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Users lash out against Turkish government's block on Twitter

Update: Turkish President Abdullah Gul has tweeted to denounce the government’s ban on Twitter, joining thousands of other Turkish citizens in protest, which have now well and truly taken over Twitter.



Ever since allegations of corruption in the Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan-led Turkey government creeped up on Twitter, the country has been in a bit of a turmoil, especially given that elections were around the corner. There has been a lot of brouhaha after the PM decided to publicly voice his dislike of the micro-blogging social network.



Then today, a Turkish court ordered that access to Twitter be blocked in the country, after Erdogan threatened to wipe-out the service in an election rally. Erdogan has been in the centre of a string of corruption allegations, that along with a sex scandal and accusations of clamping down on media, have rocked Turkey. Twitter was the primary source of these revelations as two supposedly whistleblower accounts started leaking videos, photos and documents against the current government and many high-level politicians. The Turkish government claims that despite repeated requests, Twitter refused to take down links which were deemed objectionable. So the court issues a ban.



But despite the block, those involved in the leaks say they are not about to stop releasing more information. This morning, Haramzadeler333, who has been one of the main sources for the leaks, published all the documents in a Google Drive folder, anticipating the ban. The folder includes transcripts, videos and images that supposedly reveal the corruption in the government. The user has also posted videos on YouTube, as well as used other file-hosting services to keep the documents alive.




Secondly, even as the ban takes effect, Twitter has asked those from Turkey to rely on SMS-based tweeting to keep the world informed about developments.Thousands of Turkish citizens are tweeting in protest. Many have resorted to using the SMS service, which allows them to tweet with just a simple text message to a phone number.


A lot of on-ground activity has also been seen so those in the country can avert the block, such as the below graffiti that shows users how to access Twitter using the Google Public DNS. So it’s not like one cannot use Twitter at all in the country.


Turkey’s Information Technology and Telecommunications Board said the service had to be blocked after “complaints from our citizens” about violations of rights and privacy. “Twitter has ignored decisions made by the courts of the Republic of Turkey,” the board said in a statement on its website. “Left with no other choice to prevent the incompensable victimization of our citizens, a preventive measure blocking access to Twitter has been imposed in line with court decisions.”



The news comes on a day when Twitter is celebrating its eighth anniversary. While it has memorialised your first tweet, for many Turkish Twitter users, the anniversary would be a starkly different reminder.
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Google turns on HTTPS for all Gmail messages

After Edward Snowden revealed the massive scaled of the NSA secret surveillance programmes, many tech companies were said to have helped the security agency with their spying. However, soon there were to be denials and outrage.



Remember Google employees and bigwigs lashing out against the NSA and its allies after it was revealed that they can secretly access all your Gmail communication? Google had vowed to fight back by making Gmail use an encrypted HTTPS connection in the future. Starting today, Google has flicked the switch on to make the move final.



“Your email is important to you, and making sure it stays safe and always available is important to us. As you go about your day reading, writing, and checking messages, there are tons of security measures running behind the scenes to keep your email safe, secure, and there whenever you need it,” Nicolas Lidzborski, Gmail Security Engineering Lead, wrote in a blog post on the official Gmail blog.



It must be noted that HTTPS is not a new technology for Gmail and has existed since its launch. In 2010, Google made HTTPS default, but users could still opt to communicate over insecure lines. But now that’s no longer an option. “Today’s change means that no one can listen in on your messages as they go back and forth between you and Gmail’s servers—no matter if you’re using public WiFi or logging in from your computer, phone or tablet.”



Having said that all’s not well just yet. If, for example, you have a lot of communication with non-Gmail users, there’s no guarantee that your emails to them will be encrypted too. It’s still wiser to use an encryption service for your emails as that’s far more effective. And even if Google says all emails on their servers and in their data centres are encrypted, that doesn’t mean they cannot be intercepted in the middle through different means such as tapping into undersea cables, which the NSA has been known to have used from time to time, as an earlier report points out. All this means is that your Gmail is a little more secure than it was before.



Google also taken additional steps to ensure greater transparency in the light of accusations of scanning through your inbox for purposes other than tailored ads. Now emails will be encrypted even while moving internally within Google’s data centres. “This ensures that your messages are safe not only when they move between you and Gmail’s servers, but also as they move between Google’s data centers—something we made a top priority after last summer’s revelations.”



Lidzborski is referring to the revelations made by Edward Snowden last year, which shone the light on a number of US government secret surveillance programmes. NSA and its allies reportedly had access to all of Google’s servers, but the company has maintained that it has never colluded with authorities for mass surveillance programmes and only hands over data after court orders. At TED 2014, Google co-founder Larry Page railed against the NSA tactics and called their methods a threat to democracy. The company is one of the many tech giants who have teamed up to force the US government make reforms in how the NSA obtains data.
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New Update is here

Motorola has tried to offer as pure Google Android experience as possible, ever since it was acquired by Google. However, it does have a bunch of software add-ons that hope to improve the stock experience, such as in terms of Voiceless Control or quick camera access. Motorola has rolled out a new update to the Motorola Camera app that allows users to click photos using volume keys.



Michelle Gattuso of Motorola revealed in a Google+ post, “In addition to touch anywhere on screen, now you can also take photos using the volume keys.” The new version 3.2.14.4 has been pushed out for Motorola Camera on the Moto X and Moto G as well.



The ability to take pictures using volume keys is also made available for headsets attached to your smartphones. However, the updated application will be compatible only for devices running Android 4.2.2 KitKat. One can also expect some bug fixes with the new update. The Motorola Camera app is compatible with only select devices. Those who have the app can get the update here.



Recently we also got a glimpse of Motorola’s first smartwatch that runs Android Wear, Google’s new OS designed for smartwatches. It hosted a live Hangout session for the Moto 360 smartwatch.
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Fewer headaches now

It was the first iPhone to bring the now-familiar industrial design to the fore, so there’s a bit of ‘technoholic’ nostalgia for the iPhone 4 in our minds. But with iOS 7, that was replaced with mockery and complaints as the phone refused to function as an Apple device is expected to. So we were really eager to see how Apple would fix the major bugs with the iOS 7.1 update and looks like the Cupertino company has delivered.



According to Ars Technica’s review, there are slight improvements in application loading times, while some animations have been trimmed to enhance performance. The website said that Apple has revitalised the iPhone 4 and worked its magic once more when it comes to hardware and software optimisation.



But we decided to wait on delivering a verdict before we could see how things are first-hand. Firstpost’s Arun George has been struggling with an iPhone 4 running iOS 7 since the update came out, but is looking a bit more chipper since the 7.1 update hit his phone. Here’s his account:




It was difficult to avoid the temptation of iOS 7 despite being advised against it. An iPhone 4 was never the ideal device to receive the update to iOS 7, and complaints began hitting the web about how some units had begun to malfunction after the update. I ignored every one of them to get the new operating system and apart from giving the phone a new appearance, it did little beyond slowing it down.



Applications slowed, and in some cases even crashed. Switching between applications became a task and opening an application often took its own sweet time. Subsequent updates didn’t help either. Until yesterday, when I downloaded the iOS 7.1 update.



There are visible improvements now in the speed of the phone. Applications open faster, shut faster and so far I haven’t experienced any time lag in switching between two of them. The phone screen which had been rather unresponsive since I upgraded to iOS 7, is now working like it did before I downloaded the latest version of iOS.



But the biggest difference for me is in the operation of games. FIFA 14, which often slowed down and hung, is now functioning smoothly. For the first time since I downloaded iOS7, I could play a game without it slowing down, hanging or crashing.



So it looks like Apple has managed to make the iPhone 4 a little more appealing to those who were looking to buy one, but were afraid of the bad user experience. Of course, with Apple typically having supporting devices for three years, the iPhone 4 will in all likelihood not see the next version of the OS.
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Representational Image

Unidentified hackers brought down several public Nato websites with cyber attacks on Saturday, the alliance said, in what appeared the latest escalation in cyberspace over growing tensions over Crimea.

A group calling itself “cyber berkut” said the attack had been carried out by patriotic Ukrainians angry over what they saw as Nato interference in their country.

The claim, made at www.cyber-berkut.org, could not immediately be independently verified. Cyber berkut is a reference to the feared and since disbanded riot squads used by the government of ousted pro-Russian Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich.

As well as the main Nato website www.NATO.int, the website of a Nato-affiliated cyber security centre in Estonia was also affected. The alliance said none of its essential systems were compromised.

Occupied by Russian forces for over a week, the largely Russian-speaking Crimea holds a referendum on seceding from Ukraine to join Russia on Sunday. Nato states have opposed the move, calling it unconstitutional and effectively an annexation of Ukraine’s sovereign territory.

Nato spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said the websites had been taken down by distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.

“Our experts working to restore normal function,” she said via the social networking site Twitter. “No operational impact… The attack hasn’t affected the integrity of Nato systems.”

She made no comment on where the attack might have originated.

John Bumgarner, chief technology officer at the US Cyber Consequences Unit, a non-profit research institute, said initial evidence strongly suggested that these cyber attacks were launched by pro-Russian sympathizers.

“One could equate these cyber attacks against Nato as kicking sand into one’s face,” he said.

Tensions between Moscow and the West have been rising steadily since Russia intervened following the ouster of Yanukovich. Ukrainian and Russian websites have both been targets for cyber attacks in recent weeks but this appeared the first major attack on a Western website since the crisis began.

Suspected Russian hackers used DDoS attacks to cripple websites and services in Estonia in 2007 during a dispute over a war memorial and against Georgia during its brief 2008 war with Russia. Moscow denied orchestrating such attacks, saying they were simply carried out by independent patriots.

Apparent Ukrainian groups calling themselves “cyber berkut” have attacked several Ukrainian websites in recent weeks, computer security experts say. It was not immediately clear if the attack on NATO was genuinely conducted by the same group.

The group – which some experts believe may be affiliated with Russian intelligence – published its statement in Russian rather than Ukrainian.
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Facebook logo is seen in this file photo.

Facebook Inc will allow more marketers to run video advertisements on its website, provided the world’s No 1 social network deem them to be of high-enough quality.


Facebook and social media rivals like Twitter are increasingly trying to grab a slice of lucrative TV-marketing budgets as they try to sustain rapid growth. That market is considered crucial to supporting Facebook’s growing market valuation and poses a potential long-term threat to traditional TV networks.


Facebook has moved cautiously to avoid annoying users. Social media players like Twitter are typically careful not to clutter up their users’ pages with unwanted material.


The 15-second video ads, which appear in newsfeeds and will play automatically with sound muted, will become available to a limited number of marketers over the next few months, Facebook said on its official blog on Thursday. It first tested video ads with a single advertiser in December. Facebook said that video ads will be available to a “a select group of advertisers,” without details.


The price that marketers pay to run a video ad on Facebook will be determined by the size of the audience as measured by measurement firm Nielsen, Facebook added. Marketers will be able to choose specific times of day for their spots and will be able to target ads according to age and gender.


However, Facebook said it would review the creative quality of any video spots that appear on its website, assessing ads for criteria such as watchability, meaningfulness and “emotional resonance.” Such reviews will be done in partnership with video analytics firm Ace Metrix. “We’re taking this step in order to maintain high-quality ads on Facebook and to help advertisers understand what’s working to maximize their return on investment,” Facebook said in the post.
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Loophole discovered

Thought your WhatsApp messages cannot be accessed remotely? Think again as one security expert has discovered a way to read WhatsApp messages off Android devices.



Security consultant Bas Bosschert said that it was possible for others to access users’ private WhatsApp chats through downloaded Android apps. Bosschert insists his method works even on the latest WhatsApp update for Android which adds privacy settings. However, as he says it’s only possible when WhatsApp is backing up your messages to the SD card. If you have turned off message backup during the initial setup, then your messages are safe. But if you have turned on backups, the easiest way to prevent this attack is doing a clean install of WhatsApp and turning off backup when prompted during the setup.



Bosschert published a proof of concept on his blog and explained the workings in detail. Although there are a lot of technical details, the gist is that it takes basic app-development skills to create an app that could steal your WhatsApp messages. This is possible because WhatsApp stores backed-up messages on your Android phone’s SD card and any app that gains permission to read your SD card could technically siphon off this backup without you knowing.



Despite WhatsApp using encryption to secure the message database, it’s possible to extract messages using easily-available online tools. After getting hold of your messages, the attacker could use a tool called WhatsApp Xtract to decrypt the same and easily read the messages.



“The WhatsAppp database is a SQLite3 database which can be converted to Excel for easier access. Lately WhatsApp is using encryption to encrypt the database, so it can no longer be opened by SQLite. But we can simply decrypt this database using a simple python script. This script converts the crypted database to a plain SQLite3 database,” he said.
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iPhone 6 coming this year?

Mobile component maker Foxconn today said it expects to manufacture 90 million units of the sixth version of Apple’s iconic iPhone this year.


The California-headquartered firm is yet to announce the launch of iPhone 6. However, analysts suggest the smartphone could be launched in fall (Autumn) this year, which is usually the time when Apple unveils its handset offerings.


“Foxconn is expecting to manufacture 90 million units of the iPhone 6 from Apple in 2014. These orders are expected to land across the year,” Taiwan-based Foxconn said.


The growth rate of global smartphone shipments are expected to land at 28 per cent in 2014 as compared to 40 per cent in 2013, it added.


Sales of smartphones in mature markets are likely to edge up only 4 per cent, down from 5 per cent a year ago, it said.


“Foxconn is expected to post an EPS of New Taiwan Dollar 9.29 (USD 0.31) in 2014 and New Taiwan Dollar 10.26 in 2015,” the firm added.


According to research firm IDC, Apple will release a large-screen version in 2014, but will not altogether abandon the smaller 4-inch screen version of previous models.


The research firm said iOS operating system posted its lowest positive growth for the quarter (Oct-Dec 2013) at 6.7 per cent and for the year at 12.9 per cent, under performing the overall market in both instances.


In calendar year 2013, Apple sold 793.6 million units of its smartphone operating system (iOS) against 500.1 million in 2012.


Shipments of iOS-enabled smartphones stood at 51 million units in October-December last year from 47.8 million in the year-ago period.


In 2012, Apple’s smartphone operating system shipments rose by 46 per cent to 135.9 million units against 93.1 million units in 2011. For Q4 2012, shipments rose by 29.2 per cent to 47.8 million units against 37 million in the same period of 2011.


According to research firm Canalys, iOS shipments in 2011 rose by 96 per cent to 93.1 million units compared to 2010.
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Moto X is the next Flipkart exclusive, but no Moto Maker for India
Indian retailer Flipkart has snagged yet another exclusive deal with Motorola. The retailer tweeted saying the Moto X is coming soon, along with a map that shows India with a very obvious X in the middle. Flipkart will have exclusive rights to sell the Moto X in India, just like the Moto G.

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X marks the spot



While Flipkart didn’t announce a launch date, it looks like more than just the black and white versions of the phone will be launched in India. Responding to a query about the wooden back Moto X, Flipkart said two such variants – teak and walnut – will be available. The disappointing news is that Moto Maker tool will not be making an appearance in India. In any case, we should expect five colour options and the two wood variants at launch.



The Moto X exclusive follows the highly successful launch campaign for the Moto G, which was Motorola’s best launch in any country. With stock running out within hours of the launch, it’s clear that there’s a great demand for Motorola’s new phones. A lot of the excitement around the Moto G launch was due to the attractive pricing, but the Moto X is undoubtedly a more premium device, with a larger display, more powerful internals and a better-spec’d camera. And it also has a few software tricks up its sleeve, that are not found on the Moto G.



Internationally, the Moto X is currently retailing for just under $400, so one can expect a pricing of over Rs 25,000. While not the same as the Moto G, the Moto X does have a bunch of cool features that justify the price. Now let’s hope the developer edition with 32GB memory and the unlocked bootloader also makes it to India.

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Facebook Pages for Desktop has been redesigned.

Facebook will begin rolling out a new feature for Pages on desktop to make it easier for people to get the information they want. The new design with a single tile will display on the timeline posts of the Page on the right-side column.



The new design goes for a clutter-free look for Pages. According to Facebook, “this one-column display means that all of your posts will appear consistently on your Page and in News Feed.”



The left-side column of the Page timeline will feature information about the business, including a map, hours of business, phone number and website URL, as well as photos and videos.



Another new feature that has been added to Pages on the Web version is Pages to Watch. This will be visible to Page Insights tool to all admins. It allows admins to create a list of Pages similar to their own and compare the performance of their Page with that of the businesses they care about.



On the “Overview” tab of Page Insights admins will see some key stats about the Pages they are watching. The “Posts” tab of Page Insights includes a feature to view the past week’s most engaging posts from the Pages they are looking at. This feature should give Page managers a good sense of the what the competition looks like at least on Facebook.



Page managers can also view information about the ads they are running and new likes their your Page, as well unread notifications and messages. They will have to click on any section in the This Week section for more details. The Build Audience menu at the top of the Page offers direct access to the Ads Manager account.
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Massive update for WhatsApp on Android

Remember the experimental version of WhatsApp for Android that allowed users to change their privacy settings? Well it’s gone live today and that’s not the only surprise awaiting you, when you open the new WhatsApp for Android.


WhatsApp’s Android users can now turn off the ‘Last seen at’ feature, change who sees their profile picture and status updates. Users can also switch between visible and invisible statuses freely, without having to wait like on iOS.


In addition, WhatsApp finally has a homescreen widget. The widget, which spans all columns of the screen but only takes up two rows in the default mode, can be resized if that’s allowed by your launcher. It will display the unread messages in your WhatsApp inbox, but not the last read message, which might be a bit of a downer for those who prefer to read now, but reply later. Of course you can dismiss the notification from the status bar, and leave messages unread so they will still remain on the widget. The widget is only available on phones running Android 3.0 and above.



Hindi speakers in India will be glad to know that WhatsApp now officially supports Hindi as a language for the UI. To activate this, the default language on your Android phone has to Hindi, which automatically starts WhatsApp in that language. This support is only present on devices running Android 4.1 and above.



Another great feature is the quick camera access, which is like a widget on your homescreen. Press the icon and you are taken into the camera app and after clicking you can immediately send the picture to a WhatsApp contact or group. This is really handy and much faster than opening the app and getting to the camera from within a conversation.



Now you can pay for a friend or family member’s WhatsApp usage through the in-built payment tool. Video thumbnails within the chat are displayed bigger, while voice note recording has been fixed for some new phones. WhatsApp has also added support to share or save a contact’s profile picture or the group chat icon.



We’ll be going over these changes in detail, but for now you can check out the new version of WhatsApp, available on the Play Store.
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How Facebook plans to use WhatsApp's data

Privacy advocates have asked US regulators to halt Facebook Inc’s $19 billion acquisition of messaging service WhatsApp until there is a clearer understanding of how the company intends to use the personal data of WhatsApp’s 450 million users.


WhatsApp, a service that allows mobile phone users to send each other messages, has had a longstanding commitment to not collect user data for advertising purposes.


But there’s no guarantee that that commitment will hold true once the service becomes part of Facebook, according to the filing to the Federal Trade Commission by the Electronic Privacy Information Center and the Center for Digital Democracy, both non-profit groups.


The complaint asks regulators to investigate the deal “specifically with regard to the ability of Facebook to access WhatsApp’s store of user mobile phone numbers and metadata.”


Facebook, the world’s No.1 social network with 1.2 billion users, generates the majority of its revenue by showing ads that target users by age, gender and other traits.


“As we have said repeatedly, Whatsapp will operate as a separate company and will honor its commitments to privacy and security,” Facebook said in a statement in response to the filing. The FTC declined to comment.


Facebook stunned the technology industry last month when it announced its intention to buy the five-year old WhatsApp for $19 billion in cash and stock. WhatsApp does not show ads on its service, charging some of its users a $1 annual fee to use the service.


WhatsApp stores users’ mobile phone numbers, but unlike many online services, it does not collect user names, emails, and other contact information.


Despite assurances by WhatsApp and Facebook that the privacy policies will not change, the groups that wrote the FTC filing note that Facebook has in the past amended an acquired-company’s privacy policies, such as the Instagram photo-sharing service that Facebook acquired in 2012.


Regulators must require that Facebook “insulate” WhatsApp user information from access by Facebook’s data collection practices, reads the complaint.


“WhatsApp users could not reasonably have anticipated that by selecting a pro-privacy messaging service, they would subject their data to Facebook’s data collection practices,” reads the filing.
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Samsung's music streaming service is here

Samsung has unveiled a new free music service for its phones that it touts as a significant improvement from the apps already on the market.


The South Korean gadget maker’s Milk Music service, which launched in the US on Friday, includes over 200 stations and 13 million songs. It’s designed to be extremely fast, easy to use and highly customizable.


But the new service enters an already crowded space. There are numerous streaming music services, including Pandora, Spotify and Apple Inc.’s iTunes Radio.


“We feel that while the music space is very competitive there is room for improvement,” said Daren Tsui, vice president of music at Samsung Media Solutions.


Samsung’s app features a large wheel reminiscent of an old-fashioned radio tuner. Users can spin through various genres of music to find something they like. Favorite stations can be added to a “My Stations” section, while individual songs can be tagged as favorites or put on a list never to be played.


Milk is powered by Slacker, which operates its own streaming music service. But unlike Slacker, Milk is ad-free at no cost. While Slacker does offer a basic service for free, it charges users $4 a month to remove advertising.


U.S. users can now download the Milk app from Google Play. It works on most of Samsung’s Galaxy line of phones, but isn’t compatible with devices made by other companies.
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Google working on fix for Nexus 5 battery drain

Google has acknowledged the battery drain issue in the Nexus 5 and is about to release a fix for it soon. The company claims the drain is due to high CPU usage of the ‘mm-qcamera-daemon’ process, which allows other apps to access the camera of the phone.



Once started, the process remains in the background, even if the app has been closed, thus consuming more power than it would otherwise. The Android Open Source Project (AOSP) code discussion is buzzing with complaints about the issue. “Issue 60058: mm-qcamera-daemon cpu usage” has quite a lot of posts from developers and users who have faced the battery drain and there are quite a few solutions too, though we cannot vouch for how well they will work on all devices.



Explaining the issue, AOSP member Eino-Ville Talvala said, “We believe we have fixes for the current high CPU reports on N5 (Nexus 5) due to mm-qcamera-daemon, and they will be included in the next maintenance update.”



While there’s no estimate for when the fix will arrive, Talvala said that until it arrives “rebooting the phone is the only way to stop the high CPU usage/lack of camera function once it starts.” He also touched upon the latest update for the Skype app, which seems to have exacerbated the issue. While Talvala says that Skype itself has no bug, the app seems to “access the camera regularly from its background service in some way that triggers this bug”



“Other camera-using applications may trigger this bug as well, but that’s been relatively rare. Most applications also do not access the camera when not in the foreground, so they will only trigger issues when actively used,” he added.



Some users were complaining of this issue even when using other phones that have Qualcomm processors. For this Talvala said, “Instances of high CPU use of mm-qcamera-daemon on other devices besides the N5 (Nexus 5) need to be reported to their manufacturers. While those devices also use a Qualcomm chip for their camera processing (and thus have a mm-qcamera-daemon process), each has differences in their software and issues with them do not necessarily mean the N5 has the same problem, and vice versa.”



Hopefully, all manufacturers will take note of Google’s word and roll out a fix for the issue as soon as it’s added by Google.
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Azoi, a US-based company, has launched a health monitoring device embedded within a phone case dubbed Wello for the Indian market. It helps users to measure and record their vitals by conveniently sliding onto a smartphone disguised as an iPhone case. Priced at Rs 12,350, Wello is now available for pre-order online on Azoi’s website. The company will start shipping the device in summer 2014. As a referal program, every purchaser will get a unique URL to share, and when a Wello is ordered using that URL the user will get a $10 credit.

Disguised as an iPhone cover

Packed with sensors, Wello fits onto the smartphone and measures a number of key vitals including heart rate, temperature, blood pressure, electrocardiography (ECG), blood oxygenation, lung functions and more. Users simply need to hold it for a few moments while hidden sensors take measurements and pass on gathered information to the Wello companion app. It shows instantaneous results and key data about your health.



Wello also connects with other health and fitness devices such as pedometers and sleep trackers to help identify how different behaviours can affect one’s physical state. Moreover, it promises safe and secure remote access and can be used to track the key vitals of family members too.


“Over the last two years, we have focused our efforts on coming up with a technologically advanced yet easy-to-use tool to help you monitor health and facilitate better lifestyle choices,” said Hamish Patel, Founder and CEO at Azoi Inc. 

We are proud to introduce Wello – a not so small engineering feat in microelectronics, nano sensors, imaging, data analytics and design, that we hope will make a big difference in helping the world become a healthier place. We have effectively put health monitoring equipment, typically in large form factors, into a highly convenient and accessible mobile case,” he added.
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The P31 is the first to have Panasonic's Play Life UI


Panasonic has launched a mid-range smartphone that hopes to capitalise on a bunch of software features to carve out some success in the Indian market. The Panasonic P31 will be available for a market operating price of for Rs 11,990 from the second week of March.



The company had been heavily teasing the P31 in the run-up to the launch, with each teaser focussing on a particular software feature. Panasonic P31 has a 5-inch display with a disappointing FWVGA resolution (480×854 pixels). We would have hoped for at least a qHD display at this size, but hopefully Panasonic has calibrated the display well enough to eliminate pixilation. The display has an oleophobic coating to prevent oil smudges.



While the phone itself looks rather generic, Panasonic says it has used a Heat-Sink design which lets the phone remain cool even when the CPU is running at full tilt. The glossy white body does not fill us with confidence about how well you can grip it, though; there’s also a ‘Bluish-Black’ model.



There’s a quad-core 1.3GHz processor under the hood, but Panasonic has not mentioned who the chipset maker is. It’s likely to be a MediaTek chipset. Like most low-cost phones released in India these days, the P31 runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, in an age of Android KitKat. There’s an 8MP camera on the back with an LED flash, capable of recording full HD videos, and there’s a VGA camera on the front. The 2000mAh battery should ideally last the whole day considering the low-res display. Rated battery life is 13 hours (2G) and 9 hours (3G) of talk time and a standby time of 650 hours (2G) and 600 hours (3G).



The dual-SIM phone has support for Quad band GSM, HSPA+, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n for cellular and data connectivity, and also sports Bluetooth 4.0, FM radio with RDS, GPS with A-GPS support.



Panasonic has turned the attention from the hardware to software with the P31. It is the first phone to feature the company’s “Play Life” UI with four core features. With Gesture Play, users can draw to unlock the phone and even get to specific apps by using pre-assigned gestures . Pop-I Player lets you watch a video over any other screen, just like Samsung, LG and Micromax phones. A Music Café app helps in library management and adds additional audio tweaks, while Ultimate Saver helps you manage your battery use and can be tweaked to prolong battery life in emergencies.
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Apple's patents aren't really special

A US judge on denied Apple’s request to permanently ban Samsung from selling 23 older-model smartphones and tablets that a jury found infringed on patents held by the maker of iPhones and iPads.



Judge Lucy Koh said Apple Inc. failed to prove that the South Korean company’s patent infringement caused irreparable harm to Apple sales.
The ruling puts an end to Apple’s efforts that began in 2011 asking that a court move to strike down the import and sale of devices in the US which had been found to have infringed Apple’s own patents in terms of design and operation of handhelds, which includes the Galaxy s2 and Tab 10.



“Based on the totality of all the evidence, the Court finds that Apple has not shown the combined effect of the three patented features drive consumer demand,” Judge Koh said in her decision.



The court concludes that Apple has not met its burden of proof to warrant an injunction,” Koh concluded. “Most significant is Apple’s failure to prove a casual nexus between Samsung’s infringement on Apple’s patents and Apple’s irreparable harm.”



The ruling came as the world’s two biggest smartphone makers prepare to go to court again later this month — this time over Apple’s allegations that Samsung’s newest devices, such as its Galaxy S III, also copied Apple technology.



The ruling Thursday stemmed from a 2012 verdict in which a jury agreed with Apple that Samsung had infringed touchscreen features.



However, Koh on Thursday denied Apple’s request for a permanent injunction to stop Samsung from selling the products, saying she was not convinced those features drove consumer demand.



Apple has argued in courts, government tribunals and regulatory agencies around the world that Samsung’s Android-based phones copy vital iPhone features. Samsung has fought back with its own complaints that some key Apple patents are invalid and that Apple has copied Samsung’s technology.



In November, a Silicon Valley jury added $290 million to damages awarded to Apple in connection with the 2012 jury verdict, bringing to $930 million the total amount owed by Samsung.
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The whopping $19 billion that Facebook is paying for the service is also unusual


Marking one of the biggest acquisitions so far, Facebook acquired WhatsApp for a whopping $19 billion last month. While we’ve been hearing the rags to riches tales around its creators Jan Koum and Brian Acton, here’s yet another feather in their cap. The duo has now secured a place in Forbes’ list of imminent billionaires.



While 38-year-old Koum takes the 202nd rank in the Forbes list, 42-year-old Acton takes the 551st spot. According to Forbes’ estimate, Koum holds about 45 percent stake in the company, while his co-founder Brian Acton’s stake is estimated at over 20 percent. That makes Koum worth $6.8 billion and Acton worth not less than $3 billion.



The duo are also known for their transformation from strugglers to billionaires. “37-year-old Jan Koum, born in the Ukraine, went to the US when he was 16-years-old. His family struggled living on food stamps, venture capitalist Jim Goetz revealed had said in a blog post. His house had no electricity or hot water. In fact, Koum’s family picked up their food stamps only a couple of blocks away from WhatsApp’s offices in Mountain View, California, said earlier report by Wired’s David Rowan.



Acton’s story shows us that persevering in spite of rejection worked miracles for him. In 2009, Facebook turned Acton down for a job. But Facebook wasn’t the only one to miss a golden opportunity, as Acton, who formerly worked at Yahoo, also appears to have been rejected by Twitter in 2009. Five years later, here they are.



In 2009, amidst the aftermath of the financial crisis, Koum and Brian Acton, longtime Yahoo employees, went on to create a messaging service that they hoped would become the biggest cross-platform in the world. Koum reportedly came up with the idea for his company in 2009 after his gym banned the use of cell phones.



Both are among the 26 new comers to join the list that also includes $3 billion worth Twitter’s Evan Williams. Bill Gates takes the top spot with a fortune worth $76 billion, but Facebook’s founder Mark Zuckerberg is said to have most money in the past year. The list also includes 42 women billionaires.

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Canvas Knight look sleek, but too much like the iPhone
Micromax has launched its first octa-core smartphone, the Canvas Knight A350. The new flagship will be available from today at a price of Rs 19,999 and in three colours – black, white and gold, and black and gold. It’s said to sport a full aluminium body, and rather looks like a bigger iPhone. At the moment, only the full black version is available on the official site.


The Canvas Knight is the first phone from the company to have a MediaTek MT6592T 2GHz octa-core processor, ARM Mali450 GPU and comes packing 2GB of RAM. On the front is a 5-inch display with full HD resolution, manufactured by SHARP. Pixel density comes up to around 443 PPI.


That’s not all. Micromax has also made sure the camera specs are top-notch. There’s a 16MP rear camera paired with OmniVision’s CameraChip sensor and a new generation M8 Largan Lens. This allows 1080p video recording at 30 frames per second. You can control the camera using your voice. The OmniVision CameraChip sensors enables HD burst mode. The Canvas Knight comes with the unique ‘Camerazzi’ app that offers a host features such as 360 Degree Panorama, Cinemagraph and Object Eraser.

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Of course, the Canvas Knight has a gold variant



Other specs include a Yamaha Amplifier for supposedly improved audio output, a large 2350 mAh battery and 32GB internal storage. Like most of Micromax’s recent releases, this one too runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, which is a shame given that it’s more than capable of running Android 4.4 KitKat. In terms of connectivity, one will find Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi and 3G cellular data.


You will find the likes of BBM, Hike, Spuul. Kingsoft Office pre-loaded on the phone. In addition, Micromax will bundle in M!Security anti-theft and anti-virus app, M!Live portal to download unlimited games, videos, wallpapers, music, etc and Opera Mini browser for data-compressed net surfing. You will also find Truecaller, GetIt, M!Vault pre-installed along with games such as RealSteel WRB, Where’s My Perry and Where’s My Water.
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Google has finally launched indoor maps for India. So now users can virtually browse through and locate specific locations inside venues like malls and museums. The service, available as part of Google Maps, is already available in countries like the US, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and the Netherlands.

Using indoor maps, users will find it easy to locate stores, especially in an unfamiliar shopping mall or when they plan a visit to a museum like Salar Jung in Hyderabad. With Indoor Google Maps in India, people can access detailed floor plans for 75 popular indoor venues with a few easy swipes,” Google India Director and Product Manager (Maps) Suren Ruhela told.



The service will be available free to Android and iOS users, he added.


Some of the major locations include popular shopping destinations such as Ambience Mall in Gurgaon and Select City Walk in Delhi. “To date, we’ve worked with 75 partners across 22 cities in India to bring indoor maps,” Ruhela said, adding that the list will be expanded in the coming days. Apart from the metros, indoor maps will cover locations in cities like Bhopal, Coimbatore, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Jaipur, Kochi, Lucknow, Ludhiana and Moradabad.


Besides malls, indoor maps will be available for the National Gallery Of Modern Art in Delhi, Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad and the Hyderabad International Convention Centre, the largest of its kind in the country.