LG G Flex 2 goes on sale in India for Rs. 54990

LG launched its G Flex 2 smartphone in India at the LG Tech Show in Delhi back in March. Today the company has announced that the second generation G Flex smartphone is available across India. It has a 5.5-inch 1080p curved P-OLED display and the smartphone can bend ranging from a radius of 400mm to 700mm across the front, back, sides and top-to-bottom edges.

LG G Flex 2 specifications

• 5.5-inch (1080 x 1920 pixels ) Full HD Curved Plastic OLED display
• 2.0 GHz octa-core 64-bit Snapdragon 810 processor
• 2GB DDR4 RAM, 32GB of internal memory, microSD slot
• Android 5.0 (Lollipop)
• Dimensions – 149.1 x 75.3 x 7.1-9.4mm, weight: 52g
• 13MP rear camera with OIS+, Laser Auto Focus and dual LED Flash
• 2.1 MP front-facing camera
• 4G LTE-A, WiFi 802.11 ac/a/b/g/n, Bluetooth Smart Ready (Apt-X) 4.1, GPS, SlimPort, NFC
• 3000mAh battery (embedded)

The LG G Flex 2 comes in Flamenco Red and Platinum Silver colors and is available for Rs. 54,990 in India. We went hands-on with the G Flex 2 earlier this year, check out the video below.

Commenting on the announcement, Deepak Jasrotia, Business Head, LG Mobiles India said:

LG G Flex2 is as beautiful to hold as it is to behold and it represents the perfect combination of beauty and brains. We are pleased to have Anil Kapoor and Nargis Fakhri join us today to share their experience of using this one of its kind smartphone and officially launch it in India. The G Flex2 is a beautiful, high performance and a highly desirable smartphone that offers users both comfort and style.

Meerkat (beta) live streaming app now available for Android

Meerkat started taking registrations for Android public beta few weeks back, now the beta version of the app is available for download for everyone. The app was launched on iPhone back in February. Twitter’s Periscope live streaming app was launched for iPhone in March, but it is yet to launch on Android.

Meerkat lets you login using your Twitter account and stream videos instantly for your follower on Twitter by sharing a web link. When your followers have the app, they will also get pushed notified with your live stream, watch, comment and interact with it using the app. You can save your streams to your phone, but Meerkat will never keep them, says the company.

Once the stream has ended, you can’t watch it again. Since this is the first beta version of the app, there might be some bugs and the user interface is not as polished as its iPhone app, but these are expected to be improved in future versions of the app.

Download Meerkat (beta) (free) - Android

40,000 Mi 4i smartphones sold out in 15 seconds in first sale on Flipkart

Xiaomi sold 40,000 units of Mi 4i smartphones in just 15 seconds in the first flash sale today on Flipkart at 2PM. It received over 3 lakh registrations for the sale. Even though the company sells only the White variant of the smartphone, the company plans to bring blue, yellow and pink colors variants soon.

The Mi 4i was launched in India earlier this month at a price tag of Rs. 12,999. It has a 5-inch 1080p fully laminated display, is powered by an 2nd generation Octa-Core Snadpragon 615 processor and runs on MIUI v6 on top of Android 5.0 (Lollipop). It has a 13-megapixel rear camera with 5-element lens, f/2.0 aperture, two-tone LED flash and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera with 80-degree wide-angle lens. It has 4G LTE support on both the SIMs with support for India bands, has 2GB RAM, 16GB of internal storage and a 3120mAh battery.

Registrations for the second Mi 4i sale on May 7th had already started

Flipkart acquires mobile marketing firm Appiterate

Flipkart has acquired mobile marketing firm Appiterate in a bid to boost its mobile offerings. Financial details of the deal are not known. Based in Delhi, Appiterate specializes in mobile engagement and marketing automation.

Appiterate‘s mobile marketing automation platform will be integrated into Flipkart’s mobile app and the team will also join the e-commerce firm, after the completion of the acquisition. The company has helped leading e-commerce companies combine the power of mobile apps and big data to allow them to do one-on-one targeting of their users though push notifications and in-app messages.

“In a short span of 1.5 years, Appiterate has carved out a niche in the industry as being one of the most disruptive companies in its space. We are confident that their innovative platform and tech team will bring deep mobile capabilities to the table which is a key focus area for Flipkart. We are really excited to have them on board.”

said Nishant Verman, Senior Director, Corporate Development-Flipkart.

The acquisition comes just days after the homegrown e-tailer was in reports for going app only and shutting down its website like Myntra. Flipkart plans to invest in and acquire other companies in this domain and help in building the mobile ecosystem in India. Last month, Flipkart acquired mobile ad network firm AdlQuity for an undisclosed sum.

Google rolls out Password Alert Chrome Extension

Google has launched Password Alert Chrome Extension that will warn you against phishing attacks. Password Alert will alarm you if a website that you type your sign-in information into is not a legitimate Google sign-in page.

The free Chrome extension will issue the same warning when people use their Google password to log in to other legitimate sites. It generates a warning that the user has just been phished and should change the password immediately. Once a user installes and initializes Password Alert, Chrome will remember a “scrambled” version of your Google Account password. It only remembers this information for security purposes and does not share it with anyone.

Moving on, if you type your password into a site that isn’t a Google sign-in page, Password Alert will tell you that you are at risk of being phished so you can update your password and protect yourself. Password Alert is also available to Google for Work customers, including Google Apps and Drive for Work.

Micromax Canvas Laptab with 10.1-inch display, Windows 8.1, built-in 3G launched for Rs. 14999

Micromax has launched Canvas Laptab, its latest Windows 8.1 2-in-1 with inbuilt 3G SIM support. The company introduced a dual boot tab last year at the CES, which did not launch. This has a similar design, but it runs only on Windows 8.1 and has better specifications. It has a 10.1-inch (1280×800 pixels) IPS screen, is powered by a quad-core Intel Atom Z3735F processor, has a 2-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. It comes with Office 365 subscription and also has a keyboard that has a touchpad so that it can double up as a laptop. Micromax has partnered with Amazon India to sell the Laptab.

Micromax Canvas Laptab specifications

• 10.1-inch (800 x 1280 pixels) multi-touch IPS display
• 1.33GHz quad-core Intel Atom Z3735F processor (burst up to 1.86GHz)
• 2GB RAM, 32GB of internal storage, microSD card slot
• Built-in Keyboard
• Windows 8.1 OS
• 2-megapixel fixed focus rear camera
• 2-megapixel fixed focus front-facing camera
• Weight: 1.1kg
• 3G (via SIM slot), WiFi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, USB
• 7700mAh battery

The Micromax Canvas Laptab is priced at Rs. 14,999 and will be exclusively available from Amazon.in starting from May 6th. It was

Commenting on the launch, Vineet Taneja, CEO, Micromax Informatics Limited, said:

At Micromax, we have always believed in bringing the best in class and innovative devices to the consumers and have always aimed to bridge the gap between actual consumer device requirement and available device offering and hence, the Laptab promises to bridge the same at a very consumer friendly price point. Today’s launch marks our entry into the PC segment, where we intend to drive category growth and not only garner an available market share. We believe that our vision complements the initiatives for Digital India, and we will be launching a range of exciting products over the next few months in the category.

Commenting on the new launch and partnership Samir Kumar, Director Category Management, Amazon India said:

We are very excited to be the partner of choice for Micromax and offer customers on Amazon.in an exclusive access to the new Canvas Laptab. We see this as a great opportunity to offer customers across India the ease, convenience & joy of shopping for such a great product.

Microsoft Lumia 430 Dual SIM hands on

Microsoft on Thursday launched another budget Lumia smartphone – the Lumia 430 Dual SIM – in India at Rs. 5,299, and it is company’s most affordable Lumia smartphone till date.

The smartphone is mostly similar to Lumia 435, and since it is the popular $70 device from Microsoft, we were expecting that the company will price it more aggressively for the Indian market. To remind you, Microsoft had launched the Lumia 435 Dual SIM in February at Rs. 5,999.

The Lumia 430 Dual SIM runs Windows Phone 8.1 with the Lumia Denim update out-of-the-box. The company also promises that the phone will receive latest Windows 10, once it’s available.

Upfront, the Lumia 430 Dual SIM features a 4-inch WVGA (480×800 pixels) LCD display, and is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor coupled with 1GB of RAM, just like the Lumia 435. About the display, it appeared quite reflective to us and the viewing angles also were not up to our liking, but we will get you more details on that in our full review soon.

The three capacitive touch buttons sits below the display. Right side of the smartphone houses the volume rocker and the power key. Other than than than there are no other physical buttons on the device. The 3.5mm headphones jack is located at the top, while the Micro-USB charging point is at the bottom.

In terms of design, the new Lumia 430 Dual SIM isn’t any different from Lumia 435, except little rounded edges. The smartphone sports a 2-megapixel fixed-focus rear camera without flash and a 0.3-megapixel front-facing camera. Our expectations with the camera were very low, and going by what we could figure out in small time of testing, we can say both cameras are just about functional and there is not much to say on that department.

Coming to storage, Lumia 430 comes with 8GB of built-in storage which is further expandable via microSD card (up to 128GB). The device is backed by a 1500mAh removable battery. The removable back cover is matte finished plastic, and isn’t prone to excessive fingerprints.

The smartphone is not available via online flash sale, if you think that’s what Microsoft will also do, in fact we interviewed Chris Weber (CVP, Mobile Device Sales at Microsoft) on Tuesday and he told us that company has no immediate plans to adopt that model; you can read the full interview here.

The Lumia 430 Dual SIM can be purchased across all retail outlets (online/ offline) from April 30 and it comes in two colour options – Black and Orange.

Overall, the build of the smartphone seems good for the price, but will this be a value for money product for Microsoft in India, we will find out in our full review soon. So stay tuned.

Google releases Android 5.1.1 factory images for Nexus 7 (Wi-Fi), Nexus 7 2013 (Wi-Fi) and Nexus 10

Google has released factory images of Android 5.1.1 (Lollipop) for Nexus 7 (Wi-Fi), Nexus 7 2013 (Wi-Fi) and Nexus 10 devices, soon after it released factory images for the Nexus Player. Google Nexus 10 even received 13.9 MB Android 5.1.1 over-the-air (OTA) update today, as noted by Android Police.

The Android 5.1.1 update doesn’t add any new features like the Android 5.1 update, which wasreleased last month. This is just a minor update with minor fixes and enhancements.

You can download factory images for these from the Google Developers website here. OTA update is not available as of now. Google has not rolled out the update for other devices yet. Android 5.1.1 update for the Nexus 9 was already spotted at Developer Portal, so the device should get it directly from Android 5.0.1, skipping the Android 5.1 update.

Uber working on merchant delivery service via UberRush

Uber is said to be working on merchant delivery service and is in talks with 400 retailers for the same, as per a report from TechCrunch. The company will deliver goods via its UberRush couriers and Uber drivers.

More than 400 brands, including Louis Vuitton, Tiffany’s, and Hugo Boss, have been in discussions with Uber for the new program or testing it, added the report. Uber has also reportedly teamed up with mobile shopping app Spring to test the platform with a limited set of brands, including illesteva, Bing Bang Jewelry, Phyllis + Rosie, Mack Weldon, Jinsoon, Industry Standard, Outdoor Voices and Negative Underwear.

The app will feature an intelligent routing system for orders that will eventually allow drivers to transport both goods and passengers at the same time. The report includes a purported manual from Uber describes a new app for a pilot phase of the program. At present, drivers who were tapped to participate in this program have to carry two official Uber phones: One for passengers, one for packages. Once the Merchant Program comes out as a ready-for-primetime service, the two phones will be combined into one.

Uber’s original plan was reportedly to partner with online retail giants like Amazon and eBay, however sourcing inventory from warehouses proved logistically impractical. UberRush first introduced in 2014, using bike messengers to act as a personal courier for customers for a similar fee to that charged for its standard UberX car service.

LG G4 vs G3 – What has changed?

LG announced the G4 yesterday, the successor to the LG G3 that was launched last year. The handset will go on sale in Korea starting today at a price of 825,000 KRW (INR 48,880 or US$775) and will eventually release in over 180 countries worldwide.

On first glance, you maybe tricked into thinking that it is actually the G Flex 2. The overall design of the handset is quite similar to the G Flex 2. The design is more angular unlike the rounded G3. While it’s not “flexible” like the G Flex 2, the device does have a slightly curved body and the screen size remains the same as well. But the screen is different in terms of resolution and technology. The screen has also been improved from its predecessor, the G3, even though the size remains the same. The G4 uses a 5.5″ IPS (1440p resolution) display with Quantum Dot technology. LG claims the quantum dot technology will provide more accurate colours and coverage of 98% of the colour spectrum. It is also 25% brighter and offers 50% higher contrast compared to the G3.

The device is overall slightly bigger than the G3 as well. The G4 has a 72.5% screen to body ratio compared to 75.3% of the G3. While the G4 measures 148.9×76.1×9.8mm, the G3 only measured 146.3×74.6×8.9mm. That means that the G4 has a larger footprint than the G3 even though it looks slightly more compact perhaps due to its angular design. The weight has also gone up from 149 grams to 155 grams. LG choose to switch to a nanoSIM with the G4, something that almost every manufacturer is slowly adapting.

While the previous generation G3 had two variants – a 16GB one with 2GB RAM and 32GB variant with 3GB RAM, the G4 has just one variant with 32GB and 3GB of RAM. This is a good decision considering the 2GB RAM model on the G3 did face some performance issues. Speaking of performance, the G4 is powered by a Snapdragon 808 processor. LG might have made the decision to not use the 810 after seeing the issues on the G Flex 2.

The camera has also been upgraded from the G3 which had a 13 Megapixel camera (1/3″ sensor size). The G4 offers an improved 16 Megapixel camera that has a bigger 1/2.6″ sensor with a maximum aperture of f1.8 and upgraded optical image stabilisation that now has 3 axis stabilisation as opposed to the 2 axis unit on the G3. The laser autofocus and Dual tone LED flash are still present from the G3. LG claim that the G4 will launch the camera app faster than the Galaxy S6 / S6 Edge. The camera app offers a Manual mode that gives you a lot of control over your images. You can control the shutter speed, ISO and white balance. You also have a histogram and auto exposure lock toggle along with the ability to shoot in RAW.

The front facing camera has also received an upgrade. It is an 8 Megapixel unit with a maximum aperture of f2.0 and supports gestures to take photos.

The back cover is made of plastic and has a hexagonal pattern on it. The back cover is still removable and gives you access to the battery, nanoSIM and microSD card slots. LG is also offering additional leather back covers that can be purchased as an optional extra. These covers are made of genuine tanned leather and have real stitching that runs down the middle of the phone from top to bottom. The leather cover also has an engraved G4 logo and will be available in different colours as shown above. The battery capacity remains same at 3000 mAH and LG hasn’t mentioned anything about its charging speeds.

Pocket Casts podcast app released for Windows Phone

Shifty Jelly, the company behind the most popular Pocket Casts app for Android and iOS platforms has finally launched the app for Windows Phone. It has all the important features such as cross platform syncing, variable playback speed, auto download, filters and more. This is the first version, and the company will improve the app based on feedback from the users.

The company says that it’s Android app outsells the iOS version big way and the web version that costs $9 outsold most other podcasting apps on any other platforms.

Features of Pocket Casts for Windows Phone

• CROSS PLATFORM SYNCING: Sync your subscriptions, playback and filters between Windows phones, Android and iOS, as well as Pocket Casts Web.
• AUTO DOWNLOAD: Customise which podcasts the app will download in the background. No need to even open the app!
• UP NEXT: Listen to episodes back to back, no fumbling with your phone during your commute.
• VARIABLE SPEED: Play audio all the way from 0.5x to 2.0x.
• FILTERS: Want a list of every unplayed episode? Right here. How about sorting your episodes by custom categories? Done.
• DESIGN: We’ve paid close attention to the Windows Phone design guidelines and where the platform is heading with Windows 10. As a result Pocket Casts feels right at home on your phone.
• CONTROL: Customise the start time of your episodes to skip repetitive intros, and adjust skip intervals to suit your needs.
• REFRESH: Instantly refresh all your podcasts before other apps even have a chance to do 1! Our servers monitor your podcasts, so your phone doesn’t have to.
• DISCOVER: Choose from over 200,000 podcasts. Find great new content with curated featured, currently trending and most popular podcast lists.

Download Pocket Casts ($3.99 / Rs. 219 ) – Windows Phone

Savelli luxury Android smartphone worth Rs. 66 lakhs launched

A range of handmade luxury Android smartphones from Swiss firm Savelli were launched in Abu Dhabi by a luxury watch dealer Mohammed Rasool Khouri and Sons.

These luxury smartphones were first unveiled in Dubai last year in November. Savelli is a new jewellery brand owned by Alessandro Savelli and is based in Geneva.

The collection of 11 luxury Android smartphones, titled ‘Jardin Secret’, ranges from AED 30,600 (roughly Rs. 5.28 lakhs) to AED 386,617 (roughly Rs. 66.77 lakhs). The most expensive (priced at AED 386,617) among the 11 handsets is known as Black Insane, which has 75 rectangular baguette-cut diamonds set in an oval shaped crown on the top of the phone. The cheapest smartphone is named Blue Jean Ostrich, priced at AED 30,600.

“I wanted to create something totally new, never attempted before. A jewel of tomorrow, only for women. A design which would bring a new perspective on jewelry and in the luxury goods industry, an obsessive search for beautiful materials to work with. From Ultra-Bombe crystal sapphire to hi-tech ceramic.” He added: “We carefully select the best precious stones and set them using the ‘serti neige’ or ‘snow setting’ technique. Stones of differing diameters sit side-by-side, covering the precious metal to enhance the organic curves of each piece. Where baguette-cut stones are used, Savelli employs a seamless setting technique for an immaculate finish,” said (via Khaleej Times) Alessandro Savelli.

Windows 10 will run repackaged Android and iOS apps

In a surprising move, Microsoft is now letting developers repackage their Android and iOS apps for Windows 10. Developers will be able to quickly port their app over, with equivalent system-level APIs in Windows that will support as well as extend the app’s functionality. Microsoft will include an Android subsystem on Windows 10 for phones and have supporting APIs for iOS apps. The above image is a demo of an Android app, accessing Windows phone’s native controls and APIs, but the remaining code is the same. This way, it drastically cuts down development costs which companies just can’t afford, to re-write for a platform without substantial market share.

This is similar to the strategy which Blackberry adopted, but this is also similar to what Google adopted, when Android wasn’t getting apps from iOS. They made porting easier, and that’s what Blackberry then, and Microsoft now, have done. Android developers will be able to code Android apps using Visual Studio and re-compile it, with Windows 10-specific APIs in a short time, so they can launch on all platforms at once. Most developers these days rely only on Android and iOS. This is very similar to the work Nokia did for the Nokia X, which might have played a role here too. Navigation in the UI is now more similar, and even the desktop gets the all-important back button for letting them be universal apps.

King’s Candy Crush Saga was shown as an example of an iOS game ported to Windows Phone without many modifications. Microsoft is basically virtualizing these apps in its operating system, a common method adopted for this approach. These solutions are part of the new SDKs that will aim to attract developer interest to the dwindling platform, that is Windows. The possibility of developers porting to Windows Phone is now higher, but will it bridge the mobile industry gap to at least some extent? It certainly didn’t work out for Blackberry or Amazon, but Microsoft has a decently talented hardware division at its disposal, which, we hope, creates possibilities, may be?