After the earth shattering success of its flagship Mi3, the Chinese giant Xiaomi is now ready to capture the entry-level Indian smartphone market with its latest offering – Redmi 1s. If you (still) don’t know much about the brand, Xiaomi (Shia-o-me) is the world’s 5th largest smartphone manufacturer and is hailed as “The Apple of China” for its quality, innovation and massive popularity. Its reception in India has been incredible, it goes “Out of Stock” within seconds of replenishment!

Known for providing high end specification at dirt cheap prices, Xiaomi 1s surely delivers more than expected. Packed with a QUALCOMM Snapdragon 400 quad-core processor clocked at 1.6 GHz along with 1 gigabyte of RAM. The phone features a 4.7’ IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels (312 PPI), coated with Dragontrail glass for making it durable. The dual SIM device, comes with an 8MP (1080p) rear shooter and a snappy 1.6MP front camera (720p). With 8 gigs of expandable memory the phone also support USB On-The-Go (OTG) – you can run USB peripheral like pen drives, keyboards, hard drives, etc. with the help of an adaptor. The phone runs of Android 4.3 (MIUI) and is powered by a 2000mAH battery. These are the only two things that somewhat pinch as Jellybean now seems ancient and the battery is a 100mAH small, however they seem minute snags in the overall package.

If you find the specifications alluring, you’ll be blown away by the price. Initially priced at INR 6,999, Redmi 1s has been launched at INR 5,999, exclusively on Flipkart. To be honest, it actually seems under priced for the monstrous specs it offers. It not only trashes its immediate competitor Moto E (Rs. 6,999) but also outdoes the highly efficient Moto G, now priced at around 10k. The registrations have started & the flash sales will begin from 2nd September. (Do remember, only those who register can buy the phone!)

The fact that Xiaomi is now highly popular in India (courtesy Mi3), the sales are predicted to be groundbreaking!  So if you are looking for a powerful phone, that doesn’t feel heavy on your pockets, Xiaomi’s latest may just be the one!

From helping you in business interactions to giving you a better understanding of art, culture and literature of a different part of the world, knowing a foreign language definitely gives you an edge in today’s world.

Ever wanted to learn a new language? Here are some FREE apps to help you in this quest!

50Languages      

Android & iOS

As the name clearly suggests, the app helps you learn the fundamentals of 50 different languages. There are different themes like Translation tools, Games, Vocabulary & Phrases which give you a basic understanding of the language, so much so that you can clearly understand and fluently engage in small conversations.

Duolingo

Android & iOS

The most effective and popular language learning resource which has topped various lists and won many awards –Duolingo, is completely free and has a user base of over 25 million people! Duolingo right now offers only 5 – Spanish, French, German, Portuguese and Italian.

Memrise

Android & iOS

Not exactly a coaching app, Memrise, presents another unique way of learning languages.  It essentially is a quirky flashcard app, which also includes sounds, pictures & other tools. Each new word you learn is depicted as a ‘seed’ and once you complete the quizzes you help it grow into a plant!

Babbel

Windows Phone 8

Present on iOS & Android previously, Babbel is available on Windows Phone 8 devices for free. However, instead of different languages within the app, there are different editions available – Spanish, French, German, Italian, Polish, Turkish, Swedish, Dutch, Portuguese, Indonesian and English. To effectively use the application you would require a Babbel account (Free for Windows Users), which will also help you review your performance. A major highlight of the application is that it runs offline.

With these apps at your fingertips, you can learn easily a new language anytime, anywhere!

Feliz Aprendizaje (Happy Learning!)

Gone are the days when owning a personal page on the worldwide web used to be a privilege. It’s now easier than you may think to share your voice with the world.  Have something to share? Start a blog!

You can practically write about anything – stuff that excites you, things you know about or even your life’s journal. People all over the world read, share and comment about your work. Not only will you learn, you can even earn from you blogs!

Once you decide a subject for your blog (trust me, it can be anything!), the next steps are easy.So let’s dive in and help you start your Blog!

Getting the Blog up!

To begin with, you need website that provides you a blogging platform. The service can be paid or free, depending on your needs and objectives.  Among the free options, Google’s Blogger is quite popular.

Head towww.blogger.com and sign in with (or signup for) your Google account. Choose a ‘Display Name’ which would appear as a sign under your posts.

Next, click on “Create Your Blog Now” and choose a heading for your blog along with a prefix for the “.blogspot.com” url. This will be your blog’s web address.

Now, choose a “Template” which would be your blog’s layout and the basic design. You’re ready to roll out your first post!

Monetization

If your content is good and you start attracting some traffic, blogging can fetch you some great bucks! Google AdSense, the most popular monetization vehicle, integrates very easily into Blogger.

Select “Earnings” from the left sidebar, tap on AdSense, and make an account by providing necessary details.  Once the process is complete, you may add upto 3 AdSense widgets on Blog from “Add Gadgets” option under the “Layout” tab. Select your preferred positions for these banner ads and your blog is ready to mint you money! Though this requires a flow of traffic to your site, hey, you have to start from somewhere right?

So hit the keyboard and type your brains out, your personal blog awaits you.

Happy Blogging folks!

With Flappy Bird pulled down by GEARS Studios, there was a vacuum that needed to be filled. Flappy Bird taught us a new way to kill time – traveling long distances, waiting in never ending ques or attending a boring lecture (specifically!), it made it all seem fun. Though now, there are many (MANY!) alternatives to the game, it seems we somehow got over it – We don’t need to tap & flap anymore! But what if I tell you there’s an antidote – a viable alternative to the Flappy Bird! To base my claim, this game has recorded over 2.5 million downloads already in under 2 months on AppStore alone, with 1 million of its downloads occurring in the last three days!! So what makes Timberman special?

To be precise, all you’re doing is chopping down a tree trunk, by tapping on either side while avoiding the descending branches. Simple. However, after a few games (along with a few infuriating deaths), it hits! You soon find yourself drowned… Once you figure out the controls, timing & pacing and are able to hold on for a while, things get more interesting – the speed changes & you are required to tap faster, observe quicker and of course, shout louder if & when you fail! Once you make a good score, you can’t help but try and beat it, again & again… That’s it! You are now addicted to Timberman. You are playing it everywhere – couch, dining table, bedroom (bathroom anyone?).

One of the reasons it resembles Flappy Bird is because of the similar 8 bit look they share. Yet unlike Flappy Bird, it offer character & scenario customizations.  Much like Flappy Bird, the time between consecutive games is less, so you are constantly hooked to your phone! Incase you still need a testament, the game is among the top 5 apps (overall) in more than 20 countries and is the most-downloaded game in 8 countries (as of today)! The game is available for FREE on both Android & iOS So girls & guys, pick up your phones & indulge… ^-^

Gone are the days when the launch of a new Blackberry phone used to excite us. Today, Blackberry has lost a significant market share (From over 50% in 2009 to below 5% in 2014) to its peers, namely Apple & Samsung. However, the much hyped Blackberry Z3 was hailed as a “game changer”. Launched in Indonesia early this year, Z3 did give a modest push to BB’s sales, primarily due to its cheap price tag of $190 (INR 11500 approx). Its Indian launch (scheduled for 25th June), was thus awaited.

In terms of specifications, Blackberry Z3 packs in a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 clocked at 1.2 Ghz along with a 1.5 GB RAM. The phone sports a rear 5 megapixel camera Full HD and a 1.1 megapixel front facing camera (Selfie anyone?). The phone comes with 8 gigs of internal storage & supports micro SD cards. The 5 inch screen has a relatively modest resolution of 540×960 (220 ppi) but looks vibrant. The phone features a powerful 2500 mAh non removable battery, which is sure to provide an exceptional battery runtime.

Coming to the software, Z3 runs on BlackBerry 10.2.1 OS. Apart from being extremely sophisticated & efficient, BB 10.2 allows you to run android apps, on your Blackberry. Though not through Google’s Play Store, BB OS supports APK files directly or through 3rd party appstores like Amazon and Snap.  Though some apps are incompatible, this feature alone seems to be a great incentive. Incidentally, Blackberry’s own appstore (BlackBerry World) has grown and showcases all relevant apps. Z3 also brings Blackberry Maps to India which provides for a worthy navigation experience. In the ‘looks department’, the phone seems sturdy and despite of its plastic built feels quite premium, something you would expect from the Canadian giant.

However, despite being a decent offering, Blackberry Z3 may not aid the company’s comeback at least in India because of its ignorant pricing. The success of Moto G, Moto E & scores of other budget handset clearly indicate that users want better phones, at better prices. Blackberry Z3 is being launched in India at a price tag of Rs.15990, with a discount of Rs.1000 on pre order.

Though not at all expensive, the pricing is definitely in congruent with the modest specification of the device. A dual core processor, a 5 MP camera & a low resolution screen at 16k – seems like a bad deal! Had it been introduced at the same price as in Indonesian market, this phone definitely could have revived the sinking company. Though BlackBerry India justified the move bu saying that  “the VAT structures and Customs Duty does not allow the company to launch the phone in India at the $200 price point it is sold in Indonesia now”, this phone may not appeal to the masses, who can opt in for a more wholesome Android experience along with similar or even better specs from other major vendors.

The pre-orders have begun and the phone is likely to hit the market by the  2nd week of July.