Xiaomi Mi3

Xiaomi, often known as the ‘Apple of the East’ has gained a lot of fan following with its flagship phone Mi3.

DESIGN

Xiaomi Mi3 looks and feels premium, and the matte finish plastic on the back panel could almost be mistaken for metal. The phone's built from an aluminum-magnesium alloy frame that gives it a kind of sturdiness that should translate to durability. At 8.1mm, the Mi3 is not slim by any measure, and the long frame has sharp corners. The phone is pretty comfortable to use and hold in one hand.

HARDWARE

The Xiaomi Mi3 sports a 5 inch Full HD IPS LCD display which offers crisp text and pictures with pretty good viewing angles. The color rendering of the 1080 p display with 441ppi density is impressive and quite vivid. However, the screen is very reflective, and has sub-par legibility outdoors in sunlight. Powered by a 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor with 2GB RAM, the phone packs quite a punch and the performance is snappy. The 16GB internal storage with the absence of a memory card slot would disappoint most.

SOFTWARE

Xiaomi smartphones are powered by MIUI, a heavily customized Android fork based on AOSP (Android Open Source Project). The MIUI version in Mi3 runs on the latest Android 4.4.2 KitKat but mimics iOS a lot. MIUI allows uninstalling pre-loaded apps, and is a welcome feature. Few security features included in MIUI are pretty good and take care of the usual Android annoyances. There's a built-in virus scan and an innovative permission manager for apps through which you can allow or deny an app access to a certain feature or functionality.

Verdict

The Mi3 is nicely built phone with great pricing. It is one of the best gadget of 2K14.

PS

Xiaomi is pronounced by Zio-mi by some, Ziaoo-my by some, but actually it is pronounced as SHAO-ME. xD 

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Technology Buzz of July

Facebook Messenger

Facebook forces users to download its only messenger app. Facebook has given users one week time to download its standalone messenger app. They are about to remove chat from their main app and shift everything to its messenger.

Apple MacBook Pro Retina 

According to rumors, Apple to release its updated Retina MacBook Pro today (07/29/14). According to an image leaked it features 16 GB RAM, 1 TB Hard Drive. Official pricing and release date are not clearly available.

ASUS ZenFone

ASUS releases its incredible ZenFone 4,5 and 6. Get to know about it here --> ASUS - ZenFone.

Karbonn A50s

Karbonn A50s, £26 phone can cause worry to Apple and Samsung. Officially it is only on sale in India but Britons can buy it online and get it shipped to the UK for a small charge, and because of its cheapness it attracts no duty charges. You get 512 MB RAM and SDcard support up to 32 GB.

Imoji app

A new app let you turn your selfies and other images into text-able emojis. An app called Imoji allow users to turn a pic into emoji. One can edit its background also. Users can also choose to make a sticker private or allow others to use it by making it public.


Sources : Google News

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ASUS Incredible Zenfone 4, 5 and 6

Asus introduce Zenfone 4,5 and 6, all of which are truely flagship phone and they have taken the market by storm. All the phones are simply built with some awesome camera features addition to the new ZenUI.

DESIGN

All the 3 phones are well built with mostly plastic body. All the phones share the same design philosophy. The design with simple but beautiful. The phones comprises fairly large bezels which is quiet not so attractive. Overall the phone is fairly good-looking. Zenfone 4, 5 and 6 weighs 115g, 145g and 196g respectively.

HARDWARE

Zenfone 4 comes with Intel Atom Z2520 Dual-Core 1.2 GHz Processor, Zenfone 5 with Intel Atom Multi-Core Z2560/Z2580 Dual Core 1.6/2.0 GHz Processor featuring Hyper-Threading Technology and Zenfone 6 with Intel Atom Z2580 Dual Core 2.0 GHz Processor. Zenfone comes with 1 GB RAM, whereas both Zenfone 5 and 6 comes with 2 GB RAM. Zenfone 4,5 and 6 comes with 1200/1600, 2110 and 3300 mAh battery respectively. Zenfone 4 comes with 8GB internal storage, Zenfone 5 comes in two variants of 8/16 GB internal storage and Zenfone 6 in three variants of 8/16/32 GB internal storage.All the phones have 64 GB MicroSD Card slot.

SOFTWARE

All the phones come with Android OS 4.3, Jelly Bean but are upgradable to KITKAT OS. The major flagship of the phone is its ZENUI. This new UI is innovative, simple, elegant and beautiful. It features some interesting things like DO IT LATER, What's Next, Zen Link and some more. The UI is awesome and I actually love it.

CAMERA

The flagship of the phone is its camera. The camera of all the phones are capable of taking breathe taking photos. Zenfone 4 comes with 5 MP camera, 5 with 8 MP camera and 6 with 13 MP camera. All camera comes the PixelMaster feature, which is awesomely built by ASUS. It is brilliantly developed by Asus which delivers incredible images. It possesses Low Light Picture Mode, Time Rewind Mode (which is an awesome feature), Image Stabilizer, Selfie Mode (for all those who are addicted to selfies), Panorama, Depth of Field, Clear Zoom, Always in Focus, All Smile, Smart Remove. It also have effects like Beautification, GIF Animation and much more. The camera of the Zenfone is undoubtedly Incredible. 

Verdict

The Zenfones are serious contenders.ASUS has done well with all the phones and has come out with real winners. They are also doing well with the phone promotions. The phones are simply build and are not to hard to handle. ZENUI is easy to operate. Camera is just awesomely incredible.

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The Nokia 3310 Classic to get a makeover..

The Nokia 3310, as you know one of the most successful phones is getting a modern makeover. Its very alluring that 3310 model is getting a 41 MP PureView camera with Zeiss Optics Xenon Flash and has a same design as the original one.
When it was originally released in the year 2000, over 125 million units were sold.
Well coming to its design, there are three 'soft touch' navigation keys, one of them features Windows phone Home button which will take you straight back to start screen. Nokia 3310 PureView will come in classic metallic blue color with red, yellow, green and blue.

Specifications 

Dimension - 113×48×22 mm
Weight - 133 g

Display Size, Resolution - 3 inch 'Clear Diamond', WXGA (1280×768)

Display Features - Nokia Glance screen, Sunlight readability enhancements, Corning Gorilla Glass 3, Pure Motion HD+, Sculpted Glass
Sensors - Ambient light sensor, Accelerometer, Proximity sensor, Barometer 

Battery - 1430 mAh, 3.7 V, removable battery 

Processor - 1.5 GHz Dual-core

RAM - 2 GB

Camera :

Primary Camera - 41 MP, PureView (Auto Focus)

Camera focal length, minimum focus range - 26mm, 15cm

Flash type - Xenon Flash

Primary Camera features - 6-lens optics, Backside-illuminated image sensor, High resolution zoom 3x, Optical image stabilization
Camera Video resolution - 1080p (30 fps)

A side-mounted MicroSD card slot offers additional storage expansion. This classic phone remake comes with four pre-installed applications - Snake II, Pairs II, Space Impact and Bantumi (a currency convertor) . 

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'Samsung Z' First Tizen Phone

Finally Samsung has presented its first Tizen phone, Samsung Z. This Tizen based device will feature 4.8 inch Super AMOLED display and a Quad-Core processor. It will be running on the version 2.2.1 of Tizen.

The 4.8 inch display in not full HD but is limited to 720 x 1280 pixels. But on the other hand it has 3 GHz Quad- Core CPU and will come with 2 GB RAM which is its power point.

Like Samsung Galaxy S5, it has 8 MP camera, Heart Rate Sensor and its "Home Button" comes with a built in fingerprint-scanner. It will also feature Samsungs new Ultra Power Mode for keeping the phone alive as long as possible when the battery is almost empty. Its battery will have 2600 mAh which may deliver about 9 hours of call.

Image courtesy : tizenphones.com

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LG launches G3, company's best phone till date

LG unveiled its high-end smartphone G3 at press event on 27 May, 2014. It is the successor of 2013 G2. The phone possesses quad HD display and is the company's best phone till date.

LG G3 SPECS

Dimensions	146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9mm (curved)
Weight	5.26 oz. (149g)
Screen size	5.5 inches
Screen resolution	2,560 x 1,440 (534 ppi)
Screen type	IPS LCD
Battery	3,000mAh Li-Ion (removable)
Internal storage	32GB
External storage	Up to SDXC standard/2TB theoretical
Rear camera	13MP with OIS
Front-facing cam	2.1
Video capture	3,840 x 2,160 (4K)/30 fps

Operating system

Android 4.4.2 (near stock)

PROS

• Great Camera
• Solid Performance 
• Battery Life

CONS

• Additional Softwares

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Best Mobile Phones in the market (Part 3)

Sony Xperia Z2 

The Sony Xperia Z2, codenamed 'Sirius' is an android smartphone manufactured by Sony. The Xperia Z2 is also waterproof and dustproof just like its predecessor Xperia Z1.


Dimensions : 146.8 × 73.3 × 8.2 mm
Weight : 163 g
Operating System : Android 4.2.2 KitKat
 System on chip : Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8974AB 801
CPU : 2.3 GHz quad core Krait
Memory : 3 GB RAM
Storage : 16 GB (32 GB for SO-03F variant)
Removable Storage : upto 128 GB
Battery : 3200 mAh (non-user removable)
Rear Camera :  20.7 MP back-side illuminated sensor with pulsed LED flash 4K (2160p) video recording @ 30 frames/s; 1080p video recording @ 60 frames/s; 720pvideo recording @ 120 frames/s
Front Camera : 2.2 MP (1080p video recording)

HTC One M8

The HTC One M8 is and Android Smartphone manufactured by HTC. One M8 was officially unveiled on 25 March, 2014. 

Dimensions : 146.3 × 70.6 × 9.4 mm
Weight : 160 g
Operating System : Android 4.2.2 KitKat
 System on chip : Qualcomm Snapdragon 801
CPU : 2.26 GHz quad core
          2.45 GHz quad core
Memory : 2 GB RAM
Storage : 16 or 32 GB
Removable Storage : upto 128 GB
Battery : 2600 mAh
Rear Camera : 4.0-megapixel, 2.0 μm camera with autofocus, UltraPixel BSI image sensor, dual-LED flash, F2.0 aperture, 28 mm lens, dedicated imaging chip, continuous shooting, 2.0-megapixel depth of fieldsensor.
Front Camera : 5.0-megapixel, 2.0 μm camera, BSI image sensor

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Samsung unveils Gear 2 and S5

Samsung unveiled Galaxy S5 on 24 February at Mobile World Conference in Barcelona, Spain. Galaxy S5 is expected to release on April 11, 2014. Samsung also unveiled Gear 2.

Galaxy S5

As with the S4, the S5 is an evolution of the prior year's model, placing a particular emphasis on an improved build quality, dust and water resistance, a more refined user experience, new security features such as a fingerprint reader, and an updated camera.

Specifications 

Dimensions	5.6*0.32*2.85  inch
Weight	145 gm
Operating System	Android 4.4.2 Kitkat
Memory	2 GB RAM
Storage	16/32 GB
Removable Storage	Upto 128 GB
Rear Camera	16 MP
Front Camera	2.1 MP

Gear 2 

The Samsung Gear 2 is a Tizen-based smartwatch produced by Samsung Electronics. The Gear 2 is the successor to the Galaxy Gear which was based on Android. It was announced on 23 February 2014, a day before the Mobile World Congress. The Gear 2 will feature a mid-range counterpart model Gear 2 Neo.

A third device, the Gear Fit, features a curved AMOLED display and is aimed towards fitness tracking. The Gear 2 will have a 2MP camera stuck on its body for smart image capturing. It is specially designed for fitness and styling purpose and is going to accompany apps such as:

•  Heart Rate sensor 
•  Pedometer 
•  Exercise Standalone Modes: Running, Walking 
•  Companion Modes: Cycling, Hiking 
•  Sleep & Stress

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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of 2013

The year 2013 was fully jam-packed with new innovations, new ideas, new techno stuff and much more. 2013 was a time oh hope, a time of sadness,  a time for twerking and a time for doge.

Each new gadget has its own identity. So here I present the gadgets we love, we hate and the ones that we found aesthetically offensive.

The GOOD  

The Pebble

Many tried to make a smartwatch people wanted to wear and use this year, and many failed. Pebble succeeded. Success for a smartwatch still doesn’t look like massive millions of units sold, but it looks better than when the Pebble team tried this a few years ago with the inPulse smartwatch for BlackBerry. “The what?” you say. Exactly.

The Fitbit Force

Fitness trackers are many and varied, but Fitbit consistently delivers top-notch hardware. The Fitbit Force is the latest. It takes the successful formula of the wrist-borne Fitbit Flex and adds a basic screen so you can get information right from your wrist, instead of having to open an app on your phone every time you want to check your progress (in more detail than via a few lighted dots).

iPad mini with Retina Display

The iPad mini is an inexpensive way to join Apple's tablet family, but it remains more costly than its similarly sized competition. Besides the striking Retina display, what makes the minuscule iPad so attractive this year is it's essentially a shrunken-down version of its powerful bigger sibling. Very few sacrifices were made to accommodate the smaller stature -- something the competition can't quite claim.

Kindle Paperwhite

The "all-new" Paperwhite doesn't really offer anything all that different from last year's edition, but an improved frontlight and some software tweaks have made an already great reading experience even better. Unless Goodreads is a must-have app for you, it's a tempting, but largely unnecessary upgrade if you already own last year's version.

The BAD

Gamestick

“Android-based game console” is a phrase we wrote so many times this year. So. Many. Times. And it turns out, they mostly blow. Atop the pile of those that miss is the Gamestick, a crowdfunded disaster that no one loves.

Samsung Galaxy Gear

Pebble made a good smartwatch, and Samsung made a dumb one. They made weird ads to try to promote their dumb smartwatch, too, which helped nothing and creeped out the entire world. Plus it only works with a small pool of Galaxy devices, and it has terrible battery life and looks awful. Go home Samsung, you’re drunk.

Razer Kraken E-Panda Hooligan Headphones

Release the Kraken! This pair of headphones is named after not one, not two, but four unrelated things. We know that Razer is the brand name that invokes images of a blade, that the Kraken is a creature from Greek mythology and that a hooligan is someone who gets into drunken brawls at soccer games. But what the heck is an E-Panda? Is it a panda that’s addicted to ecstasy? Officially, E-Panda is the nickname of Bruno Mars’ brother and drummer Eric Hernandez, but how many people actually know that? And how many actually care?

OUYA CONSOLE

The initial backer editions of the OUYA shipped with a flawed controller and access to a limited games selection. But even after the retail release, the OUYA's still a system best left to hackers and developers, as it's likely to leave most gamers disappointed by its average smartphone-level internals and rehashed games library.

The UGLY

CTA Digital iPotty

Kids need to learn to use the toilet, and they should learn early that they also need to use iPads while they’re doing their business. So why not combine potty training and tablet use into a single device? The answer is that you shouldn’t do this because God will never forgive you if you do.

Google Glass

We've yet to see a consumer-facing Google Glass, but suffice to say the current version's more of a research project -- definitely not worth its $1,500 price tag for most folks. Mountain View still has to polish its features, address privacy concerns and entice developers before it hits the market. Until then, current Explorers will just have to deal with lots of confused stares when they wear it outside

Nitendo 2DS

I ain’t mad at you for dropping one of the ‘D’s Nintendo – you never needed three to begin with. And this device is actually pretty great, and I’d buy this instead of a 3DS if I didn’t already have one. Still, it’s not good-looking. It is, in fact, ugly. Good looks cost money, though, so uglification for a budget device may be strategy, not a stupid mistake

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Top Apps of 2013

Apps make the world of the mobile smart devices go around. It is basically one of the reasons why we just can’t get enough of our smartphone or tablet – without apps, we might as well go back to the Jurassic age of boring feature phones where the only novelty you can find is the game “Snake”. Undoubtedly, at this day and age, with so many developers releasing countless apps, it is easy to get lost in the crowd. So we’ve checked out some of the best apps of 2013 that you may have missed and would still want to check out.

1. Candy Crush Saga 

It was the highest grossing app on both Android and iOS in 2013. It is a typical fancy and fun twists “match-three” mobile game very much similar to the legendary Tetris and Bejewelled. Truly a game of strategy that require throughtful moves, Candy Crush Saga is extremely popular on Facebook.



2. Snapchat 

A popular “self-destructing” photo-sharing app that features smart filters, front facing flash and other exciting services. You just need to snap a photo or a video then simply add a caption then send it to a friend. Each snaps lives for 24 hours until it disappears.



3. Temple Run 2

It is the much-awaited sequel from Imangi Studios and of one of the most successful independent games apps on smartphones. With over 170 million downloads, Temple Run 2, actually ascended to the top of App stores and Play stores across various platforms.



4. 4 Pics 1 Word

It is a simple yet highly addictive Android game, which became a number one hit with over 100,000,000 word enthusiasts worldwide. The game gives you endless fun with exciting and tricky puzzles to work on. Simply guess the word and unlock the levels as you go along.



5. You Tube

This App was one of the original integrations created by HotSuite. It underwent major alteration earlier this year and now comprises a lot of exciting features. Aside from uploading, viewing, and sharing videos to social networks, you can also have multiple YouTube account support and in-dash video editing. You can also personalize recommendations with the YouTube Analytics app to keep track of your video success.



6. Instagram

 It is the most-installed mobile photo sharing app. Instagram or more commonly known as “IG” recently incorporated its 15-seconds video-sharing service, one of its main features. What makes IG different is that users can apply digital filters on their pictures and upload them on various Social Networking platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or Flickr. It has become popular by its hashtags “Throwback Thursday” and “Flashback Friday.”



7. Facebook

 the most downloadable social networking app on both the App Store and Play Store. Aside from its label as the most downloadable app, it is also the most visited social networking site with more than 900 million users. Today, this is the easiest way to connect and share moments with family and friends online. By merely signing up, you can easily find and connect to family and friends from either here or abroad.



8. Google Maps

One of the most installed apps of the year 2013 simply because it made navigation faster and easier. It comes with comprehensive and accurate maps of over 200 countries. It now has a voice-guided GPS navigation for driving, biking, and walking.



9. Duolingo

You’d be hardpressed to find anyone saying anything bad about Duolingo – it’s this year’s Internet golden child, and rightly so. It’s one of the best tools I’ve ever seen for learning/brushing up on a language… and it’s completely free. As part of your training, you translate bits of real world text from sites like CNN and BuzzFeed (which is how Duolingo makes any money.)





10. Despicable Me : Minion Rush

Who doesn’t love minions? If you do, chances are you already have this app. It is highly addicting because you’ll be given a chance to play as Dr. Gru’s Minion. It is hilariously entertaining with fast-paced challenges. All you need to do is collect bananas, be mischievous and defeat villains to earn the title “Minion of the Year”.

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