Airtel 4G trials roll out in Manipal and Udupi
Bharti Airtel Limited has already launched 4G services in many Indian cities and towns, making them the largest supplier of 4G network in the country. Now, they have launched 4G trials exclusively for their customers in Manipal and Udupi as well.
Surendran, CEO – Karnataka,Bharti Airtel Limited said, “As customers in India show an increasing propensity for consuming data services, we at Airtel are excited to take the lead in introducing the market to the power of blazing 4G speeds. For us, customers are at the very core of everything we do and delivering a compelling service experience for them is our foremost priority. We want our existing customers to be the first ones to enjoy the Airtel 4G experience and are offering them a free upgrade to Airtel 4G at the same price as 3G. We are committed to build a truly world-class 4G network and thus look forward to our customers’ valuable feedback”.
As part of this trial offer, Airtel customers in Manipal & Udupi can experience super-fast 4G speeds. Airtel offers a complimentary upgrade to Airtel 4G network at the price of 3G. The company will embrace customer feedback on the Airtel 4G service experience and enhance/strengthen its network there. They have also announced a go-to-market partnership with Samsung and Flipkart for 4G devices.
Reliance will be launching its 4G services by early next year all across India. This gives Airtel a lot of time to gain ground in the country. Let’s see, where else Airtel will bring its 4G services too.
Microsoft Windows 10 is right around the corner, here’s what to expect
We have been eager to get our hands on the full version of Microsoft Windows 10 and on July 29, it will be available to the world for free (mostly). Yes, if you have a legit version of Windows 7 or 8 installed on your PC, laptop or tablet, then you would be able to upgrade to the new version of the most popular PC operating system of all time for free.
We are eager to see some of the new and hot features on the new operating system. That just might bring Windows back in to the game and fetch glory back to the IT giant. Well, we do think if Microsoft plays it right they can again extend their lead over Apple, Google and other operating system providers like they once did. So what are the features one would be able to see in the upcoming PC operating system? Here is the list.
- Start button makes a comeback: Windows 8 failed miserably amongst the masses as it was a brand new OS. Most things were changed and the basic essence of a Windows OS was missing. Major problem? There was no start button on it. Microsoft Windows 10 will bring back the start button and menu system that will show live tiles on it as well.
- Hello Cortana: the virtual assistant comes to life on the OS and one can ask her just about anything. She is here to serve and one can use her to search items on the web, book a table or simply to know more about the Windows 10 OS. Sadly, it would not be available in India right away. But, the trials will be on and one can see her coming to your Indian PC screens very soon. Probably within this year.
- Edge Browser: here is a feature that we have been reading about a lot and what reports tell us is that this is the most powerful web browser by Microsoft till date. The browser should be cross platform ready and one can easily use it to browse and read content on it. It should be light on the resources as well.
- Appy next: the basic idea behind creating Windows 10 seems to be cross platform/screen existence and collaboration. Mails, galleries, music and other apps should be able to run across all Windows 10 platforms. So that you are always connected to the documents and files at all times. One drive should play an important role here for cloud storage. This is something what Apple has already done with its OS and now is the turn of Microsoft Windows.
- Gaming Delight: good news for gamers. Microsoft Windows 10 would get the Xbox app on it. This will enable multi-player games to be played across devices and screens. Gamers can play multi-player games with each other no matter on what platform they are playing on. PC players can play games with Xbox gamers and vice-versa.
- Faster boot times: this is something Microsoft has not been able to do with most of its OS’s. And this is something that Apple excels at. The Windows OS load time has been quite off for most of its versions. However, with Microsoft Windows 10 the users might get faster boot up and quick app load times.
Lava brings yet another budget smartphone Lava Flair Z1 to India at Rs 5,699
The budget segment of smartphones is getting thicker by the day. Lava, the Indian smartphone manufacturer has contributed to the budget Android smartphone sphere with their new mobile called Lava Flair Z1. This smartphone comes in two colour variations, which consist of white and black.
On the specification front, the Lava Flair Z1 flaunts a 5-inch FWVGA TFT touchscreen display. The smartphone is 8.9mm thick and weighs 160g. The device comes with dual SIM functionality and runs an Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system. Powering the smartphone is a Quad-Core 1.3GHz processor coupled with 1GB of RAM.
The on-board storage of the smartphone accounts to 8GB that can be expanded further via microSD card up to 32GB. The device features a 5.0-megapixel rear camera with LED flash that comes with HD recording, grid feature, photo timer, and HDR mode etc. Lava Flair Z1 has a 2.0-megapixel front-facing camera as well. The smartphone offers 3G, Wi-Fi, USB 2.0, GPS and Bluetooth as connectivity options and it packs a 2,000 mAh battery to keep it alive for long.
The company has priced the new Lava Flair Z1 at Rs 5,699 and will be available exclusively on Snapdeal soon.
Techs Specs of Lava Flair Z1
- Network supported: 3G and 2G
- Display size: 5-inch display FWVGA TFT
- Operating system: Android 5.0 Lollipop
- CPU: 1.3 GHz Quad-Core processor
- RAM: 1GB
- Memory:8GB internal memory & add up to 32GB via microSD card
- Camera: 5MP rear camera and 2MP secondary camera
- Dimensions:50 x 72.50 x 8.9mm
- Weight: 160g
- Battery: 2,000 mAh
Google patents a way to search a video archive of your real-life experiences
Some of the reports indicate that Google now has a patent for indexing videos of your real-life experiences and making them searchable via a device like say Google Glass. Users would be able to record video through a wearable computer and store it remotely for a later search.
A report on Quartz says that in the patent, the wearable device (Google Class) would send its video to a user’s paired phone, which would in turn send the video to a server, where it would be stored. A user can use keywords to search specific instances they want to re-watch. One can then search the video at a later date vie the online database.
On how the search will work, the patent reads, “the method may also include transmitting a query of the user to the server computer system to initiate a search of the history or real-world experiences, and receiving results relevant to the query that include data indicative of the media data in the history of real-world experiences.”
The patent notes, “When the user is determined to be within a popular location, preference manager may automatically turn on media capture without intervention of a user. In another embodiment, preferences manager, may be set to continuously or periodically capture media data for a specific interval of time.”
The media capturing device could automatically be turned on at popular locations, notes the patent. According to the patent, a popular location, would be one where other users have captured media data as well.
Let’s wait and watch, how this technology will be used in the coming days.
Sony showcases its 2015 range of Android Bravia 4K LED TV’s in India
A little birdy had told us some time back that Sony is going to refresh its range of LED TV’s soon in India. Today the Japanese mammoth has finally showcased the complete range of what it plans to bring to in India in the next couple of weeks. The range includes some great LED televisions in the 4K series starting from 43-inches and going up to 75-inches.
So what’s new about these Sony 4K LED televisions? For starters, these TV’s are Android 5.0 Lollipop ready. Users get the latest Google Android experience on these ultra HD television sets that have features like Serial Abtak (app), where users can catch up with Indian TV shows using YouTube linking. Notify Bravia, with this app users can connect their phones to the TV sets and see phone notifications on screen like calls and messages. Games also come alive on these LED sets that have an ARM 7 processor inside with 16 GB ROM’s.
Other neat features include Voice search, Google Cast and access to the Google Play store. A total of 13 TV’s from Sony are going to be available in various shapes and sizes. Most of them are 3D ready too. 3D glasses will be available in the box with the high-end ones. As for the low-end TV’s, one would need to shell out Rs 3K additional per glass. The range starts from Rs 69,900.
All in all a good show from Sony today, 4 of the 13 sets are available right now in the market and more are going to hit the shelves in August and September. Diwali is right around the corner as well and Sony is planning to introduce some good deals for its TV range this season. Deals will include a bundling of PS3 and PS4 with these smart 4K LED flat panels.
Zebronics unveils new sound monster 5.1 speakers for Rs 3,299
Zebronics is one of India’s leading suppliers of IT peripherals, Audio/Video and Surveillance products. They have just launched 5.1 ZEB-BT6790RUCF sound monster speakers. These speakers are the latest Bluetooth speakers by the company for the Indian consumers. The company says that the 5.1 speaker’s promise to immerse user’s senses both visually and sonically at an affordable price.
The ZEB- BT6790RUCF speakers have a stylish glossy front panel and matte wooden design, which come with clear and powerful sound. This device comes with a bright LED display and a full function remote control.
The Zebronics sound monster speaker delivers a cinematic surround sound experience. The 5.1 speaker surround sound with the ported subwoofer, which gives more enjoyment to the users. It is designed for a bass-heavy immersive music experience.
This speaker system has been built for seamless multi-functional usage. Its power strip allows it to play the most popular MP3 audios from personal devices such as a PC, DVD player or a TV. The ZEB-BT6790RUCF also comes with built-in Bluetooth tech that lets the users enjoy music wirelessly. It has a USB slot and a MMC/SD card reader slot, which allows a user to play their favourite tracks. It also allows users to tune-in to popular FM channels.
Mr. Pradeep Doshi, Director at Zebronics stated, “The ZEB-BT6790RUCF is designed to outperform anything in the class of compact 5.1 speakers, producing sharp, crisp sound with monstrous bass effects. The exceptional surround sound in its true Zebronics Sound Monster style brings in the cinematic surround sound at a very pocket friendly price.”
The company has priced the ZEB- BT6790RUCF at Rs 3,299 and the speakers comes with a 12 months warranty.
Vivo X5Pro comes to India at Rs 27,980
It is interesting to see how the Chinese smartphone makers are entering the Indian circuits with their flagship models. Another one to launch its premium smartphone in India is Vivo. With the brand Ambassador Kangana Ranaut the Chinese major introduced the Vivo X5Pro to us today.
Our first reaction? The phone looks strikingly similar to the iPhone 6. But, then there are points of distinction between the two that does give the Vivo pro its own identity. The Vivo X5Pro comes with a 5.2 inch FHD Super AMOLED display and a hybrid dual SIM slot. Under the display lies a 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 octa-core 64 bit CPU. This is coupled with 2 GB RAM and 16 GB memory.
With the hybrid SIM slot one can expand the memory by up to 128 GB. Vivo X5Pro features a 13 MP rear camera with LED flash and an 8 MP front shooter. Battery is on the lower side, which by the way cannot be removed, at 2,450 mAh. Built on the Android Lollipop 5.0 OS Vivo has given this phone its own UI skin in the form of Funtouch 2.1.
Now for the price, this phone does seem to have decent features. But will consumers warm to a price of Rs 27,980? Only time will tell.
Check out the First Look and Hand-On video of the phone here.
Vivo X5Pro First Look and Hands On (Video)
The Chine manufacturer has launched the Vivo X5Pro in India. The phone is available for a price of Rs 27,980. The Vivo X5Pro comes with a 5.2 inch FHD Super AMOLED display and a hybrid dual SIM slot. Under the display lies a 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 octa-core 64 bit CPU. This is coupled with 2 GB RAM and 16 GB memory.
RCOM unveils Next-Generation Content & Cloud Delivery Network in 5 cities across India
Reliance Communications is one of the India’s fully-integrated telecommunications service provider. They have just announced the deployment of Cloud Xchange (Cloud X) nodes in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. This will enable automated deployment of Cloud services in India and globally. In simple terms the Reliance’s Cloud Xchange nodes will deliver applications on a virtualized infrastructure.
Mr. Anil Dhirubhai Ambani, Reliance Group Chairman, India said, “We will achieve full deployment of our Next-Generation content and Cloud Delivery Network by the end of this year, with–what is a first in India– five fully operational Cloud Xchange points. These Cloud Xchange nodes can help government departments access 240 times the amount of compute power currently available in Government data centers, and over six times the high-speed storage currently available in India.”
Cloud X not only delivers infrastructure provisioning, but also achieve full deployment of complex multi-tiered enterprise applications directly on to enterprise networks. The Cloud X platform supports network transparency. And the Cloud orchestration-key elements in accelerating enterprise applications to the Cloud. By the looks of it, this service by RCOM is built to ease out the applications processes and enhance the functionality of the enterprise sector.
Canon launches new series of A3 & A4 colour multi-function devices in India
Canon is a well-known brand and is one of the world’s leading supplier of copier MFDs and printers. They have just launched the new range of A3 and A4 colour Multi-function devices (MFDs) in India.
The products launched in the A3 segment are ImageRUNNER ADVANCE (iR-ADV) C3300 series. This series comprises of iR-ADV C3320/C3325/C3330. And the other products launched in A4 segment are ImageRUNNER ADVANCE C350i A4 machine. These machines deliver high quality output, low maintenance cost and enhanced media handling upto 300gsm paper with A3 plus paper size. The MFD’s come with enhanced media handling in terms of paper thickness and size.
Mr. Kazutada Kobayashi, President and CEO, Canon India Pvt. Ltd, said, “Innovation has always been a driving force at Canon and our new series of colour MFDs reflect our commitment towards offering world-class technology, ease of use and high quality to meet the customer expectations. India is a land of rising entrepreneurs and we would like to play an active role in increasing the opportunities for them in the colour printing domain. Our newly launched products shall add value to SME’s and government sector’s demand for cost efficient, secure & high quality printing solutions.”
These Canon MFD’s are designed to meet the expectations of the SME’s, corporate and government sector with the inbuilt security facilities. Mobile printing is available on these newly launched MFD series as well. An onscreen Walkthrough Video is available on these printers to teach the first time user about its benefits and functions. With this launch, Canon aims to gain an additional market share of 3% in colour MFDs segment. That might be a huge task as the printer industry is not growing at a rapid pace. Let’s see how Canon manages to pull in resources and pushes the sales further.