Domestic Surveillance Site makes fun of OBAMA adminstartions transparency policy through parody of National Security Agency (NSA) website

You must have heard of National Security Agency (NSA) by now through internet or   newspapers.  It is premier security Agency of the United States of America which gathers information by monitoring emails, Facebook, Google Plus and everything that belongs to web and is deemed as having a bearing on security of the US.  

NSA became famous for its PRISM program and of course, for Mr.Snowden.  Now NSA has a website of its own and it looks like this 

It details all the features and accomplishments of the Agency over the years.  However a 'parodier' who is an expert in making of parody sites has created a separate site which you can visit here.

The parody seems complete with all the insignias and labels but the heading is quite different but the website is a complete parody of NSA website which he has crafted beautifully.  To see what I mean, view the image below 

The webmaster has cleverly tried to portray Obama administration reneging on its promises of transparency.  He has put up photo of a General Janet Alexander whose photo is given below :

In the webmasters own words 

General Janet Alexander - Head of the Domestic Surveillance Directorate:   "We are often asked, "What's more important - civil liberties or National Security?" It's a false question; it's a false choice. At the end of the day, there are no civil liberties without National Security. 

Not only are we entrusted to protect and defend the Nation, but as the Domestic Surveillance Directorate and as citizens, we must do our part to 'Secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity'. This is our commitment."

The site’s creator, who wishes to remain anonymous, is a master aggregator and has gone to lengths to find data into the funding spreadsheets to surface the codename for the NSA data center in Utah: Bumblehive.  He also runs a White House parody site also among others. 

Since its launch it has had over 95,000 visitors, including a few from the NSA according to his site analytics. It’s also fooled a few people, as parody sites do, who were surprised by the agency’s candor. This is a must visit site if you are anti PRISM or anti NSA for the acts of privacy invasion they are carrying out.  I am not giving more images as it may hurt the webmasters just cause.

Domestic Surveillance Directorate

Banned 'Bang With Friends' App back in new avatar 'Down' for iOS devices

The App Bank with Friends which let you hook up with friends for date or something more promising privately and in a secure way was removed from Apple Store three months back for violating the Apple's strict policies. 

The company has come back with a new name 'Down' however the modus operandi remains the same.  You install the App and click a button 'I'm down' and it will pair you with all other people who are willing to go down with you.

  

The App is still named as Bang With Friends on Google Play and has had been successful on Facebook as well as on Android in bringing friends who are willing to 'bang' together.  The App may touch a hint of unwanted territory but as long as you are sure about yourself it doesnt matter.

The latest App however tries to broaden its horizons by accommodating general dating instead of being just a hook up App.  It also has added a new button "Down to hang" clicking which will just let you chat or chill with your Facebook friends.

To download the Down for iOS please visit Apple Store.

Android owners if interested can download this App in its original form from Google Play here. 

UBER the 'Cab on Demand' App and service secretly comes to Bangalore

UBER a US based company which allows you to hire luxury cars via its Mobile App has started its services in India.  It was known that Uber will enter India but nobody has predicted such hush hush entry for Uber for it has already started its operations in the Silicon Valley of India, Bangalore.

Uber has revealed on its blog that it is conducting tests for the App and the service and would continue doing so for next several weeks.  It doesnt mean you can hire a luxury car from Uber. Only problem is that in the test mode, Uber doesn't have enough cars at its disposal and it is still working on the fares.  

The blog post mentions celebrity artists Raghu Dixit and Vasundhara Das were amongst the first to experience Uber in Bangalore and that the two celebs were chauffeured around in Mercedes E Class sedan.  

Uber does mention an email ID and the company's Twitter handle @Uber_BLR for its Bangalore clients.  Uber allows users to request for cab hires, connecting them to drivers of luxury cars. However, it doesn't let users make advance reservations and is an on-demand service so you can summon a car when you want to travel immediately. It keeps your credit card number on the file and deducts the fare automatically so there are no physical payments involved.

If you stay in Bangalore and would like to take a Merc for a spin, download the App from here and give it a try.  

WeChat now available for BlackBerry Z10, BlackBerry Q10 and Q5 and BB 10.1 devices

Tencent, the publishers of WeChat, the cross messaging platform which is giving a tough competition to WhatsApp has released a BlackBerry 10 version today.  So if you own a BlackBerry Z10, BlackBerry Q10 or Q5, you did better read this article and download the App.

Tencent has customised the App for Blackberry 10 to integrate the all important BlackBerry Hub and it will be available for FREE to all BlackBerry users in all countries that support BlackBerry World. A word of caution, only devices running of BlackBerry OS 10.1 (BB 10.1) and above support this download  

A little about WeChat.  WeChat offers you cross platform messaging options along with group chat options.  There are also pictures and smileys available.  You can also send Sticker through a WeChat to your near and dear ones.  WeChat even lets you send and receive voice messages to one another with a “Hold to Talk” feature, that WhatsApp also added recently. The app also comes with a location-based service that allows users to find and meet new friends.

WeChat offers language support in English, Chinese (Simplified & Traditional), Thai, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Malay, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Hindi and Turkish.

An intriguing feature of WeChat is “Official Accounts”, which allows brands and companies to interact with their users.

To download the WeChat for your BlackBerry 10.1 devices visit the BlackBerry Appworld here.

For other smart phones and tablets visit this article please.

Free Tetris for Android devices, enjoy the age old game on your Android phone with extra fun

There is not a soul in this world who has not played Tetris once in his or her lifetime.  The  publisher EA has just updated the Tetris game for Android devices.  

It now following additional features

• MARATHON MODE  : We’ve added all-new controls so you can stack like a pro. Choose between lightning fast One-Touch, classic Swipe controls, or the innovative new Drag-and-Place option to keep clearing those lines.

• TETRIS® GALAXY  : Try this new multi-level mode! Clear to the core as you drop each Tetrimino with split-second intensity. And use power-ups to transform the blockade below!

• FACEBOOK LEADERBOARDS : Connect with your friends and brag about high scores on the newsfeed and more.

• TETRIS® RANK  :  Keep a tally of every line you’ve ever cleared!

• T-CLUB  : Join fellow Tetris® Enthusiasts and gain an advantage with bonus lines and T-Coins.

Interested, visit Google Play and download this game now.  You can also download the Tetris Blitz for free from here

Operate 'The Little Crane that could' on your Android and iOS devices with umpteen skills to repair bridges, move cargo etc.

Ever wanted to control a Crane, Abraham Stolk offers a chance to you to control one skillfully.  The publisher has described this as an App but it is a full fledged game which will give you hours of fun. You have to Repair bridges, load cargo trains, reconstruct ancient temples, move houses and do all the things as a Crane Operator.

The game offers six levels after which you have to unlock more levels but six levels are more than enough to have fun unlimited.  

Download the Game for your Android devices from Google Play now and for your iOS devices from Apple Store.

Siri like App for Android for free, Assistant answers your questions, finds information, launches Apps and much more

If you ever wanted a Siri like assistant for your Android phones, Assistant can be half the answer to your prayers.  Though not quite Siri, Assistant is a capable App which answers you questions, finds you information for your, performs various tasks like launching an App, notifies you with your todo and reminders and much more.  

The App uses normal natural language technology to interact with you so your accent should not be a problem.   Here is a brief list of what the Assistant App can do to sort your life out.

1.It Remembers - As the Assistant learns about your favorite places, services, and preferences, it takes into account your current environment and schedule in order to provide the best suggestions and Assistant functions customized to you.

2. It Understands - There's no need to memorize any commands or learn any special tricks to make the Assistant work for you - just speak naturally, the Assistant will understand you.

3. It Speaks Your Language - The multilingual Assistant is available in English, Spanish, Russian, German, Chinese and Portuguese as of now.

4. It's Always at Your Service - Your Assistant is cross-platform: use the same Assistant on your smartphone, tablet, or laptop.

5. It Learns - Want your Assistant to respond or react in a specific way? Teach it to further improve its efficiency!

Currently, the Assistant work with the following services: Google, Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, Evernote, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Wikipedia, Chacha, IMDB, Eventful, News360, Amazon, Gmail, Google Images, Google Calendar, Google Maps, Google Navigation, and  Waze

The App has been updated today and the changelog is given below :

* Now the Assistant speaks Brazilian Portuguese too

* And also Cantonese

* And also it looks even better in landscape mode on tablets

* It understands you better and has improved its math skill

If you really want a Siri like Assistant for your Android phone or tablet, then Assistant is a must have App for your.  To download the Assistant App kindly click on Google Play

Auto Awesome APK of Google Plus available for download for Android, official update available on Google Play

Google Play is today updating its Google Plus Android app is mostly about bug fixes and performance improvements but as per Goolge they have squeezed in a feature that’ll make photos more fun: 'Auto Awesome 'notifications.

The 'Auto Awesome' finds sets of photos in your library, and creates fun new versions automatically (like animations, panoramas, or filmstrips). Starting today you’ll get notified on Android, iOS and the desktop whenever one of these gems is waiting for you.

If you’d like to see all of your awesome’d photos in your library. To watch the Awesomed Photos from your circle of friends you can simply tap Photos, then search for for the hashtag #autoawesome or visit this Google Plus Page.   

The updated version has number 4.1.1 which can be downloaded from Google Play but officially the changelog doesnt mention Auto Awesome feature so if you want you can download the Apk file from here. This Apk is posted thanks to Ron Amadeo and Android Police.  

BitTorrent Sync Beta now available for iOS devices, sync data between your iPhone and iPad seamlessly

The king of torrents, BitTorrent to day launched a BitTorrent Sync Beta service for iOS devices. With this Free App you can now you will be able to sync data freely between your iPhones and iPads.

The App makes moving big files between devices a cinch.  You can remotely backup photos and data from your iPhone or iPad to PC or laptop with ease.  The notable thing is that the App does not have any limit to cap your sharing.   The blog announcing the availability of the App said, “Sync started from a simple concept: your data belongs to you, no matter where you are. This means you should be able to pick up your work on any device, or send your photos across the world, and back,” 

It further explains that BitTorrent Sync skips the cloud and does not rely on servers so there is no issue with security or speed. BitTorrent Sync App is available in 10 different languages, you can download the BitTorrent Sync App from Apple Store here.

Try out Snapchat Beta with these instructions on your Android devices through Google Play

Snapchat has just launched a beta version and is giving you all a chance to be beta testers for the new version.  As per the Snapchat blog "Snapchat Android Beta allows you to test drive our newest features. As a Beta tester, you'll receive our latest code updates while helping to make Snapchat more stable." 

But there is a pre condition to it and here is a simple way to be a beta tester for Snapchat.

You have to first visit the Snapchat Google Plus Communities page and join it from your Android smart phone you are planning to install the beta on.  After joining in you will have to opt in for beta testing here.  

After opting in go to your Snapchat App and uninstall it and reinstall it.  Once installed, you'll find a "Snapchat Beta" option under settings. Here you'll be able to enable and disable beta features, starting with Swype keyboard support and new size-sensitive drawing canvas.

Interested then hurry to the above pages.  Still don't have Snapchat on your Android device, visit Google Play it here.  The Snapchat available on Google Play has also been updated just yesterday.

PS the optin page give error 404 as of now !

Nokia Asha 501 a full inside out review of Asha 1.0 OS based touch phone with specifications, price and features

Asha 501 is the latest offering from Nokia for the budget level buyers with a price tag of Rs.4899.00.  The Asha 501 is based on Symbian OS and looks nearly like a Nokia Lumia smart phone on the outside.  

This is a excellent smart phone for those who want a touch phone with all the capabilities and yet are short on budget.  In this article we will look at Nokia Asha 501 from all angles and help you make a wise choice as to whether you will buy it or not.

Design and build :

As I have already said above, the Asha 501 looks surprisingly similar to the Nokia's Lumia series smart phones and at first glance even you may think so.  Asha 501 comes with the custom rugged body and firm chassis which is a Nokia signature.   The front portion has been made very appealing by the Nokia engineers with all black front panel.  The rear panel is bright can be fitted with custom colourful exchangeable rear panel.   Right now Nokia Asha 501 is available in six colors viz black, white, red, green, blue and yellow. 

The front panel is a capacitive touch panel with a scratch resistant coating.   The front side sports only a earpiece (phone microphone) at the top and a protruding back button at the bottom.  Nokia engineers have adjusted  rest of the controls within the Symbian interface itself and are swipe based.  

On the right exterior there is power/standby button and the volume control button.  The volume control button is pretty big and has a responsive feel to it.  On the top there is a micro USB PC interface, a headphone jack and a fine pin charger port(old Nokia style). Another advantage with Asha 501 is that you can use the  micro USB port for charging in case you are travelling.  The back panel hold the main camera which is 3.15MP affair giving you a resolution of  2048 x 1536 pixels.  This camera can give you a QVGA output@15fps.  There is no flash to the camera for taking images in dark spots.   The speakers are situated at the bottom of the rear panel.  There is a small nub below it which when pushed downward releases the rear panel to give you access to  the battery which is of 1200 mAh capacity which gives you a talk time of almost 17 hours and a whopping standby time of 624 hours which is almost a month (26 days).   

The rear compartment also has space for 2 micro SIM slots (Yes Asha 501 is dual-SIM (microSIM + microSIM) smart phone) and a microSD memory Slot which supports upto 32GB memory. However Nokia 501 ships with 4GB memory bundled in at the time of purchase alongwith a travel charger and a headphones.  Size wise Nokia Asha 501 is 99.2 mm tall, 58 mm wide, 12.1mm thick and just 91 grams.  

Nokia Asha 501 supports dual-SIM GSM + GSM in a hot swappable mode which means you can keep the phone operational while replacing the respective cards.  It has  GPRS and EDGE support for mobile Internet but sadly no 3G support which is missed sorely on this beautiful phone. The phone runs on the Nokia Asha software platform v1.0 with most features similar to the smartphone category. It sports a 3-inch capacitive TFT display with a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels and two-fingered multi-touch capability. The internal hardware comprises of a 1 GHz processor, 128 MB of storage and 64 MB of RAM. The 128 MB storage is basically for installing apps and user data needs to be stored on the SD card. Other then GPRS and EDGE the Asha 501 has Wi-Fi b/g(no n), Bluetooth v3.0 with EDR and a micro USB 2.0 PC interface. 

So a good smart phone available for a decent price of Rs.4899.00. The Asha 501 is a good phone if you don't indulge in too much internet (fast net) and are happy with having a Nokia rugged phone.

The choice is yours, if you like the phone you can buy it from here for a White one for Rs.4898.00 and here for a Black one.

Get Moto X style wake-up feature, integration with both Spotify and Google Music All Access with updated utter! Beta for all Android devices

In the last post I gave you the Moto X style Active Display through DynamicNotifications published by Niko001, now I give you a whole new bunch of Moto X style features which you can put up on any Android phone.  This is possible due to a heavy dosage update done to the utter! Voice Commands BETA.  

The features that utter! Voice Commands offers to you are not only Moto X style but mind boggling to say the list.  With utter! voice command BETA you can not only wake up the phone through voice commands but after this update you can do a whole bunch more like

• Waking up the phone with a  Wake-up-phrase

• turn  WiFi on/off

• turn Bluetooth on/off

• turn Mobile Data (EDGE/2G/3G) on/off

• turn GPS on/off

• turn NFC on/off

• enable/diable Hotspot

• enable/diable Airplane mode

• change Orientation

• enable/disable Keyboard

• enable/diable Driving mode

• enable/diable Notifications

• enable/activate Time

• enable/activate Alarms

• enable/activate Calendar

• start Email

• start sms App to Text

• start Facebook

• start Twitter

• start Foursquare

• check Spelling

• check Weather

• check Application Integration

• open Device Settings menu

• open Device Information menu

• start Web Search

• start Video Search

• start Application Search

• start/stop Music player

• start/stop Navigation

• start Location Services (limited release)

• open Contacts

• Start Skype to make calles

• switch on/off Flash light

• open Tasker Integration

• open File Management (limited release)

• open Root Functions

The added integrations after the update are :

• Spotify integration!
• Google All Access integration!
• Google Now integration
• 'Okay Google' MotoX style wake-up!
• Stock prices
• Horoscopes
• Define
• Chat-bot
• Search Amazon
• Search eBay
• Search Yelp
• Search Twitter
• Search Foursquare
• New Tasker Plugin
• Ask Yahoo
• Where am I?
• Answer/reject calls
• Call confirmation
• Wired headset support
• Increased Bluetooth support

The update also has reported enhanced the speed of the App and fixed some irritating bugs.  

To download this must have App do visit Google Play here.  If you did like to check what utter! Voice Commands is all about, check this video out :

DynamicNotifications App get a Moto X smart phone type 'Active Display' on your any Android device 4.0 and above

One of the most talked about features in the Motorola's Moto X is the 'Active Display' which lets you receive updates and notifications even when its phone is asleep.  The thought about having a Active Display on a current Android smart phone seems mouth watering.  Therefore Niko001 went ahead and build one for all Android devices having versions 4.0 and above.  The App developed by Niko001 uses the new "Notification Listener" service introduced in 4.3 and therefore has minimal impact on your battery. If you own an AMOLED-phone, the "battery saving" feature should work automatically, since black pixels are simply not turned on. The app comes with similar features as the Moto X Active Display (such as not turning on when the device is inside your pocket, purse, or lying face down).

The recent update has added compatibility for 4.0+ devices via the "Accessibility service" and now the DynamicNotifications should work on any Android phone 4.0 and up but the publisher says that this works best on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.  

To check whether the App is correctly installed, do switch off your Android device screen and send a email to yourself from your desktop.  Your phone should awaken immediately with the notification light of new mail immediately.  

To set up the lockscren to off when it is in your pocket or purse, go to your phone system > settings > Security > and under the head "Device Adminstrators" tick the checkbox next to the "DynamicNotifications".  This will ensure that your phone will be locked as soon as it hits your pocket or purse.  Do remember, the App is not a security replacement and will only work when you receive notifications when your Device Screen is locked.  

 The updated App is now compatible with Android 4.0 and above phones but if you are using Android 4.3 on the GPE phones, it will make use of the new "NotificationListenerService" feature introduced in Android 4.3. Support for Android 4.0 to 4.2 is experimental, at the moment so if you have any bugs to report please do so in the comments section.  

To uninstall the App  go to system settings, select "Security", “Device Administrators” and uncheck the DynamicNotifications-entry. Once you have done this, you can now uninstall the App like you normally uninstall any App.  

- My phone starts talking to me when I enable the app?!

This is a known Samsung-bug; Please go your system settings, select "Apps" --> Samsung TTS engine --> DisableThe 

The features of this DynamicNotifications are immense and listed below :

FEATURES:

* Notifications don't light up when your phone is in your pocket, purse, or face down to avoid accidental unlocks

* Select which app-notifications you'd like to receive via DynamicNotifications

* "Custom timeout": Select for how long DynamicNotifications should be shown 

* "Sleep at night": Don't show notifications at night 

* "More privacy": Hide additional notification details (e.g. SMS text, sender)

* "Adjust screen brightness": Select how bright the DynamicNotifications screen should be

* Automatically switch off screen when dismissing notifications

The additional features which Niko001 has added today via update are

- "Breathing"-feature (notifications reappear after a custom interval)

- New high-quality icons for popular apps (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, WhatsApp)

- "Use as lockscreen" (Shows the notification screen every time you unlock your device, even if there are no new notifications)

- "Auto-on" feature (pulling the phone out of your pocket or picking it up from lying face-down (!) on a table shows the notifications screen)

- "Night-mode" fix

- Rebranding ("DynamicNotifications")

Bug : There is a known Samung Bug which makes the go awake once DynamicNotifications is enabled.  To disable the bug go to your system settings  and select 'App's > Samsung TTS Engine and disable the Samsung TTS Engine and your Samsung Android device should work fine.  

To download this must have App visit Google Play here.  If you are a developer and would like to do some tinkering, you can download the Apk file from here.  

The latest beta release version DynamicNotifications 1.8Beta can be downloaded from here.  Do remember this is a beta version and may contain both, bugs and bug fixes.

If you want to see what Moto X Active Display is all about and how DynamicNotifications will work on your Android phone, check out the video below :

Also do download the utter! Voice Commands to wake up your Android Devices Moto X style or open almost all peripherals, kindly read this post here to enable the Moto X style wake up

Google Palestine hacked by anti Israeli activists Hackteach Lovers signed by Cold z3ro - Haml3t - Sas - Dr@g

It seems that not even the worlds largest search engine Google is safe from the wrath of hackers.  Techworm.in, my associate site has reported that the google.ps has been hacked by Palestinian activists going by the name of Hackteach Lovers and signed by Cold z3ro - Haml3t - Sas - Dr@g. The site when opened gives out following messages with a music from this hyperlink

The google.ps even now appears to be in a hacked condition with the message box saying hacked by Hackteach Lovers.  In a message to Google the hacktivists or hackers conveyed the following message

Though the hacking itself seems serious but the last part of the message "So Listen to rihanna and be cool :P" seems a little out of touch with the overall message which is to say to Google and people of the world in general that Israel on the world map is essential Palestine.  At the time of writing this article the site google.ps was still under the control of the hacktivists.

A special thanks to Abhishek Kumar Jha of Techworm.in for bringing this to my and worlds notice.

PS even as I was writing the article the Hackteach Lovers went on to add a map to the search engine google.ps which is given below

The image of the source file :

You can listen to the music which the hackers put on google.ps by download it from here

Sony Xperia S, Sony Xperia SL, and Sony Xperia Acro S get Android 4.1 updated with lot of bug fixes

Sony has today announced that the Sony Xperia S, Sony Xperia SL, and Sony Xperia Acro S is being updated to fix a few of the bugs. 

The bugs being fixed are given below :

Camera

addressed an abnormality in the white balance

improved the “Quick Launch” button functionality

smoothed out (1080p) video recording, minimizing lag

Apps and services

streamlined Exchange Active Sync, particularly when running an encrypted set-up

boosted connection stability for 2G network data

ensured preferences on 3rd party apps remain after reboot – not a common problem, but we understand it can be a frustrating one!

Battery

economised power consumption, and heat dispersion for longer life

corrected juice level notifications, especially when running low

Hardware and UI

introduced a home key long-press to launch Google Now, and a double-press to launch Recent Apps

made sure the volume “up” button is fully responsive

If you have not already updated yours be sure to go to settings menu and press the update button.  Another way to do it is Connect your Micro USB to your computer and launch PC Companion, click check for updates at the Top Left!

Sony Xperia Tablet Z flashed with Ubuntu Touch by Mamenyaka of XDA Forums

Ubuntu Touch on Sony Xperia Tablet Z?  This was done by a member Mamenyaka of XDA team.  The developer however warned that it a experimental porting therefore you are requested to take all the necessary backups before trying it out.  

The flashing is simple and similar to installing CyanogenMod ROM so if you are familiar with CM ROMs you are half way through. You have to download and copy both the device image and Ubuntu Touch image.  You can download the device image from here and Ubuntu Touch image from here.   

Once you have copied both the files on the tablet you are required to reboot in the fastboot and flash the device image first.  Once you are done, you have reboot the tablet into recovery mode and flash the Ubuntu Touch image like you do with any other ROM.

As per the developer the Ubuntu Touch works just about perfect with all the issues resolved successfully.  What do you get from the flashing, well for one Ubuntu Touch is quite different from the operating systems reigning the market right now, owing in no small part to its gesture-based interface. Swiping from the left edge of the screen gives access to a column of your commonly-used apps. 

Swiping from the right edge lets you multitask between your opened apps. Swiping from the bottom edge brings up the contextual menu for the app, and swiping from the top edge brings down the notification centre, with different screens for different notifications. Because of this interface design, the operating system doesn't need any hardware buttons save for the power and volume buttons.

You can visit this thread for further information/questions regarding the boot.  Do check out the video below posted by the developer

iPhone 5C with iOS 7 : a comprehensive look at the Apple's new phone to be launched in September 2013

In my earlier article, I had outlined Apple's apparent need for having a budget smart phone on its resume, especially for the developing countries where Android is ruling the roost.  Well, the web world is flooded with lots of iPhone 5C news with each one having his or her own opinion about the makeup of iPhone 5C.  

I have taken the liberty of deconstructing the  iPhone 5C  and putting together the riddle that iPhone 5C is.  The primary question facing both the Apple lovers and Android lovers is that what will iPhone 5C really look like and what will be its price.  Will it be as suave as iPhone 5 and cheap enough for mid segment buyer to afford it.  I studied and researched at least 50+ website for information regarding iPhone 5C and this is what I have come up with.    I have taken due care to bring in every bit of news that is available but if something remains unreported, it may kindly be brought to notice through the comment box for my and readers information.

iPhone 5C is at extreme left, the middle one is iPhone 5S and the right one is iPhone 5

iPhone 5C Processor :  

iPhone 5C will be powered by a A5 chipset.  The A5 chipset which incidentally powers the iPhone 4S, has a variable clock speed of  can clock a variable  1GHz.  It will have a 512MB RAM which should be enough to run the new iOS 7 OS.  The A5 is a obvious choice as Apple would like to keep the manufacturing costs very low and at the same time allow iPhone 5C the same user experience as iPhone 5.  

iPhone 5C camera :

Again here, the camera is borrowed from iPhone 4S.   If the news is indeed true, then iPhone 5C will boast a 8MP camera with a LED flash.  

iPhone 5C Display :

The iPhone 5C will come with a 4 inch display with a resolution of 640 x 1136 pixels.  It will have all the iPhone 5 features like swipe to unlock etc.  

Design : 

This is the most probable area where Apple will cut corners to make iPhone 5C a cheaper version.  Though you may get a beautifully designed iPhone 5C but it will be made out of plastic or polycarbonate body. The images leaked so far show soft rounded corners and a glossy back in various colours, along with plastic buttons for the volume controls, power button and the mute button. In addition, the iPhone 5C will get the bottom-firing stereo speakers and a Lightening port at the bottom.  The rear of the iPhone 5C looks like a mix up of iPhone 3, 3GS and the current iPod touch, with the Apple logo sitting in the centre, above the regulatory fine-print.   iPhone 5C will be available in at least half a dozen different colours

Fine Print :  The Apple's iPhone 5C will in all probability have the above as per my research.  It will cut down heavily on the iPhone features to a bare minimum to keep the costs low.  It will dropApps and features like AirDrop or photo filters to keep the iPhone 5C running without additional load.  The iPhone 5C will also get a stripped down version of Siri. 

Price : This is what really all the above boils down to :  The iPhone 5C will be comparatively cheaper to iPhone 5 but not cheap enough.  It is expected to be priced at $500.00(Rs.30000.00) so it may not actually make a dent in the Android market as very good Android phones are available from all manufacturers in the sub $500.00 category.  India may get a cheaper version without LTE aboard as LTE is yet to take off in India

Release date : The iPhone 5C should be launched in month of September, 2013 with the possibility of it being launched on 20-25 Sept.  It will be followed by a promo blitzkrieg so that it gets all the eyeballs it can muster, especially in Latin America, China and India.   I leave you with a video of the iPhone 5C below

Manage your daily workouts the free way with your Android device and Workout Orgnaizer App

If you are a fitness freak or a obese person, this App is best for you. Workout Organizer has a very simple and beautiful interface and is very easy to use fitness app.   The App itself is clutter free and focusses on the one thing it should, that is your fitness.  

Workout Organizer has a user interface which is designed to look and feel like a music player.  The App itself is comprehensive enough to provide all the essential functions a workout app should have; while remaining simple enough to be intuitive and easy to use.  As with any music App, the Workout Organizer lets you create workout 'Playlists' as per your choice.  The so called 'Playlists' are limited to 3 in the free version but are more then enough for a regular workout.  

List of features include the following:
1. Simple and intuitive user interface
2. Beautifully designed interval timer
3. Create, edit, save, and load workout sets.
4. Customizable sound notification indicating beginning/ending of a workout session.
5. Dual timers indicating remaining time for the current workout session and entire workout set.
6. Simple weight calculator indicating current health status.

To download the free version of Workout Organizer, visit Google Play here.  

5 free ways to get rid of BlinkFeed on HTC One, HTC One X or HTC One Mini without rooting your phone

If you have bought a new HTC One, HTC One X or HTC Mini, you will agree with me that BlinkFeed is utterly irritating.  You new HTC One is one of the best Android smart phones that there is with incredible display, powerful processor and stylish design but for the HTC Sense's BlinkFeed.  The BlinkFeed by default becomes your homescreen whether you like it or not.  So, there are many of us who would like to remove this home screen without rooting the phone.  This article is for people who would just like to hide the BlinkFeed and have something they prefer as home screen.  

There is a option of hiding your BlinkFeed through the settings in HTC devices but if you would prefer to have your own custom homescreen the best option is to is to download and install a nice professional looking App launcher from the Google Play market. For the uninitiated, an App launcher replaces your homescreens and app drawers, and can drastically alter the way your phone feels and operates.   Remember that  installing any of these homescreen App launchers and pressing the 'home' button, you'll be prompted by Android to select which one you'd like to use as your default. If you fancy having a play around before deciding once and for all, simply select the launcher and then tap 'Just once'. When you're sure you like the one you've picked, select 'Always' and it will be set as your default launcher. 

I have list my favourite App launchers below, so that you can take your pick as per your choice.  All the five are free version and some may have paid or pro versions available but it always a safe bet to try it out first.

ADW.Launcher

This one is my personal favourite because it works with even Android 1.6.  This App has all the necessary ingredients you did like your HTC One to have on the homescreen.  In fact other then customising your home screen and App drawers, you can even add a action bar.  ADW.Laucher is very fast and responsive and at the same time is very undemanding of your processor as well as battery.  Some of its features are given below 

-It's highly customizable, almost in every aspect you can think of.

-Thousands of skins and themes with support for most popular launcher themes!

-Mix and match your skins, icons, docks, folders, etc

-Configure your applications in unlimited groups and hide unwanted apps.

-Fast setup screen with fast access to add items or configure everything.

-Gestures for fast operation (swipe up/down, 2-fingers swipe up/down, pinch in/out, etc)

-Configurable Actionbar, similar to android 3.x+ tablet interface.

-Screens editor to add,remove, swap and resize your desktop screens.

-Configurable visual desktop indicators.

-Easy folder tweaking and management, content previews, arrangement, colors, etc.

-New AppWidget picker for devices running Android 4.1 and newer.

-Icons editor to create your own customized shortcuts or edit existing ones

-AppWidget resizing

-AppWidget backup/restore (only for android 4.1 and newer)

-Customizable applications dock with support for unlimited shortcuts with paginated scroll.

-Lots of settings to play with: texts, colours, animations, sizes.. the more you dig in the more you will enjoy the colours and texts.

Download the ADW.Laucher from Google Play here.

Go Launcher EX

This is one of the oldest App launchers available on Google Play and was last updated by the publisher on 9.8.2013.  It boasts more than 5,000 different themes and works in conjunction with Go Team's other apps, which include a series of custom widgets. The Go Launcher EX has its own 'Go Store' where you can download stuff like wall papers, animations and custom icons for money. Some of the features of Go Launcher EX are :

- More than 10,000 personalized themes (keep increasing)

- Super smooth flipping and transition effects provided by 3D core

- 25+ fancy transition effects

- 15+ widgets available for free (weather, clock, switch, calendar…)

- Launch apps using gestures

You can download the free version of Go Launcher EX from Google Play here.

Next Launcher 3D

This launcher is for people who like their homescreens to sport all kind of 3D animated stuff.  Launcher 3D offers you all kinds visual trickery through  3D skills to things such as menu transitions and navigation. In fact it is said to be number one 3D launcher in the Google Play market.  The free version comes with a lot of features which are 

- Extremely fancy 3D effect with buttery smooth experience

- Efficient and powerful batch apps management with gestures

- Stunning 3D screen preview with dazzling animation of screen switching

- Keep releasing 3D Next widgets, 3D themes and live wallpapers special designed by GO Launcher Dev Team

- Multi-select Apps to fulfill batch operation on Android launcher home

The fact that it has been updated just today makes it even more worthy of download so head over to Google Play here.

LauncherPro

LauncherPro was one of the first Android launchers options to hit the Google Play, and got itself noticed by offering cool features and transitions that weren't available elsewhere.  It has not been updated for 3 years now so you may feel a bit lost.  It offers most stable launcher experience so if you're looking to ditch BlinkFeed but don't want to feel like a test subject for app developers and their fancy new launchers, then this is the safest option.  Its features include :

- Super-smooth scrolling

- Animated screen previews (like Exposé or HTC Sense)

- Up to 7 home screens

- App drawer (2D and 3D!) with a fly-in effect and smooth scrolling

- Scrollable shortcut dock

As I have said earlier, this Launcher hasn't the sleekest of feels but it does its job alright.  To download it, visit Google Play here.

3D Home

I have kept the best for the last.  The 3D home is a iPhone clone in most ways.  It not only gives you a 3D like feel but is sure to make your iPhone friends jealous with its awesome homescreens. It singularly transforms your dull and rather static homescreen into a room with 3D objects. To make a call, you tap the phone on the desk and to watch a video you select the massive TV screen pinned to the wall. You can add widgets to other walls of the room, and looking up out of the domed window above displays the weather forecast. It's somewhat gimmicky, but fun all the same. The features of 3D Home include :

•Incredible 3D Experience : Your mobile device home is equipped with the most innovative 3D effects. Just imagine rotating ceilings, walls, and floors. Each room of your home will seem to come to life!

•Numerous Customization Options : The 3D Home offers 5 customization options: 3D objects, applications, shortcuts, widgets, and wallpaper. Choose 1, 2, 3, or more options and build a home only you could love!

•Innovative Menu Interface : Access your apps with a single press of a button!

•Scrollable Dock : Quick and easily switch between your desktop and the top and bottom of the screen!

•Quick Access to Common Tasks : Your most common activities on your mobile device (phone, contacts, messaging, apps console, and Google Play Store) are accessible from a single location on the home screen. 

•App Sorting Selections : Arrange your apps for easy access. Choose to sort by name, recently installed, or frequently used. 

To make your HTC One feel just like a home, download the 3D Home from Google Play here.

Remember this launchers can be used on any of the Android devices you may own and wish to customise.  If you are interested in any other launchers click here.