Showing posts with label Android. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Android. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Android's Google Maps Now Displays Weather Updates

Similar to its iOS counterpart, Google Maps for Android now integrates weather and air quality index (AQI) data directly onto the map interface. A small box situated below the search bar displays the current temperature, along with an icon representing weather conditions and AQI information. Users can tap on this box to access more detailed weather updates, including 'Feels like' temperature, daily high/low temperatures, and a 12-hour forecast. Additionally, tapping on the AQI section provides access to the Air Quality map layer. Although the weather box is relatively small, it updates dynamically as users navigate the map. Notably, this feature has recently been introduced to Android devices, following its prior availability on iOS. Users may need to force stop Google Maps to ensure they have the latest version (11.113.x) and access to this functionality.

Wednesday, December 20, 2023

Effortless WhatsApp Data Transfer: Comprehensive Instructions for Moving Data Between Android and iOS Platforms

Certainly, WhatsApp has evolved into a pivotal application on our smartphones, encompassing our work, entertainment, personal life, business, and more. The prospect of losing access to our WhatsApp chat history during a switch from Android to iOS or vice versa can be nightmarish. Recognizing the significance of WhatsApp across both iOS and Android platforms, the challenge lies in preserving WhatsApp data during the transition. Unlike many social media apps, WhatsApp stores data locally, complicating immediate resumption on a new device. Fortunately, WhatsApp has introduced a feature facilitating the migration of data from iPhones to Android devices. Notably, this feature is supported on specific devices, including Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel smartphones, as well as devices running Android 12 or later.

Thursday, December 14, 2023

Android built-in phishing protection

Phishing is a type of cyberattack employed by hackers to trick users into divulging sensitive information. These attacks can be highly sophisticated, underscoring the need for constant vigilance and verification of the legitimacy of the app or website where you enter your credentials. In an effort to enhance protection against phishing attacks on Android, Google appears to be working on a new feature that will automatically identify potentially deceptive apps. 

Wednesday, December 6, 2023

Beeper Mini - iMessage on Android


iMessage stands as a significant factor preventing some Apple users from transitioning to Android. Despite Apple's announcement about introducing the modern RCS messaging standard to iPhones next year, it won't replicate the iMessage experience. Numerous attempts, including Nothing's efforts, to bring iMessage to Android have proven unsuccessful. Now, a newly launched app called Beeper Mini claims to genuinely bring Apple's iMessage service to Android devices. This Android app enables users to register as iMessage users, sending and receiving iMessages without routing through a Mac device in the cloud, thus avoiding the pitfalls of previous attempts. Moreover, all data is end-to-end encrypted, ensuring privacy and security. The Beeper Mini app, available globally on the Play Store, comes with a monthly subscription fee of $1.99. It supports various message formats, including text, audio messages, images, videos, files, contacts, and locations. While it accommodates tapbacks (reactions to iMessages), animated stickers and advanced features like mini apps, location sharing, and digital touch are currently not supported. Notably, messages sent from Android phones will appear in blue bubbles, resolving the blue bubble-green bubble debate. The Beeper Mini team achieved this by showcasing Android phones to Apple's servers as authentic Apple products, having reverse-engineered iMessage through jailbreaking iPhones and delving into the operating system intricacies. The app's compatibility was verified in a day-long trial on a Galaxy S23 Ultra, successfully communicating with an iPhone user. Given the past shutdowns of similar services, Beeper Mini's future faces uncertainty regarding how long Apple might allow or tolerate this service. Beeper CTO Brad Murray asserts that the company operates within legal boundaries, and there is no Apple code embedded in Beeper Mini. According to him, disrupting Beeper Mini's iMessage compatibility would likely affect genuine iPhone users, presenting a legal challenge for Apple.

Saturday, December 2, 2023

Google Messages New Features

The default messaging app on the majority of Android phones, Google Messages, has undergone a significant update today, introducing a variety of new features that promise to enhance your conversations. The revamped user interface maintains a familiar appearance, resembling the widely popular messaging app on iPhones, iMessage. One notable addition is the Photomoji feature, allowing users to extract objects from their photos, turning them into personalized photomojis that can be sent as reactions in Google Messages. Shared in group chats, these photomojis can be utilized by other users, akin to Apple's live stickers feature.

Another addition is the Voice Moods feature, enabling users to send voice notes with enhanced emphasis. Following the recording of the message, users can choose from nine different emotions, such as laughter or party fever. Upon sending the voice note, the recipient hears the message accompanied by a visual effect, highlighting the selected voice's mood. Borrowed from iMessage, Google Messages now incorporates Screen Effects, offering fully immersive, vibrant effects that take over the entire screen when sending specific messages. For instance, typing 'I love you' triggers a screen effect where the heart emoji explodes on the screen. Google mentions the presence of over 15 screen effect prompt words.


Monday, February 4, 2013

Micromax Smarty 4.3 A65


Micromax, the Indian mobile manufacturer, has launched a number of devices in the ‘Smarty’ range, including the Smarty 5.4, the Smarty 3.5 and Smarty 2.0.


The dual SIM phone which runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread, has a 4.3-inch TFT capacitive display with a resolution of 480x800 pixels, and a 2 megapixel rear camera. It is powered by a 1.2 GHz ARM Cortex-A5 processor, and has 512MB RAM. The Smarty 4.3 A65 has an internal memory of 190MB, which is expandable up to 32GB via a microSD card slot. Micromax says that the 1,350mAh battery offers 5 hours of talktime, and 200 hours of standby time.


Micromax is the 12th largest handset manufacturer in the world and the 3rd largest in India. In 2012 Micromax led the Indian tablet market with a share of 18.4%, ahead of Samsung and Apple. Micromax Mobile’s rapid growth is associated with its strategy of aggressive low pricing of its products and a wide distribution setup. Most people would not be aware that Micromax made its debut in 1991 but only got noticed in 2008 and within six months, it had a market share of 0.59%. With stars like Akshay Kumar as its ambassador, Micromax hit the market with a bang and was instantly popular with its competitively priced products and well marketed designs. Micromax was out of the picture for a while after the cricket world cup due to the attractive launches of brands like HTC and SONY but now with its new devices like Smarty 4.3 and the Canvas HD priced very affordably, and designed for the Indian market, the company is clearly destined to regain its place in the market.

Acer Liquid C1


Seen at the recently happened Consumer Electronics show (CES)Acer Liquid C1 has been recently launched at a price of Rs. 19,000.
This one from Acer is backed by Intel made Z2420 chipset. It the latest chipset from the house of Intel, also launched at CES this year.
The smartphone comes with a 1.2 GHz single core processor. Acer Liquid C1 sports a 4.3 inch IPS display with a resolution of 960×540 pixels. It runs on Android`s popular operating system Ice Cream sandwich but a Jelly bean update can be expected soon. It has an 8 MP rear camera which offers 1080p video quality, 30 frames/second. Acer is also offering its own cloud storage service dubbed as ‘Acer Cloud’.
Acer Liquid C1 is expected to be out at retail outlets by this moth in the markets of Thailand followed by its release in other parts of the world.

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Micromax Ninja A89


Adding a new feather in their hat, Micromax has silently unveiled a new smartphone under its Ninja series dubbed as Ninja A89 on its official website. Micromax Ninja A89 is the first in the Ninja family to possess a Dual Core processor. Like others from Micromax this one too comes with Dual-SIM capability.
It sports a 1GHz dual core Mediatek MT6577 processor and has 512MB RAM. The phone comes with a 4 inch WVGA display and has a 3MP rear camera without Flash. With 2GB of internal memory, it also allows the user to expand its memory up to 32GB via microSD card. This smartphone runs on 4.0 ICS version of Android and is powered by 1450 mAh battery.
Other features of this phone include preloaded apps like Hook up, M! live, M! store, M! Zone+ etc. There are connectivity features such as 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth and USB support also present on this smartphone. Pricing and availability of Micromax Ninja A89 has not been disclosed by the company yet but it is expected to be priced under Rs.8, 000.

Spice Stellar Pinnacle Mi - 530


S Mobility Limited, one of the India’s leading mobile internet company today unveiled new Stellar Pinnacle – Mi-530, the largest Smartphone till date by Spice with a 5.3 inch qHD IPS display. Stellar Pinnacle Mi-530, an Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS (Upgradeable to Jelly Bean) Smartphone is a stylish and powerful device which comes with 1.2 GHz Dual Core Processor that churns out seamless performance for all your media and applications. It has a 13.46 cm qHD screen offering a rich and sensational viewing experience. The phone packs 8 megapixel Auto focus camera that has many advanced modes such as Panorama, Face beautification and continuous shots up to 16 pictures and to top that it is the first phone across Industry to don a 5MP Autofocus front camera. With its large, bright screen and Wide Angle Viewing (IPS Display), Stellar Pinnacle Mi -530 is the perfect device to watch movies and play games on the go.


Bluetooth 4.0, enables swift transfer of data, music and other files 13 times faster, and yet consumes lesser battery power as compared to Bluetooth 2.1. The phone has a 1 GB RAM and 16 GB ROM. Memory can be expandable up to 32 GB through a micro SD card. The 2550mAh Li-ion-Polymer battery gives a talk-time of more than 4 hours. The Dual Mic Noise Suppression technology reduces the interference from ambient sound and offers crystal-clear conversations even in noisy places. Another added feature is the on-board Magnetic Sensor that lets the user take advantage of downloadable e-Compass apps.


Commenting on the launch, Mr. T M Ramakrishnan, CEO – Devices, S Mobility said, “We have invested heavily in the research and development of the Stellar Pinnacle Mi 530 to offer a superlative user experience and are confident that this premium product from Spice will set new standards in the industry.” Stellar Pinnacle Mi-530 promises a superior user-interface & features like USB OTG, Pop-up play, Flip to Mute, Intelligent Answer, Direct Call, Gesture Screen Lock, Hi Connect, Boot Acceleration & Power Saving Mode.

Reliance and Lenovo Partners to Introduce New Range of Smartphones..


Reliance communications (RCOM) has joined hands with Lenovo to come out with a range of smartphones which will come in different screen sizes and processor speed.
Talking about this partnership, Gurdeep Singh, President & CEO – Wireless Business, Reliance Communications Limited, said, “We are confident that the unmet demand of an innovative CDMA smart-phone with exciting features at an attractive price point bundled with our most innovative “All Share” plans will fulfill the demand of every customer on our superior network.”
These smartphones will run on Android platform and will be powered by dual core 1 GHz processor. They will be exclusively available to Reliance customers on CDMA and GSM network.
According to an official statement, “The complete range of smart-phones across screen sizes and processor speed will be attractively priced and works on CDMA and GSM network simultaneously and use the Reliance ‘Dual Core’ network advantage that switch calls between the two networks automatically based on the strength and quality of RF signals.”
“The Indian smart-phone market represents solid growth opportunities where CDMA / GSM smart-phone penetration is still low. The consumer response to our smart-phones in these few months has been very encouraging,” said Liu Jun, President, Lenovo Business Group.
These smartphones will be available at all retail outlets of Reliance and Lenovo distribution channel.

Thursday, January 31, 2013

HTC Butterfly..


The Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer, HTC has launched its 5-inch smartphone, Butterfly in India. It is expected that tis new age smartphone will cost around INR 45,990 for Indian consumers. The latest to get hold off your attention comes with Android Jelly Bean 4.1 OS and Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core processor.
HTC Butterfly comes with 5 inches Full HD (1920×1080 pixels) Super LCD 3 touchscreen. Its screen also includes 440ppi pixel density and is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass. Weighing 140 grams, it does feel bit heavy but its design makes the phone look quite sleek and slender.
The device comes with 2GB RAM and has been integrated with 16 GB internal storage. Also, Butterfly includes 25GB of free Dropbox cloud storage and supports microSD card slot. FYI, it is compatible with micro-SIM. HTC has been integrated with an amazing 8-megapixel camera with f/2.0 28mm wide-angle lens and includes 5 level automatic flash.
HTC Butterfly also includes:
  • Backside illuminated sensor (BSI) and autofocus
  • HTC’s VideoPic technology enable the users to snap the picture while recording videos
  • The Phone includes a 2.1-megapixel wide-angle (88-degree) front facing camera
  • Includes Beats Audio technology
  • Operates on 2,020 mAh battery
  • Supports HDMI, microUSB, infrared, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and NFC

Karbonn S1 Titanium..

Karbonn S1 Titanium

Karbonn has unveiled a new device in the smartphone segment dubbed as Karbonn S1 Titanium at a price of Rs.10, 990. The phone is now available for a pre-booking on the company`s official website. It is expected to be soon available on other e-commerce websites as it has now made its appearance on the official website. The company has revealed the specs on the booking page. This one from Karbonn possesses similar specifications which the recently introduced Canvas HD has, like this one too runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.
S1 Titanium sports a 4.5-inch qHD multi-touch capacitive touch display with 960×540 resolution. It has a 5 MP auto-focus camera at the back and a VGA on the front side. This one comes with a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core processor and 1GB RAM. With an internal memory of 4GB, this phone`s memory can be expanded using microSD up to 32GB. Karbonn S1 Titanium offers dual-SIM capability (GSM+GSM) and has connectivity options such as 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, EDGE, GPRS and GPS. Powering all this is a 16,00 mAh battery, which the company claims will provide a 4hrs of talk time.

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 specs leaked..


GALAXY Note 8.0 Key specifications-
  • 4.2 Jelly Bean
  • 8-inch TFT (Super Clear LCD) display
  • 5MP Rear and 1.3MP Front camera
  • 4600 mAh Battery
  • Measures 211.3×136.3×7.95 mm
  • Weighs 330 gram
  • 2GB RAM
  • 16/32GB (optional) + microSD (up to 32GB)
  • Bluetooth 4.0
  • USB 2.0
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n and A-GPS

According to an international website, Samsung will be coming out with a new Galaxy Note device in two versions very soon. GT-N5100 will be the next Note from Samsung which is expected to come in two different versions which would be GT-N5100 3G / Wi-Fi and the GT-N5110 Wi-Fi onlyGT-N5100 will be formally known as Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 and will come with an 8-inch TFT (Super Clear LCD) display. This device will sport 5 MP camera at the back and a front camera of 1.3 MP.
It will run on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system and will come with connectivity options like Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0,  as well as Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n and A-GPS. With 2GB RAM and 16/32 GB internal memory, the device`s memory would be expandable via microSD card. It will come with a huge battery of 4600 mAh to support screen of that size.
Galaxy Note 8.0 will measure 211.3×136.3×7.95 mm and weigh around 330 grams. Fourth member in the Samsung Galaxy Note family, this one is expected to be unveiled at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2013 at Barcelona. Note 8.0 will also come with the popular S-Pen feature and Samsung may place this device as a strong contender against the hugely successful iPad from the house of Apple.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Idea Launches Ivory..

Idea Cellular has launched Android-powered smartphone Ivory. The smartphone is based on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS and runs on 1GHz processor. The 3G smartphone from Idea features a 3.5' Full Touch Bar and offers 4GB internal memory and 512MB RAM.  Other features of the phone include G Sensor, built-in social media apps like Facebook and Twitter, IMAP, HTML and music video player. Ivory comes in two colour options white and black. 

The dual-sim smartphone from Idea is priced at Rs 7,390. Ivory is the fifth Android-based 3G smartphone from Idea. The company claims to have sold more than 2.25 lakh devices in the Indian market. Like all the other previous smartphones from Idea, the new dual SIM 3G smartphone, Ivory, also comes packed with data usage offers for Idea 3G users. The pack offers 1GB of free data every month for first three months and free Idea TV for just Rs 261. 

Samsung Galaxy Pocket Plus Specs Leaked..

The successor to Samsung's affordable, Android-powered Galaxy Pocket has been detailed in a leak. The Galaxy Pocket Plus is a minor upgrade when compared to its predecessor. Samsung looks to be bringing us another smallish Android handset for those not willing to jump on the “too big for comfort” wave. The device, which was leaked by SamMobile, is called the Samsung Galaxy Pocket Plus, and at 2.8 inches it’s quite small.
The Pocket is said to have Broadcom BCM21654 850Mhz processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, a 2 megapixel camera, a 1,200mAh battery and Android 4.0.4 with TouchWiz on top. Other hardware features will include Bluetooth 3.0, A-GPS, WiFi N, FM radio, USB 2.0, accelerometer support and more.
A launch period for Samsung's Galaxy Pocket Plus is said to be scheduled for the first half of 2013,, but for the time being Latin America is the only region you might be able to find it. nothing’s official yet, though, so until Samsung has a say in any of it then we can’t be too sure about any of it. Have a quick peep above.

Monday, January 14, 2013

World’s first Android-powered camera with an interchangeable lens..


Most of the mobile savvy people are cognizant about 
the Android-powered Samsung Galaxy Camera; regardless of having a point-and-shoot, the camera lacks the ability to capture eye-popping shots. In this situation, Polaroid surprised everyone by unveiling the world’s first Android-powered camera with an interchangeable lens at CES trade show. The camera runs Android 4.1 “Jelly Bean” OS and features photo-sharing, editing tricks, and 10-30mm zoom lens.  The device has the capability to take snaps of up to 18 megapixels and video up to 1080p and features a HDMI output for direct connection to a TV. The device is built by Polaroid’s partner Sakar.


Polaroid’s camera lacks the option of data plan, unlike the Samsung’s Galaxy camera, which means a user has to use Wi-Fi or Bluetooth of his Smartphone which can be paired with the camera to access the internet. The 3.5 inch LCD touch screen in back has a pop-up flash and it also includes features like auto blink detection, auto face exposure and panorama mode. The device will hit the market in Q1 of this year and will cost $399.


Lava Iris 501..


Lava Iris 501
Key Features of Lava Iris 501
• 5.0” WVGA Screen
• 1 GHz Dual core Processor
• 5.0 MP Auto-Focus / 0.3 MP Camera
• Android Ice-cream Sandwich (v4.0.4)
• Dual Sim
• 3G with Video Calling
• Additional Special Back cover
• 4 GB Memory Card free

Lava has recently launched Lava iris 501 smartphone which has a 5-inch display screen with a resolution of 800×480. The phone offers you dual-SIM capability and 5 MP rear and 0.3 MP front camera. This one from Lava comes with 1 Ghz Dual Core processor and runs on Android Ice cream Sandwich operating system which makes navigation simple, interactive and customizable.
Lava Iris 501 also comes with special built in apps like Hike; for free messaging, Saavn Music player app, Fusion Music organizer app and games from Gameloft like Asphalt HD. As far as connectivity is concerned, this smartphone comes with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. This one is also 3G enabled and you can use GPS too on this device.
The price and availability of Lava iris 501 is not disclosed by the company yet but with the specs provided, we expect it to be around Rs. 9,000.

Friday, January 11, 2013

Acer Iconia B1..


Taiwan's top computer maker Acer has unveiled a 7-inch tablet that an official says could sell for $99 in some emerging markets. The tablet will be powered by a dual core processor made by Taiwan-based MediaTek, whose processors are widely used by Chinese makers of low-cost smartphones. The Iconia B1 mini tablet will run on Google's Android Jelly Bean operating system. 

Acer president Jim Wong told reporters Iconia B1 will first be introduced in Asia and South America at prices that could go as low as $99 in special promotional programs. That will make it cheaper than Google's Nexus 7 or Amazon's Kindle Fire. Once a leading PC maker, Acer's revenue has fallen sharply as tablets undermine PC competitiveness.

ZTE Grand S..

Key specs:

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor with 1.7GHz quad-core CPU
Operating System: Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
Camera: 13 megapixel rear camera and 2 megapixel front
Display: 5 inch full-HD screen
Storage: 16GB internal storage
Battery: 1780 mAh


ZTE has unveiled what it claims is the world's thinnest full-HD smartphone, ZTE Grand S, at the ongoing Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

The 5-inch smartphone is only 6.9mm thick and is 69mm wide and 142mm tall. ZTE Grand S runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor with 1.7GHz quadcore CPU. The full-HD smartphone with 1,920 x 1,080p display offers 2GB of RAM and comes with 16GB of internal storage. It is powered by Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). There is a 2 megapixel camera on the front and a 13-megapixel auto-focus camera at the back capable of shooting 1080p video. The battery is 1780 mAh. 


ZTE Grand S is expected to hit stores in China in the first quarter of 2013, however, the company has not revealed the roadmap for its launch in other countries. ZTE has also not disclosed the price of the smartphone.

Asus Transformer PC Cum Tablet..

Asus announced the Transformer All-in-One, the world's first tablet-cum-PC that runs on Windows 8 as well as Android operating systems. This device features an 18.4-inch IPS touchscreen with 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution that can be detached from the associated hardware and be used as a fully-functional tablet.

When working as a desktop PC, it operates on Windows 8, Microsoft's latest OS, and is powered by third-generation Intel processor with Nvidia GT370M graphics. The display has display angles of 178-degrees, while sound is enhanced by Asus SoundMaster technology.
As the display is removed, the tablet mode actives and users can choose between Windows 8 and Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) as the operating system of choice with the touch of a button. In the Android tablet iteration, the device computes data using the quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor.

Asus has also included a handle in the device so that it is easy to carry it around and the in-built kickstand ensures decent viewing angles when placed atop any flat surface.Though Asus is yet to reveal all hardware specifications of the device, it is slated to hit international markets in the first quarter of this year at a price of $1,200.