Google faces fresh probe for allegedly abusing online ad space

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has ordered a fresh probe against the Internet Search giant, Google, on alleged abuse of its dominant position in the online search advertising space. The latest order came on a complaint by one Vishal Gupta against Google Inc, Google India and Google Ireland claiming that Google Adwords accounts are extremely “opaque and not transparent." Gupta and his family, who manage Shyam Garment Group of Companies, stated that his firm as well as several remote tech companies, had been suspended from the Adwords programme to promote Google's own activities in a discriminatory and unfair manner. Earlier Google had faced complaints from advocacy group CUTS International, alleging anti-competitive and discriminatory practices in India in 2012. Matrimony.com, a matrimonial website also filed a complaint and a fine of Rs 1 crore was imposed by CCI on Google for its failure to comply with the directions given by its Director General seeking information and documents in both these cases. CCI said that “Google’s practices prima facie stem, to a large degree, from its undisputable dominance in the online search market. Therefore, Google’s practices towards Adwords customers such as the RTS (remote technology support) firms in this case, need to be investigated.” Google is facing a hefty anti-trust fine of $5 billion in India. However the internet giant has offered its full co-operation to the antitrust body Competition Commission of India (CCI) in its investigation. CCI has referred to DG for a detailed investigation against the internet giant and the DG is expected to file a report soon, which will also include comments from third parties. Google had earlier faced anti-trust issues in Europe and US as well. The company faced a two-year review by a US anti-trust watch dog which later settled in the internet giant's favor. Unlike US and Europe, the Indian competition does not allow settlement and complaint once filed with the CCI can't be withdrawn. Source: Indian Express

Google Search 4.0 update brings smarter conversations to iOS

Google Search for iOS has received a new update that allows the application to understand your conversational, natural language. Android users had received these capabilities a while back and now the same features are available for Google search app on iOS as well. The new update allows you to get Google Search ready for your query by saying, "Ok Google", ahead of asking your question. Now, you can ask Google "What's the weather like?," and once you get the reply, you can follow up with "How about this weekend?" to get further information. Other new features updated on the iOS version of Google Search 4.0 also adds the ability for Google Now to provide you information related to your favorite topics, upcoming trips, and your favorite blogs and authors. Google Now update adds cards for Cricket and if you are a sports fan, you can get results sent to you without even asking for them. The update also brings speed improvements for Google Search and Google Now on your iOS device. Users can download or install the latest app for Google Search from the Apple App Store. While Google's voice-assistant competes with Apple's Siri and Microsoft's Cortana, improvements and context-specific features are definitely becoming important. Google recently introduced 'OK Google' voice search for its PC version of Google Chrome. The new feature can be used by opening a new tab or visiting Google.com in Chrome and then saying “Enable Ok Google,” to begin the voice search. Google has also introduced a new update for its search on Android that lets you activate the camera, click pictures or video with a voice command. Source: Apple

Samsung launches 6000mAh external battery pack for Galaxy S5

South Korean manufacturer, Samsung has introduced a new 6000mAh battery pack in a faux leather design which is similar to the Galaxy Note 3 for Rs 3,599. The battery pack is capable of charging the Galaxy S5 two times.

The Samsung EB-PG900B battery pack is very compact and measures 74 x 140 x 11mm only. It comes with a built-in retractable microUSB cable for charging and it also has an LED charging indicator. The battery weighs 173 grams and is available in white color. The battery pack is available on Samsung India's online store for $60 (INR 3,599) and it European price is expected to be about €40.
Samsung is releasing a range of accessories in the faux leather design. The company recently released the Galaxy Grand 2 as well as a black variant of the Samsung Galaxy S4 with a faux leather back. A variant of the Galaxy Note 3 called the Galaxy Note 3 Neo with a similar faux leather back was also launched recently. Samsung also demoed a series of tablets with the same faux leather back at the CES 2014.
The images of Galaxy S5 Zoom have also been leaked online. The images show a faux leather back and is rumored to have a 1.6GHz quad-core or a 1.3GHz Samsung Exynos 5 Hexa processor with 2GB of RAM. It is also expected to have a 4.8-inch display with 720p resolution and will run Android 4.4.2 KitKat out-of-the-box. It will have a 20MP CMOS sensor, with 10X Optical zoom and Xenon flash.
Source: Samsung

Google may have power over Indian election results, says study

Search rankings that favoured one candidate over the other may have had an effect on how people voted in the recently concluded national elections. A study conducted by the American Institute for Behavioural Research and Technology (AIBRT) on over 2,000 undecided Indian voters showed that about 12% of them could be ‘pushed’ towards a candidate based on better visibility on Google search. The study also found that in the case of certain demographics and voters from states like West Bengal, Karnataka, Kerala and Delhi, 24 to 33% of people could be swayed over to a candidate based on search rankings.

Based on these results, the study concluded that Google indeed had the power to “fix” elections to a certain extent and could actually affect closely fought electoral battles.
The research consisted of assigning the undecided voters into groups which differed from each other based on search rankings that favoured Narendra Modi (BJP), Rahul Gandhi (Congress) or Arvind Kejriwal (AAP) respectively. The results were displayed using real web pages and the respondents were asked to research candidates based on these results just like they would in real life.
While speaking about the study, Dr. Robert Epstein, lead researcher and Senior Research Psychologist at AIBRT said, "This is a very serious matter — a real threat to democracy. If two candidates were both trying to push their rankings higher, they would be competing, and that's fine. But if Google, which has a monopoly on search in India, were to favour one candidate, it could easily put that candidate in office by manipulating search rankings, and no one could counter what they were doing.”
“Even if without human intervention the company's search algorithm favoured one candidate, thousands of votes would still be driven to that candidate."
A similar study conducted last year in the US showed that about 15% or more American voters could be affected by biased search rankings towards or against candidates.
Source: AIBRT via The Times of India

Moto G with LTE and microSD officially unveiled

Motorola is on a roll after the massive success of its Moto G smartphone. Even as the company unveiled a new low-cost smartphone 'Moto E', it also introduced a new version of its best selling smartphone. The new version of the Moto G supports LTE and comes with a microSD card slot – a feature that was missed in the previous iteration of the phone.

Rest of the specifications of the smartphone remain the same – 4.5-inch display, Android 4.4.2 KitKat, 1.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 chipset, 1GB of RAM and 5MP camera with LED flash. 

With a combination of good specs, solid design and affordable pricing, the Moto G became Motorola's best selling smartphone in company's history, in less than six months of its launch. However, one of the things the phone lacked was the unavailability of expandable storage. But, Motorola has rectified that omission in the new version of the smartphone, making the product more attractive.

The LTE-based Moto G will cost $219 in the US. So far there's no word on the availability and price of the new version in India, but looking at the trend we believe Motorola will like to tap further into its success in the Indian market. With the new Moto E, an affordable version of the Moto G, Motorola is set to increase its share in the Indian market.

7 best health and fitness apps for iOS and Android

There’s a gradual (and welcome) shift in the mobile segment’s focus on health and fitness. With flagship smartphones like the iPhone 5S and the Samsung Galaxy S5 putting fitness features firmly on the radar, we think it’s a great time to help you choose from the best health and fitness apps available for your iOS and Android device.

So, download these apps and let them help you get off your ass!

1. Runtastic Pro

Available on: iOS; Android
Price: Rs. 300

If you’re the kind of person who cannot go for a day without cardio workouts, jogging or exercise, then Runtastic Pro is the app for you. It gives you a comprehensive set of tools to track your workout regimen including a “voice coach” that gives you updates on your progress. Other neat features include the ability to receive “cheers” from friends while you’re on your run or workout, and the ability to monitor your heart rate and calorie intake.

Runtastic Pro is also available in a free ad-supported variant that cuts down on a few features.

2. Nike+ Running

Available on iOS; Android
Price: Free

Nike+ Running is probably the most popular running app on the planet and it reached that spot thanks to its simple but great looking interface. The app tracks your runs and highlights achievements. It also lets you compete with your friends on a leaderboard and keeps you motivated with the help of the Coach feature that you can use to train for marathons.

3. Cardiograph

Available on iOS; Android
Price: Rs. 120 (iOS); Free (Android)

For an app that only has one main feature, Cardiograph can prove very, very useful. Like its name suggests, you can use Cardiograph to measure your heart rate. All you need to do is run the app and place your index finger on your phone’s camera. The app saves your readings for future reference and you can also add multiple profiles of users and also add notes to every reading.

4. RunKeeper

Available on: iOS; Android
Price: Free

Love running? Then, RunKeeper is one app that you must download and try out. The app can track all the details of your runs including your speed, distance and time. If you keep your headphones plugged in during your jog, the app will also regularly update you on your progress and provide tips on how to run better. RunKeeper also makes it easy to share your runs across social networks and lets your friends follow your runs live.

5. Zombies, Run!

Available on: iOS; Android
Price: Rs. 250 (iOS); Rs. 255.17 (Android)

If keeping yourself fit and healthy isn’t motivating enough to go on a run, then perhaps fear is. That’s the logic that drives Zombies, Run! that places you in the starring role of a person running away from hordes of zombies. By using headphones, Zombies, Run! creates an immersive experience that makes you feel like you’re in the middle of a zombie apocalypse and need to run to complete objectives and ensure your survival.

6. Seven- 7 minute workout

Available on: iOS; Android
Price: Free

Not everybody has the time to engage in hour long or even half-hour workouts everyday. If you want to get fitter but can only spend up to 10 minutes a day working out, then Seven is for you. Using the app, you can engage in 14 different exercises for 30 seconds each resulting in an intensive workout that only takes up seven minutes.

7. Calorie Counter - MyFitnessPal

Available on: iOS; Android
Price: Free

Do you want to manage your calorie intake in order to improve your health? Calorie Counter is one of the best apps that will help you to do so thanks to its massive library of over 3 million dishes and ingredients. You can use the app to scan the barcodes of your grocery purchases and also manually input whatever you may be eating.  

Main image: Shutterstock/Dudarev Mikhail via Digital Trends

Moto E India launch: First look and picture gallery

Riding high on the success of Moto G, Motorola today launched its new Android smartphone in India – Moto E. Priced at Rs. 6,999, the new Motorola smartphone is expected to have a big impact on the budget smartphone segment in India, especially the under 10k segment.

We were present at Motorola's launch event, where we had the opportunity to get our hands on the Moto E. Before we publish a detailed review, here's a quick look at the new Motorola Moto E:

The rubberized back is reminiscent of the Moto G, looks similar, feels similar and is as classy as the Moto G with a tiny Motorola logo. Notice the absence of flash, you don't get an LED flash next to the 5MP snapper.

The device is well proportioned for a 4.3-inch screen, the display pixel density isn't going to wow you, but it isn't bad given the device price point.

IPS display ensures view angles are very good, you don't lose out on color fidelity when looking at the screen at wide viewing angles

The screen gets Gorilla Glass 3 protection, probably a segment first for a smartphone in this price range. Good job, Motorola.

This image gives you an idea of the overall fit an finish and size of the device, very similar to the Moto G. Yes, you can call the Moto E as the "Moto G Mini".

 

 The Moto E sticks to the same Moto G design when it comes to front bezels as well. Shiny front bezel with rubberized matte back panel is what you get with the Moto E. The thickness of the device is well controlled via the curved back design, the Moto E is 6.2mm thick at the edges and measures 12.3mm at its thickest area (the middle).

Just like the Moto G, Moto E also comes with nano coating on the inside as well as the outside, protecting the device from damage due to accidental water spills, rain, etc. Though, Moto E isn't water resistant, you can't go for a swim with it.

A tiny dash of chrome, just to give it an up-market feel? We Indians love chrome, so they say!

Moto E officially launched in India for Rs. 6,999

Motorola has officially launched its Moto E smartphone in India. As expected, the smartphone has been aggressively priced at Rs. 6,999. The Moto E will be exclusively available via Flipkart starting midnight.

The Motorola Moto E has a glossy display along with a curved back. The smartphone comes with interchangeable back covers called Motorola Shells. It features a 4.3-inch display with 960x540 pixels resolution, 256ppi density and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. The smartphone runs Android 4.4.2 KitKat (guaranteed updates) and is powered by a 1.2 GHz dual-core Qualcomm snapdragon 200 processor along with 1GB of RAM.

The smartphone sports a 5MP rear camera, featuring one-tap capture, 4x digital zoom, burst mode, auto HDR, panorama and tap to focus. It comes with 4GB built-in storage, expandable up to 32GB via microSD .

The Moto E comes with dual-SIM support, featuring intelligent calling- automatically selects preferred SIM that is used frequently. Other connectivity options include 2G and 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS. It includes FM Radio, Accelerometer, Proximity Sensor, Ambient Light Sensor. The Moto E is powered by a 1,980 mAh battery.

The Moto E is already listed on Flipkart in white and black colour options 

Twitter launches 'mute' button for Android, iOS and web

Twitter has rolled out a new 'mute' button, which lets users turn off the posts/updates of certain users without unfollowing them. The feature has been introduced for Android, iOS and web users.

The 'Mute' button will stop unwanted posts from showing up on your timeline, including native re-tweets and their own posts, so users will not get push notifications or SMS alerts from them. The button is reversible and no one will know if you activate the feature. Users can access the 'Mute' feature from the gear icon of the twitter profile page or from the 'more' link on any individual tweet. The feature has started rolling out and will be available to users across the globe over the next few weeks.  To learn more about the new feature, check out Twitter's help center page.

Third-party clients like Tweetbot already support the mute feature. The app allows muting hashtags, keywords as well as users, which Twitter has not introduced yet.

Earlier this week, Twitter had introduced a new feature that lets you re-set user passwords with a text message. The new feature was launched in an effort to make the social networking site more secure for users. The system will also analyze the users account history, location, device, etc to identify suspicious activity. The new password reset process has been launched for Android and iOS clients.

Source: Twitter

BlackBerry Z3 Jakarta Edition goes official, priced under $200

Back at the Mobile World Congress 2014, BlackBerry had announced it would be launching a new touch smartphone - Z3 - this year. And now, the company has revealed a Jakarta Edition of the Z3, which will go on sale starting May 15 with a price tag of $191 (Rs. 11,400 approximately).

BlackBerry says the Z3 has been built “exclusively” for Indonesia with a special focus on communication. According to specifications listed on GSMArena, the BlackBerry Z3 features a 5-inch display with 540 x 960 pixels resolution. The smartphone runs BlackBerry 10.2.1 OS and is powered by a 1.2 GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8230 Snapdragon 400 processor along with 1.5GB of RAM.

The Z3 comes with 8GB of built-in storage, expandable up to 32GB via microSD. The smartphone sports a 5MP rear camera and 1.1MP secondary camera. For connectivity, the BlackBerry Z3 GPRS, EDGE, 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP, NFC and microUSB 2.0. A 2,500 mAh battery powers the device.

"From conception to delivery, the BlackBerry Z3 Jakarta Edition was designed specifically with out Indonesian customers in mind," BlackBerry Chief Executive John Chen is quoted as saying. The device lets users to type in Bahasa and features a special set of BlackBerry Messenger, or BBM Stickers featuring local characters.

With declining share in the global smartphone market, BlackBerry has been struggling to maintain its hold in emerging markets. Almost two years ago, BlackBerry dominated the Indonesian market with a share of about 40 percent. Now, the share has shrunk to 4 percent, while the market is currently dominated by Samsung.

There are high chances that BlackBerry will be launching the Z3 in the Indian market soon. However, the smartphone will be facing a stiff competition from the likes of Moto G, Nokia Lumia 630 and a range of other Android smartphones below Rs. 15,000.

Google testing new UI for Gmail on desktops

Google is reportedly testing a new revamped update of its Gmail UI for desktop and has started sending out invites to some users to check the new features on the UI. The new UI has been designed to bring a common experience across various screen sizes.

According to reports, the new Gmail version will bring changes to the contemporary design of the email service. The new design shows that the sidebar will be replaced with a slide-in pane to use the whole display for emails. The update also brings UI changes to Hangouts, and adds features like 'snooze an email', reminders from Google about your appointments, your do-to list or replying to an email. The revamped look also shows that the stars in the mail will be replaced with pins and all the pinned emails can be set to remain on top of the other mails. The new revamped looks resembles the mobile app versions of the client and has a cleaner, less cluttered look.

However there is no information on the official launch date of the new Gmail UI. Though Google is working on it, the UI may be just meant for testing and might not be launched at all.

Google has recently launched the Classroom tool in Google apps. The app was unveiled on Teachers Appreciation Day and is designed to create and collect assignments and provide feedback to students. The Classroom tool integrates Gmail, Drive and Docs to assist teachers in creating assignments without wasting paper. Google is testing the tool in a dozen schools in the US and is planning to launch the app worldwide by September.

Source: UberGizmo

Apple iPhone 5C 8GB version to launch in India soon: Reports

If reports are to believed, Apple will be soon launching an 8GB version of its iPhone 5C in India. The move is supposed to help Apple increase share in the Rs. 30,000-40,000 smartphone segment, which is mainly dominated by the likes of Samsung and Sony.

The Apple iPhone 5C 8GB version is likely to be priced around Rs. 35,000-37,000. According to reports, the smartphone will be available with a buyback scheme as well, which is expected to bring down the price to Rs. 30,000. The iPhone 5C 16GB version is currently selling online for around Rs. 37,000-41,000.  Read iPhone 5C Review

Apple recently launched the 8GB iPhone 5C in 14 new markets. The company had then hinted at launching the smartphone in other markets as well.

With the iPhone 5C 8GB, Apple isn't just eyeing the market share, but also raising its Average Selling Price (ASP) in India. Traditionally, Apple has been targeting the premium smartphone segment with its flagship models. However, Apple hinted at a major shift in its strategy for the Indian market this year, as it re-launched its iPhone 4 in the country.

According to reports, Apple saw a decline of 10-15% in April from March in smartphone sales. The new model is expected to push volumes. "Apple's iPhone 5C 8GB model is likely to do well in India, since most consumers in India do not care much about the storage memory if there is a good price and deal," Times of India quotes one of the local trade partners of Apple.

Source: Times of India

Samsung to launch Tizen-based smartphone in Russia and India

Samsung Electronics Co. is planning to launch a smartphone in Russia and India in the "coming weeks" which will feature its custom built Tizen operating system. The company is planning to hold an event in Moscow to unveil the smartphone. It is being said that the event will be similar to the format that Samsung uses to unveil its flagship devices.

The South Korean company is further planning to launch the Tizen-based smartphone in India right after releasing it in Russia at the "Unpacked" event. Samsung had earlier announced that it will be launching its first Tizen-based smartphone towards the end of the second quarter.

By announcing such a smartphone, Samsung will directly lock horns with rivals like Apple and Google as it takes control of the software platform on its smartphones. Samsung has been using Google's Android operating system on its smartphone and this move will likely make it more independent when it comes to designing its phones in terms of both the hardware as well as the software. Despite being its own operating system, Samsung is still using elements from Android which are being licensed to it by Google.

Having its own mobile operating system might also help Samsung push software updates even faster as it is currently relying on Google for latest updates. This will also help the company generate more revenue by sales of software and services.

Tizen is an open-source mobile operating system as well.

Source: Wall Street Journal 

Nokia Lumia 630 launched in India, starts at Rs. 10,500

After finalizing its acquisition deal with Microsoft two weeks ago, Nokia is on a roll and is already out with its new Windows Phone 8.1-based smartphone - the Nokia Lumia 630. After launching Nokia XL last week, the company has just announced the Lumia 630 in India.

The Lumia 630 will be the first smartphone to feature Microsoft's Windows Phone 8.1 operating system. Nokia is planning to launch the dual-SIM version of the Lumia 630 on 16th May. The single SIM variant of the phone will be launched later this month. 

The pricing of both the variants has also been announced. The single-SIM variant will cost Rs 10,500 while the dual-SIM version will be available for Rs 11,500.

Lumia 630 features a 4.5-inch display with FWVGA (854x480) resolution, a 5MP camera and 8GB of internal storage which is expandable via a memory card slot. It will feature 512MB of RAM. The smartphone is powered by a Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor running at 1.2GHz. The battery capacity of the phone is 1830mAh. The display features Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection with Lumia color profile and wide viewing angles. Nokia has used its ClearBlack display technology on Lumia 630's display which is an IPS LCD screen.

The all-new Lumia 630 will have the latest Windows Phone features like the Cortana search assistant and the Universal Windows apps. India is among the first few countries where the smartphone has been announced.

73 percent of children under 13 using social networking sites: Assocham study

Should children below 13 years of age be allowed to join the social networking websites? It has been one of the long debated issues globally, especially in the wake of growing case of cyber bulling, child pornography and trolling. In India, the government is already making efforts to prevent children under 13 years from accessing the social networking websites. However, a new study conducted by ASSOCHAM reveals about 73 percent of children under 13 years of age in India are using the social networking websites such as Facebook.

The study was conducted in metro as well as tier 2 cities of in India including Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmadabad, Hyderabad, Pune, Lucknow and Dehradun. Survey further points out about 75 percent of the parents are aware about their children in the age group of 8-13 years using Facebook. Another shocker is about 82 percent of parents provided wrong information to create a Facebook account for their children.

“Nearly 25 percent of 13-year-olds, 22% percent of 11-year-olds and 15 percent of 10-year-old are on Facebook, while 5-10 percent of 8 and 9 year-olds are also active on the site.” Facebook has emerged as the most preferred social networking site among this age group. Other sites like flick.com, Google Plus, Pinterest are being used by 85 percent of children in the age group of 10-16 years,” adds the survey.

Commenting on the survey findings, Mr. D.S Rawat, General Secretary of ASSOCHAM, says, “Children are gaining access to social media sites at a younger age, which could expose them to content, people or situations that are out of their depth.”  He points out that such a high number of children below under 13 years of age on social networking sites could lead increase in cases of cyber bullying, which could have adverse psychological impact on them.

ASSOCHAM's new survey comes months after the Delhi High Court took a serious note of children below 13 years having accounts on the social networking websites. The court asked Facebook to put a disclaimer on its home page stating that children below 13 years cannot open account on the social network. The Delhi HC also rapped the Indian government for not having adequate laws to prevent children from abused through the social networking sites.

Apple to buy Beats Electronics for $3.2 billion: Reports

Apple Inc. is reportedly in talks to buy Beats Electronics, which is the company behind popular Dr. Dre's Beats headphones. It is being said that the acquisition might be finalized for $3.2 billion. If the deal does go through, it would be Apple's largest purchase of all time.

Beats Electronics was founded by rapper Dr. Dre and records producer Jimmy lovine. The company is most famous for its "Beats by Dre" over-the-ear headphones that are mostly used by rappers and celebrities. The headphone is a premium product and costs at around $300. Beats is generally known for making high-end headphones. 

Acquiring Beats Electronics might help Apple to increase its domination in digital music. The iPhone manufacturer is popular for its iTunes service since starting it in 2001. But, during the recent years, sales of digital music on iTunes have been reported to have been declining steadily.

Back in 2012, smartphone manufacturer HTC bought a 51 percent stake in Beats for $300 million. Later in 2013, HTC sold back the 25 percent of its share as the two companies ended their partnership. HTC had to sell its stake in Beats due to its plummeting smartphone marketshare and share price collapse. Critics say that if this deal between Apple and Beats does go through, Apple Inc. would effectively save HTC which is also its smartphone rival as the latter is still incurring loses out of the deal. After acquiring Beats in 2012, stock price of HTC fell almost 80 percent. HTC would have profited by a hefty $1.29 billion had it not sold its stake in Beats last year. 

HTC phones featuring Beats audio technology received good reception from consumers. Now, the purchase by Apple could potentially make iPhones and iPads favorites among audiophiles. Apple has a huge cash reserve of $159 billion which means spending $3 billion to buy a company which could make its products more premium wouldn't affect its reserves by much.

Apple continues to be the largest seller of digital music with its store operating in more than 100 countries around the world. Now due to competition from companies like Amazon and others, its market share has dropped recently. The new deal with Beats could also revive its iPod which has been losing popularity over the recent years.

Source: Financial Times, Via: The New York TImes

Microsoft files patent for a sports-focused smartwatch

Microsoft has filed a patent for a smartwatch with a removable display that can be docked on gym equipment. The wearable would come with a number of biometric sensors to monitor your heart rate. The patent was first flied by Microsoft in 2012, but released only last week.

The patent application also states that the smartwatch will have an inbuilt music player, alarm clock, messaging as well as other phone elements. Input sources to the processor include an optical sensor, touchscreen, and a GPS unit with internal compass. The device comes with a magnetic dock that can be used as a charger for the wearable and as an alarm clock as well. The new Microsoft watch is rumored to come with a removable band in red, black, yellow and blue colors and is stated to be made of a translucent form of the metal called oxynitride aluminium.

According to rumors, a prototype of the device was running on a modified version of Windows 8 which supports integration with other Windows devices. It is expected to have a 1.5-inch display screen, 6 GB of storage, and LTE network support. The project is believed to be headed by former Nokia CEO Stephen Elop, who now leads Microsoft's Devices division.

Microsoft smartwatch will compete Samsung's Galaxy Gear smartwatch which was released last year. Google is also planning to launch the Moto 360 smartwatch in the summer while LG is planning its Android wear smartwatch. A speculation around Apple's iWatch is also making the rounds. Apart from these electronics giants, Microsoft also faces competition from start-up's like Pebble which sold approx 400,000 smartwatches last year.

Source: Techradar

Scientists create the first living organism with synthetic 'alien' DNA

Scientists at the Scripps Research Institute have successfully created the first living organism with an "alien" DNA which contains two extra bases, X and Y. Such a DNA has never occured in billions of years of evolution on Earth. In a normal DNA, which is present in every living organism on Earth, there are only two bases of double helix that are bonded together with four bases known as T (thymine), G (guanine), A (adenine) and C (cytosine).

The new semi-synthetic alien organism has continued to reproduce normally while preserving the new alien DNA during reproduction. The research could lead to creation of highly customized organisms in future such as bacteria, animals, and even humans which could behave in a weird and wonderful ways that the already existing DNA doesn't allow.

The research has been 15 years in the making where the scientists have created the semi-synthetic organism with an expanded genetic alphabet. The addition of new letters could enable biologists to vastly expand the range of proteins that they could synthesize. “What we have now is a living cell that literally stores increased genetic information,” says Floyd Romesberg, a chemical biologist at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, who led the 15-year effort. 

The research team engineered a bacterium known as Escherichia coli to express a gene from a diatom which is a single-celled alga encoding a protein that allowed the molecules to pass through the bacterium's membrane. The scientists then created a short loop of DNA called a plasmid, containing a single pair of the foreign bases, and inserted the whole thing into E. coli cells. With the diatom protein supplying a diet of foreign nucleotides, the plasmid was copied and passed on to dividing E. coli cells for nearly a week. When the supply of foreign nucleotides ran out, the bacteria replaced the foreign bases with natural ones.

The alien E. coli contains just a single pair of foreign DNA bases out of millions. But Benner sees no reason why a fully alien cell isn’t possible. “I don’t think there’s any limit,” he says. “If you go back and rerun evolution for four billion years, you could come up with a different genetic system.” Potential uses of the technology could also include the incorporation of a toxic amino acid into a protein to ensure that it kills only cancer cells. This would make cancer treatment ever more advanced and effective.

It is possible that these scientists might be able to create a complete synthetic organism which could be unrecognizable. These organisms could be potentially capable of doing whatever these scientists want them to.

For now, the researchers are still trying to figure out how long the bacteria can survive and are also trying to see if its possible to produce a strain with more than one X-Y pair. The newly created organism won't be able to survive outside unless it is reverted back to the traditional four-letter DNA alphabet, as it needs to feed on synthetic molecules (that only the scientists can supply) to replicate. So according to the scientists, the organism would never infect other organisms in its current form in case it escapes from the lab because it would most likely die.

Source: Nature

Nintendo to make new consoles for 'emerging markets'

Nintendo President Satoru Iwata has revealed that the company plans to make new consoles primarily aimed at ‘emerging markets’. While speaking to Bloomberg, Iwata said that it was unrealistic to sell games at $30 to $60 in emerging markets and would require a complete reworking of both the hardware and pricing. On the other hand, Iwata dismissed reports that Nintendo planned to enter the smartphone gaming segment, stating that it had been involved in console gaming for far too long to suddenly shift into a new segment.

With the recent removal of the ban on foreign consoles in China, Nintendo has focused on making a mark in the country. However, the term ‘emerging markets’ also includes India and although Iwata did not make any mention of it, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to imagine that the Japanese company has plans for India as well.

India and China, along with Brazil and Russia, could be part of a new Nintendo plan to revive its flagging fortunes because of the failure of the Wii U console. The company also announced a loss of $329 million for the quarter ending March 2014.  

Source: Bloomberg  via Polygon 

4.7-in iPhone 6 will be out August, 5.5-in variant out in Sep: Rumours

Apple is expected to launch a 4.7-in version of the iPhone 6 in August, according to supply chain sources who spoke to Taiwanese media. The reports state that the upcoming iPhone will hit stores in August, a month earlier than expected. However, the reports also state that a 5.5 or 5.6-in variant of the iPhone 6 will hit stores in September of this year.

With the rumours refusing to die down, it almost seems certain that 2014 will see a large screened iPhone, something that can compete in size with Android smartphones like the Sony Xperia Z2, the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the HTC One M8. 

Early last month, we saw leaked renders of the rumoured iPhone 6 presumably captured in a Foxconn factory in China. The pictures showed an iPhone that was similarly elongated as the iPhone 5S though it was unclear what the actual dimensions were. Other reports about the iPhone 6 that we’ve had to deal with include the rumours that like its predecessors, it will continue with an 8MP camera, it will not have a physical home button and that it will sport an “Ultra Retina” display that packs in 389 pixels per inch (ppi).  

Source: Reuters

Samsung 105-inch curved Ultra HD TV: Top 5 features and insane pricing.

Samsung today unveiled its revolutionary curved television in India which has a whopping dimensions of 105 inches with a 21:9 aspect ratio and is the World’s first curved television that supports Ultra HD (4K) resolution. The new curved TV was first shown off at CES 2014 in Las Vegas and it offers a wide field of view which creates a nice panorama effect. With this Samsung also launched other curved Ultra HD televisions which offer similar experience in a smaller package.

While the humongous size and resolution sounds mind boggling, we got some in-depth info about the new television.

1. Resolution and the curve
The new 105-inch curved TV supports 4K resolution but due to its 21:9 ratio, the actual resolution of the television is 5120x2160. So technically, the resolution is higher than 4K. With a size of 8 feet by 3.5 feet, the TV incorporates more than 11 million pixels. Samsung claims that the curved shape provides the best viewing experience as the human eye is also curved. The curve is 4200R which means the curve is bent at the radius of a 4200mm circle.

2. Up-scaling 
In a country like India, where DTH providers have just started providing HD channels and where Blue-ray movies are still scanty, 4K content is nowhere to be seen. To resolve this, the new curved TV offers an up-scaling option which can convert HD and full HD content into 4K. Samsung's up-scaling technology provides a 4-step image processing feature which gives deeper blacks and finer details even after the conversion.

3. Smart TV
The 105-inch curved UHD TV offers smart features like apps and also allows you to browse the internet as well. The TV has built-in Wi-Fi, so if there isn’t a good movie or TV show on, you can just switch over to the internet and maybe watch some YouTube videos.

4. Quad-core processor
Yes, the new curved UHD TV has a quad-core processor that powers the television to accomplish various tasks. With features like up-scaling, split-view and the capability to run apps, the quad-core processor sounds like a good choice.

5. Price
The official Indian price of the television has not yet been revealed although Samsung has confirmed that it will be available in the second of this year. At the time of unveiling in CES 2014, the television was priced at $70,000 which calculates to about Rs. 42 lakhs. For a television, this one is probably the most expensive TV on the planet.

Google Play Services 4.4 update brings great new features

Google has begun rolling out a v4.4 update to its Google Play Services. The update includes major enhancements to Maps, an introduction of Street View, new features in Location, Games Services, and much more.

Google Play services 4.4 lets developers embed Street View in third-party apps using a new Google Maps API. Developers will be able to access street view imagery including panorama views. This means that developers will now be able to show Google Maps built right into their apps, instead of simply linking a user.

Google has added new features to Indoor Maps of the API, allowing developers to turn off the default floor picker so that they can build their own. It has also added the capability to identify of when a new building comes into focus to find the currently-active building and floor. The street view inclusion will also be useful for indoor mapping for shopping mall or museum, which could provide guided virtual tours with the dedicated app.

The update also adds two new activity detectors to their location app, which permits apps to recognize when a user is walking or running and behave accordingly. This will be useful to Android powered Fitness apps and those running Android wear. Google Play services will now let users send Game Gifts to multiple recipients in apps that utilize Google Play Games. Other updates are aimed at developers including support for in-app promo ads and easier implementation of a 'Buy With Google' button in apps using the Wallet Fragment API.

Google Camera app has also got a minor update today. The app now lets you click photos while recording. Apart from that you will find that the shutter button no longer shifts from side to side during rotations. You can get the latest update from the Google Play Store.

Source: Android Authority 

Izitru to help users verify the authenticity of photos

Izitru, pronounced a bit like "is it true," is a new service that lets you upload a photo and analyze it to check whether it has been modified. The free service makes it easier for honest photographers to prove the authenticity of their images.

Izitru has been launched by a startup called Fourandsix, and gives simplistic results, telling you if the image is an original or has been modified after being extracted out of the camera. The image will help photographers who just took a potentially viral picture in proving to people whether it's real.

To use the service, a photographer can upload a photo through the web site or an iPhone app. After uploading, Izitru runs a battery of 6 forensic tests that can identify editing or authenticity of the picture including devise signature analysis, double JPEG detection, JPEG structure analysis, sensor pattern analysis, JPEG coefficient analysis and JPEG ghost detection. It then posts a version of the photo with its trustworthiness rating. Izitru will create a dedicated page for the photo that displays one of five trust levels: high, medium, potential file modification, undetermined file history and no trust.

"Our intent behind Izitru is to try to address things right at the source. Can we start at the beginning when somebody is first posting that file and certify it on the way out?" said Chief Executive Kevin Connor. "Anyone who cares enough about having people believe their photo can post it to Izitru and share it through whatever service they want, like Facebook or Twitter."

izitru: Real photos. Without a doubt. from Fourandsix on Vimeo.

Source: CNET

Over 100 tech companies join together to oppose new 'Net Neutrality' rules

"Net neutrality" has been in the news for quite a while now. It is a plan that would regulate how internet service providers manage web traffic. The Federal Communications Commission of USA has proposed the rules which could potentially threaten a "free and open Internet" according to Senator Al Franken (D-Minn).

Now, over 100 leading tech firms that include Google, Facebook, Yahoo, Twitter and Amazon, have written to the U.S. telecom regulators. The letter to FCC's Chairman Tom Wheeler, warns of a "grave threat to the Internet." The vote on the plan has been scheduled for May 15.

Sen. Franken has said that the rules that the FCC Chairman proposes would let corporations buy into an Internet "fast lane," at the expense of consumers and smaller and emerging companies. Mozilla, Netflix Inc and Reddit have criticized the proposed rules since the creation of the proposal.

Net neutrality could potentially allow big corporations to get their content to consumers faster than their rival creating higher rates for Internet services, and new obstacles to accessing the content that users want, according to Franken.

The tech firms opposing the rules have said in the letter that "[The FCC must] take the necessary steps to ensure that the internet remains an open platform for speech and commerce."

Public interest groups have become increasingly concerned that the new rules will end “net neutrality” – the concept that all internet traffic should be treated equally on the web. “According to recent news reports, the Commission intends to propose rules that would enable phone and cable Internet service providers to discriminate both technically and financially against Internet companies and to impose new tolls on them,” the tech companies wrote in their letter. “If these reports are correct, this represents a grave threat to the Internet.”

More than a million people have already signed petitions to FCC calling upon them to enshrine net neutrality rules and prevent a tiered system.

Watch Franken’s statement in the video below, followed by a transcript of his remarks:

Source: Reuters

Speed Test: Sony Xperia Z2 vs. HTC One M8 vs. Samsung Galaxy S5

So, it’s finally time. We finally have with us the three big flagship Android phones of 2014- the HTC One (M8), the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the Sony Xperia Z2 (the only one missing is the LG G3 that’s expected by the end of this month). Now, while the detailed reviews of all three phones are on their way, we thought we’d do a quick performance comparison of the three phones with the help of some popular synthetic benchmarks, to get a general idea of where each phone stands in terms of performance as compared to the others.

We ran four benchmarks- Quadrant Standard, Antutu X, Smartbench 2012 and 3DMark on the three phones. Now, we must make it a point to tell you that you should look at these numbers only to get a very, very general idea of the performance of the three phones. The phone manufacturers are known to tweak their devices to make them run better in certain benchmarks.

Anyway, before we get to the actual benchmarks, let’s take a quick look at the important specifications of each smartphone.

The HTC One M8 runs on Android 4.4.2 (KitKat) and is powered by a 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor, Adreno 330 GPU and 2GB of RAM. It has a 2600 mAh battery, dual 4MP cameras and a 5-inch full HD Super LCD3 display.

The Samsung Galaxy S5 also runs on Android 4.4.2 and the variant being sold in India sports a 1.9 + 1.3GHz Exynos 5 octa-core processor, a Mali-T628 MP6 GPU and 2GB of RAM. It is powered by a 2800 mAh battery and has a 16MP camera and 5.1-inch full HD Super AMOLED display.

Finally, the Sony Xperia Z2 is powered by a 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor, Adreno 330 GPU and 3GB of RAM. Like the above two, it also runs on Android 4.4.2 and sports a 5.2-in full HD IPS display. It also sports a 20.7MP camera and a 3200 mAh battery.   

Right then, let’s look at the benchmark scores posted by the three phones.

Benchmark	Samsung Galaxy S5	Sony Xperia Z2	HTC One (M8)
Quadrant Standard	24470	17816	25773
Smartbench 2012(Productivity)	6145	7210	9873
3D Mark Unlimited	13032	18383	17925
Antutu X	37047	33429	34940

The table clearly shows that although the HTC One M8 scores the best in two of the four benchmarks, it does not emerge as the unequivocal champion. The Sony Xperia Z2 takes third place in three benchmarks but also scores the highest in 3DMark, that points towards good gaming performance. The Samsung Galaxy S5 gets the top spot in Antutu but lags behind the One M8 and the Xperia Z2 in the other three benchmarks. 

However, if we were to look at these benchmark numbers in isolation (which we really, really shouldn’t), then the HTC One M8 looks like the best performing phone. But really, you should wait for our reviews to find out accurately which of the flagship phones is actually the best performer and the best one to buy.