Showing posts with label Tech News India. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tech News India. Show all posts

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Instagram launches time-lapse video app for iPhone

Instagram launches time-lapse video app
The Hyperlapse "app" was designed to let people easily make high-quality time-lapse videos even while moving around with a smartphone, according to Instagram.
   
Hyperlapse videos can be saved on mobile devices and shared on Instagram.
   
"From documenting your whole commute in seconds or the preparation of your dinner from start to finish to capturing an entire sunset as it unfolds, we're thrilled about the creative possibilities Hyperlapse unlocks," Instagram said in a blog post.
   
Hyperlapse applications were made available only for mobile devices powered by Apple software.
      
Market research firm eMarketer said in a report in March that nearly 35 million people in America accessed Instagram at least once each month as of the end of 2013, a jump of more than 30 per cent from a year earlier.
      
And the report said nearly 25 per cent of smartphone users in the United States will use Instagram at least once a month by the end of this year -- bringing the total user base to more than 40 million.

Thursday, 21 August 2014

Samsung rolls out Nook-branded Galaxy Tab

The 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook will sell for $179, the same entry price of the non-branded Samsung Galaxy Tab 4.

The move had been expected since Barnes & Noble said in June it would team up with Samsung to release co-branded Nook tablets in August.

For the first time, Nook will have a camera. The 1.3MP camera on the front is on par with what's on other tablets, but the 3.0MP rear one isn't as sharp.

Nook offers access to both Nook app store and Google's Play store for Android apps — the latter unavailable in previous Nook tablets.

The New York company spent years investing in its Nook e-book reader and e-book library, but they struggled to be profitable. And in December the chain said it was evaluating the future of its tablets. Still it offered a new non-tablet e-book reader during the holiday season.

In an interview, Barnes & Noble CEO Mike Huseby said Nook tablets hadn't done well in the past because they weren't full-featured. This one, he said, has a camera and other features expected in Android tablets, while offering additional ones targeted at readers.

While it's possible to install a Nook app on most Android tablets, Nook tablet goes further in offering a home screen with quick links to favorites and recently read books. You can pause reading to check email or Facebook, and then hit a book icon on the corner of the home screen to instantly resume your book.

Amazon's Kindle Fire tablets also emphasize reading, alongside shopping, movies and other Amazon services. They have had more success than Nooks.

Huseby said Barnes & Noble has the advantage of having more than 600 stores where customers can come in to check out the products before buying and return for tutorials and other help.

"Amazon doesn't have them," he said. "You can call them on the phone or chat online, but they don't have a store in which you can get a human contact and expert bookseller."

B&N has been trying to turn itself around as competition from discount stores and online retailers toughens, and as consumers shift away from traditional books to digital formats.

Barnes & Noble says it will continue to make and sell its $99 Nook GlowLight e-readers.

In July, Barnes & Noble said it would separate the Nook and retail businesses. The retail business includes bookstores and the BN.com website and has been outperforming the Nook unit. Nook Media, whose investors include software company Microsoft Corp. and educational book publisher Pearson, houses the digital and college businesses of Barnes & Noble.

The company expects the separation to be complete by April 2015.

Tuesday, 12 August 2014

China develops mini-camera to prevent suicide bombing

A research team led by Chen Tong, associate professor at Southwest University in Chongqing developed a 'stress sensor' that can help the police to spot suicide bombers by capturing the stress levels of people.

"The sensor measures the amount of oxygen in blood across exposed areas of a body, such as the face. The higher the mental stress, the higher the blood oxygenation," it said.
  
"The readings of the device may not be always reliable. For example, with enough practice, a person can learn to control their heartbeat," the report added.
  
The technology comes amid heightened fears over security in China after the country witnessed brazen terror attacks by native Uygur separatists in the northwestern Xinjiang region recently.
  
"They all looked and behaved as ordinary people but their level of mental stress must have been extremely high before they launched their attacks. Our technology can detect such people, so law enforcement officers can take precautions and prevent these tragedies," Chen said about his invention.
  
Talking about the functionality of the device, Chen said that "officers looking through the device at a crowd would see a mental 'stress bar' above each person's head and the suspects highlighted with a red face".
  
"Laboratory tests of the technology had yielded encouraging results," Chen added.
  
The device maker also rued about the biggest obstacle of the invention as acquiring the remote data.
  
"Security officers, for instance, deployed in a busy bus station would need to filter a tremendous amount of data and process it in a short amount of time. Such computing power is not available in smartphone-sized devices," Chen said.
  
The invention has also sparked a controversy with the critics raising concerns over its misuse by the government.
  
"The technology can be used on terrorists, but harmless people such as petitioners and protesters could be the target as well. I would feel uncomfortable and tense if a police officer stared at me through strange goggles," the media report quoted Li Jiancheng, a resident in Shangha as saying.
  
Responding to the allegation, Chen said that his team would not let their technology out of the lab for commercial use until the laws are in place to regulate it.

Celkon Millennium Dazzle Q44 with Android 4.4 KitKat launched

The company has listed Millennium Dazzle Q44 in their website and also posted an image of it on their Facebook page. The dual SIM phone is available both in retail stores and via e-commerce sites.

The company has also partnered with Airtel to facilitate their users 500MB of free data on 3G for the first two months.

The Celkon Millennium Dazzle Q44 features a 4-inch IPS OGS display and runs on Android 4.4.2 KitKat OS. The device is powered by 1.3GHz quad-core Cortex A7 processor and 1GB RAM.

The smartphone comes with a 5-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front snapper. It provides an inbuilt memory of 8GB along with a microSD slot expandable upto 64GB.

The connectivity features of the phone include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, GPRS/ EDGE, and 3G connectivity.

The device is backed by a 1500mAh Li-ion battery and weighs 133.6 grams. It is available in Gold and Grey colour variants.

Tuesday, 5 August 2014

Karbonn launched A1+ Super, A5 Turbo

The Karbonn A1+ Super features a 3.5 inch HVGA display and is powered by a 1.3GHz dual-core processor. The device supports expandable storage upto 32 GB via microSD card. The smartphone is adorned with a 3-megapixel rear camera and a 0.3-megapixel front shooter.

While Karbonn A5 Turbo comes with a 3.5 inch display and is powered by 1GHz processor. The device features a 3-megapixel rear camera, a microSD slot expandable up to 32 GB and 3G network connectivity support.

Both the phones supports dual SIM feature and connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, EDGE, and Micro-USB.

The phone will join Karbonn’s KitKat based smartphones - the Titanium S99, Titanium S19, Smart A12 Star, and Smart A11 Star.

"Today, a large segment of consumer is shifting from feature phones to smartphones and looks for a smartphone with advanced technology and maximum features at affordable prices. This is the basis on which our new launches - the Karbonn A1+ Super and A5 Turbo are based upon which offers brilliant specs and greater functionality to the user and thus create a great choice in this segment," said Shashin Devsare, Executive Director of Karbonn.

The company has however not revealed about the RAM, inbuilt storage, battery capacity for both the smartphones.

Friday, 1 August 2014

Samsung teases two new phones likely to be Galaxy Alpha and Note 4

Samsung executives have teased two new devices which will be making their way to the company's mobile portfolio within next six months.

Firstly, the company will be releasing a large-screened smartphone which is expecting will be a follow-up to Samsung's 5.7-inch Galaxy Note 3. Samsung will likely announce the device early in September at the IFA trade show in Berlin, where it unveiled the Note 3 and Note II.

Although there's not lot of speculation about Samsung's second high-end smartphone as according to Samsung it will be a very attractive new model with a complete new display, which could also suggest a bendable screen.

Samsung is also getting ready to release its rumored Galaxy Alpha, which is metal smartphone. The Galaxy Alpha is rumoured to be launched soon, the Galaxy Note 4 is said to be in the testing phase.

Thursday, 31 July 2014

Sony launches new waterproof phone in Xperia series

Sony Xperia Z2
Xperia Z2 is a decent looking phone with a sturdy aluminium-frame. The handset is IP58 certified, which means it can withstand dust and water. It also has covers for the micro-USB, micro-SIM, and the memory card slot.

The phone features a sharp 5.2-inch IPS display (1920x1080 pixels) with a pixel density of around 422 ppi. The phone boasts full HD screen in a waterproof body. The lock button is positioned on the right side of the phone making it easily accessible for the thumb.

The deviced is powered by a 2.3 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor. It comes with 3 GB of RAM and Adreno 330 GPU. The phone features an in built memory of 16 GB and a microSD slot.

The phone comes with 20.7 megapixel rear-camera with Exmor RS sensor with 4K video recording. The phone adorns a 2.2 megapixel front-facing shooter. The other features include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, and 3200 mAh battery.

The Xperia Z2 runs on Android 4.4 Kitkat and with powerful Snapdragon 801 inside, the device mostly runs smooth.

Source: Latest Technology News

App that pays you for exercise

Representional Picture
Pact is an app which uses money to track your fitness goals. When you set up Pact, you give your credit card or Pay Pal information.

You also have to set your fitness goals like a pledge to workout a certain number of times in a week or eat healthy and Pact makes it specific.

Now enter a set distance you have to run.You must also decide the penalty you are willing to pay if you miss the workout.

The minimum penalty is Rs 300. The app tracks you when you check into a known gym and monitors how long you stay.

You can also wear a fitness band or use your phone's GPS to log miles. Reward money comes from people who failed to honour their pact, media reports said.

Flipkart slashes rates of the Mid-Range Moto G

Flipkart reduced rates of the Moto G
Flipkart, the exclusive retailer of for Motorola devices has announced the revision of prices.Moto G (8 GB) has reduced to Rs 10,499 from its earlier price of Rs 12,499. The 16 GB variant is now available for Rs 11,999. The offer however is valid till the stock lasts.Moto G comes with the reduced price as a result of its fierce competition with Chinese smartphone Xiaomi Mi3, which is priced at Rs 13,999.The reduction in price will play in favour for Moto G and will certainly attract the prospective customers. The company has also adopted the strategy of slashing the rates of Moto X in US for a limited period offer.The American multinational telecommunications Motorola had launched its Moto G smartphone in November last year (February in India) and recent rumours suggest Motorola is working on the device's successor.