OnePlus One May Face Sales Ban in India

 After the dejection that set on Indian smartphone consumers after the ban on Xiaomi, a new development might infuriate them further. Micromax has filed an infringement complaint calling for a ban on sales of OnePlus devices as it now owns exclusive rights to sell Cyanogen devices in India. The fans of the flagship killer have waited for a long time to get their hands on the exclusive device, and this development might backfire on Micromax.

Micromax is going to launch its own brand of CyanogenMod powered devices called ‘YU’. The company states that it incurred massive costs to create an exclusive brand for selling Cyanogen powered devices in India. The devices are up for launch tomorrow, 18th of December.

According to Livemint, the complaint was registered at Delhi High court and Micromax secured a temporary injunction in the case. The court has ordered OnePlus to refrain from marketing, selling and shipping its popular handsets in India. But to give the Chinese company some relief, the judge allowed them to sell all the remaining stocks they have on hand. OnePlus began selling the handsets on 2nd of December.

OnePlus has a non-exclusive right to use CyanogenMod‘s trademark and software all across the world except China. While Micromax has an exclusive license for South Asia, this might become a major hindrance in the growth path of the OnePlus. The company had major plans for India, including bringing the next generation OnePlus Two in India, but it is yet to be seen what this development leads to. OnePlus also informed the court that Cyanogen intimated them about the exclusive agreement with Micromax just a fortnight before its India launch. The court told OnePlus that it could sue Cyanogen but that can only be governed by the laws of California where the agreement was signed.

It might not actually mean the end of the Chinese company’s India journey. OnePlus is already planning a new OS based on the latest Android L update, but this will lead to the demise of its most appreciated feature, the CyanogenMod.

Micromax on the other hand can gather a bad public reputation following this development. Though they are right in the technical and legal aspects of things, but the public opinion might shift against them and that too just a day before their brand launch. The company will have to bring something exceptional to take on the massive popularity of the OnePlus One.

Micromax if you don’t want to face immense public ire, you better bring something that blows our minds or else you’ll be seen as the killer of the flagship killer in India, and you really don’t want to be that company.

Slimmest Phone in the World ‘Vivo X5 Max’ Out in India for Rs. 32,980

 The world’s slimmest smartphone will be making its debut in the Indian market soon and today it was officially unveiled. The Chinese electronic giant announced the Vivo X5 Max, which has beaten the present record holder Oppo R5.

 With just 4.75 mm thickness, the phone has given slim a new definition. The device is announced at a price of Rs. 32,980, which is a bit more than expected. The X5 Max comes with a 5.5-inch Full HD display and has a screen resolution of 1080x1920p. It runs on 64-bit octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 and is packed with 2 GB of RAM and Android 4.4 KitKat. On the camera front, it has a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front snapper. The device offers dual-SIM card slots with support for 4G LTE and TD-SCDMA. It holds Hi-Fi 2.0 audio and a Yamaha YSS-205X chip as well.

 Oppo confirmed that its upcoming release, the R5, would not be that expensive and will come in a price bracket of Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 30,000. The R5 will launch later this month.

 As told previously, BBK Electronics has partnered with Viacom 18 to promote the device. Through this joint venture, the Vivo X5 Max will be advertised on the following platforms: MTV, VH1, Colors and Comedy Central. Also, the company is likely to launch more smartphones in the market within the range of Rs. 7,000 to Rs. 40,000.

[Sources]

Indians Can Now Watch YouTube Videos Offline on their Smartphones

YouTube received an enthusiastic response when it announced that it will soon facilitate audience with viewing videos offline. The company kept its word and recently launched its offline feature during a press event.

With this new feature, users can watch videos even when offline through the YouTube app. However, to make it possible, one has to first download the video using thier data pack or Wi-Fi. Once the desired video is taken offline, it can be watched buffer-free within the time frame of 48 hours.

The Vice-President of Engineering, YouTube commented:

Already, we’re seeing over 40 per cent of our traffic in India come from mobile devices. By launching this offline experience on YouTube in India today, we hope to help people move past the challenges of data connection, speed and cost to enjoy a smooth, buffer-free version of YouTube.

The offline video service works like when you chose to download a desired video, it asks you for the playback quality of the same. One you chose the quality of the video, it downloads and automatically adds it to the offline section for you to watch it later.

 Ajay Vidyasagar, Regional Director of YouTube commented that India is the fifth-largest market for partner revenue in the world. Features like this will just make this stronger. He believes that we could get into the top three markets very soon.

 The online video channel has partnered with different music companies and production houses in India like Saregama, T-Series, Shemaroo and Yashraj Films to provide content. The service has also been launched in Indonesia and the Philippines, along with India.

[SCREENSHOT-1] [SCREENSHOT-2]

Bracelet Which Converts Your Skin Into a Touchscreen

 Wearable technology has got a sort of Adrenaline boost in the recent past. Following the almost saturation of the smartphone market, the technology industry is looking for the next cash cow and smart wearables seem to be the answer. We have seen a lot of different kinds of wearables coming to the market specializing in health, navigation and even drone controls. Now a new bracelet brings the wearable and smartphone experience together.

 Cicret has introduced a small bracelet that projects an image on your skin that is touch accessible. The best possible response to that sentence is “sweeeet”. By simply twisting your wrists, the device projects an Android interface on your forearm after which it’s the usual smartphone experience.

 The central bit to the Cicret bracelet is the pico projector along with eight proximity sensors. These sensors track the movement of the fingers on the projected image to give you the same experience as on the phone. You can pretty much take care of any task that you would normally do on your phone including sending emails, browsing, multimedia files and more.

 The device is available in two storage options, i.e., 16 and 32GB. The connectivity options on the device include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and Micro-USB port. It also features an accelerometer, vibration module and LED notification. The bracelet connects to your Android device using the Cicret App.

 The one major drawback of this device is that it is not yet as responsive as the smartphone touch surface. The developers are working on the issue and will put the device up for pre-order in the coming future. This device shows the potential of wearables in bringing an ease in dealing with the massive screen menace around us. Maybe projectable displays will finally give us the convenience we are yearning for and will empty some of this load from our pockets. Also, as these devices are easier to insulate from water and dirt in comparison to the screen devices, they’ll probably be easier to carry around. This bracelet looks like a good first attempt; we shall now wait for Pranav Mistry’s sixth sense technology to become a reality. if you don't know what sixth sense technology is then here is a video for you as follows.

MIUI V5 Developer Version Suspended. MIUI 6 Timeline for Redmi, Mi 2 & Mi 1

Hey MIUI fans,

As you may know, it's been over a year since MIUI V5 was released. With the release and upgrade of MIUI 6, Developers would like to focus on MIUI 6 feature development and optimization. So they have
decided that the developer version of MIUI V5 will be suspended after release of 4.12.5. The last stable
version of MIUI V5 is being tested now and will be released within this month.

And here is the timeline of MIUI 6 :

1) All Redmi phones will get MIUI 6 developer version and stable version; developers will try their best
    to release some beta versions by the end of Dec.2014;

2) MIUI 6 Special Edition for Mi 2 series is available for now, and they will also work on developer
    version and stable version in the future;

3) The developer version for Mi 1 suspended, so 4.12.5 is the final version. And there will be no MIUI 6
    Mi 1 in the future.


Please note that the above mentioned ROM versions all refer to China ROM
(Both Chinese and English officially supported), not global ROM.

[Source]

First Look at Cortana Running on Windows 10

Well, it has been a month since the technical preview of Windows 10 is out; although, it doesn’t run Cortana as for now. Cortana is Microsoft’s obvious response to Apple’s Siri, and with Apple looking to integrate Siri into OS X, Microsoft desperately needs to do it right. Right now, Cortana doesn’t have much of a personality in Windows 10, but we expect that it will be there by the time the company rolls it out to the public.

 Anyway, it is pretty much clear and evident that Cortana be will coming to desktops once Windows 10 is available commercially. We are still waiting to see Cortana in action on desktops.

 In a recent video post, WinBeta got access to Cortana on Windows 10. The early version of the Microsoft’s virtual assistant isn’t pretty, however, we can expect Microsoft to tweak it before the roll out of public version.

 This early version, which the popular publication got hold off, got most of the basic stuff in place, such as calling Skype contacts, reading out your calendar and setting reminders just like on Windows Phone. The hard truth is, there are not many Windows Phone users out there and so, this might be the golden chance for the company to push out Cortana to a larger user base.

 Google Now has been available on Chrome and other platforms for some time now. These companies’ devotion towards virtual assistants shows how important they have become. The mere fact that all the big names have come up with their virtual assistants and are looking out to integrate them into desktops defines the future of personal computing.

Bluetooth 4.2 Core Arrives, the sky's the limit

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has officially announced version 4.2 of the Bluetooth core specification. The most significant update since last year’s 4.1 version, this one promises greater speed and privacy.

According to SIG, the new update will increase the transfer rate between two devices connected over Bluetooth by 2.5 times. The recent development in the area of Bluetooth Smart Data packets lets it hold ten times as much data as before, hence the increased speed.

Also, Bluetooth 4.2 will improve the features of Bluetooth Low Energy which allows low-power IP connectivity over Bluetooth, with a new profile which supports low power wireless personal area network. As a result, Bluetooth devices will be able to directly access the internet through a router or an edge device, rather than have to be bound to a smartphone or any other devices with IP connectivity first.

The SIG said the latest standard will compliment the market and let developers make devices that can easily connect with each other, making Bluetooth 4.2 “the foundation for the Internet of Things”. The update also brings some privacy features. Currently, Bluetooth Beacons can be utilized as a way to track people. However, for privacy conscious people, the new 4.2 will allow the MAC address of Bluetooth devices to be masked unless connecting to a trusted device.

Well, unlike 4.1 standard which was a software upgrade to 4.0 Bluetooth, 4.2 will require hardware improvements. Some features like privacy controls can still be added to older devices via software, but other capabilities including speed and IPv6 features will require hardware upgrades.