Samsung Gear VR 3 could be the HoloLens .

Augmented reality (AR) may or may not be the next big thing in tech, but Samsung is geared to take the magical leap for one of its upcoming headsets, dubbed simply as Samsung Gear VR 3.

But that’s not all it has planned. A company exec recently dug into the details of Samsung’s future head-mounted display (HMD) plans at the Virtual Reality Summit, part of which confirms that a Samsung Gear VR 2 is coming soon.

Gear VR 3, G3ar VR, GeAR VR 3?

A smoothing-out of the Samsung Gear VR is a move both welcomed and needed, especially if Samsung wants to punch up to the lush design of the Google Daydreamheadset and whatever else the hits store shelves.

But, the more revolutionary Samsung Gear VR 3 is said to move things forward in a big way, focusing in on one high-end feature in particular: augmented reality. 

Dr. Sung-Hoon Hong of Samsung stated that his team is aiming to create an immersive engine that brings realistic virtual objects into the world, unlike apps like Pokemon Go that offer a more one-dimensional experience. Speaking on the in-development engine, Sung-Hoon stated that “Samsung’s hologram technology is really, really realistic. It looks really touchable.”

As neat as that sounds, it won’t be the first to arrive with AR support. Today’s tech landscape already hosts a fair mix of augmented reality contenders, with the Microsoft HoloLens, and Tango by way of the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro leading the charge

Free unlimited voice calling : Airtel, Vodafone and Idea

All the three top telecom operators airtel, idea and vodafone have announced unlimited voice calling plans to stay competitive with Reliance Jio, after the latter announced the extension of its promotional offer. Jio was launched in September, and started services by offering free unlimited voice calling (local + STD), roaming and unlimited 4G data (4GB FUP).

The three big operators, Airtel, Vodafone and Idea might have introduced unlimited voice calling for prepaid users recently, but they already have the same for their postpaid customers. We called customer care services for all three telecos and found the top offers from each company:

Air tel unlimited calling offers

        Airtel in its ‘Myplan Inifinity’ plans is offering free unlimited calling starting at Rs 799.

• 1. With the Rs 799 plan users get unlimited free (local + STD) calls, 100 local + STD messages per day, 2GB of 3G/4G data and free subscription to Wynk Music + Wynk Movies
• 2. The Rs 1,199 plan will give users unlimited free (local + STD) calls, unlimited free roaming, 100 (local + STD) messages per day, 5GB of 3G/4G data and free subscription to Wynk Music + Wynk Movies
• 3. The Rs 1,599 plan will give users unlimited free (local + STD) calls, unlimited free roaming, 100 (local + STD) messages per day, 10GB of 3G/4G data and free subscription to Wynk Music + Wynk Movies
• 4. The Rs 1,999 plan will give users unlimited free (local + STD) calls, unlimited free roaming, 100 (local + STD) messages per day, 15GB of 3G/4G data and free subscription to Wynk Music + Wynk Movies
• 5. The Rs 2,999 plan will give users unlimited free (local + STD) calls, unlimited free roaming, 100 (local + STD) messages per day, 30GB of 3G/4G data and free subscription to Wynk Music + Wynk Movies

    Vodafone unlimited calling offers

• 1.Vodafone’s unlimited voice calling under its Vodafone Red plans starting at Rs 1,699.1. The Rs 1,699 plan will give users unlimited free (local + STD) calls, free incoming on roaming, 500 (local + STD) messages and 12GB of data. Outgoing on roaming will be charged at 50p/min.
• 2. The Rs 1,999 plan will give users unlimited free (local + STD) calls, unlimited free roaming (incoming + outgoing), 500 (local + STD) messages and 16GB of data.
• 3. The Rs 1,299 is not unlimited, but gives users 3000 minutes of (local + STD) calling, 8GB of data and 500 (local + STD) SMSage of data beyond the monthly allowance, users will be charged 50p/mb.

        !dea  unlimited calling offers

         Idea’s unlimited calling plans come with just 3G data; there’s no 4G bundled along as with the            other operators.

• 1. With Idea’s Rs 1,199 plan users can get unlimited free (local + STD) calling, unlimited free calling on roaming, 5GB of 3G data and 3000 (local + national) SMS.
• 2. Rs 1,599 plan offers users unlimited free (local + STD) calling, unlimited free calling on roaming, 10GB of 3G data and 3000 (local + national) SMS.

Maruti-Suzuki Swift 2017 & Suzuki Swift Sai Edition

The Maruti-Suzuki Swift  has been one of the top-selling cars in the country from the Indo-Japanese auto major. It was just last year that the car received a new facelift and it seems now Maruti Suzuki is gearing up to launch the new generation Swift next year. Based on the latest spy shots of the car that have surfaced online, the 2017 Maruti Swift  will share most of its style cue with the new-gen Swift hatchback.

The model featured seems to be the top-end version of the regular Swift, featuring chrome garnish around the hexagonal mesh grille, a contrasting embellisher across the grille, fog lamps, projector headlamps, diamond cut alloy rims and turn indicators in the ORVMs. It is reported that the next gen Swift will introduce a new metallic paint similar to the Mazda2’s ‘Soul Metallic’, which appears to be the exterior color of the model spied.
The new Swift will be based on the Baleno’s lightweight platform, and is expected to weigh between 830-930 kg, depending on the variant. In markets like Japan and Europe, the next gen Swift is reported to offer a 1.2L Dualjet 4-cyl petrol engine with SHVS and a 1.0L Boosterjet (turbocharged) 3-cyl petrol engine. Transmission options include a 5-speed manual and CVT for the 1.2 Dualjet variant, and a 6-speed automatic for the Boosterjet variant.

 Suzuki Swift Sai edition.

At the ongoing 2016 Bangkok International Motor Show, Suzuki Thailand introduced a special Suzuki Swift Sai edition, which is priced from 599,000 baht (INR 11.41 lakhs).

The only significant change is the exclusive Moonlight Violet exterior color shade for the Sai edition. Smaller additions include chrome accents on the radiator grille, LED DRLs around the foglamps, 16-inch alloy wheels and a unique “Sai” sticker on the fuel filler cap.

Google rebrands Android

Google today announced that it’s changing the names of its services for pushing Android apps in enterprises. Google Play for Work, a tool that organisations could use to distribute public and private Android apps to employees’ devices, will now be called just Google Play. Android for Work, which keeps business and personal apps and content separate, from here on out will be just Android.

“With platform-level support shipping with every GMS [Google Mobile Services] compatible device, Android for Work and Play for Work have become a core part of Android and Google Play,” as Google software engineer Adam Connors and product manager Travis McCoy put it in a blog post.

"The simplified branding reflects that the APIs [application programming interfaces] these products use have been integrated into Android and Google Play, respectively, and the separate branding is no longer needed,” the page says.

DJI Mavic Pro , Foldable Drone

The drone will cost $999 (approximately Rs. 66,400) and a will begin shipping on October 15 from DJI’s stores and Apple stores, although you can pre-order one starting Wednesday.
Just like GoPro’s Karma, the Mavic Pro can be folded down to the size of a ‘water bottle’ and when you compare the dimensions of the two drones (when folded); DJI has a much more compact solution. 

DJI Mavic Pro weighs 743 grams including the gimble cover and has a maximum speed of 40mph in sport mode. DJI Phantom 4 travels at a speed of 45mph in sport mode.

DJI Mavic Pro features the same 12MP image sensor found on Phantom 4 and is capable of recording 4K video at 30fps. The drone also shoots 1080p videos at 60fps and slow-motion HD videos at 120 frames per second. The camera has an ISO range of 100-3200 while shooting video and 100-1600 for still photography. The 12MP sensor shoots still photographs at maximum resolution of 4000 x 3000 pixels with a shutter speed of 8s to 1/8000 second.
 The remote control bundled with Mavic Pro has an operating frequency of 2.4GHz and has a smaller battery of 2,970mAh. The remote control has a smaller screen offering details like height, speed, distance and orientation. For live feed, users can clip their phone with DJI app and access advanced flight mode options.
DJI Mavic Pro starts at $749 without the camera, which is in fact cheaper than the $799 pricing of GoPro Karma. The Mavic Pro will retail for $999 with the camera component attached to it.

Bacteria-powered batteries coming soon to smartphones

A team of scientists from Oxford University showed how the natural movement of bacteria could be harnessed to assemble and power microscopic “wind farms” or other man-made micromachines such as smartphone components.

Researchers say these biologically driven power plants could someday be the microscopic engines for tiny, man-made devices that are self-assembled and self-powered – everything from optical switches to smartphone microphones.

Co-author Dr Tyler Shendruk said: “Many of society’s energy challenges are on the gigawatt scale, but some are downright microscopic. One potential way to generate tiny amounts of power for micromachines might be to harvest it directly from biological systems such as bacteria suspensions.”

Dense bacterial suspensions are the quintessential example of active fluids that flow spontaneously. While swimming bacteria are capable of swarming and driving dis-organised living flows, they are normally too disordered to extract any useful power from.

But when the team immersed a lattice of 64 symmetric micro-rotors into this active fluid, the scientists found that the bacteria spontaneously organised itself in such a way that neighbouring rotors began to spin in opposite directions – a simple structural organisation reminiscent of a wind farm.

Shendruk added, “The amazing thing is that we didn’t have to pre-design microscopic gear-shaped turbines. The rotors just self-assembled into a sort of bacterial wind farm.”

Prisma App Turns the Most Boring Photos Into Striking Paintings

Ever wanted to turn a photo into a painting? There are plenty of apps and Photoshop filters that can do the job for you, but with most, the effect is pretty limited and the result can look rather feeble. There's an iOS app called Prisma (an Android version is in the works) that steps things up to the next level, in a super-easy to use interface that you really have to try out.  

 With Prisma, you now have your own, personal Picasso in your pocket. Just pick a photo from your phone, and it starts painting

By using a combination of neural networks and artificial intelligence, the end results are a real sight to behold. It doesn’t just put a filter over your image.

The app itself is pretty straightforward, and reminded us a lot of Instagram, back when it first launched - it's very simple with a basic interface that puts the focus on taking pictures, applying the filters you want, and then sharing them to Twitter or Facebook, instead of cluttering things up with a dozen different options. 

When you start the Prisma app, it asks for access to your camera and your photos. You don't have to grant access to your camera, as you can edit saved pictures from your gallery, but it's obviously a lot quicker and easier to snap a picture and edit it directly.

That being said, the app is free, and incredibly easy to use, so you should at least give it a shot to see how well it works.

Twitter CEO’s account hacked !

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey’s account was today briefly hacked, the latest cyber attack against the high—profile personalities by hacker group ’OurMine’

The group, which previously hijacked social media accounts of Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Mark Zuckerberg, shared a few videos and then sent a tweet that read, “Hey, its OurMine, we are testing our security.”

The tweet also included a Vine which has since been deleted and a link to the OurMine website.

“After the hackers posted a few benign video clips, a tweet went up saying ‘Hey, its OurMine,we are testing your security’ and linking to their website.

That tweet was quickly deleted,” technology website engadget.com reported. “All of the OurMine messages posted to Dorsey’s account (which, as of 3:25 am or so appears to have been scrubbed of the hacker’s tweets), came through from Vine,” it said.

A warning pops up from Twitter if one tries to access the OurMine website, advising that it is probably not safe, according to the report.

Last month, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg was hacked on Twitter and Pinterest. 

7-inch monster called the Galaxy J Max have just been announced at a Samsung event in Delhi

Now, onto the Galaxy J Max. The Galaxy J Max has an insanely-large-for-a-phone 7-inch WXGA display, a Spreadtrum SC8830 quad-core SoC clocked at 1.5 GHz, 1.5 GB of RAM, 16 GB storage with microSD, 8 MP/2 MP camera combo, LTE, 4,000 mAh battery and – oddly – runs Android 5.1 Lollipop. 

The J Max will set you back Rs. 13,400 from the end of July. The J Max comes with a Bluetooth headset included and a one-year premium subscription to the Viu streaming service.

It also offers support for 4G, VoLTE, and dual SIM. Features like Ultra Data Saving and
S  Bike  mode are supported. 


Available in black and gold color options 

Samsung Galaxy J Max specifications:-

• 7-inch (1280 × 800 pixels) WXGA TFT display
• 1.5 GHz quad-core processor
• 1.5GB RAM, 16GB internal memory, expandable up to 200GB with microSD 
• Android 5.1 (Lollipop) OS
• Dual (nano) SIM
• 8MP auto focus rear camera with LED Flash, f/1.9 aperture 2MP front-facing camera,  f/2.2 aperture
• 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio
• 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS 
• Dimensions: 186.9×108.8×8.7mm 
• 4000mAh battery

Facebook to Test Offline Videos With Select Group of People in India From July 11

It looks like  Facebook  is set to follow YouTube 's lead in offering users the ability to download select videos and watch them later.

"Starting July 11, 2016, we'll be rolling out the option for a small group of people to download videos to their Facebook app while they're online with good Internet connections, so they can then watch the video at any time, offline or online." 




Test will be conducted in India, one of the markets where connectivity is a real issue, and publishers will have the ability to opt out of the trial.


Facebook also assures publishers that the downloaded videos will be stored in the Facebook app alone and it will not be available to share or view in other applications.

New sensors will let smartphones detect toxic gases

MIT researchers have developed new low-cost chemical sensors that can enable smartphones or other wireless devices to detect trace amounts of toxic gases.

Using the sensors, researchers hope to design lightweight, inexpensive radio-frequency identification (RFID) badges to be used for personal safety and security.

such badges could be worn by soldiers on the battlefield to rapidly detect the presence of chemical weapons

The sensor is a circuit loaded with carbon nanotubes, which are normally highly conductive but have been wrapped in an insulating material that keeps them in a highly resistive state, researchers said.

When exposed to certain toxic gases, the insulating material breaks apart, and the nanotubes become significantly more conductive, they said.

This sends a signal that is readable by a smartphone with near-field communication (NFC) technology, which allows devices to transmit data over short distances.

Apple iPhone 7 to start at 32GB in base model, will be water-resistant

Apple's iPhone 7 will be waterproof, but will look similar to the 6/6S

Apple iPhone 7 is said to get 32GB storage in the base version, reports Wall Street Journal. It seems like Apple has finally heard the complaints of consumers who find the current 16GB storage too less for a phone that can capture 4K video. 

WSJ also reports iPhone 7 will be water-resistant, slimmer and the headphone jack will indeed be gone.
 The report also notes iPhone 7 Plus will get an upgraded dual-rear shooter.

iPhone 7 16GB Variant Death 'Confirmed' by WSJ , getting just 16GB of internal storage simply seems a bit unjust these days (more so because it’s not expandable).

Delivery boy steals 12 iPhones from Flipkart, gets caught!

A Flipkart delivery boy has been arrested for stealing at least 12 iPhones from his employer.

The delivery boy’s name is B Naveen, The report also adds that he’s 21 years old and based in Chennai. Naveen would place an order for an iPhone from the area he services (Washermenpet) and have it delivered to a fake address. He would then replace the iPhone with a Chinese fake and return it to the warehouse claiming that the customer was unsatisfied.

 All the stolen phones were reportedly recovered by the police and are said to be valued at over Rs 5 lakhs.
Naveen had been doing this for over a month before Flipkart, noticed the unusual number of returns from that area and launched an investigation. It was then that they discovered the fake phones and the warehouse owner, Vetriselvam, filed a complaint with the police. Following this, Naveen was arrested.
The delivery boy was apparently in debt owing to an extravagant lifestyle while in college. All the stolen phones were reportedly recovered by the police.