Google to Pilot Internet via Balloon in India With Project Loon

Internet giant Google is working with the Indian government on a pilot project for providing Internet connectivity by using large balloons.

Google, under its 'Project Loon', is using big balloons floating at a height of 20 kilometres above the Earth's surface for transmission of Internet services. It has already tested this technology in New Zealand, California, and Brazil.

"Google approached [the] government to set up the Loon project and drone-based Internet transmission. Government has approved testing of Loon project only as of now. A committee under chairmanship of Secretary, DeitY, has been formed to work on it," an official source told PTI.

Google may initially partner with BSNL for testing this technology by using broadband spectrum in 2.6GHz band. When contacted, a Google spokesperson refused to comment. The technology, used for 4G services, has potential to replace mobile towers as it can directly transmit signals on 4G mobile phones.

As per Google, each balloon can provide connectivity to a ground area about 40km in diameter using a wireless communications technology called LTE or 4G.

To use LTE, Project Loon partners with telecommunications companies to share cellular spectrum so that people will be able to access the Internet everywhere directly from their phones and other LTE-enabled devices.

Google uses solar panel and wind to power electronic equipment in the balloon throughout the day.

The source said that Google may operate as technology service provider and not as Internet service provider. "The DeitY committee is looking at various aspects to facilitate test like identifying locations, coordination with various agencies. Under the drone project, Google had plans to transmit Internet on ground using 8 big solar powered drones but that has not been cleared by government yet," sources added.

Why Facebook Is Forcing Its Employees to Ditch Their iPhones

A large number of Facebook employees are shunning their iPhones and switching to Android devices. And they are doing it - not necessarily willingly - under strict instructions from chief product officer Chris Cox!

"I am mandating a switch of a whole bunch of my team over to Android, just because people, when left up to their own devices, will often prefer an iPhone," Cox was reported as telling mediapersons byWired.com on Friday.

If you thought Facebook has suddenly developed some sort of vendetta against Apple, it is not the case. Nor is there a new bonhomie with Google. This is a practical decision, according to Cox.

Actually, a large chunk of Facebook's expanding user base in emerging markets in the developing world access the social network on Android devices, and not iPhones.

As Facebook seeks to reach more people around the world, Cox said he wanted his team to switch to the world's most popular mobile platform "so that they can be reporting bugs and living in the same experience that most Facebook users experience today".

(Also see:  Facebook '2G Tuesdays' to Slow Down Internet for Employees)

The directive shows just how much attention Facebook is paying to the emerging markets, crucial as they are for the social networking giant's further expansion.

Facebook's focus are the people who are just coming online, or have yet to come online. And Cox is ensuring his men understand the clients' needs first hand.

Philips Launches 'SoftBlue' Display Smartphones That Reduce Eye-Strain

Philips has added two new smartphones in its growing mid-range offering. The company in China announced the Sapphire S616 and the Sapphire Life V787. Phillips says that it has utilised a new technology called 'SoftBlue' in both the smartphones that reduces the blue light coming from a screen by up to 86 percent, thus reducing eye fatigue that most electronic displays today are credited with.

Other features of Philips Sapphire S616 sports a 5.5-inch full-HD display with a 1080x1920 pixel screen resolution. It is powered by octa-core MediaTek MT6753 SoC clocked at 1.3GHz and a Mali-T720 GPU, paired with 2GB of RAM. As for storage, the phone offers 16GB of inbuilt storage and supports microSD card for up to 128GB of additional storage.

Other features of the Sapphire S616 include a 13-megapixel rear camera with an aperture of f/2.0, and a 5-megapixel wide-angle selfie shooter placed on the front. It also features a removable 3000mAh battery. The dual-SIM capable handset supports 4G LTE, 3G, Wi-Fi and other standard connectivity options. On the software front, the device runs Android 5.1 with company's homegrown user interface on top. It is priced at an equivalent of $222 (roughly Rs. 14,600), and is expected to go on sale in November.

The Philips Sapphire Life V787 sports a 5-inch full-HD display with a 1080x1920 pixel screen resolution and a 441ppi pixel density. The handset has the same processor and RAM as the Sapphire S616, but offers a larger battery at 5000mAh that uses the company's Xenium technology. It comes with a 13-megapixel rear-camera with phase detection autofocus. Its retail price is currently unknown, but it is expected to launch by the end of November. The China launch of the handsets was first reported by Phone Radar.

Download the Gadgets 360 app for Android and iOS to stay up to date with the latest tech news, product reviews, and exclusive deals on the popular mobiles.

Philips Sapphire S616

• KEY SPECS
• NEWS

Display

5.50-inch

Processor

1.3GHz

Front Camera

 5-megapixel

Resolution

 1080x1920 pixels

RAM

 2GB

OS

 Android 5.1

Storage

16GB

Rear Camera

13-megapixel

Battery capacity

3000mAh

Samsung Galaxy On5, Galaxy On7 India Launch Expected at Tuesday Event

Samsung is sending invites for a New Delhi launch event on Tuesday, and the company is expected to launch its new Galaxy On smartphones series in India - specifically, the Galaxy On7 and Galaxy On5.

While the invitation does not mention exactly what Samsung will announce at the event, it does mention "the latest addition to its smartphone portfolio," indicating the launch of the recently unveiled Galaxy On series of smartphones. The invitation, seen below, also features the word 'On' placed in isolation, lending further credence to the launch of the Galaxy On series of smartphones.

Both the Galaxy On7 and Galaxy On5 were recently listed on the company's India and China websites. The Samsung Galaxy On5 and Galaxy On7 smartphones sport a lot of similar specifications, with the biggest difference being the screen size. While the Galaxy On5 features a 5-inch display; the Galaxy On7 comes with 5.5-inch display. Both the handsets come with TFT touchscreens and sport HD (720x1280 pixels) resolution. They are powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core Exynos 3475 processor coupled with 1.5GB of RAM.

Both pack 8GB of inbuilt storage and can be expanded via microSD card (up to 128GB). As with the Galaxy On5, the Samsung China listing does not mention the exact Android version of the Galaxy On7.

The Galaxy On7 sports a 13-megapixel rear autofocus camera and a 5-megapixel front camera. The rear camera is accompanied by an LED flash and supports full-HD (1080p) video recording. The Galaxy On5 sports an 8-megapixel rear autofocus camera and a 5-megapixel front camera.

Connectivity options include Bluetooth, GPS, Glonass, Micro-USB, 3G, GPRS/ EDGE, and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n. Both the dual Micro-SIM Galaxy On7 and Galaxy On5 support Indian 4G LTE bands. Both smartphones are listed in White and Gold colours.

The Galaxy On7 packs a 3000mAh removable battery, which is larger than the 2600mAh battery seen on the Galaxy On5. It measures 151.8x77.5x8.2mm and weighs 172 grams. The Galaxy On5 on the other hand measures 142.3x72.1x8.5mm and weighs 149 grams. The listings show that the Galaxy On series of smartphones feature metal-styled frames and sport leather-feel rear covers

Download the Gadgets 360 app for Android and iOS to stay up to date with the latest tech news, product reviews, and exclusive deals on the popular mobiles.

Samsung Galaxy On5

• KEY SPECS
• NEWS

Display

5.00-inch

Processor

1.3GHz

Front Camera

 5-megapixel

Resolution

 720x1280 pixels

RAM

 1.5GB

OS

 Android

Storage

8GB

Rear Camera

8-megapixel

Battery capacity

2600mAh

Google Nexus 6P Prone to Bending?

If you're planning to purchase a Nexus 6P handset, you might want to check this bend-test video that has become the talking point among enthusiasts. The rather sketchy video shows that the Huawei-made flagship smartphone is highly prone to bending. Numerous bend-test performed since, however, seem to offer a different conclusion.

YouTuber Jerry Rig put his Nexus 6P through a series of tests. These included the "burn-test," "bend-test," "scratch-test" and the likes. Rig, as shown in the video, reaches the conclusion that the Nexus 6P is very prone to getting bent. If you're a little sceptical about his methodology, you're not alone.

The test isn't fair. Admittedly so, Rig had already used the handset in a number of other tests - such as the burn and scratch tests that broke the display - before putting it through another series of tests, thus it is likely that the rigidness of the handset was already compromised before the actual test. It is worth noting that the display of the handset contributes to the overall rigidness of the device. Moreover, many more such tests have appeared on the Web (find the videos embedded below) that contradict the results of Rig's testing.

The bend test became a popular benchmark last year after several users reported that their iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6s Plus were bending under normal use, what was then called the 'bendgate' controversy. Later, Unbox Therapy ran what became a viral bend test, and found that Apple's handsets were indeed very prone to bending. While Apple denied such accusations, and said only a few units were affected, the test itself became part of the several assessments reviewers and enthusiasts conduct to evaluate a handset.

Hours after Apple began to ship the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus in September, the first bend test video of the larger variant began surfacing on the Web. Folks at FoneFox noted that the iPhone 6s Plus is not prone even even after putting intense (but manual) so much pressure on it. The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus are marginally thicker than their predecessors, and coupled with the use spacecraft grade 7000 series aluminium for the body, and Apple appears to have fixed the factors speculated to be the cause of the first bendgate controversy, making its smartphones significantly stronger.

Download the Gadgets 360 app for Android and iOS to stay up to date with the latest tech news, product reviews, and exclusive deals on the popular mobiles.

Huawei Google Nexus 6P

R 39999

• KEY SPECS
• NEWS

Display

5.70-inch

Processor

2GHz

Front Camera

 8-megapixel

Resolution

 1440x2560 pixels

RAM

 3GB

OS

 Android 6.0

Storage

32GB

Rear Camera

12.3-megapixel

Battery capacity

3450mAh

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