IntellectBeat

Amazon released its Fire HD 10 tablet last year. It’s a good tablet with respectable specifications but if there was one thing in particular that prevented you from purchasing this tablet, the company has now fixed it. Amazon has quietly swapped out the plastic for a metal shell as a result of which the Fire HD 10 tablet looks more classy and premium now. A new storage option has also been launched. There has been no change in pricing, so the 16GB Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet still starts at $229 even though it now has a metal shell instead of plastic. The new aluminum designed is accompanied by a 64GB storage option. Nothing has changed aside from the major cosmetic upgrade. It still has the very same 10.1 inch 1280×800 pixel resolution display, 1.5GHz quadcore processor with 1GB RAM and a 5 megapixel front facing camera. All of the specifications are exactly what they were when this tablet arrived last year. The new 64GB version of this tablet has been priced...

Foraying into the Indian market, Zuk, which is a new subsidiary of Lenovo, announced the launch of its first smartphone for the country. Named Zuk Z1, the new phone comes to India with a price tag of Rs 13,499. The phone will be available in India from May 19 exclusively on Amazon India . The Zuk Z1 is said to be designed for power users and features a fingerprint sensor, Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, 64 GB eMMC storage, 4100 mAh battery and a USB 3.0 Type-C port. The handset, as the company claims, features a unique variant of the Android home button, the U-Touch. The U-Touch, as Zuk describes, has a 508 DPI low-power fingerprint sensor offering 0.31 second identification speed with high accuracy. Talking about the power, the phone is claimed to support 120-minutes of talk time on a 5-minute charge. "The Z1 is the world's first mobile phone supporting USB 3.0 Type-C, enabling a 500 MB/s bandwidth, 10 times faster than USB 2.0," said Zuk. The phone also has USB...

In the race to capture the burgeoning global smartphone market, British automotive brand Jaguar Land Rover, currently owned by Tata Motors, is all set to launch smartphones and accessories by early 2017. For this, Land Rover has tied up with consumer electronics company Bullitt Group to develop a bespoke smartphone and range of accessories. “Incorporating iconic Land Rover design and innovative technology into the mobile phone sector with Bullitt Group presents an exciting challenge and fantastic opportunity to take the brand into a new dimension,” said Lindsay Weaver, director of licensing and branded goods at Jaguar Land Rover, in a statement recently. “An engineering and design team from Jaguar Land Rover special operations will be assigned to the partnership and subsequently deliver a number of bespoke applications tailored to Land Rover brand and product values,” Weaver added. According to Bullitt Group, the firm will partner with Land Rover to define ...

In tune with expectations, Samsung announced the launch of its new pair of mid-range smartphones in India at an event in New Delhi. The Galaxy J5 (2016) and Galaxy J7 (2016) are successors to the last-gen phones by the same name that were launched in India last year. The Galaxy J5 (2016) is priced at Rs 13,990 and the Galaxy J7 at Rs 15,990. Both the phones will be available exclusively via Flipkart from May 10. Both the phones are 4G-enabled, run Android 6.0 Marshmallow, feature a 13 megapixel camera at the rear and a 5 megapixel front snapper. Both phones feature F1.9 lenses in both the front and rear cameras. The Galaxy J5 (2016) comes with a 5.2-inch AMOLED display and a quad-core processor paired with 2 GB of RAM, the J7 (2016) includes has a 5.5-inch AMOLED display and an octa-core chipset coupled with 3 GB of RAM. The J5 has a 3100 mAh battery and the J7 has a larger 3300 mAh battery. The devices are available in colour of Radiant Gold, Midnight Black and Pearl White....

Scientists have detected atomic oxygen in the Martian atmosphere for the first time since the last observation 40 years ago. Atomic oxygen - an elemental form of oxygen that does not exist in Earth's atmosphere - affects how other gases escape Mars and therefore has a significant impact on the planet's atmosphere.  An instrument onboard the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) - a joint project of Nasa and the German Aerospace Center - helped detect these atoms in the upper layers of the Martian atmosphere known as the mesosphere, Nasa said in a statement. "Atomic oxygen in the Martian atmosphere is notoriously difficult to measure," said SOFIA project scientist Pamela Marcum.  "To observe the far-infrared wavelengths needed to detect atomic oxygen, researchers must be above the majority of Earth's atmosphere and use highly sensitive instruments, in this case a spectrometer. SOFIA provides both capabilities," Marcum noted. The s...

Apple on Thursday expanded efforts to make its devices must-have business tools, unveiling an alliance with German workplace software giant SAP. The partnership sets out to "revolutionise the mobile work experience" by blending iPhone and iPad applications with capabilities of the SAP software platform for business known as HANA, according to a joint statement. "This partnership will transform how iPhone and iPad are used in enterprise by bringing together the innovation and security of iOS with SAP's deep expertise in business software,” Apple chief executive Tim Cook said in the statement. Cook described SAP as the leader in enterprise software, with some 76 per cent of business transactions touching one of the Germany-based company's systems. A kit will be released to let software developers build applications taking advantage of HANA and Apple mobile operating system capabilities, according to the companies. "We will help deliver live data to peopl...

Tesla Motors said it was stepping up production plans for its upcoming Model 3 mass-market sedan and would build a total of 500,000 all-electric vehicles in 2018, two years ahead of schedule, but warned that spending will ramp up in tandem. The company, which three months ago aimed to make a net profit in the final quarter of this year, gave no profit target on Wednesday and said capital spending would rise about 50 per cent more than previously forecast this year, to around $2.25 billion. New shares and debt will likely be issued at some point, Chief Executive Elon Musk added. Tesla, which produces the luxury Model S sedan and Model X sport utility vehicle, aims to become a high-volume automaker in a matter of years and already is valued on par with some of the biggest car companies in the world. Shares of the company, run by tech entrepreneur Musk, rose more than 5 per cent in after hours trade after it announced its first-quarter results and beefed-up production targets. Musk...

Microsoft announced Thursday that its latest Windows operating system designed to work on laptops, desktops, smartphones, Xbox One consoles and more is powering 300 million devices around the world. "We're seeing people at home, at schools, at small businesses, at large companies, and other organizations adopt Windows 10 faster than ever, and use Windows 10 more than ever before," Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice president of Microsoft's Windows and Devices Group, said in a blog post. The adoption speed has likely been ramped up by Microsoft's move to make Windows 10 available as a free upgrade through July 29. After that, it will be available pre-installed on new devices or for purchase separately, with a home computer version priced at $119, according to the Redmond, Washington-based company. The tech titan is hoping the new version -- launched after a weak response to Windows 8 and aimed at integrating with a variety of devices -- can help it gain traction in th...

A free smartphone app that will pay people to be physically active launches on Wednesday in Britain, with users given digital "sweatcoins" depending on how many steps they take that can be exchanged for rewards or traded like money. It's the latest initiative in an emerging fitness economy that includes all manner of monitoring devices, apps that reward activity with vouchers and even experiments in offering cheap insurance to people who can demonstrate they exercise. Sweatcoin aims to differentiate itself by using complex software to measure movement and location to prevent cheating, and by using the technology behind virtual currency Bitcoin to manage transactions. Retailers, health insurers and corporate wellness managers are taking notice, according to Oleg Fomenko, one of the serial, London-based Russian entrepreneurs who founded Sweatcoin. "This whole business is pegged to making movement valuable," he told Reuters. "Eventually, sweatcoin is goin...

A Brazilian congressional commission on Wednesday recommended a bill that forbids authorities from blocking popular messaging applications, just two days after a judicial order left 100 million Brazilians without Facebook's WhatsApp. A Brazilian judge on Tuesday overturned a 72-hour suspension of the application used by roughly half the population of the South American country, triggering popular outcry over its second judicial suspension in only five months. The reason for the freeze was not made public due to legal secrecy in an ongoing case in a Sergipe state court, but authorities have in the past demanded data from the Facebook's encrypted messaging service. A congressional commission investigating cyber crimes proposed removing messaging applications, such as WhatsApp, from a bill that regulates the suspension of websites and other applications used for crimes such as drugs and arms trafficking. "This way the legislation makes it very clear that judges cannot bl...

Vine , the popular six-second video sharing service, has finally launched its first app for Windows 10 desktops and tablets. The company announced the news on Wednesday in a blog and said, "Today we're releasing a new app: Vine for Windows 10 computers and tablets. Now you can watch entertaining stories and your favourite channels and accounts on larger Windows 10 devices." Users can download the new Vine for Windows 10 desktop and tablets from the Windows Store. Windows 10 users can share a Vine of their own either by uploading them manually, or just dragging and dropping videos right from their desktops. The new Vine app comes with Windows 10 native features including Live Tiles, an adaptive UI, and Drag and Drop. The Vine app will offer Explore option which will include channels such as Music, Dance, Comedy, and Sports. Additionally, users will also receive updates about trends and viral Vines. "You can enjoy all of this great content even if you don't ...

Google parent Alphabet on Tuesday announced that it has partnered with Fiat Chrysler in a major expansion of its fleet of self-driving vehicles. The Google autonomous test fleet would be more than doubled with the addition of 100 new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans, with the companies aiming to have some on the road by the end of this year. The collaboration with collaboration with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) marked the first time that the California-based Internet giant has worked directly with an automaker to build self-driving vehicles. "FCA will design the minivans so it's easy for us to install our self-driving systems, including the computers that hold our self-driving software, and the sensors that enable our software to see what's on the road around the vehicle," the car team said in a post at Google+ social network. The minivan design also provides opportunity to explore the potential of large self-driving vehicles that could be used mass-tran...

A new Connect tab on Twitter Inc's mobile app makes it easier for people to find accounts to follow, the social network said on Tuesday as it launched the new feature to attract more users. The tab suggests a list of accounts based on those already followed, as well as popular ones in the area, product manager Ricardo Castro said in a blog post on the company's website. Users can choose to automatically sync their address books to connect with friends and family with the tab, he said. The feature is available in Twitter's latest app on Apple Inc's iPhones or smartphones running on Alphabet Inc's Android. Twitter, led by co-founder Jack Dorsey, has been striving to improve its interface as its growth has lagged those of social media rivals Facebook Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google. Twitter's base grew modestly to 310 million monthly active users in the quarter ended March 31 from 305 million in the fourth quarter. The stock fell 2.7 per cent to an all-time...

Bing for iOS will now let iPhone and iPad owners search for information by snapping a photo. A picture is worth a thousand words and seeing that even the best text-based search engines cut off after the 32nd word in a search command, Microsoft has found a novel way of letting people use its Bing search engine entirely with images. Simply point a smartphone, phablet or tablet at an item or object and take a photo, and Bing should be able to identify it, meaning that it could be just as useful for those out exploring a new city as it is for those out shopping. The updated Bing app for  iOS  is available to download from the iTunes App Store now.

Google Chrome on Monday was crowned the top Internet browser, officially ending the long reign of Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE). NetMarketShare calculated the Chrome had 41.7 percent of desktop browser share in April, narrowly topping the 41.4 share for IE. Mozilla's Firefox browser was third with 9.7 percent, according to the market tracker. A second market tracker, StatCounter, had given the title to Chrome four years ago and gave Google's software for browsing the Internet an even bigger lead over IE in April. A graph posted online at netmarketshare.com showed a Chrome use trend line rising while a line for IE sloped downward. When it came to using browser software to access the internet from mobile devices, Chrome commanded slightly more than 49 percent of the market, according to NetMarketShare. The results came as Google faces regulatory scrutiny, particularly in Europe, over its dominant position in Internet lifestyles and as Microsoft was pursuing a shif...

Micromax, soon after launching Canvas Spark 2 Plus, has now unveiled the new Canvas Mega 2 smartphone. Priced at Rs. 7,999, the Micromax Canvas Mega 2 smartphone is now available in India. The highlight of the smartphone is its 6-inch qHD (540x960 pixels) display, which is one of the largest screen sizes available in the price segment. The handset is backed by a 3000mAh battery. To recall, Micromax showcased the Canvas Mega 2 at the Canvas 6 and Canvas 6 Pro launch last month, and had promised that it will be revealed in the coming weeks. Micromax Canvas Mega 2 is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core processor that comes paired with 1GB of RAM. There is 8GB of storage which is further expandable via microSD card (up to 32GB). It sports an 8-megapixel rear autofocus camera and also houses a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. The rear camera comes with LED flash. It supports 4G LTE connectivity in India and other options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Micro-USB, G...

Korean smartphone maker Samsung is developing an app called "Voices of Life" that could help premature babies develop while in an incubator. The app works on the premise that the sound of a mother's voice and of her heartbeat has a nurturing effect on foetus in the womb. If these sounds are prematurely interrupted it can have an adverse effect on a baby's brain development. The new smartphone app, which enters a pilot programme this week, transmits the mother's heartbeat and voice to an incubator via a special speaker that filters out sound frequencies not present in the womb, a sound engineering process Samsung calls "wombifying."

Apple sees a "huge market potential" for its products in India and the technology giant is "really putting energy" in the country which will begin rolling out high-speed wireless networks this year, CEO Tim Cook said. "This is another huge one. India will be the most populous country in the world in 2022. India today has about 50 per cent of their population at 25 years of age or younger. It's a very young country. People really want smartphones there, really want smartphones," Cook said in a CNBC interview. He said in emerging markets like India, LTE (wireless) penetration is currently "zero" but as LTE begins to roll out this year in the country, the dynamics will change. "And so that's changing. Huge market potential," he said in response to a question about the Indian market for Apple. Cook said the company has got "great innovation" in the pipeline and new iPhones that will attract people in markets like India...

Sony India launched a new portable wireless speaker for music aficionados in India. The speaker offering "extra bass" technology to enhance deep bass sound is priced at Rs 12,990. The 48-mm large speaker unit called SRS-XB3 is equipped with water-resistant properties and offers one-touch wireless listening with near-field communication (NFC) and bluetooth connectivity. The speakers have an alternative portable battery, which can be connected to the USB-A port via a USB cable, allowing a smartphone to be charged when on low battery. It provides up to 24 hours of continuous playback when properly charged. SRS-XB3 is available at Sony centres and major electronic stores across India in three colours -- black, blue and red.

Electronics giant Philips announced today it was floating its lighting arm on the stock market in a "historic" initial public offering, aiming to spin off at least a quarter of the division's shares. "The offering would consist of a sale of existing shares only held by Royal Philips, the current sole shareholder of Philips Lighting. The offering and listing, and their timing, are subject to, among other factors, market conditions," the Amsterdam-based Philips said in a statement. Philips in late 2014 announced it was selling off its core lighting business - a mainstay of its income for more than a century - to focus more on medical equipment. But since then Philips said it has been examining its options, hesitating between a straight sale and an IPO. Philips said it would retain the majority stake in the lighting arm "with the aim to fully sell down over the next several years" as it shifts its focus to healthcare products. "Today's annou...