Category: Featured

How to download Flappy Bird on Android and Hack the score !
In an interview with Forbes, Flappy Bird developer Dong Nguyen has opened the real reason why he removed the extremely popular game from the App Store and the Google Play Store. According to him, the game’s addictiveness is what forced him to remove it, and the game will not back.

I am sorry ‘Flappy Bird’ users, 22 hours from now, I will take ‘Flappy Bird’ down. I cannot take this anymore.

— Dong Nguyen (@dongatory) February 8, 2014

Flappy Bird, an 8-bit inspired game features a bird that must navigate through a series of pipes extending from the top and bottom of the screen. Player taps the screen to keep the bird flying and not hitting the ground or pipes. Flappy Bird became so popular for being highly challenging and difficulty level.

Nguyen cites people “sharing their scores on social networks” as a key reason for Flappy Bird’s ascent, and denies claims that he used questionable tactics to inflate the game’s rankings.

“I respect other people’s opinions about my games,” says Nguyen. “I am sure I didn’t cheat anything, and I don’t have to do that.”

The developer didn’t confirm how much money he made with Flappy Bird, however people estimates say he may have collected as much as $50,000 per day from ads – the app was available as a free download.

How to play Flappy Bird in your browser

Don’t worry if you can it on time from Play Store. You can still play the awesome-addictive Flappy Bird online in your browser too. Just head over to Kongregate for a flash version of Flappy Bird.

But if your friends are teasing you by showing the game on their smartphone or you are too lazy to play it to your laptop or PC and really want it your smartphone and cut the chase.

How to Download Flappy Bird on your android phone
- First download the .apk file from xda-developers.
- Move/Copy the .apk file to your phone.
- Use any file explorer to install the game from .apk file
- Select the Flappy Bird icon and your are DONE.
How to Hack Score in Flappy Bird

You’ll need ES File Explorer to start with a rooted device
- Open Flappy Bird and play at least one time.
- Close it. (Also kill it from task manager if you wish).
- Open ES File Explorer, Go to the “Tools” line item and make sure “Root Explorer” is turned on.
- Then select the “Local” line item, and choose “Device.” This puts you in the root of the System, and it’s where you need to start.
- Go to folder named “data”, then again go to folder “data” and tap to open it.
- Scroll down to find the folder named “com.dotgears.flappy” and open it.
- Open the “shared_prefs” folder, & open the FlappyBird.xml file. You’ll get a choice of ways to open it, choose ES Note Editor.
- Tap the three dots in the upper right, and choose Edit.
- The line you need to change.
<int name=”score” value =”your_showoff_score” />

<int name=”score” value =”999999″ />
- After changing, save the file when prompted.
- Close ES File Explorer and open Flappy Bird. Play, and you’ll see your new high score.
Feb 15, 2014
Here’s why we like Maxthon Cloud Browser !
Maxthon Cloud Browser is nothing new on the market but it struggled with “the Internet Explorer clone label” but it has been long lost thanks to the interesting multiple features and improvements implemented over the development.

With version 4.2, Maxthon integrates a tweaked Blink rendering engine in order to infuse increased browsing speeds and faster startup and file download times. With Modern Looks and essential buttons readily available in the toolbar, a multifunctional address bar, and the less used features hidden under the menu button.

The browser is available both as a desktop version as well as a portable download for Windows PC. Also available for various platforms including Android, Mac, iPhone and Windows Phone.

So, What we Like about Maxthon ?

Maxthon Cloud Services

Maxthon offers many cloud services in-built with the browser such as:
- Cloud Push: Supports sending text, images, websites/links and tabs to Mac, Android and Windows operating systems.
- Cloud Share: Supports sharing text, images, websites/links and files with friends.
- Cloud Download: Supports downloading files in various formats and uploading them to ‘My Cloud’ for backup on any device.
- My Cloud Tabs: Lets you pick up where you left off by automatically syncing your tabs to Android, iOS or Mac devices.
- Cloud Sync: Syncs account data (Favorites, Settings and Magic Fill data) to other devices.
Also Read: Improve and visualize sleeping habits with Sleep as Android

Easy Reading Features

Reader Mode: Makes it easy to view articles by adjusting font sizes and removing ads and other distractions. It automatically detects long texts in the page and offers the possibility to switch to a view that hides distractions and focuses on content. There are tweaking options as far as the page width, color and font go.

Night Mode: Adjusts the brightness of the screen for low-light reading. It changes the page colors to fit the contrast between the display and a darker environment. It can be also be scheduled to activate in between specific times.

More Convenient Browsing
- Magic Fill: Securely saves the names and passwords of websites you visit and then fills in that information when you return.
- Ad Hunter (Ad-block): Maxthon removes advertisements with one click, and automatically blocks annoying pop-up windows.
- New Session: Users and gamers can simultaneously log into the same website with different accounts.
- Source Sniffer: Extract all photos, embedded videos and audio files from a web page and download them with one click.
- SkyNote: Save and access text notes anywhere, anytime. You can also sync them across Windows and Android.
- Snap: Click the camera button in the toolbar to easily and quickly capture a screenshot of the entire web page in one click!
- “Do Not Track” protects your privacy by preventing ad networks from tracking you.
Also Read: How to install Ubuntu on your Phone or tablet

Extension Center

Maxthon has a diverse selection of extensions for entertainment, information and social media.

Extensions are easy to install and manage with just one click.

Security and Privacy
- Safe site technology identifies websites you are about to visit and lets you know if they are safe and secure.
- Maxthon blocks malicious websites and phishing attempts for you, automatically.
- Easily launch a private browsing session that does not track history.
Free Download

Maxthon for Windows

Maxthon for Mac

Maxthon for iPhone/iPad

Android Browser

Windows Phone Store
Feb 14, 2014
Improve and visualize sleeping habits with Sleep as Android
Sleep as Android is an accelerometer-based sleep cycle tracking app that provides a nice set of helpful ‘sleep tools’, including lullaby mode, sleep noise recording, lucid dreaming detection audio and a Captcha test. But more interesting feature is sleep cycles, by which it knows just the right time to wake you up.

Previously, people used to huge amount of money on devices that would track and improve their sleeping habits, but now you can do this by just using an application that you can get from the Google Play Store: Sleep as Android. There are many such apps, for both Android & iOS devices, but Sleep as Android is one of the best on the market. There is a ‘free 14-day trial’. There is also a pro version with all the features Sleep as Android has, we believe it’s very good value for money.

Sleep Tracker

Let’s talk about the most useful feature ‘Sleep Tracker’: each night, before sleeping, put the app into a mode that uses your phone’s gyroscope, then lay your phone on your bed near you and just go to sleep.

How it Works: The app will then track your movements in the night and plot them on a nice graphical view for you, times of inactive movement are referred to as “deep sleep” (or rapid-eye-movement cycles) as opposed to times when you’re more active. It is helpful to wake you up during a period of light sleep, making it easier to get out of bed.

Trying this on subsequent nights can get you interesting and useful results. You can see comparisons of nights across a span of time, and figure out exactly how much you slept. You can set ‘ideal sleep range’ from preferences menu so the app can tell your cumulative sleep different from ideal.

Lullaby and time-to-bed notification

Sleeping aids such as lullabies are also included.

Aids also include an insistent time-to-bed notification — For the set alarm, the app will also notify you the ideal time for bed so that you get the ideal sleep as you want..

Other Features:
- Gentle alarms
- Sleep noise recording;
- Special lucid dreaming detection audio
- Captcha test.
Sleep as an Droid is available on Google Play
Feb 6, 2014
Firefox 27 now Available with extended SocialAPI
Mozilla has released the latest version of its open-source, cross-platform web browser with the launch of Firefox 27 for Windows, Mac and Linux.

One major new feature of in this latest release – the SocialAPI, which allows providers to provide social networking updates directly from within the browser, can now handle multiple providers simultaneously.

So, moving forward, lets look at the other new features:

Firefox 27 What’s New

Support for TLS 1.2 implemented

Firefox 27 supports TLS (that is Transport Layer Security) 1.2 now. TLS is like successor of SSL, and version 1.2 is the most recent cryptographic protocol that Firefox supports.

Up until now, that meant to see if TSL 1.0 is supported, and if it is, it would be used. If not, browser and server would fallback to SSL v3 instead.

With TLS 1.2 support in Firefox 27, TLS 1.2 is now used if supported by the server.

You can change the minimum requirements (or maximum but that is not suggested) so that TLS is always used. This may mean however that connections to some servers, those that only support SSL 3 but not TLS, cannot be established anymore.

Also Read: How to turn off Images and Javascript in Firefox 23 and above

SocialAPI supports multiple providers

Firefox’s SocialAPI enables webmasters to offer services that make use of it in the browser.

Up until now, only one social provider could be active at the same time in the browser. Firefox 27 changes this as you can now receive notifications and other information from multiple social providers.

Social features are not enabled by default, and activate only once at least one social provider has been added to the browser.

Support for SPDY 3.1 added

SPDY 3.1 is only supported by some servers, Google’s servers support it for say, while many others not.

For checking any service supports SPDY protocol, load Spdycheck in your browser.

Other Changes:
- DEVELOPER CHANGES
- Ability to reset style sheets using ‘all:unset’
- You can now choose to deobfuscate javascript in the debugger (see 762761)
- Added support for scrolled fieldsets (see 261037)
- Implemented allow-popups directive for iframe sandbox, enabling increased security (see 766282)
- CSS cursor keywords -moz-grab and -moz-grabbing have been unprefixed (see 880672)
- Added support for ES6 generators in SpiderMonkey (see blog post)
- Implemented support for mathematical function Math.hypot() in ES6 (see 896264)
- HTML5
- Dashed line support on Canvas (see 768067)
- FIXED
- Get Azure/Skia content rendering working on Linux (see 740200)
- 27.0: Security fixes can be found here
Feb 4, 2014
Nokia Lumia 1320 vs Nokia Lumia 625 – The Big Screen War

The Phablet war is getting extreme day by day in the Indian marketplace. If you are out to buy a smartphone with an extra large display, you can get many offerings around. The Indian smartphone marketplace offers many Phablets by the Indian as well as International manufacturers at various price brackets. It is well known that the South Korean, Samsung is leading the Phablet segment and is closely followed by the Indian brand Micromax. However, both of them use Google’s Android as their OS.

If you want a Phablet offering something other than Android OS, here is something really good for you. The Finnish manufacturers, Nokia has launched their latest Phablet naming as Nokia Lumia 1320 in Indian market at a price tag of Rs.23, 999. This smartphone sports an extra large 6-inch display which is a treat to your smartphone’s multimedia experience. Earlier, Nokia launched an affordable phablet naming as Nokia Lumia 625 sporting a 4.7-inch display.

The Nokia Lumia 625 is available at an affordable price tag of around Rs. 15,000, which is much cheaper than Nokia Lumia 1320. But what makes Nokia Lumia 1320 a worth upgrade over Lumia 625, let’s find out here in a quick comparison between Nokia Lumia 1320 and Nokia Lumia 625.

Display

Nokia Lumia 1320 sports a brilliant 6-inch ClearBlack IPS LCD Touch Screen, producing a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels at 244 ppi. Whereas Nokia Lumia 625 sports a 4.7-inch IPS LCD Capacitive touch screen display which produces a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels at 199 ppi. Both these smartphones feature Corning Gorilla Glass 2 protection.

Hardware configuration & OS

Nokia Lumia 1320 houses a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 chipset, Dual Core processor clocked at 1.7GHZ and added with 1GB of RAM. While, Nokia Lumia 625 is powered by a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon Dual Core processor coupled with 512MB of RAM. Both these smartphones run on latest Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 operating System. The Windows Phone Store features many useful applications and addictive games which enhance the Windows Phone experience.

Camera

For photography on the go, both Nokia Lumia 1320 and Lumia 625 houses a standard 5 Megapixels Autofocus Rear Camera supported with LED Flash. This rear camera is capable to record Full HD 1080p videos. You can enhance the camera results by downloading useful camera applications by Nokia. These smartphones also carry a VGA camera on their front for video calls.

Storage

Nokia Lumia 1320 and Nokia Lumia 625 offer similar 8GB of internal storage memory, which can be expanded further up to 64GB using a MicroSD card.

Connectivity

The connectivity features of both these smartphones are almost same including 3G, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, WI-Fi, WI-Fi hotspot (Internet Sharing), USB 2.0, MicroUSB and 3.5mm audio jack.

Battery

Nokia Lumia 1320 is fuelled by a 3400mAH non-removable battery, while Nokia Lumia 625 is fuelled by a comparatively weaker 2000mAH battery. Nokia Lumia 1320 features wireless charging options which is absent on Nokia Lumia 625.

Verdict

In the end, it can be clearly stated that Nokia Lumia 1320 is a clean winner because of its bigger & better display, powerful processor, RAM and battery. But on the same time camera, storage memory and connectivity features of both Nokia Lumia 1320 and Lumia 625 are similar.

The final decision remains in the hands of the buyer. Nokia Lumia 1320 is a perfect buy for those who want an extra large touch screen on their smartphones. It is a complete entertaining device as well. And Nokia Lumia 625 is for them who can adjust their multimedia usage in a 4.7-inch display at an affordable pocket friendly price tag.

Jan 30, 2014
Snowden nominated for Nobel peace prize

Edward Snowden are one among numerous names being thought of by the accolade committee.Two Norwegian politicians say they need collectively appointed the previous National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden for the 2014 Alfred Nobel peace prize.

The Socialist Left party politicians Baard Vegar Solhjell, a former setting minister, and Snorre Valen aforesaid the general public dialogue and policy changes within the wake of Snowden’s whistleblowing had “contributed to a a lot ofstable and peaceful world order”.

Being appointed means that Snowden are one among numerous names that the Alfred Nobel committee can think about for the distinguished award.

The five-member panel won’t ensure WHO has been appointed however those that submit nominations typicallycreate them public.

Nominators, together with members of national parliaments and governments, university professors and formerlaureates, should enter their submissions by one Gregorian calendar month.

The prize committee members will add their own candidates at their 1st meeting afterward point.

Jan 29, 2014
Grammy 2014 Winners: The Full List

Music’s biggest night lived up to its name, punctuated by performances by the aforementioned robots and another by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis that culminated in an appearance by Madonna.

The night featured performances by many more of the most talented names in music. Sometimes one in the same–including a reunion of the last two living Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, who played a new song from the former’s latest album.

1. Album of the Year: “Random Access Memories,” Daft Punk
2. Record of the Year: “Get Lucky,” Daft Punk Featuring Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers

3. Song of the Year: “Royals,” Joel Little & Ella Yelich O’Connor, songwriters (Lorde)
4. Best New Artist: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
5. Best Pop Solo Performance: “Royals,” Lorde
6. Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: “Get Lucky,” Daft Punk Featuring Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers
7. Best Pop Instrumental Album: “Steppin’ Out,” Herb Alpert
8. Best Pop Vocal Album: “Unorthodox Jukebox,” Bruno Mars
9. Best Dance Recording: “Clarity,” Zedd Featuring Foxes
10. Best Dance/Electronica Album: “Random Access Memories,” Daft Punk
11. Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: “To Be Loved,” Michael Buble
12. Best Rock Performance: “Radioactive,” Imagine Dragons
13. Best Metal Performance: “God Is Dead?” Black Sabbath
14. Best Rock Song: “Cut Me Some Slack,” Dave Grohl, Paul McCartney, Krist Novoselic & Pat Smear, songwriters (Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, Pat Smear)
15. Best Rock Album: “Celebration Day,” Led Zeppelin
16. Best Alternative Music Album: “Modern Vampires Of The City,” Vampire Weekend
17. Best R&B Performance: “Something,” Snarky Puppy With Lalah Hathaway
18. Best Traditional R&B Performance: “Please Come Home,” Gary Clark Jr.
19. Best R&B Song: “Pusher Love Girl,” James Fauntleroy, Jerome Harmon, Timothy Mosley & Justin Timberlake, songwriters (Justin Timberlake)
20. Best Urban Contemporary Album: “Unapologetic,” Rihanna
21. Best R&B Album: “Girl On Fire,” Alicia Keys
22. Best Rap Performance: “Thrift Shop,” Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz
23. Best Rap/Sung Collaboration: “Holy Grail,” Jay Z feat. Justin Timberlake
24. Best Rap Song: “Thrift Shop,” Ben Haggerty & Ryan Lewis, songwriters (Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz)
25. Best Rap Album: “The Heist,” Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
26. Best Country Solo Performance: “Wagon Wheel,” Darius Rucker
27. Best Country Duo/Group Performance: “From This Valley,” The Civil Wars
28. Best Country Song: “Merry Go ‘Round,” Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves & Josh Osborne, songwriters (Kacey Musgraves)
29. Best Country Album: “Same Trailer Different Park,” Kacey Musgraves
30. Best New Age Album: “Love’s River,” Laura Sullivan
31. Best Improvised Jazz Solo: “Orbits,” Wayne Shorter, soloist
32. Best Jazz Vocal Album: “Liquid Spirit,” Gregory Porter
33. Best Jazz Instrumental Album: “Money Jungle: Provocative In Blue,” Terri Lyne Carrington
34. Best Large Jazz Ensemble: “Night In Calisia,” Randy Brecker, Włodek Pawlik Trio & Kalisz Philharmonic
35. Best Latin Jazz Album: “Song For Maura,” Paquito D’Rivera And Trio Corrente
36. Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance: “Break Every Chain [Live],” Tasha Cobbs
37. Best Gospel Song: “If He Did It Before… Same God [Live],” Tye Tribbett, songwriter (Tye Tribbett)
38. Best Contemporary Christian Music Song: “Overcomer,” David Garcia, Ben Glover & Christopher Stevens, songwriters (Mandisa)
39. Best Gospel Album: “Greater Than [Live],” Tye Tribbett
40. Best Contemporary Christian Music Album: “Overcomer,” Mandisa
41. Best Latin Pop Album: “Vida,” Draco Rosa
42. Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album: “Treinta Días,” La Santa Cecilia
43. Best Regional Mexican Music Album: “A Mi Manera,” Mariachi Divas De Cindy Shea
44. Best Tropical Latin Album: “Pacific Mambo Orchestra,” Pacific Mambo Orchestra
45. Best American Roots Song: “Love Has Come For You,” Edie Brickell & Steve Martin, songwriters (Steve Martin & Edie Brickell)
46. Best Americana Album: “Old Yellow Moon,” Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell
47. Best Bluegrass Album: “The Streets Of Baltimore,” Del McCoury Band
48. Best Blues Album: “Get Up!” Ben Harper With Charlie Musselwhite
49. Best Folk Album: “My Favorite Picture Of You,” Guy Clark
50. Best Regional Roots Music Album: “Dockside Sessions,” Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience
51. Best Reggae Album: “Ziggy Marley In Concert,” Ziggy Marley
52. Best World Music Album: (TIE) “Savor Flamenco,” Gipsy Kings / “Live: Singing For Peace Around The World,” Ladysmith Black Mambazo
53. Best Children’s Album: “Throw A Penny In The Wishing Well,” Jennifer Gasoi
54. Best Spoken-Word Album: “America Again: Re-becoming The Greatness We Never Weren’t,” Stephen Colbert
55. Best Comedy Album: “Calm Down Gurrl,” Kathy Griffin
56. Best Musical Theater Album: “Kinky Boots”
57. Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media: “Sound City: Real To Reel,” Butch Vig, compilation producer
58. Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media: “Skyfall,” Thomas Newman, composer
59. Best Song Written For Visual Media: “Skyfall,” Adele Adkins & Paul Epworth, songwriters (Adele)
60. Best Instrumental Composition: “Pensamientos For Solo Alto Saxophone And Chamber Orchestra,” Clare Fischer, composer (The Clare Fischer Orchestra)
61. Best Instrumental Arrangement: “On Green Dolphin Street,” Gordon Goodwin, arranger (Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band)
62. Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s): “Swing Low,” Gil Goldstein, arranger (Bobby McFerrin & Esperanza Spalding)
63. Best Recording Package: “Long Night Moon,” Sarah Dodds & Shauna Dodds, art directors (Reckless Kelly)
64. Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package: “Wings Over America (Deluxe Edition),” Simon Earith & James Musgrave, art directors (Paul McCartney And Wings)
65. Best Album Notes: “Afro Blue Impressions (Remastered & Expanded),” Neil Tesser, album notes writer (John Coltrane)
66. Best Historical Album: (TIE) “Charlie Is My Darling – Ireland 1965,” “The Complete Sussex And Columbia Albums”
67. Best Engineered Album: “Random Access Memories,” Peter Franco, Mick Guzauski, Florian Lagatta & Daniel Lerner, engineers; Antoine “Chab” Chabert, Bob Ludwig, mastering engineers (Daft Punk)
68. Producer of the Year, Non-Classical: Pharrell
69. Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical: “Summertime Sadness (Cedric Gervais Remix),” Cedric Gervais, remixer (Lana Del Rey)
70. Best Surround Sound Album: “Live Kisses,” Al Schmitt, surround mix engineer; Tommy LiPuma, surround producer (Paul McCartney)
71. Best Engineered Album, Classical: “Winter Morning Walks,” David Frost, Brian Losch & Tim Martyn, engineers; Tim Martyn, mastering engineer (Dawn Upshaw, Maria Schneider, Australian Chamber Orchestra & St. Paul Chamber Orchestra)
72. Producer of the Year, Classical: David Frost
73. Best Orchestral Performance: “Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 4,” Osmo Vänskä, conductor (MinnesotaOrchestra)
74. Best Opera Recording: “Adès: The Tempest,” Thomas Adès, conductor; Simon Keenlyside, Isabel Leonard, Audrey Luna & Alan Oke; Jay David Saks, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)
75. Best Choral Performance: “Pärt: Adam’s Lament,” Tõnu Kaljuste, conductor (Tui Hirv & Rainer Vilu; Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir; Sinfonietta Riga & Tallinn Chamber Orchestra; Latvian Radio Choir & Vox Clamantis)
76. Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance: “Roomful Of Teeth,” Brad Wells & Roomful Of Teeth
77. Best Classical Instrumental Solo: “Corigliano: Conjurer – Concerto For Percussionist & String Orchestra,” Evelyn Glennie; David Alan Miller, conductor (Albany Symphony)
78. Best Classical Vocal Solo: “Winter Morning Walks,” Dawn Upshaw (Maria Schneider; Jay Anderson, Frank Kimbrough & Scott Robinson; Australian Chamber Orchestra & St. Paul Chamber Orchestra)
79. Best Classical Compendium: “Hindemith: Violinkonzert; Symphonic Metamorphosis; Konzertmusik,” Christoph Eschenbach, conductor
80. Best Contemporary Classical Composition: “Schneider, Maria: Winter Morning Walks,” Maria Schneider, composer (Dawn Upshaw, Jay Anderson, Frank Kimbrough, Scott Robinson & Australian Chamber Orchestra)
81. Best Music Video: “Suit & Tie,” Justin Timberlake Featuring Jay Z
82. Best Music Film: “Live Kisses,” Paul McCartney

Jan 27, 2014
Dell launches Windows 8.1 and android powered ‘Venue’ tablets
Dell has launched the 8-inch Venue 8 Pro as well as the 11-inch Venue 11 pro tablets that run on Microsoft Windows 8. 1 pertaining to Indian markets. This company via tablets is targeting buyers who need a device for entertainment as well as for professional work.

Whilst Venue 8 Pro may have an price label connected with Rs 26, 499, company has not exposed the buying price of the actual Venue 11 Pro.Dell Venue 8 Pro is available in red as well as black.

“India is one of our top 10 markets and it was important that we bring our latest offering here. With our versatile range of tablets, we want to be a leading player in this market, which is witnessing strong growth,” Dell India Executive Director and GM (Consumer and Small Business) P Krishnakumar.

Available from today, the Android-based Dell Venue 7 and 8 tablets are priced at Rs 10,999 and Rs 17,499, respectively. Dell will sell the Windows 8-based Venue 8 Pro at Rs 26,499 from next month.

Dell Venue 8 Pro features
- 1280×800-pixel HD IPS screen
- Quad-core 1.8GHz Intel Atom processor
- 2GB of RAM
- 5-megapixel (rear)/ 1.2-megapixel (front)
- 32GB/64GB storage expandable via microSD card slot
- Weight 395g
- 9mm thick
- battery lasting 9.9 hours
The Venue 11 Pro features
- Full-HD 1920×1080-pixel screen
- 10-finger simultaneous touch
- 2.4 GHz Intel Atom processor
- 64 GB/128 GB storage
  8-megapixel (rear)/2-megapixel (front)
- full-sized USB 3.0 host port
- mini-HDMI video port
- Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC
- battery lasting 8 and 10 hours.
The Venue 8 Pro will be offered with a keyboard case and the Venue 11 Pro with an attachable keyboard with an additional battery.

Dell also launched Venue 7 and Venue 8 Android tablets priced at Rs. 10,999 and Rs. 17,499 respectively. The devices are available through the online store.

Their features include the 2GHz dual-core Intel Atom Z2760 (Clover Trail) processor, IPS Display with HD (WXGA 1280 x 800), Intel HD Graphics, 2GB of DDR2 RAM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and an integrated 4100mAh 1-Cell Battery. Available in only Black color variant.
Jan 21, 2014
Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 : The Grandeur in High Definition

The much awaited sequel to the popular Galaxy Grand series from Samsung is finally here and quite pleasantly, it lives up to the hype. The Grand series phones from Samsung that can be accommodated in all different price brackets and yet offer the grandeur and power of some big, high end models like the S-series and the Note.

The Galaxy Grand 2 sets the ball rolling with advanced and enhanced hardware as well as improved software. It also sports a much identical faux leather look as seen in Galaxy Note 3. The Galaxy Grand 2 packs in a 5.25-inch HD display with a screen resolution of 1280×720 pixels. It is powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core CPU and packs in RAM cache of 1.5 GB. It runs on Google’s Android 4.3 OS an also comes with S Travel, Story Album, S Translator, Group Play, Sound & Shot, Samsung Link and Samsung Hub. The device’s further details are highlighted below.

Better display

If there is one thing that truly stands about the Galaxy Grand 2, then it has to be its better and bigger display. With a 5.25-inch screen, the Galaxy Grand 2 gets a bigger screen than the previous version. Its screen is also bigger than the Galaxy Grand Quattro that was launched in May. The Galaxy Grand 2’s display features a 720p display with a 1280×720 pixels screen resolution. Samsung had released news about the launch of this phone and it did not mention the inclusion of a screen protector.

Processor

The Galaxy Grand 2 from Samsung comes powered by a dual-core 1.2 GHz processor. It also packs in massive RAM cache of 1.5 GB which is an advancement over the Galaxy Grand’s 1 GB RAM. However, the Korean handset manufacturer has kept the same internal memory capacity of 8 GB with the Galaxy Grand 2. The internal memory remains the same for all Galaxy Grand devices. With the Galaxy Grand 2, the user can expand the memory capacity up to 64 GB with a micro SD card.

Design

Out of all the phones in the Galaxy Grand series, the Galaxy Grand 2 is the thinnest of all. It is only about 8.9 mm thick and is lesser than the Galaxy Grand, which is thin at 9.6 mm while the Galaxy Grand Quattro measures 9.7mm in thickness. The Galaxy Grand 2 gets a stitched leather look on the rear panel that was first seen on the Galaxy Note 3 phablet. The leather texture also renders it a smooth touch feel which is lacked by the other Galaxy Grand phones.

What comes as even more interesting is that the enhanced display size and the much powerful processor of the Galaxy Grand 2 do not lead to a rise in its weight. The Galaxy Grand 2 weighs only 1 grams more than the earlier Grand. The Galaxy Grand 2 will be sold in trendy pink color options, as was seen with the Galaxy Note 3, apart from white and black.

Camera and battery

Samsung’s Galaxy Grand 2 gets the same camera as seen in the Galaxy Grand. It features a 8 megapixel primary shooter apart from a 1.9 megapixel front camera for video calling. The front-facing camera of the device can be utilized for clicking self-portraits as well as recording 720p HD videos.

The primary snapper also has features like Continuous Shot, Best Photo and Best Face. Samsung also provides an improved battery with the Galaxy Grand 2. It gets a 2600 mAh battery pack for supporting the enhanced processing power and the big screen of the device.

Connectivity

The Galaxy Grand 2 get slotted as a mid-range phablet and features a host of connectivity options, both wireless and wired. It has dual SIM card slots, WiFi Direct, Wi-Fi b/g/n, GLONASS A-GPS, Bluetooth v4.0, 3.5 mm audio jack and MicroUSB V 2.0. The 2600 mAH Li-ion battery back up provides enough charge to use the device for a complete day for low to normal usage.

Operating System

The Galaxy Grand 2 really impresses with its OS. It is running on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean OS and sports similar features as seen in Galaxy Note 3. The 4.3 Jelly Bean is the latest version of Android and comes with an interface that well complements the premium and advanced features of the device. Samsung Link, Group Play, Samsung Hub, Sound & Shot, S Travel, S Translator, Story Album are some of the premium features that make way in the Grand 2.

Samsung is also offering three months free access to Club Samsung that features music, movies, entertainment lives shows content and gigs.

Price

It was expected that Samsung would be launching the Galaxy Grand 2 at a price of about Rs. 21,500. This was the same price at which Galaxy Grand was launched. However, Samsung maintains a Rs. 22,990- Rs. 24,990 price bracket for the Galaxy Grand 2. Samsung is also providing some freebies with the phone. The Galaxy Grand 2 went on sale in India last week of December, 2013. Also, the Canvas 5 and the Intex i17 were also launched in the market. The Intex i17 Octa-Core comes at a price of Rs. 20,000 and the Canvas 5 also carries a similar price, thus giving stiff competition to the Galaxy Grand 2. It remains to be seen whether Galaxy Grand 2 makes its presence felt in the market and beats its competitors.

The Galaxy Grand 2 also features dual SIM (GSM + GSM) functionality. It comes in three exciting colors- Pink, Black and White and gets Samsung’s exclusive S Translator, Story Album, Sound & Shot, S Travel and other software. Samsung also launched a one-stop destination –Club Samsung for its India-based infotainment content.

The Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 faces cut-throat competition from home-grown handset makers like Karbonn, Xolo and even Micromax. All these manufacturers have launched their flagship devices like the Karbonn Titanium SD, Xolo Q3000 and the Micromax Canvas Turbo. What remains interesting is that all these devices pack in better specs than the Galaxy Grand 2 but come at a price below Rs. 20,000.

Jan 20, 2014
Micromax MAd A94 will reward you to watch ads

This Micromax MAd A94 is definitely among the many smartphones that the Indian manufacturer Launched this week, yet why is the idea particular will be which it will also help anyone generate some extra bucks simply by watching ads. That’s correct, the company can pay anyone having the product in addition to view advertising on it.

The phone is priced at Rs 8,490.

It will fundamentally always be triggered because of the Micromax MAd application which can be entirely formulated for individuals who like advertising. This app comes pre-installed about the smartphone. Users are required to generate points simply by watching advertising and the points will then always be converted to cash which is to be put into the account in respected prepaid or even postpaid accounts.

The rewards for ads feature is obviously the headline maker and Micromax believes it will give brands an opportunity to stand out.

Rahul Sharma, co-founder of the company believes it will “provide a high engagement communication channel for the brands to break away from the clutter.” He also said in a statement that it will help operators improve per user profitability.

Key specifications of the phone at a glance:

– 4.5-inch IPS touchscreen
– 480 x 854p resolution
– Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2 OS
– 1.2GHz quad core BCM23550 processor
– 5MP camera and 5MP webcam
– 1800mAh battery
– Talk time: 5 hours
– Standby time: 150 hours
– 512MB of RAM
– 4GB memory, expandable by up to 32GB
– Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, 3G

The Micromax MAd A94 smartphone available in India through the official eStore and other retail channels for Rs 8,490.

Jan 18, 2014