Saturday 27 June 2015

HTC One E9+ review

If you want HTC's highest-specced, big-screened QHD smartphone, the One E9+ is very likely the one you're looking for. Only the lack of the signature all-metal unibody saves the company's reigning flagship a good deal of embarrassment.
HTC One E9+
It's quite hard to actually decide which precise model sits atop HTC's 2015 One lineup, and there may well be more than one correct answer. You have the M9, obviously, which has Qualcomm's latest chipset inside and the metal design to appeal to your sense of style, but sticks with a FullHD 5-inch screen.
Midway up the size ladder, you'll find the 5.2-inch QHD M9+, which retains the metal unibody and adds a second camera on the back, as well as a fingerprint sensor, but opts for an arguably inferior Mediatek chipset. There's an almost identical ME version, which comes with a single rear camera, and comes with a polycarbonate body.
All that builds up to the HTC One E9+, which has finally landed in our hands. It has the largest 5.5-inch QHD screen of the bunch (so, not to be confused with the E9, which is apparently a China-only 1080p 5.5-incher), a slightly downclocked version of the same Mediatek chipset and a polycarbonate build.
With the family relations (somewhat) settled, let's move on to the list of key specs.

Update to Microsoft OneDrive for Android adds Chromecast support

Microsoft released an update to OneDrive for Android. Version 3.2.0 of the cloud storage app brings support for Chromecast.

The new build of Microsoft OneDrive will allow users to stream their multimedia from their mobile device to a TV that’s connected to a Google Chromecast or an Android TV set top box. There are no other new features in the update’s changelog.
OneDrive for Android is available for free in Google Play. Hit the source link if you want to try out the app.

BBM for Android update comes with Material Design, new Private Chat feature

Today BBM for Android finally starts looking like an Android app. Following a period of less than stellar looks, the app now fully embraces Google’s Material Design principles. A beta version with the new UI went out at the beginning of the month, and now it’s stable enough for everyone to use.
Thus, you can already find it in the Play Store. But the new paint job isn’t the only changed thing about BBM for Android. It also comes with a new feature called Private Chat.

Friday 26 June 2015

Facebook’s new ‘Add a Link’ feature lets you easily find and share Web links

Facebook has launched a new feature that allows you to easily find and share Web links on the social network. Dubbed Add a Link, the feature is currently only available for iPhone users, but will eventually launch on Android and the company’s Messenger app as well.
“Now, whenever you want to share a specific web link in your posts, just tap the new link icon, type in a few keywords to search for a link from our index of posts, and share it,” the company said. So effectively, the feature makes sure that users won’t have to leave the Facebook app when searching for Web links.
The company has also shared the complete story detailing how the idea, which was put forward back in January this year by one of its product managers, turned into reality – click the Source link below if you’re interested in having a read.

Google Drive app update adds multi-file downloads, new sharing interface

Google has pushed a new update for its cloud storage syncing Drive app for the Android devices. The key feature is brings is the option to download and send multiple files at a time.
Along with that, the Sharing interface gets a face-lift. You can now share a document to many people at once, while adjusting their editing rights. Added folks appear as a label stack making it much easier to see if anyone has been missed.
Also, you can now simply hold and activate the roll-over menu to assign rights such as editing, comment and viewing. The new Drive app update will be rolled out gradually so if yours hasn’t arrived don’t worry – it should be there soon.

Google’s Hangouts reaches 1 billion installs in the Play Store

Another Google app for Android has passed the 1 billion install threshold today. This time it’s Hangouts, following other apps such as Gmail. Apparently up until this point there have been only ten apps in this exclusive club, and only three of those aren’t made by Google.
Interestingly, all three are made by Facebook – we’re talking about the social network’s main app,Messenger, as well as WhatsApp. The last two of those are direct competitors to Google’s Hangouts, and it definitely seems like they are a lot more successful right now.
Hangouts is playing catch-up in the installs race, even though it’s been preinstalled on devices running Google services for a while now. On the other hand, when it comes to numbers of actual monthly users, we have nothing to report about Hangouts, but we wouldn’t be surprised if it was behind Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, and by a lot.

Thursday 25 June 2015

Useful Security intelligence when using alternative banking channels


With the rise in the use of alternative banking channels like ATMs, mobile apps, internet & mobile banking, fraudsters have also become smarter in using these channels to dupe innocent people. There are security intelligence when using alternative banking channels. Here are some tips to ensure that you do not become a victim of desperate fraudsters;


Amazon is offering yet another batch of paid apps and games for free

Amazon has really been trying hard to expand its vast online store to the realm of Android apps – a niche mostly monopolized by Google. The etailer giant has been continuously running major promotions giving away select paid application for free and today's sees the latest such giveaway.
We have seen Amazon offer as much as $140 worth of software in previous promotions, so, it is definitely worth checking each bundle out as it comes. The latest installment has a value of just over $50, but includes quite a few quality apps worth owning, especially free of charge.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Active review

Once again its June and time for Samsung to present us with a rugged version of its latest range-topping smartphone. This year, once more exclusively for AT&T, it is Samsung Galaxy S6 Active that enters the spotlight with camouflage livery, gobs of tech, and tough build.


For a second year in a row, Samsung has made sure that the Galaxy S6 Active is not simply a rugged version of the incumbent flagship by adding unique features to it. Last year, the Korean giant added a customizable shortcut button for quick access to an Activity app.
This year, in addition to the above feature, Samsung Galaxy S6 Active also packs a massive 3,500mAh battery. The latter is roughly 40% larger than the 2,550mAh unit found in the regular model and promises to be a boon for the device's target audience.

Oppo Joy 3 Specifications

Oppo Joy 3

NETWORK Technology
GSM / HSPA
LAUNCH Announced 2015, June
Status Coming soon. Exp. release 2015, July
BODY Dimensions 132.8 x 66.6 x 9 mm (5.23 x 2.62 x 0.35 in)
Weight 135 g (4.76 oz)
SIM Dual SIM (Micro-SIM, dual stand-by)
DISPLAY Type IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 4.5 inches (~63.1% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution 480 x 854 pixels (~218 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes
  - ColorOS 2.0 UI

Lenovo Vibe S1 Specifications


Unofficial preliminary specifications
NETWORK Technology
GSM / HSPA / LTE
LAUNCH Announced Exp. announcement 2015, Q3
Status Rumored. Exp. release 2015, Q3
BODY Dimensions 143 x 70.8 x 7.9 mm (5.63 x 2.79 x 0.31 in)
Weight 130 g (4.59 oz)
SIM Dual SIM
DISPLAY Type IPS capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 5.0 inches (~68.1% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution 1080 x 1920 pixels (~441 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes

Microsoft Office for Android is now available for everyone

Microsoft took the Office apps for Android out of their beta status. The productivity applications are now available for users across 83 different countries.
Microsoft introduced the Office for Android preview for smartphones back in May. The preview was also available for certain Android tablets since last year.

Facebook Messenger no longer requires a Facebook account

WhatsApp and similar mobile-first (or mobile-only) messaging apps have pioneered the concept of using your phone number to log in years ago. But so far Facebook’s Messenger has required people to have a Facebook account in order to use it. Not anymore.
Starting today, you can sign up for Facebook Messenger even if you don’t have a Facebook account. After you install the Messenger app, when you run it for the first time, you’ll see the screen above. You can choose “Not on Facebook?” to be able to sign up using your phone number.

Wednesday 24 June 2015

Undo Send finally leaves Labs section of Gmail on the Web

It’s pretty amazing that it took this long, but the Undo Send feature has graduated from Gmail Labs in the Web version of Google’s email service. Labs is where the company adds experimental things, and the most successful of those eventually get out of there and become actual options in the Gmail Settings.
Undo Send was added to Gmail Labs in 2009, believe it or not. And now, more than six years later, the company finally decided it’s worth moving to the main Settings tab.

Latest Instagram update brings revamped Explore tab and better search

Instagram 7.0 for iOS and Android has been made official today, and it should become available in both the iTunes App Store and the Google Play Store within the next few hours. The newest version of the popular photo sharing app comes with some pretty big changes, though unfortunately one of them is US-only for now.
The Explore page inside the app has been completely revamped. It now shows trends as they emerge, making it easy for you to follow current events and conversations through Instagram. You will see trending tags as well as trending places.

WhatsApp for Android now lets you perform an app-wide search

The Android version of popular messaging app WhatsApp now allows you to search across all your conversations. According to an Android Police report, the feature was possibly added in the version 2.12.134 of the app.
Previously, you could only perform a text search in a single WhatsApp conversation, but now when you start a search in the app’s Chats tab, you are also presented with results from within various conversations in addition to your contacts.
The feature is definitely worth it as you might not always remember which particular conversation contains the search phrase you’re looking for.

WhatsApp voice calling comes to Windows Phone

After launching it first on Android and the later bringing it to iOS, WhatsApp has finally brought over its voice calling feature to the Windows Phone version. You can now finally call your buddies using Android or iOS devices on WhatsApp, instead of Viber, or Skype, or any of the other dozen services.
Along with voice calling, the update also brings with it the ability to send voice notes, which is only available on devices running 8.1 and above. Other than that there is not much else new in this update.
You can download it from the link below or update it through the store app on your phone.

Parrot launches five new affordable MiniDrones for land, air, and water

Parrot has introduced five connected toy drones which can be controlled using smartphones. The new FreeFlight 3 app has been released which can be used on iOS or Android based smartphones or tablets.
Three different MiniDrones lines are Jumping Drones for land at $189, Airborne Drones for night patrol $129, cargo carrying ones at $99, and the hybrid Hydrofoil Drones at $179 that can even sail on water.

iOS 9 updates will temporarily delete apps to make room for themselves

A few weeks ago, at WWDC 2015, the new iOS 9 was officially unveiled along with the promise for a free update on eligible devices this fall. There is no doubt that Apple wants to push the new version of its popular mobile OS as cleanly as possible and on a broad a scale as possible. Mass adoption will ensure better uniformity on the market and create a more-favorable environment for development and innovation.
If you have been an iPhone user for some time now, you surely remember the major update problems associated with iOS 8. Its 6GB free space requirement left a lot of Apple users struggling to cram everything in on their phones. This, along with some serious initial bugs, led to a slow rate of adoption, a setback that Apple doesn’t want to repeat with iOS 9. Consequently the tech giant has taken measures. An iOS 9 beta adopter managed to spot a rather intriguing prompt, revealing that if your device has insufficient storage to install the update, Apple can automatically delete some of your apps, with the promise of reinstalling them immediately afterwards.

Google Play Music gets free, ad-supported radio in the US

Clearly meant as a response of sorts to the launch of Apple Music, Google has today announced it’s adding a free tier to its Play Music streaming service. Previously, this was accessible only through a subscription.
From this point on, however, it also has a free, ad-supported radio version. Unfortunately it’s only going to be available in the US for the foreseeable future (Google has yet to announce when it will go international).

Tuesday 23 June 2015

Samsung Galaxy J7 Specifications

Samsung Galaxy J7


Also known as Samsung Galaxy J7 SM-J700F
NETWORK Technology
GSM / HSPA / LTE
LAUNCH Announced 2015, June
Status Coming soon. Exp. release 2015, June
BODY Dimensions 152.2 x 79.1 x 7.9 mm (5.99 x 3.11 x 0.31 in)
Weight 169 g (5.96 oz)
SIM Dual SIM (Micro-SIM, dual stand-by)
DISPLAY Type TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 5.5 inches (~69.3% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution 720 x 1280 pixels (~267 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes

Samsung Galaxy J5 Specifications

Samsung Galaxy J5


Also known as Samsung Galaxy J5 SM-J500F
NETWORK Technology
GSM / HSPA / LTE
LAUNCH Announced 2015, June
Status Coming soon. Exp. release 2015, June
BODY Dimensions 142 x 73 x 8.5 mm (5.59 x 2.87 x 0.33 in)
Weight 149 g (5.26 oz)
SIM Dual SIM (Micro-SIM, dual stand-by)
DISPLAY Type TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 5.0 inches (~66.5% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution 720 x 1280 pixels (~294 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes

Cat B30 Specifications

Cat B30


NETWORK Technology
GSM / HSPA
LAUNCH Announced 2015, June
Status Available. Released 2015, June
BODY Dimensions 118 x 54 x 16 mm (4.65 x 2.13 x 0.63 in)
Weight 101 g (3.56 oz)
SIM Dual SIM
  - IP67 certified - dust and water resistant
- Water resistant up to 1 meter and 30 minutes
- Flashlight
- Drop-to-concrete resistance from up to 1.8m
DISPLAY Type TFT
Size 2.0 inches (~19.8% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution 144 x 176 pixels (~114 ppi pixel density)
Protection Scratch-proof glass

Nokia N1 review

Microsoft's acquisition of Nokia's Devices & Services division was one of the toughest tech breakups. Nokia has sort of a comeback to consumer devices though by licensing their brand for Foxconn to use in a co-designed product - the Nokia N1 tablet. It runs Android and has an all-aluminum body, plus it's among the first devices with USB Type-C, which shows the Nokia team hasn't lost its drive to innovate.


This isn't quite the old Nokia though, all the engineering talent for mobile devices went over to Microsoft. Still, Nokia oversaw the design while Foxconn (better known in the West for manufacturing stuff for Apple) will do the actual building.
Speaking of Apple, the Nokia N1 is very clearly positioned as an Android alternative to the iPad mini. It's not the first, but at least it nails the aluminum unibody. Other similarities include the 7.9" screen with 4:3 aspect ratio and the reversible plug.
While it may have borrowed the form factor, Nokia beat its own path with a customized Android. The result is a mish-mash of Android styles ranging from Gingerbread (seriously) to Lollipop. The base OS is Android 5.0 Lollipop, but Nokia's custom apps need work.

Periscope for Android update brings new notification settings and ability to edit profile information

The Android version of Twitter’s live video streaming app Periscope – which was launched last month – has scored yet another update. It bumps the application to version 1.0.2, and brings along several new features as well as bug fixes.
The updated app now not only lets you edit your profile information, including your photo, display name, and description, but also allows you to watch your personal broadcast history. In addition, it brings along improved comment synchronization for replays, as well as new sound/vibrate/silent notification settings (see image above).
Periscope for Android (v1.0.2) is now available for download from the Google Play Store (click the Sourcelink below).

Google lets you disable Google+ notifications from the web

Ever noticed how there is always an unread notification every time you use a Google web service in the top right corner, and when you click it, it’s some random person who has added you to their circles? Never mind how legit this actually is, it’s just annoying to click on that and just find a Google+ notification, especially when you could be expecting a notification from one of Google’s other services, such as YouTube.
Google has now pushed an update that will let you choose which notifications appear there. Google+ is available by default and depending upon which other services you use you might get additional options. But best of all, you can finally disable Google+ notifications from appearing here.
You just have to click on the notification thing in the corner, and then the cog on the left to get notification options.

Australia passes controversial website-blocking law to curb piracy of entertainment content

Australia has passed a controversial anti-piracy law allowing right holders to approach a Federal Court judge and get foreign-hosted websites that have the “primary purpose” of “facilitating” copyright infringement blocked at the ISP-level.
Dubbed Copyright Amendment (Online Infringement) Bill 2015, the bill – which was introduced back in March this year – got passed the Australian Senate by a vote of 37-13.

Google releases 17 new watch faces for Android Wear

If you own a smartwatch running Android Wear, you’ll be happy to know that Google has just pushed 17 new watch faces to the Play Store. These apparently originate from all over the world, according to the search giant.
Some of them feature “adorable” characters such as Angry Birds, Hello Kitty, and Moomin, while others have been created by designers or design houses like Cynthia Rowley and Lulu Frost.

Here Maps now has live traffic coverage in 50 countries

Here Maps (still owned by Nokia, but that’s something that may change soon) has announced a new milestone today. The service now has live, real time traffic information in 50 countries across the globe. In the map below, every territory that’s blue is covered.
The light blue places are the newest additions, joining the other 44 countries from today. So, starting now you’ll also get live traffic coverage in Bahrain, Bulgaria, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Romania.

AMD allegedly considering a split to return to profitability

It is no secret that AMD has been struggling to earn money lately. Historically, the legendary chip maker has maintained a steady “runner-up” position behind Intel, especially in terms of desktop hardware, but it looks like the huge shift to mobile devices took the US company by surprise and it is yet to fully adapt.
The possibility of various partnerships and buy-outs has been tossed around quite a lot recently and it really seems like AMD is way overdue for some kind of restructuring if it is going to survive. Industry sources now suggest that chief executive Lisa Su is considering the possibility of splitting AMD businesses, a move which was previously protested against internally and is still officially denied by the company.

Sony announces 1TB PS4, updates 500GB model

Nearly a couple of weeks after Microsoft made official a 1TB Xbox One, Sony has followed suit by announcing a PlayStation 4 console with the same amount of built-in storage.
“Offering twice the storage of the existing PS4, you’ll be able to download more of the games you love to your PS4, extend your play with more great add-on content and save and share even more of your best gaming highlights,” the company said in a blog post.

Sunday 21 June 2015

HTC One M9+ preview

The HTC One M9+ is the estranged big brother of the One M9 that grew up in Asia and learned a few new tricks. It is literally bigger, thanks to its 5.2-inch Quad HD display, has a fingerprint sensor, a MediaTek helio X10 processor, and even brings back the Duo Camera sensor from the M8.
The M9+ is only available in select Asian markets where the standard M9 isn’t available, and will be coming to certain parts of Europe later this year. If you were thinking of picking this up over the standard M9 or just stuck with this one option in your region, read on to find out more.

Windows 10 Insider Preview users will get the final version for free

Microsoft will give Windows 10 Insider Preview users the opportunity to get the final version of the OS for free. Windows 10 will make its official debut at the end of next month, on July 29.
All interested users need to do is install the latest Windows 10 Insider Preview with build number 10130.They will also need to use their Microsoft account which is registered to the Windows Insider program.

Saturday 20 June 2015

Apple launches free replacement program for 3TB hard drive in 27-inch iMacs

Apple has launched a replacement program for the 3TB hard drive used in 27-inch iMac systems that were sold between December 2012 and September 2013. The company said it has determined that the hard drive “may fail under certain conditions.”
The iPhone maker is in the process of contacting those who provided a valid email address during the registration of their device. However, if you haven’t been contacted yet, you can head to the support page (click Source link below), and enter your computer’s serial number in the relevant field to see if it’s part of the program.

Google to remove revenge porn from its search results on request

In an effort to curb revenge porn, Google has announced that it will honour requests from people to remove from its search results nude or sexually explicit images that have been shared on the Internet without their consent.
“Our philosophy has always been that Search should reflect the whole web. But revenge porn images are intensely personal and emotionally damaging, and serve only to degrade the victims—predominantly women,” the search giant said in a blog post, adding that it will soon put up a web form that revenge porn victims can use to submit their requests to the company.
It’s worth mentioning that back in February this year, Google announced that it is banning sexually explicit content on Blogger, but promptly reversed its stance after facing backlash on the decision.

Nigeria: Airtel rolls out Wi-Fi service in Lagos

Airtel Nigeria


Airtel Nigeria has launched a Wi-Fi service to enable residents and visitors to Lagos to access the internet in public places through their smartphones, tablets, laptops and other smart devices.
According to Airtel Nigeria, the service is available to all mobile phone users, irrespective of their network. According to Airtel, it will also offer 15 minutes per month free to every user.
Airtel revealed that the Wi-Fi hotspots have been deployed at Ozone Cinema, Yaba, Silverbird Galleria, Victoria Island and Alausa Shopping Mall, Ikeja.
Airtel’s Maurice Newa said that at full implementation, the service will be installed at malls, airports, universities and other areas of public interest in other major cities.

Friday 19 June 2015

Micromax Canvas Sliver 5 Specifications

Micromax Canvas Sliver 5


Preliminary specifications
NETWORK Technology
GSM / HSPA / LTE
LAUNCH Announced 2015, June
Status Coming soon. Exp. release 2015, July
BODY Dimensions 5.1 mm thickness
Weight 97 g (3.42 oz)
SIM Nano-SIM
DISPLAY Type AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 4.8 inches
Resolution 720 x 1280 pixels (~306 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes
Protection Corning Gorilla Glass 3

Electronic Frontier Foundation’s latest data safety report puts WhatsApp at bottom

WhatsApp received the lowest score in Electronic Frontier Foundation’s (EFF) latest report on data privacy, which gave the messaging company only a single star, and that too for its parent company Facebook’s public position opposing backdoors.
Dubbed Who Has Your Back, the yearly report rates companies on factors like requiring a warrant for content, following industry-accepted best practices, disclosing data retention policies and content removal requests, as well as having pro-user public policy. Interestingly, this is WhatsApp’s first year in the report, which is into its fifth year.
Those who received five stars this year include Credo Mobile, Adobe, Apple, Yahoo, Dropbox, Wikimedia, and WordPress. While Facebook got four stars, Google received only three. Aside from WhatsApp. the only other company that received a single star was AT&T.

SoftBank’s emotion-reading robot Pepper to go on sale in Japan starting tomorrow

Japanese company SoftBank has announced that its emotion-reading robot Pepper, which it claims is the first of its kind in the world, will go on sale in the country starting June 20. Only 1,000 units of the robot will be available for purchase this month, each worth $9,040 (this includes three-year warranty and support plan).
Interestingly, Pepper can not only read human emotions (like joy, sadness and anger), it is also capable of expressing emotions, something which it does by processing information from its cameras, touch sensors, accelerometer and other sensors.

Google Clock lands in the Play Store with Material Design

For whatever reason, Google decided that today would be a good day to add another one of its apps to the Play Store. In this case, we’re talking about Clock, in its most recent iteration that is.
You can now install Google’s Clock if you so wish, and you’ll get an app that is heavily infused with the Material Design language that the search giant has been in love with since last year.

The Samsung P3 external hard drive brings 4TB of storage in a compact, single-cable package

The thirst for more storage seems unquenchable and the advancements in multimedia only boost our desire for space. We have definitely come a long way as far as cloud storage and various services go, but, there will always be the need for traditional storage media, one you can physically own and, better yet, carry around.
The Samsung P3 might look like just another portable hard drive, but, the Korean giant has managed to cram quite a lot of innovation into the small package, quite literally. The top of the line P3 model features 4TB of space and while this is nothing to rave about in itself, it is the form-factor that is impressive. The drive is only 19.85 mm thick and weighs 236 g, which is impressive for 4TB of storage. The secret is that unlike most competitors, Samsung doesn’t use a multiple drive design to achieve the huge storage. Inside the shiny case, there is a single drive.

Thursday 18 June 2015

LG G4 Pro Specifications

LG G4 Pro Specs Leak Out; Snapdragon 820 And 4 GB Present


Unofficial preliminary specifications
NETWORK Technology
GSM / HSPA / LTE
LAUNCH Announced Exp. announcement 2015, Q3
Status Rumored. Exp. release 2015, Q3
BODY Dimensions -
Weight -
SIM Micro-SIM
DISPLAY Type IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 5.8 inches
Resolution 1440 x 2560 pixels (~506 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes
Protection Corning Gorilla Glass 3
  - LG Optimus UX 4.0 UI