Apple to launch new iPhones on September 9

Apple Inc has invited journalists to a September 9 event, where it is expected to unveil new iPhone(s) and potentially a new version of its Apple TV set-top box.

The email invitation includes a colorful Apple logo with the sentence "Hey Siri, give us a hint," referring to Apple's popular digital voice assistant.

The company traditionally announces its new iPhones in September.

Apple is widely expected to unveil the iPhone 6S and the iPhone 6 Plus S. In general, the company launches upgraded versions to existing phones under the "S" range.

Media reports have indicated that Apple is preparing for the largest initial production run for its next iPhones by the end of the year.

The new iPhones are also said to feature Force Touch technology, which can distinguish between a light tap and deep press.

The event will be held at 10:00 am PT in the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, which can hold about 7,000 people.

Acer launches Liquid Jade Z and Liquid Z410

Acer has launched two affordable Smartphones in the US - Liquid Jade Z and Liquid Z410. 

Priced at $229, the Acer Liquid Jade Z features a 5-inch (720x1280p) display and runs on Android 4.4 KitKat. 

Powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6732 processor and 1GB RAM, the phone comes with 8GB internal storage. However, there is another version of the phone (priced at $249) with 2GB RAM and 16GB internal storage. 

The Smartphone can also support microSD cards for more storage space. It also sports a 13MP primary camera and a 5MP secondary camera and packs a 2300mAh battery. 

The other Smartphone, Acer Liquid Z410, is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6732M processor and 1GB RAM with 8GB of internal memory. Like the Acer Liquid Jade Z, it is also available in another version with 2GB RAM and 16GB internal storage. 

The 1GB RAM version is priced at $129, while the 2GB RAM version is priced at $149. The Smartphone sports 5MP primary camera and 2MP secondary camera and packs a 2000mAh battery. Like Acer Liquid Jade Z, it also runs on Android 4.4 KitKat.

Micromax launches Canvas Nitro 4G

Micromax has launched Canvas Nitro 4G Smartphone at Rs 10,999. The phone will be available at retailers across India. 

The Canvas Nitro 4G sports a 5-inch IPS HD (720x1280p) display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. 

The phone is powered by a 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 415 Octa Core processor with 2GB RAM and has 16GB internal storage. It's not clear if the phone has an external storage card slot. 

It runs Android 5.0 Lollipop. 

Canvas Nitro 4G sports a 13MP rear camera with ISOCELL sensor and dual-LED flash and a 5MP front facing camera. It is powered by a 2,500mAh battery. 

For the connectivity, the phone supports 4G LTE, 3G, 2G, Bluetooth and GPS. It's not clear if it supports dual-SIM.

Alcatel launches POP 8S 4G Tablet

Alcatel has launched a new Android tablet - POP 8S in India. The tablet is priced at Rs 10,499. The 4G LTE-enabled tablet will be available exclusively on Flipkart.

Alcatel POP 8S sports an 8-inch IPS display with WXGA (800x1280p) resolution. It's 7.9 mm thick and weighs 327 grams.

Powered by a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 quad-core processor and 1GB RAM, the tablet comes with 8GB storage expandable up to 64GB via microSD card.  The tablet runs Android 4.4 KitKat.

The Alcatel tablet sports a 5MP rear camera and a 3MP front-facing camera.

For connectivity, the device supports Wi-Fi, 4G LTE (both Indian bands), 3G, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS in addition to an Infrared blaster. The POP 8S is powered by a 4060mAh battery.

Videocon launches Z55 Dash Smartphone

Videocon Mobile Phones has expanded its budget Smartphone line up with the launch of Z55 Dash. Priced at Rs 6,490, this handset is available exclusively available on e-commerce website Flipkart.

Z55 Dash has a 5-inch IPS screen with HD resolution and Dragontrail X Glass protection and is powered by Android 4.4.2 (KitKat) operating system. The Smartphone packs a 1.4GHz octa-core processor and 1GB RAM under the hood. It comes with 8GB of internal storage as well as microSD card support up to 32GB.

The new Videocon Z55 Dash Smartphone has an 8MP rear camera with Corning Glass and dual anti-reflective coating; the front camera has 5MP resolution.

For connectivity the Smartphone includes 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and microUSB; however, it does not support 4G networks, which most Smartphones at this price band are compatible with. The battery capacity of this dual-SIM Smartphone is rated at 2,200mAh.

Intex launches Aqua Turbo 4G

Intex has launched a new budget Smartphone, Aqua Turbo 4G. This phone is priced at Rs 7,444. The Smartphone will be available across all online and brick-and-mortar retail stores.

Intex Aqua Turbo 4G runs on Android Lollipop 5.0 and features a 5-inch HD (720x1280p) display. Powered by a 1GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6735 processor, the phone comes with 1GB RAM and offers 8GB of internal storage. It also supports microSD cards of up to 32GB.

The Smartphone packs a 3000mAh battery and sports a 5MP primary camera with LED flash and a 2MP secondary camera.

For connectivity, the Smartphone offers 3G, 4G LTE, GPRS/EDGE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and a micro-USB slot. It also features HotKnot file transfer technology.

Zopo launches Speed 7, its First Smartphone in India

Chinese handset maker Zopo has launched its first Smartphone, Speed 7, in India. The Smartphone has been priced at Rs 12,999 and will be available on Snapdeal. 

Zopo Speed 7 is a dual-SIM Smartphone that features a 5-inch full HD (1080x1920p) display and runs Android 5.1 Lollipop. 

Powered by a 64-bit octa-core MT6753 processor, the Smartphone comes with 3GB RAM and 16GB internal storage. Users can install microSD cards of up to 64GB for additional storage. 

The Zopo Speed 7 Smartphone sports a 13.2MP primary camera along with a 5MP front-facing camera. It packs in a 2,500mAh battery that delivers more than 10 hours of talk time, and 120 hours of standby time, according to the website. 

Measuring 146.1x70.6x8.65mm, the phone supports 4G, 3G, GPRS/EDGE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS on connectivity front. 

Sony launches Xperia C5 Ultra

Sony has launched Xperia C5 Ultra, a large screen mid-range phone with a 13MP front camera, in India. The phone is priced at Rs 29,990.

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.

Panasonic launches Eluga Switch

Panasonic has launched a mid-range Smartphone - Eluga Switch. The device is priced at Rs 19,990. The Smartphone will be available exclusively on Amazon India.

Panasonic Eluga Switch runs on Android Lollipop 5.0 and features a 5.5-inch full-HD (1080x1920p) display. Powered by 1.5GHz octa core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor, the phone comes with 2GB RAM and offers 32GB of internal storage.

Panasonic Eluga Switch sports a 13MP primary camera with LED flash and an 8MP secondary camera and packs a 2910mAh battery. For connectivity, the Smartphone offers 3G, 4G LTE, GPRS/EDGE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1 and a micro-USB slot.

The phone is available only in Gun Metal Grey colour.

Intex launches Aqua 3G Neo

Domestic handset maker Intex has expanded its Aqua series Smartphone range with Intex Aqua 3G Neo. The Smartphone has been priced at Rs 3,690.

Intex Aqua 3G Neo is a dual-SIM Smartphone that features a 4-inch (800x480p) WVGA display and runs Android 4.4.2 KitKat.

Powered by 1.2GHz quad-core processor and comes with 512MB RAM and 4GB internal storage. Users can install microSD cards of up to 32GB for additional storage.

The Intex Aqua 3G Neo Smartphone sports a 2MP primary camera along with 0.3MP secondary camera. It packs in a 1,500mAh battery that delivers up to 8 hours of talk time, and 180 hours of standby time.

The phone supports 3G, GPRS/EDGE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS on connectivity front.

The Intex Aqua 3G is available in four colours: White, black, champagne and blue.

LG launches World's First 4K OLED TV in India

LG has launched the world's first 4K OLED TVs in India. The 55-inch variant will be available at Rs 3,84,900 while the 65-inch model is priced at Rs 5,79,900 at select LG outlets. 

The curved TVs are based on the company's proprietary WRGB technology that boasts 33 million colour sub-pixels for better colours and contrast ratio and deeper blacks. OLED TVs don't need a separate backlight and the display has a thickness of 5.9mm thickness. 

The TV has a maximum response time of 0.001ms (1000 times more than conventional LCD TVs) for blur free viewing as per the company. 

LG OLED 4K TV features a transparent stand and the back cover is free of fasteners and holes. The TV features 3D and Harmin Kardon sound technology. 3D glasses are bundled with the TV. 

The TV is powered by webOS smart TV platform and LG's magic motion remote that also supports voice recognition. It supports Wi-Fi, Miracast, MHL and Intel WiDi.

LG to unveil 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. 

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.

Asus launches ZenFone 2 Deluxe (256GB)

Asus has introduced a new Smartphone, ZenFone 2 Deluxe Special Edition. 

The device contains a 256GB of internal storage and a polygonal pattern on its back plate. The other specifications seem identical to the 64GB and 128GB internal storage variants. 

The Asus ZenFone 2 Deluxe features 5.5-inch full-HD display and is powered by a 2.3GHz quad-core Intel Atom Z3580 SoC paired with 4GB of RAM. It also comes with a 13MP rear camera along with a 5MP front camera and it is dual-SIM. It has a 3,000mAh battery and the 4G/ LTE Smartphone runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop. 

The special edition of the ZenFone 2 was introduced in Brazil.

Microsoft to launch New Lumia Phones, Surface Pro 4

Microsoft's next range of consumer gadgets will be unveiled at a mega event later this year.

According to news site WPDang, Surface Pro 4 and Microsoft Band 2, plus a pair of new Lumia handsets, will form the basis of the October event that will almost certainly see multiple new pieces of hardware.

The Surface Pro 4 will be the main focus of the event, which will once again be dubbed the tablet that can replace your laptop and Microsoft is expected to pack it with an ultra powerful Intel Core 'M' chip that will threaten the likes of the Apple MacBook Air.

Alongside this, the Lumia 950 and 950 XL can be expected to finally arrive following many months of leaks with both Smartphones ready to handle the long-awaited arrival of the Windows 10 Mobile OS.

That's not all. Further whispers are pointing to a couple of surprises on the hardware front for the event that could indeed mean a slimmer version of the Xbox One and even the long awaited arrival of the Surface Mini.

Micromax launches Canvas Tab P680

Domestic handset maker Micromax has launched an Android-based tablet - Canvas Tab P680. The device is priced at Rs 9,499.

Canvas Tab P680 sports an 8-inch WXGA display (1280x800p). Powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core processor and 1GB RAM, the tablet has 16GB internal storage and a microSD card slot that supports cards up to 32GB capacity. It runs Android 5.0 Lollipop. 

The dual-SIM tablet features a 5MP rear camera with LED flash and a 2MP front-facing camera, and packs a 4,000mAh battery. 

For connectivity, Canvas Tab P680 supports 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS. 

BQ launches Ubuntu-powered Smartphones in India

European technology company BQ has launched Aquaris E4.5 and Aquaris E5 Ubuntu edition Smartphones in India. The phones will be available on Snapdeal by end of August at a price of Rs 11,999 and Rs 13,499 respectively.

The Aquaris E4.5 was launched in Europe in February while the Aquaris E5 was introduced in June. The phones run Ubuntu mobile OS and come with Scopes available on the European Editions along with new ones created especially with Indian users. Scopes are individual widget-like quick start screens that provide fast access to content.

Both devices will be available in black colour and come fully unlocked with dual-SIM functionality.

The Aquarius E4.5 sports a 4.5-inch qHD (540x960p) IPS display with Dragontrail protection and 5 point capacitive touch.

Powered by a 1.3GHz MediaTek quad core Cortex A7 processor and 1GB RAM, the phone features 8GB storage with a microSD card slot that supports cards of up to 32GB. The phone is powered by a 2150mAh battery.

It sports an 8MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera. For connectivity, the phone supports 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS.

The Aquarius E5 sports a 5-inch HD (720x1280p) IPS display with Dragontrail protection and 5 point capacitive touch.

Powered by a 1.3GHz MediaTek quad core Cortex A7 processor and 1GB RAM, the phone features 16GB storage with a microSD card slot that supports cards of up to 32GB. The phone is powered by a 2500mAh battery.

It sports a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera. For connectivity, the phone supports 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS.

Lenovo launches Cheapest 4G Smartphone A2010

Lenovo has joined the ranks of ZTE and Phicomm as the maker of India's cheapest 4G Smartphone with the launch of its A2010 handset, priced at Rs 4,990.

As is the case with other Lenovo models, the new A2010 will be available exclusively via Flipkart.

Lenovo A2010 has a 4.5-inch screen with 480x854p resolution and runs on Android 5.1 (Lollipop) operating system. The Smartphone packs a 1GHz quad-core Mediatek MT6735m chipset with 1GB RAM under the hood, with 8GB internal storage and microSD card support up to 32GB.

The all-new A2010 budget Smartphone has a 5MP rear camera with LED flash on the back and a 2MP camera in front. Apart from 4G (both TDD and FDD bands), its connectivity suite consists of 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and microUSB 2.0. This dual-SIM Smartphone's 2,000mAh battery can deliver talk time of up to 8.5 hours on 3G and 4G networks, the company claims.

According to a recent IDC report, Lenovo accounts for 30% of the total 4G Smartphones sold in the country in the second quarter.

Xiaomi launches Redmi Note 2 and Redmi Note 2 Prime

Chinese Smartphone major Xiaomi has unveiled Redmi Note 2, the upgraded version of its budget Phablet Redmi Note. The company has also launched a Prime variant of the phone. The Redmi Note 2 is priced at 899 yuan (Rs 9,000 approximately) while the Prime variant will be sold at 999 yuan (Rs 10,000 approximately).

The Redmi Note 2 sports a 5.5-inch full-HD (1080x1920p) display. It measures 152x76x8.25mm and weighs 160grams.

Powered by a 2GHz MediaTek Helio X10 octa-core processor and 2GB LPDDR3 RAM, the phone comes with 16GB storage. The Prime variant has a 2.2GHz MediaTek Helio X10 octa-core processor and 32GB storage.

The phone features a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front facing camera. It runs Android 5.0 Lollipop with Xiaomi's new MiUI 7 skin.

The Redmi Note 2 is a dual-sim phone and comes with a 3060mAh battery. It supports 3G, 4G LTE, Bluetooth and GPS connectivity options.

The company also unveiled MiUI 7, the next version of its customised Android ROM. The new software will have a number of features including face recognition in the Gallery app. The ROM will be unveiled globally on 19 August.

Swipe launches Elite Smartphone

Domestic Smartphone brand Swipe Telecom has launched Elite, a new-sub brand of phones that will be exclusively available online. The company unveiled a new Smartphone with the same name at Rs 5,999. The Elite Smartphone will be exclusively available on Flipkart. 

The phone features a 5-inch HD (720x1280p) display with 2.5D curved glass. 

Powered by a 1.2GHz MediaTek quad-core processor and 2GB RAM, the Elite Smartphone comes with 16GB storage expandable up to 32GB through a microSD Card. The phone runs Android 5.0 Lollipop with Swipe's Freedom OS UI layer on top. 

The phone sports a 13MP rear camera and an 8MP front camera. It comes with a 2,500mAh battery with 'super charge' technology for quicker charging as per the company. 

For connectivity, the dual-SIM Smartphone supports 3G, 2G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and GPS.

Philips launches Xenium I908 and S309 Smartphones

Philips has launched two Android Smartphones in India - Xenium I908 and Xenium S309. The phones are priced at Rs 11,799 and Rs 4,999, respectively.

Xenium I908 is a dual-SIM phone that features a 5-inch full-HD (1080x1920p) IPS display and runs Android 4.4.2 KitKat. Powered by 1.7GHz octa-core processor and 2GB RAM, the phone has 16GB of internal storage and can support microSD cards of up to 32GB.

It sports a 13MP primary camera and 5MP secondary camera and packs a 3000mAh battery.

For connectivity, Philips Xenium I908 supports 2G, 3G, Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi, micro-USB, GPRS/EDGE.

The Xenium S309 features a 4-inch WVGA (480x800p) TFT display and runs Android 4.4 KitKat. Powered by 1GHz dual-core processor and 512MB RAM, the Smartphone has 4GB inbuilt storage and can support microSD cards of up to 32GB.

It sports a 5MP rear camera with LED flash, and 0.3MP (VGA) secondary camera, and packs a 1600mAh battery.

For connectivity, Xenium S309 supports 2G, 3G, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, micro-USB, and GPRS/EDGE.

Sundar Pichai is new CEO of Google

India-born Sundar Pichai was named CEO of Google yesterday by the company's founders Larry Page and Sergei Brin in course of a re-organization that created a mother company called Alphabet.

Pichai, 43, a Chennai native who went to IIT Kharagpur and later to Stanford and Wharton, will take charge of a slimmed down Google (quickly dubbed Google Minus) that Larry Page said will be stripped of companies "that are pretty far afield of our main Internet products," which will all go into Alphabet. Page will be CEO of Alphabet.

The new mother company will include, besides Google, units such as Calico (which focuses on Longevity), X lab (which incubates new efforts like Wing, Google's drone delivery effort) and units dealing with life sciences (such as the one working on smart contact lens that detects blood sugar level). Google's investment arms, Ventures and Capital, will also be part of Alphabet.

Still, Google will remain the biggest piece of Alphabet. Explaining Pichai's elevation, Page said he (Pichai) has really stepped up since October of last year, when he took on product and engineering responsibility for Google's Internet businesses.

A straight elevation for Pichai would have meant that two of the world's five largest companies by marketcap are headed by executives of Indian-origin - Pichai at Google which is ranked #4, and Microsoft, which is ranked # 5, is helmed by Satya Nadella.

But it won't be so straightforward. Page explained that Alphabet Inc. will replace Google Inc. as the publicly-traded entity and all shares of Google will automatically convert into the same number of shares of Alphabet, with all of the same rights. Google will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alphabet, which he (Page) will helm. The company's two classes of shares will continue to trade on Nasdaq as GOOGL and GOOG.

Still, the elevation is a milestone for Indian-origin CEOs, of whom there are at least half dozen in Fortune 500 companies, including Indra Nooyi at Pepsi, Ajay Banga at Mastercard, and Sanjay Mehrotra at SanDisk. There is a good chance that the third ranked Berkshire Hathaway too could be headed by a PIO with Ajit Jain strongly tipped to succeed Warren Buffett. Apple and Exxon Mobil are ranked #1 and #2 respectively.

Phicomm launches Energy 653

Phicomm has launched its second handset in India - Energy 653 which has been priced at Rs 4,999. Energy 653 is the cheapest 4G Smartphone in India.

It competes with ZTE Blade Qlux, which also offers 4G connectivity and is also priced at Rs 4,999. The dual SIM Smartphone from Phicomm sports a 5-inch (720x1280 pixels) HD IPS display and runs Android 5.1 Lollipop-based Expect 5.0 UI.

Powered by a 1.1GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 (MSM8909) processor and 1GB RAM, the phone has 8GB inbuilt storage and microSD card support for cards of up to 64GB capacity.

Phicomm Energy 653 packs 2300mAh battery and features 8MP primary camera and 2MP secondary camera.

For the connectivity, the Smartphone offers 3G, GPRS/ EDGE, Wi-Fi, Micro-USB, and Bluetooth.

Intex launches Aqua Cloud Pace

Indian handset maker Intex has launched Aqua Cloud Pace Smartphone. This device is priced at Rs 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.

Aqua Cloud Pace 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 Rs 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.

Oppo launches Mirror 5 in India

China-headquartered company Oppo has launched its Oppo Mirror 5 smartphone in India. The device is priced at Rs 15,990.The phone will be available starting this week in white and blue color options. 

One of the key features of the new smartphone is its crystal-patterned back. The Oppo Mirror 5 sports a 5-inch display with a qHD - 960x540p pixel resolution. It measures 143.4 x 71.2 x 7.65 mm and weighs 160 gm. 

The smartphone is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor and boasts of 2GB RAM, 16GB on-board storage and microSD card support for cards of up to 128GB capacity. 

On software front, the smartphone is powered by ColorOS 2.1 (based on Android Android 5.1 Lollipop). 

The dual-SIM equipped Oppo Mirror 5 packs a 2420mAh battery. 

The Mirror 5 has an 8MP rear camera and a 5MP shooter at the front. It supports 3G, 2G, Bluetooth and GPS.

Panasonic launches Eluga Icon

In order to expand its Eluga series, Panasonic has launched a new 4G-enabled Smartphone, Eluga Icon. The device is priced at Rs 10,999. The phone will be exclusively available on Amazon India.

The Eluga Icon has a thickness of 7.9mm and weighs 147grams. The phone will be available in gold and slate colors.

The phone sports a 5.5-inch (720X1280p) IPS HD display. It is powered by a 1.5GHz MediaTek octa-core processor and 2GB RAM. It comes with 16GB internal storage and supports microSD card slots of up to 32GB for expansion.

The phone has an 13MP rear camera and an 8MP front-facing camera for selfies. Eluga Icon runs Android 4.4 KitKat with Panasonic's Icon user interface that offers features like iSense - hand hover gesture based features, Smart Awake - Double Tap to wake-up screen, Air Swipe Unlock, Mediatek Hot-Knot, Blink Play (that activates the camera shutter of the front camera when the user blinks) and Picture-in-Picture Shot

The Eluga Icon supports 2G, 3G, 4G LTE connectivity on all Indian networks, Wi-fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS. The phone has a 3500mAh battery.

US plan to create Fastest Computer

US president Barack Obama has announced an ambitious plan to build the world's fastest computer, a machine capable of speeds far beyond technology's current reach, in a bid to enlarge the frontiers of fields, including medicine, biology and astronomy.

By 2025, the government will aim to create a machine capable of performing quintillion operations a second, or one exaflop, roughly 30 times faster than today's fastest computer. Such ultrafast machines are seen as potentially transformative tools in forecasting weather or unlocking mysteries of the human brain through the simulation of its operations.

The order, which establishes a cross-government body called the National Strategic Computing Initiative, represents an American commitment to gain an upper hand in an increasingly competitive race for the fastest supercomputers. China currently has the fastest machine, the Tianhe-2, which can carry out nearly 34 quadrillion operations per second, according to The Top 500 List, a ranking of the world's most powerful computers.

The US has the second-fastest machine, a Department of Energy supercomputer that runs more than 17 quadrillion operations a second. Intel and Cray are collaborating on a Department of Energy project to create a system that would run at 180 quadrillion operations a second, with a deadline of 2018. Other world powers, including Russia, India and the EU, are also eyeing similar speeds.

Any effort to unlock the technology to faster computing will have to be paired with effort to reduce the amount of power it would require. If an exaflop-capable machine used today's technology, it would need its own power plant to run. The question has vexed scientists, although some see potential solutions.

The initiative will coordinate efforts across multiple federal agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Institutes of Health, the White House said.

Kestrel Networks enters Smartphone market with KM 451

Kestrel Networks, an India-based player in the information and communication technologies (ICT) segment, has entered the country's Smartphone market with budget handset KM 451.

Launched officially at Rs 6,190, the Smartphone is available on e-commerce website at approximately Rs 4,000.

Kestrel KM 451 has a 4.5-inch screen with 480x854p resolution and OGS technology and runs on Android 4.4 (KitKat). It packs a 1GHz dual-core processor, 4GB of internal storage and 512MB RAM under the hood, and also supports microSD cards for storage expansion.

On the back of Kestrel KM 451 is a 5MP camera with LED flash, whereas a 0.3MP camera is placed on the front panel. Connectivity features of the Smartphone include 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and microUSB. Its 1,750mAh battery can deliver talk time of up to 8 hours, the company claims.

The Smartphone will be available in white as well as black colours, weighs 150 grams, and is 9.35mm thick.

Kestrel claims to have over 100 service centres and a R&D centres in India, along with a testing centre in China.