Mi A1 : Android One Reviver or Killer of 'Flagship Killer' or both

Hey Guys, remember Android One? If not then let us remind you, it was Google's initiative to make Android phones more accessible to Indian consumers with a promise of pure Android on the device and certified by Google the branding was licensed to Indian manufacturers Micromax and Karbonn. These phones from respective companies were priced below 7000 INR and packed in 1 GB RAM, 8 GB ROM with Quad Core processors something which was generally available at price greater than 8000 in market at that time. A great initiative with massive advertisements, however the results were not up to the mark.

Highlights:

• Xiaomi Mi A1 is priced in India for Rs 14,999
• The phone comes with a guarantee of 2 years update from Google.
• Mi A1 Comes with Dual 12 MP rear Camera and2X optical zoom
• The device comes with 4 GB RAM, 64 GB ROM.
• Available on Flipkart, Mi.com and Mi Home Stores from 12 PM IST, 12th September

Today Google and Xiaomi announced the Android One launch with Xiaomi Mi A1 in India. The phone is a great example of what Android One represents: a collaboration between Google and its partners to deliver a software experience designed by Google.

Xiaomi Mi A1

3 years later Google is back with program albeit this time partner is changed and a lot have changed on the device profile. Though its very obvious you had to upgrade the device configuration to cope up with the market equations of today, however Mi A1 is a device which exceeds expectations by a great margin, at least on the paper. This is the device which priced at INR 14999/- can eat away the market share of present 'Flagship Killer', if you know what I mean. Thus this time there is expected to be huge hype around the device and it is expected that Android One will get a revival as Budget Flagship brand from Google . 

As you might have guessed , Mi A1 is optimized for Google's best products such as Duo, Personal Assistant and comes with security features such as Google Play Protect out of the box. The phone will receive latest Android Updates from Google for 2 years. As of now the device will come running on Android 7.1.2 Nougat. It comes with 5.5 inch full HD display with Corning Gorilla Glass protection and is powered by Snapdragon 625 octa core processor paired with 4GB of RAM. For storage you get 64 GB ROM onboard and can be further expanded upto 128 Gb via micro SD card on hybrid slot. The phone comes with connectivity options as 4G VoLTE , dual band WiFi 802.11ac, GPS, USB Type-C port and 3.5 mm headphone jack. 

For sensors the phone has accelerometer, ALS, gyroscope, IR, Magnetometer and proximity sensor. The device is fueled by 3080 mAh strong battery. 

Xiaomi Mi A1 enables the users to capture moments in stunning detail on Xiaomi’s dual camera with 2X optical zoom along with an unlimited storage space at high quality with Google Photos. The new phone will be available in dozens of countries, including India, Indonesia, Russia, Vietnam and Taiwan.

Read More

Hyve launches its Flagship Hyve Pryme with Deca-Core Helio X20 Processor for Rs17,999

Hyve Mobility a New Delhi based startup announced launch of their Flagship device the Hyve Pryme yesterday in an event held in Delhi. The smartphone is touted as the First Certified Android Deca-core smartphone. Hyve has kept its devices (including the Hyve Buzz and Hyve Prime) on Stock Android without any bloatware on board. The device will be available from November 20 for Rs 17,999 on Amazon.in exclusively for now. However Mr Abhishek Agarwal , CEO of the company clarified that they will partner with more partners including those on offline channels to make the device readily available for the consumers.

Hyve Pryme

The phone's USP in terms of hardware is its Mediatek Helio X20 Deca Core processor. X20 has a Tri-Cluster CPU architecture which comprises of Dual-Core A72 Cortex clocked at 2.3 - 2.5 GHz, Quad-Core Cortex 2.0 GHz A53 and another Quad Core Cortex clocked at 1.4 GHz. The Tri-Cluster architecture is supposedly much efficient in multitasking by shifting workload from one cluster to another.

The processor is said to give 30% improved battery performance, the device also comes with additional features such as ClearMotion for smoother video playback, BluLight Defender for reduced eye strain, Miravision for an enhanced display experience and Dynamic contrast for on the fly video.

Pryme comes with a unibody premium metal design with 8.75 mm thickness and has a 5.7 inch full HD  resolution display with a 2.5D arc glass on the front.  The phone is said to come with best in class screen to body ratio. The phone has 4GB RAM, 32 GB storage which can be further expanded upto 200 GB. The Hyve Pryme comes with a 3500 mAh strong TruLife Battery and sports a Type-C port with fast charging support. 

The Pryme hosts Dual SIM slots with 4G and VoLTE support, It also comes with an IR Blaster which comes handy in controlling Remote controlled appliances. The device runs on Android 6.0 i.e. Marshmallow.

On sensors part the phone doesn't misses on any important one here, it comes with a Finger print scanner, 6 Axis Gyroscope, Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Compass, Accelerometer and IR Blaster.

L to R - Mr. Kuldeep Malik, India Head Corporate Sales, International MediaTek, Mr. Arther Young, Se. Director Corporate Sales, International MediaTek, Mr. Jasper Yang, Global Sales Head, Media Tek, Mr. Aditya Agarwal, MD & Chairman, Hyve Mobility. Mr. Abhishek Agarwal, CEO & Jt. MD, Hyve Mobility, Mr. TL Lee, General Manager, App Customer Support, International MediaTek

In camera department the phone comes with a 13 MP rear camera supported by Dual tone LED flash, F/2 wide aperture, 4K video recording support and many other features. On the front the device gets an 8 Mega Pixel camera with front flash for great selfies.

Besides all this the Hyve Prime gives you more on the OS/software part such as Android for work which gives you flexibility of having two different workspaces for official and personal use, this is a feature from Google and Hyve team has partnered with Google to get it implemented on their devices hope more manufacturers to follow the suit. The team has also implemented their patented Touch to call technology which enables users to assign a contact to a particular finger print and if that is used to unlock the device then the call will be made to the preset number.

Below is a summary of the device features and specifications:

• 4GB RAM for seamless multitasking and enhanced performance.
• 32GB internal memory ensures availability of ample storage space.
• Touch2Call™ fingerprint dialling which enables quick and easy one touch dialling for favourite numbers
• exFAT file system for seamless Micro SD card usage across platforms. Supports up to 200GB of external storage
• 3500mAh TruLife™ battery which delivers the committed all day performance
• USB-C with Fast charge
• Dual SIM 4G/3G with pan India coverage with VoLTE
• IR Blaster for remotely controlling devices with your choice of 3^rd party app from the Google Play Store.

HyveCare offers revolutionary service and support for all its customers. To ensure best in class service and peace of mind for its customers, The Pryme comes with 2 years standard warranty with accidental protection and pickup and drop facility across India for service. We are proud to offer HyveCare as a standard package on all our devices without any additional cost.

Read More

Idea becomes first operator in India to bring direct carrier billing on Google Play

If you love buying content from Google Play store and are on Idea network then we have a good news for you. Idea has become the first operator in India to offer Direct Carrier Billing on Google Play which can be utilized by its 175 million strong user base.

India's 3rd largest national mobile operator, Idea paves the way for a new and secure way to buy and enjoy digital content via a smartphone. This premium service allows Idea subscribers to pay for all applications, content and in-app features on Google Play with the cost being directly charged to the subscribers’ existing phone credit - be it post-paid or pre-paid. The subscribers will have to merely choose the Idea billing option when prompted during the purchase. A nominal convenience charge will be included in the final transaction.

L to R - Mr. Rajat Mukarji - Chief Corp Affairs Officer, Idea Cellular; Mike Hayes, Director, Business Development, Android & Chrome Partnerships at Google and Mr. P. Lakshminarayana, COO-Corporate, Idea Cellular.JPG

 

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. P. Lakshminarayana, Chief Operating Officer – Corporate, Idea Cellular, said, “Idea has been at the forefront of the internet revolution and has built a robust network through an extensive 3G and now 4G rollout. With capabilities to provide wireless broadband services to nearly 880 million Indians, Idea is well poised to take the lead in the way content is served to an increasing army of digital savvy users. This tie up with Google Play creates a vast set of opportunities for Idea subscribers and also builds a secure gateway to the digital world.”

Talking about the launch, Mike Hayes, Director, Business Development, Android & Chrome Partnerships at Google said, “This collaboration with Idea Cellular is the first time Google Play has offered direct carrier billing in India. Like with lower minimal pricing for apps and pre-paid vouchers, we hope to make it easier for people to pay for the content they want on Google Play. And we also hope that this will give a boost to the developer ecosystem in India, helping developers to grow their businesses on Google Play and connecting to Indian customers.”

 

India is presently the world’s third largest smartphone market (GSMA, 2015), and Android devices are extremely popular. Credit card penetration in India is less than 3%, limiting customers’ ability to purchase mobile content and services. Providing the ease of purchase, Google Play will ensure that the safety of subscribers’ account information is maintained, as a part of its secure and protected service.

Read More

Google launches Chromecast 2 for Rs 3399, new Chromecast users get 6 months HOOQ subscription for free

Google today launched its next generation of its media streaming dongle Chromecast, the Chromecast 2 and also launched audio streaming device Chromecast Audio. Both the devices are priced at Rs 3399/- and is available on e-commerce platforms such as Flipkart, Snapdeal, Paytm, Reliance Digital and Croma. 

HOOQ

With the launch of Chromecast Asia's largest premium video on-demand service HOOQ announced its collaboration with Google to launch content for all new Chromecast. Needless to say, that users can now enjoy their favorite TV shows, movies and other content on larger screen. New Chromecast users will be entitled to a free HOOQ subscription for six months, that means for six months you get unlimited streaming of over 10,000 Hollywood, Bollywood and Local movies along with drama title available on HOOQ. What’s more, one will also be able to enjoy the HOOQ exclusives and original TV shows like Mad Dogs, Spartacus and Ash vs. Evil Dead using the new Chromecast.

Commenting on the collaboration, Mr. Salil Kapoor, Managing Director India at HOOQ said, “This collaboration further solidifies our position as the country’s biggest premium video-on-demand service. We are excited to work with Google to bring the best-in-class entertainment in 14 languages from HOOQ to new Chromecast users. With the popularity of online streaming on the rise in the country, we are confident that our offering will take the entertainment experience to the next level.”

HOOQ has truly paved the way for a digital revolution in the world of entertainment in India. For a price of only Rs 249/- a month, users have access to unlimited Hollywood & Local Movies & TV Shows, which can be viewed on up to 5 connected devices.  Users can share the HOOQ experience with their loved ones or friends, as they can stream simultaneously on two devices – on just one subscription. HOOQ also offers a unique offline download feature of up to five (5) titles at a time ensuring that there is always video content to be enjoyed even when users are offline or facing connectivity challenges.

Still have any  doubt watch our quick review of HOOQ service and imagine the pleasure of having the privilege to watch all that on larger screen.

Read More

Localized Android app store, MoboMarket launches new version with variety of content and new features

All in one Android market and Android manager application, MoboMarket announced launch of a new version which will offer millions of Android users with wide variety of new content and many other new features.  MoboMarket is a leading third-party app store and boasts of a repository of over 500,000 high-quality free apps and games. The store helps global Android users discover their favourite apps in a more friendly way with its unique interface and design.

MoboMarket

The new version of MoboMarket comes with a wide array of apps – from segments like Business, education, Finance to Entertainment, Health & Fitness and even Cooking. There is also a separate section of apps for kids. Besides all these, there are free games, high-quality wallpapers and useful widgets for users.

The app store now has a completely new design interface with refined looks that will improve user experience significantly. Each section of MoboMarket now looks more elegant and beautiful.

A quote from MoboMarket - “The latest version of MoboMarket aims to create a more friendly and convenient environment for our users.  Apart from a whole host of new features, we have also created a user forum – aimed at creating our unique community, allowing fans to exchange thoughts on favourite games and get cool suggestions on latest apps.”

A new feature, Top List, suggests a list of popular Apps & Games on a daily basis, based on users’ location, served in the native language. The app store also has a new built-in user account system and point mall. Users can own a private account, log in easily and redeem prizes by collecting points. The user forum will help people get suggestions from like-minded members of the community.

MoboMarket also helps users improve their Android use experience by providing convenient contact backup, App backup, cross-platform contact transfer and many other useful Android tools. The Speed Boosters, Battery Savers and versatile widgets helps optimize phone to its best conditions. Users can also share files with friends without costing a dime, using the ‘Files Sharing’ feature.

The latest version of MoboMarket is available at www.mobomarket.net.

Read More

16 characters in Google's Chrome address bar and it's gone

An interesting bug is said to be present in one of the most used browsers , Google Chrome. The bug is found by security researcher Andris Atteka from Latvia. The blog post says 

"Recently I reported a crash bug in Google Chrome (issue #533361). This issue reminded me of the recent Skype vulnerability - both occur with simple URL strings. So how can you crash Google Chrome? By adding a NULL char in the URL string:

http://biome3d.com/%%30%30"

 Once you hit this URL in your chrome browser you , the browser will crash  immediately, even hovering your mouse over the link will cause the crash or atleast this particular tab will crash if not the whole browser.

Turns out to be that the crash can be reproduced by replacing "biome3d.com" with a single character like 'a' and the bug lies in parsing null present in the URL.

The vulnerability was reported as a security bug but the bounty was turned down as it is deemed as a DOS attack rather than a security issue, said Andris in his blog. Earlier the bug was thought to be only affecting desktop versions of Chrome Browser but some users have reported that this is reproducible on Android version of the browser as well.

Interesting aspect of the bug is that a user szhu created a maze game (pic below) wherein the maze comprises of trees and bears, you have to hover your mouse over bears to reach from one end to another but the moment you touch trees your tab will crash and now you know why. 

Maze Game

You can also try this game by heading on to Github page , though hovering over will only crash your current tab, but we recommend to close all your important tabs and then try the game in case you accidentally click on any of the trees it will lead in crashing of the browser itself.

Read More

Want to know ROI of installing solar panel on your roof, Sunroof project from Google is here to help you out.

Google as usual is offering you again the least expected from it, the latest project named Sunroof is aimed at providing users with useful information about installing solar panels. As through Google Maps, Google already has satellite data for navigation, sunlight for every property on the world , they are arguably the best candidates today to suggest you about the ROI of your investment on your solar panel.

Project Sunroof

When a user enters address of the property to get the details, Google looks up for the property in its Maps and combine information with other databases to create personalized roof analysis. The project also takes into how much sunlight hits your roof in a year. It takes into account several factors such as its own database of aerial imagery and maps, 3D modelling of roof, Shadows cast by nearby trees and other structures, All possible sun positions over the course of the year, historical cloud and temperature patterns that may affect solar energy production.

Now when you have all these details, just enter your electricity usage and it will recommend you the size of the panel required to generate 100% of your electricity use. The project also tells about the cost of the installation, taking a loan or leasing the installation to help you choose what suits you best. Google admitted that the recommendations are going to be sponsored and might get a kick back. The project will only be available in three locations in United States viz. Boston, San Francisco and Fresno. If the project turns out to be successful then it can be rolled out in other parts of the country as well to the outside world.

Read More

Google's Flight search launched in India

Google has launched its flight search service in India, which will allow users to get best deals available while planning for travelling thru air. Google's Flight search can be accessed by regular search through Google or alternately it can be accessed by http://google.co.in/flights  to get quick results from flight search, get deals, compare and book flights directly from mobile phones, tablet or desktop.

Visitors on website planning for holidays just have to enter their source and destination cities and will get details price. Once you enter the leaving date you will see a calendar showing lowest fares for the route highlighted for each day. In addition to this there is graph below the calendar which gives the variation in price based on days and can be attributed to various reasons such as holidays, weekends, or any other such event. So by just looking at the bar graph below the calendar one can easily make out what time would be best to fly.

Google Flight search calendar

Google has given flexibility to user to filter out search results based on different parameters, for instance user can filter out search result by price, airlines, Mode of trip (One way, round trip), Number of stops, connecting airports etc. User can search flights for economy, business or first class by using dropdown to select one of these classes.

If at all user is not satisfied with the top results displayed , User can click on option to show more results which is displayed like "Show 272 longer or more expensive flights" at bottom of top search results, where 272 will vary based on search results.

Even if you are confused where to go, this service shows you popular destinations based on season, your location and your search preferences. User can view the map on the right side and can directly link to airports to search flight for that particular route.

Google has managed to get flight data from Jet Airways, Gaurang Shetty, Senior Vice President Commercial, Jet Airways said, “Giving our guests access to our flights for bookings through Flight Search will offer another convenient channel to shop for and book flights via their preferred search engine.”

Goibibo.com is the first OTA in India to partner with Google for Flight search. "This is in line with our philosophy and core differentiation of delivering the fastest booking experience to our travelers" said Ashish Kashyap , Founder and CEO of ibibo Group.

So, popular Indian travel planning websites such as makemytrip, cleartrip, yatra.com etc should start thinking of better ways to tackle this, Google the favourite search engine of the masses has now swiftly entered into their business.

We hope you will enjoy planning your next vacations through Google's flight search. Have anything to say on this topic? Then comment below this post.

Read More

Bored in no coverage area? Latest Chrome Beta for Android has an Easter Egg for you to play around

Latest Chrome Beta for Android has an Easter Egg which can be easily find out while one has no internet connection. Latest build of Chrome Beta was up on Google Play Store on 29th October. You can download latest version if you are not already using it.

How it gets activated?

Guess Google has made this one to help you out when you are in no coverage. So if you want to activate it you should be out of coverage area, alternatively you can turn on airplane mode to get disconnected. Now follow simple steps below to activate it.

1. Open Chrome browser.

2. Enter any URL in address bar and click go.

3. You will see a message shown as below.

Chrome - Offline Message

4. Click on this cute dinosaur to see what it can do for you when you are out of coverage area.

I am sure this would certainly keep you engage and help you in killing time at least for some time.

Read More

Project Ara: Google's new project "The modular Smartphone"

I have always wished to have smartphone where component are so loosely coupled that I can easily upgrade my hardware to cop up with the Software upgrades but unfortunately we don't have any option other than to buy an new phone with higher configuration and of course higher price. I bet , I am not alone stuck with this coice, many people have always dreamed of such phones where components can be easily upgraded. Google has listened to the people's voice and is working on the very same concept popularly known as Project Ara.

What is Project Ara?

This week Google held its first developer conference for Project Ara, the new project on which Google's ATAP which comprises of former DARPA engineers alongwith Google's brightest tech minds is working on. Project Ara is concept  of modular Smartphone wherein user can replace (read upgrade) anything they want from display to camera, from RAM to Processor, which makes it customers last destination for a smartphone once it is in market. No doubt this will hit largely the current market especially the biggies like Samsung and Apple who sells high end device at extremely high prices than it should actually be and customers are left with no choice.

This will change the concept of Smartphone market, imagine you are having difficulty in playing your favorite game because of lack of RAM you have in your smartphone you go to shop and asks for a higher RAM module without changing any other piece of hardware, wouldn't it be wonderful? (you may also sell your old RAM module on OLX to get some money :P )

ARA 4

Concept:

Ara would be Modular phone for which there will be no casing where all the components are packed in instead there will be a Case with Skeleton and Ribs to support your different modules. All the modules will stick to the skeleton with the help of electropermanentmagnets. The center line creating partition between two sides is termed as Skeleton and the horizontal lines to support each module are named as ribs by Google. Refer (Fig ARA1). Apart from regular cell phone modules users would be able to use some other modules to make their smartphone more than a conventional smartphone for example medical  devices integration, night vision camera and lot more. The enclosures of the modules are 3D - Printed which will enable customers to design their own enclosures and replace them as they wish.

ARA 1

ARA 3

ARA 2

 Possibilities:

Modular smartphones has been tried earlier as well in 2007 , Modu an Israeli startup came up with smartphones which can be fitted in electronic Jackets and can act as fitness tracker, music player or camera. But unfortunately the idea failed because of clunky design and limited number of module availability. Chinese tech giant ZTE also announced its modular phones where user can upgrade/replace four parts viz. screen, battery, camera and combination of memory and processor.

With this concept materializing Google can gain stronghold for its software services as well in emerging markets.Thanks to shrinking cost of smartphone hardware components which was very high at one time, now Google can convince hardware manufacturers as well as customers to think in a different way. Google has to to make such an ecosystem where Ara's modular parts will be easily available in market to satisfy customer's needs.

This will enable small manufacturers to gain share in the market who can build compatible modules with requiring a licence or paying a fee.



“We believe that the smartphone hardware ecosystem should be, and can be, a lot more like the Android app ecosystem: with a low barrier to entry, lots and lots of developers, and faster, richer innovation,” says Paul Eremenko, a former office head at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency who leads the project (his boss, Regina Dugan, was DARPA’s director and now runs ATAP for Google). 

Availability:

The first model of the phone is scheduled to be released in January 2015 with an expected price tag of $50 which will include frame, display, battery, lower end CPU and WiFi.

Read More

Win a brand new Google Nexus 5 - GiveAway from TechQuark

After getting huge response towards the giveaways of Galaxy S4, Canvas 4 and Nexus 4 which we hosted earlier, it's time to have another giveaway, and this time it is Google's Flagship phone, 'Nexus 5'. Yes, you heard it right, we are giving away a brand new unlocked Google Nexus 5 to one of our lucky reader. Google Nexus 5 powered by LG has already created it's place in smartphone market and has received a great response and reception in the market upon its arrival and the success story seemed to write itself. 

Google Nexus 5 is a powerful and flagship device by LG and Google which has changed and revolutionized the way we see smartphones and use them in daily life. Get prepared, participate, and fight to win this smartphone. You can find the specifications of the phone below :

Specifications

1. 4.95 inch display
2. 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution
3. 2.3 GHz quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor
4. Adreno 330 GPU
5. 2 GB RAM
6. 16 GB internal memory
7. 8 MP primary camera
8. 1.3 MP front facing camera
9. Google Android v4.4 KitKat
10. 2300 mAh battery

To participate visit TechQuark now.

You can earn points by simply sharing , commenting, subscribing on social media and get a chance to win this giveaway.

So what are you waiting for, like our facebook page and participate in contest. :) :)

Read More

Android's next version will be called KitKat not 'KeyLimePie'

Till date Google has been referring to its next version after JellyBean as 'KeyLimePie' but now its official that for 'K' series the next version will be named as 'KitKat'. As all android versions are named after a desert and in alphabetical order, for some time Google coined the name 'KeyLimePie' for next version after JellyBean but not so popular desert name is replaced by famous chocolate 'Kitkat' from Nestle.

A post on android's official Google+ page +Android says "KitKat has been a favorite candy on the team for some time, so for the K release, we asked if they’d be willing to lend their iconic candy bar to its name. Be on the lookout for limited edition Android KitKat bars coming soon to a candy aisle near you. For a lucky few, your KitKat bar might contain a winning ticket for a new Nexus 7 tablet or Google Play credits. Check it out"

Android official website Android.com is updated with new name. And the title says "Android Kitkat, Prepare for a new sweet treat"

"Android is the operating system that powers over 1 billion smartphones and tablets. Since these devices make our lives so sweet, each Android version is named after a dessert: Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, and Jelly Bean. As everybody finds it difficult to stay away from chocolate we decided to name the next version of Android after one of our favorite chocolate treats, Kitkat®!"

Android is the most popular operating system for smart phones running on more than 1 billion smartphones. Android has changed the equations in mobile phones market since its birth. While major brands benefited from opensource OS are Samsung, Sony, HTC local brands such as Micromax, Karbonn, Lava, Intex etc are also getting noticed by providing Android smartphones at reasonable prices. Though there are many competitors existing and emerging for Android but as of now none of them pose a serious challenge to its popularity.

Let's see what enhancements are made in the OS once it is released.

Read More

Track your misplaced android device with Google's devicemanager

We often struggle to locate our gadgets specially mobile phones when we keep them at some place and then forget to keep them back in our pocket. Generally we call from other phones to to our own number to locate them with Ringtone but if the phone is on vibration mode or silent then its a big challenge to locate the device.

Google has come up with a solution for all of us with its device manager service.

Read More

Top 4 Mobile OS ready to compete with Android and iOS

Before Apple's iPhone people merely bothered about Operating system of their mobile phones. Customers just wanted to get phones with good features like camera, mp3 support, FM radio, torch light (Remember Nokia 1110 :-) ). iPhone changed the way people looked at their phones, now with features people looked for apps available, processor speed and lot more. In this time a new operating system Android was announced and soon it became the pioneer in smart phone market. It is giving tough competition to Apple's iOS and had almost(except some market segment) wiped out Nokia from the market. Samsung fully backed Google's Android and it became the most liked android OEM, but with Google's dominance over Android other alternatives are vital to eliminate monopoly. Here we have a look at 5 most eligible alternatives to Android.

1. Tizen: First one comes from the company which has made the most from Android. Yes, this operating system is a product of Samsung. It is believed that Samsung has dumped its Bada OS to pave way for development of Tizen. Recently Tizen was announced in Mobile World Congress. However the experts were not convinced from the devices running on Tizen there but that was a mere entry version, final product is yet to come. Tizen is jointly developed by Intel, Samsung, Sprint Nextel and some other companies.

2. Ubuntu Touch: Canonical the company behind one of the most popular versions of Linux i.e. Ubuntu announced its Mobile Operating System Ubuntu touch early Jan this year. Ubuntu touch is based on the Linux kernel as Android hence many of the handsets currently running Android will be compatible with Ubuntu touch too. According to Canonical , Ubuntu touch will work on Mobile as well  as PC equally efficient. There are already apps available on its store and developers are adding more to it. Personally I would love to have Ubuntu touch for my phone, eagerly waiting for it.

3. Firefox OS: Firefox, mostly famous for its Mozilla browser also launched two smartphones running its Firefox OS.  Firefox has started sending preview devices for the developers to make its app store more rich before commercially starting shipping of phones running on Firefox OS.

4. Jolla Sailfish: Finland based Jolla is working on Sailfish OS, if you see some videos on youtube you will find it really interesting, specially the interaction with apps on home screen is amazing. Home screen , however resembles with Windows OS full of live tiles. Chinese largest mobile retailer in country D.phone is backing Jolla in this project.

It is difficult to say whether any of the above will be as successful as Android, but to start in market they have to compete not only with Android and iOS , there is Windows, Blackberry OS, Nokia all these are heavy hand and capable of playing market tactics. One more challenge will be to provide quality apps to users they have to build app store to compete with Google's Play or Apple store.
More competition , more flavours, more variety - it will be treat for end users

Read More

Dream to have customizable Smart Phone may soon turn true with Motorola X Phone

Why customization?

Ever since world has stepped into smart phone era, desire of customizable smart phone also made place into people's mind and soon this desire turned out as need by hardware technology advancing day by day making our latest phones out dated (comparatively). Customizing your machine as you desire gives us pleasure and satisfaction when we are still in the race without completely replacing our machine,we are pretty much familiar with hardware customization in PCs we purchase different parts and assemble them together to make a desktop, even companies like Dell allows you to customize your PC as per your requirement. Imagine if we can simply update RAM, Internal Mem So for those who dreamt like me of having customizable smart phone, it can become true very soon.

How it will be achieved?

If rumours are to be believed , the much awaited smart phone from Motorola and Google - Motorola X would likely be coming with custom hardware where users can specify their requirements on RAM and internal storage and the phone would be delivered within one week of order placement.

Previously Google has said that it is still working on Motorola line of phones and doesn't have any WOW feature as of now. This may be that WOW feature which Google hinted in its statement.

Other Expectations

Apart from customizable specs Motorola X is expected to have 10 MP rear camera and 5 MP front camera, dual core or quad core processor from Qualcomm.

Motorola X is supposed to be flagship product from Motorola to compete with Samsung's Galaxy , HTC's One and Apple's Iphone brands.

Motorola X may be announced at Google I/O which will be held in May this year as Google is expected to announce some new powerful android devices in this event.

The first X series phone is expected to be heavily subsidized as Nexus 4.

What I expect/dream?

Keeping aside Motorola X,  I  expects smartphones coming in next few years with detachable and nicely encapsulated hardware with some international standards so that it is easy to upgrade to newer version of hardware available in market without going to service centres. I hope I am thinking realistic here.

Read More

Samsung officially announced Tizen , Android's rival at MWC

After capturing the Smartphone market thru its Android based smartphone , Samsung officially announced its  mobile operating system Tizen to compete with the big Apple's iOS and Google's Android OS.
The move is backed up by several cellphone carriers. As Google's dominance is increasing day by day in Smartphone and web market thru Android phones.

Samsung has dumped its own made BADA OS to pave way for Tizen. BADA OS has a negligible share in market as of now. BADA OS apps can be used on Tizen platform but not vice versa. Tizen mobiles are expected to be launched with more than 1000 apps in Tizen store.

However road is not so easy for Tizen as of now as we read some reviews from MWC . A review on CNET says Tizen as awful, poorly executed , Android copy cats. Tizen is more or less similar to Android 2.1 version with app icons round in shape instead of square.

Apart from much popular Android and iOS , Tizen has to compete with Microsoft's windows, revamped Blackberry OS, new comers Firefox OS, Ubuntu Touch as well.

Firefox OS and Ubuntu Touch are also displayed in MWC. Firefox OS got the similar review from CNET reviewer Rich Trenholm. On the other hand Ubuntu has got good reviews. Ubuntu is developed by US based Cannonical. Surprisingly Ubuntu Touch has not got any manufacturer or cellphone carrier backing as of now.

Tizen is expected to be more cleaner and elegant than it is displayed now in MWC. Hope Samsung takes feedback from MWC to rectify the issues reported by several users who were there for hands on. Eagerly waiting for devices running Tizen to come in market to get final review of the OS.

After war of smartphone in terms of hardware it would be interesting to see OS war in smart phone market.

Read More

Help Google to make Maps in India Better and stand a chance to win cool gadgets.

Google has announced a contest named "Mapathon" for Indians to improve Indian maps on Google . Contest will start on 12th Feb 2013 and it ends on 25th March 2013. Any one who lives in India can take part in the contest. In this contest participants have to add new places, roads, land marks, shortcuts etc alternatively participants can edit already existing places also in Maps. All entries would be reviewed by Google Map Maker Team and points would be given based on their judgement. Users should login with their Google Account in Google Map Maker to take part in contest.

Read More

Google want you to get rid of online passwords

Last time we talked about Google dominating cyber space with another service called Zavers. Now Google seems to replace your passwords with a ring or USB device. Passwords can be considered a weak link in today’s scenario for your personal as well as professional online security, as there always remains threat from hackers to get such sensitive details.

Read More