TechCrooks™

At an event presided by BJP MP Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi in New Delhi on Wednesday evening, India's Rs. 251 smartphone the Ringing Bell Freedom 251 was officially launched. The themes of Digital India, Skill India, and Make in India were given a lot of importance at the launch event, as the potential use cases of the phone to empower citizens in rural and semi-urban areas were highlighted. ( Also see : Freedom 251: Your 5-Point Cheat Sheet to the Rs. 251 Smartphone ) The company did not share too many details, but stated the although the chipset will be imported from Taiwan at present, the rest of Freedom 251 would be made in India; the goal is to make up to 75 percent of the hardware in India by the end of one year, and to raise this to 100 percent over time, said Ringing Bells President Ashok Chaddha. To accomplish this, the company is looking at investing in two manufacturing plants - in Noida and Uttaranchal - immediately as a pilot project at an estimated cost of Rs. 500 cro...

Expressing concern over the launch of a smartphone at price as low as Rs. 251, mobile industry body ICA has written to Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to get into depth of the issue, saying the rate could not be below Rs. 3,500 even after a subsidised sale. ( Also see: Freedom 251: Your 5-Point Cheat Sheet to the Rs. 251 Smartphone ) The Indian Cellular Association (ICA) also said that it is not appropriate for the senior political and government leadership to be present at the launch till the air around this is cleared and it is not shrouded under controversies. Noida-based Ringing Bells has launched India's most affordable smartphone, the Freedom 251 priced at Rs 251, a move that is set to disrupt the booming Indian mobile handset market. [embedded content] The 3G handset, Freedom 251, features a 4-inch display, 1.3-GHz quad-core processor, and 1GB of RAM, according to details shared by the company. ( Also see: Freedom 251 full specifications ) "For your kind...

Real Cricket 14 remains one of the better representations of the sport on Android and iOS. This comes despite competition from the likes of Disney India's ICC Pro Cricket games and a myriad of cookie-cutter clones that clutter the App Store and Google Play. It's been a while since we've seen a new entry in the series. The last major update was based on the 2015 Cricket World Cup , quickly followed up by an Indian Premier League based update. They also released a separate game in Real Cricket: Test Match in July last year. We noticed that the game's Facebook page has announced the impending arrival of Real Cricket 16 complete with a new cover and profile picture. That's not all, it seems that developer Nautilus Mobile's approach to the sequels might be different. "Cricket season is coming.... And so is something else. Guess what's coming in the form of a massive update soon!" teased a post on the game's Facebook page. The implications are ...

HTC on Tuesday announced that it has partnered with Keeper Security, the maker of Keeper password manager and digital vault app, to give enhanced password security to its users. HTC adds that the application will come pre-installed in select HTC models this year. Users will get the option to choose the premium or the free version. The Keeper app will not only store the ID and passwords for an account, but will also recommend stronger passwords and will be able to autofill login credentials across "native applications and browsers". Users will be prompted to sign up for Keeper when they reach at the login screen of a website or native application. They can simply click at the embedded 'snackbar' on the login screen to activate their Keeper account. "Smartphones are the unified devices for online access. Convenience, security and privacy are all major concerns for mobile users. With Keeper , HTC customers can access their apps, sites and private information qu...

Our compilation of funding activity covers VC investments in a leading online video content creator and software provider for restaurants, apart from seed funding rounds in game development studios, food delivery, and a marketplace for Indian snacks. The Viral Fever Tiger Global Management has reportedly invested $10 million (Rs. 68.4 crores) in online video content creator The Viral Fever, the makers of online TV show Pitchers. Tiger Global has reportedly picked up close to 25 percent stake in the firm valuing it at around Rs. 270 crores. ( Also read: India's Best New Ideas for Television Are Moving to YouTube ) Gamezop Smartphone gaming platform Gamezop has reportedly bagged $350,000 (roughly Rs. 2.4 crores) in seed funding from a consortium of new and existing investors. Founded in 2015, the Delhi-based startup plans to deploy the funds in building up its technology, distribution alliance, and talent. TableHero TableHero , provider of an intelligent operating system ...

Every year we see smartphone companies boast about the processing and graphics capabilities of their device. And rightly so - the modern smartphone is immensely powerful, and comparable to desktop PCs from just a few years ago. Whether it's gaming, or its affinity to mimic your desktop computer, we have come a long way. And in less than two years, it is claimed that the smartphone will have graphics as good as seen on Microsoft's Xbox One and the Sony's PlayStation 4 gaming consoles. And the claims are being made by no-one but the people responsible for designing most of the processors and graphics chips we see in mobile devices - ARM Holdings. At the Casual Connect conference this week, Nizar Romdan, ARM Ecosystem Director boldly claimed that the chips from his company will generate graphics on par with Microsoft's and Sony's current-generation consoles. "Mobile hardware is already powerful," Romdan told VentureBeat, pointing out that smartphone of...

Japan successfully launched a jointly developed space observation satellite on Wednesday tasked with studying mysterious black holes, the country's space agency said. The ASTRO-H satellite, developed in collaboration between the agency, Nasa and other groups, is set to orbit at an altitude of about 580 kilometres (360 miles) and observe X-rays emanating mainly from black holes and galaxy clusters. The satellite was carried out by the country's mainstay H-IIA rocket, which soared towards the heavens from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan under mostly clear late afternoon skies. The broadcast was nationally televised and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said the satellite separated from the rocket with no difficulty. Black holes have never been directly observed, but the announcement on the first detection of gravitational waves earlier this month indirectly added to the evidence that black holes do actually exist. The Japanese rocket, which was initial...

In a major boost to Indian science research, the Union cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposal to establish a state-of-the-art gravitational wave observatory in India in collaboration with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) in the US. The "in principle" approval for the LIGO-India project for research on gravitational waves - a discovery that is regarded as the breakthrough of the century - is piloted by the Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Science and Technology (DST), a press release said. The project will bring unprecedented opportunities for scientists and engineers to dig deeper into the realm of gravitational wave and take global leadership in this new astronomical frontier. The LIGO-India project will also bring considerable opportunities in cutting-edge technology for the Indian industry which will be engaged in the construction of the eight-km long beam tube at ultra-high vacuum on a levelled terrain. Confirming a major...

We are exactly one week away from Xiaomi's February 24 launch event in China as well as a limited media preview at MWC 2016 in Barcelona the same day. But there is no shortage of leaks related to the upcoming flagship from the Chinese handset maker. In a latest leak, a retail package sticker claimed to be from Xiaomi Mi 5 retail box has surfaced on the Internet tipping some of the innards of the handset. According to the leaked details ( via GizmoChina), the Mi 5 will feature a 5.15-inch full-HD display and will be powered by a 2.5GHz Snapdragon 820 processor. The purported retail package sticker of the Mi 5 smartphone also adds that the device will be backed by a 3000mAh battery and will sport a USB Type-C port. The smartphone is listed to pack a 16-megapixel rear camera alongside a 4-megapixel front camera. The company had confirmed the chipset details alongside other details including dual-SIM functionality, and NFC connectivity. Recently, Xiaomi, following LG's lead,...

We have already seen the yet-to-be-announced Samsung Galaxy S7 smartphone in several renders and other leaks. Now, the smartphone has surfaced on the Internet in a couple of new images and a short 14-second video. Out of two new leaked images of the Samsung Galaxy S7 , one shows the front panel of the device alongside confirming the microSD card support. In the image, the Galaxy S7's SIM slot is seen featuring an extra slot for the microSD card. In the second leaked image, the rear panel of the Galaxy S7 is visible. Corroborating earlier leaks, the Galaxy S7 features a design language that's similar to the Galaxy S6 . Android Authority says that it received the device from an anonymous insider. The 14-second video doesn't show much about the Galaxy S7 design but offers a look at the UI of the upcoming flagship. If the leaked video is to be believed then we might see a tight Flipboard integration in TouchWiz for future Galaxy smartphones. The sources also claim that t...

Leonardo DiCaprio, the 41-year-old actor known for his work in Titanic, The Departed, Inception, and The Wolf of Wall Street among others, is now the lead in an arcade-style side-scrolling video game called " Leo's Red Carpet Rampage ". ( Also see : Star Wars' Geometry Tracker Lauded at the Scientific and Technical Awards ) Over the years, DiCaprio has repeatedly failed to win an Academy Award, also known as an Oscar. He's been nominated four times in the Best Actor category - in 2004 for The Aviator, in 2006 for Blood Diamond, in 2013 for The Wolf of Wall Street and in 2015 for The Revenant - but is yet to win. The winners for 2015 are yet to be decided though, with the 88th Academy Awards scheduled for next Sunday, February 28. It is with his unfortunate Oscar streak in mind that London-based animation collective The Line decided to make this three-button game that only works in your browser. As Leo, you must rush down the red carpet - collecting a fair sha...

Facebook-owned Instagram has begun rolling out two-factor authentication (aka two-factor verification) feature for users. The process will prevent hackers to log in to a user's account even if they have the ID and password. The feature is not visible in Android or iOS apps in India for now. The two-factor authentication confirmed by Instagram to TechCrunch, will work just like it does for any other app. The optional feature will send a one time password (OTP) to a registered handset number when users are trying to log in with their email and password. Although the company has added an extra layer of security for its users, it still has to roll out a fix for the privacy notification bug Instagram for Android users have been facing lately. The company last week began the rollout of multiple account support , which now said to face a major bug, one that lets people access other user's Instagram notifications. The bug is restricted to the Android app only for now. If two user...

If you can't afford a Tesla car, fret not, maybe your kid will soon be able to drive one. The American car company has partnered with toy-maker Radio Flyer to produce the Tesla Model S for kids. Radio Flyer has begun taking pre-orders for the miniature Tesla Model S, which will ship in May at a price point of $499 Radio Flyer announced on Tuesday that it has partnered with Tesla to produce the first toy-car for kids aged between three to eight. As pictured above, the car has a seat mounted at the back side of the car, and the front gates are presumably gimmicky. But it looks elegant, regardless. "The baby Model S is quite fun," Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted . The kids' run-on will offer a top speed of 6 miles per hour - unlike Tesla's high-end model that goes from 0 to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds. Parents can lower the speed limit of their kid's car to 3 miles per hour. Staying true to its ethos, even the Tesla Model S for kids utilises lithium ion batteries for p...

Bethesda has announced three new DLCs for its most successful game - Fallout 4 - to be released over the next three months, and a price change for the Season Pass in line with the extended development. The first of these is called Automatron and will be available next month for $9.99 (approx. Rs. 685). "The mysterious Mechanist has unleashed a horde of evil robots into the Commonwealth, including the devious Robobrain," global community lead for Bethesda Softworks Matt Grandstaff explained in a blog post. ( Also see: Play Fallout 4 With Metal Gear Solid Characters ) The second - Wasteland Workshop - will see the light of day a month after in April. It will be priced at $4.99 (approx. Rs. 340) and will allow you to "design and set cages to capture live creatures". Rounding up the announced list of DLCs is Far Harbor, slated for May 2016. It is easily the biggest of the three, coming in at $24.99 (approx. Rs. 1,700) for a standalone purchase. "Travel off...

Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook says his company will resist a federal magistrate's order to hack its own users in connection with the investigation of the San Bernardino, California shootings. In a statement posted early Wednesday on the company's website, Cook argued that such a move would undermine encryption by creating a backdoor that could potentially be used on other future devices. Cook's letter was a direct and ferocious response to an order from U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym that Apple Inc. help the Obama administration break into an encrypted iPhone belonging to one of the shooters in the December attack. The first-of-its-kind ruling was a significant victory for the Justice Department in a technology policy debate that pits digital privacy against national security interests. A Message to Our Customers The United States government has demanded that Apple take an unprecedented step which threatens the security of our customers. We oppose this order, which has ...

Sonic the Hedgehog creator and erstwhile console manufacturer Sega has put a host of games on sale on Steam. And that's not all, it's giving away free games as well. These include cult classic skateboard platformer Jet Set Radio, hack and slasher Golden Axe, and action platformer Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit, including its Virtual Rabbit Missions and Pimp My Rabbit Pack DLC. (Also see: Tracing the Origins of Gaming in India: 8-Bit Cricket, Sega, and Cloning ) Dubbed as the Make War Not Love promotion, which is in its third year, you can also pick up Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II, Company of Heroes II, and Total War: Attila as well as Total War Master Collection Sept 2014 (which includes Medieval II: Total War, Rome: Total War - Collection, Empire: Total War, Napoleon: Total War, Total War: Shogun 2, Total War: Shogun 2 - Fall of the Samurai, Total War Battles: Shogun, Viking: Battle for Asgard, Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition) for a smashing 75 percent off. ...

Soon after launching the Era 4K smartphone, Xolo on Wednesday unveiled a new Era model, dubbed the Era 4G, with 4G LTE support on both the SIM card slots. Priced at Rs. 4,777, the smartphone will be available exclusively via Snapdeal starting February 26 in a flash sale model. The company confirmed that registrations for the Xolo Era 4G will open Wednesday. Xolo in a press statement revealed that the Era-range of smartphones saw over 150,000 units sold via Snapdeal. Another notable feature of the Xolo Era 4G is it comes with multilingual support for regional languages including Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, and Telugu. The Era 4G runs Android 5.1 Lollipop out-of-the-box while the company guarantees that the handset will receive an Android 6.0 Marshmallow update in future. At this price point, the Xolo Era 4G will be competing against the likes of the Intex Aqua Wing , priced at Rs. 4,599, and the 4G-enabled Swipe Elite 2 , price...

Samsung on Wednesday unveiled its latest Exynos mobile processor - the Exynos 7 Octa 7870 (aka Exynos 7870). Some might find the name familiar as the processor was spotted in a recent benchmark result listing for the unannounced Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016) smartphone. Samsung announced it will mass produce the SoC in Q1 of 2016. The Exynos 7 Octa 7870 uses the South Korean tech giant's 14-nanometer (nm) FinFET process technology and is designed for the company's upcoming mid-range smartphones and other mobile devices. It is also the company's first 14nm FinFET process-based SoC made for mid-range handsets. Samsung explains that its new processor consumes over 30 percent less power that those SoCs made using the 28nm High-K Metal Gate process technology. The Exynos 7 Octa 7870 features eight Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 1.6GHz along with LTE Cat.6 2CA Modem that supports up to 300Mbps downlink speed. The processor can handle full-HD resolution video playback at 60 frames pe...

Samsung unveiled the Chromebook 3 at CES 2016, the latest entrant in the company's Chromebook lineup, and promised that the laptop will go on sale soon. The new Chromebook 3 is now available to buy at $200 (approximately Rs. 14,000) via the company's online store, and is also expected to go on sale via Amazon. To compare, the Samsung Chromebook 2 was launched in 2014 at $400 (roughly Rs. 27,600). The South Korean company at the launch had stressed that the Chromebook range has been gaining traction from consumers across different segments including students, families, and other consumers who seek out "easy-to-use, highly portable and affordable laptops." Samsung also added it recognised demand for Chromebooks when it launched the first-ever Chromebook device back in 2011. As for the specifications, the Chromebook 3 measures 288.5x204.2x17.7mm, and weighs 1.4kg. Also worth underscoring is that the plastic body has been ditched in favour of a metal body, giving th...

Taiwan-based Delta Electronics Inc expects to quadruple annual revenue from India over the next three years as it makes more power components in the country, in tune with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's push to develop industry. Boosted by the rollout of India's 4G broadband network, the company aims to generate about $700 million (roughly Rs. 4,795 crores) in revenue from the country by 2019, Dalip Sharma, Delta's India managing director, said in an interview on Tuesday. Delta's revenue from India totalled $169 million (roughly Rs. 1,157 crores) last year. The company, a supplier of components to Apple Inc, entered the Indian market in 2003. It recently unveiled a $500 million investment in manufacturing and research facilities in India. Since becoming prime minister in 2014, Modi has travelled far and wide to promote his ' Digital India ' and ' Make in India ' campaigns, seeking to connect 250,000 villages to the Internet and courting investment t...