Indian languages support on mobiles mandatory from Jul '17

The Government has made the support for Indian languages mandatory in all mobile phones to be sold in the country from July 2017. The new standard mandates mobile phone companies to provide message typing facility in English, Hindi and a regional language. Further, text reading support would have to be provided in all Indian languages.

Google parent Alphabet hides math joke in earnings report

While announcing its earnings for the quarter ended September, Google's parent firm Alphabet announced that it will repurchase $7,019,340,976.83 worth of its stock. The amount equals the number of letters in the English alphabet, 26, multiplied by mathematical constant "e" and $1 million. Alphabet is known to hide math puzzles in its earnings report and acquisition bids.

Apple launches smartwatch with Nike at ₹32,900

Apple on Thursday launched the Apple Watch Nike+ which pairs the Apple Watch Series 2 with a Nike Sport band. The GPS-enabled smartwatch can track different movements like running, biking, yoga, class-based fitness sessions and weights. The smartwatch costs ₹32,900 for the version with a 38mm dial and ₹34,900 for the larger 42mm variant.

Teen arrested for hack that made iPhones dial 911 non-stop

An 18-year-old iPhone app developer was arrested in US on charges of computer tampering after he published a web link on Twitter that caused iPhones to repeatedly dial emergency service number 911. Police said that a 911 centre had received over 100 calls "within a matter of minutes." The bug can reportedly also be used to flood iPhones with pop-ups.

Pixel Phone Users Report Bluetooth Pairing Issues With Cars

Google launched the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones earlier this month, and the demand for the smartphones have exceeded the company's expectations. We found the smartphone to be quite impressive (Review) as well. However, as users have begun to use the smartphone in their everyday lives, reports of glitches are now cropping up. Apparently, many Pixel phone users claim that they are having trouble pairing their smartphones with in-car entertainment systems.

Many users have taken to the Pixel Community to report the Bluetooth bug. The new Google Pixel andGoogle Pixel XL smartphones are having trouble pairing with many cars. In some cases, the smartphones get connected and even play audio easily, but disconnect when placing a phone call. In other cases, the smartphone have difficulty in connecting, and even if they connect, they soon drop off for no apparent reason.

Google is aware about the issue, and has even reached out to the affected people. This issue first cropped up with Nexus phones when Marshmallow was rolled out, and a software update fixed the issue later. This leads us to believe that the issue could have cropped up with thenew Android 7.1 Nougat update, and because some Nexus users are also reporting similar issues; a software fix is all that may be required to solve the problem. While the problem is spread across different car companies, most issues are reported by General Motors vehicle owners.

One big advantage for Pixel owners is that they don't have to wait for OEMs to push out the update, and will receive it directly from Google as soon as it's ready with the fix. Apart from this bug, some Pixel phone users have also reported a lens flare issue in photos when taken under certain lighting conditions. Google has acknowledged this issue as well, and has promised a fix in the coming weeks.

A  similar issue was also reported by iphone7 and d iphone7 Plus users earlier this month, where many users reported spotty Bluetooth connectivity with their car systems. iOS 10 was also blamed for this bug, and the latest iOS 10.1 release notes also include "improvements in Bluetooth connectivity with third-party accessories".

 

B'luru: ATM that dispenses gold coins set up for Diwali

Online jewellery company BlueStone, on the occasion of Diwali, has set up an ATM in Bengaluru which dispenses gold coins instead of money. The machine dispenses coins from 1 gram to 20 grams at market rates. Users can either pay by cash or by credit or debit card. With the coin, the machine also delivers a certificate of purity.

InFocus launches the Epic series of premium smartphones with Epic1

InFocus has launched a new series of premium smartphones ‘Epic’, with Epic1 being the premier. It is the most affordable 10-core processor smartphone in India at ₹12,999. Available exclusively on Amazon, Epic1 is one of the best buys for selfie lovers with its 1.8F low light 8MP lens, says the company. Epic1 also has a 360-degree recognition based fingerprint sensor.

Intel invests ₹254 crore in 12 startups worldwide

The world’s biggest chip maker, Intel on Monday announced that it has invested over ₹254 crore in 12 startups. The startups focus on solutions for seniors and disabled people using the Internet of Things or making everyday objects smart and connected. Since 1991, Intel has invested ₹78,000 crore in 1,458 startups worldwide.

Xiaomi unveils Mi Note 2 with curved screen display

Chinese electronics maker Xiaomi on Tuesday unveiled its Mi Note 2 smartphone in China starting at about $413 (approx ₹27,600). Powered by a Snapdragon 821 processor, the phone features a 5.7-inch curved display, 4,070 mAh battery, 22.56 MP primary and 8 MP front camera. The base model of the phone has 4 GB RAM and 64 GB internal memory.

US robots beat Australian rivals in football championship

A team of robots developed by the University of Texas on Monday beat the team from Australia's University of New South Wales 7-3 in a game of football during China's 2016 World Robot Conference. Robot football matches have been played since the mid-1990s and the 'RoboCup' used humanoid robots about 23 inches tall developed by French company Aldebaran Robotics.

11-yr-old Linux OS bug grants full access to any user

A vulnerability attack on an 11-year-old flaw in the Linux operating system, that grants any user exploiting it unauthorised access privileges, has reportedly been found. Dubbed as "Dirty COW," the bug can break memory operations in the Linux kernel. Experts have warned that the bug could be used to gain root server access.

Google buys eye-tracking startup for new VR headset

Google has acquired US-based eye-tracking startup Eyefluence to reportedly integrate the technology in its new Virtual Reality (VR) headset. Eyefluence enables users wearing head-mounted VR glasses to use their eyes as a mouse and make selections only with their eye movements. Founded in 2013, the startup had raised a total of $21.6 million (over ₹144 crore) from two funding rounds.

Map shows Google's autocomplete suggestions for capitals

A map posted by a Reddit user shows Google's autocomplete suggestions for select capitals of Indian states like 'When will McDonald's open in Patna' and 'When will Mumbai sink' among others. When a user types 'When will (capital of any state)' on Google Search, the search engine's autocompleting feature comes up with various suggestions.

Dubai to get robot police assistants by 2017

Dubai Police, IBM, and Google have developed a 'Robocop' prototype that was unveiled a Dubai's annual electronic trade show recently. The virtual assistant system uses Artificial Intelligence and can spot people from 10-20 metres of distance, approach them, and greet them. It is expected to be deployed at tourist attractions like Burj Khalifa by 2017, Dubai Police said.

BlackBerry launches its last phone at ₹33,000

Canadian phone maker BlackBerry, which announced to stop making phones last month, on Tuesday launched its last phone 'DTEK60' at ₹33,000. The Android Marshmallow-based handset features company's largest display to date of 5.5-inch, a 21 MP rear camera, a fingerprint sensor, and BlackBerry's security software. It rivals the size of the latest iPhone 7 Plus and Google Pixel XL smartphones.

WhatsApp Video Calling is Now Live on Android & its Working

After months of rumors and leaks, the video calling option is finally live on WhatsApp Android app. But as of now its only limited to the latest beta app with the version 2.16.318. A couple of days back, it was first spotted on the beta version of the Windows Phone app. As earlier rumors suggested the full-fledged app with video calling might first go live on iOS. Whereas the voice calling that was introduced, last year came first on Android platform. To make a video call, both the users need to be on the latest beta version, if not it shows the “couldn’t place call” error.

Since it’s in beta, the more features can be added to the final update or the upcoming beta versions. As of now, there is a separate video calling button, you need to click on phone icon which earlier makes a voice call, but now its shows voice call and video call options. While on a video call, the user can switch the camera, mute the audio, and send a message; but sending a message will pause the video call. In case the user at the other end rejected the voice call, you get three options – cancel, call again, and record a voice message. These are the same options that are available even when the voice call is declined.

In May this year, we had exclusively posted about the WhatsApp video calling going live on Android. While there is an option to make a video call on that particular beta app, the feature was disabled at the server end, and even the option are removed in the next update. Talking about the call quality, it is not comparable with same experience what you get on Google Duo. The video will be paused in the middle even with a good internet connection, and the audio quality is not as good as a voice call. And importantly the WhatsApp video call doesn’t come with ‘Knock Knock’  feature where the video preview of the caller will be shown even before answering.

Report claims iPhone 8 will feature a revolutionary new design that no one saw coming

Next year, Apple is expected to release a completely redesigned iPhone 8 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the original iPhone. Following three consecutive years of seeing the same design reused in the iPhone 6, iPhone 6s and iPhone 7, Apple is expected to make dramatic changes to the appearance of its next-generation iPhone, and to the technology included inside the device. Previous reports have stated that the new iPhone 8 will feature an OLED display that covers almost all of the phone’s face, and the home button and fingerprint scanner will be embedded beneath the screen. The phone is also expected to have a glass back instead of aluminum, and metal will surround the outer edges as it did on the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4.

According to a new report, however, these claims have it all wrong and the iPhone 8’s new design will be unlike anything the world has ever seen.

Samsung has a new deal for Note7 owners in Korea: Return it and get a half-price Note8

Samsung has an interesting deal for Note7 owners in South Korea: Replace the device with a Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge now, and get a Galaxy S8 or Galaxy Note8 phone next year for half the price. 

All Samsung Note7 phones have been recalled due to an issue that causes the battery to overheat and, sometimes, catch fire. The phone has been discontinued, and there is no further support for it, but despite Samsung's pleas for customers to return it, there are still hundreds of thousands of unreturned Note7 phones out there. 

Samsung's new plan is currently only live in South Korea, and will be carried out by the end of November. However, the Korea Herald claims a similar upgrade program will follow in other countries. 

The offer itself sounds interesting, especially for early adopters, but it's risky. Anyone that agrees will basically be paying for a device they know nothing about — and even though you get it at half the price, the S8 or even the Note8 might not be to your liking. 

The thing is, we don't know anything about these phones — or their batteries — right now. Not a single spec has been announced, or even leaked at this point. The S8 is slated to arrive in February or March of 2017, but that hasn't been confirmed either; there's no rumors as to when the company might launch the Note8. 

And even though the arrival of new Samsung flagships next year isn't hard to guess, it's rare for a company like Samsung to even acknowledge the existence of a new flagship phone this far ahead. 

Scientists develop artificial intelligence 'judge'

Computer scientists at the University College London have developed an artificial intelligence platform that can weigh the legal evidence available and predict the outcome of trials. Analyzing data sets for 584 real cases, the AI 'judge' reportedly reached the same verdicts as human judges at the European court of human rights, in around 79% cases involving torture, degrading treatment and privacy.

$100 mn project to make intelligence-boosting implant

Bryan Johnson, the Founder and CEO of US-based startup Kernel, has announced a $100 million investment into the development of a brain implant device which can boost human intelligence. According to Johnson, the first experiments for the device will focus on memory enhancement. He added that work was also being done on personalised algorithms to dictate an individual's brain function.

Microsoft once offered to buy Facebook for $24 billion

Microsoft's former CEO Steve Ballmer in a recent interview revealed that he once offered Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg to buy his company for $24 billion. While Zuckerberg refused the offer, Ballmer said, "I respect that. You have to have a willing seller". Zuckerberg is currently the fifth richest person in the world with a net worth of $56.6 billion.

Google Pixel's wallpaper app released for all Android phones

Google has released the 'Wallpapers' app, which is a built-in wallpaper switcher on its recently launched Pixel smartphones, for all Android phones. The app offers images in five different categories: Earth, landscapes, cityscapes, life and textures. It is available in the Play Store for all Android users running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and above.

China becomes world's largest mkt for iOS App Store revenues

China has overtaken the US to become the world's largest market for Apple's iOS App Store revenue, according to App Annie. The country earned over $1.7 billion from the iOS App Store in Q3 2016, which puts it ahead of the US by over 15%. The US had been the number one iOS market since 2010.

₹60,000 iPhone 7's camera costs only ₹1,740 to make

The camera of the entry-level Apple iPhone 7 variant, which is priced at ₹60,000 in India, costs the company only ₹1,740 per unit to make, according to analyst firm Chipworks. While the battery costs ₹270, the touchscreen costs ₹2,475, and the memory and storage cost about ₹2,540. Notably, over 90% of smartphone owners use their devices as cameras.

Reliance Jio may extend free voice and data offer till March 2017: Analysts

New subscribers latching to Jio's network are finding it difficult to make calls, except data services which are activated within 120-minutes of Adhaar-based e-KYC activation.

On June 21, Jio had asked existing players to provide support to interconnect an estimated 22 million of its customers by June this year, 50 million by September, 75 million by December and 100 million subscribers by March 2017.

Citi Research analysts feel that if the situation with the points of interconnection (PoI) continue with voice calls not connecting to incumbents networks, then Jio might look at ways to ensure that users do not pay unless the quality of service restores.

On the backdrop of Reliance Industries earnings, Jio's head of strategy and planning Anshuman Thakur Thursday said that Jio would not need permission from the telecom regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) to extend free services beyond December.

Trai, however recently said that a telecom operator cannot offer a promotional offer for more than 90 days as per Telecommunication Tariff Order (2004) and hence Jio could not offer freebies after 3 December.

Jio, on the other hand, clarified that that the consumers would continue to get free data and calls benefits till December 31.

Cyrus Mistry removed as Tata Sons chief, Ratan Tata takes over

Tata Sons on Monday removed Cyrus Mistry as its Chairman, about four years after he took over the reins of the over $100 billion salt-to-software conglomerate.

Ratan Tata, who Mistry had replaced on December 29, 2012, has been appointed as interim Chairman for four months during which a search committee will look for a replacement. 

Maintool can now make any watch into a smartwatch

In the increasingly crowded market place of smart watches, a small niche of companies is offering an alternative to the standard designs by offering smart watch bands as an alternative to smartwatch faces.

One of these is Madrid- and Paris-based startup Maintool, who have created the Classi watch band, a wearable which enables users to make their regular watches “smart.”

“We’re giving you the chance to keep your own watch but still benefit from the same functionalities as some of the best wearable technologies,” CEO Hussain Ahamed said.

The smart watch band can be attached to any watch face. It offers a range of functionalities: sensors within the watch band measure heart rate, track footsteps and calories burned (pedometer), skin and ambient temperatures, alert through discrete vibrations and communicate with apps for iOS and Android. You can navigate to your destination hands-free and send out for help with the push of a button. Classi also has a phone loss prevention feature and will vibrate strongly if you forget your phone.

Serrano notes that “Many times, people can’t tell the difference between a Classi strap and a regular watch strap. We switched out the microUSB port we used in our first prototypes for a custom magnetic charger, which greatly reduced the thickness of our watch straps. The new size makes our technology even more discreet.”

Going down: Bringing AR to elevator servicing with HoloLens

ThyssenKrupp recently launched its use of Microsoft HoloLens technology in its elevator service operations worldwide. Currently, the global elevator service industry is valued at over $44 billion per year and more than 12 million elevators transport over 1 billion people each day.

The special mixed reality device is set to empower more than 24,000 of the company’s service technicians to do their jobs more safely and efficiently, and keep people and cities moving better than ever before.

Microsoft HoloLens is the first fully self-contained wearable holographic computer running Windows 10. It is completely self-contained–no wires, phones, or connection to a PC needed. Microsoft HoloLens allows you to place holograms in your physical environment and provides a new way to see the world.

Using HoloLens, service technicians will be able to visualize and identify problems with elevators ahead of a job, and have remote, hands-free access to technical and expert information when onsite – all resulting in significant savings in time and stress. Initial field trials have already shown that a service maintenance intervention can be done up to four times faster.

This solution follows the successful launch of MAX, the industry’s first predictive maintenance solution which is already connected with thousands of elevators. MAX collects and sends real-time data from connected elevators to the intelligent cloud.

The iPhone Has a Hidden One-Handed Keyboard

Here's a pretty cool story. Developer Steve Troughton-Smith recently found hidden code for a one-handed keyboard in iOS by hacking an iOS Simulator. Troughton-Smith says the keyboard has "been there since at least iOS 8."

You've probably seen a keyboard like this before. It's designed to make typing easier for people who have small hands and own big phones. It essentially pushes the entire QWERTY keyboard over to one side of the phone, so you can reach the far buttons with your thumb.

But there's a huge downside: You'll never be able to use it (at least, officially). Apple has not explained why the feature has remained hidden in the iOS code, and it also has not commented on whether the keyboard will ever be made available to users. We've reached out to Apple and will update this post if and when we hear back.

If Stroughton-Smith is right, and the code has actually been hidden in the operating system since iOS 8, it would make a lot of sense. The release of iOS 8 was billed as the "biggest change to iOS since the introduction of the App Store" and coincided with the launch of Apple's biggest phone ever, the iPhone 6 Plus.

Although the keyboard can't be used on official iOS software releases, there is a workaround. 

Amazon's New Fire TV Stick Is the Cheapest Way to Get Alexa In Your House

When people ask me what streaming device to buy, my initial reaction is always to say, "just get a Roku." But after using the fantastic (and cheap!)Fire TV Stick for the last few days, I think my recommendation might just change. At $40, the new Fire TV Stick is a terrific streaming device that almost rivals the Roku for ease of use. But better, it's also now the cheapest way to get Alexa in your house.

Amazon has sold millions of Fire TV Sticks sans Alexa. The company won't break out specific numbers, but on Prime Day, it was the best-selling product in the entire world. And it makes sense. As far as streaming sticks go, the Fire TV Stick has always been solid. It's a cheap way to get content in 1080p, it works like any other stick, by plugging into the HDMI port on your TV, and it even comes with an HDMI extender if you have weird ports. But previous Fire TV Sticks were a little slow and it was hard to recommend them compared to the $50 Roku Stick or the cheaper $30 Roku Express.

But now, it's a smarter stick that's cheaper than the Roku Stick and faster than the Express. The newest Fire TV Stick has a quad-core processor, which lets me open up Hulu and Netflix and the other apps and games super fast. It also include 802.11ac WiFi-something the Express neglects.

AT&T Reaches $80 Billion Deal to Purchase Time Warner

AT&T will purchase Time Warner for over $80 billion, the Wall Street Journal reports Saturday afternoon. "According to people familiar with the plans," the two companies will likely announce this as soon as Saturday night. AT&T will reportedly pay between $105 and $110 a share for Time Warner. According to another anonymous source, the deal is half-cash, half-stock.

This would be the biggest media merger since Comcast bought NBCUniversal, a merger that "regulators have indicated misgivings" about, so it's unclear whether they will allow another deal of this magnitude. Massive companies merging is usually bad for consumers, as it gives mega-corporations tremendous control of the market. In 2015, AT&T acquired DIRECTV, which the FCC let happen only after the companies agreed to specific terms and conditions.

One of the United States' biggest wireless, internet and TV service providers merges with one of our biggest media conglomerates. What could possibly be bad about that?

Ektra Smartphone Builds on Kodak's Photographic History

In its first-ever smartphone, Kodak goes back to its photo roots by including a quality camera and a retro camera-like design.

Kodak has unveiled its first-ever smartphone, the Kodak Ektra, which sports a retro camera-like design and a 21-megapixel fast-focus main rear camera that the company hopes will up the ante with photo enthusiasts on the go.

The new 4G LTE-enabled phone, which will be available in Europe later this year for about $550, won't initially be sold anywhere else, but "may come to the U.S. in 2017," a marketing spokesperson told.

The Ektra Smartphone features a Helio X20 2.3GHz deca-core (10-core) processor, 3GB of memory, 32GB of onboard storage, a microSD card slot for additional storage, a 3,000mAh rechargeable battery with USB-C fast charging and the Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system. The phone features durable Corning Gorilla Glass on its display screen and on its camera lenses, as well as WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity.

But the key features in Kodak's offering are its cameras, including the 21-megapixel main rear camera that features an f2.0 lens, Phase Detection Auto Focus (PDAF), dual LED flash, 4K video capabilities and Optical Image Stabilization, and a 13-megapixel front-facing camera with an f2.2 PDAF lens.

 

AT&T is world's oldest telephone company in operation

American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) was incorporated by inventor Alexander Graham Bell in 1885, making it the world's oldest telephone company in operation. The company was initially set up as a subsidiary of Bell Telephone Company, but bought Bell's assets in 1899 to become the parent company of the entire Bell system.

FB Messenger on Windows 10 adds video, voice calls

Facebook has upgraded its Messenger app for Windows 10 with the ability to make voice and video calls. This means that Windows 10 Messenger users will now get a phone icon in their app screen, allowing group voice calls or one-on-one video calls within a single window. However, the Windows Phone version has not received the upgrade yet.

SoundShare's iMessage app lets users text entire songs

Music-focused social network SoundShare has launched an iMessage app that allows sharing entire tracks over text messaging. The app is an update to SoundShare's main iOS app, which offers a platform for users to find and follow others and create collaborative playlists. Users can look for a song in the search bar, and tap to send it to a friend.

E-Ink post-it that does not need charging made

Researchers at Microsoft and MIT have created E-Ink post-it notes that do not require any charging. The device uses a small photovoltaic cell, which stores energy from ambient light to power E-Ink display and a low-energy Bluetooth chip. The note, which can be updated from a computer or a smartphone, can refresh its display every minute.

Singapore to turn regular buses self-driving with sensors

Singapore has launched a new pilot program where large buses will be turned into self-driving buses with high-tech sensors. Once ready, the buses will travel roughly 1.4 kilometer between a university and a nearby industrial park for field trials. A month ago, self-driving car technology startup nuTonomy started testing its cars in Singapore.

Video: Steve Jobs introducing the first ever iPod

A nine-minute YouTube video shows late Apple CEO Steve Jobs introducing the first ever iPod, 15 years ago on October 23, 2001. The device was capable of carrying "1,000 songs in your pocket" because of its ultra-thin hard drive. iPod's battery could last 10 hours of continuous music, with the gadget being lighter than most cell phones of the time.

Mark Zuckerberg's net worth hits all-time high of $56.6 bn

Social media giant Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg's net worth has hit an all-time high of $56.6 billion (approximately ₹3.78 lakh crore) after he earned $1.6 billion this week. This comes after Facebook shares hit an all-time high over Facebook Live's popularity and the introduction of a new food-delivery service. Zuckerberg is currently the fifth richest person in the world.

Moto G4, Moto G4 Plus Start Receiving Android 7.0 Nougat Update in India

Lenovo has announced that the Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus handsets have started receiving the Android 7.0 Nougat update in India. We can expect the update to soon become available in other regions where the smartphone is on sale.

Notably, the update announcement on the Motorola India website comes shortly after the company began soak testing the update in Brazil earlier this week. Soak testing is the process of releasing the update to a few end users, verifying and fixing any issues, and then rolling it out the general populace. It appears the soak test was successful, as the update has now started rolling out to general users in a phased manner.

The company warns users that the update should be downloaded and installed on when the phone is connected to a Wi-Fi network, and only if the phone has more than 50 percent charge. If users have received a notification message for the update, they should then select "Yes, I'm in", and once the update is downloaded, click on Install Now. Those who haven't received a message should go to Settings > About Phone > System updates, and then if an update is available, follow the above process.

The Android 7.0 Nougat update for the Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus has been detailed comprehensively on the company website, and according to Lenovo, incoming changes include "new multitasking features, more efficient notification controls and improved data saver and battery features." Visit the company website for a full changelog.

Moto-specific updates, beyond what Android 7.0 Nougat brings, include a new Moto action called Swipe to shrink the screen. On the Moto G4 Plus, the company has added a new setting to disable and enable locking the screen when the screen is on and you touch the fingerprint sensor. The settings can be accessed from Settings on the app tray, scrolling down to Security, and then tap on the screen lock gear icon.

Microsoft Opens CyberSecurity Engagement Centre in India

At a time when governments the world over are struggling to tackle cyber-attacks

and data breach, technology giant Microsoft India on Friday launched a full-scale

CyberSecurity Engagement Center (CSEC) in India.

After a successful year-long pilot - the center is India's first and Microsoft's seventh

Cybersecurity Center globally - opened at a juncture when over three million debit cards

of various banks are believed to be 'tainted' following a suspected security breach in

the country.

"We believe security of critical information is imperative for our corporate customers,

 just as it is vital to ensure security and privacy of citizen data and transactions. Our

first investment towards this was setting up our local data centers in India and the

CyberSeccurity Engagement Center is the second," Bhaskar Pramanik, Chairman,

Microsoft India, told reporters in New Delhi.

Google Pixel, Pixel XL to start shipping in India come October 25

Google India has finally announced in a tweet that Pixel and Pixel XL will start reaching Indian stores starting October 25. The ‘Made by Google’ smartphones were unveiled October 4. Google has done away with the ‘Nexus’ moniker that is associated with smartphones running Google’s stock Android, but on hardware from other manufacturers. Google Pixel and Pixel XL pre-orders started in India on October 13 on Flipkart.

In a tweet Google India wrote, “The future is exciting. And by future we mean 3 days from now. #Pixel will start reaching stores on 25th October #madebygoogle”.

Price of the Google Pixel 32GB on Flipkart is Rs 57,000, and Rs 66,000 for the 128GB variant. Google Pixel XL starts at Rs 67,000 for the 32GB version, and Rs 76,000 for the 128GB variant. Both phones and their variants are available in Very Silver and Quite Black colours. However, the Really Blue colour variant has yet not arrived to Indian stores.

Google Pixel features a 5.0-inch AMOLED display (Corning Gorilla Glass 4) with a 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution. The phone is powered by a Quad-core Snapdragon 821 processor that is coupled with an Adreno 530 GPU. It comes with 4GB RAM with two non-expandable storage variants 32GB/128GB. The phone is backed by a 2770 mAh non-removable battery that supports fast charging via USB Type-C.

Google Pixel XL on the other hand comes with a 5.5-inch AMOLED display with a 2560 x 1440 pixels resolution. It is powered by the same Quad-core Snapdragon 821 processor as the Google Pixel and has the same RAM and storage options. Pixel XL is backed by a 3450 mAh non-removable Li-ion battery, and also supports fast charging via a USB Type-C port.

Why is the Google Pixel graded on a curve when the iPhone isn’t?

During the original iPhone introduction, Steve Jobs referenced a favorite quote of his from legendary computer scientist Alan Kay: “People who are really serious about software should make their own hardware.” This philosophy has formed the bedrock of Apple’s business strategy for decades now, save for that brief dark period during the mid-90s when Apple sanctioned an ill-fated Mac clone initiative.

Apple’s devotion to both software and hardware is part of the reason why the iPhone often outclasses every other smartphones on the market. Undeniably, the ability to fine tune software and hardware to work together seamlessly and efficiently is a huge competitive advantage.

That being the case, I’ve been especially intrigued with the Google Pixel as it marks Google’s most serious effort to date to exert strict control over the entirety of the Android experience, from both a software and hardware perspective. We’ve seen Android flagships before, no doubt, but the Google Pixel was designed by Google from the ground up.

The Google Pixel has Google “managing inventory, building relationships with carriers, sourcing components, making supply chain deals and managing distribution.”

When reviews of the Google Pixel first started appearing online, I was excited to see if the hype behind the Pixel was real. Because competition is often a necessary component and driver of innovation, I was eager to see if the Google Pixel was a device that could potentially force Apple to step up its game.

Most of the Google Pixel reviews I came across where overwhelmingly positive, but I couldn’t help but notice that Google’s smartphone, in many respects, was being afforded a pass that Apple’s iPhone rarely, if ever, receives. Whereas the iPhone is seemingly criticized for minute and arguably petty reasons, some of the Google Pixel’s shortcomings were curiously and conveniently glossed over with gusto.

Touching on this very point, Rene Ritchie has a great piece uo on more where he explains how the Pixel was graded by tech reviewers on curiously favorable curve. Remember: Google is a serious player in the smartphone business and the Pixel is priced as a premium handset. Consequently, one would imagine that the Pixel would be held up to the same level of scrutiny as the iPhone.

Alas, this was hardly the case.

The design of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s was lambasted mercilessly, and rightfully so given those unsightly antenna lines. In fact, many even brought up said design as evidence that Apple had lost its innovative edge along with its eye for industrial design. Meanwhile, the Google Pixel borrows many design elements from Apple’s 2014 iPhone design and nobody bats an eye.

It strikes me as odd that in 2016, an iPhone and an Android phone can look extremely similar and evoke completely opposite sentiments from reviewers. The Google Pixel by and large looks like an iPhone but some reviews viewed this as a positive because it was “familiar.”  Meanwhile, if Apple doesn’t introduce a groundbreaking new iPhone design every year, it’s a sign that there’s trouble in Cupertino.

Microsoft rescues disheveled lady Skypers with its TeleBeauty virtual makeup app

I hate to say it, but this sounds like the solution a man would come up with to solve the problem of makeup: a new Skype overlay applies “virtual makeup” to women conducting Microsoft Skype calls.

Microsoft Japan, in conjunction with cosmetics supplier Shiseido, has developed TeleBeauty, an app that applies virtual makeup—with styles ranging from “cool” to “trendy”—over a face. TeleBeauty uses the laptop’s camera to superimpose the makeup scheme as the woman (or a man, though the app seems aimed at women) conducts a Skype for Business call. 

Nintendo Switches It Up

After months of speculation and buildup, Nintendo on Thursday officially unveiled its new gaming system, the Nintendo Switch. Previously known only by the codename "NX," rumors about this latest video game console began last year with a hint from Satoru Iwata, the company's late president.

At the time Iwata suggested only that Nintendo was working on a new video game system, and few details have leaked since then.

The Switch is Nintendo's first home gaming system since it launched the Wii U in 2012. That system is widely regarded as a disappointment -- Nintendo has sold just under 62 million units worldwide. That compares to the sale of more than 101 million units of its predecessor, the Nintendo Wii, since its release in 2006.

The Switch is not Nintendo's first comeback effort, however. Wii sales were nearly five times greater than the number of Nintendo GameCube units sold since its release in 2001.

This time around the video game publisher/developer community already has thrown early support behind the new system. Nintendo has announced more than 40 third-party partners for the Switch, including notable publishers such as Activision, Bandai Namco, Electronic Arts, Take-two Interactive Software and Ubisoft.

Microsoft AI Beats Humans at Speech Recognition

Microsoft's Artificial Intelligence and Research Unit earlier this week reported that its speech recognition technology had surpassed the performance of human transcriptionists.

The team last month published a paper describing its system's accuracy, said to be superior to that of IBM's famed Watson artificial intelligence.

The error rate for humans on the widely used NIST 2000 test set is 5.9 percent for the Switchboard portion of the data, and 11.3 percent for the CallHome portion, the team said.

The team improved on the conversational recognition system that outperformed IBM's by about 0.4 percent, it reported.

That improvement is important, noted Anne Moxie, senior analyst at Nucleus Research.

While speech recognition provides an easier way for humans to interact with technology, "it won't see adoption until it has extremely low error rates,".

Google, IBM and Microsoft are among the companies working on speech recognition systems, but Microsoft is the closest to overcoming the error rate issue, Moxie said. "Therefore, its technology's the most likely to see adoption."