Google to choose LG over Asus for the next Nexus tablet

Given the display prowess of LG over Asus, Google is likely to bid adieu to Asus for the next Nexus.

Just about a couple of days back Google in association with Asus unveiled the next generation Google Nexus 7 tablet for users. But as analyst Ming-Chi-Kuo is suggesting, the Google Asus partnership is going to end with the launch of this product. Apparently Google and Asus will no longer be partners in the making of the next generation Nexus tablet. Google has chosen LG over Asus for its next line of tablet products in the Nexus range.

One of the key reasons as given by Ming-Chi-Kuo is LG's superior display technology, and LG being the manufacturer itself would bring something positive to the table. LG is apparently also one of the key suppliers to Apple for displays that are used on its mobile devices. Also, LG was the first company to use a 700 nits brightness based display on a smartphone-the LG Optimus Black P 970.

The new Google Nexus 7 tablet is the first device with Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update running on it out of the box and it is a significant improvement over the first Nexus 7 based on core hardware, camera, weight and mobile operating system.

Now with Asus out of the game we will have to wait for more news on the next Nexus.

Sony aims for a spot in top-three of Indian smartphone market

Sony India has revealed that plans to be among the top three smartphone manufacturers in the country.

“We want to be among the top three players by next year,” said Sony India’s Tadato Kimura at the Xperia Z launch on Tuesday. He also noted that mobile division aims its revenue contribution to match that of Bravia TV range.

Kimura stated that Sony has a 7.5 per cent smartphone market share at present and the company would continue to introduce new products in each price-segment every month to keep the momentum going.

He also noted that Sony is concentrating more on premium smartphone segment, where it currently hold 13 per cent of the market share more than its overall share and it plans to increase that to 30 per cent to become the top player in this segment.

With the launch Xperia Z Ultra, Sony now has a total of three premium smartphones in the country including Xperia Z and Z Ultra. The company recently also started an EMI and trade-in scheme for consumers, in which a consumer can exchange can his/ her own smartphone for Xperia Z/ ZL and get INR 5,000 discount on the price.

“We want affluent consumers who want to enjoy technology. The tablet market in India is low cost driven and we have no interest at all in that segment… we are aggressive in smartphones,” Tadato Kimura said.

Videocon launches A24 budget Android phone for INR 4,699

Videocon Mobiles has announced the launch of a new Android smartphone in the Indian market today. Dubbed as Videocon A24, the phone will go on sale in the country for INR 4,699.

Despite carrying a budget pricing, A24 comes with some decent specifications. It packs Android 4.2, 4-inch WVGA display, 1.2GHz dual-core processor, and 1450 mAh battery. Other specifications of the device include 3.2MP rear camera, VGA front camera and dual-SIM support with dual-standby.

The only downside to the phone is the RAM, which is only 256MB and we are not really sure if Android 4.2 will run fine on such meager amount of RAM.

“The Videocon A24 brings in an easy to use yet efficient smartphone experience to consumers who might be looking for their first smartphone. A simple and intuitive layout engages the consumers with the device and brings to them various vistas which help them to make the most of their Android smartphone experience,” said Khalid Zamir, Head Product Planning & Development, Videocon Mobile Phones Division.

Videocon A24 key specifications:

4.0-inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen
1.2GHz dual-core processor
512 MB ROM + 256 MB RAM
3.2 MP Rear Camera & 0.3 MP front camera
Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean)
1450 mAh battery
Bluetooth, Wi-Fi & GPRS Edge for easy web access
FM Radio with Recording
Expandable Memory upto 32GB
Dual SIM, Dual Standby
V Store for getting links of popular apps like Facebook, WhatsApp etc.
Preloaded Apps like Times of India, Hungama & Fun Zone
Available in White Chrome and Black colours

Samsung Galaxy S4 explodes, burns down house

The phone was hooked on to an emergency battery charger when the device emitted fireball.

In an unfortunate event, a Samsung Galaxy S4 Android smartphone exploded, burning down the house of a couple living in Hong Kong.

The victim, identified as Mr Su - a resident of Shan Tseng Tau, was reportedly playing a video game on his Samsung Galaxy S4 when the incident happened.

As per reports, the user had his smartphone hooked on to an emergency battery charger since there was no electricity available and was playing a game when he heard a loud pop noise on his device. After hearing the noise Mr. Su acted quickly and threw the phone away but unfortunately the phone landed under the couch which eventually caught fire which later spread to curtains and burned the whole house down.

In the incident Mr Su escaped with minor burns and his wife is also believed to be doing well. Since it was a multistoried building other residents also had to evacuate their house in the wake of the threat.

Apparently Mr Su is claiming that the charger was original and this was not the first time he was using the charger on his device. Samsung electronics have responded to the case and they are awaiting investigation on the same as to find out the right cause of the malfunction.

Meanwhile, if you or anyone known to you is using an external battery pack to charge your Samsung Galaxy S4 stop using it and as a word of caution try using the supplied charger just to be safe.

Quick Notes: A Simple Note Taking Application For iOS Devices

Taking notes on your smartphone is an excellently useful feature – one that all phone owners can make use of. You can quickly note down a reminder for a chore or a data and look at the note later to remember what you had to do. Unfortunately the more complicated the note taking application, the more it discourages you from creating notes on your phone. If you have an iOS device and are looking for a simple note taking application, you should check out an app called Quick Notes.

Quick Notes is a free to use smartphone application for iOS devices. The app is sized at nearly 2 MB and is compatible with iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad devices that are running iOS version 5.1 or later. The app offers a simple interface for storing your notes in a visually appealing manner.

While the app itself is simplistic, what is really special about it is its developer, Nicholas, who is only 13 years of age. This young iOS developer started coding the iOS apps using the Apple developer account when he was 12 and now he has created not only a useful iOS app, but also released updates to it. This is certainly insipiration for all app developers; age definitely does not matter when it comes to application development.

Features:

• A user-friendly phone app.
• Compatible with iOS devices.
• Lets you take notes.
• Offers a simple yet visually appealing interface.

Check out Quick Notes @ http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/quick-notes!!/id473095667?mt=8

LG Pocket Photo Printer launched for Rs 14,990

LG has announced a new LG PD233 Pocket Photo Printer with wireless connectivity and compatible with Android as well as iOS devices for India.

LG Electronics India has introduced an interesting accessory - LG PD233 Pocket Photo Printer. The new LG PD233 Pocket Photo Printer offers wireless support to connect with the computer and also supports two major mobile operating system based devices. Meant to enable mobility, the LG Pocket Photo Printer supports wireless connectivity with the Google Android and Apple iOS based devices. LG Pocket Photo Printer PD233 will be sold in India at a hefty Rs 14,990.

The innovative LG PD233 as big as a normal human palm and can be easily carried along anywhere. This Pocket Photo Printer is capable of printing out 2x3 inch prints and can be used to share documents directly over the social networks.

The LG PD233 Pocket Photo Printer incorporates the Zink's inkless Printing Technology to preserve the images for longer duration. Apart from that, users can also add QR codes on the photographs. That makes printing Birthday Cards, Invitation Cards and Business Cards tad easy.

Users with Android or iOS based device can download the LG Pocket printer app to enable the aforementioned options and as edit the images.

The Pocket Printer is a fantastic accessory but only for the super riches for it costs as much as a mid-range smartphone.

Sony launches Xperia Z Ultra in India for INR 46,990

Sony India has officially launched its Xperia Z Ultra phablet in the country today. Unveiled at a press event in New Delhi, the device will be available for INR 46,990. It is already being sold at some online retail stores for around INR 44,990, however according to the company, the sales begin August 2.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra is the first smartphone to reach India with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800 processor. It features a 6.4-inch full HD TRILUMINOS display, Android 4.2 and 2GB of RAM. The phone also packs 3,000 mAh battery, 8MP rear camera, 2MP front camera and 16GB of internal storage.

Other key specifications of the device:

Waterproof and dust resistant (IP55/IP58)
Battery STAMINA Mode
3.5 mm audio jack (CTIA), aGPS, GLONASS, ANT+, Bluetooth 4.0, DLNA, NFC and Wi-FI
MicroUSB with MHL support
The Xperia Z Ultra also support handwriting recognition and is compatible with any pencil or stylus/ pen (capacitive stylus or metal pen with tip diameter over 1mm).

Sony has pre-loaded lots of content on the device including the latest Asphalt racing game. The company has also tied with Vodafone to offer Z Ultra buyers with 8GB of free 3G data each month for a period of two months.

LG announces QuickWindow case for LG G2

LG G2 might not have been officially announcement till now but LG continues to reveal some or the other related stuff to the smartphone. The company today revealed a premium case for the G2, which is dubbed as QuickWindow cover and offers similar functionality like Samsung’s S-View cover for Galaxy S4.

According to LG, the window in the cover allows users to glance at various information displays without having to open the cover flap.  Information that can be viewed through the QuickWindow cover includes a clock, weather report, alarm, music player, incoming phone call details and incoming text messages.

“LG’s newest premium accessory delivers practical and stylish options while protecting the smartphone, which for many consumers is a significant investment,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company.

The case will available alongside LG G2 in seven different colours, including black, white, pink, purple, blue, mint and yellow.

Bigger screen devices coming from Gionee

After 5 inch smartphones, Gionee is looking at bigger screen sizes for its devices.

Gionee, which recently announced its first 5 inch smartphone called Elife E6, is planning to bring bigger screen devices in the coming times.

Gionee spokesperson shared some of the company's plans. However, specific information regarding screen sizes was not shared. But as per the inclination and interest in the market, Gionee is likely to bring 6 inch plus devices.

Gionee started its operations in India with the launch of Gionee Dream D1 in March this year. It is currently offering a range of Android smartphones including Elife E5, Elife E3, Dream D1, GPad G2 etc.

Gionee's new premium metal unibody smartphone

Along with a metal unibody design based Android smartphone the company also plans to develop devices based on Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets.

China based mobile phone brand Gionee is planning to launch smartphones with a metal unibody design.

William Lu, president, Gionee Mobiles, said that Gionee, after the Elife E6, is now planning to have a premium metal unibody based Android smartphone for customers. This will follow the same design strategy as the Gionee Elife E6, and because it is made of metal the device will offer a premium appeal to its users as well. We are unsure if the same is applicable to the Gionee Elife E7 or not, but the device is surely going to be impressive given the rest of the Elife series.

When asked about the adoption of Qualcomm Snapdragon as the processor for Gionee devices, William said, "We surely are looking forward to having the Qualcomm Snapdragon powered devices coming from Gionee, ahead." However, there was no concrete timeline shared for this adoption.

With the kind of design the Gionee Elife E6 has, it comes at a cheaper price point than most other flagships out there; and upcoming devices with a Qualcomm processor and a metallic unibody design are expected to be good, but how well they manage to impress users will be known in the coming days.

Micromax Bling 3 Android phone now available for INR 9,599

Micromax has started selling the third Bling phone in the Indian market today. The phone can now be bought from online retail store Snapdeal for INR 9,599. Packing the characteristic Swarovski Zirconia crystals, Micromax Bling 3 is the successor to the company’s 2011 smartphone Bling 2.

It features Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, 1GHz dual-core processor, 4-inch display, and 1600 mAh battery. Bling 3 also comes with 5MP rear camera, front camera, and the usual connectivity options. Internal memory and RAM details are currently unknown.

Primarily targeted to women, Bling originally debuted as a feature phone back in 2010 and was succeeded by Micromax Bling 2 the next year. Both the devices were pretty popular and in fact the original Bling was one of the first Micromax phone to popularise Micromax brand.

Karbonn Smart A1* and A5* now available in India

Karbonn has silently released two budget Android smartphones in the Indian market. Dubbed as Karbonn Smart A1* and A5*, the phones are now available various e-retailers like Flipkart and Saholic for INR 3,514 and INR 4,890 respectively.

Talking about the specific phones, Karbonn Smart A1* features 3.5-inch HVGA display, Android 4.0, 1GHz processor, dual-SIM support and 1450 mAh battery.  The phone also comes with 3MP rear camera, 0.3MP front camera, 2G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 256MB RAM and 512MB of internal storage.

On the other hand, Karbonn Smart A5* features 3.2-inch HVGA display, 1GHz processor, Android 2.3, dual-SIM support, 3G, and 256MB RAM. The phone also comes with 512MB internal storage, 1200 mAh battery, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

It is important to note here that Smart A5*’s 3G support is the only advantage over A1*, rest all the specifications of A1* are better than A5*.

Older Nexus 7 gets a huge price drop, now available for Rs 11,999

While the refreshed Nexus 7, which was announced recently, is already available on the official website, some intriguing news has now surfaced about the earlier edition of the 7-inch tablet. According to the current price listing in Amazon, the online retail store is now selling the 16GB variant of the 2012 tablet at Rs 11, 999.

This is a big drop from the earlier listed price of Rs 15,999. It should be noted that the 16GB variant of the original Nexus 7 still comes with the same price tag on Google Play Store as before. The other variant of the Nexus 7, the Nexus 7 32GB with Wi-Fi, also sports an unchanged price tag of of Rs 18,999, both on Amazon and the Play Store. The third variant of the Nexus 7, which is the 32GB variant with 3G and Wi-Fi, is being sold directly by Asus on Amazon and other online retailers at Rs 20,999.

The question that arises from the new pricing is simple. Could this be in preparation for the revamped version of the Nexus 7? We know a lot about the new tablet by now. The new Nexus 7 will sport the latest version of Android, 4.3 Jelly Bean, which was recently unveiled. The major differences start right from the dimensions, with the new tablet being 2 mm thinner and 50 g lighter than the older variant. The display has also seen some major work done, with the sleeker tablet coming with a 1920 x 1200 resolution and a 323 ppi pixel density. And if that wasn’t enough, the 7-point touch IPS panel is not only scratch-resistant, but also will be fingerprint smudge resistant.

Internally, the new tablet will come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro SoC, which sports four Krait cores clocked at 1.5GHz. Also thrown in is an Adreno 320 GPU, as well as 2GB of RAM. The audio in the tablet has also been bumped up, with the new Nexus 7 sporting dual stereo speakers with 5.1 audio.

Optics-wise, the revamped Nexus 7 sports a modest 5 megapixel rear camera and a 1.2 megapixel front shooter. The tablet takes care of connectivity with Bluetooth 4.0, NFC and dual-band Wi-Fi capabilities. The powerhouse of the tablet is a 3950 mAh battery that should last nine hours of active use and can be charged wirelessly.

The revamped Nexus 7 will have16GB and 32GB Wi-Fi variants available, with an additional LTE version also available. The 16GB Wi-Fi Nexus 7 comes with a price tag of Rs 13,500, while the 32GB variant will set buyers back Rs 16,000. The third variant, which is the 32GB LTE edition, comes with a slightly steep price tag of Rs 20,500. Google recently promised that the tablet will be “coming soon” to India, so users may not have to wait too long to get their hands on the new device.

Google brings ‘verify apps’ support to Android 2.3 or higher

Google has silently increased the security of all Android devices running on Android 2.3 Gingerbread or above.

If you remember, Google introduced a new feature called “Verify Apps” in Android 4.2, which checked every side-loaded or pre-installed non-Google Play application on your Android device for malicious code or harmful behaviour. It is Google’s in-built malware scanner but until recently it was only available on devices running Android 4.2 or above. According to Computer World, Google has now integrated in Google Play Service app, which is automatically installed on every device with Android 2.3 or above and comes with Google Play support.

This makes around 95 per cent of the Android device more secure than ever. There are other security measure also in place like Bouncer – Google’s server side scanner for checking every app uploaded on Google Play, so the rest 5 per cent of Android devices are also not left totally un-supported.

Vodafone announces free Twitter access for all

Free Twitter access was also offered by RCom earlier, there are special packs from across Airtel, RCom and Vodafone for social network access.

Vodafone today announced free Twitter access to both its postpaid and prepaid subscribers in India. The offer is applicable till November 1 and will enable its subscribers to access the official Twitter app or Twitter's mobile website (mobile.twitter.com) for free.

However Blackberry users can't use this offer, also this offer is not valid for Twitter access through third party apps and external links. You will also be charged to view pictures, videos and other media.

Vodafone subscribers won't have to do anything to avail the free Twitter access. The carrier's website gives an impression that Vodafone won't charge for any traffic coming from Twitter's official app or from its mobile website.

Free Twitter access was also offered by RCom earlier, there are special packs from across Airtel, RCom and Vodafone for social network access, including Rs 16 pack from RCom and Airtel for unlimited access to social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Chennai Express game hits Android store, available for Java phones too

It is based on the story of upcoming movie Chennai Express where you fight your way through an army of thugs.

A mobile game based on the Shah Rukh Khan starrer upcoming movie, Chennai Express, has been released. The game is available for both Android as well as Java based mobile phones.

"It is a fast paced running game, with an unique Indian flavour, where the player takes on the role of Rahul, one of the main protagonists of the movie and embarks upon an exciting and colourful running adventure, where he fights his way through an army of thugs dropped by helicopters while dodging obstacles like trucks, buses, cars, autos, coconut carts, manholes and more," said the developers on its Android page.

However, currently only the preview game version has been released. "Upcoming versions will give the player the ability to buy special power-ups and upgrades from an in-game store using collected coins, and will also feature unlimited gameplay," its developers further added.

The gameplay of Chennai Express has lot of Indian flavours and is certainly has the signature of the upcoming movie. It will remind you of Temple Run and Subway Surfer but is definitely quite refreshing to see a game based on Indian context.

Apple iPhone 5C packaging images spun over the interwebs

Leaked images of the purported packaging box of the "iPhone 5C" and the FCC ID stamp carrying images spark speculations for the arrival of the new affordable iPhone model.

There have been many rumours so far about a cheap Apple iPhone. Now image of the packaging box with "iPhone 5C" label has been published on a Chinese website, WeiPhone.

This is not the first time when the images of the packaging components have cropped on the web. But the iPhone 5C just blows the speculation out of the proportion.

Last year, TechCrunch reported about an image of Apple iPhone packaging with "The new iPhone" written on it. In less than a day, the image was then called a hoax.

We believe same intentional prank is being repeated this year. Or it is quite possible to be the iPhone like model being manufactured and sold in the China region. No details about the location and factory were mentioned along with the photo. That is why we are taking the purported image of the "iPhone 5C" with a grain of salt.

Free WiFi service in New Delhi Railway Station soon

Earlier in April this year, the Indian Railways started the free WiFi service in the New Delhi- Howrah Rajdhani express.

After introducing WiFi service in few trains, Indian Railways is now mulling to provide free WiFi service in New Delhi Railway Station.

According to reports, the free WiFi service will be provided in the New Delhi Railway station in next three to four months.

"Once operational, passengers on all the 16 platforms will be able to access the internet through Wi-Fi services, which will cost the Ministry about Rs.80 lakh. The station was selected on a pilot basis and once the experiment is successful, other railway stations in the Capital will also be Wi-Fi enabled," a Railway official was quoted as saying by The Hindu.

"Tenders were invited for equipping New Delhi railway station with Wi-Fi, after which a Mumbai-based company has been assigned the job. We expect the work to be completed in three to four months. It would be a free service and we are eagerly waiting for the project to be completed soon," the newspaper further said quoting another senior official with Northern Railway.

Earlier in April this year, the Indian Railways started the free WiFi service in the New Delhi- Howrah Rajdhani express.

However, not much information in available now about the terms and conditions regarding the free WiFi service in New Delhi Railway Station.

RealtimeBoard: Easy To Use Browser-Based White Board

Do you need a place to collaborate freely? RealtimeBoard is an awesome browser-based white board that helps you and others collaborate in a very open environment. Instead of the limiting framework in Google Docs, you can use this to do almost anything.

There are tons of tools in this web app. You can use it to draw, make sticky notes, write text, upload PDF files and so much more. You can even share the stuff you create using Google Drive. What makes this app so cool is how open it is. You and the people you are working with can do so much. It makes it so you don’t have to launch a separate app for each task. The only real limits to what you can do is your imagination.

The app also has some templates that will help you get started. For example, there is a template designed to help you make a calendar. This is useful for planning your day with a team of people. Having templates helps get you started, but as I said before, the possibilities are nearly endless.

The app is in beta right now. You can request an invite and you should receive a response rather quickly.

Features:

• Easy to use white board offers almost limitless options
• Collaborate with others
• Create your own designs with drawings, sticky notes, PDF files and more
• Integrates with Google Drive
• Use templates to get started

Find RealtimeBoard @ www.realtimeboard.com

Mobento: Search For Educational Videos Based On Words Spoken In Them

Students search for educational videos to learn about subjects all the time. But educational videos on the same subject can be of a various nature and not take the approach that you were hoping. Here to help is a source of educational videos that lets you search for videos based on the words spoken in them; this source is called Mobento.

Mobento is a free to use online web service that offers its users the ability to stream numerous educational videos. These videos cover a broad range of topics ranging from astrobiology to mathematics and robotics. You can look for videos by typing in the words you want mentioned in the video. Such searches ensure you get a truly helpful educational video.

You can create an account on the site to leave comments and use it as a tool to interact with other commenters.

Features:

• A user-friendly web service.
• Lets you stream educational videos.
• Videos cover many topics.
• Lets you search videos based on words spoken in them.

Check out Mobento @ www.mobento.com

dp.huubang.me: Send Bits Of Text To Your Mobile From PC & Back

Do you need a way to temporarily send a piece of text from your computer to your mobile device? If you are looking for a way to do this as quickly as possible, DP is perfect for you. You can type in long strings of text and send it to your mobile device where you can copy it or do whatever you need to with it. This saves you the time and effort of typing something long on your mobile keyboard.

Using the web app is incredibly easy. You simply type in the text you want to send to your phone and press the “Send” button. This will cause the page to refresh briefly and it will show you a QR code that you can scan to see the text on your phone. You can also type in the URL it provides, but it’s a little long and kind of defeats the purpose of the app to begin with.

You can also use DP to send text from your phone back to your PC. Simply scan the QR code, enter text from the mobile page and click send to see it on your PC. It’s incredibly easy and it makes sharing text with your devices quick, no matter which way you are sending it.

Features:

• Send text from your PC to your mobile.
• Send text from mobile to PC.
• Generate a QR code to get your text quickly.
• Copy, paste and use the text any way.
• Automatically deletes from system so you can send it and forget about it later.

Find DP @ dp.huubang.me

Fleksy: An Excellent Predictive Text Input Application for iOS devices

Predictive text input and autocorrect options are now built into many modern phones. However the algorithms used by such functions are not very accurate and end up wasting time rather than saving it. Here to help solve this problem is an iOS application called Fleksy.

Fleksy is a free to use smartphone application for iOS devices. The app requires an iPod Touch, iPhone, or iPad device to be running version 5.1 or later of iOS. You can use Fleksy to type text predictively. People who have used the app have all applauded the app’s accuracy in predicting the words you want to type. Mainly, the app is targeted at user with impaired vision who cannot see the small letters clearly; all they have to do is tap the area on the keyboard where they think the alphabet is and then let the word form. Wrong word suggestions can always be corrected and punctuation marks can always be inserted. To port the composed text in an email or a text message, users will need to buy the full application that costs $9.99.

Features:

• A user-friendly phone app
• Compatible with iOS devices
• Predicts text you want to type
• You can correct wrong suggestions
• You can insert punctuation

Check out Fleksy @ http://fleksy.com/

ClipSync: Synchronize Copied Clipboard Text Between your PC & Android phone

When you have to copy text from your phone to your computer or vice versa, you have to save it in a text file and then transfer that file to the destination device. Then you have to open the file, copy the text it contains, and paste it in your desired application. This inconveniently long procedure can be made faster for text sharing between Android phone and Windows computers using a tool called ClipSync.

ClipSync is a free to use smartphone application for Android phones. The app is sized at nearly 150 KB and requires your phone to be running Android version 2.1 or later. The app has an analogous Windows version that you install on your PC. With the apps running on your phone and computer, any text copied to the clipboard is automatically copied to the clipboard to the other with the condition being that the both are connected to the same LAN network. You can use the application to connect multiple computers or phones on the same network and share their clipboard.

Features:

• A user-friendly phone application.
• Compatible with Android phones.
• Lets you copy clipboard text from phone to Windows computer and vice versa.
• Works for devices connected on the same network.
• Supports clipboard sharing between more than two devices.

Check out ClipSync @ play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=be.bdwm.clipsync

Dropr: Create Beautiful Multimedia Portfolios For Free

Dropr is a UK-based portfolio portal for creative types, which also serves as an inspiration to the users. Anyone can create multiple beautiful portfolios for free easily using Dropr.

Sign up to Dropr using email or social registration, then connect as many or as few social accounts as you like. These connections will make it easy for you to import photos, music and video, plus promote your Dropr portfolios to social networks when complete or newly updated.

Any form of media can be uploaded and Dropr will mix them together for you within the portfolio. There’s no need to separate videos from photos or sound files.

Users can also browse other portfolios to get inspiration for their own projects. Dropr will recommend things to view based on your interests.

Features:

• Easily create a beautiful portfolio for your band, company or personal artwork.
• Mix all your media together – Simply upload the different media files and Dropr will accept them.
• Browse & be inspired.
• Manage multiple portfolios easily.

Check out Dropr @ www.dropr.com/

Blockr: Block Internet Access Until You Meet Your Writing Or Coding Goals [Chrome]

As a person who sits on the Internet and writes all day, I can tell you how hard it is to stay on task. There is a giant world out there waiting to smash productivity to bits. Websites like Reddit, Facebook and so many cool places make me forget I have deadlines to meet and work to do. Thankfully, Blockr takes care of that problem by blocking the web until you meet your writing goals.

To use Blockr, you will need to create an account where you will define your goals and give yourself a motivational quote. You also set how many hours of Internet access you get for meeting your goals.

Blockr offers a very clean interface for writing. This keeps distractions to a minimum. This is important when you are trying to get things done. Busy screens with lots going on make it hard to focus, and Blockr takes care of that. One thing I noticed was the app did not kick in right away. Once you install the Chrome extension, it may take a little while before it starts blocking the web.

Features:

• Blocks Internet access until you meet your writing goals
• Set your own writing goals
• Set amount of time you can get access to the Internet when goals are met
• Provides a minimal writing area to block out distractions

Find Blockr @ www.blockr.me

Hide Find Bar: Hide The Finder Bar After A Period Of Inactivity [Firefox]

Hide Find Bar is the perfect Firefox add-on for anyone who uses the browser’s built-in find on page function. All you need to do to open the find bar is press “CTRL-F” or “F3.” However, once you have it open, it does not go away until you manually close it, and it shows on all tabs. This is a waste of time when you want to get back to work. Thankfully, there is an easy to use Firefox tweak that allows you to have this bar close automatically after a short period of time.

Once you install the tweak, you simply need to set a close duration. It defaults to ten seconds, but you can set it shorter or longer. It’s incredibly easy to set up and it makes your life a lot easier, especially if you are someone who doesn’t need the find button up all the time. With a couple of clicks you can open the bar, and move on with your work without remembering to close it and get it out of the way.

Features:

• Automatically hide the Firefox find tool after a period of inactivity
• Default time of ten seconds
• Options to change the time

Find Hide Find Bar on the Firefox Add-Ons Store

CM team announces CyanogenMod Focal: A camera app

So, the suspense behind Nemesis is over, it is actually just a camera app but seems to be pretty good. Announced today, CyanogenMod Focal will start appearing in nightlies beginning next week and is likely to make way to next M-series build.

Built from ground-up, CyanogenMod Focal allows users to access almost all the big features that you can find today in Android smartphone cameras.

Coming to the app interface, Focal keep menus at two places, the main capture mode menu can be dragged out from the shutter button and includes options like the basic Photo mode, Panorama mode, Video mode, Picsphere( CM’s Photosphere like feature) and front camera mode.

Rest all the settings are present in the second menu, which can be accessed from the bottom edge of the device and includes settings like flash mode, white balance, scene mode, HDR, effects/ filters, exposure compensation, colour enhancements, ISO, burst mode, timer and other settings. As you can see, Focal is pretty thorough.

You can also rearrange the menus to keep the more used icons to easier to access places.

Watch India-Zimbabwe cricket series on mobile via nexGTv

Live streaming of India and Zimbabwe cricket will not be a free service, user have to pay a fee of around Rs 25 for a seven day subscription pack

DigiVive, parent company of mobile TV app nexGTv, has bagged mobile streaming rights for live and repeat telecast of ongoing one day international cricket matches between India and Zimbabwe from Seven3sports.

One can download nexGTv mobile Tv app from app store or send an SMS 'mytv' to 58888 to get the link to download.

Live streaming of India and Zimbabwe cricket will not be a free service; users have to pay a fee of around Rs 25 for a seven day subscription pack. In the subscription pack one will also get to view channels like Sony, Star Plus, Aaj Tak, video on demand and so on.

In the past also DigiVive had picked up rights to stream live events, like T20 World Cup, IPL 2013 and others.

GD Singh, director, DigiVive said, "Cricketing events on nexGTv help us to connect with masses at large because this is what they want to see and stay connected to.”

The nexGTv mobile TV app offers channel ranging from national to regional in the category of entertainment, movies, news, and much more.

Google Hangouts app gets new Emoji, butter for smoothness

Google pushed a new update for the instant messaging service app Hangouts that brought along new Emoji collection and promises smoother, faster experience.

Google had replaced its Google Talk service with the Hangouts as closer integration of Google+ with instant messaging. The Google Hangout app for the Android just got a new update that brings significant changes to the app. Google Hangouts though still lacks the ability to sort out the contacts by name and other ways so users are still getting familiar with Hangouts.

The new update adds "some butter" to the Google Hangouts to make it run faster and slicker. This butter reference is to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update that was aimed at making the system user interface faster and smooth.

Another improvement is the bunch of new Emoji for the users to try it out with friends. Sending Stickers and new Emoji icons is the new fad out there triggered since the BlackBerry Messenger and WhatsApp craze took over.

Though there are bunch of bug fixes, the app still lacks the basic features that were offered in Instant Messengers since last decade.

MediaTek True Octa-Core coming soon in Q4 2013

MediaTek will soon launch what it calls the first Octa Core chipset for smart devices. MediaTek claims that unlike current Octa Core chipsets that utilize only half of the core, the True Octa-Core will be able to use all of the eight cores simultaneously.

With True Octa Core SoC, users will be able to play heavy games, browse websites, watch premium quality videos and do more. There will be noticeable improvement in terms of multi-tasking. The Octa core (8 core) will also allocate power intelligently as needed as per the task or app requirement, this in turn will improve the battery performance.

MediaTek Octa Core will provide stable browsing experience and smoother user interface. 3D rendering will be much smoother. The chipset also provides superior gaming experience with enhanced FPS and low latency. Users will be able to play videos for a longer time as decoding will consumes less battery juice (18% reduction in battery usage as compared to quad core).

Probably it could be the same Mediatek MT6592, though not confirmed yet. For more check out the MediaTek website.

Google working on Android-powered set-top box with Hangouts support: Report

In the wake of recent Chromecast announcement, Wall Street Journal is reporting that Google is also working on an Android-powered set-top box, which works like Apple TV and Roku.  A prototype of this device was reportedly shown at Consumer Electronics Show 2013 in a closed-door meeting to select people.

WSJ writes quoting sources familiar with this Android set-top box:

Andy Rubin, a Google executive at the time, led the demonstrations of the set-top box, which was powered by the company’s Android operating software and had as a core feature Google’s video-conference service, Hangouts. The device as demonstrated had a video camera and motion sensor.
The current state of this device is unknown and some suggest that it might have already been shelved for Chromecast.

This particular device was said to different from Chromecast and had more features than the $35 Chrome OS powered dongle launched by Google on July 24.  The mystery device allowed people to stream YouTube videos, TV shows/ movies from Google Play, and even access normal Android app and games including the likes of Amazon Video or Netflix.

As it was being expected to be launched at Google I/O but that did not happen. We can only wait and watch whether Google brings this rumoured device in some form.

Samsung building next-generation Nexus 10 tablet

Samsung is reportedly working on the next-generation Nexus 10 tablet as well.  According to Wall Street Journal’s Amir Efrati, who talked to Android boss Sundar Pichai at yesterday’s Google press event,  Google will soon be releasing Nexus 10 successor to join the new Nexus 7.

There is no word on the exact launch of new Nexus 10 but we now have a confirmation that it is being built by Samsung (the original Nexus 10 was also made by Samsung).

The specifications of this upcoming tablet are also a mystery at this moment but we can speculate that Google would like to upgrade the specs of the original Nexus 10. While, the screen resolution isn’t likely to be bump, the processor would surely be upgraded. Other specs are also expected to get a boost.

Google expects to make money from Nexus 7 and Chromecast

In related news, Sundar Pichai also told Efrati that there is a profit margin even in the $35 price-tag of Chromecast and $229.99 price-tag of Nexus 7.  Both the devices are expected to generate decent sales for the company and would certainly make some profit for Google if not a lot.

A smartphone in honor of Narendra Modi coming by Aug end

SmartNaMo will also be establishing an assembly unit in Ghandhinagar (Gujarat) where the NaMo branded smartphones and feature phones will be assembled.

A China based handset company, SmartNaMo(Next generation Android Mobile Odyssey), started by a group Guajarati businessmen, will be launching a smartphone in honour of Narenmdra Modi, the chief minister of Gujarat, by August end.

Sources in the SmartNaMo said that, "SmartNaMo is giving finishing touches to a smartphone which will be launched in order to show appreciation to Narendra Modi for the work he has done in Gujarat."

Sources further added, "In the next couple of week SmartNaMo team will present the smartphone to Narendra Modi and request him to grant permission to use his signature in all the NaMo branded smartphone."

SmartNaMo will also be establishing an assembly unit in Gandhinagar (Gujarat) where the NaMo branded smartphones and feature phones will be assembled.

The smartphone, according to our sources, will be the first Android based handset of NaMo and will come with a 5 inch IPS panel display with full HD (1920x 1080) pixels) resolution. The display also comes with Gorilla Glass 2 coating that would provide it protection from scratches. Besides, it will have a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor, 2 GB RAM and 32 GB inbuilt memory. The smartphone also supports a micro SD card of up to 32 GB.

Intex Cloud X3 with dual core processor launched for Rs 3,790

Intex Cloud X3 has a 3.5 inch capacitive touchscreen and runs on 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system.

After launching mid-range Aqua smartphones, Intex Technologies today launched an entry level Android based smartphone - Cloud X3, for Rs 3,790.

The Intex Cloud X3 has a 3.5 inch capacitive touchscreen and runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system. It is powered by a 1 GHz dual core MediaTek MT6572 processor but has 256 MB of RAM and 115 MB of internal memory. However, it comes with expandable storage slot for up to 32 GB micro SD card.

Cloud X3 has 2 megapixel rear camera and VGA front camera. Among other key features include dual-SIM capability, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth and 1450 mAh battery.

This latest budget offering of Intex will be available in black and white colours. Intex Clod X3 looks like a decent budget phone but lack of substantial internal memory is a hindrance, though it can be overcome by a micro SD card.

Google Translate gets handwriting input for 45 new languages

After introducing handwriting input to the Google Translate app for Android devices, the search giant has brought the ability to its Translate homepage. Handwriting input is particularly nifty in situations where users wish to translate a particular expression but can’t figure how to type it. At such times, users can resort to the new handwriting input tool, draw these characters out in the space provided and see the translated result instantly.

To begin with, users will have to pick their input language. Once done, they will sport the input tools icon at the bottom of the text area. Here users will have to click the input tools icon to switch to handwriting in the drop-down menu. They can then draw their inputs on the main panel of the handwriting tool. Interestingly, users can draw multiple characters at one time.

Suppose you come across an expression in Chinese and want to quickly find out what it means but do not have a way to type out those characters, you can then use the handwriting input tool to draw the characters.

Google currently has handwriting input support active for 45 languages including Chinese, Japanese and Korean. Additionally, handwriting input is available into the Google Input Tools Chrome Extension. Besides the new handwriting input support, users can pick from other options including virtual keyboards, input method editors and transliteration for their translation needs.

Instagram ads when the right time comes: Zuckerberg

Even as Facebook’s smashing second quarter results are out, CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced that there are monetisation plans in store for its acquisition Instagram. While it could be possible that advertisements will eventually come to the image-sharing application, it will be a long time before you see them on your phones.

During the quarterly earnings call yesterday, Zuckerberg said, “Kevin [Systrom] has always been clear that we’re building Instagram to be a business. We expect over time to generate a lot of profit from it, and that will probably be through advertising.” The CEO added that the focus for Facebook is currently on increasing Instagram’s footprint and growing it as a product.

Facebook has successfully pulled off the online advertising module and has even shifted the success story over to its mobile department. It would well want to stick to a tried-and-tested advertising module when it comes to monetising Instagram as well.

The question now is how Facebook intends to introduce it into Instagram’s ecosystem. The service is essentially mobile-based and has apps in both the iOS App Store and Android’s Google Play Store. While it was possible to insert advertisements with call-to-actions such as “Like” or even “comment”, the lack of white-space on the apps will force Facebook to improvise.

The social media giant could want to experiment with having sponsored stories and images show up on your Instagram feed occasionally, like it does on Facebook too. Brands and companies already have a big presence on Instagram, including the likes of Starbucks, Redbull and National Geographic. These big brands as well as smaller businesses would want to pay in order to create a buzz on Instagram. It’s time to hit the black-board and find a way to monetise the service, Facebook!

Upgraded Asus Fonepad now available in India for INR 17,999

Asus has silently released the upgraded version of Asus Fonepad tablet in the Indian market. It was originally released in Asus’ home country Taiwan, back in May this year. The tablet is now available at Flipkart for INR 17,999.

The upgraded version of Fonepad included a better 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z2460 processor instead of 1.2 GHz Intel Atom Z2420 in the original. The internal storage has also been increased to 32GB from 8GB.

These are not big changes but certainly add an option for consumers, who would like extra storage and get slightly more powerful processor as a bonus. The original Asus Fonepad continues to sell at INR 15,999 in the country.

Other specifications of the tablet remain same as you can check them out below:

Asus Fonepad key specifications

Android 4.1
Display: 7-inch LED Backlight WXGA (1280×800) IPS Panel
1GB RAM
5GB Life Time ASUS Webstorage Space, microSD card slot
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth V3.0
Camera: 1.2 MP Front Camera, 3 MP Rear Camera
Sensor: GPS & Glonass,G-Sensor, E-compass, Proximity, Ambient Light Sensor
Applications: Asus Launcher, MyLibrary, File Manager, SuperNote Lite, App Backup, App Locker
Dimensions: 196.4 x 120.1 x 10.4 mm (LxWxH)
Weight: 340 g

Apple launches status page for Developer Center as it starts restoring services

Following an attempted break-in within its developer website, Apple has launched a status page to let users know what services it is currently working on. The status page has gone online even as the company is completely overhauling the Developer Center website.

The iCloud-like system status page shows services that have been put online by Apple in green while the others are greyed out. Apple has also addressed developers about how it intends to go about restoring these features. The Cupertino company has said that it will first start out with Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles, Apple Developer Forums, Bug Reporter, pre-release developer libraries, and videos first.

Following this, Apple will concentrate on restoring software downloads, in order to make the latest betas of iOS 7, XCode 5 and OS X Mavericks available to programme members once again. “We apologise for the significant inconvenience caused by our developer website downtime. We’ve been working around the clock to overhaul our developer systems, update our server software, and rebuild our entire database,” the company said.

Apple had admitted on Sunday that exactly a week ago on July 18 that its Developer Center website had been hacked into. While sensitive information of registered developers was encrypted and could not be accessed, Apple said that it had not been able to rule out the possibility that names, mailing addresses and email addresses of some developers could have been accessed. The company said that it had taken the entire site down even as it tried to overhaul security on it.

At the time of publishing, iTunes Connect and the very important Bug Reporter had been made online by Apple. The company has also assured developers in an email again that if their program membership is set to expire during the downtime period, it will automatically be extended and their apps will remain on the App Store.

Google launches Play Games app to take on Apple's Game Center

Google has made a bunch of important announcements yesterday, including the launch of a refreshed Nexus 7 tablet and Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. Another important announcement is a new social gaming app, Google Play Games. Google had announced the Google Play games service during the I/O back in May and the dedicated app is another step towards making gaming a chief focus for Android.

The Google Play Games app will act as a hub similar to Apple’s Game Center and users will be able to match achievements against their friends, save progress and scores when switching devices.

Using the application, you will be able to discover new games your friends are playing, track your achievements as well as those of your opponents and play with your friends across the world. The app will show you an organised view of all the games you have installed and will list you achievements. You can compare achievements via public leaderboards and your Google+ profile.

The Games service announced back at the I/O included a bunch of new APIs that facilitated Cloud Saves, Achievements, Leaderboards and Multiplayer Matchmaking.  The Cloud Saves API was introduced to help you save your game files onto the cloud which is especially helpful if you are reinstalling a game and want to resume playing from where you left off last time. The service has the capability to set up synchronous multiplayer games using Google’s own servers, as was demonstrated during Google I/O.

You can get the Google Play Games app for your phones sporting Android version 2.2 and higher from the Google Play Store and start playing against your friends right away.

Google Android 4.3 Jelly Bean now available for Nexus devices

Google has started the over-the-air rollout and put up the factory images of the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean for Galaxy Nexus variants, Nexus 4, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10.

Google has officially announced the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update calling it a sweeter version and packing number of improvements. The new Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update arrives with features addressing both users and developers. Google has started the rollout of the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean JWR66V update for the Nexus experience devices - Nexus 4, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10.

For the other Nexus series devices, Google has already started the over-the-air rollout and those who don't wish to wait can get the factory images. The Android 4.3 Jelly Bean Factory images for all Nexus variants can be found here. The basic difference between the OTA update and factory images is that the former contains only the new files while the latter carries entire system image.

New Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update brings multiple-user profiles with restrictions and notifications access for interacting with the notifications in the status bar. The new Bluetooth Smart will enable the Nexus devices to communicate with several other Bluetooth 4.0 LE (Low Energy) powering devices. Apart from that, there is the new OpenGL ES 3.0 support that will let game developers deliver higher quality graphics bearing games.

Just after the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean was announced, both Samsung and HTC confirmed to Tech Radar that the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update is being reviewed for their products. Samsung announced the Galaxy S4 with Nexus experience followed by the HTC One with Nexus experience - both devices were limited only to the USA region.

Google Chromecast smart TV upgrader launched

You can surf internet and stream media from your smartphone and tablet using the dongle.

Google, the maker of Android operating system, has launched a new dongle with which you can turn your HDTV into a smart TV. The dongle, called Google Chromecast, when plugged into a HDMI port of the TV allows users to stream media from smartphones, tablets and computers.

The dongle has been launched in the US for $35 or Rs 2,100 but Google has not said anything about its availability in other markets including India.

Chromecast works with Android tablets and smartphones, iPhones, iPads, Chrome for Mac and Chrome for Windows. You can browse internet, control playback, and adjust volume using your device. Operating it also easy: plug Chromecast into any HDTV, connect it to WiFi, then send videos and more from your smartphone, tablet or laptop to your TV with the press of a button

"With Chromecast, you can easily enjoy your favorite online entertainment on your HDTV-movies, TV shows, music, and more from Netflix, YouTube, Google Play, and Chrome. No more huddling around small screens and tiny speakers. Chromecast automatically updates to work with a growing number of apps," Google said on its webpage.

This is not a new generation product though; in India, there several such other smart dongles are available. Infact, Google itself is selling one such dongle currently, called Google TV Cloud Stick. You can also read our earlier article on such products.