Spice is spicing up the low-cost Android phone market with its Stellar 405; available for Rs 3,299
How affordable could mobile phones running on Android KitKat OS get? Rs 3,299 is the new benchmark that the Indian maker Spice has set today. The company has launched Spice Stellar 405, which would compete with other affordable Android smartphones available in the Indian market.
The first look of this device is nothing extraordinary; images that we see doing rounds on the Web portray a plain-jane Spice handset sporting a black colour and plasticky finish. Saying that it looked
like a cheap Chinese phone we saw few years ago. The only difference however is: it boasts of better hardware, at least on paper.
It has a 4-inch 800×600 pixels display, which runs on a 1.2GHz quad core CPU and an Adreno 302 GPU, which we believe is the same as Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 unit that we had last seen on Moto E (3G variant).
Running on Android 4.4 KitKat, the Spice Stellar 405 is a bit low on RAM (512MB) and storage (4GB), but at this price we shouldn’t be complaining. For imaging you’d get a 3.2MP rear camera with flash and 1.3 MP camera on the front. This is again okay at the price Spice Steller 405 is offered at. But would this phone work its magic? Well, we doubt.
Google is set to reveal a new Android OS at I/O 2015, what can we expect?
Every year at the global Google I/O conference the search engine giant showcases a new version of the most widely used mobile phone operating system. This year a new version of the Android OS will be released, which can be picked up by developers and companies.
Last year the letter L was used in the form of Android Lollipop operating system. This year the letter ‘M’ will be joint to the version and rumours have already started flying connecting popular sweets starting with ‘M’ next to Android. Android Muffin and Android Macaroon are some of the popular ones.
So what can we expect from this year’s Google I/O conference?
Voice Apps: these have become bigger over the years and Android platform is popular for popularising such methods. Reports do suggest we would see new innovation in this area.
Android enabled wearables: smartwatches are becoming hot favourites fast and Android has started going places. TV’s, in car entertainment (ICE) systems and more might just see a faster, newer and (not to forget) more friendly version of the OS. We for one would not mind operating the ICE system with our phones, on-board touch screens or a special remote.
Google Cast: this is better known as Google Chromecast, which is responsible for streaming content from the phone on to TV’s. A new version seems to be on the cards and the Google execs will surely talk about this upgrade.
Android for Business: this is a huge market where the Android OS is slowly making its presence felt. A little birdy told us that Google has worked overtime to get business and enterprise level apps/widgets inside the new Android OS. This will help businesses and professionals safeguard important data and files, and also access E-mails in a much better way.
Google I/O is set to roll out on May 28, 2015. We will get to see these and many new features of the new OS. Last year’s conference was very exciting and this year should be no less. We are particularly looking forward to the voice enabled apps and business solutions from Google. Let’s see how Google woos us this year. Do check back as we will bring you more as it is revealed.
Sony brings two new portable Bluetooth speakers to India
Music is something that everyone likes to hear. Whether it’s the usual rock or some good old classical melodies, this form of art in all its genres is desired by everyone. Mobile phones and audio/songs go hand in hand. The tech manufacturers know this fact and build devices that can enhance the experience.
To enable users to enjoy music from any Bluetooth device, Sony has launched two new portable Bluetooth speakers in India called the SRS-X11 and the SRS-X55. The design of the X11 is quite appealing and is available in a lot of colours, including blue, red and black. X11 has 10 Watt RMS single speaker system that should be good for closed group/range for sharing audio.
On the other hand the bigger brother X55 is built for larger rooms as it has 30W RMS audio output. X55 has 5W x 2 speakers along with 20W sub woofer. The loudness of this system goes down by couple of notches when the speaker is not on A/C power but on internal battery.
Both the speakers support Bluetooth versions 3 and 2.4 GHz band. X11 is very portable as it weighs just 215 grams, while the bigger sibling weighs 1.2 Kg. Price of the SRS-X11 is Rs 5,490 and one can get the SRS-X55 for Rs 16,990, which comes with a leather carry case.
Tech Specs
| Model Name | SRS-X55 | SRS-X11 | |
| Section of Speaker | Speakers | Approx. 38mm diameter x 2/Subwoofer: Approx. 58mm diameter x 1 Dual passive radiators | Approx. 45mm diameter x 1Dual passive radiators |
| Frequency Range | 60-20,000Hz | 150-20,000Hz | |
| Section of Amplifier | Maximum Output Power | 30W:Full range: 5W x 2/ Subwoofer: 20W x 1 (AC Adaptor) 20W: Full range: 3W x 2/ Subwoofer: 14W x 1 (Battery) | 10W:Full range: 10W x 1 |
| Section of Bluetooth® | Communication System | Bluetooth® Specification Version 3.0 | Bluetooth® Specification Version 3.0 |
| Output | Bluetooth® Specification Power Class 2 | Bluetooth® Specification Power Class 2 | |
| Maximum Communication Range | Line of sight Approx. 10m | Line of sight Approx. 10m | |
| Radio Frequency | 2.4GHz band (2.4000GHz – 2.4835GHz) | 2.4GHz band (2.4000GHz – 2.4835GHz) | |
| Modulation | FHSS | FHSS | |
| Compatible Bluetooth® Profiles | A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP | A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP | |
| Supported Codec | SBC, AAC, LDAC | SBC | |
| Transmission Bandwidth | 20Hz – 20,000Hz (with 44.1kHz sampling) | 20Hz – 20,000Hz (with 44.1kHz sampling) | |
| Connection | NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Inputs / Outputs | Audio-in・DC IN (15V) / USB terminal (only for charging smartphone) | Audio-in / Micro-USB terminal (for charging speaker itself) | |
| Bluetooth® Speaker Add Function | No | Yes | |
| Sound | ClearAudio+ | Yes | No |
| DSEE™ | Yes | No | |
| Microphone | Type | Electlet Condenser type | Electlet Condenser type |
| Directionality | Omni directional | Omni directional | |
| General Information | Power | AC / Built-in Lithium-ion Battery | DC / Built-in Lithium-ion Battery |
| Battery Life | Approx. 10H | Approx. 12H | |
| Dimension (WHD) | Approx. 221mm x 118mm x 51mm | Approx. 61mm x 61mm x 61mm | |
| Weight | Approx. 1.2kg | Approx. 215g | |
| Supplied Acc. | AC adapter (1) Leather carrying case (1) | Micro USB cable (1), Strap (1) | |
Intex brings to life two new phones: Aqua Life and Aqua Life II
India’s smartphone market might have shrunk in the first quarter of 2015, but this doesn’t deter manufacturers from launching new phones in the market. Every day, we hear of a new phone launch with most of them lying in the affordable product category. And today, it is Intex’s day. Intex has
unveiled two new budget devices: Intex Aqua Life and the Aqua Life II that are priced at Rs 5,777 and Rs 5,555.
Like the name, both these smartphones also share almost the same set of hardware except for the processor and camera sensors. This confused us why would a brand launch two very similar phones? Well, this is
something that only the brand can tell. What we can tell you after looking at the phone specifications is that Aqua Life comes with better imaging capabilities and Aqua Life II has more storage and RAM. Here check out complete specifications of both these handsets below:
Intex Aqua Life Specs
· 5-inch 480×800 display
· 9.9mm thickness
· 8MP rear camera
· 2MP front camera
· Quad core 1.3 GHz MediaTek MT6582V/X processor
· 512MB RAM
· 4GB Internal storage (expandable up to 32GB)
· Android 4.4.2 KitKat
· 2,000 mAh battery
· 3G connectivity
Intex Aqua Life II Specs:
· 5-inch 480×800 display
· 9.1mm thickness
· 5MP rear camera
· 1.3MP front camera
· Quad core 1.2 GHz Spreadtrum SC7731
· 1GB RAM
· 8GB Internal storage (expandable up to 32GB)
· Android 4.4.2 KitKat
· 2,000 mAh battery
· 3G connectivity
Mitashi launches 50-inch smart LED TV for Rs 51,990
Another smart television has hit the TV racks this time by an Indian company called Mitashi. The famous Indian toy making company has forayed into different electronic verticals over the years. Today, they have launched a 50-inch smart television in India that runs an Android 4.4 operating system. This LED TV supports full HD resolution of 1080p and uses full functionality of Android OS to take the user experience to the next level.
The Mitashi TV supports 5,00,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio for deeper blacks and colour vibrancy. USB feature is also available on the TV. Users can play over 25 video formats via the plug-and-play functionality of the USB port. Apart from this the TV also supports Wi-Fi, has 3 HDMI ports and a dual core CPU with 512 MB RAM.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Rakesh Dugar, Chairman & Managing Director – Mitashi said, “It’s a matter of immense pride for all of us at Mitashi to join hands with Rajasthan Royals for the 5th consecutive year. We feel honoured that our logo adorns the prestigious Rajasthan Royals jersey. Both of us have found resonance in our brand values, respect for quality and consistency in delivery. Our latest 50” Smart LED TV launched today reiterates our commitment to provide value to our customers through quality products, affordable pricing and great customer service.”
The famous IPL team Rajasthan Royals players were also present at the launch of the LED TV lead by Shane Watson and Ajinkya Rahane. The Mitashi 50-inch LED TV can be picked up for Rs 51,990.
TV Specifications include :
- DLED Technology with Super SLIM Panel
- Full HD 1080p
- 1920 x 1080 Resolution
- 500,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio
- USB Movie Plug and Play – Plays over 27 movie formats
- HDMI Input x 3
- PC Input
- WiFi connectivity
- Android 4.4 OS
- Dual Core CPU, 512MB RAM
- Ethernet Connectivity
- 3 Year Warranty
Samsung launch the portable SSD T1 drive in India
We all love a good digital storage option, especially when it is super fast. Samsung launched a new portable SSD drive in India that is built for both security and speed. Called the Samsung Portable SSD T1, this portable Solid State Drive does look very nice.
The Samsung SSD T1 has 256 bit encryption that can keep your important files secure and safeguard them from any type of break-in. You can carry the drive easily with you as the drive is extremely portable at just 30 grams.
The SSD T1 is available in three variants – 250 GB, 500 GB and 1TB. Samsung claims that these drives can transfer data by up to 7 times faster than a normal external HDD. Samsung SSD T1 has read-write speeds of up to 450MB/second, which is driven by TurboWrite Technology. By hard drives standards that is very quick.
“We live in a digital age and with the proliferation of smart devices, the need for storage is on a rapid rise. We needed to think beyond the existing storage options and provide our consumers with mobility, capacity and security of performance. The Samsung SSD T1 helps users manage their data on the go, offering faster speeds and saving precious time of the users” said Mr Anuj Jain, Senior Vice President, Enterprise Business, Samsung India Electronics Ltd.
The Samsung SSD T1 is available on online stores such as Amazon and Snapdeal. Soon they will be available on offline retail stores too. The price of these hard drives starts from Rs 11,899. This is certainly very steep as one can get 3-4 spindle driven external hard drives in the same price. However, they will not give you the same type of speed and security like this SSD T1 will.
Motorola Turbo Video Review: Everything you need to know
Motorola Turbo is one of the best phones out there in the market around the Rs 40K category. It has impressive features. Check out the video review of this neat little device.
State of mobile phones in 2015 [Infographic]
![State of mobile phones in 2015 [Infographic]](https://www.gadgetbridge.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/state-of-mobile-1.jpg "State of mobile phones in 2015 [Infographic]")
As part of the Gadget Bridge Ace initiative we will bring you new infographics every now and then from the world of gadgets and technology. Here is the first one around the king of gadgets, the mobile phone.
We came across this infographic from Kona Company that reveals some pretty interesting facts about the cell phones. There are over 1.2 billion mobile users worldwide today and the number will jump almost 5 times by 2015. This roughly means over 70% of the world’s population will have a mobile phone in the next 3 years.
Another fact that caught the eye is that the mobile wallet market is growing at a staggering pace. It is seeing grow this as high as 147% yearly. No wonder we see so many Indian companies jumping on to the mobile wallet bandwagon. Advertising on the mobile phone is also growing rapidly thanks to the smartphone and internet penetration. The most lucrative vertical for mobile advertising is entertainment.
Check out the rest of the infographic and interesting facts below below:
Source: http://konacompany.com/
Source: http://konacompany.com/ Motorola slashes the price of Moto 360 smartwatch
Motorola 360 is one of the best smartwatches available in India. And if you were one of them who was looking to pick this beauty up, but couldn’t because of the price, are in luck. Motorola has announced a price cut of Rs 5,000 on the Moto 360 smartwatch in India.
The leather version of the watch can be picked up for Rs 12,999 and the one with the metal band is now available for Rs 14,999. Both the variants have gone down by Rs 5,000 each as earlier they were available for Rs 17,999 and 19,999 respectively. The offer is for a limited time only or till stocks last.
The watch was launched in India in September 2014. Besides having a 1.56-inch LCD display the watch also sports 512 MB RAM and 4GB internal memory. Its battery lasts for a day. This Moto 360 smartwatch includes pedometer, heart rate monitor and is water resistant too.
Users can get their hands on the Moto 360 smartwatch deal exclusively through FlipKart.com.
Micromax to sell Yu Yureka on sale without registration on 6 and 7 May
People have been trying to get their hands on the Yu Yureka phone by Micromax since long. The phone was launched more than 6 months ago. People were only able to buy it via registering themselves on Micromax’s exclusive partner Amazon.in. However, now Yu Yureka phones will be available on a two day sale without any sort of registration.
Micromax announced the deal on the social media site Twitter and people can directly goto Amazon and pick the phone up.
[ https://twitter.com/wordpressdotcom/status/204557548249026561 ]
Microsmax Yu Yureka sports a 12 MP rear camera with LED Flash and a 5 MP front shooter. It also comes with 16GB on-board storage that can be expanded by up to 32GB using a MicroSD card. This could be a way to clear out lying stocks and make way for the new Yu phone coming soon.
5 Android games to play this weekend
Weekend is here and one way of getting away from the hustle and bustle is to immerse yourself in some mobile or tablet casual games. We love games and they love us. Every other week a handful of good games get released that are a must play and must-win. Then there are evergreen games that one can play whenever one wants to.
Week after week we will bring you come crazy, some smart and some really action packed games that you can enjoy over the weekend. Here are the picks for this weekend:
- Dead Trigger 2
- Shadow Fight 2
- Brothers In Arms 3
- Baldurs Gate (Rs 620)
- The Walking Dead Season 1
Micromax launches Laptab in India, basically a tablet with keyboard attachment
This was the most logical step for a company like Micromax to head into. They have forayed into two in one categories of laptops. The company has launched Laptab, which is basically a tablet that can be put over a full QWERTY physical keyboard making it look like a laptop.
The concept is not new and has been tried out by many multi-national companies in the past. However, what the other companies could not provide and Micromax did is value for money. They nailed the pricing and have managed to keep the price under 15K (Rs 14,999 to be exact).
Micromax Laptab has a 10.1-inch WXGA IPS display on it that hides an Intel 1.83 GHz Atom CPU and 2GB DDR 3 RAM. The main USP of the device is its battery life. Micromax claims that this next gen tablet cum laptop can give users battery backup of 10 hours. That is far superior than most of the other machines in the category.
Microsoft Windows 8.1 makes an appearance on Micromax Laptab and users get the option to upgrade to Windows 10 for free (once it is released). Microsoft Office 365 also comes bundled in the package. On the other side, weight is on the higher side. With these machines one wants extreme portability. Micromax Laptab weighs 1.1 Kg, which is definitely bulky.
Commenting on the launch Mr. Vineet Taneja, CEO, Micromax Informatics Limited, said, “At Micromax, we have always believed in bringing the best in class and innovative devices to the consumers and have always aimed to bridge the gap between actual consumer device requirement and available device offering and hence, the Laptab promises to bridge the same at a very consumer friendly price point. Today’s launch marks our entry into the PC segment, where we intend to drive category growth and not only garner an available market share. We believe that our vision complements the initiatives for Digital India, and we will be launching a range of exciting products over the next few months in the category.”
Micromax Laptab also has 2 MP fixed focus front and rear cameras. To store and download files to, the company has also given it 32GB internal memory. For connectivity Micromax Laptab has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and a SIM slot for 2G/3G data streaming. Laptab will start its sales in India by May 6 exclusively on Amazon.in. Overall, the device seems like decent buy, but will it be successful (unlike many others)? Only time will tell.
Key features of Micromax Canvas Laptab– LT666
- Intel Atom Processor Z3735F (2M Cache, up to 1.83 GHz)
- Windows 8.1 (free upgrade to Windows 10) and Office 365
- 1-inch WXGA IPS Display
- RAM 2GB DDR3L
- 32GB Flash Memory
- 10 Hours Use Time
- 2MP FF Rear Camera & 2MP FF Front Camera
- Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v4.0, 1 Micro USB and 1 USB 2.0
- SIM slot for Data Access only (2G/3G)
- USB Ports to plug in SATA drive and other peripherals
- Weight – 1.1kg
- Price: Rs 14,999
Microsoft launches Lumia 430 in India for Rs 5,299
Yesterday we saw an exciting session of Microsoft Build 2015 developers conference and today Microsoft launched a new phone, called Microsoft Lumia 430, in India for the masses. This is their cheapest mobile offering in the country and is available for a price of Rs 5,299.
The Microsoft Lumia 430 has dual SIM slots. These can house two 3G SIM cards. Right next to it users get a MicroSD card slot that can expand the 8GB on board memory by up to 128GB. With a cheap price tag such as this, the general feedback one would get is that this is a very basic phone hence the firepower inside it will be less. But, that is not the case. It has a 1.2 GHz Dual Core Snapdragon CPU and 1 GB RAM. The only thing that we feel could have been better is the camera. Microsoft Lumia 430 has a low powered 2 MP rear camera for pictures and videos.
This phone has the latest Windows 8.1 operating system with all the stock applications. Over that, popular applications such as Instagram, Whatsapp and Viber are also available. One can download more using the Microsoft app store. Moving on to one of the most important aspects of the phone, Microsoft Lumia 430 has a 4-inch WVGA display that supports 400 x 800 pixels. To stay alive the phone comes with a 1,500 mAh battery.
Consumers also get 500 MB of free data from Vodafone with every Microsoft Lumia 430 (for first two months). Users can also avail discounts worth Rs 1,500 from RedBus when they purchase this device. 30 GB of cloud storage is being given free with the Microsoft Lumia 430 on the Microsoft One Drive.
Microsoft Lumia 430 Tech Specs
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 1.2 GHz dual-core processor
- 1GB RAM
- 8 GB internal storage; micro SD up to 128 GB
- 4-inch WVGA (800 x480) LCD at 235 PPI
- 2 MP rear camera
- 1500 mAh removable battery
Microsoft Edge will replace Internet Explorer in Windows 10 devices [Microsoft Build 2015]
![Microsoft Edge will replace Internet Explorer in Windows 10 devices [Microsoft Build 2015]](https://www.gadgetbridge.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Microsoft-Edge.jpg "Microsoft Edge will replace Internet Explorer in Windows 10 devices [Microsoft Build 2015]")
Look who showed up for the big Microsoft Build developers conference. Microsoft has announced at Build 2015 that a new browser will replace Internet explorer from all Windows 10 devices. This new gen browser (originally called Spartan) is called Microsoft Edge.
Microsoft Edge is built using a new rendering engine called EdgeHTML. This browser is made for both, consuming content as well as building it. Microsoft has approached this browser in a new manner and much neater look has been given to it. Cortana support will come with the browser as well as distraction free reading.
Microsoft on its blog said, “With the new browser you can write directly on Web pages (and share them), read online articles free from distraction or use the offline reading feature for greater convenience,”
It is still unclear that will it come to older operating systems or not, but we do have a hunch it might show up on Windows 8 (at least) after a few months of Windows 10 launch.
Here take a look at the video of the new Microsoft Edge:
Lapcare brings new Bluetooth headphones to India
The headphones demand in India is increasing, especially when it comes to good ones for mobile phones. The latest company to launch a Bluetooth driven headphone is Lapcare, a Singapore based company. They have brought Lapcare YO! – LBH208 headphone that are designed to work with any smartphone that has Bluetooth in it.
Carved for today’s generation these nifty headphones are available in an array of colours. These are wireless so the users are away from the messy wires and don’t get tangled in them. Lapcare YO! – LBH 208 folds up as well, so that users can store them as easily as they can wear them. These headphones come with its own rechargeable battery, which once fully charged can give up to 500 hours of standby time.
Commenting on the launch, Mr. Atul Guupta, Managing Director, Lapcare, said “At Lapcare we constantly strive to transform and better the lives of our customers through carefully designed products. Everyday life requires making/attending frequent calls or listening to music during leisure time, while still on the move. This demands products which are both easy to carry and comfortable to use. The all new LapcareYO LBH 208 packs comfort, ease and style. It’s also a smart accessory that offers stand by time of Upto 500 hours, thanks to its built in smart power saving technology. We are certain that it will resonate well with our customers.”
Manish Paul, the brand ambassador for Lapcare added, ‘ Acting involves a lot of travelling. So, I relax with my Lapcare YO LBH 208. Being foldable it’s convenient to carry around and the headband just fits right. The sound clarity is also amazing and lasts long due to its smart power saving technology. It’s a must carry accessory for me everywhere.’
Users can receive calls using these headphones too. It comes with an in-built MIC and volume buttons. The Lapcare YO! – LBH208 is decently priced at Rs 1,999 and comes with 1 year warranty. It is available on Amazon, FlipKart as well as Snapdeal.
Manish Paul, the brand ambassador for Lapcare added, ‘ Acting involves a lot of travelling. So, I relax with my Lapcare YO LBH 208. Being foldable it’s convenient to carry around and the headband just fits right. The sound clarity is also amazing and lasts long due to its smart power saving technology. It’s a must carry accessory for me everywhere.’
Users can receive calls using these headphones too. It comes with an in-built MIC and volume buttons. The Lapcare YO! – LBH208 is decently priced at Rs 1,999 and comes with 1 year warranty. It is available on Amazon, FlipKart as well as Snapdeal. Zebronics launches less expensive LED TV’s in India
Most IT manufacturing companies in India are looking to foray or are already in gadget arms other than IT. Zebronics who is one of the Indian brands known for IT and PC peripherals has moved a step further and dipped its toes in the large screen TV segment. They have launched LED TV’s in 16, 19, 20, 21, 24, 32 and 40-inch sizes.
The 40 inch ZEB-4001LED flat screen LED display has 1000000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. It supports Full HD 1080P display and a viewing angle of 178 degrees. This model also has 12 X 2 W speakers hidden behind the slim bezel. Power consumption lies at a miniscule 80W. As far as connectivity goes this TV has VGA, AV in/out, RF, 2 HDMI and composite ports.
Commenting on the launch of the LED TV’s Mr. Pradeep Doshi, Director, Zebronics says “There has been a transition from the traditional CRTs or LCD TVs to LED TVs. The LED TV Market in India, is very promising and has been witnessing a steep growth but still at a very nascent stage. Zebronics wants to lead the growth of the Industry with its ‘value for money’ LED TVs. Our latest range shall enable the consumers to choose the best LED TV suiting their pocket”
Adding further he says, “Understanding the desires of the Tier 2 and 3 cities, we also plan to roll out Smart TVs in smaller sizes for these Cities which have come into reckoning as the growth drivers of the future”
The TV’s come with 1 year warranty and in all certainty are built in China. The range starts from Rs 6,999. Zebronics wants to capture a decent chunk of the TV market in the next two years. Their aim to sell in tier 2 and tier 3 towns can help them expand rapidly and get good numbers in their favour.
The TV’s come with 1 year warranty and in all certainty are built in China. The range starts from Rs 6,999. Zebronics wants to capture a decent chunk of the TV market in the next two years. Their aim to sell in tier 2 and tier 3 towns can help them expand rapidly and get good numbers in their favour.
Gigabyte brings a new motherboard that is good for office and home use
If you are a professional who is looking out for a motherboard for both home as well as office use then you are in luck. Now the choice has been made easier by Gigabyte, when it comes to motherboards.
They have brought the GIGABYTE GA-B85M-D3H motherboard to India, which is built for professional as well as entertainment purposes. The new motherboard is not very expensive and can be purchased for Rs 6,200 with 3 years of warranty. It is built for productivity as well as daily home requirements.
This motherboard has 2 USB 3.0 ports along with 4 USB 2.0 ports. It supports Intel’s fourth gen Core processors and is AMD crossfire ready. Intel HD4600 graphics come on board, which means you do not require an additional graphics card if you don’t run graphics hungry applications and games on your PC. For monitor connectivity this Gigabyte motherboard has VGA, DVI and HDMI ports at the back.
Key Features of GA-B85M-D3H
Key Features of GA-B85M-D3H
- Supports 4th Generation Intel Core processors
- GIGABYTE Ultra Durable 4 Plus Technology
- GIGABYTE Hybrid digital power engine
- GIGABYTE UEFI DualBIOS
- Multi-GPU Support
- GIGABYTE On/Off Charge for USB devices
- LAN with high ESD Protection
- HDMI 1.4, DVI, D-SUB
- Long lifespan Durable Solid caps
- GIGABYTE LAN Optimizer
LG G4 gets launched in leather attire
While the world is ogling over iPhone 6 and Samsung Edge, LG has gone ahead and launched it’s flagship model G4, which is nothing short of a stunner. The phone has an arc type design that keeps the phone safe and offers 20% higher toughness if it gets dropped by the user. It also promotes hand comfort while talking and holding the LG G4 in the hand.
As far as performance is concerned, LG G4 is right up there with the big players. Inside it has a 1.8 GHz hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 CPU with 3GB RAM and an Adreno GPU. For file storage LG has installed 32 GB internal memory that can be pumped up by 128 GB with the help of a storage card. The company has put a 5.5-inch IPS quantum display on the LG G4 that supports HD resolutions at 538 PPI. Corning Gorilla Glass 4 is also there adding to the toughness and protection bit.
The G4 sports a 16MP rear camera with dual LED flash and for selfie lovers an 8 MP front one. The device is powered by a 3,000 mAh battery and runs the latest Google Android Lolipop operating system. But, what really takes the cake is the genuine leather casing the phone comes with. We have seen leather textured plastic designs on some of the Samsung phones and few HTC cases. This would be the first time we would see actual leather strapped onto the phone for good.
LG G4 Tech Specs:
- Display: 5.5-inch Quad HD IPS Quantum Display (2560 x 1440, 538ppi)
- Memory: 32GB eMMC ROM, 3GB LPDDR3RAM / microSD slot
- Camera: Rear 16MP with F1.8 Aperture / OIS 2.0 / Front 8MP
- Chipset: Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 808 Processorwith X10 LTE
- Operating System: Android 5.1 Lollipop
- Network:4G / LTE / HSPA+ 21 Mbps (3G)
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac / Bluetooth 4.1LE / NFC / USB 2.0
- Battery: 3,000mAh
- Size: 148.9 x 76.1 x 6.3 – 9.8mm
- Weight: 155g
Here’s an App that can make you rich
An app that can make you rich even if you have not developed it? All I have to do is sign up? Well yes, apparently that is all you require to do in the social app called KQingdom. This is the first offering of sorts to users in India who become a partner/share holder in the apps monetary benefits. Collectively the users can own 50% of the shares of KQingdom.
The company says that “KQingdom app users can keep scores with friends and others for fun, while at the same time have real tangible benefits.”
Mr. Lucky Gupta of KQingdom says that,” The business model of all social apps is driven by their user base, and their continued active participation. Effectively, the users are responsible for their sky rocketing valuations with our personal profile information, network connections, and posting of content, while the chat app just provides a platform. However, users end up being short-changed, while the app promoters and investors mint billions. KQingdom management believes that they are correcting this imbalance by partnering with its Users and forging a strong bond with them.”
One has to download the app, sign up and be an active part of the group to reap maximum benefits. Of course they do not start right away, but over a period of time. Users will get rewards periodically, just like one gets dividend annually. As stated above, the company says users are the main reason behind an apps performance and its profits. So why not share some of the profits with the users themselves.
To get some of the profit users would need to put in a bit of effort as well. For example, how early did the user register, number of messages sent and received, time spent in-app, the frequency of use, number of friends joining the app, number of referral credit received from friends for joining the app, the number of likes received and so on.
Mr. Gupta further also said, “In future, the users will be able to collect their rewards in the form of digital money transfer, cash into digital wallet, coupon, discounts, and vouchers, once the company is profitable. The User’s respective profit share at the annual profit declaration will be determined as a percentage of User’s accumulated KQingdom Coins (called “KQins”) over total net KQins of all Users.”
It’s an interesting way to hook consumers on to an app. Probably most will come to make a quick buck, however by the looks of it, the benefits are not short term but long term (only if the app does well). KQingdom is currently available on the Android Play store as well as Apple app store.
Everything you want to know about 4G and how will it benefit Indians.
The evolution in the wireless network technology has been exponential in the past couple of decades. The smart phone revolution has completely taken the market by a storm. A cell phone is no more a mere tool to talk or send messages but has turned to efficient, fast and safe mobile computing devise. Fuelled by innovation it has evolved from the first generation of mobile telecommunication technology to the current third generation and the latest fourth generation which is designed primarily for data, has IP-based protocols and is a truly mobile broadband. To understand the generation leaps it is imperative to start from ground zero.
0 G-Zero Generation Technology
These are also referred as pre-cellular systems, since they were the first generation of mobiles radio telephone systems, devised before the prevailing of mobile telephony technology. These were available as a commercial service, with individual telephone numbers. These were made in the shape of a briefcase or were mounted on vehicles The transmitter-receiver was placed in the trunk of the vehicle and attached to the head, which had the dial, display, and handset, placed near the driver seat.
1G-First Generation Technology
Introduced in 1980’s, more popularly known as the cell phones and were used for basic voice service. The radio signals used are analogs, the voice during a call is modulated to a higher frequency, 150 MHz and above, and with the help of a technique called FDMA (Frequency- division Multiple Access, it is transferred between radio towers.
2G-Second Generation Technology
Launched in the 1990’s, the voice in the call was digitally encrypted and then digitally transmitted across the radio towers. Their advantage over the 1G was more efficiency on the spectrum giving improved coverage and capacity. Secondly data services were introduced starting with SMS text messages and moving on to picture messages and MMS (multi media messages). First digital standards (GSM, CDMA), were introduced.
3G-Third Generation Technology
Introduced in 1981/82, 3G has applications such as voice telephony, mobile internet, fixed wireless internet access, video calls and mobile T.V. The 3G service providers are supposed to meet the IMT-2000 standards, an information rate of at least 200 kbit/s (about 0,2 Mbit/s). The later additions also provided higher speeds than the minimum specifications. It was the first mobile broadband.
4G-Fourth Generation Technology
The Mobile WiMAX and LTE( Long Term Evolution) smart phones were available in 2010 and 2011, respectively in the United States, These were the first phones which were able to access the 4G network. These appliances had all the applications of 3G plus:
- Amended mobile web access
- IP(Internet Protocol) telephony
- Multi player gaming services
- High definition mobile TV
- Video Conferencing
- 3D television
- Cloud computing
- Speed- At an average a 4G network is 4 to 5 times faster than a 3G network. It also has superior, uninterrupted connectivity Downloading movies, games and music is much faster and streaming live videos, live TV, and video chatting is seamless.
- Wider Coverage– Coverage of 30 miles and more and complete connectivity at all times.
- Online Security-Guarantees high security. The network prevents hacking and keeps your data private and secure, which is an asset for business purpose.
- Better Signal– More reliable signal, can be assured of connectivity, even on trains.
- Easy Installation– All that is required is a mobile phone which is 4G compatible or a PC card or USB port that can be easily plugged into a laptop.
- Low Cost Introductory Offers- Flexible plans available to suit your needs and usage.
- Business- Increased productivity and efficiency due to large file transfers at high speed, can set up workplace fast, even in transit, rich machine to machine and monitoring applications, videoconferencing, and media collaboration, can have remote access to business applications.
- Connectivity is limited to certain specified regions and carriers.
- Technology is new so initial hurdles, shortfalls and teething problems might be there.
- Switching cost will be there and hardware compatibility will have to be kept in mind.
- Poorer battery life with this network, so larger devices with more battery power will be required, especially when in use for longer duration.
- Health hazard- Stronger radiation and more high power towers can cause health problems at a later stage.
Apple on a new high ends second quarter with excellent earnings
Apple has announced their second quarter earnings for the fiscal 2015 with the quarter ending on March 28, 2015. The company did exceptionally well with the iPhone, Mac and App store sales in this quarter. As much as 27% jump was seen here when compared to same time last year.
The company did really well here and has posted quarterly revenue of $58 billion and quarterly net profit of $13.6 billion, or $2.33 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $45.6 billion and net profit of $10.2 billion, or $1.66 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter.
An area that has also accelerated total quarter revenues for Apple is international sales. These accounted for 69% of the quarter’s revenue. This just shows that Apple is doing a fabulous job in international waters as they expand further in to developing nations such as India.
“We are thrilled by the continued strength of iPhone, Mac and the App Store, which drove our best March quarter results ever,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We’re seeing a higher rate of people switching to iPhone than we’ve experienced in previous cycles, and we’re off to an exciting start to the June quarter with the launch of Apple Watch.”
“The tremendous customer demand for our products and services in the March quarter drove revenue growth of 27 percent and EPS growth of 40 percent,” said Luca Maestri, Apple’s CFO. “Cash flow from operations was also outstanding at $19.1 billion.”
Apple suggests that in the third quarter they will generate revenues between $46 billion and $48 billion.
Spice launches Stellar 519 4G at Rs 8,499
4G network is becoming stronger in India and the mobile companies know it. This is the reason why many of them are launching 4G variants or newer 4G models of phones and expanding their lines.
The latest to join the 4G ranks in India is Spice Stellar 519, this the makers first offering that is open to 4G networks and can work on it. The phone is available in two colours – Steel Blue and Slate Grey. In pictures the phone does look a bit similar to the HTC One M7/M8.
Spice Stellar 519 comes with an 8MP rear camera and 3.2MP front shooter. It has a 5-inch touch display that supports 480 x 854 pixels resolution. The motherboard consists of a 1.2 GHz Quad-core CPU and 1 GB RAM. As far as the internal storage is concerned, Spice Stellar 519 has 8 GB of it that can be expanded by up to 32 GB using a MicroSD card.
The phone is still on the older version of the Android (Kitkat 4.4.4) and comes with a 2,500 mAh battery to keep it alive for long. Apart from 4G connectivity Spice Stellar 519 has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Prashant Bindal, CEO, Spice Mobility Ltd, said, “We are thrilled to introduce our first 4G LTE smartphone, Stellar 519, which promises to deliver an outstanding and seamless internet browsing experience. The new Stellar 519 offers a scintillating combination of an amazing user experience with excellent speed and multi-tasking options. This is a great device for customers looking for a smartphone that has it all. We have packed in our latest technology complimented with a one-of-its-kind, unique 4G experience never before seen on a mid-range smartphone.”
The phone is built to go head to head with mobiles such as Moto E second Gen 4G, which has the latest OS and is less expensive than the Spice Stellar 519 by Rs 500.
Moto E second gen Review: A decent budget phone with latest Android OS
Motorola has made quite a remarkable re-entry in the Indian market. They were down and out; however with the new innings they have launched some great phones and accessories in India to capture a decent chunk of the pie. Last year we saw the Moto E from the brand and it was a fabulous device. Now they have launched the second version of the phone, which is not a significant upgrade over the previous one, but does get the job done.
Design
The Moto E second gen is available in two colours, black and white. We got our hands on the white one and right of the box we fell for it. Yes, some might say it is a bit chunky or fat, but we didn’t mind it one bit. This mobile has a nice feel to it and the white colour gives it the edge.
The battery is locked in. Hence users cannot replace it by themselves. Moto E second gen can accommodate two Micro SIM cards. The slots are well hidden under the detachable band, which runs all around the phone. The MicroSD card slot is also placed under the same band in between the two SIM slots.
Moto E second gen has a 4.5-inch IPS qHD display, which is slightly bigger than the last version. However, the resolution of the phone is much lower than what its competition is providing. Above the screen, consumers will find the front camera for selfies and at the back Motorola has incorporated a 5 MP shooter (without flash).
The power button is located on the right side of the phone along with the volume key. The USB port is located at the bottom and the audio port is available at the top. Audio port on top always works for the younger generation. The phone is aimed towards youngsters and we all know what they love to do, listen to a lot of music. People can easily slide the phone in the front pocket and listen to music using the headphones, which come with a nice long wire.
Performance
Moto E is not a power house when it comes to under the hood performance. However, it does justify its price. Moto E second gen has the Qualcomm 1.2 GHz CPU that comes along with 1 GB RAM and 8 GB internal memory. Out of which users only get about 5 GB to store files. For graphics an Adreno GPU is also installed on board.
We didn’t face any challenges as far as basic entertainment needs were concerned. The place where the phone stresses a bit is gaming. You can’t play high-end games on it. Power hungry utilities also run a bit slow on this phone.
On the other hand Music apps and video galleries ran beautifully. Talking about which, the audio quality is very fine. The supplied headphones get the job done and one can hear the beats clearly. Screen, image and video quality is above average.
We tested the phone out with Quadrant and it managed a score of 9,522 points. Not the best in the class, but is pretty much up there. Camera quality of the phone is not too shabby, when clicked in well lit rooms and outdoors. It becomes a bit sloppy in low light and dark areas. Front snapper is just about fine for selfies. You do get noise in pictures if the light is low.
Moving on to its battery life, Moto E second gen does manage to stay awake for a long duration. With 2,390 mAh battery inside it, we did get between 20-24 hours after a full charge (under nominal use). It will go down by couple of hours if you are using Wi-Fi network as well.
Verdict
Moto E second gen is definitely built for the masses. The voice quality is very good and you rarely end up missing a note, unless your mobile network is acting up. We did like the built quality and the looks. It has the latest Android Lolipop OS with stock apps. If users want to download more app on this phone they can do with the Play store. The price also plays a huge factor here. The Moto E second gen can be picked up for Rs 6,999. Not a bad price for this package. The 4G version of the phone is now available too and one can get that for Rs 7,999 from FlipKart.
Pros
Good built
Good price
Cons
Rear camera flash missing
Not built to play high-end games
The power button is located on the right side of the phone along with the volume key. The USB port is located at the bottom and the audio port is available at the top. Audio port on top always works for the younger generation. The phone is aimed towards youngsters and we all know what they love to do, listen to a lot of music. People can easily slide the phone in the front pocket and listen to music using the headphones, which come with a nice long wire.
Performance
Moto E is not a power house when it comes to under the hood performance. However, it does justify its price. Moto E second gen has the Qualcomm 1.2 GHz CPU that comes along with 1 GB RAM and 8 GB internal memory. Out of which users only get about 5 GB to store files. For graphics an Adreno GPU is also installed on board.
We didn’t face any challenges as far as basic entertainment needs were concerned. The place where the phone stresses a bit is gaming. You can’t play high-end games on it. Power hungry utilities also run a bit slow on this phone.
On the other hand Music apps and video galleries ran beautifully. Talking about which, the audio quality is very fine. The supplied headphones get the job done and one can hear the beats clearly. Screen, image and video quality is above average.
We tested the phone out with Quadrant and it managed a score of 9,522 points. Not the best in the class, but is pretty much up there. Camera quality of the phone is not too shabby, when clicked in well lit rooms and outdoors. It becomes a bit sloppy in low light and dark areas. Front snapper is just about fine for selfies. You do get noise in pictures if the light is low.
Moving on to its battery life, Moto E second gen does manage to stay awake for a long duration. With 2,390 mAh battery inside it, we did get between 20-24 hours after a full charge (under nominal use). It will go down by couple of hours if you are using Wi-Fi network as well.
Verdict
Moto E second gen is definitely built for the masses. The voice quality is very good and you rarely end up missing a note, unless your mobile network is acting up. We did like the built quality and the looks. It has the latest Android Lolipop OS with stock apps. If users want to download more app on this phone they can do with the Play store. The price also plays a huge factor here. The Moto E second gen can be picked up for Rs 6,999. Not a bad price for this package. The 4G version of the phone is now available too and one can get that for Rs 7,999 from FlipKart.
Pros
Good built
Good price
Cons
Rear camera flash missing
Not built to play high-end games 4G services from Airtel to go live in Delhi
Airtel is already providing 4G services in 19 cities across India. These include Chandigarh, Bangalore, Kolkata, Nasik and Pune. Delhi has been one its toughest targets to achieve. Finally the dark clouds might be evaporating as Airtel sees a ray of hope. They have got the go ahead from Department of Telecom (DoT) to deploy 4G services in Delhi.
Airtel has been fighting a court case where DoT had asked them to pay 436 crores for 4G deployment in the Delhi circle. As the mobile and broadband service provider had acquired 4G spectrum using Wireless Business Services, which was earlier part of Qualcomm and now has been taken over by Airtel under Airtel Broadband Services.
The court has asked Airtel to give and undertaking in which the company has to state that if their petition fails in court then they would need to pay Rs 436 crores to the Union of India with interest. On the same basis DoT has given to green signal to Airtel to deploy 4G services in the Indian capital.
This does seem like a sticky surface for Airtel, if you ask us. However, some sources do say that Airtel is confident of the situation and can go ahead with 4G deployment in New Delhi. The pricing of the service in Delhi is still not out and no one has commented on the same. Hopefully in the coming months we would have a clearer picture.
The go ahead from DoT could be the opportunity Airtel needs to get the edge over any other service provider in Delhi, but if it does not go in their favour in the court they would end up paying a lot of money.
Nikon is probably bringing new full-frame mirrorless cameras this year
Let the rivalry begin! Sony has enjoyed good market space, created by them, with a full-frame mirrorless camera in the form of A7. Now, Nikon is going to take the fight to Sony by introducing their very own full-frame mirrorless camera.
Sony’s A7 is top-of-the-line mirrorless camera that has seen great results with most photo enthusiasts. Sony has the monopoly here and is going strong. Nikon might play spoil sport to Sony’s party by bringing a full-frame mirrorless camera by the end of this year or early 2016.
If we go by the reports, Nikon’s full-frame mirrorless camera will be smaller than Sony’s A7. Its size will be identical to the Olympus E-M1. Nikons camera is said to be in the testing phase at the moment and more details will be released soon. However, the pricing and other tech-specs are still unclear. Do stay tuned as we bring you more on Nikons mirrorless camera, once additional information is revealed.