Chromecast: Now everything you love on your smart gadgets is on your TV too

The first question that everyone would have in their mind is what actually Chromecast is?

Chromecast is a digital media streaming device developed by Google, it just plugs into the HDMI port on your TV and uses your smart gadgets like your Android smartphone, tablet, Mac or Windows Laptop or Chromebook, iPad, iPhone to cast your favourite movies, apps, photos, videos and many more stuffs right on your TV’s big screen.

The Working:

Plug In and Play: Yes using Chromecast is as simple as this. Plug it to your HDTV then connect it with your wifi and there you go, cast your apps from your smart devices to your TV.

Chromecast works with apps including HBO GO, YouTube, ESPN, Netflix and cast it directly on your TV. Now watch your favourite YouTube video on the big screen or use ESPN app for the latest sports news on your TV.

The features are not done yet ;)

You can mirror anything and everything from your small screen to the big screen, working on your laptop? Cast any website in Chrome directly on to your TV screen. Good ha?

Your smartphone works as your personalized remote control. Work on the apps on your phone as you normally do and it will show up right on your TV. Play, rewind, pause, and stop videos on your TV using your phone. Control the volume and even make playlists. And yes while casting you are free to use your phone for the very basic purposes (messaging and calling).

What to do when not casting anything?

Turn your TV screen into a beautiful backdrop like your smartphone's lock screen, filled with personal photos, satellite imagery, artwork or anything else. It’s your personal device make it do what you want. 

So guys, are you interested in Google's Chromecast. How many of you will be buying this. 

How about the features it is providing? 

Feel free to comment below .

For Indian users Chromecast is officially launched on Snapdeal.com with warranty and amazing offers on free data and content at just Rs. 2999

Nokia returns with an Android Tablet

The biggest news in the mobile world recently belonged to Nokia. After the sale of its devices and services section to Microsoft, Nokia was left with three major departments Mapping, Networking, and R&D. Nokia and team made the reveal of an Android powered tablet at Slush Conference.

This is the first of many brand licensing deals put in place by Nokia. The majority of the work for the N1 will be done by Foxconn including the warrant repairs, software support, distribution and manufacturing. The Nokia name, design, and software have been licensed from the Finnish company.

The N1 have impressive specifications

It has the same 7.9-inch display size and ‘Retina’ ready 2048 x 1536 pixel display as the iPad mini 2 and 3.

It got an aluminium unibody with power and volume buttons.

It comes with a 64-bit Intel Atom Z3580 2.3GHz processor and 2GB of RAM.

It offers 32GB internal storage but sadly with no micoSD card support. Connectivity options include wifi, micro USB 2.0 and Bluetooth 4.0.

The Nokia Z launcher:

The Finnish company has skinned its tablet with the Nokia Z Launcher. Released as a beta, it is a predictive launcher which allows you to trace the first letter of an app or service on the screen to help launch it.

The Nokia Z launcher is available for free on Google Play Store.

The Nokia Z Launcher learns how you use your phone and promoting your favourite apps so you can access them faster. The more you use it, the better it gets.

So, what are your thoughts on Nokia’s return to consumer market with an Android tablet and its own Z launcher? Do comment below :)

Smartphones with Windows 10 : What you want?

Microsoft recently announced via their twitter account that all current Lumia smartphones running Windows Phone 8 OS will be updated to Windows 10 in 2015. I am sure this is the happiest news for WP 8/8.1 owners. 

We know it’s pretty early, but still lets figure out what features we can expect from Windows 10 smartphones and I will not be the only one to guess those features. You people too contribute in the comments below, what you expect or want.

May be Microsoft will hear us and you never know we get those features in the next major OS update.

So first let’s see the features I want for sure shot in Windows 10 for phones:

1.  The live tile should work really like a live tile, with frequent updates as they arrive and a brief description of the new notification.

2.  The music tile should have control buttons on the tile itself (the forward, backward, pause buttons) and should also show the album we are currently playing.

3.  More features in the action centre. It should move the more important notifications on the top. Should have more options like the Data Connection tab, improved brightness level control and more tabs to add frequently used settings.

4.  We should be able to sort app list with options like recently used, alphabetically, installed and so on.

5.  Add widgets to the lock screen should be introduced and a swipe from left to right on the home screen should also be utilised.

6.  Multitasking should be much smoother, multi window support by just dragging a window in the multitasking mode on the other.

These are some of the features which I definitely want in Windows 10 for smartphones. What are your expectations? What stuffs you want?

  

Microsoft's new Lumia 535 : the "5x5x5" smartphone

The all new Lumia 535 is the first Lumia to feature the Microsoft’s branding. 

Lumia 535 is the entry level smartphone which is all set to launch this month starting from China, Hong kong and then to other parts of the world.

The Lumia 535 is an affordable smartphone with the following specifications:

·         1.2 GHz quad-core processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 200

·         5-inch IPS LCD display

·         1 GB RAM and 8 GB of internal storage which is expandable to up to 128 GB

·         5 MP rear camera and a 5 MP front facing camera too

·         1905 mAh battery

Microsoft have included a good 5 MP front camera in Lumia 535 which will be a welcome spec for the selfie lovers who all want to click good selfies that too with a budget phone. The front facing camera on Lumia 535 is the same wide-angle camera on the so called made for selfie phone, the Lumia 735 and Lumia 730.

Microsoft announced the new device via the Lumia Conversations blog , said, “ Today sees the launch of the new Microsoft Lumia 535, our “5x5x5” smartphone package bringing a 5-inch screen, 5-megapixel front and rear camera and free integrated Microsoft experiences to more people at an affordable price.” 

The Lumia 535 is set to launch in two variants :  3G single SIM and 3G dual SIM.

The price range of Lumia 535 is expected to be around $140.

Watch the Microsoft Lumia 535 - Big on experience video :

Source : Wcentral

Hey Windows Phone users, have you updated your WhatsApp?

Today WhatsApp for Windows Phone was updated with some cool new features and importantly the bug fixes and other improvements. WhatsApp on Windows Phone last got an update in June and since then it’s a long wait for the Windows Phone users.

But yes the WhatsApp team hasn’t disappointed us either. Some cool new features have been added to WhatsApp.

According the store listing and what I have noticed after updating WhatsApp on my Lumia, here is what is new in the latest update :

§   You can set backgrounds for each chat and group. Earlier users were allowed to set a single background pic across all their chats and groups.

§   Users are now allowed to add captions to photos and videos.

§   Now share locations with your friends and family. Drop and drag pin lets you share accurate locations.

§   You can now crop and rotate photos.

§   Archive chats and groups

§   I have observed a better resolution as compared to the earlier version. The texts, the User Interface looks graphically more better (though no major changes).

§   And yes WhatsApp now opens faster :)

Feature we still miss is the ability to send music (mp3) files over WhatsApp.

Still a good work done by the WhatsApp team and we hope there will be more cool updates to come for the Windows Phone users.

Download WhatsApp for Windows Phone:

What you think of the new update. Have you seen any other changes? Feel free to comment below   

  

Dream League Soccer

FIFA 15, Ultimate Team is available for Windows Phone but it’s not available for the devices with 512mb RAM. But football fans owning a Windows Phone which boosts 512mb RAM need not to worry as here comes ‘Dream League Soccer’, a fully fledged football game for all those sports enthusiasts.

I myself have been playing this game for past 1 week now and I can tell it totally makes up for the non availability of FIFA 15 for my Lumia 720. 

Coming to Dream Leagues Soccer game play, it’s really good and simple. Playing a football game on your handheld device was never so easy, you have moving controls on the left hand bottom corner on the screen. A rotator like stuff which you can move in any direction to make your player run or run fast. On the right hand side of the screen you have three buttons ‘B’,’A’,’C’ for pass/tackle, shoot/slide/head and long pass respectively. The graphics are good but not as good as in FIFA 15, but I bet you won’t miss it either. Players run smoothly, passes, shoots, headers, tackles all look good.

Now heading to other stuffs in the game. A user is required to build his own club, he can edit its name, edit the kit, edit squad and so on. Your club will have its season’s objectives and once you are done with these, you will compete in matches in the Division 3 league. As you win more and more matches you will be rewarded with coins and points too. Staying at the top of the table makes your club promoted to higher Division leagues where you face more tough competition from top clubs of the world. Coins help you in making transfers and strengthening your team, you can buy new kits and even upgrade your club’s home stadium using these coins.

Purchase and sell players, set the logo of your club, set formations and your team’s tactics before every game, substitute players in the middle of the match, head to training ground, everything that a football game should have is there in ‘Dream League Soccer’.

The game is free to download though have inside purchases, you can purchase coins for real money too instead of just earning them by winning matches.

It’s good to see a football game of this quality has finally arrived for Windows Phone with 512mb RAM.

Positives: Good graphics, nice background music off and on the field ;), easy to use controls, no lag, download size is just 106mb, fun to play...

Negatives: Nothing :) 

Download Dream League Soccer (available on all three platforms) :

     

Love Soccer? Check out our review of FIFA 15 here-

LINK

PhotoMath App Makes Solving Maths Equations as Simple as Taking a Picture

Do you have math homework? Are you in a hurry to finish that assignment of 50 problems? Worry no more, check out this app – PhotoMath. Basically, it simply uses your phone’s camera to look at your math problem and before you know it. BOOM !. Problem solved. It’s a really cool idea – isn't it. However, it shows the potential of smart phone with math homework. Soon, there will be some app (or this one) that can figure out all your homework. Not just math. I, for one, welcome that day. And I am not that good with math anyway so its a win win for me anyday. It makes solving math equations as easy as taking a picture.

Now coming to PhotoMath its a free mobile app that can read and solve mathematical expressions using your smartphone camera in real time. PhotoMath might sound like it help kids cheat, but the app also provides all the steps showing how each of the problems is solved. This step-by-step guide is beneficial to students that do not have access to a tutor and struggle with solving math problems. Parents can also use the PhotoMath app to jog their memory when teaching math to their kids. 

“PhotoMath currently supports all basic fractions,arithmetics and decimal numbers, linear equations in fact even several functions like logarithms. The PhotoMath app uses optical character recognition (OCR) technology to read the equation and calculates the answers within seconds. There is a red frame in the PhotoMath app that can be adjusted which you have to use for capturing the equation. PhotoMath’s ability to read math problems has some limitations though one of them is that PhotoMath can only read printed text so your handwritten notes cannot be solved by this app. 

When I tested out PhotoMath on an order of operations equation, the app kept on mistaking the “X” variable as the multiplication symbol. The red frame also causes limitations because there may not be enough spacing between two separate math problems in the textbook to capture the equation that you want but you can try to reframe the red rectangle. 

Microblink, the London-based app development company behind PhotoMath, is also planning to use the same technology for online banking in the future. Aside from the PhotoMath app, Microblink also works with a number of customers across 30 countries to set up “computer vision technology” for their mobile apps. For example, Microblink integrated its PhotoPay technology to eliminate manual data entry for bill payments with several major European Union banks. Another app that Microblink developed — which is called PDF417 Barcode Scanner — lets users scan 1D barcodes, 2D barcodes and QR codes. The PhotoMath app is available for free on iOS and Windows Phone now , but the Android version will be released next year. 

Get photomath

Smart camera calculator

Source- Forbes.com

FIFA 15

The all new FIFA 15 looks just great and it features several modes that are going to make the football lovers keep coming back and play the game for hours. Whether it is a quick single player game, tournament or on-line multiplayer, it's hard to get bored with FIFA 15. One of the most entertaining mode in FIFA 15 is the Ultimate Team, which is EA Sports' most popular mode.

When playing FIFA 15 there are many things that add up from its previous versions. There are certain new animations and replays that make you feel like watching a live game instead. In this version of FIFA, EA sports has added what's called Emotional Intelligence. Players now have  emotional responses based on what happens on the field. Like, when a goalkeeper makes a save, you will see his teammates giving him a chest pump or a high five. You will observe when a striker misses a shot, his teammates getting frustrated.

There are many such subtle changes that makes FIFA 15 totally different from its previous versions. Few changes in the visual details can also be seen. The field wears and tears as the match progresses which looks just great. The jerseys also move realistically when players run or get pulled by opponents. Jerseys also get wet from rain and dirty when the players hit the ground.

FIFA is purely looking to create authenticity or you can say is aiming for authenticity. Do have a look at the players' faces closely, you will see players looks just real, Ronaldo looks like Ronaldo, Messi looks like Messi. EA Sports have also improved commentary and audio of the gameplay. Realistic audio to goal reactions, misses, whistles and over two-hours crowd specific chants have been recorded to make the gameplay more realistic and live. 

Tackles, collisions, players, stadiums all look so real.

EA Sports's FIFA is one of the best selling sports video game and with FIFA 15 they have got another winner. It looks great and feels more authentic than ever before. There are plenty of modes available that will keep you busy.

Here is the official trailer of FIFA 15:

So will you buy FIFA 15? Do you like it?

Do feel free to comment :)

The new update for Skype on Windows Phone now allows you to draw and doodle

Microsoft’s latest update for Windows Phone Skype app will allow users to actually draw in the app along with some other new features and improvements.

In a blog post by Microsoft, it is stated that the update will allow Skype users to “get creative on a  canvas, add silly touches to a photo or draw a fastest route on a map and share it with your friends and family.” Users can enable this feature by tapping on  the ‘+’ icon during  a chat, then open ‘drawing’ to draw pictures.

Users are also allowed to use pre loaded pictures from their gallery or even draw on a Bing map. Along with all these features Microsoft also added HD screen support for the app.

Microsoft stated: “On Windows Phone 8.1 to save time you can now automatically sign in using the Microsoft Account linked to your phone. Plus, we’ve heard existing users ask for the flexibility to sign in with their Skype account, so we’ve added the ability to do this too.”

This update will surely offer faster app resume times. Skype app is supported for Windows Phone with 512mb RAM.

So will you be using this new feature provided by Microsoft in Skype update??

Source : Windows Central, Skype blog J

Is Windows 10 the next version of Windows Phone too??

I think this is the question every Windows fan have, after Microsoft launched Windows 10 with the tag line “One platform, One store, One product family.” And yes, as expected Microsoft too has confirmed that Windows 10 is also the next version of Windows Phone as well, which also confirms that the desktop-notebook PC operating system is merging with the mobile OS.

After their presentation in San Francisco, Microsoft’s operating system head Terry Myerson and Joe Belfiore were asked, “Is Windows 10 the next version of the phone operating system too?” to which he replied “Yes.” Belfiore then added, “The best way to think of it, it will be a natural step forward from the Windows 8.1 model.” He also stated that the phone version of Windows 10 won’t have a desktop user interface.

So, there we have.

The next version of Windows Phone will be Windows 10. Earlier rumours claimed that Microsoft will be removing the ‘Phone’ from ‘Windows Phone’ to lay basis for One Window motive. The launch of Windows 10 for all the devices (tablets, phones, PCs, notebooks) confirms this.

Windows 10 is expected to be launched in 2015 and it will be a very, very interesting 2015 for fans of the platform and we should learn a lot more about Microsoft’s plans for the mobile version of Windows 10 next year.

In the meantime, what you guys think of this? Is Microsoft heading in right direction? With One Windows aim.

Source : WP central, The Verge, GeekWire

  

Samsung Galaxy new 'A' line-up leaked: Galaxy A3, A5 and A7 smartphones

According to the rumours, Samsung is working on a new series of smartphones named as the Galaxy 'A series' .

As per Sammobile, the series will feature three smartphones named as Galaxy A3(SM-A300), Galaxy A5(SM-A500) and Galaxy A7(SM-A700). The A3 will be lowest speced smartphone in the series and is expected to cost around 350-400$, A5 with medium specs will be priced around 400-450$ whereas A7 is expected to feature highest specs among the three and is likely to cost around 450-500$, although according to the reports the A7 will only be launched in limited markets around the world, reason behind this not being clear yet.

As stated in the rumours, interesting thing about this line-up is that its been focused on providing premium smartphone experience at low price, the metallic design and features of the A series are said to be inspired by the company's new premium offering Samsung Galaxy Alpha.

It is expected that the series will make its debut in the third quarter, we are awaiting official confirmation and announcement on this line-up from Samsung soon. 




  

Windows 10 : Everything you need to know about the all new OS

So Windows 10 is here. Where is Windows 9? (You ask). Just forget Windows 9.  Microsoft will be jumping straight to double digits from Windows 8 as it faces a challenging future for its operating system.

We did cover Windows 9 though and tried to give you an insight in it. 

As Windows 10 is here...this is our 8 point FAQ covering everything you should know about Windows 10 inside out.

1. When can I upgrade? 

As of now we can only speculate that Microsoft will release the OS sometime in 2015, after the company's //Build developer conference in April. But why to wait for so long? for all the impatient ones like me,  Windows Insider Program comes to rescue we can signup for it on October 1 to get our hands dirty on the early (and likely buggy) preview build. 

2. And how much will it cost?Can I upgrade for free? 

Nothing has come out yet and you cannot simply upgrade for free. I guess it will cost somewhere around $60 (Rs 3600-4000 in India) like its predecessors.



3. I've got a desktop, and a tablet. How will that work?

Well Windows 10 is not limited to just PC's. The operating system will run on everything from desktops to smartphones, and the UI will adjust accordingly.

4. Those full-screen "Modern" apps were a pain. Are they still around?

Those touch-friendly, full-screen default apps that debuted with Windows 8 came under the "Metro" or "Modern" design. For Windows 10, full-screen apps will be optional a whole new tab will be available to minimize and maximize them. 

5. I actually liked those Modern apps, and bought a few. Are they still around?

I can't comment on that  and needless to say how Windows 8 developers will react to the changes, but in that introductory video Microsoft did show some of its own full-screen Modern apps operating in a windowed mode.

6. What about the Start menu?Is it the same?

If you hated Windows 8's full-screen Start screen, or just want a change: then you're in luck the old start screen is back , sitting on the left side of the screen and presenting that familiar pop-up column of shortcuts. And if you liked Windows 8's approach, there's something here for you too: the new menu will incorporate Live Tiles and can be customized.So its a mix of both world's .I mean the simple start screen of Windows 7 and ofcourse the newer one of Windows 8.

7. Never mind the apps -- I need to get things done. Any improvements on that front?

Windows 10 has somewhat changed that or lets say now that function which lets you arrange apps side by side now with the all new quadrant structure you can arrange up to four apps on a single screen. ,  Also support for multiple desktops has been added  (finally), so you can have all your work apps in a single place and quickly move back to desktop with your blogs and facebook once your boss walks away. And then there is this task view button that lives on your taskbar. Click it, and you'll get a quick look at all of your open files, windows, and desktops and I guess it like press of the left key in smartphones to view all the apps running in the background. This will surely help with multitasking or closing the apps that you no longer need in one go.

8. What our minimum specifications for Windows 10? Can I run Windows 10 on my PC?

We have no idea but as you might know Windows 8.1 did introduce 64-bit computing requirements which ruled out its operation on some old processors, but otherwise it played well with PCs that weren't too old. Needless to say, if you're picking up a newer device any time between now and Windows 10's release next year, you should be good to go. Once again, if you're willing to take risks, you can check out the Windows Insider Program anytime but use it in your secondary PC.

How to recall/unsend a text/SMS in your android smartphone easily ?

Did you just send an awful,idiotic text to your boss? Did you get really drunk and texted your ex really 

late at night?

If you did and wondering how to undo your SMS/text, in other words you need to unsend an SMS as quickly as possible. It’s not that easy to do that on any mobile device, but if you are an Android user then luck is in your side, one new app aims to make unsending an SMS as easy as possible.Yes, no need to plan about stealing the phone.
That app you ask is TigerText Secure Messenger, which can be used as a replacement for SMS/MMS messenger on any Android device. Above all,unlike other devices even if your recipient is not using this app this function will still work.

Here are the steps on How to make use of the unsend functionality in Android devices?

Step 1) Install TigerText app from here and set this this app as default.
Step 2) Type out your text messages using the this app
Step 3) Send the message, then tap and hold it
Step 4) Tap Recall to delete the text message from the recipient’s device.

NOTE--This function will only work if the recipient has not yet opened the message.
Step 5) To make sure that the Recall(*Unsend) function worked, check the green icon next to your message. This icon indicates that a message was successfully sent. If you successfully recalled(^unsend) that message, that green icon will not be there.
Really, recalling a text message doesn't get that much easier . You can switch your default SMS/MMS apps around from the in-app menu of the SMS app of your choice any time.

If you already know any such app do let us know and we will surely write about it in our next post.

Windows 9 : What to expect ??

Microsoft is expected to announce the Windows 9 beta as a “Developer Preview” in an event on 30^th September outlined as “what’s next for Windows and the enterprise” for which Microsoft has already sent out invitations.

We all are well aware of the fact that Windows 8 has not been a universal success for Microsoft.

The firm’s Chinese division posted an image on Weibo saying “Microsoft’s latest OS Windows 9 is coming soon, do you think the start menu at the left will make a come back”, though it was quickly removed.

We expect Windows 9 to be a universal platform that will launch in PCs, laptops, tablets and phones in April 2015 but Microsoft is likely to show it- to some extent on 30^th September 2014. Microsoft is expected to show off Windows 9 technical preview and may be the beta version will be announced.

A leaked document obtained by Myce.com, has a section detailing ‘update items’ which includes changes to the Metro UI, OneDrive, Windows Defender. There’s also a mention of Cortana integration like in the Windows Phone, this is the most talk about feature that may find it’s way in Windows 9 too.

Many of the features which Windows 9 may include have already been available including the return of the Start Menu, information regarding the Start Menu is that it combines the old style Windows 7 style with windows 8 Starts Screen and will be resizable. The Charms bar would be gone from Windows 9. The Task View will be used to switch between apps and is opened via button on the taskbar. The File Explorer will open with a new Home as the default, showing things like favourite folders, recent folders and files.

We expect that Windows 9 will be available as 64-bit only. A lot depends on what OEM’s want to build and what Intel gives them with which to build. One thing Microsoft has to do is to allow Windows Phone and Windows RT apps to run on both, WP as well as on Windows. Users may also be able to pin Metro apps to the taskbar. Also expect to see Kinect-based 3D gesture to be enabled for laptops with 3D cameras, which provide the ability to control your computer with gestures.

So, expect more from Microsoft.

We will soon come to know what all will be there in the new Windows.

And yes!! keep visiting techzoot.com for more tech related stuffs J