Reliance Lyf F1 Plus with 4G VoLTE launched at Rs 13,099.

Reliance Retail has expanded its product portfolio with the launch of a new smartphone - Lyf F1 Plus. Priced at Rs 13,099 the handset is available via Snapdeal. Similar to all other Lyf-series smartphones, this one too offers 4G VoLTE support.

In terms of specifications, Lyf F1 Plus features a 5.5-inch Full HD display with a 1080x1920 pixel resolution. The display is made of a scratch-resistant coating of Corning Gorilla Glass 4 on top. The smartphone runs the Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system and is powered by a 1.6GHz octa-core processor.

It offers 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage expandable up to 128GB through a microSD card. Sporting a 16MP rear camera with LED flash, it also carries an 8MP front camera for selfies. On the connectivity front, the smartphone offers 4G, LTE, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS and is backed by a 3,200mAh battery.

Recently, the company had launched Lyf Water 11 smartphone at a price tag of Rs 8,199 in India. The handset comes bundled with a Reliance Jio SIM along with the Jio Welcome offer which includes unlimited data, calling, SMS, and access to Reliance Jio services.

It has a 5-inch HD display of 720x1280 pixel resolution, and runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system. It is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6735A processor.

The smartphone offers a 3GB RAM and 16GB internal storage expandable to 32GB with a microSD card. For imaging duties, it has a 13MP rear camera with LED flash and a 5MP front-facing shooter. The smartphone packs a 2,100mAh battery and offers 4G, LTE, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and USB OTG as connectivity options.

Courtesy:- Times of India/www.gadgetsnow.com

WhatsApp fixes iOS notification bug in latest update.

Facebook's peer-to-peer messaging application WhatsApp has released an update for Apple iPhone and iPad users. The update on iOS, Apple's mobile operating system, resolves the issue being faced by some users with the notifications' badge over the app icon.

According to several user reviews of the update on iOS' App Store, they were not able to keep track of messages received. As the badge appearing on top of the app icon wasn't displaying the total count of unread messages.

Though there is no clear number available of the percentage of users affected by the bug, there were over 200 complaints regarding it on App Store. WhatsApp acknowledged the error in the description section of the update, "Fixed bug where app icon sometimes doesn't show the number of unread messages. If you are still experiencing issues with notification sounds, please update to iOS 10.1"

The issue appeared post WhatsApp's recent update (v2.16.14). The update added the functionality that allowed the users to draw or add text and emojis to photos and videos. It enabled users to pick up a brush size or font style by dragging left on the colour selector. The update also allowed group administrators to invite people to join a group only by sharing a link with them. 

Earlier this month, the company started rolling out the much-awaited video calling feature to Android users. The latest update is presently available only to official Android beta testers.

The company had first launched the feature for Windows Phone users.

As to how it works, here it goes: to make a video call, users simply need to click on the calling button and choose between 'Voice' and 'Video' calling options.

The feature also allows users to switch from front camera to rear camera as well 'mute the call'. In addition, users will get notifications in case they miss a call. To call back, they can simply tap on the same menu.

Courtesy:- www.gadgetsnow.com

Meizu M5 with octa-core processor, 4G support launched in China.

Chinese smartphone maker Meizu has launched its latest handset M5 at an event in China. The device is available in Mint Green, Glacier White, Champanage Gold, Sapphire Blue, and Matte Black colour variants. It is priced at 699 Yuan for a 2GB RAM/16GB storage version and 899 Yuan for the 3GB RAM/32GB variant.


In terms of specifications, the M5 sports a 5.5-inch HD display with 720x1280 pixel resolution. Powering the device is an octa-core MediaTek processor coupled with 2GB/3GB of RAM. It offers 16GB/32GB of internal storage which can be further expanded up to 128GB through a mciroSD card.

The hybrid dual-SIM handset runs the Yun OS 5.1 topped with Meizu's Flyme UI. The smartphone features a 13MP rear camera dual-tone LED Flash, PDAF, f/2.2 aperture and 5P lens. A 5MP front camera for selfies is also included. The device carries an mTouch 2.1 fingerprint sensor embedded into the home button. Backing the device is a 3,070 mAh battery.

On the connectivity front, the smartphone offers 4G, LTE, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS.

Recently, Meizu launched its m3s smartphone in India. The smartphone comes in Grey, Silver and Gold colour variants and is available exclusively on Snapdeal. The handset has two variants based on RAM and internal storage. While on one hand the 2GB RAM/16GB ROM version is priced at Rs 7,299, the 3GB RAM/32GB ROM version bears a price tag of Rs 9,299.

Under the hood, the m3s flaunts a 5-inch curved HD display of 720x1280 pixel resolution. It is powered by an octa-core MediaTek processor coupled with 2GB/3GB of RAM and 16GB/32GB of internal storage, as mentioned above. The storage is expandable up to 128GB via microSD cards. With hybrid dual-SIM support, the m3S runs Android 5.1 Lollipop OS.

For imaging duties, the device comes with a 13MP primary camera (with dual-tone LED flash) and a 5MP front-facing snapper. It houses a 3,020mAh battery and also has a fingerprint sensor. Connectivity options include 4G, LTE, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS.

Courtesy:- www.gadgetsnow.com

Top Vine creators wanted to save the app, but Twitter blew it.

Twitter recently announced that it plans to shut down its short-video sharing service Vine in the next few months. The platform launched three years ago once boasted of a vibrant community of independent content creators with a huge following. However, gradually, these stars deserted the platform moving to other social media platforms.


A report by The Mic describes how many of the Vine's top creators made a last ditch attempt last year to save the service. According to the report, "Last fall, nearly 20 of Vine's top 50 creators gathered in a conference room at 1600 Vine Street in Los Angeles to stage an intervention." They met Karyn Spencer, Vine's creative development lead, and other representatives from Vine.

At the meeting, the Vine stars proposed that if the service paid 18 of them $1.2 million each and rolled out certain product changes, they would produce 12 pieces of original content on Vine per month that would generate billions of views and increase user engagement. They said that they will stage a walk out if the company didn't agree to their proposals.

In fact, at the time of the meeting, many top creators had already started migrating to other competing platforms like Instagram and Youtube. "We all started to notice our numbers became less and less, while Instagram was growing," told Amanda Cerny, a top Vine creator with over 4.7 million followers to The Mic. The creators suggested for several product changes, one of which dealt with harassment in comments section. They also suggested changes like ability to add links to Vine captions and better editing tools.

Later, the proposal offered was drafted as a full-fledged contract including names of 17 top Vine creators. According to a Buzzfeed report, Twitter considered the drafted proposal.

Eventually, some more names were added in the draft, resulting in a total number of 21 Viners. However, at the last meeting it was announced that the deal was not acceptable to Vine's parent company Twitter. "At that point, we knew Vine was dead," said one of the top Vine creators, as per The Mic. As a result, top Viners started posting more original content on rival platforms and 

even tried to migrate their viewers away from Vine.

"There ain't a Vine star out there who isn't a millionaire," Vine star Alx James told the Mic website. "We'll be fine, but it's sad the way things worked out," he added.

"We were driving billions of views — billions — before we left," told another Vine star DeStorm Power to the website. "The word Vine became shorthand for short sketch-comedy videos. We did that. Vine didn't do that. We changed culture by making videos on this six-second app."

Courtesy:- www.gadgetsnow.com

Alibaba reshuffles entertainment units.

Alibaba Holdings said on Monday it has reorganised its media and entertainment businesses to form one group headed by mobile business group head Yu Yongfu.



The company also said it plans to raise more than 10 billion yuan ($1.48 billion) for an affiliated investment fund.

As part of the reshuffle Victor Koo will step down as CEO of Alibaba's video streaming service Youku Tudou and oversee the new fund, an Alibaba spokeswoman told Reuters, confirming the details of a leaked internal email.

The new Alibaba Digital Media and Entertainment Group will also include Alibaba Pictures Group Ltd.

Yu will keep his previous positions as head of AutoNavi and Alibaba Mobile Business Group.

Courtesy:- www.gadgetsnow.com

Apple 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar vs 13-inch MacBook Pro 2015.

At its 'Hello Again' event, Apple didn't just unveil the powerful new 15-inch MacBook Pro with the OLED 'Touch Bar' and Touch ID. It also launched a smaller, 13-inch variant of the laptop. This particular model will start shipping in the US soon, but is yet to hit the shelves in India.

The new 13-inch MacBook Pro runs the latest macOS Sierra and also features upgraded hardware as compared to its predecessor. Most importantly, it has an OLED 'Touch Bar' over the keyboard that serves as a secondary display. The Touch Bar can display anything from emojis to navigation buttons relative to the context of the application that is active on the screen.

Love the design of the new 13-inch MacBook Pro but confused whether to go for it or its cheaper 2015 variant? Here's a detailed comparison between the two.

Display
13-inch Apple MacBook Pro 2015: 13.3-inch Retina display with 2560x1600 pixel resolution and Standard RGB colour gamut
13-inch Apple MacBook Pro 2016: 15.4-inch Retina display with 2560x1600 pixel resolution and Wide colour (P3) range.

OS
13-inch Apple MacBook Pro 2015: OS X Yosemite (Upgradeable to macOS Sierra)
13-inch Apple MacBook Pro 2016: macOS Sierra.

Processor
13-inch Apple MacBook Pro 2015: 4th generation Intel Core i5/Core i7 processor
13-inch Apple MacBook Pro 2016: 6th generation Intel Core i5/Core i7 processor.

Storage
13-inch Apple MacBook Pro 2015: up to 1TB SSD
13-inch Apple MacBook Pro 2016: up to 1TB SSD.

RAM
13-inch Apple MacBook Pro 2015: 8GB
13-inch Apple MacBook Pro 2016: 8GB.

Battery
13-inch Apple MacBook Pro 2015: Integrated 74.9Wh lithium-polymer battery
13-inch Apple MacBook Pro 2016: Integrated 49.2Wh lithium-polymer battery.

Special Features
13-inch Apple MacBook Pro 2015: Retina display with Force Touch trackpad
13-inch Apple MacBook Pro 2016: USB Type-C and 'Touch Bar' with Touch ID integration.

Connectivity options
13-inch Apple MacBook Pro 2015: USB 3 ports, Thunderbolt 2 ports, HDMI port, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and SDXC card slot
13-inch Apple MacBook Pro 2016: Thunderbolt 3 (USB Type-C) ports, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2.

Thickness and weight

13-inch Apple MacBook Pro 2015: 18mm thick with 1.58kg weight 

13-inch Apple MacBook Pro 2016: 14mm thick with 1.37kg weight.

Price

13-inch Apple MacBook Pro 2015: Rs 1,06,900

13-inch Apple MacBook Pro 2016: Rs 1,55,900.

Courtesy:- www.gadgetsnow.com

Hero invests Rs 180 crore in electric vehicle startup Ather.

India's largest bike maker Hero MotoCorp has invested Rs 180 crore in electric scooter maker Ather Energy. Hero will acquire a 26% stake in Ather, which they can raise to 30% for an additional Rs 25 crore. The deal values the Bengaluru-based startup at around Rs 700 crore. This is the second time an Indian auto major is making a big investment in an electric vehicle venture. Mahindra & Mahindra acquired Bengaluru-based Reva Electric Car Company in 2010.

Founded by two IIT-Madras batchmates, Tarun Mehta and Swapnil Jain, in 2013, Ather Energy is backed by Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal, as also New York-based hedge fund Tiger Global, which invested $12 million last year.With the latest fund infusion, the entrepreneurs will cease to hold majority stake, but they will retain decision-making powers, Mehta told TOI. Hero will have one director on Ather's board.

"This allows us to plan beyond the next 12 months. Our factory (in Bengaluru) will be ready in three months and the first pilot vehicles will roll-out over the next 6-9 months. Neither has our plan changed one bit with this investment, nor are we planning to accelerate the product development," said Mehta. He added that the deal does not involve any technology sharing or transfer.

Hero will guide the company in scaling up vehicle production, marketing and sales.

Hero MotoCorp chairman and CEO Pawan Munjal said that the adoption of environment-friendly fuel is a priority for the company and will propagate sustainable manufacturing through green facilities."Therefore we engage with the external ecosystem, including startups in adjacent areas. We firmly believe that Ather is on the way to become one of the leaders in the two-wheeler EV (electric vehicle) space in India, potentially even globally," Munjal said, adding that Hero will continue to take forward its own EV initiatives. Ather had recently hired many senior auto industry professionals to ensure a fault-free launch of its vehicle and to develop a go-to-market strategy .

The company has inked all the vendor and supplier deals for the scooter. The scooter, named S340, is expected to give the performance of a 100 cubic capacity petrol scooter and will likely be priced close to `1lakh.

Ather's journey began when the founders wanted to make a battery for electric two-wheelers that would be far superior in performance to the available ones. The IITMadras incubator funded their startup with Rs 5 lakh. Later, the company bagged Rs 15 lakh from the central government, and another `25 lakh from Silicon Valley-based big data firm Aerospik's co-founder V Srinivasan.

Courtesy:- www.gadgetsnow.com

EU warns WhatsApp over privacy policy, Yahoo over data breach.

uropean privacy watchdogs said on Friday they had sent letters to WhatsApp over its sharing of information with parent company Facebook and Yahoo over a 2014 data breach and its scanning of customer emails for US intelligence purposes.

European Union data protection authorities said they had serious concerns about WhatsApp's recent change in privacy policy in which it would share users' phone numbers with Facebook, its first change in policy since Facebook bought the messaging service.

The authorities, known as the Article 29 Working Party, "requested WhatsApp to communicate all relevant information to the Working Party as soon as possible and urged the company to pause the sharing of users' data until the appropriate legal protections could be assured."

A spokeswoman for WhatsApp said the company was working with data protection authorities to address their questions.



"We've had constructive conversations, including before our update, and we remain committed to respecting applicable law," she said.

The watchdogs also wrote to Yahoo over a massive data breach that exposed the email credentials of 500 million users, as well as its scanning of customers' incoming emails for specific information provided by US intelligence officials.


They asked the company to communicate all aspects of the data breach to the EU authorities, to notify the affected users of the "adverse effects" and to cooperate with all "upcoming national data protection authorities' enquiries and/or investigations.

"Yahoo was invited to provide information on the legal basis and the compatibility with EU law of any such activity," the watchdogs said in a statement regarding the email scanning.

The Yahoo and WhatsApp cases will be discussed by regulators in November.

Courtesy:- www.gadgetsnow.com

India pips US in smartphone connections.

India has become the second-biggest market globally in terms of smartphone connections, overtaking the US and trailing only China. More and more Indians are logging on the internet using their mobiles, aided by availability of low-priced smartphones — a significant number of them assembled locally and sold for as low as Rs 3,000 — and rapid expansion of 3G and 4G networks.

According to figures provided by global telecom body GSMA, smartphone connections in India at the end of the first half of this year (ending June 2016) stood at 275 million, higher than 259 million connections in the US. China, however, leads by a huge margin with overall smartphone connections at 910 million.



Alasdair Grant, the head of Asia for GSMA, told TOI that the growth in smartphone connections will continue to remain strong in coming years as 3G and 4G networks spread rapidly across the country. The growth will be fuelled further with the entry of new operators such as Reliance Jio.



Grant added that 4G connection base is forecast to grow from 3 million at the end of 2015 to 280 million by 2020. "Mobile broadband (3G and 4G) will account for nearly 50% of total connections in India by then."



GSMA said mobile operators are investing heavily to improve network coverage, and this should see 3G being available to 90% of the population by 2020, while 4G to 70%, the latter registering a 14-fold increase from now.


Most of the mobile manufacturers have also read the trend as the majority of new device launches by them are only 3G and 4G compatible as 2G devices — which are mainly feature phones — are being discontinued.

Total mobile users in India (some may carry multiple SIM cards) stood at 616 million at the end of June, GSMA said. "Almost half of the country's population now subscribes to a mobile service, indicating the significant growth potential in the coming years, particularly from the rural and under-penetrated segments."

In its 'India Mobile Economy' report, GSMA estimates that 330 million new mobile users will be added by 2020. This would push up the mobile phone penetration base across the population to 68% against 47% at the end of 2015.

The report also said that mobile phones will also become a platform to offer a variety of government schemes and other services such as financial access, information dissemination, and productivity enhancement.

The report said that data traffic will register a CAGR of 63% between 2015 and 2020, registering a 12-fold increase over the present usage. This will be fuelled by social networking and online communication.

The report also said that mobile phones will also become a platform to offer a variety of government schemes and other services such as financial access, information dissemination, and productivity enhancement.

The report said that data traffic will register a CAGR of 63% between 2015 and 2020, registering a 12-fold increase over the present usage. This will be fuelled by social networking and online communication.

Courtesy:- Times of India.

Tata Steel says financial statements present true and fair value.

Tata Steel Ltd on Thursday said its financial statements present a true and fair value of the company, in response to a request for clarification from India's stock exchanges.

The exchanges made the procedural request after the former chairman of parent Tata Sons Ltd, Cyrus Mistry, on Wednesday said the group could face an $18 billion writedown, partly related to the acquisition of its European steel business.

"As part of the preparation of financial assets, the value-in-use of the assets of the Company is tested for impairment as per the Accounting Standards," Tata Steel said in a statement.

The company said it had nothing further to "comment or disclose."

Courtesy:- Times of India.

Despite Pokemon Go success, Nintendo cuts sales forecast.

Japanese video game maker Nintendo Co has slashed its operating profit and sales forecasts for this fiscal year, despite the global success of "Pokemon Go."

The Kyoto-based maker of Super Mario games and the Wii U console said Wednesday that it booked a 62.7 billion yen ($601.7 million) gain in April-September from its sale of the Seattle Mariners Major League Baseball team.


That helped push its net profit in the half-year to 38.3 billion yen ($368 million), up 234% from the same period the year before. Nintendo said it expects its net profit for the year that ends March 31, 2017, to overshoot its earlier estimate thanks to that gain.

Nintendo's earnings have suffered from lagging sales of its game consoles, including the Wii U and the 3DS handheld.

The company booked an operating loss of 5.95 billion yen ($57.1 million) in April-September, compared with an operating profit of about 9 billion yen a year earlier. It cut its full-year operating profit forecast to 30 billion yen ($288 million) from 45 billion yen.


Nintendo's net sales sank 33% to 136.8 billion yen ($1.3 billion) in April-September. It cut its sales forecast for the full year by 6% to 470 billion yen.

After years of scoffing at the threat from smartphones, Nintendo did an about face last year and entered that sector.

Pokemon Go is definitely its first success since making that decision, and it underlines Nintendo's potential. The game, which has players looking for Pokemon creatures in their real-life wanderings, is a good match for the classic Pokemon story.

But Nintendo has warned the "Pokemon Go" perk will be limited. The Pokemon Co, a Nintendo affiliate, gets licensing fees and other compensation for the mobile game distributed by Niantic, but that is having a limited impact on its income.

The "Pokemon Go" game became available after the first quarter ended, and playing it basically is all free. The company may get a boost from sales of other Nintendo products.

Courtesy:- www.gadgetsnow.com