Tech Specification

2019-10-17T21:55:00.000-07:00

First Name	Last Name	Points	Points	Points	Points	Points	Points	Points	Points	Points	Points
Jill	Smith	50	50	50	50	50	50	50	50	50	50
Eve	Jackson	94	94	94	94	94	94	94	94	94	94
Adam	Johnson	67	67	67	67	67	67	67	67	67	67

HP Elite x3 hands-on review

2016-03-02T07:16:00.002-08:00

Windows Phone was a rare sight at Mobile World Congress this year, but HP is still flying the flag for Microsoft’s mobile OS with the Elite x3.

In fact, this fabulous 6in phablet seems to put Microsoft’s own smartphone efforts to shame.

With an odd mix of business credentials and high-spec audio courtesy of speaker specialists Bang & Olufsen, we knew this was one to check out on the MWC show floor.

In case the recent influx of 5.7in phones had you convinced that phablets weren't actually that big, the Elite x3 will change your mind. This thing is HUGE. The 6in display takes up most of the front, but those silver metal speaker grilles add to the bulk. I could still grip it comfortably in one hand, but you'll definitely need two to reach every part of the display.

It feels a hell of a lot more premium than the Lumia 650, but we still wish HP had machined the body out of metal; everything is made from glossy plastic, and it's incredibly quick to attract fingerprints.

The speakers are B&O-branded, and certainly have an attractive pattern that matches the brand's style, but I wasn't able to get an idea of sound quality on the drowded MWC show floor - that'll have to wait for a full review.

With a top-spec 2K resolution, which still looks pin-sharp over six inches, the screen is something special. It's an OLED panel, too, so movies and pictures with deep blacks look fantastic.

It's a similar story underneath, with a cutting-edge Snapdragon 820 CPU, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of (microSD expandable) storage. Windows phone handsets don't really come better than this.

It absolutely flies through the OS, opening and swapping between apps without a hint of lag or stutter. The Windows Phone store has plenty of games now, and the ones we tried were silky smooth.

The 16MP camera on the back products some good looking results too, although we could only view them on the phone itself.

A collosal 4150mAh battery will keep all that power flowing for a full day of use, too, so you won't have to take a break to recharge.

BUSINESS ATTIRE

We're not sure what line of work HP expects Elite x3 customers to be in, but there's no doubt it's ready for anything.

Continuum is on-board for turning the phone into a simple desktop PC, just by docking it to an adaptor or pairing it with a wireless display. Both phone and dock use USB Type-C, and HP's official dock adds HDMI, USB and Ethernet so you can leave it hooked up to a screen, keyboard and mouse.

It doesn't matter if you don't work behind a desk, either; it's IP67 water- and dust-resistant, and it's been MIL-STD 810 tested for salt, fog, humidity and thermal resistance.

Fingerprint and iris scan security are both useful, but serious professionals will prefer the full encryption options.

HP ELITE X3 EARLY VERDICT

It all sounds like the Elite x3 is shaping up to be a real beast. It makes the best of a bad situation, focusing on Windows Phone's business strengths rather than going after Apple, Samsung, and LG in the home market.

Unfortunately, that also extends to how HP's going to be selling the thing. You won't be able to walk into a phone shop and get one on contract; instead, HP will be selling it directly to companies through its business networks. That means it could be pretty difficult to get hold of one, but you certainly won't be disappointed if your IT guy decided to place an order.

It should arrive later this summer, with more than 30 countries in line at launch, but there's no official price just yet.

Thinking of buying a Galaxy S7? You might want to wait a few months

2016-02-26T06:40:00.003-08:00

Now that the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge have been officially announced, we're counting down to the March 11 release date.

Have a look at Galaxy S7 Technical Specification

Here is Galaxy S7 Official video specifying its spaces

But new research from price comparison website Idealo shows that those who wait to pick up Samsung's newest handset will be rewarded with a big saving.

Tracking the price decline of four previous Galaxy models for the six months following their release, Idealo was able to forecast the price decline for the upcoming S7.

Those who wait for three months after the March 11 release will be able to get the S7 for as much as 21% cheaper than the launch price, according to the research.

What's more, those who can restrain themselves for 6 months are set to benefit from a 28% saving.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 handset can be pre-ordered for £569, while the S7 Edge will cost you £639 to pre-order.

Consumer Affairs editor for the site, Katy Phillips, said: "Nine years on from the emergence of the contemporary smartphone, we are seeing a division in the consumer behaviour towards new smartphone purchases – on one side we have the tech addicts who will queue up overnight and pay whatever it costs to be among the first to get their hands on a new device.

"On the other side, there are increasing numbers of savvy consumers, who want the newest smartphones, without it costing over the odds. "Just because high-end smartphones arrive with a hefty initial price tag, a little patience means there is no need to compromise on specification.”

Aside from the price forecast, Idealo also took a look at some statistics for the previous Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge models.

The graphic below is a nice summation of the findings, but most interesting is the decline in interest for the S6 Edge following the launch of both models.

Will you be waiting to pick up the Galaxy S7? Let us know in the comments.

Read - Is Samsung Galaxy S7 really water resistant? 'Leaked' video says yes and no

HTC A16 Spotted Ahead MWC 2016; HTC M10 Leaks Again

2016-02-20T07:39:00.000-08:00

HTC's upcoming flagship, believed to be dubbed One M10, alongside a new A-series smartphone, the A16, has been spotted in leaked images. The leaked images have been posted by prolific phone tipster Evan Blass (aka @evleaks), and show the handsets in separate posts. While HTC has been tipped in the past not be launching its flagship at MWC 2016, it may launch the A16 smartphone instead.

Blass on Saturday the shared an image of the HTC A16 (seen above). It's worth noting that we are hearing about the handset first time. Blass apart from sharing the image of the A16 smartphone also said on Twitter, "Tomorrow's news, yesterday: HTC A16," which somehow hints that the Taiwanese maker can unveil the handset soon. No other details about the A16 were shared.

Looking at the leaked HTC A16 image however, we see that it is not similar to the recently unveiled HTC One A9, the smartphone the company said would be the design inspiration for future models in the One and Desire series of handsets. It features a big camera sensor on the left side of the back panel, and not in the centre, and is also missing the home button seen on the One A9. It also appears to feature HTC's BoomSound stereo speakers. The name itself is under question, as HTC used the 'One' moniker with its previous A-Series smartphone, the One A9 - it follows that if HTC launches the phone, it will probably be called the HTC One A16.

Blass separately shared the image of the HTC One M10 (seen below) in White colour variant. Previously, Blass shared an image of the One M10 in Black colour. This means that the smartphone may launch in Black and White colours apart from other colours. In the leaked image, the purported One M10 smartphone (also rumoured to be codenamed Perfume) is seen featuring design that looks strikingly similar to the HTC One A9, which launched last year.

Here's htc one m10 official commercial ( waterproof smartphone)

This is not surprising, as the company last year had revealed its intentions to bring the One A9's design philosophy to other phones. The biggest noticeable difference in the One M10 however is the large front camera sensor. Much like the One A9, the One M10 is seen sporting a home button right below the display. The fingerprint scanner is also expected to be embedded into the home button. Corroborating an earlier leak, the One M10 in the image is seen to be ditching the dual front speakers powered by BoomSound.

Previous reports have suggested that HTC may opt not to launch its next flagship at the MWC event in Barcelona considering there will a lot of companies showcasing their new products. HTC instead was rumoured to launch its HTC One M10 in the US in the week of May 9. Nothing has been confirmed as of yet.

In terms of hardware, the upcoming HTC One M10 is expected to land with specs that include a 5.2-inch display - perhaps of the AMOLED kind - with a resolution of 1440 by 2560 pixels, a Snapdragon 820 SoC, as well as a 12MP primary camera with extra-large pixels.

Read - Is Samsung Galaxy S7 really water resistant? 'Leaked' video says yes and no

Freedom 251 Makers Clears all the Doubts and Guarantees to Deliver 50 Lakh Smartphones in the Next 3 months

2016-02-19T06:33:00.002-08:00

The domestic handset maker Ringing Bells has officially launched a new smartphone namely ‘The Freedom 251‘ in New Delhi on February 17. The event was attended by Murli Manohar Joshi, MP, with the Union defence minister Manohar Parrikar as the chief guest on Wednesday evening. This new smartphone is considered as the world’s cheapest smartphone which is priced at an affordable price of Rs. 251. This smartphone was launched in line with the Indian government’s Make in India, Digital India, and Skill India programs.

The Noida-based company has announced that the smartphone will be available for pre-booking starting February 18, i.e., yesterday from morning 6 AM and the window will be open till February 21, 8 PM. But, the official website where one can make their booking for the Freedom 251 smartphone was crashed and the site was down. For some of them, the site was opened and upon filling the details and hitting on the Pay button, the page just reloaded again and again. The company had not yet given any sort of clarification on this issue on their official Facebook page.

Freedom 251, arguably the world’s cheapest smartphone, has become a hot topic this week for its shockingly low price tag of Rs 251. However, the world’s cheapest smartphone exposes itself under scrutiny for that very low price tag. The Freedom 251 smartphone raised numerous questions and many people have been waiting curiously to get some clarification about the phone. Here is a video of Rajiv Makhni who interacted with the president of Ringing Bells, Ashok Chadha, and the Managing Director Mohit Goel to spot out just how the company has managed to value the smartphone at a mere Rs 251, and several uncertainties regarding the delivery of the smartphone

In an exclusive interview, the president and the Managing Director of Ringing Bells were asked two main questions:

How can this phone be for Rs 251?
How many smartphone units will be delivered for a guarantee in the Indian market?

“We are not hiding anything,” Goel said in response to questions about concerns raised over whether the phones would reach consumers. The money collected is being kept in an escrow account and the company won’t get the funds till the deliveries are done. Orders will be taken for a maximum of 25 lakh phones online and another 25 lakh offline. “We are promising 100% deliveries to all 50 lakh bookings by June 30, starting from April,” Goel said.

Watch the Exclusive Interview of Ringing Bells President Clears All Doubts About Freedom 251 Smartphone:

How to Book Freedom 251 Online

They have rectified all the issues of the freedom251.com website and anyone who are looking to purchase the Freedom 251 smartphone will be able to book the smartphone from today. The company assured that 50 Lakh smartphone units will be delivered in the month of June 30. Let’s hope the Freedom 251 smartphone will be delivered soon as promised for an inexpensive price tag.

Read - Is Samsung Galaxy S7 really water resistant? 'Leaked' video says yes and no

Is Samsung Galaxy S7 really water resistant? 'Leaked' video says yes and no

2016-02-17T07:42:00.004-08:00

Worst kept secret in tech doesn't even begin to describe the upcoming Samsung's Galaxy S7.

After leaked images, specs, prices and other info (somehow, there's even allama involved), now we've got the crown jewel of leaks: a full, 1-minute promo video.

The video, posted by Samsung Indonesia on Friday, shows what appears to be the Samsung Galaxy S7 and the S7 edge in a fitness-heavy scenario.Given the video was not pulled from YouTube in five days, it's possible that it was "leaked" on purpose by Samsung to pique interest in the new devices. Be that as it may, it is now almost certain the new devices will have a very similar design to last year's Galaxy S6/S6 Edge.
The clip focuses on several important features of the upcoming phones — wireless charging, water resistance and an improved camera.

A note below the video claims the product is "not water resistant."

This is where things get interesting: One scene in the video shows the phone used in pouring rain. However, a note below the video claims the product is "not water resistant and it should not be exposed to and/or submerged into water/liquid."

Warning users that waterproof devices should not be fully submerged into water is fairly standard for smartphone makers, in order to stop users from destroying their devices with too many watery activities. But the note quite clearly says the product is "not water resistant," which could indicate that, while it may be able to withstand a little splash here and there, it does not officially have an IP code rating. For example, Sony's waterproof Xperia Z5 has an IP68 rating, meaning it can be continuously immersed in water, at depths beyond 1 meter.

Which is it, then? It's hard to say: Marketing videos, especially unlisted, possibly leaked ones, are not the best source of information when it comes to tech specs. We'll know more on Feb. 22, when the Galaxy S7 is scheduled to be officially unveiled to the public.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.

The world's cheapest smartphone is cheaper than expected, launches for $4

2016-02-17T07:28:00.002-08:00

A little-known Indian company is launching the cheapest smartphone in the world today. The Freedom 251, manufactured by Ringing Bells, is priced at just Rs 251 (under $4). Affordable and feature-rich, it could play a significant role in connecting India, where smartphone usage and Internet connectivity still remain a work in progress.

The Freedom 251 has a 4-inch display, 1.3GHz quad-core processor, 1GB RAM, and a 1,450 mAh battery. It comes with a 3.2-megapixel rear camera and a 0.3-megapixel front camera. The phone also comes with 8GB of internal storage, which can be expanded by another 32GB using a microSD card.

Surprisingly for its price, the Freedom 251 will run on Android Lollipop 5.1 and comes pre-installed with several apps. Besides Facebook, YouTube, Google Play and WhatsApp, it has apps that will be useful to farmers, fishermen and women, such as Swachh Bharat, Farmer, Medical and Women Safety.

Founded in 2015, Ringing Bells has launched four smartphones until now, including a 4G phone priced at Rs 2,999 ($44). It says that the phone has been developed with the support of the government's Make in India campaign that encourages local manufacturing. It still remains to be seen how the phone is so cheap, and whether it has been subsidised by the government.

Ringing Bells has said that the phone comes with a one-year warranty and be serviced at over 650 centres across the country. Bookings for the Freedom 251 open on Feb. 18 at 6 a.m. and close on Feb. 21 at 8 p.m., with the deliveries being completed by June 30.

The launch is significant for India, the second-largest smartphone market in the world after China, and the fastest growing smartphone markets in the world.

In the last few years, the Indian government has been trying to make computing products more affordable and accessible. In 2011, the previous Indian government had launched low-cost Android tablets at Rs 2,500 ($36) under its Aakash project. The tablets were available to colleges and universities at a subsidised price of Rs 999 ($14) to promote e-learning. The tablets turned out to be duds and users found them almost unusable with poor hardware specifications.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.

Don’t Be Hacker Bait: Do This One-Hour Security Drill

2016-02-13T20:27:00.001-08:00

5 Steps to make your digital self less attractive to hackers, phishers and overly aggressive marketers

Ask a hacker if your digital security is at risk, and the answer is always yes. You could hide in a mountain bunker lined with tin foil and twigs, and somebody still might drain your bank account.

It’s no reason to feel helpless. You can make yourself less of an easy target for hackers, money-hunting phishers and overly aggressive marketers by bolstering your security and data privacy. I’ll show you how to do it in an hour or less.

The answer isn’t the antivirus software we were all trained to run on our PCs. That can be useful to identify problems, and now antivirusis built into Microsoft’s Windows 10. But viruses don’t spread the ways they used to—and the bad guys change their strategies so quickly, traditional antivirus can’t keep up.

The foundation of smartphone and laptop safety is software updates, smarter passwords and more defensive Web browsers. Then it comes down to learning a few new digital habits to avoid being duped by criminals who exploit our own good natures.

If you suspect your computer is already in trouble because it’s slow or keeps flashing shady-looking offers, your first step should be to check for malware, damaging software you might have unwittingly picked up on the Web. I recommend downloading the free MalwareBytes, which does a great job of finding and removing worms, Trojans and other nasty stuff on Macs and PCs.

Then dedicate an hour, and work your way through this checklist, starting at the top. Even if you only get through a few areas, you’re less likely to be hacker bait.

1. Update your software

Why it matters: Software changes constantly now, which can be annoying—but helps address new vulnerabilities. The golden rule of security is that if you install something, you have to stay on top of it.

Quick fix: Update your phone and computer OS, then move on to your apps. If you browse the Web with Chrome or Firefox, make sure they update automatically in Settings.

Updating software can be either fast or tedious depending on when you last did it. (Before a major update, it’s also a good idea to backup your device.)

On iPhone or iPad: Plug in your device and connect to Wi-Fi. Tap Settings, then General, then Software Update. To update apps, tap the App Store app, then Updates in the bottom right corner. To turn on auto updates, select Settings, then iTunes & App Stores, and then toggle Updates to on.
ENLARGE
Using a screen lock or fingerprint on an iPhone makes sure its contents are encrypted. PHOTO:ISTOCK

On Android: Every handset maker handles updates slightly differently, but look for Settings, and then System Updates. To update apps, go to the Google Play Store app, then My apps, then Updates. To turn on auto updates, inside the Google Play Store app, select Settings, then Auto-update apps.

On Mac OS X: Open the App Store, and select updates in the toolbar. To turn on auto updates, select System Preferences, then App Store, and check Automatically check for updates.

On Windows 10: Select Settings, then Update & security, then Windows Update. Be sure Windows Defender is turned on, unless you have a better third-party antivirus program.

Deeper dive: Update the software that runs your Wi-Fi router, anoften-overlooked back door for hackers, either with its app or by pointing a Web browser to its setup page. Know what I’d do? Just buy a new router—they keep getting faster and easier to manage.

If you have smart home cameras, locks or thermostats, you’ve taken on extra risk. So confirm they’re running the latest software, usually by checking their control apps.

If you want to make sure all the third-party software on your computer is also up to date, Flexera Software’s free and rather handy Personal Software Inspector can scan a Windows computer.

2. Fix your passwords

Why it matters: A good password is truly all that stands between you and a hacker. Using passwords the right way can contain the threat when sites get compromised, and keep out snoopers closer to home too.

Quick fix: Go to your most-used Internet services and turn on what’s called two-factor authentication. This way, they ask you for additional information when you log in, and notify you if someone else is trying to access your account. Start with the big five: Apple ID,Google, Facebook (called “login approvals”), Microsoft and Twitter (called “login verification”). Some banks also offer this feature.

Deeper dive: To maximize safety, use a different password on every site—so if one company is compromised, a hacker can’t use your stolen password somewhere else. The best passwords are long, random strings of numbers and letters that our overstuffed noggins can’t usually remember on their own.

I strongly recommend using a password manager such as Dashlane or 1Password to collect and keep these passwords in sync across all of your devices. (It’ll even let you print them all out, if you so wish.) This takes a little extra setup but will save you time in the long run.

3. Encrypt your drives

Why it matters: If you lose your phone or laptop, criminals or even governments could access valuable information.Encryption makes it much harder to retrieve anything without your permission.
Quick fix: Add a password or fingerprint screen lock to your iPhone or Android phone. That makes sure iPhones and newer Android phones are encrypted. On older Android phones, you have to turn on encryption separately.
Deeper dive: Password-protect and encrypt your computer. TheMac’s OS X and Windows 10 both have it built in, though you have to turn it on separately. If you get an external drive, even for backup, use a disk utility to encrypt that, too.

4. Bolster your browser privacy

Why it matters: The browser is the No. 1 venue snoopers and aggressive marketers use to exploit you. But there are ways to keep them at bay.Quick fix: Start with a clean sweep of everything in your browser—sometimes called “clear browsing data” or “remove website data.” Doing this will delete passwords saved in the browser (which isn’t a safe place to store them), and may require you to re-login to some sites that previously remembered you.While we’re focused on security, this checkup provides a good chance to shake off some unwanted marketers: Activate Do Not Track in the settings for your browser and install a browser extension like Ghostery, Disconnect or EFF’s Privacy Badger to block spying ads and trackers.
Deeper dive: Disable Adobe Flash in your browser; it is one of the most common means of transmitting malware.
To further escape tracking by the ad industry and companies like Facebook, go to aboutads.info/choices and request an opt out from more than 120 participating companies.

5. Conduct an app census

Why it matters: The rise of the app economy means more businesses are watching where you’re going and what you’re doing every minute of the day—which is both a privacy and a security concern.

Quick fix: On your phone, check to see which apps have access to your location and other data. Turn off access or delete any you don’t really use. (Bonus: This will save you battery life!)

On iPhone: Go to Settings, then Privacy, and be sure to check Location Services, Contacts and Health.

On Android: To review permissions based on category such as location in the latest Android 6 (Marshmallow), go to Settings, then Apps or Application Manager, and tap the gear icon and App permissions. On Android 5 (Lollipop), you have to check the permissions of each app individually.

Deeper dive: Inspect your Facebook apps, and clear out ones you don’t care about—many have your personal info. When I checked, I had 210, including one called “How hipster are you?”

Perform the Google and Facebook security checkups on your accounts from any Web browser. You might be surprised how many different devices you’re still logged in on.

Healthy Habits

The biggest security risk to our computers may be ourselves. Today’s hackers try to trick us into giving them access to our computers. “People need to think before they click,” says Stu Sjouwerman, founder of KnowBe4, which trains corporations to avoid attacks.

Be on alert for phishing schemes, which can easily impersonate a friend or family member. Don’t click on links or open attachments in emails you weren’t expecting. And ask people who sent them, “Is this really you?”

Use secure websites—marked by “https” at the front—particularly any time you enter payment info. You can force your browser to use it by installing HTTPS Everywhere.

When you’re on a public network, consider using a VPN—HotSpot Shield for Windows and Android, Cloak for iPhone and Mac users.

Use PayPal instead of a credit card on any site you don’t know well enough to trust. And avoid paying online with debit cards, or putting any account information in emails.

Need more help?

Can’t figure out whether to trust a site or app? Check TOS Didn’t Read, which summarizes those long privacy policies and notes any red flags.

Go to a local meetup like Techno-Activism 3rd Mondays to ask a geek to help you perform a security audit.

Go to EFF’s panopticlick.eff.org to test how easily your current Web browser configuration can be tracked. And for more detailed advice on dealing with specific concerns, check its Surveillance Self Defensewebsite. And lastly write me in comment if anything remains?

Google Brings Wi-Fi to Mumbai’s Railway Station

2016-02-12T06:49:00.001-08:00

Passengers at Mumbai’s railway station try out Google’s free Wi-Fi service on Jan. 22. Shefali Anand/The Wall Street Journal

The first Indian train station equipped with free — at least for now — Wi-Fi from Alphabet Inc.’s Google is now online.

As part of a new partnership with India’s government, the U.S. tech titan and local officials on Friday unveiled the service at Mumbai Central, one of the main stations in the country’s commercial capital.

Nineteen-year-old Irshad Shikalgar, who was catching a train home, said he downloaded a movie in 30 minutes, which he said was very fast. “This should be available everywhere,” he said.

The Wi-Fi effort, part of a plan to bring Internet access to 100 railway stations in India by the end of 2016 and hundreds more in the years ahead, was announced by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a visit to the U.S. in September.

The service is entirely free for now, but that could change as the company looks for ways to make it pay for itself. “While there will always be some level of free Wi-Fi available, the long-term goal will be making this self-sustainable to allow for expansion tomore stations and places,” Google said in a blog post Friday.

Google spokesman Taj Meadows said there isn’t “an exact timeline for when the current free model might change, but it’s fair to say this is a longer term thing, not a matter of weeks.”

Google is keen for new users — many of whom are coming online for the first time on low-cost smartphones running its Android operating system.

About 1 billion people in India lack Web access, according to consultancy McKinsey & Co.

Several people trying the free Wi-Fi at Mumbai Central station on Friday said they don’t usually use Google.com, though some use YouTube to watch videos.

They said they typically use Wi-Fi for messaging services such as WhatsApp that also allow them to make phone calls. Some use social media platform Facebook.

Google executives said their main goal is to provide a taste of high-quality Internet to thousands of Indians.

“Everyone who comes here will get high quality, high-definition streaming,” said Gulzar Azad, head of access programs for Google in India. He said 100,000 people pass through Mumbai Central station daily.

At the station, users will be able to get high-speed Internet for the first hour. Then the speed slows to “normal,” Mr. Azad said.

The Wi-Fi is available on all the station’s platforms, but cuts off as soon as one steps outside the station.

Google executives didn’t say how much the project is going to cost the company, but said that it involves funding from RailTel Corp. of India, a state-run provider of telecom infrastructure.

The next four cities where train stations will get Google’s Wi-Fi service are Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh, Jaipur in Rajasthan, Patna in Bihar and Ranchi in Jharkhand, according to Mr. Azad.

During a visit to New Delhi last month, Google’s India-born Chief Executive Sundar Pichai said parent company Alphabet is also moving forward with Project Loon, an ambitious effort to use high-altitude balloons to beam Web access to remote areas of the country. “We think it will make a lot of sense to reach rural areas in India,” Mr. Pichai said.

Facebook Inc., a Google rival for digital advertising dollars, also has a project aiming to bring users online in India and other emerging markets via a free app or mobile site. But some criticize the project, known as Free Basics, for offering a selection of websites for free rather than the full Internet. Facebook counters that some access to the Internet is better than none at all.

Mr. Modi, meanwhile, has embarked on plans to lay hundreds of thousands of miles of fiber-optic cable to as part of a program to get more rural Indians online

Google Tests App Download Shortcut in Search App

2016-02-12T06:46:00.000-08:00

Alphabet Inc.’s Google is experimenting with letting some smartphone users download apps directly from its search app,an attempt to make using Google on mobile quicker and easier.

Google is testing the new app downloading shortcut, bypassing its Google Play app, on a small subset of people running its Android operating system, a typical approach when Google is working on new products. It is limited to the search app, and is not available on search results found at Google.com using a web browser.

“We’re always experimenting with ways to provide the best search results and making finding the content you need as easy as possible,” a Google spokeswoman said. The company declined to say how many Android users were involved in the testing, or whether or not this would become a permanent feature for the Google Search app.

Google’s experimentation comes as an increasing number of smartphone users aren’t turning to the web as the starting point for their digital lives, as many do with Google.com on desktop PCs. More and more, people are forgoing the open web and spending time directly inside of mobile apps.

Google is battling this by making significant changes to its search engine to make it more useful in this new mobile world. For instance, Google is crawling and indexing content inside apps and beginning to show that in relevant search results.

Downloading apps directly from the search app’s search results, which was first reported by the blog Android Police, would take this one step further, reducing the need to leave Google’s main service. That is, if Google can get droves of Android users to turn to the Google Search app as often as their favorite social networking or messaging app.

It’s not the first time Google has let users download apps to their phone outside of the dedicated Google Play app. Visiting Google Play through a web browser, either the mobile or desktop, lets users download apps to any Android device linked to their Google account. This can even be done on non-Android devices like an iPhone or PC.

The experiment is reminiscent of Google Now on Tap, the feature from Google’s search team built into the latest version of Android, 6.0 Marshmallow. It can trigger a suggestion of apps and actions you’ll want to launch into next based on what you’re looking at on screen. Google is essentially working on different ways to deliver search results and even predict what you might want to do, or download, to maintain its position as the backbone of your digital life.

Oxford Dictionaries Selects an Emoji as Word of the Year

2016-02-12T06:35:00.000-08:00

The Oxford Dictionaries has chosen its Word of the Year for 2015: An emoji depicting the “face with tears of joy.”

Oxford Dictionaries cited an explosion in “emoji culture” over the last year as one of the reasons “face with tears of joy” was selected.

“You can see how traditional alphabet scripts have been struggling to meet the rapid-fire, visually focused demands of 21st century communication,” said Casper Grathwohl, President of Oxford Dictionaries in a statement. “It’s not surprising that a pictographic script like emoji has stepped in to fill those gaps—it’s flexible, immediate, and infuses tone beautifully. As a result emoji are becoming an increasingly rich form of communication, one that transcends linguistic borders.”

Other words and expressions that made the 2015 Word of the Year shortlist: Ad blocker, Dark Web, lumbersexual, on fleek, refugee, Brexit, and sharing economy. A curious entry into the short list was also “they.”

“The pronoun ‘they’ is one of the most common words in English, but it has been thrust into the spotlight recently with reference to people with non-binary gender identities (that is, people who identify as neither male or female),” the release said.

“Face with tears of joy” emoji continues a recent trend from Oxford Dictionaries in selecting “Words of the Year” that are associated with web culture. 2012’s U.S. Word of the Year was “GIF” and 2013’s Word of the Year was “selfie.” Last year’s Word of the Year was “vape.”

Twitter Brings Periscope Live Video Into the News Feed

2016-02-12T06:28:00.002-08:00

Some users of Twitter’s app (left) will begin seeing auto-playing live video from Periscope in the news feed. Clicking on the video will open up the video (right). Twitter Inc.

Twitter touts itself as the destination to “see what’s happening right now.” But noticeably absent from its site are live-video feeds.

That will change on Tuesday for some mobile users, who will be able to watch live broadcasts hosted on sister app Periscope within the Twitter timeline. The new feature will bring a sense of real-time awe to the social-media service, potentially introducing the Periscope app to millions of new users and keep more of its content on Twitter.

Up until this move, Twitter users could only link to Periscope broadcasts on that separate app. The app, bought by Twitter in early 2015, has gripped millions of social-media users with the ability to easily broadcast their surroundings from smartphones. More than 100 million live feeds have appeared on Periscope in the 10 months since it launched.

To start, the Periscope integration will only be available to users of Twitter’s app on Apple mobile devices. These users will be able to watch live broadcasts as well as replay old ones until they expire. The broadcasts on Twitter will show comments and floating hearts — a colorful animation as viewers tap the screen in approval — that are a trademark of Periscope.

But users will have to go to the Periscope app to submit comments, send hearts or stream their own videos. They can do all the regular Twitter interactions like retweet, reply or like the tweet of the broadcast.

The integration was inevitable. Twitter bought Periscope last year before it even launched and the two have been tight ever since. When Periscope users start a broadcast, they and other viewers can share the broadcast via their Twitter accounts with a link to the broadcast.

For Periscope broadcasters – which include celebrities, politicians, journalists and its own cult of social media stars—the hope is that this new feature will lead to more viewers. There were 10 million accounts on Periscope as of August, compared to over 300 million monthly active users on Twitter.

The upside for Twitter users is that they could see more interesting content without the hassle of leaving it. For example, Twitter users who follow comedian Kevin Hart could have watched a Periscope broadcast of him and his plus-one go eat burgers following the Golden Globes Awards on Sunday without leaving the comfort of Twitter.

Such content plays into users’ preference for more videos and images, and less text. A potential downside is that the broadcasts — which automatically begin when a user scrolls through the timeline — could annoy users if they are duds.

Data-sensitive users also may not be crazy about auto-playing videos eating into their monthly data allotment. As with Twitter’s other video content, the auto-play feature will be on by default. Users can turn it off by going to settings. When doing so, auto-play will shut off for all video content, not just Periscope broadcasts.

Advertisers will be able to take advantage of this integration, too. While marketers can already use a Periscope link in a promoted tweet, that link will also be replaced by the actual broadcast. They will have the usual tools at their disposal to target the ad at users based on factors like interest, keyword, language and device.

What Twitter Gains by Expanding the 140-Character Tweet

2016-02-12T06:23:00.000-08:00

The new Miss Universe, Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, sent a tweet (left) to a Facebook post (right), which received more than a half-million “likes.” Twitter/Facebook

Twitter Inc. CEO Jack Dorsey had something to say on Tuesday that couldn’t be boiled down to a tweet-sized 140 characters. He posted the 1,317-character statement on Twitter anyway, as a photo.

Mr. Dorsey was making a point with the awkward screenshot. What if the text of his letter could fit into a tweet? It could be searched and highlighted by users, he wrote, in a soft defense of why Twitter might do the unthinkable: expanding the character limit up to 10,000.

But Mr. Dorsey’s act of posting the long response on Twitter made a less explicit point: This coming change is also about keeping content under the Twitter roof. Thousands of people were forced to stay on Twitter or travel to the site to read his note.

By imposing the 140-character limit for most of Twitter’s nine-year existence, the service has pressured users to write succinctly, which created the quirky conversational culture that has come to define the social-media wire. But it also forced users away from the service when they wanted to pen or read a longer take.

Last month, for example, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton tweeted a link to a 4,000-character rebuttal to fellow presidential hopeful Donald Trump on her own site and also posted it on Medium, the long-form publishing platform started by Twitter co-founder Evan Williams. Ms. Clinton has over 5 million Twitter followers, who were forced to read the essay on Medium.

In another example last month, the new Miss Universe, Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, tweeted a link to her half-million followers. It directed people to Facebook, where she wrote a thank you letter after controversially winning the crown. That post received more than 500,000 “likes.

Facebook FB +0.89%has loosened the belt on character restrictions over the years, expanding it from 160 characters to 420 in March 2009, then to 5,000 a few years later. Today, users can pontificate up to 63,206 characters — about the size of 451.5 tweets — which has made it a viable alternative for people to sound off. That last increase in November 2011 perhaps set the stage for Facebook’s Instant Articles launched last year, which allows publishers like the Washington Post to host entire articles on Facebook.

Critics were quick to dismiss Twitter’s move. But as Fortune’s Mathew Ingram pointed out in his column on Tuesday, Twitter’s planned character increase could converge into a “war of platforms” as each service vies to house more content. The triumphant ones will capture a bigger and more active audience that comes back.

Twitter’s number-one priority is user growth and retention. Housing more content, in theory, could keep people on its site and lure newbies who click on Twitter links within news stories or in Google’s search results. Once on Twitter, they may be served an ad, and if the company does it right, be enticed to sign up.

While this change is unlikely to be the silver bullet that reignites user growth, it may also help simplify what is still an arcane service to many. Most casual users won’t have the need–or will–to exhaust Twitter’s forthcoming bounty of 10,000-characters. They may, however, feel less frustrated by trying to keep within the confines of 140.

The average tweet length is about 67.9 characters, according to an analysis of a million tweets sent on Jan. 3, 2012, on Twitter’s desktop application conducted by Isaac Hepworth, who was a Twitter engineer at the time.

The average tweet length is about 67.9 characters, according to an analysis of a million tweets in 2012 by Isaac Hepworth, a Twitter engineer at the time. The analysis also shows a sharp rise at the 140-character mark, suggesting users are cramming as much as they can into a single tweet. Isaac Hepworth

Mr. Hepworth’s chart shows a swell at around 20 characters, which he attributes to when people post just a photo or a URL link. The chart also shows a sharp rise at the 140-character mark. Mr. Hepworth, who left Twitter last year, said Wednesday in a direct message on Twitter: “My hypothesis at the time was that this comes about because people will often hit more than 140 characters when they first draft a tweet, and then trim it down bit by bit until it will fit.”

So why didn’t Twitter make this change sooner? Former employees have said the company has discussed boosting the character limit for years. Some have argued that it took the caliber of a founder like Mr. Dorsey, who returned in July, to make such a fundamental change to the product. Twitter is aiming to announce the character expansion by the end of March.

___________________________

Microsoft Surface Pro 4 review

2016-02-10T07:13:00.000-08:00

Specifications

Processor: Dual-core 2.4GHz Intel Core i5-6300U, RAM: 8GB,Dimensions: 292x201x8mm,Weight: 1.37kg inc keyboard and power brick, Screen size: 12.3in, Screen resolution: 2736x1824, Graphics adaptor: Intel HD graphics 520, Total storage: 256GB SSD

microsoftstore.com

Microsoft has said its Surface tablets 'can replace your laptop' so often, the phrase has almost lost all meaning. It turns out the Surface Pro 4 goes much further, though, not only can it replace your laptop, but it'll replace your desktop and your notepad to boot. It'll also start to tempt you away from your TV and quickly become the only device you need.

Pricing

Before I get down to the review, we have to talk about options. The Surface Pro 4 is expensive, no doubt, but how austere your Surface Pro 4 life will be depends on the specification you choose. I had a mid-range Surface Pro 4, with a 256GB SSD, an Intel Core i5-6300U processor and 8GB of RAM. The price for the tablet alone (including the Surface Pen stylus) is £1,079, but this is not a credible work device unless you buy the £110 Type Cover.

If you want to cheap out on a but keep the i5, half the RAM and half the storage, your tablet subtotal will be £849. Can't stomach that? Switch out the Core i5 for a fanless (and 20g lighter) Core m3 for a base price of £749. Step up to a Core i7 and you'll pay either £1,499 or £1,799 if you want 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.

I have the middle-of-the-road choice, so can't comment on the performance of the low-power Core m3; if Microsoft makes these available for review I'll see how big the performance drop is.

Display

By itself, the Surface Pro 4 is a light, if slightly thick tablet with a 12.3in screen. Despite having the same footprint as last year's Surface Pro 3, thinner bezels mean the screen is 0.3in larger diagonally. Screen resolution has also increased, up to 2,736 x 1,824 from 2,160x1,440 on the Surface Pro 3. This takes pixel density from 216ppi up to a huge 267ppi - narrowly beating the 12.9in iPad Pro's 264ppi, if you're counting.

It's sharp. Really sharp. Lines drawn with the Surface Pen are so smooth you can hardly tell they're on a screen at all. Text looks great, too, with no jagged edges in sight. To get anything done with great effect you will need to ensure Windows 10's display scaling options are set to 200%; 100% is laughably difficult to read. If you hook the Surface Pro 4 up to an external monitor, you'll be happy to know that Windows 10 now supports per-display scaling, meaning you won't end up with giant windows and text a 24in Full HD monitor - one of the biggest gripes we had with every version of Windows before 10.

The numbers add up, too. Our colour calibrator measured the Surface Pro 4's screen capable of displaying 97.5% of the sRGB colour gamut, meaning it's just a fraction off total coverage. At maximum brightness, the Surface Pro 4 pumps out 400cd/m2, which is far too bright for indoor use. Thankfully, automatic brightness is effective but subtle; it doesn't wantonly flick between modes and always seemed perfectly adjusted for my liking. Blacks are well-served, with the screen letting just 0.3cd/m2 of light through on pure blacks, even on maximum brightness. This gives the Surface Pro 4 an overall contrast figure of 1,316:1, which is very credible.

Colour accuracy is similarly impressive, with an average delta-E figure of just 1.61. What this means in real terms is the screen produces colours that are, for the most part, indistinguishable from the 'perfect' version of that colour. This is great for graphic designers, artists and photographers who demand colour accuracy, as they won't have to invest in an expensive monitor. Particularly important are greys, which were all accurate. The weakest area, as is the case with many screens, was bright red and bright orange, with the latter producing a rather high delta-E score of 4.05 and looking a shade paler than it should.

Displays on thinner tablets are often compromised by heavy backlight bleeding around the edges. This isn't the case with the Surface Pro 4; if you look very closely you'll find it, but only on a completely static, black screen. I even used the colour calibrator to check for patchy brightness right at the extreme edges of the screen and it noted a mere 0.04cd/m2 brightness disparity on a completely black image.

Design and build quality

The Surface Pro 4 weighs 786g, which is heavy for a tablet but perhaps forgivable when you consider both its size and specification. I was perfectly happy carrying the tablet around the office, leaning it on my knee and balancing it on my arm when taking notes or doodling in meetings. I used it instead of a notepad thanks to the excellent Surface Pen and had no issues sitting it in my lap on the sofa.

The kickstand is superb. It's strong enough to hold the Surface up but easy enough to adjust with one hand. There are no notches, either: you simply tilt it to whatever angle you want and leave it there.
It does look chunky, even though it's only 9mm thick, but this is to accommodate the fans and the full-size USB3 port on the right edge. I'm happy Microsoft decided to keep the USB3 port and not replace it with a smaller USB-C connector; there aren't enough USB-C peripherals yet and having to carry around an adapter would have been a huge faff. Next to the USB3 port is a Mini DisplayPort connector, which comes in very handy when you're in laptop mode. Finally, there's a 3.5mm headset jack on the left side.

But first: notepad mode. The Surface Pro 4 is perhaps the best advertisement for Microsoft OneNote you could wish for. More accurately, if you buy a Surface Pro 4 you'll have almost no choice but to use OneNote. The Surface Pen, which is included in the price of the tablet, includes a button on the top dedicated to opening OneNote. Double tap it and you'll open OneNote with a version of whatever you were just looking at that you can scribble on. It all happens in an instant, which is crucial for making this tablet's transformation into a notepad as seamless as possible. I do find it a little bit annoying that Microsoft doesn't let you customise what the eraser button does, triggering those feelings of the inflexibility you get from Apple products. What if I find a note-taking app better than OneNote? Heaven forbid.

The Surface Pen is powered by a AAA battery, which Microsoft claims has an 'all-year' battery life. There's no way to check the status of your pen's battery, though, so you should keep a AAA handy to avoid disappointment. The Pen has 1,024 degrees of pressure sensitivity, which could make it a genuinely attractive propositions for digital artists who may be using a dedicated pad for drawing.
I'm no artist; most of my pen usage was in the form of notes, but it did feel incredibly responsive and, more importantly, accurate. If I pick a thin pen nib in OneNote but press as hard as I can, the line I draw is satisfyingly thick. If I draw a tick or circle an object on screen, the pen trail thins as I lift it off the screen. It's immensely satisfying more than anything else, and makes writing on the Surface a genuine joy. The palm rejection is as good as it gets and at no point was I able to trick the Surface into thinking my finger was the pen or vica versa.

The primary button the Surface Pen is essentially a way to turn taps into right-clicks. In OneNote, holding down this button performs a lasso select function, letting you draw around an object. The button at the top doubles as an eraser. Press it against the screen in OneNote and it'll erase, either the entire line or part of it depending on your settings.

Storing the Pen when not in use is better than any previous Surface Pro. Microsoft has bowed to pressure and has placed strong magnets on the left edge of the tablet that, while perhaps not strong enough to withstand abuse in a cluttered backpack, means I don't feel like it's at risk of getting lost.

In short, as a tablet the Surface Pro 4 is superb. But it's far too expensive by itself and that means, perversely, you have to spend more money to get more bang for your buck. Enter the Type Cover.

Type Cover and laptop mode

The Type Cover has seen several changes over last year's model. Gone are the full-size keys; instead we get an island-style layout that both looks classier and feels better. Button response is great; there's lots of travel (for such a thin keyboard) and the click response is satisfying. There was no adjustment period whatsoever when I started using the Surface Pro 4 as my primary work device. I was tapping accurately and quickly as soon as I started.

A really nice touch is the togglable FN key. Instead of having to hold down the FN key to access the top row of F buttons, you just hit the FN button once and use the F keys to your heart's content. Like Caps Lock, the FN key has a light in it to let you know it's active, which is great. I'd love to see more laptop manufacturers do this.

I'm personally not a fan of the buttons Microsoft has chosen for the top row: F1 and F2 are occupied by keyboard backlight adjustment buttons, which is odd. I'd have preferred screen brightness adjustment here. You get a single media key in the form of Play/Pause on F3, which the next three buttons are occupied by volume controls. There are no skip or back buttons to be found. This makes sense to an extent; the rest of the F keys are occupied by Print Screen, Home, End, Page Up, Page Down and Insert. This is a device for getting work done.

The Type Cover is made from a soft material, which is an equal measure of weird and comfortable. Soft furnishings on a device my hands will spend a lot of time touching seems odd, but looking at heavily used Surface Pro 3s from last year, the material seems to last pretty well.

The touchpad is one of the finest examples I've seen. It's Precision Touchpad branded, which gives it two distinct advantages. The first is that it supports gestures built directly into Windows, including the three-finger swipe gesture for opening the multitasking pop-up. It also means every tap, swipe and drag feels immediate, which is something I've only seen so far on a few other laptops that have also joined the Precision Touchpad scheme. The real proof of quality here is that I was rarely tempted to use the touchscreen while reviewing the Surface Pro 4; I find myself reaching out and scrolling and prodding with most other touchscreen laptops, but the Surface Pro 4's touchpad is so good, I barely even thought about the touchscreen when in laptop mode.

The keyboard and tablet sit comfortably on both my desk and my lap, even when sitting cross-legged with the whole lot balanced on one leg. Thanks to the flexible kickstand, having the laptop on my lap doesn't mean I have to compromise viewing angles.

The front-facing speakers are great. Even at maximum volume, you lose no fidelity from music and dialogue, and there's even a hint of mid-range in there. Covering the tiny grilles at the front make little difference to sound quality, with most of the meaningful audio comes from within the tablet portion. You could happily use this device without headphones if you wanted to.

There's a dual webcam system in place, used primarily for Windows Hello. Windows Hello is Microsoft's answer to facial recognition, in this case using the two cameras to capture a 3D image of your face. Once it knows your face (with and without glasses), logging in is as seamless as sitting down in front of the Surface. Within a couple of seconds you're logged in, without having to press a key.

Performance and battery life

My review unit was powered by a dual-core 2.4GHz Intel Core i5-6300U processor from the Skylake generation. It has a low maximum TDP of 15W, even when Turbo Boosting to 3GHz. Web browsing, emails, videos are all smooth as silk and I had no issues with stuttering at any point, even with media-heavy web pages. Strangely, the more programs I had open (Spotify, Paint.NET, Chrome, OneNote) the noisier the fans became, to the extent that they were emitting a whooshing noise constantly until I started to close some windows. This only happened once, and I haven't been able to recreate this since. For the most part, the Surface Pro 4 remained whisper quiet.

Running our intense multimedia benchmarks, it unsurprisingly piped up again, but the rear of the tablet never became uncomfortably hot, which is a credit to the design of the cooling system. Performance was admirable, with an overall score of 44 in the benchmarks, including a high 78 in the photo conversion test. For context, a fourth-generation Intel Core i5 desktop chip scores 100 overall. This is a quick piece of kit for short bursts of activity, but it suffers when performing long, high-intensity tasks such as video editing.

Our light gaming benchmark is Dirt Showdown. Running at High settings on 1,280x720 resolution, it managed 22.9fps, which isn't playable. Cranking it down to Low settings at the same resolution, the integrated Intel HD Graphics 520 was able to produce 40fps, which is reasonable enough. This isn't a device for hardcore gaming, but the simple 3D games found in the Windows Store and some older titles will be just fine.

Battery life in everyday use is excellent, lasting a little over seven hours. This was reflected in our battery benchmark, where the Surface Pro lasted 7h40m. This benchmark involves playing a Full HD video every half hour with the screen at half brightness.

With conservative use and Battery Saver switched on, you might be able to get through a full day of work, but it's touch and go. I wouldn't leave the house without the charger. The charger, by the way, has a USB port on it for charging. It's an ingenious solution to the Surface Pro 4's lack of ports and means you can charge your smartphone without having to unplug other USB peripherals.

Bugs and glitches

My time with the Surface Pro 4 wasn't without incident. I had two issues, one of which repeated itself. Twice when waking the device up from sleep, the screen didn't fire up, despite Windows being logged in and producing sound. I was able to combat this by connecting a monitor via the mini DisplayPort connector, which seemed to fix the problem. The second issue was the touchscreen, which became non-responsive in the middle of a meeting. The touchpad and keyboard continued to work, but I was forced to hard reset the tablet in order to fix the problem.

Since our review was first published in late 2015 Microsoft has released several firmware updates for the Surface Pro 4 that are expected to have an impact on the bug described above. An update in December was specifically for the Intel HD Graphics 520 driver to 'improve stability'. Other users had experienced issues where the Surface Pro 4 wouldn't sleep properly and would experience extremely high power consumption when the device was supposed to be using next to no power. As yet, no fix for this problem has been released so if you're experiencing this particular bug you should stop using Sleep mode and use Hibernate instead. You'll boot up pretty quickly and you'll save power. We don't currently have a Surface Pro 4 review unit so we can't verify whether these fixes have worked.

Conclusion

The Surface Pro 4 can replace your laptop, there's no doubt. It's fantastically well built, has one of the best styluses out there and can power its way through pretty much anything you throw at it. My reservations are related to its battery life and the glitches I encountered. For such a portable device, battery life that doesn't seem to stretch to what I'd consider to be 'all-day' is a minus point, although not a showstopper. It's also comforting to see a reasonably consistent stream of firmware updates for the Surface Pro4, meaning that while it might not be completely polished now but isn't far off it.

At the moment, it's the best device to show off the capabilities of both Windows 10 and Microsoft as a whole. It's a cohesive machine where you feel truly connected, thanks to a great touchpad, tactile keyboard and clever stylus. I've only ever previously felt this with Apple MacBook devices in the past. The Surface Pro 4 is the ultimate Windows 10experience.

Core specs
Processor	Dual-core 2.4GHz Intel Core i5-6300U
RAM	8GB
Memory slots (free)	N/A
Max memory	16GB
Dimensions	292x201x8mm
Weight	1.37kg inc keyboard and power brick
Sound	Realtek HD Audio (3.5mm headset port)
Pointing device	Touchpad
Display
Screen size	12.3in
Screen resolution	2736x1824
Touchscreen	Yes
Graphics adaptor	Intel HD graphics 520
Graphics outputs	Mini DisplayPort
Graphics memory	Shared
Storage
Total storage	256GB SSD
Optical drive type	None
Ports and expansion
USB ports	1x USB3 (1x USB charging port on power brick)
Bluetooth	Yes
Networking	802.11ac Wi-Fi
Memory card reader	None
Other ports	None
Miscellaneous
Operating system	Windows 10
Operating system restore option	Windows 10 restore
Buying information
Parts and labour warranty	One year RTB
Price inc VAT	£1,189
Details	microsoftstore.com
Supplier	microsoftstore.com
Part number	Surface Pro 4

WhatsApp's new feature seems pointless, but it might be secretly significant

2016-02-10T06:42:00.001-08:00

You might not have noticed, but WhatsApp's latest update has bumped up the group chat user limit from 100 to 256 people.
The update is available on iOS and Android right now (first spotted by NDTV) but is yet to hit BlackBerry and Windows Phone users.
For the casual user, it might seem like largely useless. Not many of us had been crying out for WhatsApp to expand groups beyond the already-generous limit.

But when it comes to business users, it starts to make a lot more sense. It's also (I think) a hint at where WhatsApp might be headed.
WhatsApp is immensely popular - it recently hit 1 billion monthly active users - but it's still outranked in the business sector, where messaging app Slack is currently top of the pile.

Facebook, which bought WhatsApp for $22 billion, hasn't explicitly said it wants to take its acquisition into the enterprise battlefield, but there are signs it could be interested, and pushing up group chat limits could well be one of those.
Making an enterprise play?

Introducing web chat, adding Google Drive backups and killing subscription fees were also steps in the right direction. WhatsApp also announced in January that it would start testing tools to let users communicate with businesses and organisations (speaking to an airline when your flight is delayed, for example).
They're small inroads, but WhatsApp need to be much more collaborative and functional if it wants to be taken seriously by businesses - that would probably include better integration with Facebook Messenger and third-party apps.
Facebook last year announced its Messenger Platform, giving app developers the tools to integrate their apps with the Messenger service.

As for the more immediate future of WhatsApp, it's rumoured that video calling will soon be brought to the service.
Of course, it's entirely possible that WhatsApp will stay fully consumer-focused. It won't be easy to best Slack, but it's clear that WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are here to stay - so why wouldn't they try?

iPad mini 4

2016-01-31T23:54:00.000-08:00

What's Better

Like many people, I skipped last year's underwhelming upgrade of the iPad Mini. The problem for me was that I already owned an iPad Mini 2, and other than the inclusion of Touch ID, the iPad Mini 3 was unchanged from the previous model. Not so the iPad Mini 4.

The first thing you'll notice about Apple's latest mini tablet is the display. The colors are better and it looks brighter compared to previous models. This is because, for the first time, Apple has included a laminated display in their iPad Mini line. This means that the three distinct layers of its display (LCD, touch sensor, and glass cover) are bonded together. This eliminates air gaps between the components, which improves brightness and color accuracy. In fact, according to Displaymate, the color gamut of the iPad Mini 4 now clocks in at 101% with an impressive 2.0% screen reflectance score. These numbers bring it into line with all recent iPad and iPhone models. For comparison, the iPad Mini 3 had a disappointing 62% color gamut and a screen reflectance score of 6.5%! Of course, the tradeoff here is repairability. Due to the laminated display, iFixit has given the iPad Mini a repairability score of 2 out of 10, which is not particularly surprising for something this thin and light.

The next thing you'll notice is how much leaner the iPad Mini 4 is. At about 20% thinner and 10% lighter, you may not think you'll be able to feel the difference, but you will. Of course, adding a bulky case to your device like I do pretty much makes it impossible to tell the difference, but if you like to use your device as Apple intended, you will appreciate these changes. Apple accomplished most of this by reducing the battery size, which, in-turn, was likely possible due to a more energy efficient processor and display. Compared to the iPad Mini 3, the Mini 4's battery is almost 20% smaller. Apple's tech specs assure us that there has been no loss of battery life, which I can verify after a week of regular use. Why did they do it? Apple hasn't commented of course, but it seems likely that they felt a thinner/lighter iPad was a more substantial upgrade than a few extra hours of battery life. Personally, I would have preferred the extra capacity.

Some of the most significant upgrades to the iPad Mini 4 are its CPU, motion coprocessor, and RAM. Moving from the A7 line to the A8 should bring you about a 20% speed boost, and the extra 1GB of RAM makes it possible to run applications side-by-side or watch video (FaceTime and the Apple Video app) in a floating window. The former will be a godsend for content creators, and the latter for content consumers. Being able to run two apps simultaneously or watch my movie/TV show in a small window while I respond to an email or work in a browser is surprisingly satisfying. Once you try it, there will be no going back (as some Samsung Galaxy phone and tablet owners already know).

The last of the significant upgrades to the iPad Mini 4 is the rear (iSight) camera. With an 8MP sensor and better internals, the new Mini is now on par with the iPhone 5s; which means HDR and burst-mode photos, and slow-motion video. The front camera (FaceTime) has a few sensor tweaks but is largely unchanged.

Lastly, you may also notice improvements to wireless performance thanks to the new 802.11ac WiFi and Bluetooth 4.2. Keep in mind that you will need devices that support these protocols for you to see any benefit. Both are completely backwards compatible with previous hardware iterations. There's still no NFC on the tablet, despite the Touch ID fingerprint scanner and tie in to online shopping. It seems Apple doesn't want us waving tablets about at point of sale systems in stores.

Benchmarks

Geekbench 3: 1719/3111
3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited: 18,278

What's Missing

While Apple has improved almost everything over previous models, it has also conspicuously left out this year's big technology: 3D Touch, which currently isn't available on any Apple tablet. There was also a minor casualty in this year's product refresh: the mute/rotation lock slide switch. Like the iPad Air 2, this feature is now accessible via the Control Panel (slide up from the bottom of the screen to access). This isn't a huge loss as many 3rd party Apps and websites choose to ignore this setting anyway (I'm looking at you, YouTube).

Conclusion

While a worthy upgrade over its predecessor, the iPad Mini 4 is all about making it better, rather than the top of Apple's tablet lineup. With tablet sales on the decline, Apple seems to be hedging its bet by offering cutting edge processors and best in class cameras only on its top-tier 12.9" tablet. On the upside, this is also keeping prices down on their consumer devices. This may turn out to be a good move as Apple has always led the field in performance and design, but has never competed at the low end. Perhaps by using previous generation components (which are still excellent when compared to the competition), the price/performance ratio of their consumer tablets may begin to resonate with cost-conscious consumers who have grown tired of tablets with impressive looking specs that underperform in daily use.

Specs:

Display: 7.9” laminated IPS with multi-touch. 2048 x 1536 resolution (326 ppi). Fingerprint resistant coating. Has an accelerometer, ambient light sensor and 3-axis gyroscopic sensor.

Processor: 1.5GHz Apple A8 dual core CPU with M8 motion co-processor. 2 gigs RAM.

Network: Wi-Fi model: Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac with MIMO; AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon models add 3G and 4G LTE for data. All models have Bluetooth 4.2 and use Apple's new Lightning 8 pin connector for USB. Cellular model supports the following LTE bands: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 38, 39, 40, 41.

GPS: Cellular models have GPS with GLONASS as well as digital compass. WiFi models use WiFi-based location triangulation.

Cameras: Front and rear cameras. Back 8MP camera can record up to 1080p 30fps video and front 1.2MP camera can record 720p video. Rear camera has an f/2.4 lens, front camera has an f/2.2 lens. Both cameras have a BSI and face detection. Auto HDR, time lapse, burst, slow motion and panorama features are standard.

Storage: 16GB, 64GB or 128 gigs internal flash storage.

Audio: Dual built-in microphones and stereo speakers, 3.5mm stereo headphone jack.

Size: 8.0 x 5.3 x 0.24 inches. Weight: 10.5 ounces (298.8 grams).

Battery: Rechargeable 19.1 watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery. Not user replaceable. Claimed usage time: Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music; Up to 9 hours of surfing the web using 3G/4G data network. Ships with 10 watt charger.

Expansion: No storage card slot.

Price: starting at $399. Cellular adds $130. Each storage increment raises price $100.

Website: www.apple.com

Editor's rating (1-5):

What's Hot: Faster, thinner, lighter, better display, better rear camera, split-screen multitasking, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, 2GB RAM.
What's Not: No 3D Touch, no significant upgrade to the front camera, no hardware mute/screen rotation lock slide switch.

Reviewed September 22, 2015. Written review by Aditya Pathak,, Editor in Chief (twitter: @caaditya).

First Facebook internet drone could fly the friendly sky next year

2016-01-30T06:52:00.001-08:00

The words "unmanned drone" often carry a negative connotation, but Facebook plans to change all that in the next three to five years by dropping the internet on developing countries around the globe.Mashable reported Tuesday on Facebook's ambitious plans to deliver internet to the remaining 15 percent of the world's population who remain untethered from its social networking clutches.

Speaking at this year's Social Good Summit on Monday, Facebook Connectivity Lab Engineering Director (and MIT scientist) Yael Maguire offered further details on how a potential fleet of unmanned planes circling the globe at up to 90,000 feet could work.

Described as "roughly the size of a commercial aircraft, like a 747" but much lighter, the planes (Maguire doesn't like to call them as "drones") will fly above the weather using solar power to target 21 countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia.

Mile high club

Beyond the technical accomplishment, Maguire claims there are currently no regulatory issues for planes flying above 60,000 feet that would prevent beaming the internet to such underdeveloped parts of the world.Once in the air, the drones would have to fly unmanned for several months at a time, which is no small feat considering the current world record for flight endurance on a solar-powered plane is only two weeks.Maguire says first things first, and hopes to get the first such aircraft into the sky in 2015, after successful testing at an undisclosed US location; the actual wireless internet to be carried by a fleet of drones are three to five years away at best.The question of who will actually be responsible for deploying the drones also remains unresolved, but Maguire wants to shed some of the lingering "negative connotations" about such planes first.

5G is set for 2020, thanks to new UN roadmap

2016-01-30T06:47:00.000-08:00

Super-fast 5G mobile networks have just got another kick into action after the UN has agreed on a new roadmap for the developing technology.Radio communication experts from the UN's 193 member countries came together to approve the roadmap for the next generation of internet. The technology could allow for driverless cars and the internet of things.

Head of the ITU Radio communication Bureau, Francois Rancy, said in a statement that the roadmap "opens the doors to innovation that will determine how we communicate in the future, meeting the trend towards high data traffic in the Age of the Internet of Things."

Set your alarms

The roadmap is dubbed IMT-2020 and will become the name for the next generation of celluar networks - but it'll keep being called 5G to you and I. 3G is officially named IMT-2000 while 4G is actually called IMT-Advanced.Next year will see the technical requirements for the tech decided. Proposals for the new technology will begin at the end of 2017 with workshopping happening at the same time.5G internet is currently undetermined in its speeds and spectrum making it difficult to show exactly what it can do. Reports have claimed 5G will be 1,000 times faster than 4G internet but the truth is that is currently unknown.

Representatives from the member states will come back to the UN to decide on spectrum as well as speeds in the future though with close cooperation of organisations on the industry standards.

Google is testing a superfast 5G network powered by drones

2016-01-30T06:46:00.001-08:00

We know Google has long since moved beyond web search and email to all kinds of strange and exotic projects: self-driving cars, advanced robotics, high-speed internet and much more besides. Now it's been revealed that the tech giant is also working on ultrafast 5G networks powered by drones.

The secret project, codenamed SkyBender, is currently in a trial phase at Spaceport America in New Mexico, the Guardian reports. The plan could potentially offer data speeds around 40 times faster than the maximum 4G/LTE speeds currently available to smartphones and other devices.

For the purposes of testing the network, Google is renting out 15,000 square feet of hangar space and has set up a dedicated flight control centre, the report says. Eventually, the firm wants its solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicles to provide high-speed connectivity across the globe.

Speed limits

The idea is not too dissimilar to the Project Loon initiative Google has already talked about, but in this case drones act as the mobile hotspots rather than hot air balloons - it's also reminiscent of Facebook's own drone-powered internet network scheme. Signals are beamed from a phone to a base station via the autonomous aircraft cruising in the sky.

The new 5G network runs via millimetre-wave radio transmissions, which offer very high speeds but a much shorter range than 4G broadcasts, and can also be affected by bad weather. Sources say Google is experimenting with complex "phased array" technology to boost the range of its 5G drones.

There's no official comment from Google yet so it's not clear exactly when (or if) this drone-powered 5G network is going to be made public, but initiatives such as Project Fi show the company is determined to get as much of the world connected to high-speed internet as it can.

Google Project Fi: What we know about the Nexus cell network

2016-01-30T06:42:00.002-08:00

There aren't a lot of pots in which Google doesn't have a hand, but wireless service is currently one of them.
In the US, it's the realm of disliked-but-tolerated companies like AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint and others. But what would happen if Google - a company that is notably less disliked than these carriers - started its own wireless business?
That's the idea behind Google's rumored move to become a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) and offer users its very own wireless service.

We've previously heard about the service under the name Project Nova, but as of now it seems it may be called Project Fi.
You probably have a lot of questions about it, and while we can't answer them all, we can tell you what there is to know so far.

What is Google Project Fi

Project Fi is reportedly a new wireless service that Google will launch to offer mobile service directly to users.
Being an MVNO means Google essentially licenses network infrastructure from other carriers. There are other companies that do this, likeStraight Talk, which TechRadar went in depth on. Straight Talk offers customers phone plans that work on other carriers' networks.

Google would do the same, making itself the middleman between customers and carriers, and the search company would shape the service they receive. As a Project Fi customer, you might find yourself on one carrier's network or another's (so far it seems Sprint and T-Mobile will provide their networks at launch), but in terms of billing, plans, customer service and more, you'd only deal with Google.

The new name and many of the details in this report turned up in an app discovered in an unofficial firmware image released to testers for Google's Nexus 6 flagship. Android Policedetailed the app, which appears to describe many of the features and functions of Project Fi.
Given its tenuous nature, a lot of the information we have could be inaccurate or out of date. But the site was confident enough in the app's veracity to subject it to a thorough teardown, and most of the info rings of truth.

The juiciest bit is that Google's MVNO will apparently only charge users for the data they use. If you don't use all the data in your plan, Google will credit you some cash back. And if you go over your plan's allotment, you'll be charged a flat rate for additional data, no extra fees.
Pricing for calls and texts appears to match Google Hangouts: free within the US, and a low rate for international.

Google may also let users sign up for multiple lines and data pools on a single account, common for wireless users but rare on MVNOs like Straight Talk.
The app, code named Tycho, is apparently fairly standard for a carrier app, like the ones T-Mobile, Verizon and others let their customers use to pay bills, check their plans and more. As such it reveals some of the possibilities for Project Fi.

It looks like users may be able to activate new service and request and transfer new numbers within the app, which is more than most carriers let you do. That could be an early sign that Google wants to offer better service than its competitors, which shouldn't come as a surprise.

Where it will be available

Google's Project Fi is certain to be a US-only service if and when it launches, but beyond that the details are scarce.
Internal testers currently trying the service out reportedly have to sign up through a separate website and not through the app itself, but that may well change by the time Project Fi surfaces publicly.
That's led to further speculation that Google Fi might soft launch as an invite-only service, which seems plausible.
Once Google Fi is finally out there, it seems likely it will be available wherever there's Sprint and/or T-Mobile service, plus whatever other carriers partner with Google.
What devices will support it
Tycho makes countless references to "Project Fi," notably calling devices that support the service "your Project Fi phone." But it's not yet clear what phones that will include.

Rumors last month said that the service - then being referred to as Project Nova - might be exclusive to the Nexus 6. And that might still be the case.
But Android Police's exhaustive report offers another possibility: that Google will offer the Nexus 6 on a payment plan for users who buy into Project Fi.

There are multiple clues in the Tycho app, including the phrases "device financing," "Nexus 6 device payment," "Nexus 6 device refund," and others.
That would tie the service to the Nexus brand and provide an incentive for customers to use them together, potentially creating an army of new Nexus devotees. But it also leaves open the possibility that users on other devices could still sign up.

What it means for carriers

Google will have to partner with traditional wireless carriers for this service, but it also may give those companies a run for their money by being more affordable, flexible and friendly than them.

That's often been Google's M.O., and although it hasn't always been successful the company has a reputation for disrupting these traditional spaces. One need only look at the positive buzz around Google Fiber, a service that's only available in a handful of US cities.

Project Fi looks like it might turn out the same thanks to a versatile app, fewer restrictions, easy account management, and yet more that was discovered in the Tycho app, like the ability to transfer your Google Voice number over or easily opt out of letting Google sell your usage data.

This wouldn't be the first time the wireless industry is forced to step up its game to compete with a new threat - just look at all the positive changes T-Mobile's "un-carrer" campaign has catalyzed - but with Google at the helm this could prove to be a major shake-up.

Hopefully we learn more about Google's Project Fi, including whatever it's going to actually be called, at Google IO 2015 in May.

Google Fiber could be heading to these two major cities

2016-01-30T06:32:00.002-08:00

Google announced today that it is planning to bring Google Fiber to two new locations. If successful, the inclusion of Chicago and Los Angeles to Google's high-speed Internet infrastructure will be its biggest expansion yet, serving a potential 6 million-plus new customers.

While Google is prepared to expand to the two major metropolitan areas, it remains up to each city to decide if it will allow Fiber to be installed. Google has made its case, claiming that greater Internet speeds will be beneficial to small businesses and the creative industries that both cities facilitate.

"Internet speeds can help attract more tech talent and add to the 40,000 tech jobs that exist across the Windy City," said Google in their announcement. "In L.A., faster Internet may mean that indie musicians and YouTube stars can spend less time worrying about bandwidth, and more time creating their next project."

Google Fiber is current available in Kansas City, Austin, and Provo, with six locations already committed for future expansion: San Antonio, Nashville, Atlanta, Charlotte, Salt Lake City, and Raleigh-Durham.

In addition to Chicago and L.A., Google also expresses interest in bringing Fiber to several other cities across the continental U.S., from Jacksonville to Portland.

"While we can't guarantee that we'll be able to bring Fiber to Chicago and L.A., this is a big step for these cities and their leaders," said Google. "Planning for a project of this size is a huge undertaking, but we'll be sure to keep residents updated along the way."

Google isn't alone. Verizon is testing its own network to compete with Fiber.

Google robotics patent takes it one step closer to Skynet

2016-01-30T06:26:00.002-08:00

One of Isaac Asimov's most thought-provoking sci-fi stories, The Last Question, concerns humanity's relationship with an ever-evolving AI spanning millions of years. Online, someone replaced the AI's name with the word "Google," and this version of the story makes even more sense.

Now, based on a recent Google patent, it seems we ought to do the same search-and-replace with Terminator's "Skynet," just to see how the future might look.

The search company - which has long dabbled in areas other than internet queries - has patented a system for "allocating tasks to a plurality of robotic devices." As business news outlet Quartz points out, that may not be as innocuous as it sounds.

In Google's patents, multiple robots could be controlled from a central device - like a smartphone or computer - from anywhere in the world. And there's no stated limit to how many robots this might include.

As the site points out, there are legitimate applications for this, like letting all of Google's self-driving cars communicate. But self-driving cars won't do us any good when Google goes sentient and wages war on all humanity as retaliation for all the times we made it search for "Kim Kardashian's butt."Just don't say we didn't warn you when it does.

Google's self-driving cars are learning to cope with the rain

2016-01-30T06:17:00.000-08:00

Google's self-driving car fleet is mainly based in California, a part of the world where there's not much rain. Now the company is thinking about equipping its vehicles for more inclement weather: and that means wipers for the sensing equipment as well as the windshield.

In its latest monthly report on the autonomous automobiles, Google lays out some of the challenges that bad weather presents, as well as some ideas about how it's going to develop a car "that will be able to drive come rain, hail, snow or shine".

"Driving in rain makes many human drivers nervous due to reduced visibility, and some of our sensors - particularly the cameras and lasers - have to deal with similar issues," reads the report. "For example, we've had to come up with our own equivalent of a windscreen wiper on the dome to ensure our sensors have the best view possible."

Whatever the weather

Fortunately radar isn't affected by rain or clouds of exhaust gas but some of the other sensors are, and that's a problem for Google's engineers to get around. At the moment the self-driving cars pull over to the side of the road if they encounter particularly stormy conditions.

There's still a lot of work to do, but Google's software has been trained to take more care in the rain, just like human drivers. As ever, test drivers are on hand to take manual control if necessary.

"As we're developing the technology, we've made sure our cars are aware of how rain may affect their ability to drive," says Google. "Our cars can determine the severity of the rain, and just like human drivers they drive more cautiously in wet conditions when roads are slippery and visibility is poor."

Color variants of the Xiaomi Mi 5 revealed by a fresh leak

2016-01-29T05:14:00.002-08:00

We saw the Xiaomi Mi 5 leaking out in a plain looking retail package not too long ago. We're seeing the handset in retail packaging yet again, but this time revealing all the available color variants. This includes Gold, Pink as well as the standard, black and white variations.
The colors look quite attractive and we're also getting a peek of the front portion of the device, yet again confirming the hardware home button on the front, which will also serve as a fingerprint scanner.

Along with this leak, Xiaomi's Global VP, Hugo Barra announced that the company will be holding an invite-only media event at the MWC 2016 in Barcelona. The actual launch of the Mi 5 will take place in Beijing at about the same time, so it's likely that the company will offer a livestream for those attending the media event in Barcelona

"We're holding an invitation-only media preview on February 24, the very same day of our launch event in Beijing, and I'll be on stage," Barra said.

While the company's presence to be on the global stage is very good news, it's still not confirmation that Xiaomi is ready to take the leap with global markets.

Xiaomi is a powerhouse in the Asian markets and that might not change anytime soon considering the kind of devices we're seeing from the manufacturer.

Fellow Chinese manufacturer Lenovo is the company's biggest rival in the industry today and appears to be dominating the market with offerings like the Vibe K4 Note and the Vibe X3. Will Xiaomi be able to turn the tables with the Mi 5? We'll know in a month's time.

iPhone 7 may introduce wireless charging - but with a new twist

2016-01-29T05:00:00.001-08:00

Wireless charging is one of the most exciting innovations on phones from the last few years - and it seems Apple feels it's almost good enough to put on the iPhone.
So far the iPhone hasn't joined in on wireless charging technology. And it's true the technology hasn't been quite up to scratch yet and it doesn't always work as much as well as we'd like it to.

According to sources close to the matter, who spoke to Bloomberg, the iPhone may bring a new version of the technology and it could be ready for the iPhone 7.

The sources claim Apple is looking to make technology that allows iPhones and iPads to be charged from further away than current wireless charging mats.
Apple isn't the biggest fan of current charging mats. Back at the iPhone 5 launch in 2012, Apple Senior VP Phil Schiller said that wireless charging doesn't offer any convenience because of the reliance on a charging plate.
Schiller said, "Having to create another device you have to plug into the wall is actually, for most situations, more complicated."

Making the jump

Whenever we put an iPad or iPhone on charge we are restricted to the cable length so it's not much stress to leave it on a pad. It would seem Apple wants to add a little distance between the plate and your phone so you can pick it up and use it while it still gets juice.
At the moment, any device that uses wireless charging usually has to be touching a pad. Apple has reportedly been exploring ways to get around that, but has experienced issues such as loss of power over distance.

Once Apple has found a way to work out that problem it will be ready for the iPhone - what isn't sure though is whether it'll be ready for the iPhone 7 or if we'll have to wait longer.
What is sure is that Apple has charging on its mind. This week it recalled Mac and iOS device adapters from a number of markets after 12 different incidents of customers reporting they had faulty hardware.

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Microsoft Surface Pro 4 review

Specifications

Pricing

Display

Design and build quality

Type Cover and laptop mode

Performance and battery life

Bugs and glitches

Conclusion

Core specs

Display

Storage

Ports and expansion

Miscellaneous

Buying information

WhatsApp's new feature seems pointless, but it might be secretly significant

iPad mini 4

What's Better

Benchmarks

Geekbench 3: 1719/31113DMark Ice Storm Unlimited: 18,278

What's Missing

Conclusion

Specs:

Price: starting at $399. Cellular adds $130. Each storage increment raises price $100.Website: www.apple.com

First Facebook internet drone could fly the friendly sky next year

Mile high club

5G is set for 2020, thanks to new UN roadmap

Set your alarms

Google is testing a superfast 5G network powered by drones

Speed limits

Google Project Fi: What we know about the Nexus cell network

What is Google Project Fi

Where it will be available

What it means for carriers

Google Fiber could be heading to these two major cities

"While we can't guarantee that we'll be able to bring Fiber to Chicago and L.A., this is a big step for these cities and their leaders," said Google. "Planning for a project of this size is a huge undertaking, but we'll be sure to keep residents updated along the way."

Google robotics patent takes it one step closer to Skynet

Google's self-driving cars are learning to cope with the rain

Whatever the weather

Color variants of the Xiaomi Mi 5 revealed by a fresh leak

iPhone 7 may introduce wireless charging - but with a new twist

Making the jump

Geekbench 3: 1719/3111
3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited: 18,278

Price: starting at $399. Cellular adds $130. Each storage increment raises price $100.

Website: www.apple.com