This Hoverbike Is A High-Flying Mix Between A Motorcycle And A Helicopter

A hoverbike currently being developed by British engineering company Malloy Aeronautics would bring drone technology to new heights.

The company is testing unmanned flights of the hoverbike, which, they say, will be able to reach an altitude of 9,000 feet when completed. Once they achieve aviation certifications for the unmanned model, they will be able to develop a manned prototype.

When finished, the quadcopter could be piloted by a person sitting on the bike or by remote control.

Videos of the test flights show just how high this bike can go. The drone used in the test is one-third the size the hoverbike will ultimately be.

And according to Reuters, the bike can fly at a speed of more than 100 knots, or about 115 miles per hour.

The Malloy team designed the hoverbike as an update to the traditional helicopter, one that’s safer and easier to use.

“I’ve always been one to look at designs and see how I can make them better. And when I got my helicopter licence I realised that the helicopter as a design has a lot of improvements that need to be made, and one of them is safety and reliability,” Chris Malloy, managing director of Malloy Aeronautics,said to Reuters. “They’re very complex machines. And my goal was to see where we could strip away the complexity and increase the safety and that’s basically where the hoverbike came from.”

According to the design team, the hoverbike is safer than a helicopter because of an inherent simplicity in the design.

“Rotor-strike is a major issue with helicopters. This eliminates rotor-strike by protecting the propeller blades from the ground and other airborne obstacles,” Malloy said. “The helicopter is inherently complex. The hover bike is very simple.”

Construction on the full-scale model is expected to be completed in the next few months.

Malloy used a Kick stater campaign to raise funds for the project. The campaign has earned more than $US77,000 with only six more days to go.

iPhone 6 Latest Leaks: Qualcomm Modem, 1GB RAM, and a 'Fake' Video

The iPhone 6 leaks just don't seem to stop even after the Cupertino firm's official invitation for the September 9 event. While we have already seen all possible kinds of leaks for the device before, now a video shows what is claimed to be a fully functional 4.7-inch iPhone 6 device - however, evidence has been put forth pointing to discrepancies that indicate the leaked device is not Apple-made, but has actually been put together with leaked parts.

The video by Feld & Volk, maker of premium Apple cases and accessories, shows what's purported to be a functional 4.7-inch iPhone 6 in Silver colour that has been connected to an iMac, and displays the 'Connect to iTunes' screen once booted up. The user is not able to get past the particular screen as the iMac shows an error stating, "iTunes could not contact the iPhone software update server because you are not connected to the internet." The video later shows both the alleged 4.7-inch iPhone 6 unit and an iPhone 5s kept side-by-side showing the same 'Connect to iTunes` screen.

9to5 Mac has pointed out the alleged iPhone 6 device is not Apple-made, and has probably been put together from leaked parts, as there are several inconsistencies - including the fact the device is running iOS 7 and not iOS 8 as the next iPhone should.

The website notes the colour of the iTunes logo shown on the device's 'Connect to iTunes' screen in the video is blue and white, which is the colour of the logo on that particular screen on iOS 7. Of course, the iPhone 6 should ship with iOS 8, where the iTunes logo on the 'Connect to iTunes' screen is orange and white. Also noted, was that a gear icon appears on the smartphone's screen before showing the 'Connect to iTunes' screen when paired with the iMac - something that official iOS 7 devices will not show when booting up. Finally, as the report points out, the logo appears on the screen much higher than where the display starts above the home button, pointing to software (iOS 7) geared for a smaller/ lower resolution iPhone display.

So, while the alleged 4.7-inch iPhone 6 in the video is definitely not an Apple-made device, it is still possible the parts used to assemble it are authentic. The design of the device in the video is in-line with previous leaks, with the inclusion of curved edges and elongated buttons on the sides instead of straight edges and round buttons as seen on iPhone devices until now. Also seen is the power button and SIM card slot on the right.

Feld & Volk, which has contributed several iPhone leaks in the recent past, does appear to have access to some parts from the Apple supply chain - as the company recently also posted images of the alleged 4.7-inch iPhone 6 logic board. These images, as noted by MacRumors, point to several interesting components, such as the Apple A8 processor, 1GB of Hynix-built RAM a Qualcomm MDM9625 LTE modem, and an NFC chip from NXP.

The inclusion of 1GB of RAM as well as NFC is in-line with numerous previous leaks.

All will become clear in little over a week, when Apple unveils the iPhone 6 as expected on September 9. Of course, in the intervening period, we may still see more leaks - something those eagerly awaiting the new iPhone will certainly be interested in. Stay tuned.

Google May Launch 2 Nexus Smartphones This Year

While the wild rumours around the Halloween (October 31) release for Nexus are not yet confirmed, another report by Phonearena suggests that Google might release two Nexus devices this year, instead of one. We'd like to remind readers that most recent speculation has revolved around Motorola being the manufacturer of the next Nexus smartphone, with initial reports providing the codename Shamu.

The report is based on recent speculation that Motorola is currently testing 2 Moto S handsets - a 5.2-inch and a 5.9-inch model - that are 'almost the same device with slightly different software and maybe different cameras'. Motorola, which was reported to be aiming to launch 8 new smartphones before Christmas, was also said to be waiting for the public's reaction to the anticipated 5.2-inch Moto X+1 before deciding which variant of the Moto S to release.

The Phonearena report speculates Google will first release a 5.9-inch Nexus X smartphone as already rumoured, and then depending on if Motorola releases a 5.9-inch Moto S (a decision that's supposedly based on Moto X+1 adoption), will use or 'repurpose' the already-tested 5.2-inch Moto S devices as the second Nexus smartphone. Notably, Phonearena has not speculated about the name of the smaller Nexus.

The website goes on to say that nothing has been confirmed, and that Google may very well release "two Nexus smartphones and the new Nexus 8.9 tablet" simultaneously at Halloween.

The two alleged 5.9-inch and 5.2-inch display Nexus X devices have been spotted on different listings before. On Best Buy the alleged Motorola Nexus X XT1100 device was listed with a 5.9-inch Quad-HD (1440x2560 pixels) display and a 2.7GHz quad-core processor, along with Android LMP operating system. The listing had noted that the smartphone's two-year contracted price would be a rather steep (for a Nexus smartphone) $499.99 (approximately Rs. 30,000) on Sprint wireless carrier.

The alleged Nexus X device was also listed on AnTuTu website as 'Google Shamu', this time with a 5.2-inch Quad-HD (1440x2560 pixels) display, a quad-core 2.7GHz (precisely 2649MHz) Snapdragon 805 processor (APQ8084), Adreno 420 GPU, and 3GB of RAM. The primary rear camera was suggested to be a 13-megapixel camera, while there will be a 2.1-megapixel front camera also onboard. The device was also listed to run Android L.

Of course, until Google or Motorola confirm any of the above, we remind readers to take such leaks and speculation with a pinch of salt.

Ecuador Planning World's First Government Issued Digital Currency

Ecuador is planning to create the world's first government-issued digital currency, which some analysts believe could be a first step toward abandoning the country's existing currency, the U.S. dollar, which the government cannot control.

The virtual currency, which Central Bank officials say they expect will start circulating in December, does not yet have a name. Officials would not disclose technical details of the strictly digital currency, which they said would not be like Bitcoin. The amount of the new currency created would depend on demand.

Deputy director Gustavo Solorzano said it is to exist in tandem with the greenback and, by law, be backed by "liquid assets." It would be geared toward the 2.8 million Ecuadoreans - 40 percent of participants in the economy - too poor to afford traditional banking, officials say.

They will initially be able to use it to make and receive payments using their cellphones, said Solorzano, at minimal cost. Such mobile payments schemes are already popular in African nations including Kenya and Tanzania, where they are privately run.

The new currency was approved, and stateless crypto-currencies such as Bitcoin simultaneously banned, by Ecuador's National Assembly last month in a new law.

Leftist President Rafael Correa has said the project's only problem is that it has taken this long, defending it against "pseudo-analysts who have appeared in the media trying to smear (it)." He denies any plan to replace the U.S. dollar, which Ecuador set as its currency in 2000 after a crippling banking crisis.

The official in charge of the new currency, Fausto Valencia, said the software is already used in Paraguay by cellphone companies.

He said it is not like Bitcoin, whose advantage is in its technical underpinnings: Only a limited amount of Bitcoin can be minted. Without that safeguard, economists have warned, a government could theoretically print as much as it wants.

Nathalie Reinelt, an emerging payments analyst with the U.S.-based Aite Group, said she does not understand any other motivation for creating such a currency than to allow Ecuador to increase its money supply and, essentially, devalue its U.S. dollar holdings.

"It is far too early to know how they are thinking of making the electronic money work," said analyst Juan Lorenzo Maldonado of Credit Suisse LLC.

Some believe it could be a first step to abandoning the U.S. dollar, Ecuador's currency since January 2000. Correa denies it puts dollarization in peril.

His government has tripled social spending.

It "has a serious fiscal liquidity problem. It needs money," said opposition lawmaker Ramiro Aguilar. "It doesn't mint money. It has no control over what circulates."

The state is currently $11 billion in debt, mostly to China, which buys most of Ecuador's oil. It recently sold $2 billion in bonds with a 7.95 percent return, as well as obtaining another $400 million from Goldman Sachs in exchange for part of its gold reserves.

Use of the currency will be voluntary and it will not be used to pay public employees or state contractors, according to the law. Nor can it be used to buy financial instruments the Finance Ministry emits.

Some question whether Ecuador's Central Bank is constitutionally empowered to create such a currency.

"Let's remember that the Central Bank has no autonomy, and this could lend itself to all manner of political maneuvers," said independent political analyst Jaime Carrera.

Google's Megan Smith Considered Top Choice for US CTO

Longtime Google Inc executive Megan Smith is reportedly a top candidate for the role of United States' chief technology officer.

Megan Smith's alleged candidacy was reported by Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified because of the private nature of the selection process,

Smith is vice president at Google`s secret lab "Google X" which is devoted to "moon shot" projects such as driverless cars and Google Glass smart eyewear and overseen by co-founder , according to her LinkedIn profile.

She led many of the company's early acquisitions, including picture service Picasa and Keyhole and Where2Tech, whose technologies drove Google Earth and Maps.

The chief technology officer advises the U.S. president on technology policy issues.

The job was most recently held by Todd Park, who announced on Thursday he is resigning and relocating to California to recruit skilled technology experts into government roles.

Park, who had built a reputation as a successful information technology entrepreneur, was thrust into the public spotlight during the disastrous roll out of the Affordable Care Act in the fall of 2013.

While not in charge of the technology behind the flawed HealthCare.gov web portal that crashed when thousands of Americans tried to sign up for health insurance, he was one of several administration officials summoned to Congress to explain the breakdown.

Twitter Opening Office in Social-Media-Mad Indonesia

Twitter plans to open an office in Indonesia over the coming months as it seeks to boost revenues in the social-media-addicted nation, the company announced Friday.

Several market monitors have declared Jakarta as the world's most active city of tweeters. Twitter does not publicise official user numbers by country or city.

"This is of great importance to Twitter because Indonesia loves Twitter and Twitter loves Indonesia," the company's president of global revenue and partnerships, Adam Bain, told reporters in Jakarta as he made the announcement.

"In fact, when we think about the market overall, Indonesia is one of the biggest countries that are active on Twitter," Bain said.

Like many social networking platforms, Twitter is yet to turn a profit, but the San Francisco-based company's second-quarter revenues more than doubled on-year to $312 million.

The number of monthly active users surged 24 percent to 271 million globally in the same period.

Indonesia is a major market for Twitter it is the world's fourth most populous country with some 250 million people, and smartphone sales are surging as the middle class grows rapidly.

Millions access the Internet primarily through smartphones and tablets, and surveys show social media is the primary reason for using mobile devices.

Tweets about Indonesia's presidential election alone clocked some 95 million tweets, from January 1 until election day on July 9.

Twitter's main revenue source is advertising, with big brands like Coca-Cola and Intel having promoted their products on the platform to Indonesian users.

Indonesian consumer engagement on Twitter is "extremely high", Bain said, and had "gotten the attention of the entire team back at headquarters".

Other foreign tech companies, such as BlackBerry, have rubbed up against Indonesian officials over infrastructure issues and content.

Bain said he was hopeful that Indonesia's incoming government would be welcoming, pointing to president-elect Joko Widodo's avid use of Twitter as a positive sign.

Before Widodo's run for president, he was elected Jakarta governor in 2012, a victory largely attributable to social media Widodo built a wildly popular online profile as a man of the people and diehard heavy metal fan.

Twitter's Jakarta office will be its sixth in the region, following set-ups in Tokyo, Mumbai, Sydney, Singapore and Seoul.

Google Search Results Will No Longer Show Authorship

Over three years after Google decided to link to authors' Google+ profiles in search results, the search giant has scrapped the feature. Referred to as authorship markup, the feature had been used by nearly all of the world's top news websites - most of which rely on traffic from Google search results for revenue.

Google's official support page for Authorship in web-search has a succinct description of the move. It reads, "Authorship markup is no longer supported in web search." It points readers to the support page for rich snippets and structured data, suggesting that it be used instead to improve search results.

The search giant had earlier removed Google+ profile pictures of authors from search results, and has now also removed links to author profiles. John Mueller from Google's webmaster tools said in a Google+ post that the company found "the information isn't as useful to its users as it hoped, and in some cases even distracts from the overall search results".

Mueller says Authorship markup didn't reduce traffic to sites and also didn't increase clicks on ads. He adds that this change was made to "improve our users' experience".

An important point is that Google hasn't completely removed Google+ from search results. Mueller says Google search users will still see Google+ posts from pages and their friends "both in the main results, and on the right-hand side".

When this feature was first unveiled in June 2011, Google had called it an "experiment" to help people "find content from great authors". The original blog post (http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.ca/2011/06/authorship-markup-and-web-search.html) reads, "We know that great content comes from great authors, and we're looking closely at ways this markup could help us highlight authors and rank search results."

Looking back at the post, one thing is certain - the experiment didn't proceed as planned.

Nokia Unveils Exclusive Here (Beta) App for Samsung Galaxy Devices

Nokia`s Here mapping division on Friday has announced its partnership with Samsung to bring Here maps and location services on Tizen-powered smart devices, including Samsung Gear S - which launched on Thursday.

The company announced that Here is powering a Tizen app called Navigator on the Samsung Gear S, which will offer turn-by-turn walk navigation and public transit routing. The app will also include the ability to store map data on the device, to be used for offline navigation.

Users will also be able to pair the Navigator app on the Samsung Gear S with the Here (beta) app on Samsung Galaxy devices. The Here (beta) app, which will be released for free exclusively for Samsung Galaxy devices, allows users to plan and calculate routes for walking and public transit from paired Samsung Galaxy device, which can then be sent to Gear S smartwatch.

The Here (beta) app for Android devices also offers offline navigation and maps for almost 100 countries, as well as public transport maps and directions for more than 750 cities in more than 40 countries without requiring an Internet connection, and live traffic information for more than 40 countries.

The company has said that the Here (beta) app will be made available for download from the Samsung Galaxy Apps store when the Samsung Gear S hits stores, starting October this year. Here says the app also works with Samsung's Car Mode feature on select Galaxy devices, as well as with the company's Glympse app.

Sean Fernback, Senior Vice President Everyday Mobility, Here, said of the partnership, "Here aims to deliver fresh maps, platform services and location cloud experiences to as many people and businesses as possible, independent of the device and operating system they are using. Partnering with Samsung for the Tizen OS, and providing maps and location services for the first time with the new Samsung Gear is another huge step for us in that direction."

Chan Woo Park, Vice President of Product Strategy Team in Mobile Division at Samsung Electronics, said about the deal, "We are thrilled to partner with Here and bring innovative, personalized mapping pedestrian navigation services to our Tizen-powered smart wearable devices starting with the Samsung Gear S."

Apple Updates HealthKit Policies to Prevent Developers From Selling Data

Apple, ahead of its September 9 launch event where it is widely expected to reveal the next iPhone and release iOS 8, has beefed up its privacy rules related to its HealthKit platform.

The Guardian reports that the Cupertino-based giant has updated its HealthKit privacy policy and has banned developers from selling user health data to advertisers or otherwise misusing it, as well as restricted developers from using the HealthKit APIs for apps unless primarily designed to provide health or fitness services.

Further, the report quotes some excerpts from the updated Apple privacy policy for Health Kit platform, that said developers "must not sell an end-user's health information collected through the HealthKit APIs to advertising platforms, data brokers or information resellers".

Of course, Apple does not expect health and fitness app developers to keep their data in a vacuum, making the distinction that developers can share personal health data with "third parties for medical research purposes," but only after the user's consent.

Referring to the use of the HealthKit APIs by non-health app developers, the privacy policy is quite unambiguous, "Your application must not access the HealthKit APIs unless it is primarily designed to provide health and/or fitness services, and this usage is clearly evident in your marketing text and user interface. You and your application may not use the HealthKit APIs, or any information obtained through the HealthKit APIs, for any purpose other than providing health and/or fitness services in connection with your application (e.g., not for serving advertising)."

The move to tighten the security to keep personal health data out of advertisers' hands indicate that Apple is planning to make a big push with its HealthKit platform, and wants to ensure users do not shy away from it - especially on day one.

Apple unveiled its HealthKit platform for mobile-based health apps at its annual developers' conference in June, and announced it would be available for the general public this fall with iOS 8. HealthKit allows health and fitness apps (including Apple's own Health app) to use various sensors to collect data, and also communicate with other apps to share data. It is also a central and secure store for all of the user's health information.

Notably, Apple's HealthKit platform can pull together data like blood pressure and weight collected by using healthcare apps available for the iPhone and iPad devices. Apple has also confirmed that it would be working with companies like Nike and the Mayo Clinic for the new feature.

Google's answer to Apple's Healthkit platform, Google Kit was launched at the I/O event and was recently also made available preview as SDK (software development kit) to help developers build health and fitness apps for the health-tracking platform. Notably, Samsung also launched its own SAMI (Samsung Architecture Multimodal Interactions) health platform for communication and storage of health data.

Microsoft, Samsung, Others Eyeing Cyanogen to Compete With Google

Cyanogen, the maker of what may very well be the most popular fork of Google's Android operating system - CyanogenMod, is reported being eyed by several major companies for a partnership or acquisition.

According to a report (full article behind a paywall) by The Information, companies such as Amazon, Microsoft, Samsung and Yahoo are among the big names that are considering the mobile software startup Cyanogen as a 'potential partner or acquisition target.'

The chief reason these companies would be looking to either buy or partner Cyanogen would be to do something about Google's absolute dominance of mobile operating systems - the latest IDC Q2 2014 report shows Android with a 84.7 percent share of the global market. An acquisition or partnership would also save companies (like Amazon, and formerly Microsoft with the Nokia X software platform) the trouble of developing their own forked Android operating systems, and staying up to date with advancements.

The report also notes that Cyanogen had raised $30 million last year from venture firms and also Tencent, the Chinese Web services giant. The company is said to planning a 'Series C' round of funding as well.

Of all the companies said to be interested in this deal, The Information says Microsoft may be the furthest ahead, as supposedly 'a person briefed by Microsoft' said Cyanogen recently met with CEO Satya Nadella.

Cyanogen in August released CyanogenMod 11.0 M9 based on Android 4.4.4 KitKat. Several changes were made since v11.0 M8, including themes support for additional UI elements, bug fixes in heads up notifications, new lock screen features, improved torch performance, and more.

Intel Launches 'Smallest Standalone 3G Modem' in the World

Intel is working on another miniature device that it hopes will give it a boost in the Internet of Things market. The tiny XMM 6255 3G modem measures just 300 square mm and should fit inside devices ranging from smart wearable accessories to household objects and industrial equipment, enabling always-on Internet connectivity. Intel describes it as "the world's smallest standalone 3G modem".

The XMM 6255 is built to work in areas with low signal strength, even when used with very small antennas. It also has an integrated single-chip power amplifier and radio transceiver. According to Intel, the device can also withstand overheating, voltage fluctuations, and tough external conditions. The small size and highly integrated nature of the new modem hardware will reduce complexity, power consumption, and material costs for product developers.

Intel's specifications list indicates that the XMM 6255 can work with dual-band HSPA networks for downloads at up to 7.2Mbps and uploads at up to 5.76Mbps. Quad-band 2G and A-GPS functions are optional and could increase the device's size or power requirements.

Intel expects that billions of common items, ranging from home appliances to garments, will begin to feature sensors and require Internet connectivity over the next few years, representing a tremendous opportunity to shape the next wave of computing and device intelligence. The company unveiled a tiny computer the size of an ordinary SD card earlier this year named Edison, although the final shipping version was considerably larger. 

Track How Your Tweets Perform With Twitter's New Activity Dashboard

Twitter has started rolling out the 'Tweet activity dashboard' to all users, a feature that was previously only available for Twitter advertisers. The roll-out will be in phases, so it may not yet be available to all users yet.

The micro-blogging network on its support page explains the Tweet activity dashboard is a tool that allows users to track their tweet activity.

With the Tweet activity dashboard, Twitter says users will be able to see how people are engaging with their tweets in real time, compare their tweet activity over time and how see their tweets are trending, and also be able to see a detailed view of any tweet with the number of retweets, replies, favourites, follows or even clicks it receives.

Twitter users can get started by logging into analytics.twitter.com with their Twitter username and password. Notably, the Tweet activity dashboard is available to users who primarily tweet in English, French, Japanese, and Spanish, and have had an account for at least 14 days.

Users may not immediately see all their tweets on the Tweet activity dashboard when they log in to analytics.twitter.com for the first time, as Twitter says it will take some time for the impression and engagement data (or Tweet metrics) to populate. Notably, users can also download their Tweet metrics into a csv file.

Twitter earlier this month detailed its recent efforts in the fight against unsolicited content with the new BotMaker anti-spam system. The micro-blogging network was also spotted to be testing a new mini video player, and also quietly rolled out attachment suggestions.

Samsung Gear S Smartwatch Can Make Calls Without a Phone Nearby

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd on Thursday unveiled what it said was the first smartwatch capable of making and receiving calls without a mobile phone nearby, in the South Korean firm's latest effort to find a new growth driver.

The world's biggest smartphone maker has been pushing hard to develop the wearable devices market as it looks to counter slowing earnings in its mobile division, which led to weaker-than-expected second-quarter earnings.

Samsung is hardly alone in pushing wearables, which have yet to catch on with consumers. Rival Apple is expected to launch its own device this year and LG Electronics Inc on Thursday announced its new G Watch R smartwatch featuring a circular plastic OLED screen, a stainless steel frame and leather strap.

Samsung's new  smart watch, called the Gear S, differs from its predecessors with a bigger 2-inch (5 cm) curved display and offers features like Wi-Fi connectivity, pedestrian navigation and a built-in GPS. This device will run on Samsung's nascent Tizen operating system.

Samsung said the Gear S will start selling from October. It did not give details on pricing or where it will be available.

LG said its G Watch R will launch in key markets in the fourth quarter, without indicating a price.

Microsoft Removes Over 1,500 'Misleading' Apps From Windows Store

Microsoft on Wednesday has announced that it is removing more than 1,500 apps with confusing or misleading titles that violates new Windows Store app certification requirements. Customers who bought any of these apps will be refunded the cost.

The move came after various online reports and customer feedback which led Microsoft to change the app certifications requirements for both the Windows Store and Windows Phone Store.

The company says that it acknowledges that people were "Finding it more difficult to find the apps they were searching for, often having to sort through lists of apps with confusing or misleading titles". The revised policies is a first step the company is taking towards fixing this problem. With the changes made in the app certification requirements, developers will now have to choose a name that 'clearly and accurately reflect the functionality' of the app. They will also have to ensure that their apps are categorised 'according to the app function and purpose', and that the app icons they user are easily differentiable from others to avoid confusion.

Microsoft explained it had conducted a review of the Windows Store to identify titles that do not comply with modified certification requirements, and most of the developers on contact agreed to make the necessary changes, but some didn't - which led to Microsoft removing more than 1,500 apps.

"As Windows Store expands to reach more customers in more markets with a growing list of great titles, we are continuously looking for ways to improve both customer experience and developer opportunity. We strive to give our worldwide customer base easy access to amazing app experiences while keeping developer friction to a minimum. From time-to-time this process slips out of sync and we need to re-calibrate," said Microsoft in a blog post.

The Redmond giant said it also knows that app filtering is important for business and it is an ongoing process. For this, it is applying additional resources to speed up the review process as well. While users can report issues on the respective app stores, Microsoft is also encouraging them to use its online tools or email reportapp@microsoft.com to report the issue.

IRCTC Launches Ticket Booking App for BlackBerry 10

With an eye on the growing usage of mobile applications, IRCTC on Thursday has launched a new application to book tickets for BlackBerry 10 smartphone users.

"The official IRCTC App can now be downloaded from BlackBerry World on BlackBerry 10 smartphones and book train tickets using the app," said a senior IRCTC official.

The IRCTC app is listed on Blackberry World under the Navigation & Travel section, and is a 5MB download. As per the app listing, the IRCTC app for BB10 allows users to book railway tickets, apart from checking reservation status, train schedules, train routes, availability of tickets, cancellation, booking history, recent history, favourites, and more.

The IRCTC official said the BB10 app is user friendly and easy to operate, and that users can plan a journey with a tap of a finger.

Annie Mathew, Director, Business Development and Alliance, BlackBerry India, said about the launch of the app, "We are excited to bring the IRCTC application to BlackBerry World. With the increasing smartphone perpetration and the increasing dependence on mobile applications, it is a great opportunity for us to help our customers experience this app for an easy and streamlined train booking service."

The number of tickets booked through e-ticketing system on IRCTC website has gone up many times since capacity enhancement of the portal recently. It cost about Rs 100 crore to the Railway PSU for strengthening the ticketing site.

On an average 7,000 tickets are booked on the website per minute and about 5 lakh tickets are booked daily.

CRIS, the technical arm of railways, was involved in the upgrading of the IRCTC website.

There are about 31 crore reserve tickets being booked in a year out of which 55 percent tickets are sold through windows. While 37 percent tickets are booked online, eight percent are being booked by ticketing agents.

Alleged BlackBerry Passport Review Details Specifications and Features

Ahead of BlackBerry's announced launch of its unique square shaped in September, an alleged Blackberry Passport review has surfaced online.

The review is by Czech website Mobilenet.cz (via GSMArena), which lists a variety of details about the BlackBerry Passport (codenamed Windermere) including specifications and features.

Till date, the Canadian smartphone manufacturer has revealed  very few specifications of the upcoming Blackberry Passport - it will feature a 4.5-inch 1440x1440 pixel resolution display with a pixel density of 453ppi.

The alleged BlackBerry Passport review mentions the smartphone will arrive in Europe in October at a price of CZK 16,000 (roughly Rs. 45,800). It goes on to say the BlackBerry Passport will feature Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection for the display, which is in-line with the previous leak.

According to the review, the Passport is powered by a quad-core 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 MSM8974 processor with Krait 400 CPU and Adreno 330 GPU paired with 3GB of RAM.

The smartphone is said to house 32GB of inbuilt storage, which can be further expanded via a microSD card slot (unspecified limit - the previous leak had indicated up to 64GB). The review says the BlackBerry Passport features a 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and OIS, as well as the ability to capture full-HD videos at 60fps. There are no details on the front camera as of now - though the previous leak had pointed to a 2-megapixel camera.

Interestingly, the BlackBerry Passport's Wi-Fi connectivity is said to only support the 802.11n standard, while the smartphone is also said to come with NFC and LTE connectivity. The review adds the BlackBerry Passport features a 3450mAh battery, measures 128x90.3x9.3mm, and weighs 195 grams. All these specifications appear to be in-line with the previous leak.

The Czech website's review of the BlackBerry Passport also states that the device feels sturdy and is easy to grip because of its soft touch build material. A unique feature of the BlackBerry Passport reported by the review is that the keypad can also act as a large trackpad. The review details a gesture command that enables users to quickly delete words by swiping left, though it hasn't detailed whether this gesture is for the trackpad, touchscreen, or in proximity to the device. The website also mentions that the handset is clearly not made for one-handed use.

The early BlackBerry Passport review also pictures the yet-to-be-launched smartphone alongside the Z30, Samsung Galaxy S5 mini and Nokia Lumia 1520. More images can be seen on the website. We'd like to remind readers however, that until BlackBerry confirms the smartphone's specifications and features, the above details will have to be taken with a pinch of salt.

The pre-registration for the BlackBerry Passport started earlier this month.

Interestingly, on Tuesday, the company's alleged 2014 roadmap for hardware and software was leaked, hinting at some upcoming launches as well as software updates. The leaked roadmap featured purported BlackBerry descriptions for new Affordable, Classic, Innovative, and Prestige segments, detailing them as 'Contemporary Yet Affordable', 'Powerful Yet Uncomplicated', 'Unique Yet Purposeful', and 'High Design Yet Functional' respectively.

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Vodafone Tuesdays Arrives in Delhi With 'Buy One Get One Free' Offers

Vodafone has introduced its Vodafone Tuesdays programme in the Delhi/NCR circle, and says it has tied up with numerous brands with new 'buy one get one free' or '1+1' offers. Last week, the telecom giant launched Vodafone Red for Retail and Enterprise postpaid customers.

The Vodafone Tuesdays programme lets users in the Delhi/NCR region avail 1+1 offers every Tuesday. The firm has collaborated with DT Cinemas, Costa Coffee, Mad Over Donuts, Pizza Hut, Vaango, Bikanerwala, World of Wonders, Splash, and Geetanjali Salon for the offer.

The avail the offer, users would have to message 'TUESDAY' to 56789. After the message has been sent, the sender would receive options to choose offers for the upcoming Tuesday. Users can then reply with the appropriate code (of one of the available outlets) to receive the discount message via SMS. The SMS can then be showed at the any outlet in the region for the discount. The message will cost users Rs. 5. Other details can be found at the company's website.

"Vodafone thrives on invaluable customer support. 'Vodafone Tuesdays', a key initiative under our 'Vodafone Delights' umbrella campaign has multiple elements woven around driving customer connect and delight. What makes Vodafone Tuesdays unique is its endearing offers. From food to coffee to adventure theme parks to personal grooming salons, this is our way of thanking our customers in the "best- better- bigger" manner possible," stated Subrat Padhi, Business Head - Delhi, Vodafone India at a press statement.

Google Nexus X With Snapdragon 805 Briefly Listed by Retailer: Report

Google's much-anticipated successor to the Nexus 5 has reportedly been spotted again as the Motorola Nexus X XT1100 on a third-party retailer website in two storage variants.

Screenshots of the latest retailer listings (now pulled) were posted by Tktechnewsblog, the website that had earlier leaked a screenshot of a Motorola Nexus X XT1100 listing at US retailer Best Buy.

The latest listing by French retailer Fnac revealed the pricing for two variants of the yet-to-be-announced Nexus X by Motorola.

The 32GB Motorola XT1100 Nexus X was seen listed at a price of EUR 419.99 (approximately Rs. 33,400) and 64GB at EUR 449.99 (approximately Rs. 35,800), before the listings were pulled down. Earlier the smartphone was priced at $499.99 (approximately Rs. 30,000) by Best Buy for two-year contract on Sprint wireless carrier.

The listed specifications by the French retailer had included a 5.2-inch display; quad-core 2.7GHz APQ8084 Snapdragon 805 SoC; 13.1-megapixel primary camera, and Android Lemon Meringue 5.0. Notably, the specifications on the 32GB listing page contrarily shows a 6.3-inch display - effectively discrediting both listing pages. The processor and OS are similar to what was seen on the Best Buy listing, however, the 5.2-inch display on the 64GB Fnac listing is smaller than the 5.9-inch Quad-HD (1440x2560 pixels) display listed by US retailer.

Earlier, the anticipated smartphone was allegedly listed in benchmarks specifications as 'Google Shamu', with a 5.2-inch Quad-HD (1440x2560 pixels) display, a quad-core 2.7GHz (precisely 2649MHz) Snapdragon 805 processor (APQ8084), Adreno 420 GPU, and 3GB of RAM. The primary rear camera was suggested to be a 13-megapixel camera, while there will be a 2.1-megapixel front camera also onboard. The device was also listed to run Android L.

For the release date, an earlier PhoneArena report had claimed that it has been told that Google is planning a secret launch around Halloween (October 31), just like the launch of the Nexus 5. The report had also noted that Google might launch the alleged Nexus X without an announcement.

Windows 9 Threshold Tipped to Feature Interactive Live Tiles and More

Microsoft's anticipated next version of Windows, expected to be called Windows 9 and officially codenamed Thresold, has once again come under the spotlight with reports pointing to new features such as interactive live tiles and notification centre, said to be a part of Modern UI 2.0. Also being actively speculated about is the separation of desktop from Modern UI, the release-cadence cycle of the new operating system, and the expected release of Windows 9 technical preview as early as next month.

Winbeta reports that Microsoft would modify Windows 9 to offer different features on different form factors. ARM-based Windows RT Threshold tablets (as well as smartphones, with the unifying Threshold update) will in most cases barring a few exceptional devices feature the Modern UI only, with no way to switch to the desktop mode or use regular Win32 applications. 

On the other hand, laptops, desktops and AIOs would feature only the desktop mode, with the new Start Menu the only place where desktop users will be able to interact with the Modern UI and its apps - the Start Menu is also said to be expandable to full screen to become like the Start Screen.

The website also reports two new features for the Start Screen and Start Menu, namely interactive Live Tiles and a new Notification Centre. The interactive Live Tiles will enable users to perform certain tasks on the app without opening it. The first glimpse of the interactive Live Tile was seen in April. Winbeta notes that not all apps will have interactive Live Tiles functionality, though most important ones will, and that developers will have to make sure their apps support the interface.

The website also adds that the Modern UI 2.0 included in the Windows Threshold will also feature a Windows Phone 8.1-like Notification Centre. The details on the feature are still scarce. In addition, Cortana might also have a dedicated Live Tile on the start screen - just like on Windows Phone. Winbeta says it is still uncertain if Cortana can be accessed via the hardware search button or not.

While these two features are said to reach the users as a part of Windows 9 or Threshold, Winbeta says because of the rumoured separation of Modern UI from the desktop mode, Microsoft may not release a Windows RT Threshold technical preview this year - though it once again notes the uncertainly to this expectation. A separate ARM-based Windows RT Threshold technical preview is expected to be released after the x86-based Windows 9 Threshold technical preview for enterprises, which could be released as soon as next month.

ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley adds that Microsoft is looking to tweak its release-cadence cycle substantially with Windows 9, and will provide smaller updates with both fixes and new features on a month-to-month basis after releasing the OS - rather than major updates every year.

Foley says it is still unclear whether Microsoft will employ a subscription-based model to deliver the updates, or just provide them for free while mitigating development costs with other paid subscriptions. Of course, a very fast cadence for updates will not make enterprises or IT managers very happy, who'd prefer to test new versions and features before rolling them out to their users.

The report cites Neowin's Brad Sams to say Windows 9 may include a button in the Windows Update section to allow users to quickly upgrade their version of Windows, without the current hassle. Of course, such a feature, if real, will not be mandatorily turned-on, and Foley adds that Microsoft's Terry Myerson emphasised that operating systems group understood the different needs of users for updates and their frequency, from enterprise to end-user to power user.

A news report indicated that Microsoft is planning to hold an event on September 30 to provide a look at a version of what is expected to be called Windows 9, and is thought to be codenamed 'Threshold'.

The introduction will be aimed at developers behind programs designed for computers powered by Windows software, and Microsoft is expected to release a developer preview as early as October before releasing a public preview by the end of the year.