Apple has released Watchkit for developers to create applications for the Apple Watch due out next year. The company has made available documentation and guidelines for developers alongside the new iOS 8.2 SDK.
The release includes a WatchKit extension for the iPhone, and user interface resources and tools for the Apple Watch itself. The WatchKit is included in the Xcode 6.2 with iOS 8.2 software development kit in beta that developers can now download.
WatchKit provides the incredible iOS developer community with the tools they need to create exciting new experiences right on your wrist. With the iOS 8.2 beta SDK, developers can now start using WatchKit to create breakthrough new apps, Glances and actionable notifications designed for the innovative Apple Watch interface and work with new technologies such as Force Touch, Digital Crown and Taptic Engine.”
said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.
The new developer resources do reveal the pixel resolutions for both the 38mm and 42mm Apple Watches: 272×340 and 312×390, respectively. This means that developers will require to use different image assets for both display models. Apple is already working with a number of developers to create Watch apps, including ESPN, American Airlines, and Instagram. The company has also created a dedicated Apple Watch site for developers, outlining ...Apple has released Watchkit for developers to create applications for the Apple Watch due out next year. The company has made available documentation and guidelines for developers alongside the new iOS 8.2 SDK.
The release includes a WatchKit extension for the iPhone, and user interface resources and tools for the Apple Watch itself. The WatchKit is included in the Xcode 6.2 with iOS 8.2 software development kit in beta that developers can now download.
WatchKit provides the incredible iOS developer community with the tools they need to create exciting new experiences right on your wrist. With the iOS 8.2 beta SDK, developers can now start using WatchKit to create breakthrough new apps, Glances and actionable notifications designed for the innovative Apple Watch interface and work with new technologies such as Force Touch, Digital Crown and Taptic Engine.”
said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.
The new developer resources do reveal the pixel resolutions for both the 38mm and 42mm Apple Watches: 272×340 and 312×390, respectively. This means that developers will require to use different image assets for both display models. Apple is already working with a number of developers to create Watch apps, including ESPN, American Airlines, and Instagram. The company has also created a dedicated Apple Watch site for developers, outlining ...
Xolo launched the 8X-1000 smartphone with unique HIVE UI back in August. Since the launch the company has been adding new features for the HIVE UI through OTA updates every fortnight. The latest update adds new features, performance enhancements and bug fixes. Till date, more than 20 new features have been added basis customer feedback, further propelling user participation.
HIVE allows users to share real-time feedback, new feature ideas, interact with the development team and other HIVE users through the CONNECT app. New feature ideas and suggestions are analyzed by the development team and basis the voting for each new suggestion/ feedback; it is implemented in the form of OTA updates, says the company.
Key features in the latest OTA update include:
Support for Indian language fonts: 8 new local languages added which will now enable users to access local content in total 14 languages.
Support for Wi-Fi Direct: This enables users to transfer content at high data rates equivalent to that of Wi Fi.
App lock screen feature for Hide and Lock features configurable through Launcher->Settings
Exposure time configuration in Camera Pro mode
Since launch the HIVE UI got several new features such as, wake gesture controls, font customization, focus modes in camera pro modes, enhancement in FusionX app and more. The ...
Amkette has launched Truebeats Tango, the company's latest headphones with a sharing port that allows users to connect multiple headphones together without compromising on the sound. It has sturdy design for rugged usage, comes with foldable form factor for carrying it comfortably. Amkette has partnered with Amazon to sell the headphones in India.
Features of Amkette Truebeats Tango headphones
Sharing port allows you to Share Your Music Without Sharing Your Headphones with unique sharing jack
Powered by TruSound, High standards in sound as well as comfort for an authentic listening experience
Inline Controls with Integrated Microphone and Call Button for Hands-Free Calling.
Fully Collapsible, Fold up design for maximum portability into a size of a tennis ball.
Commenting on the launch, Rajiv Bapna, Director, Amkette said,
The headphones brilliantly compliment frequent travellers perfectly be it the office goers or college students. The users now need not share the earphone plugs while listening to music on a single device. Amkette Tango offers convenience at its peak!
Samir Kumar, Director Category Management, Amazon India, said,
We are happy to be the partner of choice for Amkette and offer our customers the opportunity to own the ‘Amkette Truebeats Tango’ at Amazon.in. We are witnessing a rising demand for Audio/Video products on Amazon.in and we see this as ...
Google's new Nexus 6 smartphone has today gone up for pre-order in the UK on both pay monthly contracts and SIM free and with a range of places to buy from, we're asking who is the cheapest and who delivers fastest? With Google showing the handset as out of stock, can anyone else get it to you in time for launch day on December 1st?
Pay Monthly
If you want the Nexus 6 on pay monthly, you're limited to ordering through Vodafone and Carphone Warehouse at the moment as other networks are yet to confirm pricing and availability.
Vodafone
Vodafone are offering the Nexus 6 on Pay Monthly contracts beginning at the £39.50 per month although it's only free on plans from £44.50 per month and higher. There's a range of 4G data allowances available, with the lowest offering 4GB for £39.50 per month and the highest offering 20GB for £54.50 per month.
Each plan comes with unlimited minutes and texts each month along with the choice of an inclusive entertainment pack on all 4G contracts. There's a variety of packs and you can currently opt for either Now TV, Spotify Premium, Sky Sports Mobile TV or Netflix included free of charge. Depending on the plan ...
Sony has launched 128GB UHS-I SDXC card (SF-G1UX2/T) in India. This is suitable for cameras and camcorders, offering fast data transfer speed and 4K compatibility. It offers read speed of up to 94MB/s and write speed of up to 60MB/s for fast and efficient transfers This would enable minimized workflow speed with improved efficiency, says Sony.
It features an Ultra-High Speed (UHS Speed Class 3) rating, resulting in smooth 4K recordings as well as minimal buffering when capturing still images in Burst, multi-frame or panoramic modes. It is also compatible with XAVC S codec mode recording. Sony currently offers 32GB and 16GB SDHC cards in the UZ series in India.
Sony 128GB UHS-I SDXC card features and specifications
128GB Capacity
Up to 94MB/s read speed and up to 60MB/s write speed with UHS-I interface
Water-proof, shock-proof, x-ray proof and wide operating temperature range
Free Software download (Memory Card File Rescue supporting 3D and AVCHD files & x-Pict Story for Memory Card)
UHS-3 (Speed Class), UHS-I (UHS Bus Interfce)
Dimensions: 100 x 127 x 6mm; Weight: 13g
The new Sony 128GB SDXC Card in the UX series is priced at Rs. 13,200 (MRP) and is available across all Sony Center and major electronic stores across India.
With an aim to protect user conversations from unwanted surveillance and snooping, WhatsApp messenger has rolled out end-to-end encryption with TextSecure protocol from Open Whisper Systems.
Currently the encryption only applies to messages sent between Android phones, with the latest version of the Android app automatically encrypting messages without the need for users to enable the feature. The feature does not apply to group messages or media messages. The encryption feature is offered by default, meaning WhatsApp users don't have to turn it on and shouldn't notice its presence.
"WhatsApp deserves enormous praise for devoting considerable time and effort to this project. Even though we're still at the beginning of the rollout, we believe this already represents the largest deployment of end-to-end encrypted communication in history."
said Open Whisper Systems in a release.
‘End-to-end’ encryption simply means is WhatsApp won’t be able to decrypt the messages itself even if the law prosecution compels Facebook. WhatsApp will set up the key exchange between users, but only among the users involved in the conversation will access to it. Apple's iMessage service also encrypts data from "end-to-end".
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A day after Nokia introduced its N1 tablet, Jolla has announced the Jolla Tablet with a similar 2048 x 1536 display. Jolla has taken Indiegogo route for crowdfunding to develop the tablet. In terms of specifications, the Jolla tablet has a 7.89-inch (2048 × 1536 pixels) display at 330 ppi, powered by a 1.8GHz quad-core Intel Atom processor and runs on Jolla Sailfish OS 2.0. It has a 5-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera.
This WiFi-only tablet has 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, similar to the Nokia N1, but this has a microSD expansion slot too. You can install Android applications in addition to the native Sailfish OS apps.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBQdfcLhts8
Commenting on the new Jolla Tablet, Marc Dillon, Co-founder and COO of Jolla said,
After successfully entering the mobile phone market a year ago with our unique Jolla smartphone, we are now proud to introduce our next major project, the Jolla Tablet. Jolla’s independent open Sailfish OS with its cutting edge user experience works perfectly on bigger screen sizes, and we are super excited to bring the world’s best multitasking experience to the tablet size. For the Jolla Tablet we are partnering with Intel, to secure the best device performance, and reliability.
Jolla Tablet specifications
7.85-inch (2048 × 1536 ...
Rising need for data usage among Indian consumers have opened tremendous opportunities for Indian Data Card market. India Data Card market shipment reaches 1.58 million units in Q3 2014, as per a latest report from 6Wresearch.
In Q3 2014, the market registered growth of around 7% as compared to CY 2Q 2014. During CY 3Q 2014, GSM captured lion share of the India Data Card market and faced stiff competition by CDMA Data Cards. Giving insights about the vendors, the report said that Huawei continued its market leadership followed by ZTE and both the vendors managed to capture about 68% of total market share in India.
“Uptake of internet based devices such as PC, smartphones and tablets have increased the demand for data cards in the market. Also, with increasing number of mobile workforce in the country, corporates are providing data cards to their employees so as to keep them connected with the system. Government initiatives towards the growth of India Broadband infrastructure as well as focus on certain key areas such as IT, Rural Education and Health programs has created an inevitable need for portable broadband services” he added. Mobile hotspots are gaining much popularity in India and due to this the ...
When considering the performance of a handset, attention is inevitably turned towards benchmarking applications such as GeekBench 3, 3D Mark and AnTuTu (to name but a few). When comparing performance across iOS and Android, the benchmark applications that can be used are limited but both GeekBench 3 and 3D Mark reveal some interesting facts.
Comparing the iPhone 6 Plus and Ascend Mate 7, the benchmarks reveal some surprising results. Apple are unique in that they control both the hardware and software elements of their handsets whilst Huawei (and other Android OEMs excluding Google) have to compensate for a lack of deep integration with the core OS by using much higher specs.
The Ascend Mate 7 sports a quad-core Kirin processor with 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage whilst the iPhone 6 Plus has a dual-core Apple A8 CPU, 1GB RAM and 64GB storage (there’s also 16GB and 128GB iPhone 6 Plus variants available). On paper, the iPhone 6 Plus isn't as powerful and therefore the Ascend Mate 7 should easily win this benchmark comparison but what do Geekbench 3 and 3D Mark show?
Well that’s a surprise - the iPhone 6 Plus wins the Geekbench 3 single-core test by a large amount whilst the ...
Facebook has taken wraps off a new app that lets users create and interact with communities on the social networking website. Dubbed as Groups, the app which is present on Android an iPhone allows users to create, join and navigate between groups easily.
Groups is a mini Facebook that also has a News Feed of photos, links, and status updates. A group can be of friends, family, co-workers, team player and so on. The app brings all your groups at one place and the groups you use most come on top of the list and users can quickly move between each group. A Discover tab is also added the Groups app that surfaces groups you may like based on the groups and pages you have already joined. Users can track and control the notifications as per their choice.
The company says the new app is built for people who use Groups frequently and aims to give them “an easier and faster experience interacting with all their Groups. Facebook also said that more than 700 million of Facebook’s 1.35 billion members use Groups. Groups is the fifth app from Facebook Creative Labs since January, while the other four apps that launched earlier this year are Paper, Slingshot, ...
Logitech has announced AnyAngle Case for iPad Air 2 and the iPad Mini 2 in India. It has also announced the Big Bang rugged case for Apple iPad Air 2. The Big Bang for iPad Air and iPad mini not only provides military class protection and has a versatile design that lets you adjust the tablet in different comfortable viewing angles. This was launched for the iPad Air earlier this year. The Logitech AnyAngle protective case has an any-angle stand for the iPad Air 2 and all iPad mini models.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64Zf-bQdR1I
Features of Logitech AnyAngle Case for iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini
Integrated hidden hinge that holds your iPad firmly in place at any angle within a 50-degree range for optimum viewing
Stand folds entirely behind the iPad, for a clean, minimalist look, whether in stand mode or when laid flat for reading.
Also offers a pop of color to your iPad and comes in six unique combinations to suit any style.
The Logitech AnyAngle is expected to be available in India beginning in December 2014 for a suggested retail price of Rs. 2,995.The Logitech Big Bang Case for the iPad Air would be available for a suggested price of Rs. 4,995.
Google has released Android Auto API for developers that will allow developers to start creating apps for smart cars.Android Auto currently only supports two types of third-party apps viz, audio and messaging.
Cars dashboards can now show incoming notifications, accept replies through voice, let users browse music or other audio content and control playback. Over dozens of third party developers like TextMe, textPlus, Kik, and WhatsApp are working on the app. Google says the Android Auto APIs let developers easily extend their existing apps targeting Android 5.0 (API level 21) or higher to work in the car. Once ready, the apps will work directly though the car’s radio deck as well as through connected steering wheel controls.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctiaVxgclsg
iHeartRadio, Joyride, MLB.com, NPR, Pandora, PocketCasts, Songza, SoundCloud, Spotify, Stitcher, and Umano are first batch of audio apps that will enable browsing audio playback from the car.Android Auto requires an Android phone to be plugged into power the interface. Apps installed on the phone that have support for Android Auto built-in will show up in the Auto interface.
"To help you get started with Android Auto, check out our Getting Started guide. It’s important to note that while the APIs are available today, apps extended with Android Auto cannot be ...
Karbonn ST72, the company's latest tablet is now available from online retailer Snapdeal. It has a 7-inch (1024 x 600 pixels) display, powered by a 1.3 GHz dual-core processor and runs on Android 4.4..2 (KitKat). It has a 3.2-megapixel rear camera and a front-facing camera. It comes with dual SIM support and has 3G connectivity.
It has 512MB RAM, 4GB of internal storage with expansion slot and a 2800mAh battery. Karbonn launched the Titanium S20 budget Android smartphone and the Titanium Wind W4, the company's first Windows Phone 8.1 smartphone back in September.
Karbonn ST72 specifications
7-inch (1024 x 600 pixels) display
1.3 GHz dual-core processor
512MB RAM, 4GB internal storage, expandable memory up to 32GB with MicroSD
Android 4.4 (KitKat) OS
Dual SIM with Dual Standby
3.2MP rear camera
front-facing camera
Dimensions: 184.5x100x8.9mm; Weight: 290 grams
3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio
3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS
2800 mAh battery
he Karbonn ST72 comes in White, Black and Grey colors and is priced at Rs. 6,800.
Apple has been ordered by a federal jury to pay $23.6 million for illegally using pager patents in its products. The company will have to pay the fine to a Texas based firm, Mobile Telecommunications Technologies.
Apple has been using SkyTel pager technology on its iPhone and other devices without a permission. Mobile Telecommunications was considered a wireless messaging pioneer in the 1990s, when its SkyTel 2-Way paging system was the state of the art for mobile communication. Now, MTel is a licensing company controlled by United Wireless Holdings,which operates the SkyTel paging system for use by first responders and doctors.
Apple denied the allegations of patent infringement and said MTEL was trying to take credit for everything from emoji to calendar invites. It argued the patents were invalid when they were issued in the 1990s. This is a second case where Apple was accused of pager patent technology but the company did win that case.
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Samsung has lost its bid to a US Judge about putting the Microsoft smartphone patent royalties suit on hold. The U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff said the lawsuit would proceed despite the arbitration.
In August Microsoft sued Samsung accusing it of breaching a collaboration agreement by initially refusing to make royalty payments after the U.S. company announced its intention to acquire Nokia’s handset business in September 2013. The software giant claimed that Samsung still owed $6.9 million in interest on more than $1 billion patent in royalties.
Earlier this month Samsung claimed that Microsoft has violated their deal after acquiring Nokia as it now makes the software company a direct hardware competitor. Samsung filed the request for arbitration with the Hong Kong office of the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce.
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Huawei launched the Honor Holly smartphone in India recently. We brought you the photo gallery, battery test results and the benchmarks of the smartphone recently. Here we have the camera samples from the smartphone. It has a 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, f/2.0 aperture and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. Unlike Huawei smartphones like the Ascend Mate, this has a MediaTek camera UI seen on several MediaTek-powered Android smartphones. You get HDR, Panorama, Face Beauty and several modes. Check out the camera samples (Click the image to view full resolution sample).
Daylight
Macro
HDR
[caption id="attachment_122962" align="alignnone" width="574"] HDR OFF[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_122963" align="alignnone" width="574"] HDR ON[/caption]
Low-Light and Flash
It can record videos at 1080p full HD resolution at 30fps. Since it has a secondary microphone, it supports stereo recording. Check out the 1080p video samples below.
httpv://youtu.be/arVSVGjdKjk
Overall the smartphone has a decent camera. We will discuss more about the smartphone's camera in detail in the complete review soon.
Celkon has launched Millennia Epic Q550, the company’s latest smartphone in the Millennia series. It has a 5.5-inch 720p screen based on One Glass Solution (OGS) technology, powered by a 1.3 GHz quad-core processor and runs on Android 4.4 (KitKat). It has a 8-megapixel rear camera with flash and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera.
It has 1GB RAM, 16GB of internal storage with expansion slot and packs a 3500 mAh battery, compared to 2GB RAM and 2500mAh battery one the Celkon Millennium Ultra Q500 that was launched few months back.
Commenting on the launch, Y Guru, Chairman and Managing Director - Celkon Mobiles, Said,
At Celkon we have always believed in upping the ante, each time we launch an offering. With the new Celkon Millennia Epic Q550 we have raised the bar one more time. At just 143g weight and 8mm thickness, we have been able to pack a powerful battery for longer life in a uni-body design all at an astounding price tag. We aim to become one of the largest in the country and with many such exciting offerings lined up we are sure to achieve significant growth this fiscal.
Murali Retneni, executive director, Celkon, said,
Millennia Epic will give its users an experience that is ...
Alcatel One Touch unveiled the Alcatel One Touch Flash smartphone back in September. Today Flipkart has started teasing the launch of the Alcatel One Touch Flash smartphone in India. It packs a 5.5-inch HD display, powered by a Octa-Core MediaTek MT6592M processor and runs on Android 4.4 (KitKat). It has a 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera.
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Alcatel One Touch Flash specifications
5.5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD IPS Full lamination display
1.4 GHz MediaTek MT6592M Octa-Core processor with Mali 450 GPU
1GB RAM, 8GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 32GB with microSD
Android 4.4 (Kitkat)
Dual SIM with dual standby
13MP autofocus camera with LED Flash, 1080p Full HD video recording
5MP front-facing camera
Dimensions: 152.1 x 76.2 x 8.1 mm; Weight: 150g
3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi direct. Bluetooth 4.0, GPS
3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio
3200mAh battery
The Alcatel One Touch Flash comes in Black, White and Gray colors. It was launched in Thailand for 6,990 Thai Baht (Rs. 13,200 approx.) We should know the pricing of the smartphone in India soon when it launches on Flipkart.
Ofcom has begun repurposing some TV spectrum in the UK for use with mobile services in a bid to free up unused spectrum and increase the allowance available to UK consumers. The regulator today said it would make the 700MHz spectrum, currently used for digital terrestrial television, available for mobile broadband use by 2022.
Ed Richards, chief executive at the regulator, said:
"This is a crucial next step in the development of the UK's communications infrastructure. This decision ensures that we are making the raw materials available with which investors and companies can build the services which will support the digital economy of the future."
"More spectrum will be available for mobile broadband where demand is especially high, but the UK will retain a competitive terrestrial television platform as well."
The move won't be straightforward however; in order to repurpose the spectrum, both TV and the Programme Making and Special Events (PMSE) sector will have to make changes. These changes will also require the modification of infrastructure and equipment at a cost of between £420 and £470 million for TV infrastructure and between £13m and £21m for equipment.
Ofcom says that the move is a necessity with mobile data usage set to soar by 45 ...
Royal Mail on Wednesday warned that online giant Amazon's own delivery service and increased competition from rival couriers has hampered progress and impacted revenues. The former state-owned British company said that Amazon's plans to launch their own delivery service would cut the growth in the British parcel market for it and its rivals from 4-5 percent down to 1-2 percent.
Amazon is planning to deliver more of its own packages through its own delivery service and as the former state-owned courier's biggest customer (accounting for six percent of total sales), Amazon will impact on both Royal Mail and its rivals in the near future. Alongside shipping via Royal Mail, the online retailer also delivers via other couriers such as DPD, TNT and Yodel and its decision to bring its deliveries in-house is likely to have a major impact on the parcels market in the UK.
Moya Green, chief executive at Royal Mail, told Reuters:
When an online retailer of the size and scale of Amazon decides to build out its own delivery network, that changes the market for everybody.
