If you purchase something from Snapdeal with the Android app, you will get notified with a promotion code after the purchase. This will lead you to the download page of the app and after renewing the code, you will have access to the pro services for the next two months.

Each user can redeem only one promotion code. So it seems like you cannot get a free subscription again after your first chance. But, practically thinking, the two month subscription is an awesome deal as you are getting it at free of cost. The partnership is agreed for a whole year so there are hope for more such offers from both firms. So start purchasing from Snapdeal and steal the deal.
Source: Techcrunch

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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

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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.

 

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Windows Phone to get next major update after Cyan; The Lumia Denim

The official Lumia Cyan update is getting available for all WP8 devices now and a few days back, Nokia Microsoft Mobile announced their next major update at the IFA 2014. The Windows Phone 8.1 update 1, nicknamed as The Lumia Denim update is said to roll out worldwide this winter. It will cover loads of improvements and features in the phone especially with Cortana and Camera. Microsoft also announced Three new devices, Lumia 730 dual sim, 735 and 830. All the three will have Lumia Denim out-of-the-box.

The Lumia Denim features :

CORTANA

Cortana is something that needs no introduction. It is the most efficient personal assistant out there in The US (hope you know how to get it for phones outside US ). And now Cortana will be made available officially in UK and China as public beta and  public alpha for countries like India, Canada and Australia. For WP users in US, Cortana is gonna get a whole lot of improvements like improved natural language, calendar improvement, car-kit integration, snooze reminders, bluetooth for contacts etc. Other two attractions are Sensor-core technology and Geo-tagging. From now on you don’t need to press any buttons, just say “Hey Cortana” and she is active, allowing it to be fully voice controlled. With Geo-tagging you can add a reminder like “ Call Dad when i reach home” and Cortana can now track you with GPS and pops up a message to call dad the moment you reach home.

CAMERA

With the update the Nokia Camera will now be replaced with Lumia Camera. This feature is hardware dependent and is only available for Lumia 930, 1520 and 830 in the first phase.  The camera will get improvements in its speed as it takes certain milli seconds(time that human eye takes to blink) to go from shot to shot. The Moment Capture feature allows you to quickly start recording 4K quality recording at 24FPS with each frame at 8.3 Megapixels. It also benefits improves image processing algorithms which delivers clearer and sharp photos and light is not a big deal anymore.
The Update 1 also brings back the Glance Screen with improvements. Bing weather, Fitness and notifications can be seen directly on the glance screen now.

LIVE FOLDERS

Long press an app for a second and drag it onto another tile. Thats it, you have created a folder in your start screen. This is one of the most awaited feature for windows phones. You also have the option to rename the folder or add more tiles in it. This will help a lot in maintaining an organised start screen and makes it look neat.

APPS CORNER

This is also a handy feature for your windows phone. With this you can create customized start screens in your phone, like when you are at work your start screen will have apps like MS Word, Adobe Reader, LinkedIn, IE. Similarly, at home it will have Facebook, MixRadio, Youtube, Flipkart app and all those related stuff. Also if you are giving it to a child, you can ensure they can only access age-appropriate contents.

OTHER FEATURES

The Windows Phone 8.1 update 1 will also have a bunch of new features and improvements in Internet Explorer as the sites will load faster. Text messages can be merged and forwarded easily and customize snooze time in alarm app, i.e if you want to snooze 12 minutes, now you can. A consumer VPN feature is also added which secures your privacy when connected to a public WiFi. The Windows store live tile will show the most popular or most relevant items but this update will be available exclusively to users in United States.

CONCLUSION

Well the features announced are pretty cool, but there wont be much for low range devices, like the Lumia 520. The Lumia Camera and its improvements wont be seen in these popular devices. The update is confirmed for devices from Microsoft, so if you are using an HTC 8X and you didn't receive the update, there is nothing to wonder because you are not in the club. Watch the video below.

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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.

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FreeKall- free calls anywhere

Ever dreamt of talking to someone over the phone free of cost ? Well now you can make that dream come true as freekall is here finally. As the name sounds, the service enables every mobile user to make calls to anyone without the use of Internet or any messenger apps. In other words, This smart feature can be used in any dump phones free of cost. The idea, which was sparked in the campus of M S Ramaiah Institute of Technology in Bangalore. After being in beta for months, they have received a huge response from different parts of India.

  "The response has been phenomenal. Our servers crashed about seven times and we had to bring it back up" said Yashas Shekar, who co-founded the company with his college-mates Vijayakumar Umaluti and Sandesh Eshwarappa. FreeKall makes money by making people listen to advertisements. So, when the call is connected, the user hears an advertisement instead of a ringing tone. And at intervals of two minutes, the caller and the called party will have to pause the conversation and hear an advertisement for soaps, shampoos and so on. So this service is for those who don’t mind the annoyance of Advertisements in the middle of a conversation. Freekall has tie-up’s with a media agency called Streetsmart Media Solutions for the advertisements.Still this service is a blessing for those who maintains a ‘miss-call’ balance and spends money in internet packs.

To avail this service, one needs to register at freekall.in with a phone number and email id. Your unique password will be mailed to your inbox and a confirmation sent to the corresponding number. Registering process is so easy that it just takes a minute or so ( I did it in Opera mobile browser in my feature phone. Trust me, its that easy ). And thats it. Now you are good to go.
Dial 1800 108 4444 from your phone. After a couple of rings the call will be disconnected And within no time you will receive a call from +918067915000. Don’t panic, You will be asked to dial the number by an IVR(male voice) followed by hash(#). Thats it, just after a small advertisement, you will hear your friend’s “HELLO”. Believe it or not, that call you just made is Freekall( free call actually).



Website: www.freekall.in

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Blackberry Z3 Launched in India, A comparison with Motorola G

Blackberry has launched its new mid-range smartphone in Indian market, Blackberry Z3, which was formerly launched in Indonesia. Recently Indian smartphone market is offered a choke-full of affordable handsets that packs high-end features from international brands like Motorola, Nokia and now Blackberry. Blackberry has been loosing its customers for some time now especially in the high-end market. After the introduction of Blackberry 10 OS, BB phones now supports Android apps as well but that didn’t help blackberry to come up with other manufacturers in the market. Blackberry had a decent customer base earlier but with the arrival of new Operating Systems like Android, Windows Phone etc Blackberry had become something meant only for business people. They also introduced touch devices to the trending market but followed their signature design like qwerty keypad, wide screen, touchpad etc. But the problem was that a lot of qwerty devices were made available by manufacturers like Nokia and Samsung whose price were far below than Blackberry phones and the world preferred to use full-touch devices instead.

One of the key feature that made Blackberry stand unique from others was its messaging service, Blackberry Messenger. but Blackberry made it available for some Android and iOS devices and soon will be launched for Windows Phone 8.1 devices.Apart from the phones,  BBM is a huge success. 60 percent of service’s active users are using it daily, which is a big deal considering Instagram, which have about 50 percent of their userbase using it everyday.  All these factors made Research in motion(RIM) on the cliff-edge of the smartphone market. Blackberry has also introduced two powerful full touch devices last year, Blackberry Z10 and Blackberry Z30, but couldn’t create any move in the market. lately it was also rumored that RIM is going to shut Blackberry down.

Blackberry has recently partnered with Foxconn, an electronic company that contracts gadget manufacturing. Some notable products they make include iPad, iPhone, XBox One etc. Blackberry will continue to design the software, Blackberry 10 OS, while Foxconn will design the hardware. In the case of Z3, at such a price tag from Blackberry, the phone is meant for developing countries. Blackberry is trying their chance with mid-range phones, like what Motorola  did recently with the launch of Moto G. Z3 runs on BB10 OS which offers a true touch-screen experience, as the OS is based completely on touch interface. Thus providing a seamless touch experience. Comparing Z3 with Moto G, you may feel Z3 a bit overpriced, but it is a worthy buy.

COMPARISON

	Blackberry Z3	Motorola G
Display	5”  220ppi 540 x 960 pixel	4.5” 329ppi 720 x 1280 pixel
Processor	1.2 Ghz dual core krait mm MSM 8230 Adreno 305	1.2 Ghz quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 Adreno 305
RAM	1.5 GB	1 GB
Camera	5MP with LED Flash MP front cam	5MP with LED Flash MP front cam
Operating System	Blackberry 10 OS	Android 4.4 Kitkat
Battery	2500mAh	2070mAh
Price	15990	12499
Other Features	Wireless Fidelity Bluetooth 4.0 NFC HDMI support	Wireless Fidelity GPS Bluetooth 4.0 Dual Sim

The Blackberry will appeal mainly to Blackberry fans who value the Blackberry 10 OS’s advanced security features. Other consumers might prefer the Moto G over it as it has a better display and superior performance.  Blackberry CEO John Chen said, “We’re no longer worrying whether we will be around. Now, we’re ready to fight back.”

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Micromax to launch Windows Phones with 1GB RAM at a price less than that of Lumia 520

At the last BUILD conference held at San Francisco, Microsoft has announced its partnership with 11 new companies from different countries including India's own Micromax. Microsoft has also made Windows Phone OS free for devices under 9” inch which helps manufacturers reduce the cost of their phones.
[READ MORE : Micromax partnered with Microsoft ]
Being the 10th largest cell phone manufacturing company in the world, Second largest in India and one among the Microsoft OEM partner, Micromax, as expected, has come up with two new entry level phones running on Windows Phone 8.1.  Micromax is very popular with its wide range of affordable Android phones (Bolt, Canvas etc) not only in India, but also in Sri Lanka, Indonesia and soon in Russia. Now its reaching out for Windows phone fans as well. With the launch, they have become the first Indian smartphone player to launch a Windows Phone in the market.

Micromax has added two new warriors to its popular Canvas range which will be the cheapest phones having Windows Phone 8.1. The Canvas Win W092 and Canvas Win W121 will be launched in early July this year and will be priced 6500(€80) and 9500(€115) respectively. About the launch, Sanjay Kapoor, Chairman, Micromax said, “ With our vision to democratize technology and belief in providing consumers with choice of platforms, we are pleased to introduce a new range of Windows-based phones. I am pleased that Micromax is the only Indian mobile phone brand to be present across the two most popular operating platforms in the world.”

With no doubt, both the phones will be competing tightly with Nokia’s Lumia 520 and Lumia 630 and obviously, Micromax scores more. Both the phones have 1GB of ram and 8GB of internal memory whereas both lumias have just 512 MB. They also lack a front cam and LED flash but Micromax has managed to equip their phones with all these features at a price even lower than the Lumia 520. The W121 has got a removable leather finish back panel just like the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. Micromax have managed to come up with the build quality on Nokia Lumia in the W121with the same material used in all Lumias as Nokia uses polycarbonate(free of PVC) instead of plastic. Lumia 525 is a good option if you prefer 1 GB of RAM and personally i feel  Lumia 630 is a bit overpriced. So, let’s go for a little comparison between these phones.
[Releated Read: Nokia Lumia 630 specifications and images ]

COMPARISON

Nokia Lumia 630 VS Micromax Win W121

	MMX W121	Nokia Lumia 630
Display	5” IPS (1280 x 720)	4.5” IPS LCD Display (480 x 854)
Processor	Qualcom Snapdragon 200 1.2 GHz Quadcore( Cortex A7)	Qualcom Snapdragon 400 GHz Quadcore( Cortex A7)
Operating System	Windows Phone 8.1	Windows Phone 8.1
RAM & Storage	1 GB RAM 8 GB Internal memory 32 GB expandable	512 MB RAM 8 GB Internal Memory 128 GB SD card support
Camera	8 MP rear,2 MP front LED Flash	5 MP rear
Battery	2000 mAH	1830 mAH (BL-5H)
Price	9500 ($159)	10500 ($158)

 

Nokia Lumia 520 VS Micromax Win W092

	MMX W092	Nokia Lumia 520
Display	4” IPS (800 x 480)	4” IPS (800 x 480)
Processor	Qualcom Snapdragon 200 1.2 GHz Quadcore( Cortex A7)	Qualcom Snapdragon S4 1.0 GHz Processor( Dual Core Krait)
Operating System	Windows Phone 8.1	Windows Phone 8 (upgradable)
RAM & Storage	1 GB RAM 8 GB Internal memory 32 GB expandable	512 MB RAM 8 GB Internal Memory
Camera	5 MP rear,0.3 MP front LED Flash	5 MP rear
Battery	1500 mAH	1430 mAH (BL-5J)
Price	6500 ($121)	8500 ($108)

Talking about the Canvas Win W121, the phone’s design is inspired from other canvas phones and the phone do looks nice. You can take off the battery whenever needed and the leather case is interchangeable. The quality of viewing is not impressive as its look but the screen graphics are smoother than other Canvases running on Android OS. MS Office comes pre-loaded with the device and it is powered with Windows phone 8.1 out of the box. Apps can be downloaded from the official windows phone store but the Nokia Here Maps, Nokia mix radio are not available. Microsoft’s Siri-rival Cortana can also be made available by changing your region to United States.

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Xiaomi MiPad launched, Powerpacked with a 5core processor

Chinese tech giant Xiaomi has once again amazed the world with the launch of their new tablet, the Xiaomi MiPad. The 7.9 inch tablet is powerpacked with a 2.2 Ghz Nvidia Tegra K1 processor and 2gb of RAM along with a 2048x1536, 324ppi high definition retina display, 8mp Sony camera (rear) and a 5mp front camera and a superb 6700mah LG battery powering the tab. Available in 16GB and 64GB variants, its memory can be  expanded with external SD card upto 128GB. It also houses a set of stereo speakers at the back. In short, with MiTab, Xiaomi is offering Apple iPad like features at the price of a normal Android phablet. Priced at around 14000, No details regarding its launch in global market is revealed.

Pros -

1. High Definition display with 324ppi
2. High resolution camera (manufactured by Sony)
3. Tegra K1 processor (5 core)
4. 2 GegaBytes of RAM
5. Budget friendly

Cons -

1. Lack of autofocus
2. No flash

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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.

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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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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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A lot of reasons to get excited on Windows Phone 8.1

Its already confirmed by Microsoft that the update of windows phone 8 to Windows Phone 8.1 at its Build developers conference in San Francisco, The first major update in 18 months. The update will be giving a completely new experience to WP8 users as the phone will undergo major changes. Available for all phones running on WP8(including 520), the update will be first rolling out in US and other countries getting it within this year. And finally the phone will be having a notification drawer called Action Center, which collects text messages, emails, calls and updates from social networks and other apps. It also has quick toggles for things like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

One of the much awaited feature in the update is Cortana, a personal digital assistant similar to Apple’s Siri, who can help make your life easier.Instead of searching for things, you ask Cortana - so if you want to know what the weatherforecast is, how many pounds are in a kilo, who's winning the match or when Obama's birthday is, you'll ask and Cortana will give you the answer. She has some sort of answers for everything. you'll be able to set a reminder to ask somebody about something, and the reminder will pop up if you text, call or otherwise interact with that person. Microsoft stated that Cortana will be socially intelligent. She has the ability to search the Internet, set up alarms, shift calendar appointments, find restaurants, send messages, place calls and much much more.

Cortana wasn't the only new aspect of Windows Phone 8.1 d appears as a Live Tile on your device. Her intelligence comes via Bing, which has access to Tellme's natural language processing.She replaces the search function in Windows Phone and the Bing tile is no more in your homescreen, Cortana also has the ability to figure out what your habits are (when you wake up, when you're at work, what you frequently search for), and use that information to predict your next move. Similar as it maybe to Siri and Google Now, Cortana isn't a straight clone either. Unlike the other two services,Microsoft will not only allow third-party apps to utilize Cortana's service, either by controlling apps via voice or fetching data for predictive search. . Microsoft demonstrated Cortana working in Skype, Hulu Plus and Facebook.

Microsoft promises that Cortana will be the best thing ever: she'll take the best of Google Now's analysis and Siri's user-friendliness, bring them together and then take everything one step further. Cortana won't just listen to you, she'll understand you, and she'll be aware of everything from your location to your personal preferences.Cortana will be available to third party developers: unlike Siri, which is limited to Apple's own apps and a few Apple services, Cortana could potentially work with any of your apps. Ask Cortana who’s her daddy, and she’ll say;

“Technically speaking, he’s Bill Gates. No big deal.”
watch the video here.
For Indian users, the full version of Cortana is expected to come in 2015 which is obviously very sad. but theres a good news also(read it here).

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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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Beware of DenDroid

A new commercial tool  designed to allow cyber criminals to easily  transform legitimate Android  applications into malicious  software has hit the  underground market, paving  the way for cheap and easy  development of sophisticated  Android malware. The developers who are behind the creation of this virus are certainly street smart as they have named this virus Dendroid, which resembles to the actual operating system: Android. Ignorant and non-suspecting users can download this app assuming it to be safe and something related to Android, thereby compromising the security and functionality of their smart phones.

The toolkit is called Dendroid and can be used to create “trojanized” apps—legitimate  applications with malicious code added to them—that connect  back to a command-and-control server over HTTP and allow  attackers to perform a variety  of malicious actions on devices  that have those apps installed.

Dendroid is marketed by its  creators as an Android remote  administration tool (RAT) and is  being sold for US$300, security  researchers from Symantec  said Wednesday in a blog post .  Buyers receive a tool called an  “APK Binder” that can be used  to add the Dendroid RAT  functionality and its required  permissions to any clean APK  (Android application package) as well as access to a  sophisticated PHP-based  control panel that allows  detailed management of the  infected devices.

Dendroid’s features include  deleting call logs and files;  calling phone numbers; opening Web pages; recording calls and  audio from the microphone;  intercepting text messages;  taking and uploading photos  and videos; opening  applications and launching HTTP flood (denial-of-service) attacks for a period of time specified  by the attacker. The virus was first detected by Symantec. As per their research, “Dendroid is a HTTP RAT that is marketed as being transparent to the user and firmware interface, having a sophisticated PHP panel, and an application APK binder package.”.

The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN) warned about a currently active Dendroid malware campaign that is spreading across India, targeting Android users.

"It has been reported that a malicious toolkit called DENDROID is being used to create trojanized applications that infects Android-based Smartphones. The malware is created by modifying the required permissions by any clean APK (Android Application Package) with Dendroid RAT functionality that allows detailed management of the infected devices," the Computer Emergency Response Team of India (CERT-In) said in its latest advisory.Last month, CERT-In had warned Android Kitkat and Facebook users regarding security hacks on their mobiles. And within 30 days, this is the second such warning coming from India’s premier cyber security and investigation cell.

MEASURES TO PROTECT

*.Install applications downloaded from reputed app stores only.

*.Install apk files with utmost care as some apks might be modded by the hackers.

*.Keep updating your mobile anti-virus and Firewall solution to protect your device from malware and cyber attacks.

*.Always Check applications permissions before installing it.

CONSIDER THESE APPS TO SECURE YOUR PHONE

1.      Avast Mobile Security

2.      McAfee WaveSecure

3.      Snap Secure Mobile Security

4.      Norton Mobile Security Lite

5.      mSecure Password Manager

6.      AppScan Beta

7.      TrustGo Anti-Virus and Mobile Security

8.      Bitfinder Mobile Security

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Google redesigns search results on PCs

Web surfing through the Internet's main gateway now looks slightly different on personal computers, thanks to a few cosmetic changes to Google's search engine this week.

The tweaks to the way Google's search results appear on desktop and laptop computers mirror a makeover on smartphones and tablets introduced a few months ago.

The new presentation increases font sizes and removes the underlines below the blue links of each search result on PCs. Ads appearing along the top and the right-hand panel of the results page no longer are presented in boxes shaded in blue and yellow. The marketing pitches are now marked by small ad tags to distinguish them from the rest of the results.

Google Inc. rolled out the new design on PCs with little fanfare, even though it will be seen by almost everyone who searches for information on personal computers. That's because Google processes about two out of every three search requests made on PCs.

The company's lead search designer, Jon Wiley, announced the makeover Wednesday with a post on his Google Plus page.

The changes are meant to make it easier to scroll through Google's search results and present a "cleaner look," Wiley wrote in his post.

Google's decision to transfer a design originally tailored for mobile devices to PCs also underscores the company's increasing emphasis on smartphones and tablets.

"Improving consistency in design across platforms makes it easier for people to use Google search across devices, and it makes it easier for us to develop and ship improvements across the board," Wiley wrote.

Google, based in Mountain View, Calif., didn't immediately respond on Thursday to requests for further comment about the new look.

As with any redesign of a popular Internet service, some users were expressing their dismay and frustration with Google's new search design on PCs. There were also compliments mixed in with the complaints on Twitter's short-messaging service and the comments section below Wiley's Google Plus post.

The main gripes about the makeover seemed to center on the larger and different font and the lack of color on the results page.

Google, though, typically faces much louder protests when its engineers complete a radical overhaul of the formula that determines rankings of search results. Those revisions can dramatically reduce the traffic of websites exiled to the back pages of the search results after a new formula is introduced.

In this case, Google is tinkering with the style of the search results, and not the substance.

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