Lenovo launches Vibe X in China, Vibe Z K910 smartphone revealed

Lenovo unveiled its new smartphone line-up called Vibe at a press event in Beijing on Sunday. This new smartphone series includes two devices at this moment – Vibe X S960 and Vibe Z K910. While, Lenovo has officially launched Vibe X for the Chinese market, Vibe Z K910 is yet to be official released. The K910 was displayed at the event but no availability or pricing details were shared.

The company is targeting new Vibe series to the youngsters and it will also be released in markets outside China like India, Philippines etc, where Lenovo already sells smartphones.

Further detailing Lenovo Vibe Z K910, the smartphone runs on Android 4.2.2 and is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor. The phone features 5.5-inch 1080p full HD display, 2GB of RAM, 13MP rear camera, 5MP front camera and a metal-body. It will be succeeding Lenovo’s current flagship K900 smartphone but no other details are known at this point.

Coming to Lenovo Vibe X S960, the smartphone packs a 5-inch full HD display, 1.5GHz MediaTek quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, microSD card slot and Android 4.2. The phone also comes with 13MP rear camera, 5MP front camera, NFC and the usual connectivity options. It was first announced at IFA this year.

It will go on sale beginning October 20 in China for RMB 2,889 ($472).

Gmail for Android app to get ads soon, reveals teardown

The APK teardown of the latest version of Gmail for Android application has revealed that the search giant might finally be brings advertisements to this very popular app. During their teardown, folks at Android Police found a whole new library, which is meant for serving ads, simply called ‘ads.’

There are eight classes in this ads library, which are related the advertisement presentation – AdBorderItem, AdHeaderItem, AdHeaderView, AdSenderHeaderItem, AdSenderHeaderView, AdTeaserView, AdToastBarOperation, and AdViewFragment.

There is no word on when exactly the ads will go live in Gmail for Android but considering the company has already started putting pieces in the right places, any of the future versions could bring the advertisements.

For a company whose biggest source of revenue is advertisements, the decision to put ads in Gmail app doesn’t look all that surprising. We just hope that these ads aren’t too intrusive.

Panasonic to launch sub-Rs 5,000 features phones

Currently, it only sells few Android smartphones and few high end tablets.

Panasonic, which has recently made its debut in the smartphone market with its P51 smartphone earlier this year, will launch features phones priced below Rs 5,000 in India. The devices will be launched next month itself.

"Panasonic is conscious of the market and demand for phones priced below Rs 5,000. Considering the same, we plan to come out with a feature phones below Rs 5,000 by November this year," Panasonic India managing director Manish Sharma was quoted as saying by PTI.

"We have already launched four premium models since our entry into smartphone market and we will continue to offer a wide range of phones. We are looking at budget phones and may introduce them following up on these launches," Sharma further added.

Panasonic is a leading mobile phone company in the Japanese market. It had however withdrew its mobile phone business from other overseas market in 2005. Later it had re-entered the mobile phone business in a big way launching several devices in 2012 but it entered the Indian mobile phone market only in 2013. It had just also few days back expanded its smartphone portfolio in India by announcing three new handsets -0 T11, T21, and P11.

GameSalad: Develop Smartphone Games Without Any Coding

A good smartphone game can quickly become popular and you will find all your friends playing it on their phones. While they are fun to play, making a smartphone is altogether a different matter – extensive knowledge and coding is involved. But if you are looking for a tool that helps you create smartphone games without requiring you to code anything, you should check out a service called GameSalad.

GameSalad is an excellent web service that helps you create smartphone games for Android and iOS devices. The service requires you to download a desktop version of the app which comes for Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Mac OS X; additionally you need Android SDK and Command Line Tools. The app lets you drag objects into your game canvas and control their movement as the game progresses. Testing can be done from within the program and allows HTML5 publishing along with publishing for iOS and Android devices. The app offers a basic free account as well as a Premium account that costs $299 per year and advanced features such as iOS in-App purchases, Twitter TweetSheet, and more.

Features:

• A user-friendly tool
• Lets you create Android and iOS games
• Offers desktop version for Mac and Windows
• Does not involve any coding

Check out GameSalad @ http://gamesalad.com/

Quabel: Online Distraction-Free Word Editor

A good writer knows that to write is to focus. Anything else that clutters and distracts us does not help push the creative process. While there are excellent apps for distraction-free writing especially for the Mac, there seems to be no good option for the web. Well, until now. Quabel is the sort of web app that writers will love. This app is especially designed for uncluttered and simple writing while bringing the goodness of the cloud.

You can use Quabel without having to register, but you can also create an account so that you can save your files for later. The interface is exactly what you expect for apps of this genre – no sidebars, top to bottom whitespace, and nice typography. It also has a night mode setting for writers who prefer to use a dark background.

Quabel also includes a pseudo file system with its Explorer feature. Here you can add labels to stored texts, export articles, or delete your draft articles.

Despite its simplicity, Quabel is a web app with powerful features. This app is for anyone who need a focused writing tool online and without the hassle of maintaining files.

Features:

• Distraction-free online word processor.
• Night mode writing available.
• Hit word count goals.
• Add labels to documents.
• Easy exporting to PSD, Word, or ODT files.
• Read our latest feature on distraction free editors.

Check out Quabel @ www.quabel.com

NPointer: Control Your Mouse Pointer Using Hand Gestures

If you do not have a mouse at hand and your laptop’s touchpad does not work, using the mouse pointer becomes a very difficult task. But if your webcam is working, you can conveniently control the mouse pointer using your hand and image detection, thanks to an app called NPointer.

NPointer is a free to use desktop application for Windows. The app is sized at nearly 1.5 MB and requires your computer to have a webcam installed. To run the app, you simply extract and run the executable compressed in the archive you download – installation is not required. The webcam then recognizes your hand movements and moves the mouse cursor accordingly. The app’s controls let you control the motion speed, acceleration, menu timeout, and movement cut-off.

Features:

• A user-friendly desktop app.
• Compatible with Windows.
• Recognizes hand gestures through webcam.
• Controls mouse pointer through hand gestures.

Check out NPointer @ www.neurotechnology.com/npointer.html

Detext: Drive Attentively By Disabling Email, SMS, & Call Notifications [Android]

You will find children and teens texting their friends and being on the phone with them, anywhere they go. While this might not be a problem normally, it can be potentially dangerous when the person using the cellphone is driving. Even when somebody turns their phone on a Silent profile, they still keep getting it out to check notifications for messages and phone calls.

Now, thanks to a tool called Detext, parents of such teens can take precautions and prevent their children from being distracted by phone notifications while driving.

Detext is a free to use application that aims to reduce road accidents caused by people paying attention to their phones rather than the road. Basically, this application is able to stop all the notifications that are initiated by text messages and phone calls. The ability to send messages and makes calls is disabled as well. The same applies to receiving and sending emails. This action is initiated only after the application automatically detects that the phone is in speedy motion; speed detection is done via GPS.

While the phone is in this mode, your texts and emails are saved; you can view them later while you are stationary. Meanwhile, people texting you are sent an automatic response that notifies them of the fact that you are currently driving and will get back to them later. Apart from these, there are a bunch of other features that parents can enable to make the app more useful.

For example, you can set a speed limit and be notified by email anytime your teen goes over that speed limit; you can enable a list of safe and emergency numbers that your teen will be able to contact even while driving; you can enable a passenger mode that requires a passenger to solve a puzzle and get out of the blocking mode.

All of these features make this app a must-have for all parents whose teens own Android devices.

Features:

• A user-friendly phone app.
• Compatible with Android devices.
• Disables texts, emails, and phone calls while driving.
• Sends auto-replies to people sending you texts.
• Can notify you if car is going over speed limit.

Check out Detext @ http://www.detext.com

Presentation Tube: Create & Share Visually Appealing Presentations Online

Presentations are made to be shared with others. You might already have a presentation creation tool installed on your computer; but if you are looking for something that lets you not only create presentations but also to share them online, you should check out a tool called Presentation Tube.

Presentation Tube is a web service that lets its users share the presentations they have created. You create these presentations using the site’s desktop tool for Windows called Presentation Tube Recorder. With the application you create PowerPoint format presentations that you can edit using a variety of slides, drawing tools, audio, and video.

The presentations you create can then be directly uploaded to Presentation Tube where people can stream it as a video. The video presentation can also be embedded on other websites or shared on social networks.

Features:

• A user friendly web application.
• Lets you share presentations online.
• Offers a desktop application to create these presentations in PowerPoint format.
• Provides various drawing tools, slides, audio, and video to make presentations.
• Online presentations can be shared and embedded on other websites.

Check out Presentation Tube @ www.presentationtube.net

SwatchMatic: Detect & Reuse Colors Through Your Android Phone’s Camera

Replicating real life colors is not an easy task. If you have seen a color somewhere and want to use it in one of your online designs, you will have to go through quite a bit of trial and error before you reach success. Fortunately for Android device owners, a much simpler solution exists in the form of SwatchMatic.

SwatchMatic is a free to use smartphone application that is compatible with Android devices. The app is sized at nearly 400 KB and requires Android version 2.2 or later. SwatchMatic’s function is to break down a picture into its color palette. Therefore to have a real life color detected, all you have to do is point your phone’s camera to it and let the app do the rest: not is your desired color detected, but you are also given five other beautiful colors that match your detected color.

When your color palette is created, you can share the image as a robot made up of your colors; names and color codes of the colors in your palette are shown next to the robot.

Features:

• A user-friendly phone app.
• Compatible with Android devices.
• Lets you detect real life colors with your phone’s camera.
• Provides names and color codes of detected colors.

Check out SwatchMatic @ play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.appbaan.swatchmatic

Rocket Downloader: A Media Grabber & Download Manager For Your iOS Device

There are numerous websites that let you stream audio and video online. While online streaming definitely has its advantages, it is directly dependent upon internet connectivity. This is why people look for ways to download the media that they stream. For computer users, various tools exist that help them accomplish this task. Smartphone owners, however, do not have a convenient method of capturing they stream. This problem is solved for iOS smart device owners by a useful tool called Rocket Downloader.

Rocket Downloader is a smartphone application that basically a bunch of useful apps rolled into a single package. The app offers a media grabber, a download manager, and even a media player. Sized at nearly 11 MB, this app comes for iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad devices that are running version 5.0 or later of iOS. After installing the application, you can have it stream media from online services. Rocket will intercept and grab almost all media that is playable by iOS. The media you download can be played from right within the application. It can even be organized into playlists thereby providing you with the functions of a proper media player.

In case you want to open your computer browser’s tabs on this app, you can make use of the built-in support for Mozilla Firefox synchronization. Through Firefox Sync, you can easily transfer open computer tabs on your phone to continue your internet activities right where you left them. DropBox integration is also supported which lets you upload downloaded media to your DropBox account. Even RAR and ZIP files can be handled via uncompression from right within the application.

Rocket Downloader comes in a Lite version that is free and a premium version that comes with a price tag of $0.99. It also comes in dedicated versions for the iPhone and the iPad.

Features:

• A user-friendly phone app
• Compatible with iOS devices
• Lets you grab and download iOS playable media
• Supports synchronization with Firefox and DropBox
• Can play downloaded media files and add them to playlist
• Can uncompress downloaded ZIP and RAR archives

Check out Rocket Downloader Lite for iPhone @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/rocket-free-music-downloader/id588179537?ls=1&mt=8

Check out Rocket Downloader Lite for iPad @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/rocket-free-music-downloader/id588179489?ls=1&mt=8

For the premium versions, check out the following links:
For iPhone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/rocket-free-music-downloader/id585165962?ls=1&mt=8
For iPad: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/rocket-free-music-downloader/id585167722?ls=1&mt=8

Voicee: Quickly Send & Receive Short Voice Messages [iOS]

In today’s age, we are all very busy. We have a lot of tasks to complete every day. This is why we look for the least time consuming techniques to go about things. This is true for major things such as commuting to work and also true for little things such as talking to other people or communicating our ideas.

Speaking of the latter, people will often call up somebody on the phone to quickly communicate something. Sometimes however, the conversation ends up being longer than expected and you regret unnecessarily spending all of that extra time on the phone. A way to prevent those phone conversations comes in the form of a phone app called Voicee.

Voicee is a free to use phone application for iOS devices. The app is sized at nearly 4 MB and is compatible with iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad devices running version 4.3 or later of iOS. Using this application, you can quickly communicate ideas and thoughts by leaving voice messages for your friends.

The interface of other voice messaging applications works a lot like IM clients i.e. you have to navigate through multiple screens to communicate with each one of your friends. Unlike those apps, Voicee lets you send and check out all of your voice messages from a single screen. From this screen, you can quickly check out which messages you have, record a reply, and send it to your contact. Conversations can be managed by marking them as read or unread, and deleting them when you want cleaner organization.

Features:

• A user-friendly smart device application.
• Compatible with devices that are running iOS.
• Lets you quickly send and receive voice messages.
• You send / receive messages through a single screen.

Check out Voicee @ http://voic.ee

Tata Docomo Photon Max arrives in Mumbai for Rs 1699

Tata DoCoMo has introduced the new Photo Max dongle to deliver 6.2 Mbps speed at Rs 1699.

Tata Docomo has announced a new high-speed mobile broadband delivering dongle, Photon Max. This new Photon Max is available for the CDMA prepay and postpay subscribers in Mumbai. Tata Docomo Photon Max claims to offer high speed mobile internet up to speed of 6.2 Mbps at a competitive price of Rs 1699.

The new Tata Photon Max promises faster, reliable connectivity and is powered by Qualcomm Gobi chipset with dual processor technology. Tata Photon Max promises to offer a rich multimedia experience while on the move over 6.2 Mbps. The Qualcomm Gobi chipset brings a unique capability of sending and receiving signals from two different carriers simultaneously to deliver superior modem speeds.

Announcing this launch, Aditya Gupta, mobility business unit head - Mumbai, Rest of Maharashtra & Goa, Tata Docomo, said, “The launch of Tata Docomo Photon Max in Mumbai is an important step in providing customers with better speeds for mobile broadband access, enabling them to experience super-fast speeds on their laptops, PCs and other devices. Today’s increasing demand for powerful and faster networks continues to inspire us to continually upgrade our network and service offerings and maintain our technological strength. This launch will further redefine the way customers experience fast internet, as it underlines the technological superiority of mobile broadband technology, which has become a rage amongst Internet-users everywhere.”

The Tata Docomo Photon Max service enables customers stay connected anytime, anywhere while it offers super-fast and consistent speeds for all internet needs, right from e-mailing, social networking, sharing of photographs, downloading and uploading heavy files, music downloads, video streaming, watching live TV on-the-go and much more. Tata Docomo Photon Max has a simply plug-n-play integration to quickly get started for enjoying hi-speed mobile broadband.

HTC Desire 500 coming to India for Rs 14,999

HTC has a range of smartphones in its Desire series including the Desire C, Desire U, Desire X, Desire SV, and the recently launched Desire 600.

HTC Desire 500, which was announced with Android 4.2 in July this year, is set to be launched in India. An online retailer (Saholic) has listed the smartphone on its website for Rs 14,999. Curiously when we inspected the elements of the webpage, it revealed that the phone will be launched in India for Rs 14,999.

The HTC Desire 500 is just 9.9 mm thick and comes with a 4.3 inch display having WVGA (800x480 pixels). The 123 grams weighing smartphone has the 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 200quad core processor which is assisted by 1 GB RAM. The Desire 500 has Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system with HTC Sense and the famous BlinkFeed user interface.

Besides, HTC Desire 500 has 4 GB Internal memory, 64 GB micro SD card slot, 8 megapixel auto focus rear camera, and 1.6 megapixel front camera. Both the front and rear camera comes with BSI sensor. Besides the f2.0 aperture and 28 mm lens bearing rear camera is said to be able to capture high definition videos. The phone also comes with Beats audio integration like many other HTC smartphones.

The Desire 500 has an 1800 mAh battery which is said to provide 12.1 hours of 3G talktime and 435 hours of 3G standby time. The dual SIM smartphone has GPS with AGPS support, Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi, and DLNA. Besides it comes with Accelerometer, proximity sensor, and ambient light sensor.

HTC has a range of smartphones in its Desire series including the Desire C, Desire U, Desire X, Desire SV, and the recently launched Desire 600.

Google announces Android KitKat contest; winners to get Nexus 7

Google had earlier this month announced that the next version of its Android operating system will be called Android 4.3 aka Kitkat.

Google has started an Android KitKat contest in India under which it is assuring to provide Nexus 7 to 1000 winners.

All you have to do is to buy a KitKat chocolate with Android logo on it. Each of these KitKat will have a special eight digit code on inside the wrapper. Then you have to SMS that code to 09880298802. To SMS, type KITKAT<8 digit code>, and then send it to the said number. However, the offer is available on KitKat 2F, 4F and Dark versions only.

You can winners list on Android KitKat page; they will also contact if you emerge as a winner. The contest was started on 27th September and will be valid till 15th November.

Google had earlier this month announced that the next version of its Android operating system will be called Android 4.3 aka Kitkat.

BSNL Champion Tendy smartphone launched with free data for a year

The smartphone comes with 500 MB of free 3G data for a year from BSNL

Telecom service provider BSNL and India based handset manufacturer Champion have announced their first co-branded smartphone, called Champion Trendy 531. The Android operating system based smartphone is priced at Rs 13,999. BSNL is also offering 500 MB of 3G data every month for a year with the smartphone.

The Champion Trendy 531 comes with a 5.3 inch display, a 1.2 GHz quad core processor, and Android Jelly Bean 4.2 operating system. Besides, it has 1 GB RAM and 4 GB built in memory, which can be expanded further to 32 GB through a micro SD card.

The Trendy 531 also boasts of a 13 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash. It also comes with 2 megapixel front camera featuring full focus lens. The 3G handset has WiFi, Bluetooth, and a micro USB port for connectivity. There is a 3200 mAh Li-Polymer battery that claims to provide over six hours of talk time or 300 hours of standby time.

The smartphone is available through Champion Computer's website and BSNL's retail stores.

iPad Mini 2 to feature touch ID

Apple also is expected to add the new A7 processor along with the M7 co-processor to the iPad Mini 2.

Apple iPad Mini 2, which is expected to be released later this year sporting a Retina display, has now been spotted in gold colour. Images of the gold colour iPad Mini 2 has been posted on a website.

As per the images, the iPad Mini 2 will get the much hyped Touch ID sensor as the recently launched iPhone 5s. Apple also is expected to add the new A7 processor along with the M7 co-processor to the iPad Mini 2.

Apple though yet to even react on the existence of the iPad Mini 2. It was earlier being expected that the iPad Mini 2 would also be announced alongside the iPhone 5s.

Lenovo unveils four new entry-level Android smartphones in India

Lenovo has introduced four new entry-level A-series smartphones with Google Android experien- A516, A369i, A269i and A850 ranging from Rs 5499 to Rs 15,999.

Lenovo has announced four new Google Android OS running A-series smartphones for India that include A850, A516, A369i and A269i.

The Lenovo A850 smartphone is powered by a quad-core 1.3 GHz mobile processor and features a 5.5-inch IPS panel display. Packing 4 GB on-board storage, the smartphone offers a memory card slot and can hold up to 32 GB micro SD card. Lenovo has armed it with a 5 megapixel camera at the back. This smartphone will be offered in Black as well as White colour for Rs 15,999. By default, the A850 runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean mobile operating system.

Great battery life promising Lenovo A516 smartphone is powered by a dual-core 1.3 GHz mobile processor and features a 4.5-inch IPS panel display with great viewing angles. It has Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system and has a 5 megapixel camera at the back. The A516 packs a 4 GB on-board storage and a memory card slot to hold up to 32 GB micro SD cards slot. Lenovo A516 will be offered in Charcoal Grey and White colours for Rs 10,999.

The affordable Lenovo A369i smartphone runs Android OS over the 4-inch display and is powered by dual-core 1.2 GHz mobile processor. This smartphone has 512 MB RAM and offers 4 GB internal storage with micro SD card slot. Offered in Black colour, this smartphone costs Rs 6,999

The entry level A269i smartphone has a 3.5-inch touchscreen display and is powered by a dual-core mobile processor. This smartphone will be offered for Rs 5499 and comes in black colour.

Lenovo will offer these new A-series of smartphone from its Lenovo Exclusive Stores, leading multi-brand outlets and thedostore.com from October this year.

Google celebrates its 15th birthday with an interactive piñata doodle

As Google turns 15, it is celebrating its birthday with an interactive piñata doodle. The doodle is a basic video game that challenges users to collect as many sweets as possible by whacking the piñata with a stick. The doodle also gives a glimpse of how the search engine page looked in 1998.

The company started as a University project in 1996 and then as a garage startup by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, both PhD students at Stanford University, has today turned into an Internet powerhouse and has the most influential web presence. It was originally named BackRub, and thankfully, later re-christened Google. The company has come a long way from being just a Search engine, from Android mobile operating system to the latest Google Glass, we’ve seen it all. Take a look at the 15 Google milestones over the past 15 years. It is based in Mountain View, California, which is seven miles away from the house whose garage and bedroom was rented by Brin and Page.

To celebrate its 15th birthday, the company has also silently revamped its search engine algorithm to cope with increasing complex questions that are thrown at it by users from web and mobile devices. The new algorithm is called “Hummingbird” and was rolled out last month and reportedly more than 90 percent of Google’s worldwide searches are now handled by the new algorithm. It also improves Knowledge Graph with comparisons and filters, and adds cards and cross-platform notifications to mobile.

Though the company was incorporated on September 4, 1998, it has been celebrating its birthday on September 27 for the past few years.

BlackBerry Z30 coming soon to India

It will come pre-loaded with the improved BlackBerry 10.2 OS version with bunch of new features.

BlackBerry's first phablet, the BlackBerry Z30, is expected to hit Indian markets in October or early November as a spokesperson of the company told that the phone will be launched in the country pretty soon. BlackBerry Z30 is currently availabel in UAE for 2,499 United Arab Emirates Dirham (Rs. 42,500 approximately).

BlackBerry Z30 has a 5-inch Super Amoled full HD display and is powered by a quad-core 1.7 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon mobile processor. It will come pre-loaded with the improved BlackBerry 10.2 OS version with bunch of new features.

The new BlackBerry 10.2 OS will have features like USB host and Miracast support. With USB support, one will be able to plug USB drives like flash drives into the phone and view the files as store data.

Also BlackBerry has implemented stereo speakers in Z30 and armed it with the BlackBerry Natural Sound technology for making sound in BBM voice as well as video calls more natural.

On the spec front BlackBerry Z30 has Adreno 320 graphics chip and 2 GB RAM. At the rear, the BlackBerry Z30 has an 8 megapixel camera with LED flash. The camera is said to be capable of recording 1080p HD videos. In its front, the phone has a 2 megapixel camera with capability of capturing 720p HD videos as well.

BlackBerry has packed a 2880 mAh battery which is non-removable to power this beastly device. The company boasts of 25 hours of battery life on mixed usage.

By default, the on-board storage is limited to 16 GB and there is a memory card slot to add more storage. Other features include dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, Near Field Communication Chip and GPS.

Exclusive: Apple to offer global warranty on iPhone 5

Apple is in the process of changing the global warranty exception with the iPhone 5 and plans to make it available for several countries starting September 27.

Apple, which has recently announced two new smartphone models - iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, will soon offer global warranty for the iPhone 5 in select countries including India.

Till now, the global warranty on Apple products was limited to almost all products except the iPhone models. The Mobile Indian had reported back in 2011 that Apple has been very clear about the warranty on the iPhone models - warranty limited to the country of purchase. For instance, if anyone from India had purchased an iPhone model from the USA or in any other country, the warranty on that device is limited to that country only where the iPhone was purchased.

Starting 27 September, Apple will change its global warranty policy for iPhone 5. Apple is making this one off exception to their policy and will offer global warranty on the iPhone 5 model. However, the global warranty will not be applicable on all iPhone 5 variants. Just for a reminder, Apple offers the iPhone 5 in three different models - GSM with Dual-band 4G LTE support (A1428), GSM with Tri-band 4G LTE support (A1429) and CDMA model (A1429). Out of these three variants, Apple will offer global warranty support only for the iPhone 5 A1428 GSM model.

As of now, there is no information criteria for the iPhone 5 global warranty eligibility for the existing iPhone 5 models already sold to consumers. However, the global warranty does bring a great relief for the frequent travelers and those who get a unit gifted from friends/relatives living abroad. Even Indians will be able to enjoy the global warranty facility once it has been formally made available in the select countries. However, one must note that initial testing will be performed at the Apple Service Centres to check if the iPhone 5 model is eligible for global warranty or not.

For those who wish to check whether the Apple iPhone or any other Apple product is under service and support coverage can check the same at this Apple Support page.

Apple currently offers iPhone 5 in India from both offline and online avenues at best buy price of Rs. 42,990 approximately.

YouTube for Android gets video notifications, ads

YouTube has pushed a new update for its official Android app to add video notifications and also Ads by Google.

YouTube had promised to bring the offline video viewing capabilities to the official YouTube mobile apps. Google is now rolling out a new update for the official YouTube app that brings couple of improvements. While most people enjoyed the videos on YouTube mobile app till now, will have something to worry about - Google Ads. Droid-Life got hands on the APK and shared screenshots showing two new features.

So far, the YouTube mobile apps offer slick and smooth user interface to enjoy watching videos. Latest update for YouTube app for Android brought capability to search for other videos while watching one. On the YouTube desktop version, the Google Ads are one thing that several users get bugged about. There are no ad-blocker apps available for the YouTube videos so the user is left with an option to watch them or skip them. Same has been offered even on the Mobile apps and everyone wished that it was the end of ad placements.

Now the YouTube mobile app for Android will get the Google Ads too. The screenshot shows that the Google Ad is placed above the videos and we hope that it stays that way. There are no ad-blockers for the Android that will work out of the box - without having to root the device. So if you root your device, you lose out on warranty. So that's the Catch 22 situation Google puts you in to bear the Google ads on YouTube app.

Another new features spotted is the New Video Notifications that informs the user about the new videos that matches user's interest.

Check the YouTube app for Android from the Google Play Store for the new update up the anvil.

Samsung Galaxy S4 gold variant unveiled

Samsung's latest Galaxy S4 Android smartphone offers a luxury gold variant as well.

Samsung has announced a luxury gold colour variant of its Galaxy S4 smartphone. Samsung Mobile Arabia announced the new variant through its official Twitter account. The price of the device however has not yet been revealed but it is likely to be made available in the coming days.

The gold colour variant of Galaxy S4 has the same set of hardware as the original Samsung Galaxy S4 including Qualcomm Snapdragon mobile processor, 2 GB RAM, and 16/32 and 64 GB storage variant.

The Galaxy S4 features a 5 inch full HD Super Amoled display, built using Corning Gorilla Glass 3 technology. Galaxy S4 is just 7.9 mm thick and it is still slimmer than the 8.6 mm thick Galaxy SIII. In terms of weight, the Galaxy S4 measures 130 grams compared to the Galaxy S III which weighs 133 grams.

At the back, Samsung Galaxy S4 has a 13 megapixel camera with LED flash, autofocus and zero shutter lag features. This camera is capable of recording full HD videos and clicking high quality images. There is also a front facing camera capable of clicking high quality self-portraits and video.

For connectivity, the Galaxy S4 has high speed WiFi support, Bluetooth 4.0 and infrared LED for remote control. The Samsung Galaxy S4 runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with a layer of the latest Nature UX as part of TouchWiz UI.

Intex launches Aqua HD for Rs 15,990, Aqua i-4 for Rs 9,490

The Aqua HD comes with a quad core processor while the Aqua i-4 has a dual core processor.

Intex today officially announced the launch of two new smartphones in its Aqua series, called Aqua HD and Aqua i4. The Intex Aqua HD is priced at Rs 15,990 while the Aqua i-4 is priced at Rs 9,490. It is to be noted that few days back Snapdeal listed the Intex Aqua HD for Rs 14,999.

The 7.9 mm thick Aqua HD comes with a metal frame with piano lacquer back cover and aluminum alloy keys. It has a 4.7 inch HD IPS display featuring OGS (One Glass Solution). The phone has a 1.2 GHz quad core processor which runs on the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean OS which is combined with a 4 GB ROM and 1 GB RAM. The phone is laden with 13 megapixel HDR+ camera and is equipped with Smart self-timer mode. It has a 5 megapixel front camera that would also ensure clarity while 3G Video calling is on.

Packed with an 1800 mAh battery, the smartphone provides a talk time up to 6 hours ensuring a strong battery backup. The Intex Aqua HD also has Bluetooth v4.0 and WiFi. The phone also comes pre-loaded with various beneficial features such as NQ Mobile Security, Gmail, Locate, Maps, Messenger, My Screens, Intex Zone, Navigation, News and Weather, Opera Mini and GTalk.

Customers also get free accessories worth Rs 5,500 which includes a flip cover, screen guard, 5 GB space on Intex Cloud, limited edition pen and key chain set personally signed by Farhan Akhtar with the phone.

Besides, Intex has armed the phone with many features like the 'Lookaway' that allows device to pause content and ensures one does not misses on videos in the event of interruption or distraction. Another such feature is 'My Screen' that makes multitasking easy with users browsing internet, sending SMS, managing files and even listening to their favourite playlist, all at the same time.

Intex Aqua i-4

On the other hand, Intex Aqua i4 comes equipped with a 5 inch display with FWVGA resolution, 1.2 GHz dual core processor and runs on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. The phone sports an 8 megapixel rear camera with flash and 1.3 megapixel front facing camera and offers 3G, WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0 terms of connectivity options.

The phone features a plethora of pre-loaded apps such as such as Matrabhasha, Intex life box, Intex Play and Hungama. The Intex Aqua i-4 has an expandable memory of 32 GB allowing large collection of files, music, videos to be stored. The phone supports 3G and WiFi along with Bluetooth connectivity.

Its 2000 mAh battery gives a talk time of upto 6 hours. The phone cones pre-loaded with apps like Intex play, Intex Zone, Hungama, Facebook and more.

BBM may come to Windows Phone 8 too, hints BlackBerry Blackberry is still probing the issue with BBM for Android and iOS and paralleling we are working on to address all the identified bottleneck. BlackBerry Messenger, which is set to be launched for Android and iOS devices, may be launched for Windows Phone operating system too. The creator of BlackBerry Messenger, Gary Klassen hinted this while talking to an event in Hong Kong. "BBM will not be limited to just Android or iOS. We are open to other platforms also," Gary Klassen said, adding, "We want more are more people to enjoy and experience BBM." bbm On the botched up roll out of BBM for Android and iOS, Gary said, "We are still probing the issue and we are working on to address all the identified bottleneck as we want Android and iOS users of BBM to have a good experience when it is made available.” Earlier BlackBerry had announced to introduce BlackBerry Messenger for Android on September 21 and BlackBerry Messenger for iPhone on September 22. The Apple iPhone users got the BBM for iPhone on time but region-wise. However, the BBM for Android build got leaked just couple of hours before it was supposed to go live at the Google Play Store. BlackBerry stated that the unreleased version of BBM for Android caused issues and eventually paused the global roll out of BBM for Android and iPhone. The Canadian company claims that more than 1.1 million users registered to download BBM in the first 8 hours, even though the Android version wasn't yet available and around 3 million people have registered themselves on BlackBerry's website to know about when BBM will be made available.

BBM may come to Windows Phone 8 too, hints BlackBerry

Blackberry is still probing the issue with BBM for Android and iOS and paralleling we are working on to address all the identified bottleneck.

BlackBerry Messenger, which is set to be launched for Android and iOS devices, may be launched for Windows Phone operating system too. The creator of BlackBerry Messenger, Gary Klassen hinted this while talking to an event in Hong Kong.

"BBM will not be limited to just Android or iOS. We are open to other platforms also," Gary Klassen said, adding, "We want more are more people to enjoy and experience BBM."

On the botched up roll out of BBM for Android and iOS, Gary said, "We are still probing the issue and we are working on to address all the identified bottleneck as we want Android and iOS users of BBM to have a good experience when it is made available.”

Earlier BlackBerry had announced to introduce BlackBerry Messenger for Android on September 21 and BlackBerry Messenger for iPhone on September 22. The Apple iPhone users got the BBM for iPhone on time but region-wise. However, the BBM for Android build got leaked just couple of hours before it was supposed to go live at the Google Play Store. BlackBerry stated that the unreleased version of BBM for Android caused issues and eventually paused the global roll out of BBM for Android and iPhone.

The Canadian company claims that more than 1.1 million users registered to download BBM in the first 8 hours, even though the Android version wasn't yet available and around 3 million people have registered themselves on BlackBerry's website to know about when BBM will be made available.

Servers Ultimate: Run Web Servers From Your Android Device [Android 2.1+]

Running your own servers has its own benefits. You can run your own websites, your own email addresses, your file hosting, your calendars, and so much more. In order to remain as flexible as possible while owning your data rather than having some other company babysit it for you, running your own servers is the way to go. As more and more power-friendly devices are running Android, there’s a need to be able to run servers on such devices.

Servers Ultimate is an Android app which takes care of most of your server needs. While you probably wouldn’t want this running all the time on your smartphone, Servers Ultimate is great if you have full-fledged Android computers or unused Android tablets lying around. With it you can run a DLNA, DNS, DDNS, Email, FTP, Proxy, SMS, Time, Web and/or WebDAV server! They all work and function right out of the box. The free version is limited in a couple of ways, but those limits are removed with the paid version.

Features:

• Run 10 different types of servers.
• Available for Android systems.
• Paid version allows unlimited instances of every server.

Check it out @ the Google Play Store
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.icecoldapps.serversultimate

BrowsingHistoryView: View Browsing History From IE, Firefox, Chrome & Safari In A Single Window

Every modern browser lets you view your browsing history. However, if you use several browsers you can’t view your browsing history in one place and have to open each browser separately to view the history. Now, thanks to a utility called BrowsingHistoryView you can view the history from 4 different web browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome and Safari) in a single window table.  The browsing history includes information such as the used Browser, Visited URL, page title, Visit time and Visit count.

You can watch the current browsing history or include backed-up history from another source including external hard drive. To use the app, download and extract the zip file to your computer and run the program. When the program starts you can include the data only from a specified period (last 10 days, 10 hours, any time etc) or only from a particular user profile.

Features:

• Supports  Internet Explorer (Version 4.00 and greater), Mozilla Firefox (Version 3.00 and greater), Google Chrome, Safari.
• Read history from external hard drive or from remote computer.
• View and sort history by Browser, Visited URL, page title, Visit time and Visit count.
• Export browsing data into csv/tab-delimited/html/xml format.
• Show time in GMT or local time (default).
• Command line options available.
• International language versions available including Dutch, German, Brazilian, Russian and other languages.

Check out BrowsingHistoryView @ http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/browsing_history_view.html

Microsoft Fresh Paint: Upscale Painting Application For Windows 8

If you liked the original Windows Paint app (Paint.exe), check out Fresh Paint. It is an upscale version of Paint.exe with more features optimized for touch based screens. So even a 3-year old kid can start painting with a finger on the screen. The app acts almost exactly as if you were painting on a real canvas surface. The screen reacts differently if you apply brush, pastel or a pencil, just like a real canvas would; or when you mix red and yellow colours, the resulting colour becomes orange.

You can also digitally dry your paint, create ripples in the water, or insert a picture and trace and paint over it. And of course, you can always Undo if you make a mistake

Features:

• Optimized for touch based interaction, present on Windows 8
• Draw with fingers, like on a real oil canvas
• Digitally dry your paint
• Surface reacts differently to different utensils (brush, pastel or a pencil)
• Free to download

Check out Fresh Paint @ http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/freshpaint/default.html

TweetPixx: View Geotagged Twitter Images On A Map

There are a lot of pictures being shared on Twitter and if you wanted to see where those pictures are coming from geographically, check out TweetPixx. It is a location based Android app that lets you explore and view geo-tagged Twitter photos on a map, from your Android device. You can view photos from your own or friend’s Timelines’, discover trends or images from a particular location on the map, search by hashtag or keyword.

If you liked a particular image, you can retweet it , add it to favorites, share it or browse other images from the same user. You can browse the images without signing in to your Twitter account but if you want to do the sharing stuff (retweet, follow etc) you have log in to Twitter within the app.

Features:

• Explore geo-tagged Twitter images on a map.
• Location based app for Android.
• View geo-tagged images from your own Twitter timeline or your friends’.
• View trending events and photos from a particular location.
• View photos on a grid or on a map.
• Search for photos by hashtag or keyword.
• Save favorite searches.
• Retweet, share and favorite interesting images.
• Follow people.
• Free app.

Check out TweetPixx @ https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tweetpixx.android

ListNerd: Create Any Type Of Public & Private Online Lists To Vote On

The Internet is the best place to get unbiased opinions. Opening up a poll for people from all over the world and letting them vote impartially is perhaps the only way you can get truly unbiased results. The best way to go about this is through the creation of online voting lists. You could create an online list of the items you want to gather votes for and then share it with the online community to vote on. But what kind of a list should you make?

Should you make a simple text list? Should you make a list that includes URLs? Or should you make a list of images for people to vote on? There might be dedicated websites for each type of these mentioned lists; but if you are looking for one website to create online voting lists of all types, look no farther than ListNerd.

ListNerd is a free to use website that helps you create online lists that people can vote on. Essentially, the site is a social media website such as Pinterest, where you can create lists in a more defined way and gather people’s opinions about them.

You start using the site by creating a new account; alternatively, you can log into the website using your Facebook or Twitter account. Next you specify what kind of a list you will be making, by saying whether each list entry will require a definition, image, and URL. Next you start adding entries to your list.

When it is complete, the list is published on a unique URL which you have the choice of making public or private. People can visit the URL to vote on the entries and leave comments on your list.

Features:

• A user-friendly web service.
• Lets you create shareable online lists.
• These lists can be voted on.
• Others can leave comments on lists.
• Your list entries can have definitions, images, and URLs.

Check out ListNerd @ http://www.listnerd.com

Amazon refreshes Kindle Fire HD with new look and reduced price-tag

In addition to the new Kindle Fire HDX tablets, Amazon has unveiled a refreshed version of its existing Kindle Fire HD tablet. The tablet now sports a new look and upgraded OS. The revamped version of Kindle Fire HD is now on pre-order and will start shipping from October 2.

The specifications of the revamped version remain same as the previous Kindle Fire HD, which include 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 7-inch 1280x800p display, 8/ 16GB of storage, and dual stereo speakers with Dolby Audio.

“Two years ago, we revolutionized the tablet industry with the breakthrough $199 price point for tablets—now we’re doing it again with the $139 price point,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder and CEO. “$139 now gets you a 1280×800 216 ppi HD display, a dual-core 1.5 GHz processor, Fire OS 3.0, dual speakers with Dolby audio, vast selection and Amazon-exclusive features like Prime Instant Video downloads, Second Screen, Kindle FreeTime, X-Ray and more.”

More Amazon Kindle Fire HD features:

Fast streaming, downloads, and web browsing with built-in dual-band Wi-Fi
Powered by the latest version of Fire OS—Fire OS 3.0 “Mojito”—with hundreds of new and upgraded features, platform updates, and Amazon-exclusive services.
Kindle FreeTime extends parental controls to give parents a simple, engaging way to manage the way kids use Kindle Fire—parents select content and set time limits by content type.
Stay connected and productive with all-new email, calendar, and Silk web browser.

Amazon unveils new Kindle Fire HDX 7 and 8.9-inch tablets

Amazon today announced its next-generation Kindle Fire HDX tablets. To be available in 7-inch and 8.9-inch display sizes like their predecessors, Amazon Kindle Fire HDX tablets pack some impressive specifications.

The company is also introducing its new and revamped operating system, which goes by codename Mojito. The base of the operating system is still Android, version 4.2 to be exact.

According to Amazon, both Kindle Fire HDX tablets are now available on pre-order. The company is offering both Wi-Fi only and LTE versions of its tablets. For the release of LTE versions in US, the company has partnered with Verizon and AT&T.

Talking about the tablets, both tablets are powered by 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor and feature 2GB of RAM, front camera (8MP rear camera in 8.9-inch tablet), and dual stereo speakers with Dolby Digital Plus audio. On the display front, the 7-inch tablet comes with 1920x1200p resolution display and 8.9-inch tablet comes with 2560x1600p. Amazon is offering both tablets in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB internal storage options.

Like the previous version, the tablets still come with “Special offers” advertisements. You can however pay $15 extra to get them removed.

“It’s been just two years since we introduced the first Kindle Fire, and the team is innovating at an unbelievable speed,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder and CEO. “2.2 GHz processor, 339 ppi display, new 34% lighter design, Fire OS 3.0, and new exclusive features like the Mayday button, X-Ray for Music, Second Screen, and Prime Instant Video downloads. We’ve worked hard to pack this much hardware, innovation, and customer obsession into these prices.”

Amazon  Kindle Fire HDX features:

Fire OS 3.0 “Mojito” with hundreds of new and upgraded features, platform updates, and Amazon-exclusive services like X-Ray for Music, Cloud Collections, Goodreads, and more.
New Mayday button delivers live tech support—one touch connects you to an Amazon expert who can guide you remotely through any feature—24×7, 365 days a year, and it’s free. 15 seconds or less is the Mayday response time goal.
Up to 11 hours of battery life on mixed use and 17 hours of reading.
Updated email, calendar, and Silk browser to stay connected and productive.
New enterprise features including hardware and software-encryption, Kerberos Intranet, secure Wi-Fi connections, VPN integration, and wireless printing.
Best video experience on a tablet with new Amazon-exclusive features like Prime Instant Video downloads, Second Screen, and expanded X-Ray for Movies and TV.
New Origami covers feature an innovative design that allows you to position Fire HDX in both portrait and landscape.
Pricing and Availability:

The Wi-FI version of 7” Kindle Fire HDX costs $229 and will begin shipping on October 18. The 4G version is $329, which will be available on November 14.

On the other hand, the Wi-Fi version of 8.9” Kindle Fire HDX has been priced at $379 and will begin shipping on November 7. The 4G version is $479 and will go on sale starting December 10.

HTC begins Android 4.3 update roll-out for HTC One

HTC has started rolling out the Android 4.3 update for HTC One smartphone in Taiwan today. The update is now available over-the-air (OTA).  Your smartphone will automatically notify you of the update once it is ready for your device or you can manually check for the update by going to Settings << About phone << Software update << Update.

As per the update notification, it brings Android 4.3, battery charging animation in power off state, improvements to colour contract in images taken in low-light conditions taken by HTC One camera and ability to add soundtracks in video highlights.

In related news, Jason Mackenzie, President of HTC America, took to Twitter to reveal that HTC One dev edition will also start getting the Android 4.3 update this week, followed by release for regular HTC One in Canada in September-end.

There is no word on update roll-out for other countries right now.

Aircel announces exciting data, calling benefits for Micromax handsets

Micromax handset users would also get WAP content worth Rs 10,000 for free.

Aircel has joined hands with Micromax, an Indian handset marketer, under which the GSM service provider is offering exciting data and calling benefits to Micromax handset users who opt for a new Aircel connection. Thus as soon as you insert a new Aircel SIM into your Micromax handset, you can avail the offer.

As per the announcement, Aircel is offering local calling at 1 paisa per two seconds, STD at 1 paisa per second, and 2 GB data (3G or 2G depending on your circle) each month for three months on 3G enabled Micromax handsets. Besides, WAP content worth Rs 10,000 and Popcorn internet TV is also being offered for three months.

Users of 2G Micromax handsets will also get to enjoy local calls at 1 paisa per two seconds, STD calls at 1 paisa per second, and WAP content worth Rs 10,000. However, they won't get the Popcorn internet TV as they anyway cannot enjoy it on their 2G connection. Also, 2G Micromax handset users will get only 1 GB of data each month for three months.

Aircel has also announced that Micromax dongle users, who opt a new Aircel connection, will get 500 MB of 3G/2G data for free each month for three months.

Sony Xperia M Dual now available for Rs 14,990

The Android 4.1 powered smartphone has a 1 GHz dual core processor and 1 GB RAM.

Sony Xperia M Dual, the dual SIM version of Xperia M, is now available in India for Rs 14,990. Saholic is currently offering the phone and is promising to deliver the same by October 1.

The Sony Xperia M Dual comes with a 4 inch TFT LCD display that has 854x480 pixels resolution. It has Qualcomm 1 GHz dual core Snapdragon S4 processor, 1 GB RAM, 4 GB internal memory, 32 GB expandable storage slot, 5 megapixels rear camera, and a front VGA camera.

Besides, the Xperia M Dual has a 1700 mAh Li-Ion battery that claims to provide 9 hours of 3G talktime. The 3G smartphone has WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, and GPS as well. It comes with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system.

Moto X getting software update, improves camera quality

Motorola is rolling out a software update for its Moto X smartphone variant available for T-Mobile customers. The update, which brings a host of improvements including better camera quality, is now available over-the-air.

You will automatically get a notification for the update on your Moto X, however you can also manually trigger the update by going to Settings << About Phone << System updates << Download.

Here is the full change-log for software update 139.12.57.ghost_row.Retail.en.US

• Camera: Improved Photo Quality (Improved capture of natural light (auto-white balance) and color accuracy for more precise exposure in outdoor and backlit scenes)
• Camera: Improved Focus (Faster touch to focus time and reduced unnecessary refocusing in low light conditions and scenes with continuous motion)
• Camera: Faster Switching (Shortened the time it takes to switch between rear and front-facing cameras, as well as transition between the viewfinder and the Gallery app)
• Enhanced Touchless Control: Increased accuracy and responsiveness when using Touchless Control, and added easier training of the “OK Google Now” trigger
• Improved Motorola Migrate Experience: Improved transfer of content from an old Android phone to a new Motorola phone
• Google Drive 50GB Promotion: Added a promotion expiration date (customers have 30 days from phone activation or installation of this update to redeem the 50GB offer)
• Calling: Improved Voice Quality (Fixed an issue that could sometimes result in choppy audio being heard by the person you’re talking with on your Moto X)
• Moto Care: Lost Device Finder (Fixed an issue that could sometimes prevent a lost phone from reporting its location to the Moto Care Lost Device Finder service)
• Motorola Assist: Driving Detection (Fixed an issue that could sometimes cause the phone to read out text messages and announce calls when not in Drive mode)

The update is expected to be released on other telecom operators in the coming weeks.

Amazon reduces Kindle Fire HD price in India

As the launch of next-generation Kindle Fire tablets draws near, Amazon has reduced the price of its 7-inch Kindle Fire HD tablet in the Indian market. The tablet is now available for INR 11,999 (16GB version, original price: INR 15,999), while the 32GB version retails for INR 15,999 (original price: INR 18,999)

With this price-cut, Amazon has matched the price of Nexus 7 Wi-Fi version in the country, which has long been selling for INR 11,999 on Amazon.in (Google is still selling Nexus 7 at the original price). The price of the 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD remains same.

Originally launched in India just three months ago, Amazon Kindle Fire HD tablet does not seem to have got much traction. The limited availability of content via Amazon ecosystem in the country can be blamed for it. Also, by the time Amazon released Kindle Fire HD tablets in the country, they were pretty old as per current standards.

Amazon Kindle Fire HD key specifications

7-inch 1280x800p HD LCD with 2 point multi-touch
Dolby Audio, dual-driver stereo speakers
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI out
16GB or 32GB on device, Plus free cloud storage for all Amazon content
Dual-core, 1.2GHz OMAP4460 processor
Front HD camera
1GB of RAM

BSNL, MTNL sign deal to share networks pan India

BSNL and MTNL have signed an agreement to create a synergy between both companies and offer services together for offering mobile telecommunication services pan India.

India's two public sector telecommunication service providers - BSNL and MTNL have signed an agreement to share their network services across India. This partnership will focus on key areas such as mobile communications, infrastructure sharing and enterprise business of information technology and telecom services. This step has been taken to battle with the rapidly growing market share of private telecom operators.

MTNL (Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd) operates in some of the key areas of Delhi and Mumbai circles. BSNL offers mobile telecommunications, Broadband Internet and Fixed-line services in about 20 telecom circles in India. As of now, both the companies have decided to share assets such as buildings, mobile masts and ISD phone networks.

AK Garg, chairman and managing director, MTNL, said, "We will be signing service level agreement and are committed to provide the agreed service delivery and service assurance. An enterprise vertical on the similar pattern of BSNL has been also created in MTNL on the philosophy of customer segmentation. This will help us to design and provide customised services as per their need."

Both telecom operators will work together to offer better services across India at most economical rates. BSNL will get to use MTNL network to provide roaming services to BSNL customers in Delhi and Mumbai region. Similarly, MTNL will get to use BSNL network to offer roaming services to MTNL subscribers in the 20 circles where BSNL offers it services except Delhi and Mumbai region.

"We are going to provide cost-effective solutions for their pan India requirements. We are going to share the resources of each other, which will ultimately bring down the cost of operations.", said RK Upadhayay, chairman and managing director, BSNL.

BBM for Android not coming this week: BlackBerry

Waiting for BlackBerry Messenger for Android, your wait just got a lot longer. According to a post on BlackBerry’s official blog, BBM for Android is not coming at least this week, as the company is still struggling to fix issues caused by leaked version of BBM Android app.

The company has not given any tentative release schedule, so looks like it is going to take some time.

“Last week, an unreleased, older version of the BBM for Android app was posted on numerous file sharing sites. We were aware of an issue with this unreleased version of the BBM for Android app. This older version resulted in volumes of data traffic orders of magnitude higher than normal for each active user and impacted the system in abnormal ways,” Andrew Bocking, head of BBM wrote in the blog post.

“The team is now focused on adjusting the system to completely block this unreleased version of the Android app when we go live with the official BBM for Android app. We are also making sure that the system is reinforced to handle this kind of scenario in the future. While this may sound like a simple task – it’s not. This will take some time and I do not anticipate launching this week,” he added.

Huawei & Tata Docomo offering free WiFi on Easycabs in Bangalore

The offer will be valid for a period of 90 days starting today, in Bangalore.

Huawei and Tata Docomo today announced a new offer for the people of Bangalore. As part of the joint offer, the passengers of EasyCabs in the region can enjoy WiFi using Tata Docomo Photon 3G while on-the-move and at no charge, on Huawei's E355/ E8131 WiFi data card. At present, the passengers in Bangalore can avail this offer in 100 EasyCabs. The offer will be valid for a period of 90 days starting today, in Bangalore.

Announcing the consumer initiative, Huawei Device India president, Victor Shan said: "Internet access is becoming mainstream as people are spending more time on their mobile devices and exploring new possibilities. At Huawei, we aim to foster connectivity and help consumer access information in the most convenient way. Taking a step in this direction, we are happy to announce Free Wi-Fi connectivity on the go in Easy Cabs, powered by Tata Docomo Photon 3G and enabled by Huawei E355/ E8131 WiFi data card."

"As consumers continue to own multiple WiFi-enabled devices like smartphones, laptops, tablets and gaming devices, we hope that they can utilize their valued time and make the most out of their journey by enjoying 3G Wifi powered emailing, surfing, gaming, movies and video clips." Shan added.

Talking about this alliance, Sunil Tandon, head-non voice services, Tata Docomo said, "Tata Docomo has been at the forefront of providing a superior internet experience to its customers. Through Huawei's data card services available in EasyCabs across the city, the commuters can experience wi-fi using Tata Docomo Photon 3G, on-the-move and at no charge. With this, consumers can download movies, watch videos, watch live TV, make video calls, access high speed internet and enjoy seamless live streaming".

Huawei has installed its E355/ E8131 WiFi data card combined with Tata Docomo Photon 3G in 100 Easy Cabs in the city offering WiFi Hotspot on the go. With high download speeds, Huawei E355/ E8131 comes with plug and play feature and offers the most cost effective Wi-Fi hotspot solution. Huawei E355/ E8131 supports WiFi creation in different scenarios - regular USB modem plugged into laptops, plugged into wall power mains and in car chargers. Upon using a password provided to commuters, they will be able to access the web on any internet-enabled device during their travel journey. WiFi Hotspot in a taxi will be a perfect offering for people on the go and will be useful for family and corporate groups traveling together.

Android Device Manager updated with remote lock functionality

Google has added a new feature to its Android Device Manager in the form of remote locking support. Android users will now be able remotely lock their device with a PIN or password. This is certainly a welcome addition, as in-case of a misplaced phone or tablet, the device owners don’t have to take an extreme measure of wiping their device.

How does this work:

• First you have to enable the “allow remote lock and factory reset” on your Android device in Google settings app.
• Then, if misplaced you can trigger a remote lock or PIN change directly from the Android device manager web interface. This not only overrides your existing lock-screen method with PIN and also changes the PIN to the one entered by you.
• This feature is especially useful in cases where you have hope that you will find your device and there is no need to wipe all the important data. PIN lock helps with the security, so no one apart from you will be able to look at the contents of your Android device.

If your device is without service when you request a lock down, the lock will be applied when your device has service once again, which is valid for all security measures present in Android device manager.

Narendra Modi dedicated phones now available on pre-order

The phones made by SmartNamo are available on an online retail store.

As reported earlier, two phones dedicated to Narendra Modi and made by SmartNamo - an independent organisation which claims to have no relation with the BJP prime ministerial candidate - are now available on Snapdeal for pre-order. You can order the phones - SmartNamo Saffron One (32 GB and 16 GB), and the Saffron Two (32 GB & 16 GB) - by just paying Rs 999. Both black and white versions of the phones are available as well. Note that the phones will be available from 2nd week of October this year.

The SmartNamo Saffron Two is priced at Rs 24,000 and comes with dual SIM connectivity. It has 2 GB RAM, 1.5 GHz MTK6589T quad core processor, and Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean operating system. The Saffron 2 has 6.5 inch capacitive display with full HD (1920x1080 pixels) resolution. Besides, the phone has 13 megapixel auto focus rear camera and a 5 megapixel front camera. For connectivity, it has Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS, and micro USB. Besides, this handset has a 3150 mAh battery.

The SmartNamo Saffron One is priced at Rs 23,000 and comes with a 5 inch capacitie touchscreen with full HD (1920x1080 pixels) resolution. It has dual SIM, WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS. The phone is powered by 2 GB RAM, 1.5 GHz Mediatek MTK6589 Turbo quad core processor, and Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean operating system. It too has a 13 megapixel rear autofocus camera and 5 megapixel front camera.

The 9.8 mm thick Saffron One weighs 126 grams and has a 3150 mAh battery. Curiously, the listing on Snapdeal says that the Saffron One (both 32 GB and 16 GB versions) has 64 GB expandable storage slot while the Saffron Two do not have any micro SD card slot despite being priced higher.