Sony Xperia M5

Sony Xperia M5

Sony Xperia M5 Dual With 13-Megapixel Front Camera Launched

iMac

iMac

21.5-Inch 4K Display iMac to Be Launched in October

iphone 6s

iphone 6s

iPhone 6s Launched

Apple Iphone 6s Plus

Apple Iphone 6s Plus

Apple Iphone 6s Plus Launched

Samsung Galaxy J2

Samsung Galaxy J2

Samsung Galaxy J2 Launched

Showing posts with label Apps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Apps. Show all posts

Apple Launches Move to iOS, Its First Android App

Apple Launches Move to iOS
The day is finally here. Apple has just released an Android app. No, it's not Apple Music for Android - that's coming later this year. Called Move to iOS, the app instead focuses on making it easier for Android users to easily jump ship to iOS devices.
The Move to iOS app, first announced at WWDC 2015, allows users to seamlessly transfer their data (from media to messages to contacts) from Android smartphones running version 4.0 and above to an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch running iOS 9.
Apple loves to boast about winning Android users at its earnings call, touting the number of people who have recently moved to purchase an iOS device. Having an official app on Google Play could boost its efforts. Here's how the company describes it.
"Everything about iOS is designed to be easy. That includes switching to it. With just a few steps, you can migrate your content automatically and securely from your Android device with the Move to iOS app. No need to save your stuff elsewhere before switching from Android. The Move to iOS app securely transfers all kinds of content for you."
This is how it works: you purchase an iPhone, or iPad, or iPod Touch. While setting it up, you will find a new option to transfer data from your Android handset. Upon clicking on which, you are provided with a 10-digit code that you feed to Move to iOS app on your Android device. The two devices now start talking to each other and begin transferring data.
The Move to iOS app will migrate your contacts, SMS texts, photos, bookmarks, email-accounts, and calendars among other data. But don't expect it to export the purchases you've made in Google Play to App Store. You will have to make separate payments for all the paid apps you want to use on your iPhone or iPad.

Hike for Android Gets Free Group Audio Calling Feature

hike messenger group call official
Hike on Friday announced that it is introducing free group calling ability to its mobile messenger app. The feature would allow up to 100 people to talk to each other in a group call. It is available for free on the Hike Messenger Android app, which you can download from Google Play.
While group audio calling isn't an exclusive feature, is not available on most instant messengers, including and especially WhatsApp, the mammoth in the category which announced earlier this month that it has 900 million monthly active users. Line had recently launched a group calling app called Popcorn Buzz, letting users speak over 200 people at a time.
Hike said that members in a group could initiate the audio calling to every member, and the other members can join. The company is targeting students and families. The feature, however, will require the participants to be on either 4G cellular network or a fast Wi-Fi network, the company said. Free group audio calling feature will arrive on Hike Messenger iPhone and Windows Phone clients later this year.
"Many of us at hike were quite frustrated by how hard it is to make a Group Call today. [...] Now with the tap of a single button, you can connect up to 100 people in one call. It's that simple. One tap and hike does the rest," said Kavin Bharti Mittal, Founder and CEO of Hike.
As the markets for instant messenger clients heats up, concerned players are aggressively adding new features and refinements to their app to make it more competitive. Earlier this year, many apps including Hike Messenger and WhatsApp, for instance, added the ability to make free audio calls using the Internet data. Hike last month rolled out version 4.0 of its apps, which brought chat search, new themes, and more.
With over 35 million users as of last year, Hike Messenger is one of the most popular instant messaging clients in India. It has added a number of features, including the ability to search chat messages and new themes.

Facebook Mentions and Live Now Available for Verified Profiles

Facebook Live 2
Journalists and other public figures can now offer live video to their followers on Facebook, which announced plans Thursday to broaden the streaming service.
As of Thursday, anyone with a verified Facebook profile will be able to use Facebook Mentions, an application made available earlier this year to actors, musicians and other celebrities to connect with their fans.
"People love reading articles from and connecting with their favorite journalists and public figures on Facebook," the social network announced in a blog post.
"Today, we're making Facebook Mentions and Live available to public figures with verified profiles to help them engage their followers and interact with their peers."
The move will allow journalists to report live from a news scene and host questions from followers on Facebook.
The users may choose who gets to see the live video stream.
"Whether you're sharing text, links, photos or something else, Mentions lets you choose the audience you want to share with," the blog post said.
"For example, you can share a post so only your followers see it in News Feed."
Facebook began offering the service amid competition in live streaming from Twitter's Periscope and the independent Meerkat app, both of which launched this year.

Narendra Modi Mobile App Now Available for iOS Users

Narendra Modi Mobile App Screenshot
iOS users will now be able to interact with Prime Minister Narendra Modi using the Narendra Modi mobile app, which is now available to download from iTunes.
"Updates, interaction with me, volunteering & more exciting features on 'Narendra Modi Mobile App' for iPhone. Download http://nm4.in/nmiosapp," the prime minister tweeted on Tuesday.
The description of the mobile app states: "Official App of Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. It brings to you latest information, instant updates and helps you contribute towards various tasks." The app is also aimed at giving a chance to people to interact with him and share ideas and suggestions.
"It provides a unique opportunity to receive messages and emails directly from the Prime Minister," it adds.
The app was first launched for the Android platform back in June.
The app description adds, "download the app and get the latest updates anywhere, anytime! Highlights of the Narendra Modi app include receiving the latest news and updates, exclusive opportunity to receive emails & messages directly from the PM and 'Mann Ki Baat' with the PM."
The description also says, "small tasks, big satisfaction: contribute & earn badges through to-do tasks."
"Know more about PM Narendra Modi through unique insights in the Biography section as also his governance initiatives and achievements," the app's description adds, saying users can learn more about PM Modi's efforts augmenting India's global recognition and how governance was improving lives through infographics.

Apple iOS 9 public beta is now available for everyone

Apple made a public beta of iOS 9 available for everyone who’s interested to try it out. All users need to do is join the Apple Beta Software Program with their Apple ID.

Apple iOS 9 public beta is now available for everyone
The iOS 9 public beta is a more polished release than the versions that were available only for developers over the last month. Yesterday, Apple released iOS 9 beta 3 to registered developers.
Apple iOS 9 packs a number of new features and improvements over its predecessor. They include more capable Siri, split-screen multitasking on iPad, and under-the-hood upgrades among others.
If you are interested in trying out the new iOS 9 in beta guise, head over to the source link to get started. Be aware that the firmware is not finished, so occasional bugs are more than likely.

Flipkart to Go Myntra's App-Only Way From September

Flipkart Building Delhi
E-commerce major Flipkart will go the Myntra way, the company it had acquired last year, by operating only through mobile app from September.
The company's Chief Product Officer Punit Soni told employees at a town hall meeting last week that Flipkart will operate only with a mobile app from September, a spokesperson for the country's largest online retailer said.
Fashion e-tailer Myntra was acquired by Flipkart last year.
"India is gradually transitioning from a mobile first to a mobile only country. At Flipkart, we have been following a mobile first approach and 70-75 percent of our total traffic is already coming from our mobile app. We are constantly experimenting with various aspects of our service to create the best shopping experience for our users on our app," Flipkart said in a statement.
The online retailer expects more and more people making purchases through smartphones and mobile Internet, which have seen an exponential growth.
However, for now, the company continues to offer both desktop as well as mobile option for its customers, the company said. "We continue to offer both desktop as well as mobile option for our customers."
Flipkart has 30,000 sellers and over 45 million registered customers. Launched in October 2007, Flipkart currently clocks over 10 million page visits daily, reaching 1,000 plus cities, and delivers 8 million shipments per month.
However, some Industry experts have expressed their reservations on the move of Flipkart to go app only strategy. Founder CEO of Freecharge Kunal Shah questioned the app-only strategy in his Facebook status update, but without naming Flipkart.
"Based on research, most Indians have only 19-20 apps on their Android smartphones. Out of this 15-odd apps are the ones that can't be deleted. One hypothesis is users are low on memory and keep deleting apps and install them when needed. With such challenge, is "app only" is a good strategy? Maybe this explains high uninstall rates companies see?," Shah wrote on his Facebook page.

Latest iOS 9 Beta Adds News App, Music Quality Settings, Screenshot Folder, and More

IOS 9 Beta

On Wednesday Apple released the third beta version iOS 9 - its mobile operating system for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - to developers. The build number 13A4293g is available over-the-air or via Apple's developer portal. This beta is the biggest update to iOS 9 so far, adding a new app as well as bringing changes to older apps.
iOS 9 beta 3 introduces the News app, which was first announced at WWDC. This new app offers a list of curated stories, which is similar to third-party apps like Flipboard and Inside. This app also supports the addition of RSS feeds from Safari. It is available only to US users for now. The update also includes an entirely revamped two-factor authentication system that was also brought to the OS X El Capitan developer beta. The new built-in system uses different methods to trust devices and display verification codes (now six-digit). iOS 9 also sees the search option including Siri app suggestions as well.
The new beta makes use of the screen estate that the iPad provides and now has app folders with 4x4 arrangement as opposed to the 3x3 arrangement, which now allows you to save up to 105 apps per folder.
IOS 9 Beta 3 Ipad
The Photos app also gets an update with iOS 9, adding pre-determined folders called Selfies and Screenshots. And as their names suggest, the Selfies folder bunches all the photos captured by the front camera and the screenshots folder puts all the photos taken by holding down the power button and home button.
Addressing a complaint users have had with the Apple Music service - not being able to adjust audio quality for cellular connections - Apple has revamped the settings section of the Music app to includes an option to stream music at the highest quality while using a cellular connection. The Restrictions settings has a new logo for Siri & Dictation and there is a new setting to toggle on/off access to the News app, and the option to turn off Apple Music Connect is gone.
There is a minor bug - that has been added by Apple to 'Known Issues' section in the release notes - which removes the ability to use the volume button for shooting pictures from inside the camera app.
Apart from iOS 9 beta 3, Apple also introduced Apple watchOS 2 beta 3. This new beta includes a ton of enhancements and bug fixes like - enlarged keypad buttons, more granular control of volume and brightness, a new Music app icon, Beats 1 support in Music app, Weather now shows when it was last updated, activation lock, and a function where pressing down the digital crown on the app screen returns you to the watch face.
There is also a new El Capitan Beta 3 which has several bug fixes. There is also a new splash screen for the Calendar app, and now you can also drag a window out of the top bar and move it back to the desktop as a separate window in the Mission Control page

WhatsApp Web Now Allows Users to Manage Chats, Profile Photo, and More

WhatsApp Web Screenshot
WhatsApp launched its popular messaging service on desktops with WhatsApp Web in January. The service since has received minor tweaks and has maintained the Web UI looks familiar to the old WhatsApp mobile app UI.
Now, the company has finally added some much needed features from the mobile app to its Web interface. The new additions will now allow users on WhatsApp Web to manage conversations from the desktop itself. Users can notice options to archive or delete conversation option on the desktop app. Apart from the archive and delete options, users can also use mute feature in groups alongside managing conversation in a group chat. Additionally, users can now change or edit WhatsApp status or change the image.
WhatsApp Web's contact and group panes have also received small tweaks as there are new big red buttons to delete chats and exit groups. Unfortunately, there is no word whether the feature is being rolled out gradually or is still under test phase.

The updated WhatsApp Web interface was first reported by Android Police, which says the changes are 'server-triggered' and don't require any form of update to the mobile app.
WhatsApp launched the WhatsApp Web for desktop usage and was initially compatible with just Google Chrome. The company however in February added two more browsers - Firefox and Opera - that support the WhatsApp Web client.

The YouTube mobile app now offers 60fps video streaming

YouTube is working hard retain its dominance in the online multimedia realm. And while a lot of that has to do with engaging audiences and encouraging creativity and content-creators, maintaining a technical edge is equally important. Innovations on the PC front are now way past high-definition content, with resolutions of 4K and beyond already available, as well as frame rates up to 60fps.
The YouTube mobile app now offers 60fps video streaming

Dealing with mobile devices, however, presents a whole new set of challenges for YouTube, along with new possibilities to explore, like offline playback for example. Still, it is only a matter of time before our increasingly-powerful mobile tech gets access to proper high-definition content as well. Today, YouTube has made another step in this direction. The company’s Android and iOS apps now have 60fps content at 720p and 1080p resolutions.
The change affects the whole platform and is done server-side, so no client updates are required and you should already be able to take advantage of the new frame rates. Also, it is important to note, that 60fps is now the default option for HD content, replacing the previous 30fps default. This could, potentially spell trouble for certain low-powered devices, which might not have the processing power to cope with the doubled frame rate. Sadly, that’s the only way to move forward and there is always the solution to downscale a bit below 720p and still view your content on low-end hardware.
The YouTube mobile app now offers 60fps video streaming

And if you are wondering what the big deal with 60fps is, here is the gist of it. Most traditional video content is still recorded and played back at about 30fps and even lower for movies – 24 fps. Still, as any gamer will tell you, it can always be smoother, hence, the strive to increase frame rates.
If you want to see what the hype is all about for yourself, head on over to YouTube, pick up a high-paced, action-packed clip and enjoy the glorious 60fps.

Best Apps And Games Of The Week


Best Apps And Games Of The Week
Here are some of the best apps and games that came out this week.

Best Apps

Free
Free App

Free is an interesting new app that lets you make plans with people you want to hang out with. Just make a plan in the app by specifying the time and place and your friends can then join in and leave comments to say whether or not they are coming. The app lets you find places and attach them with the plan in the app so people know exactly where to show up. People can announce their availability by selecting the Join, Maybe, or Leave buttons.
iOS
Last.fm
Last.fm App

Last.fm app for Android has finally been updated. The older app was still rocking the design from Android Froyo days but the new app brings in fancy new Material Design elements. Other than the design, the app also supports scribbling from other sources, including Soundcloud, Spotify, Rdio, and more.
Android

Best Games

Transistor
Transistor Android Games

Popular indie game Transistor, from the makers of Bastion, is now on iPhone and iPad. The game brings the same gorgeous levels, gameplay, and wonderful soundtrack to the small screen. If you missed it on the PC or console, or want to play it on the move, it’s now on the App Store.
iOS
Threes! Free
Threes! Free IOS Game

If you have played 2048 then you should know it’s basically a rip-off of Threes! Unfortunately, being a free game, 2048 ended up being way more popular than Threes! Now Threes! has also announced a separate ad-supported version of the game for people who don’t or can’t pay for quality content.


Instagram Starts Sending 'Highlights' Emails to Users

Instragram App

In a recent development, Instagram started sending an email digest called 'Highlights' featuring a few of the posts from people you follow.
It could bring back users who have strayed from the photo network.This is the first time Instagram has sent any type of promotional or re-engagement email, TechCrunch reported.
To accomplish its mission of sharing moments and fuel its ad-based business model, Instagram needs users to voraciously browse its feed.
Instagram's strategy for that has been to avoid letting photos slip outside its walls. It decided not to let Twitter render its photos in-line, so people would have to use Instagram.
But now it is reaching out, hoping to meet users half way. 'Highlights' could remind people what they are missing when they do not open Instagram.
'Highlights' could solve an issue common amongst maturing social networks that show a live, reverse chronological feed of posts. It impacts networks like Instagram and Twitter, but not relevancy-sorted streams like Facebook's.
The unfiltered feed problem happens when people follow too many oversharers that drown out their real friends who do not post as often.
But those effects can be offset, to a degree, with ways to surface the most popular content in your network.
Instagram earlier this month released its Layout app for Android, an app launched for iPhone back in March.
In April, Instragram launched the @Music Channel to highlight artists. The account @Music will each week highlight an up-and-coming artist or offer a behind-the-scenes look at a more established musician.

Cyanogen plans to set up India office in coming few months

From rejuvenated brand image to squabble over software updates, Cyanogen saw it all last year while taking a dip in the fast growing smartphone market of India. After Xiaomi and OnePlus recently opened their India offices, Cyanogen plans to follow suit in coming three months.
Cyanogen plans to set up India office in coming few months


Vikram Natarajan, senior vice-president of global partnerships and distribution at Cyanogen, told ET Tech, “India is very attractive. It is one of the hyper-growth markets for mobile today.”
Cyanogen received $80 million series C funding in round led by Premji Invest from India along with Twitter Ventures, Qualcomm Incorporated, Rupert Murdock, and others. With Premji Invest leading the round, Natarajan stated that the chunk of funding will be invested to acquire smaller companies and teams in India.
Cyanogen’s India operations will be mostly based in Bengaluru or Delhi and the teams will mostly work on adding localised touch to the Cyanogen OS along with testing and quality assurance.
The past year has been quite interesting for Cyanogen, formally entering India with YU Yureka and OnePlus One. After axing the partnership with OnePlus, Cyanogen is back with Yuphoria smartphone. Now the plans of opening India office to foster local content and apps certainly promises great things in store for the Indians.

Our Favorite Android, iOS, and Windows Phone Apps of the Week

Another Thursday and another interesting week of apps. Two major apps finally make their way to iOS and Android, and Windows Phone gets two of the best mobile games in recent memory. So if you got some time to kill, take a look at these software wares.

Multiplatform

Mobile Justice

mobile justice app view

Cyanogen partners with Truecaller to build a native smart dialer app

Cyanogen has inked a deal with Truecaller to work on a smart dialer app. Truecaller offers smart caller ID capability to let users see the caller’s name on a device’s screen and later report it in case of a spam call.
cyanogen partners with truecaller

Myntra to Shut Down Website, Go App-Only on May 15

myntra site
Myntra's impending move to an app-only model finally has a date. The fashion-themed e-commerce store sent an email to customers on Saturday confirming May 15 as the D-day.

"This May 15th, 2015, Myntra is taking the first step towards the future of fashion shopping - we move on from the desktop to being exclusively available on the app," Myntra said in the email.
Myntra had already shutdown its mobile website, forcing users to download the app if they want to browse the store or make any purchase on the move. On May 15, the store will also shutdown its desktop website.
"Mobile apps are the best platform for Myntra today as they allow you to integrate with contacts, calendar, and camera, which can be used to improve the user's experience in a number of ways," Prasad Kompalli, Head of e-commerce platform, Myntra, had earlier told NDTV Gadgets.
Flipkart - which bought Myntra last year - also shut down its mobile website and the buzz is India's biggest e-commerce website is likely to go the Myntra route and become app-only.
Here's the email Myntra sent to its customers in full:
''This May 15th, 2015, Myntra is taking the first step towards the future of fashion shopping - we move on from the desktop to being exclusively available on the app. We believe fashion is a very personal experience. Your sense of style, the brands you wear, the trends you choose to follow are unique to you. What inspires you to look good changes and evolves every day. The best fashion experience therefore, is a truly personalised and engaging one that is only possible through the device that is closest to you. A device that understands you - your mobile. Thank you so much for being part of Myntra's exciting journey. We look forward to bringing you a new age of fashion experience, and being your personal fashion assistant anytime, anywhere. This is only the beginning! Love, All of us at Myntra''

Android Apps Connect to a Shocking Number of Advertisement Sites: Study

android app eurecom study
Android apps have always been under scanner for various purposes such as hiding Android malware as well as adware. Now, a new study has raised questions over how several free apps connect to large number of advertisement networks to serve ads to Android phone users.

Get Meru, Ola, TaxiForSure, and Other Cabs From One App

Ixigo Cabs Apps
When you need to book a cab these days, you end up launching the app of services you know. So let's say you start by launching the Ola app, and it displays the cabs that are available nearby.

App This app let's you control your smartphones just by tapping

This app let's you control your smartphones just by tapping
South Korean researchers have developed an Android application based on a sound-based method of controlling smartphones and connected appliances, just by tapping them.

According to PCWorld, graduate students from Seoul National University of Science and Technology are demonstrating an Android app called Sound Tap at the 2015 Computer-Human Interaction Conference (CHI) in Seoul this week.
Sound Tap can be used to control a smartphone by tapping its rear surface with a finger once or twice, or by lightly striking the phone itself against various surfaces in the environment.
Since the taps create unique frequencies, they can be used to trigger different functions on the phone, such as calling up browsers, photo galleries or music players.
The technology uses microphones and motion sensors and can be used in any smartphone without the need for extra hardware, the researchers said. (ANI)

Paytm Launches Zero-Commission Mobile App Marketplace


mobile user at airport
Paytm, an Indian online payments platform backed by China's Alibaba, is pushing deeper into India's booming e-commerce industry with a zero-commission mobile app marketplace targeted at small and medium-sized firms, the mainstay of the country's economy.
The company said on Friday this push, in addition to its existing general e-commerce platform, would help marketplace operations make up half of its total revenue target of $4 billion by the end of 2015."This is our move into mobile commerce," said Paytm Chief Executive Vijay Shekhar Sharma, adding the mobile app was designed to connect small businesses and consumers.
Even though only about a quarter of the population can access the Internet, India already has the world's third-largest population of internet users, thanks to cheap smartphones. That has driven a boom in e-commerce, in a country that had previously shopped largely in informal stalls and bazaars.
Paytm, which has yet to turn a profit, will not charge merchants commission on their sales, making money instead on commissions levied when they transfer money earned out of the site.
Paytm expects to have 100,000 merchants on its app by the end of the year, up from about 33,000 today on their general web platform. It expects to grow the number of stock-keeping units essentially, units sold from 8.5 million today to 100 million by the end of the year.

'Blink' App Enables Eye Exams at Home via Smartphone

Blink App Tool
A start-up has launched the world's first smartphone-assisted eye tools that can check your eyes in the comfort of your home and nullify the bulky machines visible in an ophthalmologist's office.The eye exam tools are part of the app called 'Blink'. It is administered by a technician who uses a trio of handheld devices that take the place of the autorefractor, lensmeter and phoropter equipment, MIT Technology Review reported.
"The Blink screening process takes about 20 minutes," said David Schafran, co-founder and chief product officer for Blink.
If the app determines you need an eyeglass prescription, the technician will send results of the screening to an optometrist, who will send you a prescription within 24 hours.
The home visit for eye tests will cost $75 (Rs. 4,700).
The Blink's first eye exam tool includes a black device that looks like a View-Master with a smartphone bolted to it.
It replaces an autorefractor for measuring your level of focusing error.
The device uses a Blink app shown on the smartphone's display to shine red and green beams of light at your eyes.
You line up these beams with a dial and the app figures out your refractive error by measuring the difference between where the beams are on the screen and how much you adjust them.
Another device uses smartphone to do the job of a lensmeter which measures the prescription strength of your existing glasses.
To do this, a smartphone running the Blink app is placed in the device, eyeglasses are slid between the phone and the device and a picture is taken of a pattern beneath the eyeglass lens with the phone's camera.
A third device stands in for a phoropter which helps determine the specific strength of the lens prescription you need by letting you try different lenses and settings while looking at an eye chart.
The tools are developed by EyeNetra, a startup that has been working for several years on smartphone-connected eye-exam tools.
The Blink tools join a growing number of smartphone-connected diagnostic gadgets that companies hope will make it simpler and cheaper for anyone to diagnose health problems.
This could reduce health-care costs and make it easier for people to get medical help even if they do not live near a doctor's office, the report added.
For now, Blink is offering eye exams for eyeglasses prescriptions in New York City.


Share

Twitter Delicious Facebook Digg Stumbleupon Favorites More