Wednesday 10 September 2014






September 9 2014 has been one of the historic event for Apple Inc.As Apple decided to release its latest products such as iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus and Apple iWatch, they have created several new ideas to attract the trend setters.With the help of military forces and tight securities the Apple Launch event held at Cupertino,CA headed by its CEO Timothy.D.Cook.Under Cook's management Apple hired numerous designing legends for the betterment of the company.Here is the complete Apple Launch Event on September 9 2014 21:00


Watch it here :  Watch Apple Launch Event Sep 2014!!!







Four times before in its history, at media events planned with military precision, Apple introduced a new invention that radically altered how the technology industry conceived of its future. The company hopes it did that again for a fifth time on Tuesday by unveiling the Apple Watch, a stylish smartwatch that is the company's first advance into a new product category since it created the iPad in 2010. 









Yet in some ways, the most consequential headline at the event went unannounced. The biggest news was about the old Apple: It's back, and it's more capable than ever. 

Any question about how well Tim Cook, Apple's chief executive, is managing the reins of the world's most valuable company will most likely be put to rest after Tuesday's profusion of product announcements at the Flint Center in Cupertino, California, where Steve Jobs first showed off the Macintosh in 1984. 

The announcements included two large-screen iPhones and a new electronic payment system that allows users to make purchases at stores through their phones. 

 

       

       Apple, under Cook, looks every bit as daunting to rivals as it did under its iconic co-founder, Jobs. 
       Both the new watch and the payment system, Apple Pay, appear to be of a level of polish that suggests the company still possesses the capacity to invent new products and services that can define an entire industry. And the two iPhones will most likely prove that Cook can still do what has long been Apple's bread and butter: Incrementally improving its top-performing products in ways that keep them just ahead of rivals. 

       But more important is that Apple, under Cook, is operating at a scale it never achieved under Jobs. It is creating more new hardware and software, and tying all of its products together more seamlessly than most of its rivals. In responding to customer demand to offer bigger phones, and in granting outside developers deeper access to its mobile operating system, Cook has also signaled a slightly more open philosophy at Apple. The firm is not as ideologically rigid about how people use its products as it once was. 

      It remains to be seen whether Apple can make good on all of the promises it made on Tuesday. Its new phones will be out this month, and its payment system will be operational in October. The Apple Watch will not be in stores until next year. 

     After a hack last month that resulted in the leak of several celebrities' private photos from their online Apple accounts, the company's push to persuade people to use its devices to engage in commerce and to track their health may face skepticism. 

     Price is also a persistent question: From its phones to its new watch, which starts at $349, Apple is selling a digital lifestyle at a cost that exceeds that of many of its rivals. 

     Yet many users won't balk at paying for the convenience and prestige of using Apple's products.


     First, it needed to make something — anything — new. One persistent criticism of Cook is that while he has been an able steward of Apple's finances, he lacks the capacity to bring forth the kind of industry-defining new products for which Jobs was famous. Cook is "a master of spreadsheets, not innovation," as Yukari Iwatani Kane, a former reporter for The Wall Street Journal, put it earlier this year in a book that became the high-water mark for Apple criticism. 

     Never mind that this assessment of Cook often rang hollow, and seemed to deeply misunderstand how Apple operates. Though it has cultivated a reputation for frequently reinventing everything, what's most remarkable about Apple's history isn't how many totally novel devices it has released, but how few. 

     Since the 1980s, Apple has invented four new computing platforms — the Mac, the iPod, the iPhone, and the iPad — that have been revolutionary. But in each of the intervening periods between new platforms, Apple looked remarkably similar to the company under Cook. Each year it put out slight, useful updates to existing products, features that were cheered by customers while roundly jeered by the tech press as yet more unimpressive incrementalism. 

      The ultimate success of Apple's smartwatch, and its lasting utility to users, won't be known for months or years to come. But its introduction ought to squash the charge that the company - and Cook - can't invent anything new.




#TOI

Monday 8 September 2014

There are plenty of scanning apps out there and plenty that do a great job of scanning to PDF. The problem with many of these apps is that they rely heavily on your ability to do a good job of snapping a photo of the image you want to import into a PDF. Snap a crooked shot or one that's out of perspective, and you'll wind up sending off a less-than-professional document. That's all fine and good if you can take perfect shots of your documents every time. But for those times when you can't, you'll be glad you have Quick PDF Scanner.






This particular take on the PDF scanner has two new tools -- for cropping and perspective -- that help you get perfect pages in your documents every time. No more having to re-take shots because the image was out of perspective or didn't take up the whole screen. Quick PDF Scanner also features:
·         Batch scanning for multi-page documents
·         Ability to zoom in or out for detailed review
·         Camera grid during scanning (can be enabled/disabled)
·         Different scene and focus modes for best document scanning
·         Various picture sizes supported
·         Page rotation
·         Configure the flash when scanning
·         Set image capture orientation
·         Configurable color effects, antibanding, white balance, and exposure compensation
Needless to say, if you're looking for a killer scanner app, Quick PDF Scanner might be the one. Let's install it and take a closer look at how to put it to use.
Installation
The installation of the app is simple. There are two different versions:
·         Free: Ad-based
·         Premium: $4.99/yearly
What's odd about this is that I have yet to find any advantage to purchasing the Premium version. It seems to only remove the ads -- no unlocking of hidden features. So, clearly the free version is what you want (especially considering the subscription model pricing for the Premium). With that said, the installation steps are as follows:
1.    Open the Google Play Store on your Android device
2.    Search for Quick PDF Scanner
3.    Locate and tap the version by Mobile Systems Inc
4.    Tap Install
5.    Read the permissions listing
6.    If the permissions listing is acceptable, tap Accept
Once it's installed, you'll find a launcher on your home screen. If not, check the app drawer. Tap that launcher to open Quick PDF Scanner.

#TechRep

Thank You.


The next iteration of Android will start hitting devices later this year (2014). Naturally, every roll out of a major Android release is big news -- but not quite this big. Android L marks some major changes for the Android ecosystem. We're talking about a serious shift in design. According to Sundar Pichai, head of Android, L is to be one of the biggest upgrades to Android yet. The new design scheme will be a much flatter look, but every animation, every shadow, every single element will look "real." Shadow gradients, 3D tiles, and a much more consistent look and feel will spread across the whole of Android.



From everything Google is saying, this will be the most intuitive version of Android to date. Other than a total overhaul of the look, you'll find plenty of change in the platform. Other bits and pieces you should expect:
·         Notification panel and lock screen integration
·         Prioritized notifications (based on what you look at most)
·         Interlocking apps (apps can "talk" to one another)
·         Major performance boost
·         Default to ART runtime
·         Much improved battery life (thanks to Project Volta)
·         Improved Android wear experience
·         Android TV integration
There's plenty more goodness in the list, but that should be enough to get you hoping for an "L" upgrade to your device as soon as possible.
The big question: "Will device X get L?"
This question is on the minds of almost every Android user. Will my device get "L"? As you've all come to know, OS upgrades are dependent on a couple of major variables:
·         Carrier
·         Device
Not all devices are L-compatible. Most devices manufactured in 2014 should be. Here is a short list of compatible devices that are likely a lock for "L":
·         All Google Play edition phones
·         Nexus 5
·         Nexus 7
·         LG G Pad
·         All HTC devices released after the M7
·         LG G3
·         Motorola Moto X/G/E
·         Samsung Galaxy S 5
·         Samsung Galaxy S 4 (this will roll out well after the 5)
·         Samsung Galaxy Note 3/4
·         Sony Xperia Z1/Z2/Z3
OnePlus has also claimed that all of their newer phones will be getting the "L" update -- but there is no indication as to which devices and when.



The "when" is the tricky part, due to the carriers. The order in which these devices (by carrier) will most likely see "L" looks like:
1.    Google devices
2.    HTC
3.    Motorola
4.    Samsung
5.    LG
6.    Sony
This order, of course, is totally thrown out of whack because of carriers. Some carriers update much faster than others. For example, if you're on a contract with AT&T, expect your upgrade to "L" to be delayed. Of the three major US carriers, my best guess for "L" rollouts would be (based on previous major update rollouts):
1.    Verizon
2.    Sprint
3.    AT&T
The big "when?"
The rollout of "L" should begin around November or December of 2014. That will, most likely, be for Google devices only. I would suspect that most other devices won't see the "L" update until the beginning of the new year (although a Verizon-branded HTC M8 update could happen sooner).
No matter when the update occurs -- all Android users should be excited about what may be the most significant improvement to the platform to date. If your current device doesn't support "L" and you're getting ready to purchase a new device, make sure you land one that does support "L" or wait until after the "L" release to purchase. It will be worth the wait.
#TechRep.


Sunday 7 September 2014

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the world's second-most followed politician on Twitter, having added two million followers in the first 100 days of his government, says an official blog on the micro-blogging website.





At 6.13 million followers for his personal account @narendramodi, he is second to US President Barack Obama who has a massive following at 46 million. Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono holds the number three slot with 5.37 million followers.

If combined with the followers of his official handle @PMOIndia, several of which would overlap with his personal account, Modi's total followers are 8.5 million and growing.

"His Twitter account (@narendramodi) has crossed the six million follower mark since his election win, while the official account of the Prime Minister's Office (@PMOIndia) has grown more than 40% since his swearing-in ceremony," the blog added.

In an earlier list released by Twitter in June, which did not consider "politicians" exclusively, Modi was the fourth most followed in the "world leader" category. Here the top slot belonged to Obama, the second to the Pope, who had 14 million followers across nine accounts in different languages. The third spot, occupied by Yudhoyono, was soon taken over by Modi by July with his steadily climbing following. While Yudhoyono has fewer followers than Modi today, the Pope currently has 15.3 million followers across his nine accounts.

On Facebook as well, Modi maintains the number two position at over 21 million likes for his verified page, again second only to Obama, who has over 42 million likes.

Modi has been using Twitter not only to post messages relevant to Indians but also for diplomatic courtesies. After BJP's win in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he thanked various world leaders on Twitter when they tweeted their congratulatory messages to him. Most recently, before his visit to Japan, he posted a series of tweets in Japanese. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe responded in English. Of the three people that Abe follows on Twitter, Modi is one.

The Japanese tweets were posted with the help of the Indian embassy. The brainchild behind them is reported to be Hiren Joshi, a 44-year-old electronics engineer from Pune, tasked with managing Modi's digital presence across platforms and hand-picked by the former Gujarat CM back in 2008.

Nearly 40 ministers and ministries also have a presence on Twitter. "Since taking over as the PM, @NarendraModi has added more than 2 million followers in the first 100 days of his government and is now the second-most followed politician in the world on Twitter," said an official Twitter blog posted on Thursday.




Five most followed politicians on Twitter

Barack Obama: 46 mn followers

Narendra Modi (@narendramodi and @PMOIndia): 8.5 mn (6.1 and 2.4 mn) followers

SB Yudhoyono (@SBYudhoyono, president Indonesia): 5.37mn followers

Abdullah Gul - (@cbabdullahgul, former president of Turkey): 4.93 mn followers

Recep Tayyip Erdogan (current president of Turkey) - 4.65 mn followers)

Five most popular politicians on Facebook

Barack Obama: 42.4 mn likes

Narendra Modi : 21 mn likes

Mitt Romney: 11.3 mn likes

Prabowo Subianto (Indonesian politician): 8.5 mn likes

Recep Tayyip Erdogan: 6.4 mn likes.


#TOI

Samsung, on Sep 4 ,2014 launched the world's first bendable TV as well as the world's biggest curved television, ahead of the IFA 2014 tech expo. Both these televisions have 105-inch screens and pack 11 million pixels (5120X2160p resolution) on the display panel.








The new Samsung curved TV a custom lock screen and has a quad-core processor under the hood to power the smart functions. The display panel of this 105-inch TV has 21:9 aspect ratio and 4.2-metre radius.





Additionally, Samsung's proprietary picture quality technology, Peak Illuminator, enables viewers to identify subtle differences of brightness and highlights contrasts to expand the range of brightness on the screen for better details. The new 105" curved UHD TV has a 160W built-in speaker that delivers an immersive viewing experience.





The South Korean company has partnered with Netflix, 20th Century Fox, Amazon and major European content partners to offer UHD content to customers. It is also offering 500GB of UHD content to buyers for free.








The bendable TV features much to the same technology and design as the new curved TV. The main difference is that it can change modes — from flat to curved screen — so that viewers can have greater control on the screen type. It has a curvature of 4200R and UHD dimming technology; it can also upscale non-UHD content to UHD-compatible.

Samsung also announced a new range of curved sound bars that are designed to complement the shape of the curved TVs that the company offers.

#TOI
 If you cannot get enough of what your favourite celebrities are up to, Microsoft has a new app for you. 




The "Snipp3t" lets you subscribe to celebrities and get personalised headlines, social media feeds and news about what the celebrity is up to. 

"Tap on a celebrity to view their detailed profiles and explore a timeline of news stories about them. You can also tap on to a news story to get all relevant story content (news articles, photos, videos and social mentions) in one place," the app description read on Apple's App Store. 

The app asks you to "personalise with Facebook" and then updates your news feed while giving you more options to follow more celebrities. 

It is not clear why Microsoft made the app for iOS-only rather than Windows phone. 

But for now, snipp3t users can keep a track of their favourite celebrities in a prompt and well presented way. 



#TOI

Saturday 6 September 2014

TV viewing is now moving from conventional cable and satellite mediums to the internet, with multiple connected devices in our living rooms, bags and pockets. Even the satellite networks or DTH (direct to home) TV providers don't want to lose out their share of the digital pie and want to give users the ability to watch broadcasts on multiple platforms.





Airtel Digital TV, the DTH arm of Airtel, offers Pocket TV, a mobile app which is essentially an internet based extension of the service. We used the service on an Apple iPhone 5 for some time and here's what we feel about it...

Setting up

Powered by mobile TV service DigiVive, the Pocket TV app can be downloaded from Apple's iTunes App Store on the iPhone or Google Play Store on Android devices. It's worth mentioning that online TV can only be used if you own an Airtel Digital TV connection. However, the streaming works on all data networks including on 3G data connections.

After downloading the app, you'll need to send a text message with the keywords 'ADD TV' to short code 54325 from the mobile number registered with Airtel DTH. Following this, you receive a one-time activation password that needs to be entered with your Airtel Customer ID or registered mobile number. The service costs Rs 60 per month in addition to data charges incurred by you for streaming video.

Once activated, you get access to 'live TV' and on 'demand sections' of the app for watching live tv (across more than 150 channels) and catching up on shows that have already been broadcasted (around 13 channels). The 'on demand' section also offers a video content library with more than 10,000 movies and videos.

Navigation and use

The home screen simply lists some of the highlights of the app including what's trending, content based on festivals and occasions, and free content, in addition to preview shortcuts for playing that content.

The first section is Live TV that offers a scrollable list of more than 150 channels. The channels can also be browsed category wise or searched via a search box. Once you tap a channel logo, a preview window, program guide, shortcuts to add the channel to favourites, and share the channel link via SMS and Facebook are displayed.





The buttons for sharing, search and browsing are very small and a little cumbersome to use if you have big hands.

The on demand section also offers content categories and videos in a similar fashion.

The playback starts in a new screen but unfortunately it is not full-screen. You can stretch the video to some extent but that distorts it a little. It's difficult to understand why a paid streaming service would not offer full screen view.

The playback screen has controls for stretching the video, controlling the volume, opening the programme guide and opening a carousel menu for switching between channels.



There are no controls for switching between the video quality as Airtel says the app automatically chooses the bit-rate depending on the internet speed. We were able to watch good quality video on an 8Mbps Wi-Fi connection and 2-3Mbps 3G connection but it was not HD quality.

The app does not natively support Apple's AirPlay wireless streaming standard but you can mirror your phone to an Apple TV to watch the live stream on a big-screen TV. Unlike TataSky which blocks AirPlay mirroring on its Everywhere TV, Airtel's service allows you to wirelessly mirror content. Unfortunately, due to the stretched view, it doesn't really make for a good viewing experience.

Verdict

Airtel's Pocket TV app has great potential. For instance, it's an easy way to 
keep a tab on the latest game scores or breaking news or just for catching up on your favourite sitcoms. Unfortunately, the implementation leaves a lot to be desired.

There's no full screen view, no native AirPlay support and no controls for tinkering the video quality. But the major flaw is the lack of availability of a large number of channels. The app doesn't feature sports, English entertainment and English movie channels. Even the rest of the catalogue is not very exciting.





The app does feature show reminders but there's no way to search for individual shows. The app's user interface is also not very intuitive and needs a facelift in order to suit the mobile screen.

For a half-baked service, paying Rs 60 a month in addition to the subscription charge doesn't really make sense when you don't get what you want to watch.



Download Airtel Pocket TV now :

                              iPhone Download

                              AndroidDownload


#ThankYouTOI

 You may soon be able to respond to Facebook messages on your Android Wear with Facebook adding support for the app to its Messenger.

With Facebook following WhatsApp on the gadget's panel, Android Wear is fast gaining support for more messaging apps beyond Google's Hangouts, reported The Verge.

Earlier the app simply displayed phone's notifications, but one can now browse the notifications, view full-length message previews and respond to messages on WhatsApp, Facebook and Google Hangouts just by talking to the watch.

#TOI



Follow me on Twitter!