Hardware Requirements for Windows 10 for Desktop & Window Phones

During the WinHEC conference, Microsoft talked about the hardware requirements for Windows 10, and although they were generally known to be similar to Windows 8, we now have precise info for the first time.

Microsoft is designing Windows 10 to be the best OS the company has ever shipped and one that spans across devices and that will be a foundation for all future versions. As such Windows 10 must be highly flexible and compact, as well as capable of supporting the newest and most powerful hardware.

It's interesting to note how Windows 10 will support the latest processors, including the newest Snapdragons, Intel’s upcoming Skylake and AMD’s Carrizo. Also worth pointing out is that the OS will support huge resolutions. At the same time, the minimum specs for running the OS are 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage.

Additionally, the company for the first time is also talking about versions of Windows 10, and this important to note, as Microsoft usually doesn’t reveal any kind of details until right before launch. The image above comes from a PowerPoint slide the company used during the WinHEC conference in China, and it details a Pro version and a consumer version of Windows 10, but some of the information still blurry.

Also worth highlighting is that for the first time Microsoft is talking about versions of Windows 10. This is not at all surprising as the company has always had different SKUs for different markets, but this step of versioning usually comes right before launch. As you can see in the slide above the company is talking about the Pro version and the Consumer version of Windows 10 though the differences between the two aren't made clear.

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Paypal Mobile Credit Card Reader/Swiper for iPhone and Android Devices

PayPal Here is the easiest way to accept any form of payment. Wherever your business goes, your sales can go too.You can use iOS (iPhone 3GS and later) devices running iOS version 6.0 and later and iPad devices running iOS version 6.0 and later, select Android smartphones and tablets, and select Windows 8.1 tablets.

An Android device running PayPal Here will need to have: 

• Android version 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or later 
• 3.5 mm headset jack with microphone 
• Support for Location Services 
• Internet access (via WiFi or cellular data network)

PayPal Here is supported on many Android tablets. See the list below for some of the compatible devices.

• Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10" 
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7" 
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 10" 
• Samsung Nexus 10" 
• Samsung Galaxy Note 10"

PayPal Here is supported on many tablets that run Windows 8.1. See the list below for some of the compatible devices. 

• Surface Pro 3, 2, and RT 
• HP Elitepad 1000 
• Asus Vivo Tab Note 8 
• Dell Venue Pro 8

No worries if your tablet isn't shown; a quick app download and reader test will indicate whether PayPal Here works with your tablet. We recommend doing this prior to purchasing a new device just to be sure it is compatible.

Buy Now Paypal Mobile Credit Card Reader/Swiper

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Intel Compute Stick will run Linux & Window

The Intel Compute Stick is a new generation compute-on-a-stick device that’s ready-to-go out-of-the-box and offers the performance, quality, and value you expect from Intel. Pre-installed with Windows 8.1 or Linux, get a complete experience on an ultra-small, power-efficient device that is just four inches long, yet packs the power and reliability of a quad-core Intel Atom processor, with built-in wireless connectivity, on-board storage, and a micro SD card slot for additional storage. It’s everything you love about your desktop computer in a device that fits in the palm of your hand.

The Compute Stick is actually strikingly similar to the one made by Shenzen Apec Electronics that went on sale in October. Intel is planning to offer two models initially. Both will be powered by a quad-core Atom processor. This one, which will run Windows 8.1 with Bing and comes with 2GB of RAM, and 32GB of internal storage, will sell for $149.

A less expensive version with Ubuntu pre-installed will also be available. It’ll sell for just $89, but the hardware will be stripped down. The Linux Compute Stick will have just 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage. That’s still plenty of power for basic computing tasks.

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Sony Xperia M4 Aqua

Sony has formally unveiled the Xperia M4 Aqua (E2303, E2306, E2353) and Xperia M4 Dual (E2312, E2333, E2363)The 4G LTE phone is the same that has been leaked in recent days arriving with a 5-inch (720 x 1280) IPS display (PPI of 294 and screen-to-phone ratio of 65.24%), a 64-bit Snapdragon 615 chipset with Octa core processor (1.5 GHz quad-core Cortex-A53 and 1.0 GHz quad-core Cortex-A53) and Adreno 405 graphics.

The Xperia M4 Aqua will launch in two variants when it comes to internal storage. Model numbers E2303, E2353, E2312 will have 8GB storage, whilst the E2306, E2333, E2363 variants will have 16GB of internal storage. All models will have 2GB RAM.Sony Xperia M4 Aqua will come with the similar “Aqua” moniker as well as the IP68 certification for water and dust resistance as its predecessor.

Other features include a 13MP Exmor RS rear camera with F2.0 aperture and ISO 3200 sensitivity, 5MP front-facing camera with 88° field of view, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC and a 2400mAh battery for a two-day battery life. The Xperia M4 Aqua has dimensions of 145.5 x 72.6 x 7.3 mm and will weigh 140 grams.

The Xperia M4 Aqua will launch in three colours (Black, White and a new Coral colour). Sony says the handset will hit 80 countries and 100 partners worldwide when it is released in Spring 2015 for around EUR 299. It will launch with Android 5.0 Lollipop from the outset and will be part of the Xperia Lounge Silver programme.

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The Apple Watch

Apple has finally revealed all regarding the Apple Watch, the wrist-based wearable it first introduced last September. Many of the Apple Watch’s particulars were already known, but here, for the first time, is a comprehensive look at what will no doubt become the world’s most popular smartwatch. Pre-orders will begin on April 10th. The device will start shipping on April 24th, and cost anywhere from $349 to $10,000 + depending on style.

The device is not self sufficient and requires an iPhone in order to work. It is compatible with iPhone 5c, 5s, 6 and 6 Plus running iOS 8.2 or later. In addition to the different editions, the Apple Watch is available in two sizes: 38mm and 42mm. The Apple Watch offers users a choice of fastenings - three different leather straps, a stainless steel link bracelet with Milanese loop or a black or white Sport band. Users can also personalise their watch faces with a wide range of options, from traditional analogue to Mickey Mouse. The Apple Watch Sport comes with an anodised case - in a choice of silver or space grey - with is lightweight. To ensure it can stand up to the challenges of being a device used out and about in a variety of sport-related situations, the Retina display is bolstered by toughened Ion-X glass and a performance fluoroelastomer Sport Band (with a choice of five shades).

Apple previously confirmed basic specifications of the Apple Watch, which was introduced to the world at the end of 2014, but it added more detail at its launch event on 9th March 2015. Users can make and receive calls, texts and emails and also make use of the Siri voice assistant, which will prove useful in the absence of a good sized virtual keyboard. The device features new technology called Digital Crown, which lets users scroll, zoom and navigate their way around the screen quickly and easily - without interfering with information displayed. Digital Touch lets users interact with other users by tapping or doodling. Sophisticated additions such as Force Touch also means the device is intelligent enough to differentiate between a tap and a press. Furthermore, users are notified of messages or alerts via a gentle wrist tap, facilitated by an all-new Taptic Engine. While the Glances functionality puts them instantly in touch with the information they care about most - from the weather to sports results and more. 

The Apple Watch is also being touted as a health and fitness companion that, according to Apple "encourages you to sit less, move more and get some exercise every day." During a speech at the Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet conference, Apple chief Cook said the device will provide users with hourly reminders to stand up and get active. "If I sit for too long, it will actually tap me on the wrist to remind me to get up and move, because a lot of doctors think sitting is the new cancer,” said Cook, according to MacRumours. “Ten minutes before the hour, it will remind you to move. We have a lot of people using the Apple Watch at Apple, and ten minutes before the hour, suddenly they all get up and move. It took a little to get used to, but it’s great.”

The Apple Watch is designed for all-day (18 hours) use, and can be charged wirelessly. An Apple spokesperson told TechCrunch that the battery would indeed be replaceable, quelling fears that the device would become obsolete within just a few years. The site estimates that the battery life on the Apple Watch would be around three years.Another spokesperson revealed to around the time of the launch that the Apple Watch's battery life was "about a day right now," and, understandably, the tech company isn't satisfied with that.Nat Kerris, speaking for Apple, told  Re/code: "There's a lot of new technology packed into Apple Watch and we think people will love using it throughout the day. We anticipate that people will charge nightly which is why we designed an innovative charging solution that combines our MagSafe technology and inductive charging."Paul Jackson, principal analyst at Ovum, said battery life could be a make-or-break factor for potential buyers."This is still the major deal breaker for mass adoption. Sure, tech firms have trained us to charge our phones every day, but devices like watches, fit bands, glasses etc. need multi-day capacities."

In preparation for the device's release, Apple released a Software Development Kit (SDK). Dubbed Watch Kit, the SDK paved the way for developers to start designing apps for the device, and also gave them a first glimpse at some of the code for iOS 8.2. The code preview has been included to help developers design offerings that take advantage of the connectivity between the Apple Watch and other iOS devices. Ahead of the watch’s release in April, Barron's reports, Global Equities Research’s Trip Chowdhry has predicted that Apple Watch could already have as many as 100,000 apps by the time it goes on sale. “By April 10, 2015, we are expecting 100,000 Apple Watch Apps on AppStore. Currently, on an average there are 65 Apps per iPhone. We are estimating that an average Apple Watch will have 100 Apps per Apple Watch. There will be no single killer app for Apple Watch – each user will have their own set of Killer Apps...

 one way to think is that the consumer is getting 100 different devices in one Apple Watch. “On an average an Apple Watch user will have 100 Apps installed, and one way to think about it is that the consumer is getting 100 devices for $350... i.e. $3.50 per device.” Facebook and other firms were reported to have been testing the Apple Watch in a secret lab without internet access, according to Bloomberg. Visitors weren't even allowed to bring in a pad of paper to make notes when they entered the special test room at Apple’s headquarters, the publication reported. The companies, including United airlines and BMW, were busy making last-minute changes to their apps, which are set to debut on the wearable in April. Staff visiting the test lab had to bring their applications’ source code on hard drives that could’t leave Apple’s Cupertino base, said Bloomberg, citing confidential sources familiar with the matter. Instead, Apple was believed to be sending the firms any source code adjustments made at the test lab prior to the watch’s release, which we now know will be on April 24th.

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Apple's new 12-inch MacBook

Apple's new 12-inch MacBook sure is a beautiful notebook. It's only 13.1mm thick and weighs two pounds. It's got a beautiful high-res Retina display and up to 9 hours of battery life. The new MacBook's also sporting that single (but versatile) reversible USB-C port.
The new MacBook — available in silver, gold or space gray — has an all-metal enclosure and weighs less than 2 lbs. Just 13.1mm thick, it offers a brand new keyboard, with keys that are 40% thinner than the traditional kind. There's a 12-inch Retina display with edge-to-edge coverglass and 2304 by 1440 pixels. Apple says it is the thinnest display ever built into a Mac, and that it consumes 30% less energy.

The new MacBook also features a new "Force Touch" trackpad with a glass multi touch surface and a taptic engine. It's unhinged, and its feedback mechanism can be controlled via software.The new MacBook uses Apple's latest unibody architecture. It's the first fanless MacBook ever, and uses Intel's Core M processor running up to 1.3GHz.Apple says it can do 9 hours of wireless web browsing and 10 hours of iTunes movie playback.
The new MacBook has 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.0 built in. The vision of the notebook, according to Phil Schiller, is to be "without wires." The new MacBook will still have one cord on it — a brand new one. It uses USB-C which offers USB 3.0, DisplayPort and power.

The new MacBook will start at $1299 with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It will start shipping on April 10, and will join the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro line. Apple also updated its MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina notebooks with faster processors. The 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina will also get the Force Touch trackpad and longer battery life. The new MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina devices start shipping Monday.

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HTC One M9 Price, Release Date, Specs and Features

HTC at Mobile World Congress 2015 in Barcelona, Spain, announced the all-new HTC One M9. While it might look a good bit like its predecessor (why mess with a good thing, right?) there's still a lot going on here.

The phone is slightly smaller and easier to hold. The rear Ultra Pixel camera has been swapped out for a more traditional 20MP shooter. Sense 7 gives you so many new ways to share and edit photos, and it's easier to do now as well.
Boom Sound is back, of course, and this time Dolby is on board to help with the audio lifting.
So we'd love for the HTC One M9 to have more juice. We don't think two days of battery life should be unrealistic, after all the HTC One M8 and a number of other phones can already comfortably make it into a second day, they just need a bit of a boost to make it to the end of the day.

 HTC One M9 specs

SYSTEM	Android 5.0.2 Lollipop + HTC Sense 7
DISPLAY	5-inch LCD, 1,920 x 1,080 Pixel, 441 ppi
PROCESSOR	Qualcomm Snapdragon 810, Octa-Core, 4 x 2.0 GHz + 4 x 1.5 GHz
RAM	3 GB
INTERNAL STORAGE	32 GB + microSD
BATTERY	2,840 mAh
CAMERA	20 MP (rear), HTC UltraPixel (front)
CONNECTIVITY	USB 2.0, WLAN (IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2.4 & 5 GHz), LTE CAT6, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, CIR, HDMI MHL 3.0
DIMENSIONS	144.6 x 69.7 x 9.61 mm
WEIGHT	157 grams

Water and dust resistance: Another way to keep it protected is with dust and water resistance. We don't need to be able to take it swimming, but knowing that it could survive a spill or a bit of rain would certainly be reassuring and now that Samsung and Sony are both water and dust proofing their phones there's little excuse for HTC not to do the same.

More of a health and fitness focus: The world is going health and fitness mad, or at least that's what many of the latest smartphones and smart watches would lead you to believe. HTC though doesn't seem so interested and we can't help but feel that it's missing a trick, especially if the market for fitness focused tech continues to grow. Sure a heart rate monitor and UV sensor are hardly essential components of a smartphone, but we wouldn't say no to them and we'd also be quite happy to see more of a focus on fitness software from HTC, rather than it relying on third party solutions, as HTC has done with the M8 by simply including the Fitbit app. Apple has Health, Samsung has S Health, HTC needs something.

Lots of power: It's reached the point where almost every high end phone and a fair few lower end ones feel fast and powerful, so we don't really need a lot more power in the HTC One M9. But specs sell and while HTC's flagships are always powerful they're not always quite as powerful as the competition, at least on paper. So next year we hope that changes. Impress us HTC, put in an octa-core Snapdragon 810 with 6GB of RAM, or at least make sure your phone is a match for the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Sony Xperia Z4.

More storage: HTC wisely added a microSD card slot to the M8, but we'd still love more internal storage. Apple now offers 128GB iPhones, so why can't an Android phone do the same? And more specifically why can't HTC? Do that while still including microSD support and we could be looking at a phone with 256GB of combined storage, which is far more than most people are ever likely to need, but we'd rather have too much than too little.

Category 6 LTE: 4G is taking off in a big way, but while current phones are equipped to support the fastest speeds we're likely to get in most places right now, they're not particularly future-proofed. That's why we'd like to see HTC put Category 6 LTE support in the HTC One M9.That would theoretically allow it to reach download speeds of around 300Mbps, which is double what most current handsets can manage and should make it a viable handset right up until 5G arrive

HTC One M9 price: The HTC One M9 price will be set at 749 Euros carrier unlocked, but we are yet to receive UK or US pricing details. The latest rumors suggest a 649 USD price tag, but we will update this page as soon as we know more. While every network will get the One M9 in Gold/Silver and Gun Metal colors, EE will initially be the only network to also have the One M9 in gold. The One M9 will be released in Europe around March 31. At launch, it will be available in two colors: gunmetal gray and silver with a gold frame at the back. Eventually, the all-gold edition is also expected to become widely available. 

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Apple Increase iPhone Prices in India

It's a bad news for all those who haven’t laid their hands on iPhone but were planning to, as Apple has increased the prices of its entire range of smartphones.

According to media reports, the entire range of iPhones will become costlier by Rs. 2,500 in India. This hike in prices is attributed to the latest budget.
With this hike in the Apple smartphones the iPhone 6 will now start at Rs.56,000 instead of Rs.53,500 for the 16GB variant, while the 64GB and 128GB iPhone 6 variants will now be priced at Rs.65,000 and Rs.74,000 respectively.

Apple iPhone 6  Rs. 47,557

• REVIEW
• KEY SPECS

• Design
• Display
• Software
• Performance
• Battery life
• Camera
• Value for money

• Good
• Thin, light, easy to handle
• Excellent camera
• Superb performance
• Reasonably good battery life

• Bad
• Limited storage

Read detailed Apple iPhone 6 review

BUY AT

GOLD ₹ 47,557

GOLD ₹ 47,997

₹ 50,450

Likewise, the 16GB iPhone 6 Plus will now cost Rs.65,000, with the 64GB and 128GB variants costing Rs.74,000 and Rs.83,000 respectively.

Apple iPhone 6 Plus  Rs. 59,275

• REVIEW
• KEY SPECS
• 
  

• Design
• Display
• Software
• Performance
• Battery life
• Camera
• Value for money

• Good
• Fantastic performance
• Very good battery life
• Excellent camera

• Bad
• Large and awkward to use
• Lacks software optimisations

Read detailed Apple iPhone 6 Plus review

BUY AT

₹ 59,275

SILVER ₹ 59,375

GREY ₹ 60,446

Not only the new iPhones, there is an impact on the older models of the iPhones. The 8GB iPhone 5c is now priced at Rs.33,500 and the iPhone 5s will now start at Rs.47,000 for the 16GB variant and Rs.51,500 for the 32GB variant.

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Samsung Galaxy S6 & Galaxy S6 Edge Price, Release Date, Specs and Features

Samsung has finally pulled the wraps off its highly anticipated Galaxy S6. As the rumours suggested, we have two new models – Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge. With the new models, Samsung has taken a quantum leap in design and given their phones a complete makeover. This isn't just plastic now; it’s metal and glass and it looks good.

Successor to the S5, the Galaxy S6 doesn't feature a curved display, but Samsung has spruced up user experience with some nifty upgrades. If you've missed on your dose of the Unpacked event at the MWC, then here’s a quick look at what you need to know about the new Samsung flagship.

Its twin, slim replacements, the Samsung Galaxy S6 and curved-screen Galaxy S6 Edge, finally ditch the utilitarian plastic build and removable battery of previous Samsung flagship phones. They arrive at the smartphone party dressed in sharp metal lines and plenty of glass. The two new phones are nearly identical -- both run Android 5.0 Lollipop with 5.1-inch high-resolution displays. But the Galaxy S6 Edge competes for the spotlight with two curved-glass edges, each wrapping the long side of the phone with a smooth, readable display.

Galaxy S6 Specs

SYSTEM	Android 5.0 Lollipop
DISPLAY	5.1-inch Quad HD (2560x1440) 577ppi, Super AMOLED
PROCESSOR	Quad 2.1GHz + Quad 1.5Ghz, Octa-core processor
RAM	3 GB
INTERNAL STORAGE	32/64/128 GB
BATTERY	2,550 mAh + wireless charging + wired supercharging
CAMERA	16 MP with OIS (rear), 5 MP (front)
CONNECTIVITY	Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz), HT80 MIMO(2x2)  620Mbps, Dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, Mobile hotspot,  Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, LTE Cat.6
DIMENSIONS	143.4 x 70.5 x 6.8 mm
WEIGHT	138 g

                                   

Galaxy S6 Edge Specs

SYSTEM	Android 5.0 Lollipop
DISPLAY	5.1-inch Quad HD (2560x1440) 577ppi, Super AMOLED, Dual Edge
PROCESSOR	Quad 2.1GHz + Quad 1.5Ghz, Octa-core processor
RAM	3 GB
INTERNAL STORAGE	32/64/128 GB
BATTERY	2,600 mAh + wireless charging + wired supercharging
CAMERA	16 MP with OIS (rear), 5 MP (front)
CONNECTIVITY	Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz), HT80 MIMO(2x2) 620Mbps, Dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, Mobile hotspot, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, LTE Cat.6
DIMENSIONS	142.1 x 70.1 x 7.0 mm
WEIGHT	132 g

No microSD card: Samsung omitted this staple feature to maximize slimness. However it's also increased default internal storage to 32GB, with 64GB and 128GB models also available. Samsung will also throw in 115GB free Microsoft OneDrive storage for two years, stating that people increasingly use cloud storage these days.

Camera quick launch: This is a great one. Double click the home button to launch the camera app in just under a second, and from any screen. This worked flawlessly during my demo period.

Smarter fingerprint scanning: The same home button is now equipped to read your fingerprint when you rest it on the button. Before, you had to slide it, which often didn't produce an accurate reading. I wasn't able to test this yet.

Wireless charging: The S6 and S6 Edge have wireless charging built in, using WPC and PMA standards (that includes Qi). Samsung will sell its own charging pads, but the S6 phones will be compatible with some other chargers as well. You should be able to top up 20 percent of your battery in about a half hour.

Quick-charging: Support for this fast-charging feature comes with the Exynos chip, which Samsung says should give you a 30 percent charge in about 30 minutes. In addition, the phones will work with a Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 charger (like the Note 4's charger).

No waterproofing: Unlike the Galaxy S5, neither S6 is rated IP67 for water resistance. Samsung's response: waterproofing isn't part of the S6 "story." It's a good guess that we'll get a waterproof "Galaxy S6 Active" or some other tough variant later this year, like the Galaxy S5 Active and S5 Sport.

Pricing and availability: Look for the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge to hit some territories starting April 10. Pricing is still up in the air, but carriers and retailers like to set those individually. Expect the S6 to cost about the same as the S5, and for the S6 Edge to cost more. Samsung's US PR team shared that it'll sell with major US carriers (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon) as well as Cricket and US Cellular. UK networks are yet to be announced and the only Australian network to confirm availability is Virgin Mobile.

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