Tech News and Updates

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Google on Wednesday updated its Search and Play Music apps for Android with new features.

The Google Search app has been updated to version 3.6. The update is said to enable deep linking of apps through search and could possibly allow "Google to show content from inside an app and link you directly to it if you've got it installed," reported Android Police.

The updated Search app also includes a new pop-up warning when a user tries to enable 'Ok Google' hotword detection from any screen with a message, "Someone else may be able to use voice commands, such as calling or texting, or access your address, contacts and other personal information -even if your device is locked."

The updated Search app is also said to have new hands-free features from the rumoured KITT project from Google. While not much is known about the rumoured Android KITT project, it is said to be a project that's internally codenamed 'Android Eyes Free' that will allow car drivers to safely perform searches via voice.

The updated Google Search app seems to be rolling-out gradually across the world, as the Wednesday-updated app listed on Google Play India actually refers to other new features, specifically the new ability for public transport commuters to set an alarm "when it's time to get off the train/bus" (a feature that was being tested in June), along with a 'Things to watch on Chromecast' section, as well as some bug fixes and performance improvements.

Users who don't want to wait for the updated Search app to roll-out to their region can install the Google-signed apk from Android Police.

On the other hand, the Google Play Music app received a minor update which bumped the version up to 5.6.1616, from the previous 5.6.1609P. Notably, Google Play in India still lists the older updated version 5.6.1609P with the app updated on Wednesday.

The Google Play Music update includes a revamped 4x1 widget and has also added another 1x1 widget that gives instant access to the "I'm feeling lucky" radio, notes Droid-Life.

Google Updates Play Music and Search Apps for Android With New Features | NDTV Gadgets

 

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Asus on Thursday launched the Fonepad 7 (FE170CG) tablet in India for Rs. 8,999. The device was introduced in April and was first released in Thailand at THB 4190 (roughly Rs. 7,670) in May.

The Fonepad 7 (FE170CG) comes with a 7-inch WSVGA (1024x600 pixel) resolution display, translating to a pixel density of 169ppi. The voice-calling tablet runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean out-of-the-box paired with its ZenUI skin. It is powered by a dual-core Intel Atom Z2520 'Clover Trail+' processor clocked at 1.2GHz with Hyper-Threading technology (implying 4 threads), alongside 1GB of RAM.

The new Asus tablet comes in two storage variants - 8GB and 4GB - and expandable storage via microSD card (up to 64GB). Asus is also offering 5GB on Asus Webstorage cloud space for lifetime and an additional 11GB for the first year. The Fonepad 7 (FE170CG) tablet sports a 2-megapixel rear camera and houses a 0.3-megapixel front-facing camera. Connectivity options of the tablet include Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, Miracast, GPS/ A-GPS, and 3G HSPA+.

Asus Fonepad 7 (FE170CG) With Dual-SIM Support Launched at Rs. 8,999 | NDTV Gadgets

 

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Google has acquired an instant messaging application startup called Emu. The company also acquired Directr, a business video maker.

The Emu team made the announcement on its website on Wednesday, "As of August 25, 2014, we'll be shutting down the Emu app. It will no longer be available in the App Store, and existing users won't be able to send, receive, or download messages."

The instant messaging app Emu comes with a 'built-in assistant'. Makers of the app describe themselves as "alumni of Siri, Apple, Google and Yahoo." Gummi Hafsteinsson, who co-founded Emu in 2012, formerly worked as Vice President of Product for Apple's Siri and a Senior Product Manager at Google, while the other partner, Dave Feldman, worked at AOL, Yahoo and TechCrunch. Feldman is known for its contribution in designing the Yahoo Messenger app for iOS and Windows Phone platforms.

The Emu messenger app made its debut on Android in October last year, while the Emu for iPhone app came in April this year.

Notably, Emu uses artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing to help it understand the content and context of messages. It seems that Google with this acquisition has plans to improve upon its Google Now virtual assistant to compete with rivals like Cortana and Siri.

Google Acquires Messaging App Emu and Business Video Maker Directr | NDTV Gadgets

 

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Oppo, after releasing the N1 Mini in Malaysia, is now all set to launch the handset in India.

The company has started sending invites for the Oppo N1 Mini launch event scheduled for August 11, with the tagline 'Mini in size, Max on fun' captioning the invite.

Earlier this week, Oppo Mobiles India Twitter handle also teased the launch of N1 Mini and said, "Revolutionary 24 Mega Pixels Ultra HD Camera, Coming Soon!"

The Oppo N1 Mini went on sale in Malaysia at RM 1,398 (roughly Rs. 26,700). The smartphone was first announced at an event in China, alongside Oppo R3.

The N1 Mini is a single-SIM smartphone that runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean with the company's custom skin, ColorOS 1.4, on top of it. It features a 5-inch (720x1280 pixels) display made by JDI and is powered by a 1.6GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor alongside Adreno 305 GPU and 2GB of RAM.

The smartphone sports a rotating 13-megapixel Sony IMX214 sensor camera with LED flash. While the Oppo N1 Mini only features a 13-megapixel swivel camera, the company has noted that the smartphone is able to shoot photos up to 24-megapixel in size when shooting in Ultra-HD mode.

The Oppo N1 Mini comes with 16GB of inbuilt storage, while there is no expandable storage support. It comes with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, GPRS/ EDGE, GPS/ A-GPS, 4G LTE and 3G connectivity options.

Oppo N1 Mini Set to Launch in India at August 11 Event | NDTV Gadgets

 

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After last month's alleged screenshot leaks for the upcoming Windows 9 iteration or Windows 'Threshold' update, a new feature is being reported to be included in the new OS - virtual desktops. The Threshold update is also said to remove the Charms Bar.

Microsoft is said to be planning to bring the virtual desktop feature to its next version of Windows, as per the Neowin website. Notably, the feature is already present in other operating systems like Ubuntu and OS X.

The website adds that the virtual desktop feature for Windows 9 or Windows 'Threshold' is currently under testing and is likely to resemble the functionalities carried by Ubuntu.

The virtual desktop feature is a way for users to stay organised and use their apps on multiple virtual desktops within a single PC system (with or without multiple monitor screens). Users can switch between those multiple desktops anytime to access individual apps, or groups of apps.

Besides the inclusion of the virtual desktop feature, the Threshold update is also said to do away with the Charms Bar that debuted on Windows 8. The Charms Bar is an overlay that gives quick access to search, share, devices, and settings. It also includes the Windows Start button.

Windows Threshold Update Said to Bring Virtual Desktops, Remove Charms Bar | NDTV Gadgets

 

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The yet-to-be-announced metal-clad Samsung Galaxy Alpha briefly went up for pre-order in the UK at GBP 549 (approximately Rs. 56,400). The smartphone is rumoured to launch on August 13.

Although the listing by Mobilefun for the 32GB Samsung Galaxy Alpha has now been removed, it had mentioned several specifications, as spotted by TheInquirer. No release date was given by the retailer.

According to the report, the listed specifications of the Galaxy Alpha included a 4.7-inch (720x1280 pixels) Super AMOLED display with a pixel density of 320ppi; a 12-megapixel rear-facing camera with "super-fast autofocus" and LED flash; a 2.1MP front-facing camera; 32GB of built-in storage; a fingerprint sensor; 4G LTE, and Bluetooth 4.0. As this is a third-party retailer, the specifications have to be taken with a pinch of salt - though they seem to match previous leaks.

While an earlier report had indicated the anticipated Galaxy Alpha will come with model number SM-G850F, another report now suggests that the smartphone will have different model numbers for different wireless carriers.

Notably, variants of the yet-to-be-announced Galaxy Alpha smartphone were spotted in Samsung's UA (user agent) profile page, which listed SM-G850A, SM-G850H, SM-G850M, and SM-G850T variants. While all the different models are listed with a 720x1280 pixel display, the processor seems different for some variants, with a 2.3GHz SoC for the SM-G850A, and a 2.5GHz SoC for the SM-G850F, SM-G850H and SM-G850M.

Samsung Galaxy Alpha Briefly Listed for Pre-Order With Specifications | NDTV Gadgets

 

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We've reviewed a lot of wireless speakers and the general consensus is that the better sounding ones are usually very expensive. Wired speakers on the other hand are not too expensive, and there are some really good ones which can be purchased at a bargain price. In an attempt to combine the best of both worlds, Logitech on Thursday unveiled a Bluetooth Audio Adapter for wired speakers that can wirelessly receive sound from smartphones, tablets or any device which has a built-in Bluetooth radio. It has been priced at Rs. 1,995.

Essentially, it can connect to any speaker using 3.5mm audio jack or RCA. The Logitech Bluetooth Audio Adapter works over the older Bluetooth 3.0 standard and features a multipoint Bluetooth connectivity that enables one touch pairing for up to two devices at the same time. It has a single Bluetooth button in the center to pair with devices. Logitech claims that if the speakers are out of range, the adaptor automatically re-pairs with other nearby devices.

Logitech also claims that Bluetooth Audio Adapter has an operating range of 50 feet, provided there are no physical obstructions. The device has dimensions of 50x50x23mm.

Logitech Bluetooth Audio Adapter for Wired Speakers Launched at Rs. 1,995 | NDTV Gadgets

 

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Acer, soon after launching the Iconia A1-713 voice-calling tablet in India, has now launched the Iconia A1-830 tablet, priced at Rs. 11,299.

Following the lead of Motorola, Asus, and Xiaomi, the Taiwanese giant has launched the new Android-based Acer Iconia A1-830 tablet exclusively on Flipkart.

The tablet is now available at the e-commerce website with launch offers such as free Sennheiser HD 180 headphones; discounts on digital magazines; a lucky draw contest where the winner will get Rs. 5,000 as cash back, and free preselected ebooks worth Rs. 1,500.

The Acer Iconia A1-830 tablet was initially announced at CES alongside the 7-inch Iconia B1-720 tablet. It runs the older Android 4.2 Jelly Bean out-of-the-box. However, the company promises an Android 4.4.2 KitKat OS update for the tablet.

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The tablet features a 7.9-inch (768x1024 pixels) LCD IPS display and is powered by a 1.6GHz dual-core Intel (Atom Z2560) processor coupled with 1GB of RAM. The Iconia A1-830 comes with 16GB of inbuilt storage which is further expandable via microSD card (up to 32GB). It sports a 5-megapixel rear camera with full-HD video recording, while it also houses a 2-megapixel front-facing camera.

Acer Iconia A1-830 Tablet With 7.9-Inch Display Launched at Rs. 11,299 | NDTV Gadgets

 

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Facebook on Tuesday has updated its Messenger app for Android to version 9 with support to Google's Android Wear devices. The updated Facebook Messenger app for Android includes the ability to 'voice reply directly from your Android Wear device,' and also brings some non-Android Wear related features.

The announcement post on Google+ by Ian Lake, an Android Software Engineer at Facebook, also mentions that 'for many users', the Facebook Messenger app v9 will include the "ability to send a 'like' thumbs up reply and mute notifications from actions" or the notifications drawer on Android smartphones or Android Wear device.

The updated Facebook Messenger app is now listed on the Google Play store in India, though the exact version of the app varies with the device.

Earlier this week, Facebook added Messenger integration to the revamped Windows Phone app for WP7.5, WP8 and WP8.1 devices. The updated Facebook app for Windows Phone is available to download from the Windows Phone Store.

Facebook Messenger for Android Updated With Android Wear Support and More | NDTV Gadgets

 

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