Xiaomi Now Targets Laptops

 The leaked specs allegedly reveal that it would have an Intel Haswell i7-4500u processor with 2 x 8GB dual channel memory. Further, it would have a large 15-inch 1080p display up front and would run on a linux OS customized by Xiaomi. Additionally, it is expected to be priced at approximately $480 (Rs. 30,000).

 If these specs are anything close to reality, then this seems to be a device worth every Dollar, Yuan or Rupee spent on it; which would make the Chinese a superpower in the Laptop category as well.

 In the past, Xiaomi has been quite successful in selling their devices in India through flash sales via Flipkart. Rumours also surround the market that Xiaomi is working on a dual edge smartphone known as the Xiaomi Arch, a device in direct competition with the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge.

 Unfortunately nothing has been officially declared by Xiaomi regarding the Notebook and the fans would have to wait a while before the company announces the same. This device, if and when released, could be a game changer destroying many domestic companies which are presently enjoying the benefit of the lower and middle-end consumers.

[Via]

New Browser For Windows 10

 If there is one internet browser that has gathered immense online infamy, it’s the Internet Explorer (IE). As one of the oldest browsers, it helped Microsoft win the browser game as it was provided for free with its Windows OS. It’s competitors, like Netscape Navigator couldn’t compete, because of the massive reach of Windows. But lately with the emergence of browsers like Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome, the Internet Explorer has taken a back seat. However, Microsoft hasn’t lost out of hope with one of its oldest product yet. It is planning to create a whole new browser for the upcoming Windows 10 operating system.

 According to ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley, The project is apparently code-named “Spartan”. Microsoft’s top competition Apple introduced multiple features in this year’s version of its browser Safari. With the Spartan, Microsoft hopes to create a light-weight browsing experience similar to that on Firefox and Chrome. This browser will be available for both the desktop and the mobile versions.

 It is also being reported that Microsoft will ship Windows 10 with Internet Explorer 11 for the sake of backward compatibility. Microsoft wishes to reignite the browser wars that it started back in the 90’s. The winner in this battle would be the consumer who will get improved functionalities thanks to the fierce competition.

 Microsoft is going to hold a press event on January 21st where we will get to know more about the consumer aspects of the Windows 10. Maybe we’ll get to know more about Spartan too. The previews of Windows 10 have been appreciated and so we have some hopes with this new browser. Windows 10 is expected to come to the market by next September; only then we’ll finally know whether Microsoft’s Spartan forms a formidable opponent to the three ruling forces of the browser game.

[Via]

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella Meets PM Modi to Discuss the Digital India Project

 Narendra Modi has a long list of high-profile guests flying over to India to meet him. The recent addition to the list was Microsoft’s Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella.

 Nadella after meeting the PM at his office on Friday commented, “it’s always fantastic for me personally to be in India and the conversation I had with the minister was wide ranging,”

 Nadella is the third major tech executive to meet PM Modi, after Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg. While it is largely being dubbed as a personal visit for the India-born chief executive of the American software giant, he was also supposed to address Microsoft’s employees in India on Friday.

 Earlier in the day Nadella met PM Narendra Modi and communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. “I have an aspiration that in this mobile and cloud world, we can empower every individual citizen of India and every business organization and institution in India to be able to try with new technology. So, I am looking forward to be a part of both the Digital India and Make in India,” he said.

 One of the major highlight of this high-profile meeting was the talks between Nadella and telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad where he urged the telecom minister to allow Microsoft to pilot its ‘White-Fi’ technology to provide internet connectivity in remote villages in the country.

 Microsoft India, since last month, has been seeking approvals to deploy a project that will enable Internet connectivity using ‘White Space’ spectrum that is currently used for television transmission by Doordarshan. White space technology has previously been deployed in South Africa, Ghana, and the UK, although to this point, white space broadband hasn’t been deployed at a commercially meaningful scale.

 This was the second courtesy call of the Microsoft CEO to PM Narendra Modi. Nadella met the Prime Minister earlier during his first India visit after taking charge as boss of the top software company.

[image] [source]

Google fibre services in India soon

NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 24:  

Internet giant Google is in talks with the IT Ministry to roll out optical fibre-based broadband services as part of the Digital India programme. Google plans to roll out a fibre network in a small area as a showcase project.

According to top officials in the IT Ministry, the discussions are at an initial stage. “We are keen to partner a company like Google in furthering the Digital India plan. Modalities have to be worked out,” the official said. One of the issues being discussed is whether Google can be allowed to do the project without having to acquire a telecom licence.

Google has launched a similar programme in the US called Google Fiber where it provides broadband internet and television to a small area. The service was first introduced in Kansas City. In February 2014, Google announced that it had chosen another 34 cities as candidates for expansion.

When contacted, Google India spokesperson said that the company continuously engages with the Centre on various programmes. The spokesperson did not comment specifically on the fibre project. However, IT Ministry officials said that some experts from Google’s US operation are expected in India to evaluate the project.

In a 2012 blog post, Google had said that Google Fiber will offer a different experience from other internet and TV providers.

“Our internet is 100 times faster. Our TV has hundreds of channels in crystal clear HD. And we’re offering quality service plans that are affordable,” Google had said while launching in Kansas.

For players like Google, internet proliferation is key if it wants to reach the next billion consumers.

However the big challenge is that telecom companies are cash strapped to quickly roll out infrastructure that supports data services. In India, for example, most of the telecom operators are struggling under huge debt and high spectrum costs.

Therefore players such as Google and Facebook have been experimenting with balloons and solar-powered drones to address the need for cost-effective connectivity. The more people are connected on the Internet the more money can be made by selling advertisement space on websites and mobile portals.

This strategy fits in very well with the Indian Government’s agenda of taking internet and digital technologies to the masses.

[Source]

Samsung Finally Brings Out the Note Edge in India for Rs. 64,900

 Samsung has brought its edgy new device, the Note Edge to India. The company unveiled the device at the IFA Berlin earlier this year, alongside the Note 4. It was quite a surprise when it was launched as Samsung had done a good job at keeping it a secret. This is a unique device as it has a slightly curved screen on the side that acts a second display and which can be used for viewing notifications without unlocking the main display.

 The device carries pretty much the same specs as the Note 4. The device gets its processing might from a quad-core, 2.7 GHz Snapdragon 805 processor which is supported by 3GB RAM. It has 32 GB internal storage that is expandable up to 128 GB.

 Just like its un-curved sibling, the Note Edge also sports a Quad HD display. The 5.6 inch primary display is coupled with a curved display also known as the edge display. This display can be used to access frequently used apps, check alerts and notifications, news and more. This display stays on even when the main display is covered, so it’s convenient to catch on with the essentials without disturbing the main screen.

 The camera was one of the highlights of the Note 4, and it is true for the Note Edge as well. It carries almost all the features of the Note 4 including wide selfies and OIS. The main camera on the device is a 16 MP shooter that comes with optical image stabilization. The camera on the front has been designed keeping selfies in mind. It gives you the option to shoot 90-degree selfies and an option to take even wider 120-degree selfies by panning the device around.

 The S-pen, that separates the Note family from the rest of the smartphones in the market, is incorporated in this device too. Samsung has added improved functionalities to the S-pen this time around. You can use it like a mouse to click and drag multiple files, use smart select to combine multiple files together and it offers better handwriting recognition than previous generation S-pens.

 Samsung claims that the Note Edge has improved battery life. The device has a 3000 mAh battery which is 220 mAh less than the Note 4. Samsung claims that using its adaptive charging feature; the device charges 30% faster than conventional methods.

 The device is priced at Rs. 64,900 and will go on sale in January 2015. It will be available in ‘Charcoal Black’ and ‘Frost White’ color variants in the India.

Xiaomi’s Redmi Note to Go on Sale on 30th December

 Xiaomi returned back today with fresh stocks of the Redmi 1S, its blockbuster low-cost smartphone. The sale went on longer than the usual Xiaomi flash sales, but the company did end up selling all of its stock as usual. The company has now revealed the date of the flash sale of the Redmi Note.

 Xiaomi will hold a flash sale for the 4G variant of the Redmi Note 0n Tuesday 30th December at 2pm. The device has a price tag of Rs. 9,999. It is powered by a Snapdragon 400 processor clocked at 1.6 GHz. The 5.5-inch 720p HD display will also be appreciated by multimedia enthusiasts.

 A 3G variant was also launched by the company and it was priced at Rs. 8,999. This variant of the phone has been banned from sale by Delhi high court following an infringement accusation from Ericsson India.

 So if you want to enjoy the big screen goodness of the Redmi Note, make sure you register for the sale on Flipkart by the 29th of December.

Sony Teases the New Xperia Z4

 January is the month when CES, one of the biggest consumer electronics trade show comes to town. CES 2015 is just a few weeks away, but the buzz around it is already heating up in this excruciating winter. Sony has put its foot forward and posted a new video which might be a teaser for the upcoming Sony Xperia Z4.

 Sony hasn’t had a good time with the market in the past couple of years, and they have seen their profits shrink year by year. The company is in a major re-invention period, and it is currently focusing on bringing itself back to profitability even if that means losing 25-30% of their market share in the smartphone business.

 The video posted by the company is titled ” Welcome to the New World”. It shows a girl licking a lollipop that seems to signify that the device will run on Android Lollipop. There have also been rumours that the new flagship device from Sony will feature a Snapdragon 810 processor which would make it one of the first devices to feature this latest chipset. The company had previously launched the Xperia Z3 at IFA Berlin last September and keeping with its six months update schedule; the new flagship is ready for the world. The Xperia Z3 was appreciated for its design and features but was berated for being too pricey.