UAE likely to ask India's assistance in its Mars mission

The United Arab Emirates is expected to seek India's expertise in launching its Mars mission when its foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan visits Delhi this week, opening a new chapter in bilateral ties beyond security and economic partnership within a fortnight of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's maiden trip to the oil-rich Gulf nation.

India's assistance for launching the Mars mission will work out more cost-effective for the UAE than is possible from Europe or USA, and mark the first such collaboration between India and any Gulf country, officials said. Al-Nahyan will be in Delhi on September 2-3 with an 83-member delegation, including top officials of the UAE's space agency and captains of industry. 
 
The two sides will explore cooperation in new areas including defence production, infrastructure, security, counter-terrorism, energy security and medium and small enterprises; scientific collaboration in areas such as space and renewable energy, sustainable development, environment, agriculture, desert ecology, urban growth and healthcare during Al-Nahyan's trip, MEA officials said.

Pluto may harbour alien life: UK physicist

Pluto may contain a subsurface ocean warm enough to host life, according to English physicist Brian Cox who also said that humans could be the only complex life in our galaxy.

Cox believes the tell-tale ooze of glaciers on Pluto's surface hints at the possibility of a subterranean sea warm enough to host organic chemistry.

"The New Horizons probe showed you that there may well be a subsurface ocean on Pluto, which means - if our understanding of life on Earth is even slightly correct - that you could have living things there," Cox told 'The Times'.

The New Horizons spacecraft completed a 3-billion-mile journey across the Solar System and performed a flyby of Pluto in July. The spacecraft captured detailed images and other data of Pluto and also of its moons: Charon, Styx, Nix, Kerberos and Hydra.

It is unlikely, however, that New Horizons would be able to tell for certain whether warm water exists beneath the dwarf planet.

Cox said that the most immediate prospect for finding evidence of life was on the moons of other planets closer to home.

"It's not as accessible, unfortunately, as Europa [a satellite of Jupiter] or some of Saturn's moons. Titan looks as though it's got a subsurface ocean now, and Enceladus throws liquid into space, so you can fly through that and see if it's got organics in it," he said.

Cox also said it was plausible that humans could be the only complex life in our galaxy. The biological "bottlenecks" on the way to multicellular organisms are so difficult to squeeze through that only a tiny fraction of the planets where life emerges will be home to anything more than the simplest biology, he said.

Cox added that science is telling us now that "complex life is probably rare."

LG launches two 4k OLED TVs priced up to ₹ 5.79 lakh

Cashing on the growing demand for the big screen panels, consumer durable major LG today launched two models of 4k OLED TV in India. The 65 inch model is priced at ₹ 5.79 lakh, while the 55 inch screen model will cost 3.84 lakh. 

"This year we are expecting to sell over one million sets globally, while demand in India is still very small. We expect a significant increase in the demand for OLED TV in the country," LG India Director Home Entertainment Howard Lee told reporters.

At present, above 40 inch panels account for about 40-59 per cent of LG's total TV sales in India. He further said that LG is also looking at maximising its line of OLED TV range.

When asked if the company will launch smaller screen size OLED TVs in India, Lee said "there is some possibility for LG to have smaller screen OLED TV but nothing is decided right now".

LG will also invest $8.5 billion globally in next three years in the production of OLED TV.

The South Korean firm has also expanded its television manufacturing capacity at its plant in Pune from two million units per annum to three million.

However, he declined to share specific investment. LG is also gradually increasing localised components in its panels. 

Sony launches Xperia C5 Ultra with 13MP rear and front cameras, priced at ₹ 29,990

Sony has launched Xperia C5 Ultra, a large screen mid-range phone with a 13MP front camera, in India. Priced at ₹ 29,990, the phone will be available starting today. 

It sports a 6-inch Full HD (1080p) screen with the company's Bravia Engine 2 technology and is powered by a 1.7GHz octa-core Mediatek MT6752 chipset with 2GB RAM. The smartphone comes with 16GB of built-in storage and supports microSD cards of up to 200GB capacity. The Xperia C5 Ultra runs Android 5.0 (Lollipop). 

The phone features 13MP rear and front cameras and both cameras include Sony's Exmor RS sensor, HDR for picture and video, and preset Auto scene recognition mode that analyses and adjusts settings automatically. The phone also features a front-flash for taking selfies in the dark.

The phone supports connectivity options such as 2G, 3G, 4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, and microUSB 2.0, and Sony will sell the dual-sim variant in India. It has a 2,930mAh battery, measures 8.7mm in thickness, weighs 187 grams, and will come in black, white and glossy softmint colours.

New app can turn your smartphone into 3D scanner

Creating instant 3D scans with your smartphone may soon be as quick and easy as texting or making a phone call, thanks to a new app developed by researchers, including one of Indian-origin. 

The app, called MobileFusion, by Microsoft Research can turn a smartphone into a 3D scanner, without requiring any extra hardware or Internet connection.

The scans are high-quality enough to be used for things like 3D printing and augmented reality video games.

"What this system effectively allows us to do is to take something similar to a picture, but it's a full 3D object," said Peter Ondruska, a PhD candidate at Oxford University who worked on the project while he was an intern at Microsoft Research.

"Everything happens on the phone itself," added Pushmeet Kohli, a principal research scientist with Microsoft Research, who also worked on the project.

Shahram Izadi, a Microsoft Research principal researcher, told 'Tech Net' that he imagines people using a tool like this to take a 3D scan of something they see on vacation, such as the Eiffel Tower, and immediately sharing it with friends or family.

According to the researchers, most mobile devices have become powerful enough that they could build a 3D-scanning system just using the computational power found on a regular mobile phone.

"The great starting point was to take a sensor that everyone has in their pocket, which is the camera you have on your mobile phone," Izadi said.

The researchers then developed an algorithm that allowed the camera to act as a 3D scanner, using a technique of taking multiple images that is similar to how the human eye works, Izadi explained. 

Intex launches Aqua Cloud Pace, priced at ₹6,999

Domestic handset maker Intex has launched Aqua Cloud Pace smartphone. Priced at ₹ 6,999, the smartphone is exclusively available on ShopClues.

The dual-sim smartphone features a 4.5-inch (540X960p) qHD display.

Powered by 1.3GHz quad-core processor, Aqua Cloud Pace has 2GB RAM, and comes with 16GB of internal storage. Users can also install microSD cards of up to 32GB for more storage.

It sports a 8MP rear camera and 5MP front-facing camera.

The phone runs Android 5.1 Lollipop and packs a 1,700mAh battery.

The smartphone comes bundled with freebies worth an additional ₹ 6,999. These include a Hitech 16 GB Memory Card, a callmate 2,800mAh powerbank, a Selfie stick with an Auxiliary Cable, Tempered Glass, a flip cover, a Screen Guard, Infyshield Accidental Insurance Policy and 1.5 GB (500x3) Airtel internet data pack for three months.

LG announces G Pad II 10.1

LG Electronics has announced that it will showcase its G Pad II 10.1 tablet at the IFA 2015 tech expo in Berlin. The second-generation LG G Pad tablet competes against the likes of Apple iPad Air 2, Google Nexus 9, Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 and Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet.  

The upcoming LG G Pad II 10.1 has a 10.1-inch screen with 1920x1200p resolution and runs on the 2.26GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, which also powers the Nexus 5 smartphone. This tablet sports a slim and sleek design with the slimmest bezel among similar-sized tablets, the company said in a statement.  

LG has pre-installed proprietary software like Reader Mode, Dual Window (which allows users to run two apps simultaneously) and QuickMemo+ on G Pad II 10.1. It also comes pre-loaded with Microsoft Office for Android as well as 100GB of free OneDrive storage for two years.  

"LG G Pad II 10.1 was developed in response to consumers' feedback and optimized for multimedia consumption," said Chris Yie, vice president and head of marketing communications for LG Mobile. "Customers asked for a large display, bigger battery and faster performance all without raising the price. The G Pad II delivers on all counts."  

The LTE and Wi-Fi versions of LG G Pad II 10.1 will become available in key markets in North America, Europe and Asia after its IFA 2015 unveiling. 

Oppo announces R5s smartphone with 3GB RAM

Chinese device maker Oppo has announced an upgraded variant of R5 smartphone -- Oppo R5s.  

Just as Oppo R5, Oppo R5s features a 5.2-inch full-HD (1080x1920p) AMOLED display, 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and 2,000mAh battery.   

The camera too is same, 13MP shooter at the back with Sony Exmor IMX214 BSI sensor and 5MP in front with 83-degree wide angle lens.   

Oppo R5s has received upgrade on both RAM and storage fronts. The smartphone features 3GB RAM as compared to 2GB 
RAM in Oppo R5. Also, it comes with 32GB in-built storage, double of what R5 had.   

It runs Color OS 2.0, based on Android 4.4. The phone feature Oppo's VOOC charging technology to get a 75% charge in 30 minutes.   

Connectivity options on the smartphone include 4G, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS. 

The Oppo R5s measures 148.9x74.5x4.85mm and weighs 155 gram.  

Apple to repair iPhone 6 Plus with faulty cameras

If you own an Apple iPhone 6 Plus and are not happy with the way pictures clicked with the device are turning out, we have some good news.  

Apple has acknowledged that in a small percentage of iPhone 6 Plus devices, the rear camera has a component that may fail causing photos to look blurry. The company has started 'iSight Camera Replacement Program for iPhone 6 Plus' under which it will replace the camera free of charge for eligible devices.

Apple says the affected units fall into a limited serial number range and were sold primarily between September 2014 and January 2015. If your iPhone 6 Plus camera is taking blurry pictures, you can check whether it is eligible by entering its serial number on Apple's website.  

In case it is eligible for repair, you can locate an Apple Authorized Service Provider to have the iSight camera replaced. 

Apple clarifies that the iPhone will be examined prior to any service to verify that it is eligible for this program and in working order. "If the iPhone 6 Plus has any damage such as a cracked screen which impairs the camera replacement, that issue will need to be resolved prior to service. In some cases, there may be a cost associated with the repair," it adds. 

Apple may restrict or limit repair to the original country of purchase so the service centre may not repair the phone if you purchased it from another country. 

Google's Android One

Google's Android One expands its reach in Africa
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Google is introducing a low-priced smartphone in six African countries where most people still can't afford an internet-connected device.  
 
The phone announced is made by Infinix and will cost about $87. It will be sold in stores in Nigeria and offered by online retailer Jumia in five other countries: Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, and Morocco.  
 
Infinix worked with Google on the 'Hot 2' phone as part of a programme called Android One that made its debut in India last year.  
 
Android One represents Google's push to lower the prices of smartphones in less developed parts of the world where computers are considered a luxury.  
 
Google consults with device makers to build cheap phones that can still run the latest version of its Android software.  
 
Infinix's phone will be sold with an Android release that came out last year under the nickname 'Lollipop'. It will be capable of running the next upgrade of Android, called 'Marshmallow', due out this fall.  
 
The price for the Hot 2 is a steep markdown from other smartphones equipped with Android's newest software. For instance, prices for Samsung Electronics newest Android phones to be released this month will cost from about $700 to more than $800 without a wireless contract.  
 
The Android phones being released in Africa, though, are bare-bones models that can't do as many things as more expensive phones.  
 
Google, Facebook and other internet companies are trying to get more people online in places like Africa so they can expand their audiences and eventually sell more digital advertising.  
 
As part of that effort, Google already has built a fiber-optic network to provide faster Internet access in Kampala, the capital of Uganda.

Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+

Samsung launches Galaxy S6 edge+ in India, priced at ₹ 57,900
 

Just days after unveiling it globally, Samsung has launched the Galaxy S6 edge+ in India, priced at ₹ 57,900. The phone will be available in gold and silver coloured variants, starting August 28. Only the 32GB storage variant will be available in India.

The phone features a 5.7-inch Quad HD (2560 x 1440p) Super AMOLED display with a dual edge screen with extended curved displays on the edges.

Galaxy S6 edge+ is powered by a Samsung Exynos octa core (2.1GHz Quad + 1.5GHz Quad), 64 bit chip and 4GB RAM (LPDDR4). The phone will come in 32GB storage variant but there's no microSD card slot.

The phone runs Android 5.1 Lollipop with a new optimised version of Samsung's TouchWiz UI layer.

The Galaxy S6 edge+ utilizes the edge displays offering features such as 'Apps edge' for easy access to favourite apps, and enhanced 'People edge' for easy communications with preferred contacts. 'Apps edge' allows users to access their favourite apps by just swiping the edge display. 'People edge' helps users to connect their close contacts easily. From the edge screen, users can quickly find their pre-set contacts and send message or give a call directly.

It sports a 16MP rear camera with Optical Image Stabilisation and a 5MP front-facing camera. The device is backed by a 3000mAh battery that supports fast charging with both wireless and wired chargers.

In terms of connectivity, the the phone supports WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, MIMO(2x2), Bluetooth 4.2 LE, ANT+, USB 2.0, NFC, GPS/GLONASS, and 4G LTE Cat.9 / LTE Cat.6 options. The phone comes with a fingerprint sensor and heart rate monitor.

Samsung's new phone also comes with improved video capabilities including Steady Video, which provides Video Digital Image Stabilization on both the front and rear cameras for sharp, crisp video on-the-go, and Video Collage Mode, which allows users to record and edit short videos easily in various frames and effects.
The Galaxy S6 edge+ also features 4K(UHD) video filming and Live Broadcast, which lets users instantly live stream Full HD video straight from the phone to any individual, group of contacts, or even the public through YouTube Live.

Anyone who receives the YouTube link from a Galaxy S6 edge+ user will be able to enjoy live stream video from his or her smartphone, tablet, PC or Smart TV with YouTube connectivity.