Nokia Here Maps (Beta) for Android
Nokia's Here maps in beta mode is now available to download from Google Play for all Android devices running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and above.
The Finnish company back in October had released the Here (Beta) for Android; though it could only be side-loaded on compatible Android phones initially.
Some of the new features in the Here maps (Beta) are voice-guided
navigation for 18 new countries and territories that include Algeria,
Angola, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Cyprus, Iraq, Libya,
Mauritania, Mauritius, Nepal, Paraguay, Saint Helena, Senegal, Sri
Lanka, Suriname, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. With the addition of 18 new
countries, Here maps now offers navigation in 118 countries.
Here
Maps for Android brings features such as offline navigation with
interactive maps and turn-by-turn voice guidance; offline maps for
nearly 100 countries; public transport maps and directions for over 800
cities in over 40 countries with offline support; live traffic
information for more than 40 countries; journey planning on
beta.here.com; map personalisation with Collections of favourite places,
and the Glympse location sharing feature.
Intex Aqua Xtreme Launched at Rs. 11,490
Intex on Thursday launched the octa-core Aqua Xtreme smartphone in India
at Rs. 11,490. It is a dual-SIM (GSM+GSM) device which runs Android
4.4.2 KitKat out-of-the-box, but upgradable to Android 5.0 Lollipop.
The Intex Aqua Xtreme
features a 5-inch HD (720x1280 pixels) IPS display with scratch-free
Dragontrail glass protection. The smartphone is powered by a 1.7GHz true
octa-core processor coupled with 2GB of RAM.
It sports a
13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, while there is a secondary
5-megapixel front-facing camera also onboard. The Intex Aqua Xtreme
comes with 32GB of inbuilt storage, which is further expandable via
microSD card (up to 32GB).
On the connectivity front, the Intex
Aqua Xtreme offers 3G, GPRS/ EDGE, Wi-Fi, Micro-USB, Bluetooth, and FM
radio options. The handset is backed by a 2000mAh battery and is 6.99mm
thick. The Aqua Xtreme is available in three colour options - Red, Black
and Grey.
GOSF Special Tech Deals
Google's Great Online Shopping Festival (GOSF) is back, and it's much
bigger this time. Google has partnered with almost all major online
stores, and even some offline partners this time to bring you some great
deals.
1. Discounts on Amazon Kindle (all variants)
Missed the offers
on Kindle e-readers during Diwali? Here's another chance. Amazon has
discounted all variants of its popular Kindle e-readers. You can grab
the Kindle Paperwhite for as low as Rs. 8,999 for the WiFi variant
(regular Rs. 10,999), and the cellular variant is available for Rs.
11,999 (regular Rs. 13,999). This is probably the lowest price on the
Paperwhite you'll get for the next couple of months since there's no new
variant in the market yet, and the Kindle Voyage will be a high-end
variant which might be introduced in India next year. The all-new Kindle
6-inch reader is now available for Rs. 4,999 (regular Rs. 5,999). The
biggest difference between the regular all-new Kindle and the Kindle
Paperwhite is that the latter comes with a backlight while the former
doesn't. The display on the Paperwhite is much better, and that explains
the higher price point. Both these Kindles have touchscreens.
Link: Amazon
2. Flat Rs. 5,000 Off On Microsoft Xbox One ConsoleAmazon
is now offering a flat discount of Rs. 5,000 on the standalone Xbox One
console. The deal includes a free game (FIFA 2015), and a free
additional controller along with the console. The Xbox One can now be
purchased for Rs. 34,990 (regular Rs. 39,990). That should be enough to
save for a game. Microsoft claims that since Xbox One
is exclusive to Amazon, it will only offer warranty for the units
purchased from Amazon itself. At this price point, the Xbox One makes a
great deal if you've been waiting for a decent price to pick one up.
Stocks are limited, and the offer is valid only till the GOSF promotion
on Amazon, so don't wait. There are also deals on video games for Xbox
One that you can pick up during Amazon's GOSF 2014 sale.
Link: Amazon
3. Catch Special Deals At Just Rs. 299This
year, GOSF has a dedicated corner for deals priced at just Rs. 299.
This will include shipping and taxes on most online retailers. You can
grab plenty of decent computer and laptop accessories, mobile
accessories, and other select products using these deals. Almost all
major online retailers like Amazon, Snapdeal, and eBay are offering
products at just Rs. 299. Most of these will be products which are
normally in the price range of Rs. 500-600. So if you were looking for
decent mobile cases or keyboards and mice, this is the time. The best
way to track these deals is on the GOSF website.
Link: GOSF
4. Apple iPhone 5c, OnePlus One and other smartphonesAmazon is selling the iPhone 5c
8GB for Rs. 22,999 during its GOSF promotion. You can grab an extra Rs.
2,000 off (cashback) using an HDFC Bank card for payment. It brings
down the effective price of the iPhone 5c to just Rs. 20,999. Please
note that this is the 8GB variant, not recommended for users who want to
store a lot of multimedia content on their devices. However, it still
makes a great gift option for non-power users like you parents. The HDFC
Bank cashback offer is also applicable on OnePlus One, and other
smartphones above Rs. 3,500, and except the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
Link: iPhone 5c, Details of HDFC Bank's cashback offer
5. EMI Offer on All Apple iPhone VariantsAmazon
has an EMI offer on all iPhone variants. To grab the offer you need to
make sure you buy from the seller "CloudTail" only, and you can pick any
variant of an iPhone. You'll receive an Amazon gift card by the end of
February next year. The amount of cashback you get depends on the EMI
option you pick. From a minimum value of Rs. 1,000 on a 6-month EMI for
the iPhone 4s to as much as Rs. 6,700 on an 18-month EMI for the iPhone 6
Plus 128GB. The cashback you receive should be enough to make up for
the interest that you'll end up paying for the EMI offer. That alone
makes it a decent offer in case you were waiting on an EMI offer for
buying an iPhone this year.
Link: Amazon
Secure Account With Password Manager
A password manager stores the passwords for your various online
accounts and profiles and saves you from having to remember and enter
each one each time you visit a password-protected site. Instead, your
passwords are encrypted and held by your password manager, which you
then protect with a master password. Since you are saved from having to
remember all of your passwords, you will be less tempted by the
dangerously poor idea of using the same password for all of your
accounts. With a password manager, you can create strong passwords for
all of your accounts and keep all of those passwords saved behind a
stronger master password, leaving you to remember but a single password.
Which
password manager you choose to use is less important than actually
choosing one and then using it. Most password managers offer limited
free services with paid plans via either a subscription or paid app that
lets you store an unlimited number of passwords and sync them across
devices, including Windows PCs, Macs and mobile devices. To help you
choose the right product for your purposes, Jason Parker earlier this
year wrote about six of the best password managers.
Setting up a password manager
You can sign up for an account via its mobile app or the PasswordBox website
on a computer. I chose the latter and downloaded PasswordBox from its
website, which turned out to be a browser extension. I created my free
account by giving my name, email, and choosing a master password. Before
we proceed, allow me a few words on creating a strong password.
Your master password should not be be a repeat or even a
derivative of one of your other passwords currently in use. Create a
unique password that contains at least eight characters, including both
upper- and lower-case letters, numbers and symbols.
Using a password manager
After a little legwork up front to
add your password-protected accounts to your password manager of choice,
you will then be free of the effort required to remember your bevy of
passwords and entering them.
Toshiba WT8-B Tablet Launched at Rs. 15,499
Toshiba has launched a new Windows 8.1-based tablet, the WT8-B, priced at Rs. 15,499. The new Toshiba WT8-B tablet will be exclusively available on Amazon India starting Wednesday.
It
runs Windows 8.1 and comes with Bing as default search engine in
Internet Explorer. The Toshiba WT8-B sports an 8-inch WXGA (1280x800
pixels) multi-touch display. It is powered by Intel's quad-core Atom
Z3735G processor (Bay Trail-T with reference clock at 1.3GHz) alongside
1GB of RAM. It includes 32GB of inbuilt storage, which is expandable via
microSDXC card (up to 128GB).
The WT8-B sports a front-facing
1.2-megapixel HD webcam and a 5-megapixel rear autofocus camera capable
of recording full-HD videos. The tablet includes Wi-Fi 802.11n and
Micro-USB 2.0 as connectivity options.
It comes with 1-year
subscription to Office 365 Personal and can run for 11.1 hours on a
single charge. The Toshiba WT8-B measures 210.7x132x9.4mm and weighs 381
grams.
The tablet comes with some preloaded apps such as Toshiba System Driver, Toshiba TruCapture, Toshiba Service Station, Toshiba User Guide, Xbox, Amazon App, Office 365, and Skype.
Acer Liquid Jade S Launched
Acer on Tuesday unveiled a refreshed version of its recently launched Liquid Jade smartphone, the Acer Liquid Jade S.
Announcing a price of TWD 6,990 (approximately Rs. 13,800), the Liquid
Jade S is expected to go on sale around December 18 in Taiwan.
The dual-SIM Acer Liquid Jade S runs Android
4.4.4 KitKat and features a 5-inch HD (720x1280 pixel) IPS display with
'Zero Air Gap' technology and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 screen
protection. It sports nearly identical specifications as the Liquid
Jade, barring the chipset, front-facing camera, battery and the presence
of 4G LTE connectivity.
The Liquid Jade S features a 13-megapixel rear camera and a
5-megapixel front facing camera. In terms of connectivity options, the
Liquid Jade S offers 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Micro-USB and GPS/ A-GPS.
Dimensions of the Liquid Jade are 143x69x7.78mm, and weighs 116 grams.
It is backed by a 2300mAh battery.
The company recently launched the Liquid Jade and Liquid E700 for the Indian market at Rs. 16,999 and Rs. 11,999 respectively, exclusively via Snapdeal.
Tech Deals: Big Savings on Laptops, Speakers
1. Free 2-year additional warranty on select Lenovo laptops at Amazon
Amazon
and Lenovo are offering free 2-year extended warranty on select laptops
purchased at Amazon. There's an additional Rs. 1,000 off on these
laptops, along with a free laptop bag. Some of these laptops already
carry a discounted price tag which makes this deal totally worth it.
Some great picks from this offer include the Lenovo 15.6-inch laptop
which comes with a 1.9GHz Core i3 processor, supported by 6GB of RAM,
and includes a 1TB hard drive at a price tag of Rs. 36,990. Another
variant in the same display-size category with the Core i5 processor,
and 6GB RAM is available for Rs. 43,999. Both these laptops run Windows 8
out of the box. In case you're in the market for sub 30,000 machine,
the Lenovo 15.6-inch laptop with Core i3, 2GB RAM, and 500GB hard drive
fits the bill at a price of Rs. 25,999. This laptop doesn't include
Windows 8, instead it ships with DOS.
Price: Starting from Rs. 25,900
Link: Amazon
2. Ricoh Aficio SP203SF multifunction workaholic laser printer
Snapdeal
has discounted the Ricoh Aficio SP203SF multifunction laser printer
down to Rs. 8,641. The printer comes with a scanner that can allow users
to scan and make copies. There's an in-built fax machine as well, if
that's still your thing. The Ricoh Aficio SP203SF can make a great
replacement for your old laser printer at the office or home. If you
print a lot, and need to upgrade your old laser printer with a new
all-in-one, you should totally consider this. The company promises a
short warm up time of 25 seconds, and a duty cycle of around 20,000
pages per month. The maximum resolution supported by the printer if
1200x600dpi, and it can print up to 22 pages per minute in A4 sizes.
Price: Rs. 8,641
Link: Snapdeal
3. Lenovo Flex 2 14-inch laptop with touchscreenAmazon
is selling the Lenovo Flex 2 14-inch laptop at an attractive price tag
of just Rs. 44,720. The laptop is powered by the Intel Core i5 processor
(fourth generation), supported by 4GB of RAM. It comes with a 500GB
hard drive, and an 8GB SSD. The smaller SSD can be useful to quickly run
most-accessed applications, and files. But it's still too small to boot
Windows 8.1 directly from it. The laptop comes with a 14-inch
touchscreen, and graphics card with 2GB of physical memory. The Flex 2
is capable of flipping to a 300 degree angle maximum. Lenovo promises a
battery backup of around 4 hours on a standard 4-cell battery. The
laptop comes with 2 USB 3.0 ports, 1 USB 2.0 port, 1 HDMI port, 1 VGA
port, and a memory card reader.
Price: Rs. 44,720
Link: Amazon
4. Logitech Z443 multimedia 2.1 speakers
Finding
a decent 2.1 speaker system has become a problem now. The market is
literally flooded with options, and almost all of them are in the same
price band. The Logitech Z443 Multimedia speaker systems are pretty
decent in terms of value for money. This week, Amazon is selling these
at Rs. 2,459, just slightly lower than their usual price, but completely
worth it. These speakers carry a rating of 55W RMS/110W peak, and come
with a 2-year warranty from Logitech. These are probably the best 2.1
speaker systems you can buy under Rs. 3,500. The sound output is clear,
and distortion-free even at higher volumes. At its current price,
they're definitely a good buy!
Price: Rs. 2,459
Link: Amazon
5. Lenovo WD100 wireless display adapter
If
you're in the market for a wireless video streaming solution, that can
do a lot more than Chromecast, the Lenovo WD100 wireless display adapter
is for you! This week Amazon is selling the adapter for Rs. 2,598 (MRP
Rs. 3,999). The Lenovo WD100 is capable of hooking up with Android 4.2
and above, and Windows 8 devices. Lenovo promises a one-touch push to TV
screens using the built-in WiFi connectivity option. The device is also
compatible Miracast. You could use the Lenovo WD100 to connect your
mobile phone or a tablet to the big-screen TV, or even a projector. You
can use it to stream multimedia content over your wireless network.
Price: Rs. 2,598
Link: Amazon
6. Microsoft Office is now free on iOS, Android
The
best deal to come out this week is probably Microsoft's move to make
its Office suite free on iPad, iPhone, and Android. Earlier, users could
access Office files on these mobile apps for free but to edit them they
needed a subscription to Office 365. Well, not anymore. You can now
view, edit, and store your Office documents on the cloud for free.
Microsoft has also recently partnered with Dropbox to integrate its
Office suite with the Dropbox personal cloud storage offerings. This
means you can use your existing Dropbox account to store your Office
documents on the cloud. Go ahead, and download the Office apps on your
iOS or Android device to make the most of it.
Link: Microsoft
Acer Iconia Talk S Voice-Calling Tablet
Acer has launched its dual-SIM voice-calling tablet, the Iconia Talk S
A1-724 - which was introduced last month by the company. The tablet for
now is only available in Taiwan at TWD 7990 (roughly Rs. 15,900).
The connectivity features of the Iconia Talk S are
4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and GPS. One of the highlighted features
of the Acer-branded tablet are its dual front-facing speakers. The Acer
Iconia Talk S A1-724 measures 190x99.8x8.5mm, weighs 275 grams, comes
in Blue colour-variant and is backed by a 3780mAh battery.
A 64-bit 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410
processor (MSM8916) along with 1GB of RAM powers the device, coupled
with an Adreno 306 GPU. The Acer Iconia Talk S A1-724 sports a
5-megapixel rear camera, and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. 16GB of
inbuilt storage is also included, which can expand via a microSD card
(up to 128GB).
The Acer Iconia Talk S A1-724 tablet is a dual-SIM supporting device that runs on Android
4.4 KitKat. The tablet features a 7-inch HD (800x1280 pixels)
resolution IPS display with Zero Air Gap Anti-Fingerprint screen
coating.
HTC RE Camera With 16-Megapixel Sensor in India
HTC's RE action camera was made officially available in India via
exclusive online partner on Tuesday, Snapdeal, priced at Rs. 9,990.The Taiwanese company at the India launch back in October
had promised that its 'remarkable little camera' will be available in
the first week of November. The HTC RE however has gone on sale only now
in India.
Notably, at the time of writing, the RE camera had already gone out of stock and was listed as 'sold out' on Snapdeal. The online retailer's dedicated RE camera page
notes, "Due to the overwhelming response to HTC Re - the first batch of
registrations is now closed. You can register for the second batch of
HTC Re here. We will be in touch with you shortly through email."
The new GoPro-like RE action camera was launched globally alongside the Desire Eye
selfie-focused smartphone. With the launch of the new RE action camera,
the Taiwanese giant has taken a big leap forward in the market and is
now more than just a smartphone maker.
Interestingly, the RE
camera device will be compatible with both Android and iOS devices. A
companion app for both Android and iOS will be available for download
soon, according to HTC.
The highlight of the RE device is the
16-megapixel sensor that can click or record with a 146-degree
ultra-wide angle lens (f/2.8). The camera can record 1080p video at
30fps. Notably, HTC says the new RE device is a waterproof device with
IPX7 certification, while the listing also claims that the waterproof
cap enhances the RE's rating to IPX8. The device does not include a
power button; instead there is a built-in grip sensor that switches-on
the device upon grip detection.
To power the device, there is an
820mAh battery claimed to be enough for clicking 1200 photos or 1 hour
40 minutes continuous full-HD video recording. The RE camera action
camera comes with 32MB ROM and 256MB of DDR RAM with microSD card
support. For connectivity, there are Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, and
Micro-USB options.
Google Chromecast Dongle Launched in India at Rs. 2,999
The dongle-shaped device will be exclusively available via Snapdeal
starting Wednesday as part of the Google's third edition of the Great
Online Shopping Festival (GOSF).
Google has also tied up with Airtel to offer up to 60GB broadband data free with every purchase of Chromecast. The 60GB free data is also available to existing Airtel broadband subscribers. The Snapdeal listing
for the Chromecast also reveals two months free subscription of Eros
Now Premium content. Notably, the offer is only available to new Eros
Now Premium subscribers.
Snapdeal listing also lists Internet
requirement for Chromecast. It says, "Chromecast requires a minimum of
2Mbps internet broadband connection on Wi-Fi. Please run "Test your
Internet Speed" to assess the Chromecast readiness of your home Wi-Fi
setup."
Tonino Lamborghini 88 Tauri Premium
The new premium Tonino Lamborghini 88 Tauri will be available at a hefty price of $6,000 (approximately Rs. 3,71,500) and will be up for sale starting late December.
The
company has announced that the 88 Tauri will have 1947 units only. The
1947 year being the birth year of Lamborghini founder Tonino
Lamborghini.
The 88 Tauri will support dual-SIM with both the SIMs active at the same time and will support 4G LTE networks.
The
Tauri 88 is made of steel (available in Gold, Black or plain steel
colours) and leather (a choice of Black, Blue, Red, Orange and Brown)
complete with decorative stitches. The phone was designed in Italy and
sports the recognizable raging bull logo (which was inspired by the
Taurus constellation).
The 88 Tauri features a 5-inch full-HD
(1080x1920 pixels) display and is powered by a 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm
Snapdragon 801 processor coupled with 3GB of RAM.
The handset
supports expandable storage via microSD card (up to 64GB). The 88 Tauri
sports a 20-megapixel rear camera, while it also houses an 8-megapixel
front camera. It packs a 3400mAh battery that is rated to deliver up to
35 hours of talk time and 1,000 hours of standby time.
Great Online Shopping Festival
Google's much-awaited Great Online Shopping Festival (GOSF) will kick
off on Wednesday and will feature more than 400 partners offering deals
and discounts. The GOSF will be a three day event starting Wednesday and will end on Friday.
Google India this year has announced an 'exclusive launch corner' that will feature new products released exclusively on GOSF. The Mountain View giant is expected to launch the Google Nexus 6
during GOSF. Notably, Google listed the Nexus 6 in India last month and
still lists the handset in 'Devices' section of Google Play India as
'Coming soon'.
The company this year ahead of the GOSF 2014 festival introduced offers for consumers such as 'Pre-Party',
which promised to offer users a chance to win 14 minutes of free
shopping (up to Rs 2.5 lakhs in value) hosted by brands like Asian
Paints, Jet Airways, Kindle, Micromax, HP, Big Bazaar, KOOVs, Lakme and
Lenovo.
The search engine giant is also launching a new section this year, focused on the first time buyers, called the 'Rs. 299 Corner'
that will feature heavy discounted products with free shipping and cash
on delivery option. The new section will include popular brands such as
Philips, Uber, JBL, Benetton, Alia Bhatt Collection and EverPure water
purifier.
Nikon 1 AW1, Nikon 1 V3, Nikon 1 J4 Compact Cameras Launched in India
Nikon on Friday launched the Nikon 1 AW1, Nikon 1 V3, and Nikon 1 J4 compact cameras in India.
While
the Nikon 1 AW1 comes with a 11-27.5mm F/3.5-5.6 lens kit at Rs.
39,950, the Nikon 1 V3 and Nikon 1 J4 come with 1 NIKKOR VR 10-30mm
f/3.5-5.6 PD-ZOOM lenses priced at Rs. 43,950 and Rs. 24,950
respectively. The cameras are also listed on the company's India
website.
The Nikon also states that the 14.2-megapixel sensor
featuring AW1 camera is the first waterproof, shockproof and
freeze-proof interchangeable lens camera. While it can stay underwater
without any camera body for up to 15 metres, it can also absorb fall
shocks from up to 2 metres and temperature as low as -10 degrees. The
camera also features an Advanced Hybrid Autofocus System, which chooses
the best image and records videos depending on the contrast and other
settings.
The Nikon
1 V3 and Nikon 1 J4 sport 18.4-megapixel sensor along with the
company's own Expeed 4A image processing engine. Both the cameras also
feature wireless connectivity and can send images or videos directly to
smartphones and tablets via Wi-Fi. However, the wireless transfer is
only available for Android-running devices. Also, the cameras are not
waterproof and would need a separate waterproof case to click underwater
images.
Find Lost Android Mobile
The Android Device Manager works similarly to Find My iPhone. You can either use the device manager on the Internet, or download the app, to use from another Android device. The tracking is on by default. This is how you use it:
- Head to Android Device Manager.
- Sign in with your Google Account - the same one as the missing phone.
- Now you'll see your Android device on the top left.
- If it isn't the one you're looking for, click the tiny down arrow next to the device name and select the correct device from the list.
This shows you the location of your missing device, but again, there are three options you can chose from: Ring, Lock and Erase.
- Clicking Ring will make your device ring - useful for finding the phone if it is nearby - just missing in your home or office, for example.
- Click Lock if you've lost your phone.
- In the pop-up, enter a new password, and click on Confirm. You can also enter a recovery message and your phone number. These will be displayed on the lost device.
- Click Lock when you're done to lock the device remotely.
- To locate the device, click the GPS icon
on the top-right of the box, next to the pencil icon. You need to have
location access enabled on your Android device for this feature to work.
The device can now only be unlocked using the password you just set.
- The Erase
button performs a factory reset on your device, which is important if
you believe you can't recover the phone. But once you do this, then much
like Find My iPhone, the Android Device Manager will also not work.
If you have an Android device, you can also track your lost device using the Android Device Manager app - after you log in with the same Google account as the missing device, the steps are the same.
