Man saved after falling into 400ft gorge due to iPhone 14 SOS feature

Recently a man's life was saved in Los Angeles after his car falls into 400feet deep canyon. All thanks to the iPhone 14's crash detection and emergency SOS features. 

On Friday evening, the man accidentally drove his car off a cliff, falling 400 feet into a canyon in the Mount Wilson area. Fortunately the phone automatically detected the crash and sent a text message along with the location coordinates to emergency responders via satellite connection.

One of the leaders of the search and rescue team, alleged that it would have been challenging to find the man without the iPhone's help as he was 400ft down in the canyon with virtually no way out.

This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of such life-saving technologies in our smartphones. They make a significant difference in critical situations and saves life's when traditional communication methods are not available.

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Samsung Galaxy M32 with bigger battery to be launched on June 21st

Samsung is going to launch Galaxy M32 smartphone officially on June 21. The smartphone is being  showcased on Amazon India website with the confirmed launch date. 

The screen will be a 6.4" super AMOLED panel, full HD+ resolution. It will have a water drop notch for the selfie camera, which will come with a 20 MP camera. 

The quad camera on the back will be mounted on a square island, with 64 MP being the main shooter. 

Other specs include a massive 6000 mAh battery, which has always been a signature feature for the Galaxy M series. The phone is exclusively available on Amazon online store and Samsung Store and the prices are likely to be between Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000, depending on storage and RAM options.

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Jio unveils 5 new recharge plans

 Reliance Jio has unveiled 5 new recharge plans with zero FUP restrictions on data and and unlimited call benefits. The new plans will benefit most those who don't want to buy data vouchers for extra data and want to use unlimited data on any day without any restrictions.

All the new prepaid plans from Jio offer unlimited voice calling to any network, 100 SMS per day and free access to Jio Apps. As per My Jio App, the new data plan of Rs 127 offers 12 GB of data and comes with a validity of 15 days. 

There is also a RS 247 data plan, which provides 25 GB of data and will remain valid for 30 days once you purchase it. 

The Rs 447 Jio plan offers 50 GB of data and and is valid for 60 days,

The company even launched a Rs 597 recharge plan, which comes with 75 GB of data for 90 days.

Lastly, the Rs 2397 Jio prepaid plan comes with 365 GB of total data. This is an annual plan so this one will remain active for 365 days once you purchase it.

You can find the above mentioned plans in My Jio App under the 'No Daily Limit' section. 

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Airtel to phase out 3G services in 2-3 years, says a report

 According to a report, Bharti Airtel is looking to phase out 3G services in two years with an eye on cutting costs.

The telecom operator is seeking to shift 3G users to 4G via a VoLTE communication standard within the next few months. According to experts, VoLTE standard helps reduce costs for telcos and also offers better customer experience. As of now, Airtel offers VoLTE services only in Mumbai.

"What we need is that every base site that we have, we need to add a new technoology so that the roll out that we are doing currently is almost entirely on 4G. Our 3G rollout is over and I would say 3G, in any way, in 2-3 years, we will have to shut it down. Our 3G network will also shift to 4G. And these are mostly software switches," their source said.

According to the firm, India will be the first place to phase out its 3G networks.

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Android smartphone users may get unlimited storage on Google photos

Good news for Android users, developers may have found a way to get unlimited storage from Google photos, even for those who don't own a Pixel smartphone.

The technology giant let's Pixel smartphone users store unlimited full-resolution photos and videos. Now some developers claim to have found a way to obtain abundant Google photos storage on any device that runs either Android Nougat or any higher version of Android.

However, there is a twist, in order to do this, users will have to root their smartphone. According to XDA developers, a file that is found on Pixel smartphones has to be downloaded on the device and then uploaded.

Additionally, in some cases, other more complicated adjustments may be required. One has to also give some required file permissions and then reboot their device. Once the device restarts, the user has to go to Google photos's Settings and wipe Google Photo's app data.

However, we didn't test the hack ourselves, reports suggests that inspite of doing this, some developers have found that their uploaded photos and videos are still being counted in Google Drive Storage. Whereas other users claim that the hack works for them.

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Motorola launches Moto G5S in new "Midnight Variant"

Motorola has announced a new variant of its Moto G5S smartphone. Now available in Blue Midnight model, the smartphone is priced at Rs 14,999, but it will be offered at a special discounted price of Rs 12,999. It is available via retail stores and Moto Hubs and the company is offering the device at the discounted price along with an EMI option, until October 21.

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Nokia 8,goes on sale online & offline at Rs 36,999

Nokia 8, new flagship smartphone made available in India by HMD Global is on sale, both online & off-line mode. The smartphone was introduced in the country last month at a price tag of Rs 36,999. Buyers can get their hands on the smartphone online via Amazon and off-line via Croma, Reliance and other retail stores.

Amazon is offering the smartphone on both regular EMI & no cost EMI options. Buyers can also get it for a discounted price of up to Rs 9500 as a part of exchange offer.

Nokia 8 is the first smartphone to come with 'Bothie' or dual-sight mode. Dual-Sight simultaneously harnesses both the front and the rear cameras in a split screen visual for both photos and videos.

Featuring a 5.3-inch Quad HD display, Nokia 8 runs Android 7.1 Nougat operating system and is powered by the Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, clubbed with 4GB RAM. The USP of Nokia 8 is its dual rear camera set up which is powered by Carl Zeiss optics. The smartphone features two 13MP rear cameras. There is also a 13MP camera and display flash for taking selfies in low light. The smartphone is also equipped with a fingerprint sensor placed on the front panel and is backed by a 3090mAh battery. 

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Lyf smartphone explodes, investigation under progress: Reliance Retail

On Sunday, a man Tanvir Sadiq, claimed on social media that his 4G enabled Lyf smartphone burned into flames. The phone was sold by RIL's retail arm Reliance Retail.

"My family had a narrow escape today after @reliancejio's @ Reliance_LYF phone exploded and burst into flames, "Tanvir Sadiq said on twitter.

He has also posted a picture of the burnt phone and also warned people from using Lyf phones.

The firm has promised a thorough investigation in the matter and will also take appropriate action said a Lyf spokesperson.

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Finnish smartphone maker Jolla enters Indian market soon

Finnish smartphone maker Jolla, founded by some ex-Nokia employees, has signed an exclusive deal with online shopping website Snapdeal.com to introduce their smartphones in the Indian markets.

Jolla smartphones run on its own software, called Sailfish, which is an offshoot of the MeeGo software that used to be found on the old Nokia phones and acts as an open-source alternative to Google's Android mobile operating system.

However, the platform does work with existing Android smartphones and tablets, and Jolla claims it is a more secure OS for those seeking privacy.

The phone will debut in India as early as next month. Price of the Jolla smartphones in India is not confirmed, however the phone is expected to be priced below Rs. 30,000. Jolla phones are available for orders online at its web shop at the price of Euro 399to all European union countries, Switzerland and Norway.

There are no navigation buttons on the Jolla phones, so taps, swipes and various other gestures on the touchscreen are used to navigate the phone, the report said.

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Rubik's cube turns 40

Internet giant Google is celebrating one of the greatest toy inventions ever — Rubik's Cube — with a doodle. 

Today's Google homepage showcases Rubik's Cube whichis an exact replica of the invention and you can play it virtually on your computer. By clicking on cube in homepage, it will get enlarged, there you can see option "?" telling how to play the game and also providing an option of the search page of Rubik Cube invention.

It is one of the world's best sold puzzle games and about 350 million cubes have been sold till now. The fastest time it has taken for a human to solve the puzzle is 5.55 seconds.

Rubik's Cube was invented in 1974 by Erno Rubik. Erno Rubik was a Hungarian inventor, architect and professor of

architecture. It was originally called Magic Cube, and Rubik licensed it to Ideal Toy Corp in 1980.

Rubik was also known for inventing mechanical puzzles — Rubik's Cube Invention, the Rubik's Magic 3D combination puzzle, Rubik's Magic: Master Edition and the Rubik's Snake. However, only Rubik's Cube became popular

across the globe.

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Motorola launches Moto E budget smartphone at Rs 6,999

Motorola has barged into the sub-Rs 10,000 segment with the new Moto E smartphone. Just like its two recently launched smartphones Moto G and X, the economical model Moto E will be exclusively available via online retailer Flipkart in the Indian market. The new smartphone is priced at Rs 6,999 and it will be up for sale starting May 14.

Moto E has a 4.3-inch display with 960x540p resolution, making it the only smartphone offering a high quality display at this price point. The dual sim phone runs on the latest Android 4.4 (KitKat) OS and packs a 1.2GHz dual- core Snapdragon 200 processor, with 1GB RAM and 4G internal memory. Unlike Moto X and G, this phone supports microSD cards for storage expansion.

The budget offering of Motorola sports a 5MP camera on the back, but does not have rear LED flash and front camera. It can access the internet over 2G, 3G and Wi-Fi networks, while data can be transferred via microUSB 2.0 and Bluetooth 4.0. The smartphone has a decent 1,980mAh battery and Motorola claims it can last a whole day once fully charged.

Moto E will come with 20 user-removable back covers. Motorola is eyeing the large number of mobile phone users who are switching from feature phones to budget smartphones with Moto E. At this rate and with these specifications, Moto E is likely to be a hot seller and take the market by a storm. This game changer handset can be expected to give several domestic players a run for their money in this bracket.

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Airtel Offers new WhatsApp data packs

Mobile instant messaging service, WhatsApp, has partnered with Indian telecom operator Airtel to offer users a customized data plan for WhatsApp use. 

The pack is available to both 2G and 3G subscribers and is priced in the range of Rs 36 and Rs 49, depending on the service area. It will offer 200MB monthly data allowance exclusively for Whatsapp use. To activate the plan, users need to SMS the keyword 'Whatsapp' to the number 121. 

It's not the first time that WhatsApp has tied-up with Indian telecom operators to offer special plans. The service had previously partnered Reliance Communications and Tata Docomo for offering WhatsApp specific data plans. 

WhatsApp claims to have 50million monthly active users in India, which is the largest market for the messaging service provider. About a fortnight ago, WhatsApp had announced that it had half a billion active users, worldwide and has grown fastest in countries like Brazil, India, Mexico, and Russia, with users sharing more than 700 million photos and 100 million videos every single day. 

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44 Indians shortlisted for one way trip to the Red Planet

As if setting foot on the Moon was not enough, spaceflight agencies are now in a race to send people to Mars. This time, it is the Netherlands-based Mars One leading the pack, taking leaps ahead NASA who openly stated intentions of sending astronauts to the Red Planet.

The Mars One project makes it possible to live in a world beyond our grasp. It aims to establish the first human colony in a foreign planet by 2024, opening an exciting opportunity for anyone who wants to live in a world other than ours. There is just one catch, though. The mission is a one-way trip to Mars, which means there's no turning back for them.

Yet roughly 200,000 applications flooded Mars One. However, not everyone is fit to go there. When the company screened the applications in December last year, a tad 1,058 was shortlisted. This time, the pool is reduced even more to 705 aspirants and 44 of them are Indians.

"We are excited that 44 Indians have been shortlisted in round two. It shows that India is a major player in Mars trip and the chance of an Indian being selected for the final trip is pretty high," said Bas Lansdorp, co-founder and chief executive of Mars One, in an interview with Indian local paper Hindustan Times.

A total of 27 men and 17 women from India made the cut, outlasting the other 18 Indian hopefuls who got in the first screening. They made up the 32 percent of the 136 applicants from Asia and most of them come from the cities of New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, Kolkata, and Thiruvanathapuram.

After completing Mars One's tasks of providing a physician-approved medical statement of health and opening an online Mars One profile to the public, the 44 Indians, as well as the rest of the shortlisted applicants from the Americas (313), Europe (187), Africa (41) and Oceania (28), will now proceed to the Round 2 of screening where they will be interviewed by the Mars One selection committee.

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Now Karbonn Titanium Hexa smartphone to be exclusively available on Amazon

Indian handset firm, Karbonn has announced that it will sell its Titanium Hexa smartphone exclusively on e-commerce website Amazon India (Amazon.in) with pre-orders for the phone starting May 13 and sales commencing May 20. 

Consumers who buy the phone through the website will also get a free Plantronics Bluetooth Headset with the purchase of the phone as part of a promotional offer. 

The phone was launched last month at Rs 16,990. Karbonn Titanium Hexa sports a 5.5-inch full-HD LTPS display (1280x1920p) with scratch-resistant oleophobic coating. The phone is powered by MediaTek's new MT6591 hexa-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz and 2GB RAM. 

The dual-sim phone sports a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front-facing camera. It comes with 16GB internal storage and supports USB on-the-go. 

In terms of connectivity, the phone supports Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and Wi-Fi. It comes with a 2050mAh battery. 

Karbonn also announced that it will pre-load the Amazon shopping app on its new smartphones, starting with its upcoming range of Titanium Hexa, Octane and Octane Plus devices. The phone will feature the Karbonn e-bazaar application which it says is reverse mapped to and showcases customer offers from the Amazon.in marketplace. 

It's not the first time that a device maker has announced an exclusive tie-up with an e-commerce retailer. Motorola sells its Moto G and Moto X smartphones exclusively via Flipkart.

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Flipkart confirms Motorola Moto E will go on sale May 14

We practically know everything about the Motorola Moto E now. The company’s newest Android smartphone is expected to slow below the already low-priced Moto G.

Indian online retailer Flipkart, which has exclusive rights to sell the Moto G and Moto X in India, has now started teasing the Moto E on their social media accounts.

The teaser images don’t mention the name but the outline of the phone matches all the leaked images we have seen. Flipkart is also suggesting replacing low-end feature phones with the Moto E, indicating a very low price point. The website says ’4 days to go for the new Moto’, meaning the phone will go on sale on May 14, even if the actual launch is on May 13.

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Nokia Lumia 630 launched in India for Rs 10,500

As expected, Nokia has finally launched the Lumia 630 in India with two models, starting at Rs 10,500. The dual-SIM variant of the phone will be priced at Rs 11,500. Both models will be available from May 14 onwards.

It has been a little over two weeks since Microsoft completed Nokia device and services acquisition , and the company has now forayed into the lucrative dual-SIM market in India, while also keeping a single SIM variant in hand.

Built on the latest Windows platform, the Lumia 630 comes with support for 3G. It sports a 4.5-inch display with 480 x 854 pixels of resolution. Under the hood, it is powered by a quad-core Qualcomm

Snapdragon 400 clocked at 1.2GHz and coupled with 512MB RAM. The Lumia 630 is the first Windows Phone 8.1 device, and is expected to usher in a new era of Lumia phones, under the Microsoftbanner.

On the camera front, it gets a 5 megapixel auto focus camera. The 8GB onboard storage is expandable up to 128 GB via microSD card slot. The connectivity options include Wi-Fi,3G, Bluetooth, GPS/A-GPS and GLONASS.

Windows Phone has suddenly got very interesting and with features like Cortana and Universal Windows apps, we finally have a three horse race in the smartphone market.

Nokia is throwing in a bunch of free goodies with the Lumia 630. Vodafone users will get free 1GB 3G data for two months, a two month subscription to Box TV and Flipkart e-books worth Rs 2,000.

Nokia has also launched the Treasure Tag Bluetooth accessory and a Bluetooth mini-speaker for the Indian market. The Treasure Tag, which can be programmed to perform various actions, and can also be used as a security device for your phone, is priced at Rs 2,099 and will be available from May 31.

The Bluetooth speakers will be available for Rs 5,499 from late June onwards.

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Apple to launch 8GB version of iPhone 5C in India

Apple is set to introduce the 8GB iPhone 5c in India.

The 8GB variant was officially unveiled back in March, and was initially available in UK, France, Germany, Australia, and China. Recently, the company launched it in additional countries, including Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Sweden, Poland, Czech Republic, Ireland, Portugal, Austria, Spain,

Denmark, Finland, Switzerland, and Norway.

Now, Apple is set to add to this list, with India amongst thecountries that is slated to get the cheapest current-generation iPhone.

The iPhone 5c was launched in India carrying a price tag of Rs. 41,900 for the 16GB model. 8GB variant is cheaper than the 16GB iPhone 5c by EUR 50 (Rs. 4,100 approximately), so a sub-Rs. 35,000 price tag for the 8GB iPhone 5c is likely.

While the 8GB iPhone 5c is not without its limitations aswe've noted earlier , the strategy of offering previous generations iPhone models at lower price points has worked well for Apple India in the recent past, so it's likely thagetales of the first 'colourful' iPhone will also get a push thanks to the price.

During the last earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook highlighted the growth in the India market, which industry insiders have attributed to the various cash backs and exchange offers that Apple has launched in the country.

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Smart Watch that alerts you if you're too drunk to drive

Engineers have developed a new watch, with a built-in breath analyser, that warns you when you're too drunk to drive.

The Kisai intoxicated's sensor is made from stainless steel and features an LCD display.

It reads the alcohol level in your breath and judges if you're too tipsy to climb behind the wheel. Users have to simply blow into the side of the watch after boozing and the screen turns red if they're over the limit.

"The display on the right of the screen shows 10 different levels of blood alcohol content. A green display showing 0.00 percent means you're sober. A yellow display showing between 0.41 and 0.60 percent means you're buzzing. A red display showing 0.61 percent or above means you're drunk," according to TokyoFlash, the Japanese makers of the watch. The snazzy-looking digital watch even features a sobriety game that lets you test your reaction time between drinks, The Sun reported. The gadget will cost 65 pounds. It uses a rechargeable battery which takes 3 hours to charge. Based on average use of the breathalyser, the battery should last for one month on one charge and has a lifetime of over 300 charges. As well as an integrated breathalyser, the watch has date, time and also an alarm mode.

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Spice launches Coolpad MI 515 smartphone at Rs 9,900

Mobile Internet Company Spice Group on Friday launched Spice Coolpad MI 515, priced at Rs 9,900.

Spice has tied up with Coolpad, a Chinese handset player, to launch MI 515, which is the first device in a new Spice Coolpad series.

The smartphone has a 1.2GHz quad core processor with Android Jelly Bean operating system. The 5-inch dual sim smartphone with qHD resolution and IPS display has a 5MP autofocus rear camera.

Packed with a 2000 mAh Li-ion polymer battery, the device has 4GB ROM and a 1GB RAM and external storage is expandable up to 32 GB through a microSD card. Spice Coolpad MI515 also comes with other features like Bluetooth 3.0, proximity sensor, 3G video calling among others.

The DTS-enabled smartphone have already been sold in excess of 1 million units globally, said the company.

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Idea slashes 2G data tariff by 90 percent

Idea Cellular, the third largest mobile operator in India, has revised data tariff in eight circles across the country.

Following in the footsteps of market leaders Vodafone and Airtel, the third largest mobile operator Idea Cellular, has also revised data tariff in eight circles across the country. Idea users can now access data for 2 paisa per 10 KB which the company claims is a 90 % reduction in thr existing tariff of 2 paisa per KB.

Idea's new data tariff will be applicable starting July 1st, 2013 and the offer will be valid for 90 days. Idea users in the eight circles of Tamil Nadu & Chennai, Karnataka, Kolkata, West Bengal, Assam, North East, Bihar and Orissa will benifit from the revised data tariff on both, prepaid and postpaid 2G plans.

"Idea has continously focused at growing data penetration in tier 2 & 3 markets. These 8 circles comprise of 1/3rd of the total mobile users in India, with a large number of users waiting to board the mobile broadband wagon. Availability of data at such affordable rates will usher in a new wave of mobile data growth in the country", said Ambrish Jain, deputy managing director, Idea Cellular. The revised tariff is applicable on pay-as-you-go basis for all users using 2G data.

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