Two Men Reportedly Try to Sell Kidney for iPhone 6s

by NDTV Correspondent , 16 September 2015

In a bizarre incident, two men in China's eastern Jiangsu Province apparently tried to sell their kidney for Apple's latest offering, the iPhone 6s. One of the men identified as Wu, wanted an iPhone 6s but could not afford it. His friend Huang suggested they sell a kidney each for money.

The two found an illegal agent on the internet who asked them to take medical examinations at a hospital in Nanjing, state-run China Daily reported.

However, when they arrived at a hospital, the agent did not turn up as promised. They later reconsidered selling the organs. Wu told his friend, Huang, to stop the plan but Huang did not listen. Wu then called the police, but Huang ran away and has been out of reach ever since.

This is not the first time people in China have gone to crazy lengths to get their hands on Apple products.

Two years ago, a Chinese couple illegally put their third child up for adoption online and accepted money for the baby, using the proceeds to reportedly buy an iPhone. A year before that, a Chinese teen reportedly sold his kidney to buy Apple iPhone and iPad.

Of course China is not the only country to witness such things. Last year, an incident came to lightwhere a Saudi man reportedly asked for an iPhone 6 as dowry from the man who proposed to his sister.

"We have heard of quite a few things, but an iPhone 6 that has not even hit the markets here is a bit bizarre," Saud Ahmad, a Bahraini office clerk, had said at the time. "We need to promote a culture where marriage should not be used by anyone to get gifts or make profits in any way. If I had been the groom, I would have confronted the brother."

Written with inputs from PTI

iPhone 6, iPhone 5s, MacBook Air, TVs, Speakers, and More Tech Deals

by Harpreet Singh , 14 September 2015

This week we have the MacBook Pro, iPhone 5s and iPhone 6, Panasonic smart LED TV and more at great discounts.

1. Apple MacBook Air 13-inch

The entry level variant of the 13-inch MacBook Air is now available at an all-time lowest effective price of Rs. 52,499 (effective after cashback). The last lowest price was around Rs. 55,000. The same variant sells at the price point of Rs. 62,500 at major online stores. Use the coupon code A10K to receive Rs. 10,000 as cashback in your Paytm Wallet. You can use this cashback to pay bills, recharge pre-paid connections or pay for your purchases. You can also use this cashback to pay on websites that accept Paytm Wallet. The MacBook Air 13-inch is powered by the Intel Core i5 processor, supported by 4GB of RAM. It comes with a 128GB SSD and runs OS X Yosemite out of the box. You'll be able to upgrade it to OS X El Capitan when it releases by the end of September this year.

Price: Rs. 52,499 (MRP Rs. 72,900)

Link: Paytm

2. Apple iPhone 5s 16GB

Now that the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus have been announced, Apple has reduced the MRPs on previous iPhone variants. This can only mean one thing - more discounts. The iPhone 5s 16GB is now down to Rs. 26,990 (with cashback) at Paytm and Rs. 30,799 (without cashback) on Amazon. That's the same price point the smartphone was sold during the Diwali sale last year around. The selling price might fall a bit further, but won't go down as much as Rs. 26,990 being offered on Paytm. If you are looking for an iPhone under the Rs. 30,000 price point, the 5s is still a pretty decent device. It works well on iOS 9 and can be a great gift for your parents or relatives. The iPhone 5s comes with an 8MP primary camera and a 1.2MP front-facing camera. It features a 4-inch Retina Display, and is powered by Apple's A7 processor.

Price: Rs. 26,990 (with cashback), Rs. 30,799 (without cashback)

Link: Paytm and Amazon

3. AmazonBasics MFi certified mini Lightning cable

Amazon finally introduced its AmazonBasics brand of accessories in India recently. It is currently selling the MFi certified mini Lightning cable for Rs. 799 (MRP Rs. 1,665). The cable is available in black and white colors. It is just 4-inches long, making it a perfect cable for charging using power banks or other specific use cases where you don't need a very long cable. At this price, it's also one of the most affordable MFi certified Lightning cables in the market. It comes with a 1-year limited warranty which covers manufacturing issues but won't work in case you end up damaging the cable intentionally. The cable is compatible with all devices with Apple's Lightning port.

Price: Rs. 799 (MRP Rs. 1,665)

Link: Amazon

4. House of Marley Get Together Bluetooth portable speaker

Amazon is running a promotional sale on portable speakers for two days. You can grab the House of Marley Get Together wireless speaker for Rs. 9,495 (MRP Rs. 19,990). The speakers normally retail at the Rs. 13,000 price point on Amazon. House of Marley Get Together speakers are compatible with almost all Bluetooth devices. They sound just as good as they look. They come with buttons for power, volume and Bluetooth pairing options. In case you want to use a wired connection you can use a standard 3.55mm audio input. They come with an in-built Lithium ion battery that can last as long as 8 hours on a single charge.

Price: Rs. 9,495 (MRP Rs. 19,990)

Link: Amazon

5. Apple iPhone 6 64GB space grey

With the iPhone 6s announcement and Apple India's price drop on the iPhone 6, the discounts are likely to get even sweeter at online stores. The iPhone 6 64GB is still available at an effective price of Rs. 46,380 (using cashback) at Paytm. If you're waiting for a further discount during Diwali, you really shouldn't. If anything, the prices for the 16GB variant might be lowered and only for a limited stocks, just like last Diwali. The 64GB and higher variants don't quite get a massive discount as we saw last year. The iPhone 6 is still a great buy at this price. The smartphone is powered by a dual-core 1.4GHz processor, supported by 1GB of RAM. It comes with an 8MP primary camera and a front-facing camera for video calls. It runs iOS 8 out of the box and you'll be able to upgrade it to iOS 9 later this September.

Price: Rs. 46,380 (effective)

Link: Paytm

6. Panasonic 42-inch Smart LED TV

If you're looking for a smart TV below the Rs. 40,000 price point, the Panasonic 42-inch Smart LED TV is worth a look. The full HD TV is now available at an effective price of Rs. 38,868 on Paytm. The TV normally retails at around Rs. 48,000 online. The Panasonic 42-inch smart LED TV features a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. It offers a viewing angle of around 176 degrees. There are two HDMI ports and two USB ports for connecting devices. The TV comes with a full 1-year manufacturer warranty and the installation is carried out by the company itself. The seller on Paytm will accept returns within the 7-day window period in case anything goes wrong.

Price: Rs. 38,868 (effective)

Link: Paytm

Disclosure: Paytm owner One97 is an investor in NDTV's Gadgets 360

Six Android 6.0 Marshmallow Features You Should Be Looking Forward To

The newest version of Android, version 6.0 named Marshmallow, has been available for developers to preview for some time now, with a public release pegged for November 2015. There are a lot of improvements that Google is promising with Android Marshmallow, which give you more control over the phone and improve performance, while also providing new ways to interact with your device.

Here are the 6 features from Android 6.0 Marshmallow that we are most excited about.

1) App permissions

Application permissions have been completely overhauled in Android Marshmallow. Now you will be able to grant apps individual permissions to device functions, instead of the previous model of all or nothing.

What this means is, if an app is trying to access your phones camera or microphone, the system would prompt you saying this app is trying to access camera/ microphone on your device and it will ask, "Would you like to allow this?" It's a big change from the current system where you have to either give an app access to all the services it wants; or not install the app.

Here's another example: If you want to send a voice recording on WhatsApp, the system would give you a prompt telling you that WhatsApp is trying to access the microphone on your phone. This means you don't have to agree to permissions from an app which doesn't make sense to you, such as if you don't want a specific camera app to access your contact list.

Now you can also go into app settings and individually turn on or off app specific permissions at any time. This gives users complete control over an app, and resolves any privacy concerns they might have.

(Also see: Google Photos With Free, Unlimited Storage: 10 Things You Need to Know)

2) Now on Tap

This is one of the most impressive new features to be introduced with Android Marshmallow. Now on Tap takes the concept of the smart assistant Google Now, and spreads it across the entire OS so you can take advantage of it on any screen, regardless of what you are doing. All you need to do, is simply press and hold the home button, and Now on Tap will analyse the information you are looking at, to give you related cards.

For example, you get an SMS from a friend asking if you would like to go to watch the James Bond Spectre movie over the weekend; long press the home button and Google's Now on Tap will automatically recognise the context of the text based on words like 'movie' and 'James Bond Spectre' and show you useful results, such as screening timings in nearby cinema halls, or ratings from IMDB.

3) Fingerprint support

While we've seen Android phones with fingerprint scanners, the implementation was done by vendors themselves. Android Marshmallow will support fingerprint scanners on phones natively now. The new feature will allow the scanners to be used to not only unlock your device, but also use it authorise payments using Android Pay in the offline world or within Play Store apps.

This is important because it will help standardise the implementation of fingerprint scanners in different Android devices, so app developers can take advantage of this new hardware as well. This will also encourage more phone makers to include fingerprint scanners in their devices.

(Also see: Android 6.0 Marshmallow Won't Come With Dark Theme)

4) App links

App links, also known as Intents, is a feature where if you click on a link in your email or a text message, it asks you what app you would like to open it with. The same thing happens when you click on - for example - a video file or a Facebook link; you are shown all the app that can open the link and asked to choose the one you want to use.

This feature always allowed Android users to set their own default apps, but it was also annoying at times with frequent dialogue boxes asking which app you want to use. App links are now being updated in Marshmallow to show greater awareness of what you're clicking on, instead of routinely stopping you to pop up dialogue boxes.

So, in Marshmallow, if you get an email with twitter link, it will launch the Twitter app instead of asking you to choose between that and the Chrome browser.

5) Doze

One of the most common complaints faced by Android users has been unpredictable standby times on their phones. This happens because of apps running in the background, which can affect the standby time and performance.

Google is now looking to improve this with the feature called Doze. This is a new technology that learns over time and detects when your device is motionless and not being used, so it can be sent into a deep sleep mode. Once your phone is set to Doze, it checks for updates from apps less frequently, while still staying responsive for calls, messages, and other similar things. Google claims that internal tests have showed double the battery life on standby mode, when compared to Android 5.0.

6) Automatic backup and restore

A seamless back up feature is something which has been missing from Android for years, and it looks like Google has finally taken notice. With Android 6.0, you can set up automatic backups, which will back up apps and app settings of up to your Google Drive storage. There will be a limit of 25MB per app, and the backups will not count against your Google Drive storage limits, and are encrypted by default.

These backups happen no more than once a day and run only when the device is idle and is connected to a working Wi-Fi connection to avoid unwanted data charges and battery drain on your device.

This way you can change phones or just reset your phone and when you re-install your apps the previous data will be restored conveniently. This feature works even with apps which have been side-loaded or purchased through other app stores.

These six features are some of the highlights, in our view. Overall, Google is bringing some much needed polish and great new features to the OS in Android 6.0 Marshmallow, and we can't wait to try it on the final release.

Siddhy is a gadget freak and leads the consultative selling platform at FindYogi.com

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. NDTV is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this article. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.

Is the iPad Pro the Best Portable Laptop Yet?

If there is a gadget that shows us the future of Apple's strategy, then it is the iPad Pro. Readers of tea leaves had suggested that a larger iPad was on the way after WWDC 2015, and that rumour turned out to be true. Combine a beautiful high-resolution display with raw processing power and you might just have finally witnessed a device that could one day replace laptops.

The changes in iOS 9 - true multitasking, split screen, and picture-in-picture mode - had hinted that the iPad was finally ready to become more than just a bigger iPhone. The iPad Pro shows what Apple had been planning all along.

The most important addition to justify the iPad's 'Pro' moniker is raw power. Apple claimed that the new A9X chip in the iPad Pro is faster than up to 80 percent of portable PCs that shipped in the past one year. Many of these portable PCs can't open 10 tabs in a browser without freezing, but they cost a lot less the the iPad Pro, which makes this an unfair comparison. Even then, this is a landmark for the iPad Pro as Apple is a relatively new entrant to the chip-making business.

The A9X chip is nearly twice as fast as the A8X inside last year's iPad Air 2, which is also a big achievement. With A9X and 4GB RAM, Apple is nearing the point where the iPad Pro can seriously be considered a MacBook Air replacement. The iPad Pro already has a better display, it is a lot lighter than the MacBook Air, and comes with a battery that lasts almost as long. Add to this the four speakers that will make watching films enjoyable, and we have a device that will appeal to many.

The only thing missing is the keyboard. Apple covered that too with the Smart Keyboard. Apple has added a new Smart Connector to the iPad Pro, which lets the keyboard draw power from and exchange data with the iPad Pro. This does away with clunky Bluetooth keyboards that need to be charged separately and paired with the iPad. Apple has always avoided adding connectors to iOS devices and this is a departure from that approach. Separating the keyboard does allow the company to market the iPad Pro as a device that starts at $799 (roughly Rs. 53,000). Most people would want to buy the $169 (roughly Rs. 11,200) Smart Keyboard that also acts as a case for the iPad Pro.

Another interesting accessory is the Apple Pencil. Apple isn't using it as a replacement for touching the screen; rather, the Pencil is a tool that only some people will use. The Apple Pencil is perhaps the best drawing accessory you can get for the iPad Pro, which might appeal to artists and designers.

Seasoned PC users will still feel the lack of a filesystem on iOS is a deal-breaker. This is one reason why the iPad Pro can't be the perfect laptop replacement for everyone. Even with share sheets and improved communication between apps, iOS still lacks some of the flexibility that power users crave for. It remains to be seen if iOS will ever reach that stage, but in spite of these limitations, it remains a perfectly capable desktop OS replacement for many people.

Do you need a PC to get work done anymore? Browsing the Internet, playing games, using multiple apps at once - such as taking notes while watching a video - are all easy tasks on the iPad Pro. Even moving around in documents is now much easier on the iPad thanks to the trackpad mode built into the default keyboard app.

The app ecosystem on iOS has evolved to a point where there is an app for almost everything - with a few exceptions (sorry, torrent downloaders). Most people's computer usage involves switching from one app to another. The features introduced by iOS 9 - true multitasking, SlideOver, Picture-in-Picture mode - make the iPad a device far more capable of replacing a laptop. Buying the iPad Pro with the Smart Keyboard sounds like a better idea than buying a PC.

Whether you are a writer, film lover, or a busy executive, the iPad Pro can be a great device for you. Spending over $799 on a tablet sounds like a bad idea, but is the iPad Pro just a tablet anymore? I don't think so.

Apple iPad Pro Wi-Fi

• KEY SPECS
• NEWS

Display

12.90-inch

Processor

 Apple A9X

Front Camera

 Yes

Resolution

 2732x2048 pixels

RAM

 

OS

 iOS 9

Storage

32GB

Rear Camera

8-megapixel

Battery capacity

BMW India Offers 360 Degree Program With the 3-Series, 5-Series and X3

The dealerships span across Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Gurgaon, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Raipur and Nagpur. The BMW 360 degree program enables prospects to select the BMW model of their choice, the tenure of financial contract and the per annum mileage criterion. Basis this an assured buyback ensuring low down payment, affordable monthly installments, complimentary service and maintenance for 3 years can be availed. This provides the freedom to upgrade, retain or return the vehicle at the end of the tenure.The BMW 3 Series, the BMW 5 Series and the BMW X3 are available now with the new BMW 360 degree program in India.The BMW 360 degree program is exclusively available at the selectBMW dealerships across the country.

Mr. Philipp von Sahr, President, BMW Group India said, "With BMW 360 degree program, our cars are future proof for customers by giving them an assured buyback value. The program is specifically designed to provide exceptional flexibility, affordability and complete peace of mind to our discerning customers."

How To Change A Tyre

While travelling there is always a chance that your tyre might get punctured but most of the times, you tend to go to a puncture repair shop and get it fixed. In India, especially in metros it is easy to get help at such times but what if you are travelling and the closest town is about 20 odd kms away?

 

Help may not be around all the time and you have to know what to do in such emergencies. Here are some guidelines you can use.

 

Stop the car

The first thing you must do if your car tyre gets punctured is stop. Do not drive with a flat tyre as it may cause harm to the mechanicals and also the wheel. Take it to the side and switch on the hazards so that the other cars know that your vehicle has a problem and they can avoid the car.

 

Know your Jacking Points

Jacking points are essentially where the car jack goes and this enables it to lift the car so as to change the tyre. The Jacking points have been given specifically because these points have been given extra strength so that it is easier for you to raise the car. If you are wondering where they are, look into your owners manual to find out.

 

Loosen the bolts

Before you put the jack in place and lift the car, it is important that you loosen the bolts of the flattened tyre first. Make sure that you loosen each bolt in the diagonal fashion.

 

Lift the car

Now you can place the jack in the given jacking position and use it to lift the car. Do this very slowly and make sure there is no one sitting in the car else the jack will lose its grip because of the extra weight.

 

Replace the tyre

Once you have unhooked all the bolts, it is time to replace the flat with the spare tyre. Again whilst getting the tyre back on, tighten the bolts in the diagonal fashion. The logic behind doing it that way is that the tyre is fastened and has no chances of falling off. Once the tyre is replaced, you can take it off the jack and then make sure that the tyres have been tightly bolted.

 

Get Puncture Repaired

Make sure that you get the puncture repaired, the first chance you get. A spare tyre is no problem but at the end of the day there is a reason why it is called a 'spare'.

 

These are some easy steps you can follow to get it done quickly and efficiently without any help. It's good to be self-sufficient.

Understanding your Needs before Buying a Car

Buying a car is a big decision and if you are the one making the decision, it is not an easy one to make. There are many factors that need to be accounted for and we list out a few things for you so that you can make an informed choice about the type of car that you want to buy.

 

1) Kilometers you plan to drive - The kilometers you plan to pile on has a direct correlation with the car you want to buy. An understanding of this will lead you to know what fuel works economically for you. It comes down to some parameters chalked out. If you do more than 500kms in a month, you would be better off with a diesel or CNG or LPG. Anything less than that and you are safe with petrol. Mind you diesel cars do cost more than the others.

 

2) Maintenance - Service cost of a diesel powered car tends to be more than that of a petrol car so taking that into consideration it is necessary to know exactly how much it is going to set you back once the car goes in for service every time.

 

3) Brand - Once you've zeroed down upon the fuel type, we move on to the brand. It is usually safe to bet on a seasoned horse simply because it has been tried, tested, acknowledged and loved. Indeed you can check out the new players in the market but make sure of two things - after sales and service costs and resale value.

 

4) Research - Be thorough with the research you do on the car you want to buy. Read reviews of the car and find out what are the positives and maybe the common negatives that you find because at the end of the day you will be bearing the ownership costs no matter who promises you what.

 

5) Drive the car - Once you've zeroed down on what fits your budget, go down to the showroom and ask for a test drive. Remember, you do not have a moral obligation to buy the same car you've driven. Check out the car and see if you are comfortable driving it.

 

If you've fallen head over heels in love with the car then the next thing to do is buy it!

What to Check before Buying a Used Car?

Here is a small and handy checklist on exactly what to look at when you are planning to buy a used car. There are chances that you will be taken for a ride but it is always therefore better to be prepared. 

 

1) Paint - The first thing that you'll notice is the exterior of the car. Scan the entire car for scratches, any odd paint work which has been done. Doing so will make you aware if the car has been in any accident or not.

 

2) Check the odometer - You get into the car and the first thing you do is check the odometer reading. If a

4-5 year old car has done more than a 60,000kms on the odo, it's better you get out and start looking at other options.

 

3) Engine - Start the engine and check the engine sound. If it sounds too harsh, enquire why it is so.

 

4) Electrical - Check all the electricals of the car which include the cabin light, horn, headlamps, tail lamps, wipers, fog lamps (if any) music system. Take your time and run a thorough check through all of them.

 

5) Battery - Check out how old the battery is and then check the acid levels as it shows if the car is well maintained or not.

 

6) Leakage - There is a likelihood that oil, water or lubricants might leak from the car. It is better to check before you end up with a leaky car.

 

7) Brakes - There are two tests for braking, one is to go on the highway and brake when at 50km/h. It should stop in a straight line. The other being to take it on a slope and apply the brake to check how effective they really are.

 

8) Steering - Check for vibrations at high speeds.

 

9) Documentation - The three documents that have to be in order are Registration papers, Insurance Papers and No Objection Certificate. The Registration papers will have the chassis number of the car. The Insurance Papers are a must have when you go to the RTO to transfer the car in your name and the No Objection Certificate which should be issued from the financial institution stating that the car loan has been paid off and the lender has absolutely no claim on the car. 

 

This is a small checklist that will help you a long way and we hope this streamlines your experience of buying a used car. Safe and Happy driving!

Comparison: Mahindra TUV300 vs Hyundai Creta vs Ford EcoSport vs Renault Duster

It’s a space that has grown over the past 2 years and has seen manufacturers make alterations in their plans to actually get into this segment. The rise of the compact SUVs has been a significant one and no one can ignore that the developments have been pushed by the booming demand for the cars by customers.

With quite a few cars in the segment already, and more coming our way and the latest in this segment is from the Mahindra stable and it’s called the TUV 300 and we try and figure out how it stacks up against its rivals.

To begin with, the Mahindra TUV300 is the shortest of the lot and closely contested only by the Ford EcoSport as these two are the only vehicles that are sub-4 metre. The Hyundai Creta comes in third place by the Renault Duster.

The TUV 300 score high in the department of the wheelbase too as it has the longest 2860mm followed by the Duster, Creta and finally the EcoSport. It is because of this wheelbase that Mahindra has been able to put in 7 seats in the TUV300, while the rest of the compact SUVs seat only 5.

Having won two of the battles in this comparison, when it comes to design it is the Creta that wins hands down. The Fluidic Language 2.0 works wonders and the Creta is clearly the benchmark in this department. The EcoSport is a strong contender for the second place. The TUV300 does impress with its Jeep-inspired styling but which brings out its butch look but it’s still boxy when compared to the others in this segment.

Moving on to the engines on offer and we are looking at only the diesel here. The Creta comes with two diesel engines - the 1.4 and the 1.6-litre diesel and both are available with the 5-speed manual. The Creta is powerful engine of the lot developing 126bhp. The Duster is the next in line with 109bhp followed by the EcoSport (90bhp) and finally the TUV300 with 84bhp.

 

Both the Duster and the Ecosport come with manual transmissions but it’s the TUV300 which comes equipped with a 5-speed Automated Manual Transmission and this is a first in segment offering. The company claims that they’ve tweaked it for better drivability and this will clearly help in city driving conditions.

When it comes to the pricing of these cars well, it’s a closely contested one as the TUV300 is the most affordable of the lot. However, these are introductory prices and we do not know how soon they will be revised. It will be interesting to see how the consumers take to the new car on offer by Mahindra. Hyundai is already burdened with a whole bunch of orders of the Creta and are trying their best to punch them out. Only time will tell, how well the TUV300 performs in terms of sales when compared to its rivals.

Audi A6 35 TFSI Launched in India; Priced at Rs.45.90 lakh

B

Post the introduction of the Audi A6 Matrix in the diesel avatar, the German car maker has now introduced a petrol variant of the car - the A6 35 TFSI. The company has priced the car at R

s.

 45.90 lakh (ex-showroom New Delhi and Mumbai)

The new 1.8-litre turbocharged engine which is 200cc smaller than the outgoing engine brings the two worlds of power and efficiency together. According to the folks at Audi, the fuel efficiency of the Audi A6 35 TFSI is increased by 12.7 percent and the power is further increased by 5 percent. The car is also efficient thanks to the Auto Engine Start/Stop system with Energy Recovery

The car features LED headlights, rear lights with dynamic turn indicators, restyled bumpers and the Audi Single frame grill. Inside, the Audi A6 35 TFSI has been spruced up with seat upholstery in Milano Leather and Fine Grain Ash Natural Brown Inlays. The front seats can be electrically adjusted and come with the driver memory function.

It also gets the four-zone climate control and Audi has also added the Audi Drive Select with Adaptive Air suspension with controlled damping which makes cruising on the toughest of roads possible with great ease. The Drive Select lets you choose from Comfort and Dynamic mode.

The 1.8-litre turbocharged engine churns out 190bhp and attains a fuel efficiency figure of 15.26 km/l. The seven-speed S-tronic transmission, makes gear changes a breeze. The new Audi A6 is equipped with the Next Generation Modular Infotainment Platform. With this, the customer gets a host of new functionalities. The MMI with retractable screen is also available as a part of this system. For your safety Audi has equipped the A6 with eight airbags including rear side airbags, giving it a decisive advantage in driving safety.

Seagate Wireless Hard Drive Flaw Lets Anyone Access Data; Patch Issued

Have a Seagate wireless hard drive? You've got all the reasons to worry about. Seagate wireless hard drives ship with undocumented Telnet services, making the disk accessible with a hard-coded password, reports CERT. One of the vulnerabilities, if exploited, allows an attacker with wireless access to the device with the capability to download unrestricted file. Another vulnerability found in the device lets an attacker upload anything into the device's file-sharing directory. Seagate has issued a firmware update to patch the vulnerabilities.

The majority of the work done by the CERT Division of the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) at Carnegie Mellon University is focused on government and national security efforts. The CERT teamreported three flaws in the wireless hard drives. The flaws allow anyone to easily bypass the default firewall with the username and password "root." Once exploited, one can access content available on the hard drive, as well as upload malware to it. Seagate Wireless Plus Mobile Storage, Seagate Wireless Mobile Storage, and LaCie Fuel hard drives are said to be affected.

The sad news is that the credentials are hard-coded into the device, making it impossible for one to tweak the settings and block potential unauthorised access. Seagate has made available a firmware update dubbed 3.4.1.105 that, as it noted, addesses all the aforementioned security concerns. The company also advises users to check Download Finder regularly to see if there is a new firmware update available, and install it, if there is.

Fortunately, there isn't any public exploit of these vulnerabilities, noted security firm Tangible Security. It further added, "However, due to the categorisation of these vulnerabilities, it may be reasonable to believe that cybercriminals are doing so."

OS X El Capitan to Be Available as a Free Download on September 30

Apple at its Wednesday event revealed several new products apart from announcing release dates for iOS 9, watchOS 2, and OS X El Capitan. While the mobile and watch operating systems will release on September 16, OS X El Capitan will release on September 30. Available via the Mac App Store, it will be a free download for users.

The new version of OS X bumps the version up to 10.11 and brings a host of improvements including performance enhancements to new features such as Split View. Apple at WWDC had detailed that the new OS X El Capitan and claimed that apps would switch twice as fast compared to Yosemite and apps launch would about 1.4 times quicker in general. The company also changed the system level font for OS X El Capitan to San Francisco.

One of the most highlighted features of OS X El Capitan was touted to be Split View, which will allow users to fill the screen with two apps of their choice. Another very minor update added a new gesture feature allowing users to shake their finger back and forth on the trackpad or give the mouse a shake to make the cursor bigger thus making it easier to spot it when it gets lost.

Mission Control, which can be accessed on any Mac using four-finger upward swipe on the trackpad, now places all the open windows in the same relative location. Spotlight is now more context sensitive with searches and delivers results for weather, sports, stocks, web video, and transit information.

A plethora of new features have been introduced in built-in apps in the OS X El Capitan. Mail now allows users to manage the calendar and contacts, right from inbox. New swipe gestures have been added which marks the messages as read on swiping right, and swiping left deletes it. The Photos app which was completely overhauled in Yosemite also sees some improvements in the form of new editing extensions. Users can purchase third-party extensions from the App Store. Safari has also received tweaks including option to pin a website to the tab bar. The pinned websites remain active in the background.

Canon Unveils a 250-Megapixel CMOS Camera Sensor

Think 4K is not enough? Camera maker Canon announced on Monday that it has developed a 250-megapixel image sensor. Touting the abilities of the new sensor, the Japanese technology conglomerate noted that the new APS-H CMOS sensor could distinguish an airplane flying at a distance of approximately 18km from the shooting location.

Despite being the densest sensor in its size range, the company claims the new APS-H CMOS sensor is extremely fast. The company noted in a blog post that the new sensor has a readout speed of 1.25 billion pixels per second.

"With CMOS sensors, increases in pixel counts result in increased signal volume, which can cause such problems as signal delays and slight discrepancies in timing," the company said.

"The new Canon-developed CMOS sensor, however, despite its exceptionally high pixel count, achieves an ultra-high signal readout speed of 1.25 billion pixels per second, made possible through such advancements as circuit miniaturisation and enhanced signal-processing technology," it added.

As for its other capabilities, the new APS-H CMOS sensor could capture great videos too, the company added. You could record videos in the resolution that is roughly 30 times better than 4K, and 125 times better than 1080p.

But don't expect this technology to arrive on your smartphone, at least for a very long time. Canon says that it is likely to use this sensor in specialised surveillance and crime prevention tools. But don't get disheartened; the good news is that camera makers continue to make great advancements in the sensor technologies. This would eventually become readily available to the public.

Microsoft Wants to Turn Any Smartphone Into a 3D Scanner

Microsoft Research, the research arm of the Redmond-based company. has showcased a number of interesting technologies over the past few years. On Monday, it showed off yet another such project. Called MobileFusion, it's an app Microsoft is working on for Android, iOS, and Windows Phonesmartphones that would turn their cameras into a 3D scanner.

The research arm of Microsoft said that MobileFusion will allow users to shoot sequential images of an object -- developing a 3D image of it -- which can be later turned into a 3D model. But where will you use it? The idea is to make a replica of all the interesting things you see across you. For instance, if you see an interesting sculpture at a museum, you can take images of it and later produce its 3D-printed replica.

"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 Ph.D. candidate at Oxford University who worked on the project. This sounds enticing because, as Microsoft noted, one doesn't need an extra hardware to take 3D images.

(Also see: Bevel Is a 3D Camera for Any Smartphone)

This would allow people in remote locations to capture their surroundings using their existing smartphones. The research team noted that these images are high-quality enough to have applications in augmented reality video games as well.

Pushmeet Kohli and Shahram Izadi are the face behind this project. The two have previously worked on a similar project called Kinect Fusion. Kinect Fusion allowed users to build 3D models of their bodies, houses etc. Unlike MobileFusion, however, Kinect required a user to have a PC and other dedicated hardware around while take an object's 3D image. Something, which as you can imagine, isn't convenient to do.

The researchers are currently working on perfecting this technology and its compatibility. You might not want to get too excited as Microsoft Research isn't giving any guarantee that it would release the app to public. The researchers, however, insist a public release is the ultimate goal of the project.

Digitised Indian Maps to Soon Hit the Web: Natmo

Indo-Asian News Service , 10 September 2015

The National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organisation (Natmo) is developing a digital library and within a year people would have access to an e-version of Indian maps, the department of science and technology announced in Kolkata on Thursday.

"Natmo is developing a digital library and the proposal is under consideration by the DST. It will be implemented soon," Ashutosh Sharma, secretary in the department of science and technology said during the 60th anniversary celebrations of Natmo.

The organisation is engaged in compilation of the national atlas of India in Hindi, English and other regional languages, as well as preparation of thematic maps based on socio-economic, physical, cultural, environmental, demographic and other issues.

Sharma said thematic maps would be available in digital version within a year. This also includes launch of web applications of location-based services of the maps prepared by Natmo.

In addition to providing technology foresight to Natmo, Sharma said a committee of scientific experts would be formed to develop a scientific vision.

"The committee would serve as a scientific interface between DST and Natmo to decide in which direction we should be moving. It will be formed of experts in the area and who also have vision about the future. It will help sensitise them to digital platforms and shift technologies in that direction," Sharma said.

According to Natmo director Bhoop Singh, maps and data will be put in the open-access domain within a few months.

"Natmo products should be in convergence with the government's schemes and not in isolation," Singh added.

Amazon Kindle Unlimited Review: Limited Selection

Amazon's new "unlimited" e-book service lets you read 600,000 books. That sounds like more than you'll ever read, but I found myself struggling to find the books I wanted.

It turns out that the library of 600,000 is bit like a small bookstore with a few current titles such as "The Hunger Games," attached to a block-sized bargain bin of obscure stuff mixed with "Robinson Crusoe" and other classics that are in the public domain and available for free online anyway.

Startups Scribd and Oyster both offer better value for avid readers of popular books.

Though Oyster has only 500,000 books and Scribd has 400,000, both offer extensive libraries from two of the largest publishers, HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster. Kindle Unlimited doesn't.

Kindle Unlimited and Oyster both cost $10 a month, while Scribd goes for $9. All three offer the first month free.

Weeks ago, as I was reviewing Scribd and Oyster, I asked colleagues to suggest books that ought to be on such services. I also added titles from my own wish list. Of the 75 I checked, Oyster had 17 and Scribd had 16. That's not a lot. I got even fewer with Kindle Unlimited - six matches, plus one that's free for everyone.

But through Amazon's $99-per-year Prime program, I could already read four of those six books for free on Kindle devices. Only "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson and "Flash Boys" by Michael Lewis require the Kindle Unlimited subscription.

Under Prime, however, I can read only one book a month. Kindle Unlimited lets you download 10 books at a time on up to six devices. Those devices don't have to be Amazon devices, as Prime requires.

(Also See: Amazon Counters French Ban on Free Deliveries of Books)

Kindle Unlimited also beats its rivals in several ways:

- It has 2,000 audiobooks from Amazon's Audible business. They're synchronized to the corresponding books, so if you need to break off reading to drive, you can have the audiobook play instead, starting where you left off reading.

- For the first three months of your subscription, you can choose one additional audiobook per month from Audible's larger catalog. You get to keep these books even if you cancel your subscription.

- Only Kindle Unlimited permits reading on Kindle e-readers such as the Paperwhite. I personally prefer reading without distractions from email and Facebook.

- Kindle apps for phones and tablets are more sophisticated than the competition. For instance, you get an estimate of how much time you need to finish the chapter or the book, based on your personal reading speed. Oyster does that only for the chapter, while Scribd offers neither.

- Kindle apps are available for a greater range of devices. Oyster works on iPhones, iPads and Android devices. Scribd supports those, plus Macs and Windows devices. Kindle does all that, plus webOS andBlackBerry devices.

Back in 2011, Amazon began making a selection of movies and TV episodes available for free to Prime members. At the time, the free service had 5,000 videos - but few that I actually wanted to watch. That's been expanded to more than 40,000 and includes decent movies and shows. Amazon has even commissioned original shows for Prime, including the John Goodman comedy "Alpha House."

Kindle Unlimited will have to follow the same path and expand its library to be useful for most people.

With any of these services, you need to be reading three or more books a month to make it worth the subscription. Otherwise, buying the e-book through Amazon or a discount service such as Entitle is more economical. The limited selection makes it tougher to find those three books a month, especially for those who already get a book a month for free through Prime.