Samsung Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge launched; to hit market by mid-March

According to the tech websitewww.igalaxys7.com, Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge will be available in India with a reported price of Rs 53000 and Rs 60000, respectively. The smartphones are expected to hit the market by mid-March this year.

"We believe in a world that is brighter, sharper, more convenient, and more fun. We strive to deliver on that vision with the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge by marrying elegant design with functionality and providing a seamless mobile experience," DJ Koh, president of mobile communications business, Samsung Electronics, said in a statement released on the first day of three-day MWC that began on Sunday.

Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg also made a surprised appearance during the launch, announcing that his company and Samsung are teaming up to push virtual reality (VR) features in smartphones and social networking experience.

The 5.1-inch Galaxy S7 and 5.5-inch Galaxy S7 edge are constructed with 3D glass and metal and given ergonomic curves for a comfortable grip.

The new Galaxy devices look similar to its predecessors Galaxy S6. The Galaxy S7 Edge features curves on all four sides.

The device`s new Always-On Display gives users a simplified, zero touch experience to check about a miss call or SMS. Both the devices are IP68 water and dust resistant.

The new phones have advanced cameras for high-quality images.

The company has introduced the first dual pixel camera on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge smartphones, delivering brighter and sharper images even in low light. The Dual Pixel technology gives clear photos with a brighter lens with wider aperture and bigger pixel.

The camera has a faster shutter speed and a more accurate autofocus even in low-light conditions.

Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge deliver fast wired and wireless charging technology. Additionally, the hybrid SIM card tray allows users to insert a microSD card for up to 200GB of additional storage.

Samsung also made significant hardware and software updates to optimise gaming performance on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 runs on an Octa core (2.3GHz Quad + 1.6GHz Quad), 64 bit processor and has a 4GB RAM.

It has a 2560 X 1440 (534ppi) 5.1-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display with Dual Pixel 12-megapixel (F1.7) rear and 5-megapixel (F1.7) cameras.

Meanwhile, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge runs on an Quadcore (2.15GHz Dual + 1.6GHz Dual), 64 bit processor and has a 4GB RAM.

It has a 2560 X 1440 (577ppi) 5.5-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display with Dual Pixel 12-megapixel (F1.7) rear and 5-megapixel (F1.7) cameras.

Both phones runs on Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) operating system.

The powerful processer and bigger battery capacity (3,000mAh in Galaxy S7 and 3,600mAh in Galaxy S7 Edge ) ensure longer playing time, and the internal cooling system keeps the device from overheating.

The smartphones have an enhanced Galaxy experience in VR apps and games. "Together, this is by far the best mobile VR experience you can offer," Zuckerberg added.

The devices are protected by Samsung KNOX, fingerprint scanning and advanced tokenization and have NFC (Near Field Communication), MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) and Barcode technology, making mobile payments easy.

Samsung also unveiled a new spherical camera called the Gear 360 that connects to Samsung`s phones to capture, view and share 360-degree video and still images. The device is designed to supplement Samsung`s Gear VR headset and related software.

Samsung launches flagship Galaxy S7, S7 edge at MWC 2016

The phones have metal and glass design. The company claims that the latest Galaxy versions offer better performance than the previous Galaxy S6 series and are IP68 waterproof.

"We believe in a world that is brighter, sharper, more convenient, and more fun. We strive to deliver on that vision with the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge by marrying elegant design with functionality and providing a seamless mobile experience," said DJ Koh, Samsung's new president of Mobile Communications business.

The phnes are supposed to be more hands-on with better features.

The S7 and S7 Edge will be available from March 11, with preorders beginning February 23. Though the price has nit been announced yet, but if you buy either S7 phone between February 23 and March 18, you will get a freeGear VR virtual reality headset with a bundle of six games. 

Galaxy S7 offers a 5.1-inch display, weighs 152 gram and is powered by a 3,000mAh battery. The S7 edge is bigger with 5.5-inch display, 3,600mAh battery and weighs 5 grams more. Both the devices have a Quad HD Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels.

Both the new flagship smartphones run on Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system, and will be available in 32GB and 64GB internal storage options and 200GB through microSD card backed external memory.

South Africa vs England, 2nd T20I: AB de Villiers helps Proteas to easy series win

The tourists were bowled out for 171 in their last over and South Africa reached 172 with 32 balls to spare, wrapping up a comfortable win that stood in contrast to their narrow victory in Friday`s first encounter in Cape Town.

De Villiers broke his own record for the fastest half-century by a South African in a T20 International, trimming the mark from 23 to 21 balls.

Together with Hashim Amla, he enjoyed a first-wicket partnership of 125 to effectively seal victory before he was caught out on the boundary. Amla finished unbeaten on 69.

England were their own worst enemies when Eoin Morgan ran out in-form batsman Alex Hales with the score on 61, but a 96-run partnership between the England captain and Jos Buttler had guided the tourists to 157-3 in the 17th over.

They fell apart, however, when they then lost their last seven wickets for just 14 runs to leave South Africa with a modest target to chase at a ground where high scoring is the norm.

Sunday’s match ended England’s 10-week tour where they won the four-match test series 2-1 but surrendered a 2-0 lead in the ODI series to lose 3-2, before being beaten in both T20 internationals.

'xXx: The Return of Xander Cage' femmes fatales: Deepika Padukone, Ruby Rose, Nina Dobrev

While Ruby Rose will be boasting a super svelte figure dotted with fierce tattoos and action stunts in the film, the pretty Nina Dobrev of 'The Vampire Diaries' fame will be giving tough competition to the other female leads.

Deepika too has surprised us with her cheeky and bold look in the film and there's no doubt the lady looks like she has mastered her part.

So, here are three gorgeous ladies in the film, who one do you think look the hottest?

Freedom 251 not to affect Datawind, says Tuli

"Every month about 2 crore mobile phones are sold in India. The company (Ringing Bells) claims to have 25 lakh bookings and some crore registrations. If the product is actually shipped, the 25 lakh unit will neither affect market nor prospect of our company," Datawind President and CEO Suneet Singh Tuli told reporters here.

He also alleged that the offer to sell mobile phone is just a promotion.

Datawind made the world's cheapest tablet Aakash for the Indian government. It had won the contract to supply 1 lakh units of Aakash tablets priced at USD 49.98 apiece in 2011, translated into a price of Rs 2,276 at that time. The project was then handled by IIT Jodhpur which provided the specifications for the product.

After running into controversies on the quality of product, the project was shifted under IIT Bombay and Datawind was asked to supply better version of the product, Aakash 2, at a price of Rs 2,263 apiece, which is around USD 42 at exchange rate at that time.

Tuli said it is wrong to compare Aakash with Ringing Bells scheme as Aakash was brand owned by Indian government and the product was real.

Questioning the cost of Freedom 251, Tuli said that memory chips used in mobile phones are traded internationally like other commodities and at present 1GB RAM chip costs USD 5.5 or about Rs 370.

"If you buy 10 lakh units then maximum discount one get is of 5-6 per cent. When memory chip promised in the phone (Freedom 251) costs more than the price being offered then there is no way phone can be made for Rs 251 apiece. It is just a donation," Tuli said.

He said that Datawind is planning to launch a smartphone for Rs 1,500, least priced device from its stable, next month but it would also not match the specification promised by Ringing Bells.

Whopping 5 crore Freedom 251 booked in just two days! Ringing Bells unable to deliver all

 

Noida-based Ringing Bells, promising a Rs 251 (less than $4) “Make in India” smartphone, on Friday claimed to have received nearly five crore registrations in just two days of opening up for online pre-orders.

In a chat with IANS, company president Ashok Chadha said that since the company will hand over 25 lakh “Freedom 251” phones to the people who have registered online.

The firm has stopped the registration process as it is unable to meet the huge demand.

There were two more days left to pre-order the phone till 8:00PM on February 21.

“The pre-booking numbers we received are sheer humongous. I am happy that so many Indians have responded to our ‘Make in India’ smartphone call.

Now the onus is on us to deliver on the promise and I am hopeful that we will be able to start delivery latest by April 10 and finish well before the June 30 deadline,” Chadha told IANS.

 

Virat Kohli: Post Anushka Sharma break-up, star batsman is busy with...

 

Kohli made a trip to Amritsar with family members, where he spent time visiting the famous Wagah border and the Golden Temple. The 27-year-old on Friday shared photos from the trip and said:

"I really wanted to visit this place from a long time and I'm glad that I've made it. I'm happy to be here and I feel peaceful," he told a section of the media."

he star batsman took a time-off from national duties, ostensibly to spend time with Bollywood damsel Anushka, but their high-profile relationship ended with heartbreaks.

Since the break-up, the cricketer has taken a rather brave posture, posting series of images of himself and family members. And expectedly, his every move continues to make news.

Amritsar visit was one such episode for his followers, but it sure provided the much needed comfort to the player in his times of emotional turmoil.

Kohli will join his team-mates as India seek to win the first-ever Asia Cup T20, which starts on Wednesday in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

 

Wow! This boy got an iPhone 5S at less than half the price of Freedom 251

 

India's cheapest smartphone Freedom 251, a boy actually got an iPhone at less than half the price of Freedom 251.

Nikhil Bansal, who is pursuing B.Tech from Punjabi University saw an online discount of 99.7 percent on an iPhone 5S while surfing Snapdeal.

Bansal, without making any delay, immediately placed the order for the iPhone 5S which was showing an online price of and Rs 68.

However, Snapdeal later refused to deliver him the phone citing technical snag. Bansal then took Snapdeal to consumer court in Punjab’s Sangrur district for not honoring the sale deal.

The court not only ordered Snapdeal to sell him the iPhone 5S for Rs 68, but also pay a Rs 2,000 penalty.

Are you aware of Freedom 251 security issues?

Though Ringing bells has closed the booking for the phone, those who have booked it successfully might have some security issues.

Tech radar has pointed that Freedom 251 website doesn't use “secure https protocol”. It instead uses http. It means that the site is susceptible to potential cyber attacks because it requires punching your addresses, emails and other contact details to book the Freedom 251 phone.

Though this issue came to light on the first day of booking, we hope that company has taken cognisance of this error and has been able to fix it.

Ringing Bells says that it has received five crore registrations online in just two days. But it only plans on distributing 25 lakh handsets to those who have registered online.

The firm has stopped the registration process as it is unable to meet the huge demand. There were two more days left to pre-order the phone till 8:00PM on February 21.

4-year-old boy sentenced to life imprisonment for committing 'four murders'

 

Other charges that have been levelled on the kid are of attempt to murder, vandalising of property and threatening police officers.

As per a Pradesh18 report, Ahmed Mansour Karni, the boy was not in court on Tuesday when he was being convicted for offences that happened in 2014.

Convicted along with 115 defendants, Ahmed was listed as 'wanted' for murder, damaging state property and disturbing peace and order.

However, it was later found that sentence was pronounced due to some error.

Ahmed's birth certificate was presented after state security forces added his name to the list of accused, but then the case was transferred to the military court and the child was sentenced in absentia in an ensuing court hearing, which proves that the judge did not read the case, the boy's defence attorney, Faisal al-Sayd was quoted in Pradesh18 report.

Ringing Bells books 5 crore Freedom 251 in just two days! Able to delivery only 25 lakh phones

While the world kept asking questions and Indians remained puzzled, Noida-based Ringing Bells, promising a Rs 251 (less than $4) “Make in India” smartphone, on Friday claimed to have received nearly five crore registrations in just two days of opening up for online pre-orders.

 

In a chat with IANS, company president Ashok Chadha said that since the company will hand over 25 lakh “Freedom 251” phones to the people who have registered online.

The firm has stopped the registration process as it is unable to meet the huge demand.

There were two more days left to pre-order the phone till 8:00PM on February 21.

“The pre-booking numbers we received are sheer humongous. I am happy that so many Indians have responded to our ‘Make in India’ smartphone call.

Now the onus is on us to deliver on the promise and I am hopeful that we will be able to start delivery latest by April 10 and finish well before the June 30 deadline,” Chadha told IANS.

Ringing bells abruptly closes booking for Freedom 251; says response far exceeded expectations

 

The smartphone's website has been plagued with  problems since the day of the launch owing to which the excitement around the phone seems to be fizzling out.

The company says that the response far exceeded its expectations, so it is closing the booking.

The company also said that it would like to bring out the sale again in Phase 2.

 

India's cheapest smartphone Freedom 251 will be disappointed as Ringing bells has closed the booking for the phone.

 

Gionee Elife S8 to launch in February 22

Gionee Elife S8 smartphone would be a slim handset with better camera performance. The phone is also expected to have pressure-sensitive display.

 

Pressure-sensitive displays helps a smartphone determine how hard the user is pressing a screen with your finger. This will then allow the operating system to apply different actions depending on the pressure level.

The expected price of on 91mobiles.com is listed at Rs 24,990. 

The Chinese smartphone maker had launched the predecessor Gionee Elife S7 in February 2015, and the smartphone priced at Rs 24,999 had reached India by April.

Specifications: Capacitive touchscreen, 4.6" display and 639 PPI (pixel density),. Dual SIM, Octa core 1.9 GHz processor, ARM Cortex A53 & MediaTek MT6795. The phone has 3 GB RAM and 32 GB internal memory and external memory expandable upto 64 GB (MicroSD), Batter is Lil-Po 3520 mAh, and would be available in black or white colour.

'The Islamic rape of Europe': Polish magazine sparks worldwide outrage

 

The cover of the news weekly "wSieci" (In the net) showed a posed photo of a blue-eyed blonde woman, wrapped in an EU flag, looking terrified as she is groped by hairy-armed men.

The magazine said the cover referred to a rash of sexual assaults against hundreds of women, allegedly by men of North African and Arab origin, during New Year's Eve celebrations in the German city of Cologne.

But the publication drew fierce criticism on Twitter, with one user comparing it to what they described as a World War II-era Italian fascist propaganda poster vilifying Africans.

Another Twitter user said the "sick cover" was fear-mongering.

"'Islamic rape of Europe', screams Polish magazine. They obviously forget Nazi depictions of Poles in the 1930s," said one Twitter user.

"w Sieci" makes no secret of its support for the Poland's new right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) government.”

At the end of 2015, it had a circulation of 76,000, a decline of 1.16 percent over 2014, according to the specialist website press.pl.

In the category of news weeklies, it lay a distant third, with the top-selling title, Newsweek Polska, selling 120,000.

The populist PiS won an unprecedented majority in October's General Election campaigning, among others, on an anti-migrant platform.

Party leader and ex-premier Jaroslaw Kaczynski played up migrant fears before election day by claiming refugees were bringing "cholera to the Greek islands, dysentery to Vienna, various types of parasites" in comments that critics said recalled the Nazi era.

The PiS government been among the staunchest opponents of an European Union quota plan to distribute refugees across the bloc.

Surveys show a majority of Poles share this view.

3G phone like Freedom 251 would cost Rs 2,300, finds telecom ministry

 

“The ministry has analysed the issue and it feels that such a device can be manufactured for about Rs 2,300,” sources said.

However, they refused to say if any action will be taken against the company in the matter.

Earlier this week, Noida-based firm Ringing Bells launched the world’s cheapest phone -- Freedom 251 -- priced at Rs 251, hogging limelight globally.

Indian Cellular Association, which represents the handset makers industry in India and has members like Apple, Samsung, Microsoft, Lava and Micromax, had also written to telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

The body said the bill of material value for a product like this when sourced from the cheapest supply chain cost approximately $40 (Rs 2,700).

When translated into retail price after addition of applicable duties, taxes and distribution and retail margins, the cost of the product would be at least Rs 4,100, it added.

ICA requested the minister to get into the depth of the issue, saying the price could not be below Rs 3,500 even after a subsidised sale.

Ringing Bells, on its part, said the manufacturing cost of the phone is about Rs 2,500, which will be recovered through a series of measures like economies of scale, innovative marketing, reduction in duties and creating an e-commerce marketplace.

Apart from the jaw-dropping price, the company that was set up five months ago by Amity University graduate Mohit Kumar Goel, is also in the midst of controversy with analysts alleging that its maker has merely rebranded a device by its rival, Adcom.

Analysts allege that the design of Ringing Bells’ Freedom 251 handset resembles that of Adcom’s Ikon 4, which is already available in the Indian market at Rs 3,999.

Interestingly, most built-in app icons on the Freedom 251 seem to be a direct copy of icons on Apple’s iPhone, they added.

Despite the controversies, the device has continued to grab attention from consumers. Following a heavy demand, Ringing Bells suspended bookings for 24 hours on Thursday. It resumed bookings on Friday.

 

Brendon McCullum: New Zealand skipper blasts fastest ton in Test history on Day 1 in Christchurch

 

The retiring legend's century against the Aussies came in just 54 balls in the 1st innings of the second Test in Christchurch.

Baz broke the record of West Indian great Viv Richards and Pakistan's Test skipper Misbah-ul-Haq.

Richards and Misbah got scored their tons against England and Australia respectively in 56 balls each.

McCullum's century took 79 minutes, the fourth fastest on time behind Jack Gregory who hit 100 in 70 minutes against South Africa in 1921.

It was the 12th hundred of McCullum's career and included 17 fours and four sixes.

The 34-year-old is playing in his final Test before retiring.

 

Booking for Freedom 251 smartphone enters 3rd day; quantity limited to 1 per user

 

The quantity of handsets which was unlimited earlier, has been restricted to just one per user now.

So if you get lucky and are succesfully able to place your booking, you can only place order for 1 unit of Freedom 251 smartphone.

The smartphone's website is down on day 2 of pre-booking owing to which the excitement around the phone seems to be fizzling out.

The company has put out the sale date of Freedom 251 smartphone on its website now. It says, “All deliveries will be made by 30th June, 2016 through courier”

The smartphone went on sale at 6 am on Thursday morning, which was its first day of sale. But the company had to later stop accepting orders after its website crashed.

Even before the server crashed, many people faced problem in booking the phone because of glitches in the payment window within an hour of opening of the bookings.

Freedom 251, hailed as India's most affordable smartphone was launched at just Rs 251.

The 3G handset, Freedom 251, features a 4-inch display, Qualcomm 1.3-GHz quad-core processor and 1 GB RAM.

The Android Lollipop-based handset has an onboard storage of 8 GB with support for expandable memory of up to 32 GB. It features a 3.2-MP rear and a 0.3-MP front facing camera and a 1,450-mAh battery.

Asia Cup 2016: Onus lies on Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma to provide solid platform for India

 

Shikhar and Rohit have found the confidence as a pair for India upfront and that has been the reason for Mahendra Singh Dhoni to find success in the shortest format of the game. Shikhar's transition in form has been a positive factor for India in Australia and against Sri Lanka at home recently.

The left-hander had a miserable time with the bat against South Africa in 2015 and struggled prior to that series too. But since then his approach should be lauded and he seems to make the chances count when he sets out to bat.

Rohit missed out against Sri Lanka apart from the 43 runs in Ranchi and the slow Bangladeshi pitches will test his approach and patience.

With the coveted Asia Cup in Bangaldesh, Dhawan will hope to get India ticking alongside Rohit Sharma who had a dream ODI and T20 series against Australia. With Rohit likely to take his time and look to finish games, the onus lies on Dhawan in setting the attack mode from the very beginning.

The understanding and running between the wickets between the duo has been notable. India will want the two batsmen to continue their surge at the top of the order. India who face Bangladesh in the first game will need to be wary of their bowlers who have made a mark at home. The challenge against Mustafizur Rahman and the likes of Shakib Al Hasan and Taskin Ahmed will test the opening duo.

Shikhar and Rohit's application has provided a cushion to skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and their performances will be the key again in Asia Cup to give India the platform for the rest of the team.