Microsoft launches Lumia 950, 950 XL; priced at Rs 43,699 and Rs 49,399

Microsoft launches Lumia smartphones that run on the company's latest operating system Windows 10 in India. The all-new Microsoft Lumia 950 and 950XL are priced at Rs 43,699 and Rs 49,399 respectively.


Lumia 950 includes a 5.2-inch display and a hexacore processor, while the larger Lumia 950 XL has a 5.7-inch display with an octacore chip. For the first time, Microsoft has used a QHD display in its Lumia line of smartphones. Both Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL sports 1440x2560p resolution, which pack four times the pixels compared to a HD panel.

The highest display resolution for a Windows Phone handset till now has been Full HD (1080x1920p) only.

Lumia 950 and 950XL handsets feature a 20-megapixel rear camera, have up to 32GB of storage, 4K video and use liquid cooling technology. Microsoft said storage on the phones could be extended to up to 2 terabytes using a memory card.

With Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL, Microsoft has used 3GB RAM in smartphones for the first time. This, coupled with the new processors, would mean that the two smartphones will beat last year's model by a mile and compete easily with the Android phones and iPhones of 2015.

Lumia 950 and 950 XL go on preorder starting today on Amazon, Reliance Digital stores and Microsoft Priority sellers. The users who pre-order the smartphones will get Microsoft Display Dock, worth Rs 5,999, free. The smartphones gone on sale on December 11, 2015.

How Technology Could Prevent Another Paris-Like Attack

What I find fascinating is that with all of the focus members of the intelligence community place on violating our privacy, they still aren't able to stop attacks like the one in Paris. Currently they are complaining that it is our fault for implementing encryption that blocks their often-illegal views into citizens' personal lives.

I think that even if encryption didn't exist, they still would be ineffective. Looking back at 911, there was no lack of intelligence indicating an attack was imminent. That intelligence was clearly in evidence to show guilt after the fact, but there was an inability to get that intelligence to a decision maker who could -- or would -- make a timely decision to keep the event from happening.

Our system is set up largely to punish people who commit crimes after the fact -- not to keep a crime from happening in the first place. That mindset will need to change if we actually are to become safer. Something else that will need to change is the separation between citizens and enforcement. Rather than being treated like we are part of the problem, we -- the folks supposedly being protected -- need to be part of the solution, and I think there could be an app for that.

I'll go deeper into that this week and close with my product of the week: IBM Watson, which could be at the core of not only this effort, but also of efforts to make us healthier and happier.

Minority Report vs. Current Law Enforcement

Restraining orders don't work. Law enforcement largely is based on the concept of punishment as a deterrent. If it doesn't work, then it is about catching and punishing the perpetrator to serve as an example in order to prevent the next crime. This works to a degree for financially motivated crimes like theft and illicit drug sales, because there is a risk-reward balance when criminals think strategically. They have to weigh the reward of the crime against the cost and risk of going to jail.

With crimes of passion, folks tend not to think strategically. They are more in the moment, and while they certainly may regret their violent action, the punishment plays little role in the decision process, because they are living in the moment and not considering it until after the act is committed.

With suicide bombers, the plan is to be dead. Even if they think strategically, at least for now, we don't have anything we can do to punish people who are dead. In fact, the punishment may help ensure the outcome, because the only folks who are punished in these instances are those whose bombs fail to detonate. In a situation that might lead to torture to extract information about other parts of a terrorist plan, the punishment simply would ensure the outcome society wants to prevent.

That is the concept behind the movie Minority Report -- stopping crimes before they are committed, which supposedly is the goal of most antiterrorist activity. Since the psychic approach probably won't work, that movie isn't much help. However, we have tons of people out on the streets with smartphones, and we have cognitive computing solutions like IBM's Watson. That combination actually could be better than the psychic approach. (If you recall, the entire movie was about how it failed.)

There Is an App for That - or Should Be

The idea for this came from a note I got from John Byrnes, writing for theCenter for Aggression Management, which has a scientifically backed process that reliably identifies people who are about to do something violent. This truly drifts into Minority Report territory, because it is about violence in general. It would include those planning to shoot up schools, places of employment (or ex-employment), or spouses.

The process looks for behaviors that would be evident leading up to an attack or crime -- while criminals are gathering information and selecting targets and planning -- and even early in the execution process.

The thing is, to make this work, we need folks who know what to look for, and a way for those folks to alert the authorities to take action.

There could be an app for that. People just use their cellphones to take pictures of people they think are acting questionably as part of an app that sends the pictures to a central service, with an AI, such as Watson, that uses facial recognition to identify and profile them. If the behavior captured triggers a violent profile, law enforcement would be notified, and the individual put under formal surveillance, with a flag level ranging from questionable to the possibility of imminent violence.

At the end of the year, the person who was instrumental in preventing the most crimes would get recognized -- maybe a presidential citation or a medal, and a cash award to be donated to charity of the person's choice. A job offer from the FBI might even make sense, because a top skillset like that could be valuable full time.

Wrapping Up

I think the problem with the current approach to attacks like the one in Paris is that it treats us all like criminals who need to be monitored. Our privacy is violated as a consequence of a process -- based on post penalties -- that doesn't work for this kind of crime.

Instead, I think we could use technology to make people a part of the solution. Focus on those who fit a scientific profile for people intending violence, which would give law enforcers a better chance of stopping crimes before they're committed.

Backed by something like Watson, I think there could be an app for that -- and it could do a better job of catching upset, crazy or depressed people who are planning violence against schools, employers or government facilities. I don't know about you, but I'm tired of being part of the problem and actually would like to be a bigger part of the solution.

Product of the Week: IBM Watson

A couple of weeks ago, I was at IBM getting an update on Watson, and I heard how it now can capture, classify, and even direct programs that can modify behavior at a national scale.

The information was presented in a way that suggested marketing, and it would be incredibly useful to move product or even change the outcome for elections.

It hit me at the time that IBM should be using it to change perceptions that surround IBM and Ginny Rometty -- the company's CEO -- and help get people to see IBM for what it is becoming, not what it was. One of the historic problems with firms like IBM is that they don't use their own technology aggressively enough, even when it could improve the value of every employee's stock options.

Here is a system -- currently unique in the market -- that once trained could do things like identify terrorists or other criminals early on, and maybe help influence them not to take the steps that end up with them and a lot of us dead.

This is an incredibly powerful cognitive computing tool, and every major CEO in the world has gone to see it, is in the process of going to see it, or planning on going to see it, according to IBM, and every one of has been amazed at what this early step into artificial intelligence could do. The system apparently has advanced a great deal from when it won Jeopardy! and could end up saving the world. As a result, IBM's Watson is my product of the week

Micromax launches Canvas Pace 4G Q416, priced Rs 6,821

Domestic handset maker Micromax has launched Canvas Pace 4G Q416 smartphone in India. The entry level smartphone is priced at Rs 6,821 and is currently available on eBay India.

The dual-sim smartphone features a 5-inch FWVGA (480x854p) display and is powered by 1.1GHz quad-core Snapdragon 210 processor and 1GB RAM and runs Android 5.1 Lollipop.

The phone packs 2,500mAh battery, offers 8GB of internal storage and can hold microSD cards of up to 32GB.

Micromax Canvas Pace 4G sports a 5MP rear camera along with 2MP selfie camera.

On the connectivity front, besides 4G LTE it supports 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and microUSB.

HTC Desire 828 quick review: HTC's One X gets 2015 makeover

HTC launched two phones on Wednesday -- the flagship One A9 and the mid-range Desire 828 -- in the Indian market. Note that the company hasn't revealed pricing of both the phones yet, so the monikers that we've given to them are based entirely on how these phones are stacked in terms of hardware. The A9, which has been the talk of the town more because of its uncanny resemblance to the iPhone 6 has been designed to replace the One M9, meaning HTC is touting this as a flagship (sort of). The Desire 828 on the other hand is a humble Desire offering, a series known for its upper and lower mid-range phones.

While a full review of the Desire 828 will come up at a later date -- once HTC reveals the price of the phone for the Indian market -- here's what we think about it based on first impressions:

While the A9 has been criticised left, right and centre for its resemblance to a certain iPhone, the Desire 828 takes you down memory lane. It looks a lot like the company's 2012 flagship phone, the One X. Only that it has been re-designed to make it more Desire-like. It's certainly a departure from what the Desire phones generally look like - they all look more or less the same -- which is a welcome change for buyers.

The front of the Desire 828 is a wedged structure and the main display area lies on a raised platform, much like the One X. Meanwhile, it retains the Desire-range's dual-tone design with white back (and front) and copper sides. It is an all-plastic phone. Build material is much like what we saw in the Desire Eye which was a top-end Desire phone on launch. Basically, it is premium plastic that has a smooth matte finish to it that feels good in hand.

The Desire 828 is not a remarkably curvy phone, but it's huge in terms of dimensions (not in terms of weight though). Although it is a 5.5-inch phone, it feels wider than other 5.5-inch phones in the market. At 7.9mm it is quite thick too. At the same time, chunky bezels add up to make one-handed operability quite challenging on it. This is not a phone for people with small hands.

If that wasn't enough, the volume rocker and power button are part of the edge (on the right) and look like they are one single entity. There will be instances when you'll end up searching for them particularly in low/no light. In times like these, the phone's broad frame becomes even more frustrating. The kind of button scheme employed here is best suited for phones with narrow screens.

The phone comes with a 5.5-inch FullHD IPS LCD display with a 1080 x 1920 pixels resolution and 401 ppi pixel density. Colours are a bit off-balance on the Desire 828 and peak brightness leaves a lot to be desired.

It is powered by a 1.5GHz octa-core Mediatek MT6753 processor with Mali-T720MP3 and 2GB RAM. On paper, the Desire 828 seems a little underpowered when compared with some of the popular mid-range phones like the OnePlus 2, Asus ZenFone 2, Meizu's MX5, OnePlus X and others. In our brief usage we found the Desire 828 to be a fairly capable performer, although it did get a little warm on playing games and clicking photos. A detailed verdict on this will follow in our full review. The phone comes with 16GB of internal memory which is expandable by up to 2TB via microSD.

The 4G LTE-capable device runs Android 5.1 Lollipop-based Sense 7 UI on top, which is HTC's custom take on Android. It follows the traditional Android approach of multiple home screens and app drawer. You get access to HTC's proprietary Sense home and BlinkFeed news aggregator along with its new theme engine for quick customisation.

The Desire 828 comes with a 13-megapixel camera with autofocus, optical image stabilisation and LED flash. There's also a 4-megapixel 'UltraPixel' camera on the front. HTC is touting the Desire 828 as among its better camera phones ideal for low-light photography. We clicked some photos with the phone -- in low light -- and results came out pretty standard. The camera was quick to focus and shutter speed was good. Low-light photos had some detail, but there was noise associated with these photos.

At the same time, having an UltraPixel camera on the front is a clever move. These 'UltraPixel' cameras although low on traditional megapixel count have the ability to take in more light. This means better and brighter selfies. Whether or not it translates into better results (than completion) is yet to be seen.

The Desire 828 is backed by a 2,800mAh battery which is non-removable. The phone however doesn't support any fancy fast charging features.

The Desire 828 -- like most HTC Desire phones -- looks 'good enough' on paper. That being said, the competition is intense and there are pretty good phones out there that give you complete value for money experience. The Desire 828 looks promising. But can it sustain in the longer run? Watch this space for our full review of the HTC Desire 828.

Introducing LiFi

 type of wireless internet technology has been developed that could provide a connection that's 100 times faster than traditional WiFi.

The tech is called LiFi, and was tested by an Estonian start-up called Velmenni, who are currently trialling it in offices.

LiFi has proved capable of sending data at speeds of up to 1GBps, around 100 times faster than most current Wi-Fi connections.

At speeds like this, albums, high-definition films and even video games could be downloaded in a matter of seconds.

The speed is down to the way in which it transmits data -- by using Visible Light Communication (VLC), data is sent between networks by LED lights that flicker incredibly fast.

The technology does have one major limitation -- because it relies on visible light to work, it can't pass through walls.

However, this makes the network much more secure. The dramatically increased speeds make it a big improvement on current technology for some applications as well.

Professor Harald Haas, from the University of Edinburgh, pioneered the technology and coined the term LiFi in 2011, but this is the first time it's been used in a 'real world' setting.
"In the future we will not only have 14 billion light bulbs, we may have 14 billion LiFis deployed worldwide for a cleaner, greener and even brighter future."

E-commerce imports likely to grow 78% in India, says PayPal

MUMBAI: Despite government's attempt to curtail imports of consumer items, shoppers are likely to buy Rs 54,700 crore worth foreign goods from overseas e-tailers this year, a report said.

"Indians will spend an estimated Rs 54,700 crore by shopping online from other countries in 2015," according to the report commissioned by international payments major PayPal.

The report did not share corresponding figures for the money spent by Indians in online shopping through websites located abroad. However, it said the cross border spends by Indians are likely to grow by 78.5% in 2016.

A substantial 27% of the orders are being done from US-based websites followed by China (11%) and Britain (10%), it said.

About 53% of these online shopping through foreign websites are for personal items like clothing/apparel, footwear and accessories followed by electronics (51%), and digital entertainment and education items (44%), it added.

The report attributed this trend to facilities like free shipping, safe way to pay, proof of product authenticity, options to pay in local currency and faster delivery.

On the detrimental factors, it said the high customs duties and shipping costs play a big role in dissuading potential buyers.

Other negative factors include difficulties in returning goods, foreign currency payments and identity theft or frauds.

Motorola to launch Moto 360 (2nd-gen) smartwatch in India on December 1

Here's good news for all Motorola fans in the country. The company is all set to launch the second-generation of its smartwatch Moto 360 in India. The company has sent out invites for a launch event scheduled for December 1.

The invite makes it quite clear that the company will be launching the Moto 360 second-generation. As the image on the invite shows a circular dial and has the hashtag #MotoTimeHack.

Lenovo-owned Motorola unveiled Moto 360 second-generation at IFA in Berlin in early September. The new Moto 360 smartwatch comes in three variants: A men's watch in two sizes, a women's version and a sports model called Moto 360 Sport.

The men's model comes in 42x11.4mm and 46x11.4mm sizes. The women's version is 42mm. The 42mm Moto 360 comes with a 1.37-inch (360x325-pixel resolution) display, while the bigger 46mm model has a 1.56-inch (360x330-pixel resolution) display.

Visually, Moto 360 still sports a round display as last year's model. Users can customise Moto 360 using Motorola's Moto Maker design studio. "Customize your Moto 360 to your exact specifications —- multiple case sizes, finishes, bezels, and bands—using Moto Maker, our online design studio," says the company on its blogpost.

Specs include a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400, 512MB of RAM, 300mAh battery and 4GB of internal storage. The new Moto 360 models support wireless charging and packs accelerometer, ambient light sensor, gyroscope and vibration/haptics engine.

For connectivity there's Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g. Similar to many recent Android Wear watches, Moto 360 second-gen too supports ambient display capability with the watch display switching to a power efficient black and white mode with minimal information, when you're not actively looking at it.

Chinese government ropes in ZTE to build homegrown ‘secure’ smartphones

As China, the world’s largest smartphone market, grows wary of US surveillance, it is mulling its own “secure” smartphones in an attempt to insulate them from surveillance. The effort – another step in the country’s quest to build a homegrown tech industry – would involve state-owned companies as well as some of the private players, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. has joined with China’s ministry of public security to develop a mobile operating system for police officers that it bills as more secure. The country’s largest chip-design company, Spreadtrum Communications Inc., separately said it would begin mass producing a set of chips that run a Chinese operating system by year-end.

Now, ZTE Corp. is working on a secure smartphone for government agencies using an operating system developed in-house, and a processor chip from a Chinese supplier, a company spokesperson was reported as saying.

However, ZTE’s secure phone reportedly would not boast features like camera, GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless connections to minimize security risks. But without these features, the phone is not likely to appeal to the general public.

At the same time, a ZTE spokesman said that it was not possible to use exclusively Chinese-made hardware and software in a smartphone, but to meet the needs of government agencies it is trying to use domestic suppliers as much as possible.