Sketch Programming Language Offers 'Auto-Complete' To Your Code

Meet 'Sketch Programming Language' : developed by engineers at MIT that promises to take out the 'tough' part out of writing code; and make life better for the developers. Sketch Programming Language is a brainchild of Prof. Armando Solar-Lezama (MIT's Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science) who wanted programming languages to be smarter enough to allow the developer to omit computational details. Sketch auto fills in the gaps in the code written by developers, quite intelligently. The language currently is being shaped; and if made more user-friendly; the applications of Sketch would be quite wide-spread.

MIT students have already built multiple projects using Sketch - including auto-grading of programming assignments, a complex system that directly turns hand-drawn diagrams into code and a system that generates SQL queries based on Java code. Lezama and his students have shown how Sketch can be used to built complex systems and handle synthesis tasks. The latest version of Sketch is much more efficient. For example, the latest version could fix the code for auto-grading system in a few milliseconds while its earlier version timed-out or just gave up. 



The team behind Sketch however believes that they'll have to go a long way before the programming language can start benefitting commercial software developers. Lezama and team wants developers to dump C programming language and switch over to Sketch; but they know that there's a lot to cover. Professor Rajeev Alur of University Of Pennsylvania says that Sketch being used for commercial software development is a very ambitious & distant goal. As of now, the programming language can be used in very specialised tasks. Sketch however can be incredibly useful in saving time spent in fine-tuning & optimising the code. 
source:mit

Kaspersky Launches A 'Safe' Windows Phone Browser

Windows Phones might not be popular phones in the market but this fact does give it an advantage. Yes, I know that’s being too optimistic, but due to low market shares Windows Phones are not the targets of malware writers which give users a sense of security. With a distant third place in market share, that lack of exposure does not make it the most popular place to create mass exploitations of security vulnerabilities. So, for the time being the platform can be considered devoid of any malware.

The main reason why malware is not running rampant on Windows Phones is the fact that Windows Phone limits, what users and apps can do to increase security. This is achieved through features like sandboxing. However, operating system cannot keep users from visiting the dark corners of Internet. To tackle this problem, Russian security company Kaspersky has decided to help users who navigate through unsafe websites by launching Safe Browser.

The app is designed to help the users browse through the web safely and protect their personal information against theft. Safe Browser is meant for daily use as well as in corporate environments where administrators can control app’s settings and adjust according it to company’s policy. There have been no details as to why Safe Browser is good choice for Windows Phone users but it might surely have some neat tricks up its sleeve. For instance, the browser can be used to block specific type of websites like the ones that feed nudity or violence. Kaspersky joins the likes of Nokia Express, Maxthon, UC Browser to be among the few third-party browsers available on Windows Phone Store. Kaspersky’s Safe Browser can be downloaded fromWindows Phone Store.

A Wi-Fi Virus That Spreads Like A Contagious Disease: A University Of Liverpool Research

A team of researchers from the University of Liverpool School of Electrical Engineering, Electronics and Computer Science have designed a computer virus that was able to infect and spread across Wi-Fi networks like a contagious disease. The virus titled Chameleon worked in the following manner. First, it detected a list of access points that were inadequately secured. Next it tried to bypass any encryption security and the administrative interface on the access point. After storing the system settings it replaced the original firmware of the access point with the virus loaded firmware. Lastly it reloaded the previously stored system settings of the access point. Once it had taken control of the access point it was able to keep a track on the network traffic passing through it and was able to collect sensitive data like user credentials. The troubling fact with the Chameleon virus is that it never detected by any malware detection software since it never interfered with any data travelling through it. 


While the aforementioned characteristics of Chameleon might seem frightening it’s the next part of the virus that makes it a dangerous threat. Once the Chameleon virus had taken control over the victim’s access point it was then able to seek out other vulnerable access points within the vicinity and was able to attack them without any human input. The virus was clever enough to avoid any heavily secured access points and was able to spot out the weaker ones. The team says that in a densely populated area with lots of Wi-Fi networks the virus spreads like a contagious disease like common cold. They tested this theory by simulating two densely networked urban environments like Belfast and London where the virus could propagate through unsecured networks like the ones you find in coffee shops.
source:crazengineers

WhatsApp to add voice calls after Facebook acquisition

Barcelona:

WhatsApp will add free voice-call services for its 450 million customers later this year, laying down a new challenge to telecom network operators just days after Facebook Inc scooped it up for $19 billion.

The text-based messaging service aims to let users make calls by the second quarter, expanding its appeal to help it hit a billion users, WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum said at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Monday.

Buying WhatsApp has cemented Facebook's involvement in messaging, which for many people is their earliest experience with the mobile Internet. Adding voice services moves the social network into another core function on a smartphone.

On Monday, chief executive Mark Zuckerberg defended the price paid for a messaging service with negligible revenue. He argued that rival services such as South Korea's KakaoTalk and Naver's LINE are already "monetizing" at a rate of $2 to $3 in revenue per user per year, despite being in the early stages of growth.

Media reports put WhatsApp's revenue at about $20 million in 2013.

"I actually think that by itself it's worth more than 19 billion," Zuckerberg told the Mobile World Congress. "Even just independently, I think it's a good bet."

"By being a part of Facebook, it makes it so they can focus for the next five years or so purely on adding more people."

WhatsApp's move into voice calls is unlikely to sit well with telecoms carriers.

WhatsApp and its rivals, like KakaoTalk, China's WeChat, and Viber, have won over telecom operators' customers in recent years by offering a free option to text messaging.

Telecom providers globally generated revenue of about $120 billion from text messaging last year, according to market researcher Ovum.

Adding free calls threatens another telecom revenue source, which has been declining anyway as carriers' tweak tariffs to focus on mobile data instead of calls.

Huawei TalkBand B1 Is Your New Mobile Companion From Wearables At MWC 2014

Huawei has entered the wearable device arena at the Mobile World Congress 2014 by unveiling its new gadget 'Huawei TalkBand B1' - a wristband that is introduced as a mobile companion to MediaPad X1. The smartwatch is being called a hybrid talk-and-track device that can act as a fitness tracker as well as let you make wireless calls. With support for both Android 2.3+ and iOS 5.0+ compatible devices, the Huawei TalkBand B1 features a 1.4 inch flexible OLED display and a Bluetooth 4.1 wireless earpiece. The company claims that the device offers up to seven hours of continuous calling. Users can sync their smartphones or tablets via NFC and if the TalkBand B1 moves more than 10 meters away from the synced smart device, it starts vibrating - a feature added for security.

Like most other fitness trackers, TalkBand B1 wirelessly tracks activity time and progress. So, you can use it to capture the data about the number of miles covered, steps taken or calories burned. Other than that, it has a smart function to record your duration and quality of sleep. You can use it to set smart alarms or nap functions too. 

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The band sports a bendable curve design and at 26g weight and 14.6mm thickness, the device is pretty-lightweight. The anti-UV material used for its body is hypo-allergenic and sweat-resistant. On the inside, the device packs a 90 mAh battery and is said to keep the TalkBand B1 running for six days with a single recharge that takes two hours through a USB connector. 

The price for the TalkBand B1 is €99 as declared by Huawei's Richard Yu. The latest wearable gadget will be available in China from March 2014, and from second quarter in 2014 in Japan, the Middle East, Russia and Western Europe. Do check a video put together by the good guys at PhoneArena for a Huawei TalkBand B1 hands-on.
source:crazyengineers

Opera Max Beta App For Android Download Available - Save 50% Of Your Data Usage

Opera Software is in news with the launch of its beta version of the Opera Max app on Android. The app is used to crunch the mobile data on your phone, so that you get to use more of your limited plan at the same price. According to the developers Opera Max Beta app lets you watch multimedia content such as images and videos much faster. This data savings app is absolutely free and available on Google Play Store for download in beta version. It is designed to give you more control over how your smartphone consumes most data and where. The most impressive feature of the app is the ability to save tons of data on those heavy high-definition videos from YouTube or Vine you watch on your phone. The developers hope that the videos will load way faster than before on Opera Max.

The technology at work behind the app compresses the text, videos and images which has become possible due to years of research work that has gone into developing an efficient mobile data-compression technology.


Interested users can download the app from Play Store at the link given below. The app is being rolled out worldwide gradually on a first-come, first-served basis and therefore by downloading the app, you just reserve your place in the queue. Early bird access is for the tech-enthusiasts anyway. Downloaders will get a notification when the app starts functioning.
source:opera

SanDisk 128 GB SD Card Is Highest Capacity In The Size

Storage devices major SanDisk added a new weapon to their arsenal, the 128 GB microSDXC card. This 'One Card To Store 'em All' was unveiled at the ongoing Mobile World Conference at Barcelona, Spain. Being of the highest capacity ever made, a microSD card of such a capacity will definitely minimise users' worries of running out of storage space, SanDisk said in a statement. Consumers can now store 16 hours of Full HD video, 7,500 songs, 3,200 photos and 125+ apps, all on a single removable card, the statement added. This high-performance 128GB SanDisk Ultra microSDXC memory card will reshape the way users interact with their device and will eliminate the need to store data in multiple devices, Stuart Robinson, director at Handset Component Technologies, Strategy Analytics commented on this development.

This smaller-than-a-fingernail card was designed specifically for Android smartphones and tablets and is ideal for shooting HQ videos and pictures. SanDisk also claimed that this card performed twice that of normal SD cards. Ordinary cards provide upto 5MB/s write speeds. To manufacture the 128 GB microSDXC, SanDisk developed an innovative technique that allowed vertical stacking of 16 memory die, each die thinner than a strand of hair.

Source: androidcentral​

SanDisk said that this innovative product of theirs would be available worldwide and will cost about $200 in the US. They also announced a new feature called 'OptiMem' in their 'SanDisk Memory Zone' app. This application lets users easily view, access, and backup all of their files from their phone’s memory in one convenient place and the 'OptiMem' feature will automatically transfer old images and videos from the phone's internal memory to SD card. It will also keep track of user’s mobile device memory levels, and inform them whenever the internal memory falls below a pre-defined threshold. SanDisk’s booth is also expected to feature the new iNAND Extreme embedded flash drive at the MWC ’14.

Ironically, just 10 years earlier in 2004, SanDisk had announced their 128 MB microSD card. This means more than 1000x increase in capacity in just a decade It is amazing how technology has enabled us to push our limits beyond imagination.

Samsung’s Galaxy S5 Is Here with Fingerprint Scanner and Heart Rate Monitor

Samsung’s much awaited and highly rumored smartphone-Galaxy S5 has finally been announced at Mobile World Congress 2014 on Monday. With this latest device, Samsung is all set to give head-to-head competition to tech-giant Apple’s iPhone 5S. Adding much value to device, Samsung has gone ahead with fingerprint scanner and heart rate monitor along with other features.

Fingerprint Scanner and Heart Rate Monitor

Being one of the striking features of Galaxy S5, fingerprint scanner is located at the bottom of home button. Unlike iPhone 5S, Galaxy S5 requires a vertical swipe to unlock phone and access private data/folders. Users can also authorize online purchases using fingerprint scanner. Reports also suggest that Samsung is partnering with PayPal for this feature. Another latest feature of the phone - a Heart Rate Monitor is located on the rear panel of the phone besides camera flash. User have to place the finger on the sensor to activate and measure the pulse. The sensor measures the pulse in about 5 to 10 seconds. Along with this, the company has also included applications to record user’s health and diet.

Design

The fifth generation Galaxy smartphone is inspired by earlier Galaxy S4 design. It’s nearly impossible to identify the two devices from front, when kept side-by-side. Unlike S4, the latest device comes with a less-glossy plastic. The rear panel consists of camera with flash, sensor to monitor heart rate and speakers at the left bottom.

Other Features at Glance

With the introduction of new features, Samsung doesn’t fail to impress with other general specifications. The Galaxy S5 has super AMOLED screen with 5.1-inch display and resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels. This device is powered by super 2.5GHz quad core processor and 2GB of RAM. Galaxy S5 will run on Android 4.4.2 KitKat version. The device is equipped with larger battery which has 20 percent better stamina and offers a low power consumption mode when battery is running low. It packs a 16MP supporting real-time HDR processing for better photos. Samsung also claims that it has the fastest autofocus speed. S5 supports high speed LTE as well as 802.11ac WiFi. Download Booster is also a new feature which is said to increase download speed using LTE and WiFi simultaneously.

Though Samsung haven’t said anything on much this gadget would cost, the Galaxy S5 is scheduled to launch globally on April 11. Do share in comments below what you feel about this latest device.

source:crazy engineers

COMING TO VERIZON IN THE US: NOKIA LUMIA ICON

Nokia’s newest Lumia is built for those who demand more from their phones and don’t want to compromise when it comes to how this life companion captures each moment of their daily lives.

The first thing you’ll notice about the Nokia Lumia Icon is its state-of-the-art 1080p full HD screen that feels great in the hand at a full five inches. The metal construction also gives the device a distinctive look, making this one of 2014’s most anticipated new devices.

The Nokia Lumia Icon features a thin and light frame that is enriched with premium design touches, including an aluminum construction with ceramic keys. Coming in at just 5.8 oz and dimensions of 5.39” x 2.79” x 0.39”, this sleek performer gives the power you need without weighing you down.

True-to-life images and audio

With a crystal-clear 20-megapixel camera based on Nokia’s award-winning PureView technology and Zeiss optics, you’ll see what you’ve been missing on competitive devices when it comes to mobile images and video.

Speaking of video, your memories deserve to be captured to their fullest and Nokia Lumia Icon won’t disappoint. This video powerhouse features four lossless microphones that capture omnidirectional audio in full stereo. This means you’ll record video exactly how you remember it, thanks to our high-performance digital mics, noise reduction and those magical software algorithms.

We put Nokia Lumia Icon to the test against two super loud muscle cars racing down a Las Vegas speedway. The results definitely don’t disappoint, with audio and video coming in crystal clear despite the rumble and roar of the cars’ engines revving in the background. Check out the video yourself to see how the device fared against the background noise.

see video:youtube

A new payment ecosystem is emerging

The mobile is an acknowledged catalyst of change. It has already changed the way we communicate with each other and the way we access information. The mobile is now changing how we conduct our financial lives.

Mobile financial services is a rapidly developing industry led by a wave of dynamic, agile and technologically advanced solutions. At the front of this wave of new technology is eServGlobal.

Mobile money is now regarded as an essential service in emerging markets as well as a significant potential revenue source for both operators and financial services organisations. In developed markets, the power of this technology will take the user experience one step further into the dematerialization of payments through a secure, contactless and instantaneous experience.

Berg Insight predicts that the total value of mobile money transactions will grow from US$44 billion in 2011 to US$395 billion in 2017.

Paolo Montessori, CEO and Managing Director, eServGlobal, said: “We are witnessing the beginning of a new era of financial services which will stem from the mobile. The traditional industry leaders in both the mobile and financial spaces are making moves to join the emerging wave of mobile money services.”

eServGlobal offers mobile money solutions which put feature-rich mobile financial services at the fingertips of users worldwide, covering the full spectrum of mobile wallet, mobile commerce, recharge, promotions and agent management features. With more than 30 years of experience, eServGlobal invests heavily in product development, using carrier-grade, next-generation technology and aligning with the requirements of more than 65 customers in over 50 countries.

eServGlobal’s PayMobile platform is an end-to-end solution which allows service providers to select the right mix of telco and financial services for each individual market. PayMobile can handle over 500,000 transactions per busy hour and can manage 60 million subscribers and 350,000 agents in a single implementation.

As mobile money solutions reach a new age of maturity, an open and neutral solution for interoperability on both a domestic and international level becomes an evident need. HomeSend, the market-leading service which enables money transfer between mobile money accounts, payments cards, bank accounts or cash outlets from anywhere in the world, is ideally positioned to meet this need. HomeSend is a strategic partnership between eServGlobal and BICS.

eServGlobal will showcase their mobile money solutions at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, 24 – 28 February. eServGlobal will be hosting a live demonstration on its stand located at Hall 7 Stand i60.

source:mwc

Nokia takes Android route to fight back in emerging markets

 As anticipated, Nokia lifted the veil at Congress on a family of affordable smartphones powered by a variant of Android, the first time it has supported the OS.

The Finnish vendor announced three new smartphones targeted mainly at emerging markets – the X, X+ and XL – which Stephen Elop, EVP of Nokia Devices & Services, described as “running Android apps with Nokia’s user experience and a wide array of Microsoft services”.

While such devices have long been mooted – starting before Nokia did the deal to sell the bulk of its handset unit to Microsoft – it has been unclear if they would ever see the light of day.

Elop explained the reasoning for supporting the rival OS: “Building on the Android OS means having access to hundreds of thousands of apps right out of the box”.

However he was at pains to point out that the OS “takes people to Microsoft’s cloud not Google’s” and introduces users around the world to the US company’s services, such as Skype.

While it has widely been perceived as odd that a company set to be acquired by Microsoft is set to bring Android-powered smartphones to market, such a move would help Nokia address a weakness in Nokia’s portfolio, the Series 40 platform, which struggles in comparison with Android in emerging markets.

The X is available now for €89 while the X+ will cost €99 and will be available early in Q2. The XL, which has a larger 5-inch screen, will cost €109 and will also be available early in Q2. The phones will be launched first in emerging markets.

Elop was careful to explain how the X family is positioned below its existing Windows Phone-based Lumia range, which is targeted predominantly at western markets.

The need for care is understandable – the best seller in the Lumia range is the 520 which also happens to be the lowest priced.

“Expect to see Lumia prices come down but X will trend below,” explained Elop.

Alongside the major news about the X family, Nokia announced new affordable handsets from its existing stable – the Nokia 220 and Asha 230 – which will come on the market at €29 and €45, respectively.

source:mwc

anew E Cigarrete with bluetooth

A company called Supersmoker has come up with an e-cigarette it claims is the world's first to double as a Bluetooth headset and device that streams MP3s from a smartphone. That's right, a musical cell phone cigarette.



"Never seen before! An electronic cigarette with Bluetooth functionality," the company writes on its Web site. "When you're connected to a phone, you can make and receive calls on the e-cigarette while you are smoking! Or listen to your favourite tracks from your phone via the e-cigarette with built-in speaker!"

While it seems nearly impossible to suck on something and put it to your ear at the same time, there's no doubt Supersmoker has a workaround for this.

he device goes for 80 Euro, about $110. I'm sure tons of people are now kicking themselves asking why they didn't think of it.

source:supersmoker

Outernet Plans To Bring Free Internet around the world for free

Outernet is a new project which aims to bring FREE internet for every single inhabitant on planet Earth. Internet has now become an indispensable part of human life, and statistically almost all countries are using internet for personal & business use, which is the reason why companies are working on new solutions to ensure access of internet to entire population of the planet. One of such solution is Google's Project Loonwhich aims to bring internet connection to people around globe by the use of balloons which are floating in the Earth's atmosphere. Now another viable solution to this could be Outernet.

Outernet Project is developed by Media Development Investment Fund which targets at bringing free internet to inhabitants around the globe even in most inaccessible areas like deserts, oceans, remote islands at poles, etc. by means of satellites that are revolving around the Earth, known as Cubesat. According to Media Development Investment Fund, it will take around 100 Cubesats to cover every corner of the planet. Initially, the service will be active only to some users for testing purpose. While later on the connection will be available to all users for free of charge. However, users will need antennas that are capable of interacting with Cubesats inorder to transmit & receive information signals.

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If you're expecting very high bandwidth free internet connection via Outernet, then I feel sorry to burst the bubble about the fact that it is not going to happen. The connection will most likely be a slow speed one. Outernet Project is not a replacement to internet connection, it's primary aim is to make internet connection available even in areas where internet connection is not possible. Moreover, Outernet will help users who can't afford paid internet services in accessing internet. If everything goes as planned, then the project is likely to be available for service by end of 2015.

Treasure Tag.Anew venture from nokia

keep an eye on everything 

For all those who find it difficult to keep track of their valuables, Nokia has launched a new accessory for its Lumia range of smartphones which make sure that the valuables are always monitored. Nokia Treasure Tag can be put on any item thanks to its tiny size. The coloured tags measure 30 x 30 x 10 mm and weigh just 13 grams. The Treasure tags can be paired with smartphones using NFC or Bluetooth. The companion Nokia Treasure Tag app is currently available only for Windows Phone devices but the company has stated in the press release that third party apps will soon be launched for iOS and Android devices. Once you have attached the tags to the valuables of your choice and paired them with your smartphone you can assign ready-made icons for every tag on the app. There is also an option that lets you use take the photograph of the tagged object and use them as icons on the app. For easy accessibility, users can also place the tags as a Live Tile on the Windows Phone Start screen. These live tiles will give you updates regarding the location of the tagged item. 

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The tags have been programmed to emit a loud tone when they are out of range of the smartphone. For example you are heading out of your house and forgotten to take your tagged wallet with you, the tag attached to the wallet will send out an audible alert. This also works vice-versa, for instance of you have taken a tagged item out of your house and forgotten to take your smartphone with you, the smartphone will emit a loud alert. If for some reason you have not heard the beep and managed to lose your tagged item, you can easily locate its location on the HERE Maps app on the smartphone. The companion app can also be used to trigger the alert if you are unable to find the tagged item. This will definitely help many people like me who often misplace their TV remote controls. If you have attached a Nokia Treasure tag to your remote control you can now use your smartphone to locate it. A maximum of four tags can be paired with a single smartphone. Nokia Treasure tags are powered by user replaceable non rechargeable 3-volt CR 2013 (5004LC) 220mAh alkaline batteries that are claimed to last for 180 days on standby. Nokia Treasure Tag will be available globally in cyan, yellow, white and black colour variants starting from April 2014 for a retail price of 29.90 USD which is approximately 1,860 Indian rupees.

source:nokiaconversations

Sony Xperia Z1 Compact Price In India Is Rs. 36,990

The much-awaited Sony Xperia Z1 Compact, the mini-variant of the popular Xperia Z1 is now official in India. The phone has been launched at Rs. 36,990 on company’s official website and is currently available on e-commerce sites like Snapdeal, Infibeam, Amazon. Sony had launched Z1 Compact at Consumer Electronic Show 2014, alongside Xperia Z1S earlier this year. It has similar specifications as that of Sony’s top-end Xperia Z1 smartphone.

The new Xperia Z1 Compact has 4.3-inch screen, 720p resolution with triluminous HD display. It runs on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean OS and is manufactured by aluminium frame with toughened glass on front as well as back panels. Like other high-end Xperia smartphones, Z1 Compact also has a water-resistant, dust-proof and scratch-proof body. It has 16GB of inbuilt storage, further expandable to 64GB with the help of microSD card. The successor to Xperia Z1 is the only small-sized Android smartphone with top-end hardware like 2.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor (MSM8974) with 2GB RAM.




The main highlight of Z1 Compact is its 20.7 megapixel Exmor RS sensor alongside BIONZ image processor engine and LED flash, much like its elder sibling, Xperia Z1. Moreover, it also includes 2-megapixel front-camera. Connectivity options on the phone includes 2G, 3G, 4G, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, microUSB 2.0, GPS/GLONASS and NFC. Xperia Z1 Compact has a 2300mAh battery with STAMINA mode and is available in four colours- black, white, pink and lime.

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Manufacturers like Samsung also offer mini versions of their top-end smartphones but with several hardware downgrades in RAM, processor and camera. However, unlike these manufacturers, Z1 Compact does not feature such hardware downgrades. That's all about the features, specs and price of the new gadget in town. 

Google's new 3D smart phone unrevealed

The California tech giant Google Inc. has announced a new research project named ‘Project Tango’ on Thursday, aiming to bring 3D technology to smartphones for developing potential applications like indoor mapping, gaming and helping visually impaired people to navigate. Google also said that Project Tango will provide prototypes to other developers to develop new and interesting application from this new technology.

Project leader Johnny Lee says that this project incorporates robotics and vision processing technology which will give human-scale understanding to a smartphone. The device (Smartphone) used in this project is equipped with sensors which measures 1.4 million measurements per second addition to this it also updates the position and rotation of the phone. 3D sensing chip ‘Myraid 1’ is packed inside the phone having low power consumption of few hundred milliwatts which is bearable by a smartphone battery, ‘Myraid 1’ is a revolutionary chip because of its low power consumption whereas ‘Primesense’ chip used in Microsoft’s Original Kinect draws a lot of power about 1 watt which is not suitable for Mobile phone battery.

source:crazyengineers

A new version of Samsung's Gear smartwatch will run the company's Tizen software instead of Google's Android operating system, people familiar with the matter said.

Samsung will unveil the device at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next week, the people said. Samsung also has been working on a Tizen-based smartphone to introduce at the show, as well as other Tizen devices for the first half of the year, people familiar with the products said.

However, Samsung's plans still could change, and the Galaxy S5 will be the star of the show at Samsung's Unpacked event on Monday. The company also is developing other wearables, such as fitness bands, that it may show at Mobile World Congress or in the coming months, sources said.

source:cnet

Google fiber increased the bandwidth as 10Gbps

Google Fiber, Google's ISP arm, is planning to upgrade the network to allow for 10 Gbps Internet connections to US households. The company, well known in the tech domain for their ridiculous obsession for speeds in all of their offerings, currently offers 1 Gbps network in Kansas City, Provo and is soon planning to launch it in Austin, TX. USA Today reports that Google engineers are already busy working on new technology that will allow them to up the speeds by almost 10x. Google's CFO, Patrick Pichette informed that the company may soon start offering 10 Gbps speeds and called it 'the next generation of the Internet'.

Pichette said that the world is upgrading to higher Internet speeds and people may move over to 10 Gbps networks over the next decade. Google's trying to make it all happen in the next 3 years. 1 Gbps might be just too fast for the rest of the world, but US isn't #1 in the list of countries with the fastest average Internet connection speeds. Akamai had reported that the average Internet speed in the United States is about 8.6 Mbps. That puts the US at #9 in the global list of countries with the fastest Internet connections; with South Korea topping the list at 14.2 Mbps.

Microsoft replaces SKYDRIVE with OneDrive

Wednesday Microsoft debuted OneDrive, a revamped version of its cloud storage service (formerly called SkyDrive) that permits you to store files outside of your computer or smartphone, so that they're accessible from any device connected to the Internet. With the news, the company also added a few new features to its OneDrive apps for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone.

All three apps now automatically upload the photos and video you snap with your phone to OneDrive, so you'll always have a backup. The mobile apps also get video transcoding, which means that when you play videos you've saved in your OneDrive account on your computer, the video will adapt to your Internet speed so it plays smoothly without much buffering.

Stay tuned to CNET for a full review of OneDrive for iOS, as well as updated reviews for the OneDrive apps on Windows Phone and Android.

Apples new A8 chip introduced

The tech giants of the computer and smart phone "Apple" are launching their new A8 chip to their new products. Rumors have gathered confirming the early arrival of Apple’s latest processor-A8 chip. Reportedly, Samsung is currently facing the problem of low yield in its manufacturing process. Hence Apple has shifted the production of its latest processor-A8 chip from Samsung to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (TSMC). According to TechNews, TSMC 20nm process is the fastest ever production in manufacturing process. 

If the rumors are true, this would be a bad news for Samsung and a good one for TSMC. This can also be a very good news for Apple which can bring its much awaited next iPhone on schedule. The report also confirmed that Samsung’s production of 20nm is facing delays in supply. For last few months, various rumors have gathered pointing that Apple is about to take its production away from Samsung. This one is believed to be a confirmation of the same.


The interesting yet complicated part of the story is that same report confirmed that the A8 production is with TSMC now but Samsung and TSMC are still competing for production of so-called A9 chips. In order to deal with this, it is believed that Apple will put A9 orders to TSMC and Samsung for production to avoid high concentration of a single vendor. All these developments indicate preparations for the launch of iPhone 6 this year. 


source:technews

Up comming Android version from google

Most of the popular companies include Google Mobile Services like Gmail, Chrome, Maps, Hangouts, Plus etc. while a few manufacturers like Amazon do not use these services. The memo states that from February, 2014 Google will not approve GMS distribution on new Android phones that have older versions installed on it. Further, each platform will have ‘GMS approval window’ that will close nine months after new version has been released. In other words, Android users will have nine months to install the products on the latest platform. This means that the policy can be only beneficial to smartphone users. But this would also mean that it will be very difficult for low-end smartphones to survive in the market. Android 4.4, KitKat has been enhanced by Google to ensure that devices with 512 MB RAM run smoothly.

According to Google, Jelly Bean has the highest percentage (60.7%) of devices running on it. Gingerbread, launched in 2010 comes second at 20% while KitKat has just 1.8% users. Android 2.2 (Froyo, launched in May, 2010) is still used on 1.3% of the devices.

According to the memo leaked by Mobile Bloom, a technology website search engine giant will not approve requests for Google Mobile Services (GMS) for older Android versions nine months after the launch of new iteration of the platform.

concept droid