Monday, April 6, 2015
Asus Zenfone trio of phones unveiled
Asus Zenfone is a range of Android mobile phones, with names that relate to their screen sizes – meet the Zenfone 4, Zenfone 5 and Zenfone 6.
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Asus is better known for its laptops and tablets than its phones. However, it has just dramatically increased its range of phones with the Zenfone line-up.
There are three models, the Asus Zenfone 4, the Zenfone 5 and Zenfone 6. Both the price and features ramp-up as you work your way up the range.
Zenfone 4
The Asus Zenfone 4 has a 4-inch IPS screen and a basic 5-megapixel camera. As the phone thats likely to appeal to younger buyers due to its lower price, the Zenfone 4 comes in five colours – white, black, yellow, green, red.
It has a 480 x 800 pixel screen, 4GB of internal memory and a 1.2GHz Intel Atom Z2520 processor.
Zenfone 5
Up a step is the Asus Zenfone 5. This phone has a 5-inch 720p IPS screen and 8-megapixel camera with an f/2.0 lens.
The processor is also a lot faster than the four-inch model, using the 2GHz Intel Atom Z2580. This phone comes in white, black, red, blue and gold colours. 4GB, 8GB and 16GB models will be produced, but it seems unlikely that all three will be widely available in the UK.
Zenfone 6
The top model Zenfone 6 is a further upgrade, but not in all respects. Despite having a 6-inch screen, the Zenfone 6 continues to use a 720p screen. And it has the same 2GHz Atom processor as the Zenfone 5.
Its camera is a step up, though, using a 13-megapixel sensor with LED flash.
Asus Marketing Manager John Swatton confirmed that the company is in talks to bring the phones to UK networks and major retailers like as Carphone Warehouse. However, at this point he could not confirm any definite UK stores that will stock the phones.
UK prices too are yet to be confirmed.
MediaTek MT6572 Chipset and UBIFS System Review Pros and Cos
MediaTek is a Chinese company which are making cheap Android devices with good specifications. Most of us know Indian companies like Micromax, Karbonn, Lava, Spice etc. are just cloning those devices are renaming with Karbonn device, so we also get MediaTek chipset in our Android devices. There are different versions of MediaTek chipsets like MediaTek MT6577, MediaTek MT6589, MediaTek MT6573, MediaTek MT6573, MediaTek MT6572 etc. but we always need to be sure which chipset is best. I get Celkon A63 for just testing purpose and found that it was not at all lagging on Jelly Bean OS. You might thinking why would it lag but I need to tell you that its having 512 MB RAM. I saw that device is having MediaTek MT6572 processor, which is very fast. Another thing which made this device faster is the UBIFS system and data partitions. UBIFS is actually a Nand Storage but its better than other Nand storage like EXT4 because it is faster and durable.
Some pros and cos of UBIFS File System:
Pros [Advantages] of UBIFS System support:
MT6572 devices are not having any ROMs because they are new in the market whereas MT6589 and MT6577 are very old. Thats having more ROMs before its old. Dont worry, soon we [MT6572] users will also flash MIUI, Lewa OS and other cool ROMs.
Personally I didnt found any other disadvantage of MT6572 android devices, just one and that I mentioned. Other things working flawlessly like Xposed Framework, Gravity Box etc.
If you are a simple user, no doubt, just go for MT6572 devices and if you are developer go for other devices.
Some pros and cos of UBIFS File System:
- Its faster than other storage devices- I made a CWM recovery and the way it was restoring the Nandroid backup was amazing. Ive tested CWM on same devices but with EXT4 storage and found that UBIFS is better than it.
- Its un-corruptible- UBIFS system is made to be faster and un-corruptible. Even if you use the storage like a machine, the storage wont be corrupted! This is helpful for developers like me because we need to flash many files to test if they are working or not.
Cos [Disadvantages] of UBIFS System support:
- No CWM/TWRP Recovery- Theres just some devices with the recovery that mounts UBIFS system and that was Christian Troys CWM Recovery. Hes the one who mounted the UBIFS system on CWM Recovery. I also successfully ported his CWM Recovery to support Celkon A63 but the power button is not working, thats the only but Im facing in mounting UBIFS in Celkon A63 otherwise the recovery is working with no errors.
So I think UBIFS is better than EXT4 because of its speed and it can be best if we get development for CWM for UBIFS devices.
Okay, as I said another thing that makes Celkon A63 faster is MediaTek MT6572 Chipset. Lets quickly see the Pros and Cos of MediaTek MT6572 Chipset too!
Pros of MediaTek MT6572 Chipset:
- Faster- A device running Jelly Bean on 256 MB RAM is running like a butter! I could play Subway Surfers and other High Definition games with swap support and there were no lags. The chipset is designed to be faster on even low-end Android devices.
- Battery saver- Theres 1500 mAh battery in Celkon A63 and the battery backup of this device is good when we compare it to other devices having 1500 mAh battery. I use it to play games and running some big apps and still theres no need for me to charge it frequently. The devices like Lava Iris 405 (running on 512 MB RAM, 1 GHz Dual Core Processor, 1400 mAh battery) needs to get charged after ever 7-10 hours! Whereas Celkon A63 needs to charged after 1 day. A63 is running on MediaTek MT6572 chipset, 256 MB RAM, 1.3 GHz Dual Cor processor and still having better battery backup than other devices with other chipset.
- Dont get up heated- Again, Id like to give you example of Lava Iris 405 only. People using Lava Iris 405 always have a complaint about the heating problem. The device is running on 1 GHz Dual Core processor and have heating problem whereas A63 is running on 1.3G GHz Dual Core processor and no heat at all.
- Cheap- When we compare the price of devices running on MT6572 and on other specifications, MT6572 always wins! you can get a device with 512 MB RAM and 1.3 GHz Dual Core processor at just 4-5 thousands. Lava Iris 405 is of 7 thousands whereas Karbonn A12+ is just of 4.5 thousands.
Cos of MediaTek MT6572 Chipset:
- No Development support till now- When we see to devices like Lava Iris 405, Micromax A89 etc. [MT6577 and MT6589], we see many lots of Custom ROMs for them but when we see devices like Karbonn A12+, Celkon A63 etc. [MT6572 both] theres not even a single ROM for them. No MIUI, No Lewa OS, No BBM-based ROMs etc but in MT6577, there are tons of ROMs. If you are developer or superuser I would say you not to buy MT6572 based Android devices.
MT6572 devices are not having any ROMs because they are new in the market whereas MT6589 and MT6577 are very old. Thats having more ROMs before its old. Dont worry, soon we [MT6572] users will also flash MIUI, Lewa OS and other cool ROMs.
Personally I didnt found any other disadvantage of MT6572 android devices, just one and that I mentioned. Other things working flawlessly like Xposed Framework, Gravity Box etc.
If you are a simple user, no doubt, just go for MT6572 devices and if you are developer go for other devices.
How To Root Micromax A119 Canvas XL Without PC
My friend recently bought Micromax A119 Canvas XL and asked me to root it for him, I googled about the chipset and found that it is MediaTek MT6582 and I was ready to root the device because I knew that it can be rooted by using Framaroot Application.
The rooting was easy and I also built CWM recovery for him. After rooting his device I thought of making a guide on rooting micromax a119 canvas xl. The guide is really very simple and doesnt require any kind of skills. Even a noob can perform this guide easily. Requirements are just simple things like an application, mobile phone and no computer so users that dont have computers and laptops at their homes can also perform these steps.
The device is very big and has decent specifications, but whats the need to root it? I am sure you are thinking this on your mind but let me tell you that there are some things that you wont get in simple device which is not rooted like Xposed Module, Root Explorer, MobileUncle MTK Tools and other tools which can customise your mobile phone.
I installed my own made Carliv Touch recovery in it and tried many zips like Init.d enabler, Xposed uninstaller and etc. zips to check if it was working or not.
Lets no more talk about what I did and root your Micromax A119 Canvas XL! Here you go:
Requirements
The rooting was easy and I also built CWM recovery for him. After rooting his device I thought of making a guide on rooting micromax a119 canvas xl. The guide is really very simple and doesnt require any kind of skills. Even a noob can perform this guide easily. Requirements are just simple things like an application, mobile phone and no computer so users that dont have computers and laptops at their homes can also perform these steps.
The device is very big and has decent specifications, but whats the need to root it? I am sure you are thinking this on your mind but let me tell you that there are some things that you wont get in simple device which is not rooted like Xposed Module, Root Explorer, MobileUncle MTK Tools and other tools which can customise your mobile phone.
I installed my own made Carliv Touch recovery in it and tried many zips like Init.d enabler, Xposed uninstaller and etc. zips to check if it was working or not.
Lets no more talk about what I did and root your Micromax A119 Canvas XL! Here you go:
Requirements
- Framaroot 1.6.1 APK: Get it from Framaroots official thread which is available on XDA-Developers.com.
- Micromax A119 Canvas XL with USB Debugging Enabled: Go to About phone in Settings and tap 7 times on Build Number. After tapping 7 times you will see a popup that you are a developer now!
Go back and there will be a new option named "Developer options" in Settings application. Open it and enable it. Enable USB Debugging too. - Micromax A119 Canvas XL charged upt to 70% for performing this guide.
- Concentration required a bit.
Downloads
- Framaroot APK: Get it from Official Framaroot Thread: Click HERE.
- Nothing else.
How To Root Micromax A119 Canvas XL without PC
- Enable USB Debugging (see how to do it in Requirements).
- Download Framroot Application on your mobile phone. If you are installing application like this on mobile phone, then move it to your SD Card, tap on it and you will see a warning, accept the warning and install the application on your XL.
- Close all the applications and save your works because we will need to reboot it after some seconds.
- Now, open Framaroot Application from your application drawer when everything is closed.
- Click on Superuser and tick SuperSU from the drop-down list. (You can try Superuser too but I found SuperSU better than superuser.)
- Click on Boromir exploit to root your Micromax A119 Canvas XL.
- You will see Success :-) ... Superuser and su binary installed. You have to reboot your device message in a new popup from that application.
- Reboot your device now!
IF you didnt see that messaage then you have installed any other version of that application. If you are still not sure that the device is rooted or not then try any free applications like Root Checker which can be downloaded free from Google Play Store.
Watch this video made by me on how to root Micromax A119 Canvas XL on YouTube for pictorial guide to enable USB Debugging etc.
If you are having any problems related to the rooting tutorial or anything that shoot a comment here for help! We always reply to you.
Watch this video made by me on how to root Micromax A119 Canvas XL on YouTube for pictorial guide to enable USB Debugging etc.
If you are having any problems related to the rooting tutorial or anything that shoot a comment here for help! We always reply to you.
Sunday, April 5, 2015
Wordeo video messaging app launched with Getty support
Wordeo has launched as a new video messaging app, the first to offer full access to Getty stock footage.
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The new app blends an assortment of short 2-second video clips with your own written message, to “bring your words to life”.
Basically, the Wordeo app aims to enable you to create your own video messages easy and simply, without having to put in a lot of effort.
You write the message you wish to send and then Wordeo brings in video associated to each of those words. Appropriate words get their own 2-second video clip to illustrate your point.
Once you’ve written your message, you tap next to see a preview of your video message with pre-chosen video content. Here you can change the background music according to your mood, and scroll through some of the Getty footage tied to each word.
It’s very easy to use, scrolling down for more 2-second clips or up to add your own video footage from your iPhone’s camera roll. You can also shoot your video footage from within the Wordeo app. Swiping to the left or right changes the word you’re currently tweaking.
You can complete a Wordeo in under a minute, depending on how much time you spend tweaking the videos, font and music of your Wordeo video message.
It might seem like a mismatch of other apps like Vine, Instagram and Twitter, but we were pretty impressed with the end results.
The Wordeo creators are pretty impressive themselves, with the CEO David Bailey an ex-Apple executive and the CTO Bob Johnson responsible for building the back-end of the BBC iPlayer.
“Getty has been a partner in the [Wordeo] idea from the beginning. For them to let someone use their content in this way is completely revolutionary. They broke new ground with us on that”, explained Bailey to TrustedReviews. “That’s what we think is one of the things that makes us unique versus the other video messaging, content creation-type apps.”
Each video message can last up to 30 seconds, and you’ll see a green bar filling up as you write your message, letting you know how much more you can type.
As with Instagram and other apps, you can follow other Wordeo users and browse a constantly updated “Popular” feed. You can share your Wordeo creations on Twitter and Facebook too.
The London based company launched the free app today, January 14 for iOS only at first. There’s a dedicated iPad Wordeo app on the way, as well as an Android version in the future.
New Samsung Windows Phone tipped for imminent release
While much attention is being focused on the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S5 release date, latest reports have suggested Samsung is set to launch a new Windows Phone powered handset.
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With Samsung has remained a bit part player on the Windows Phone scene as Nokia continues as the market’s leading force, new reports have claimed that the Korean manufacturer has a new WP8 powered device in the works, one that could take a number of pointers from the Samsung Galaxy S4.
According to the Twitter-based serial tech tipster @evleaks, the new Samsung Windows Phone handset will be unveiled shortly, with a US network having already teased the device.
“Samsung SM-W750V will be a Windows Phone on Verizon. Codenamed Huron, it looks very similar to a late model Galaxy S,” an @evleaks Tweet teased.
Although Samsung has as yet failed to offer any indications as to if or when it will renew its Windows Phone efforts, with MWC 2014 less than three weeks away, the mobile show looks like a likely launch venue for the company’s new phone.
While specs for the company’s new Windows Phone handset still remain shrouded in mystery, it is believed that the Samsung Galaxy S4 influenced handset could boast a similar array of innards to the former flagship phone, just with a newer Snapdragon 800 CPU in tow in a bid to better rival the latest models.
With a 5-inch Full HD display one of many S4 features expected to be brought across to the Samsung SM-W750V Windows Phone device, a 13-megapixel rear-mounted camera and 2GB of RAM have also been tipped for inclusion.
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Red Google Nexus 5 release date tipped for February 4
A red Google Nexus 5 release date has been tipped for next week as the repeatedly leaked handset gets set for a February 4 launch.
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With the red Google Nexus 5 having been the subject of numerous leaks and countless rumours in recent weeks, now retailer stocking details have made a premature appearance, with the handset tipped to go on sale next Tuesday, February 4, in the US at least.
“2/4/14: Google Nexus 5 in red available in Google Play stores,” US network provider Sprint has stated in an internal document which has made its way online.
Although Google has as yet failed to formally confirm the existence of a new vibrantly hued Nexus 5 handset, it is widely believed that the repeatedly rumoured red model will be the first of a range of newly coloured smartphones to join the original black and white handsets.
Aside from the colour difference, the red Google Nexus 5 is believed to be identical to its monochrome counterparts, with a 5-inch, 1080p Full HD display, quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor and 2GB of RAM.
Powered by the company’s latest Android 4.4 KitKat operating system, the Google Nexus 5 boasts an 8-megapixel rear-mounted camera alongside a 1.3-megapixel secondary snapper and the option of 16GB or 32GB of internal storage.
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Google patches Master Key Android hole already on its way to Samsungs
The sky was falling last week when it emerged that there was a major security hole that could mean 900 million Android devices could be vulnerable to hack attacks - but Google has now rolled out a patch.
It was quite a dramatic state of affairs, with security firm Bluebox reckoning that 99 per cent of Android handsets were vulnerable - there was the potential for nefarious devs to modify app update code.
That would mean that users could be merrily installing what appears to be a legit app update, but is actually riddled with nasty code courtesy of nefarious developers.
However, Google has been working to close the hole since February and has now succeeded.
Exactly when youll get the update will depend on your phone make, with individual manufacturers responsible for rolling out the update.
Samsung owners are quids in though, as Google confirmed to ZDNet that "a patch has been provided to our partners" with "some OEMs, like Samsung… already shipping the fix to Android devices".
Google says that its been a bit of a storm in a teacup though, adding, "We have not seen any evidence of exploitation in Google Play or other app stores via our security scanning tools. Google Play scans for this issue - and Verify Apps provides protection for Android users who download apps to their devices outside of Play."
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It was quite a dramatic state of affairs, with security firm Bluebox reckoning that 99 per cent of Android handsets were vulnerable - there was the potential for nefarious devs to modify app update code.
That would mean that users could be merrily installing what appears to be a legit app update, but is actually riddled with nasty code courtesy of nefarious developers.
Patchwork
However, Google has been working to close the hole since February and has now succeeded.
Exactly when youll get the update will depend on your phone make, with individual manufacturers responsible for rolling out the update.
Samsung owners are quids in though, as Google confirmed to ZDNet that "a patch has been provided to our partners" with "some OEMs, like Samsung… already shipping the fix to Android devices".
Google says that its been a bit of a storm in a teacup though, adding, "We have not seen any evidence of exploitation in Google Play or other app stores via our security scanning tools. Google Play scans for this issue - and Verify Apps provides protection for Android users who download apps to their devices outside of Play."
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