Google Duo Officially Launched…for Users.

One of the most awaited apps of android from Google is launched yesterday, Google Duo.The video chatting app that went on display by Google at their Developer conference on May 18,2016,is now launched for public . I have been using this app for two days now and the functioning of the app is superb. It is fast, easy to use and almost with no complications.To call, you can just tap on the face of the contact and they answer and you will have a one to one face video chat on.

First of all, how the duo works.It is available for both Android and iPhones. When you start the app ,it simply sign you up and then check for the phone number and send you the confirmation text .The whole process is very simple. No friend list to be maintained or separate accounts to be created.

The best part of the application is the simplicity of it.Though it comes with some flaws,i.e.it does not support conference calling.You cannot call someone other than Phones.

The new feature in this application is the ‘Knock Knock’. When you receive a call on Android (it doesn’t work on the iPhone), your entire screen starts showing the live video from your caller before you even answer. It lets you see who’s calling — and lets the caller make funny faces to try to entice you to answer.Google’s promo video for Duo emphasizes it heavily:

Duo is the second of the two apps, Google announced at the Developer conference.Google Allo is the other app, we are all eagerly waiting for now.The messaging app that will change the way to message people.

Hangouts on the other hand will continue to exist, but with an Enterprise focus.

Duo does one-on-one video chat very well, which is what Google set out to make it do. The question now is whether or not that’s enough.

Download the Google Duo App Now:

Playstore: Google Duo

App Store: Google Duo

Microsoft to re-enter the smartphone market with rumored “Surface Phone”

Microsoft is dreaming big with the surface phone. After the success of Lumia phones and recently launched its lumia 950 and 950 XL models. Microsoft is planning ,which seems to be rumored , to launch it’s another flagship model which will compete with the existing dominated market by Apple and Google.

Apple and Google have long dominated the smartphone market. However Microsoft’s CMO Chris Capossela hinted there is one-last likelihood for his company to steal some market share, and Microsoft will not blow it with its next device, the reported “Surface Phone.”

“I think we have to do more breakthrough work” to make Apple fans “pause before they buy their 17th iPhone,”  Capossela said on an episode of the “Windows Weekly” podcast.

Whatever kind this phone takes, it cannot return shortly enough: whereas Microsoft has had success with tablets and currently a laptop computer, the company’s smartphone market share could be a piffling third globally. the corporate wrote off billions of bucks from its acquisition of smartphone maker Nokia and phones running Microsoft’s Windows package haven’t been immense sellers.

Basically, Capossela says, the Microsoft Surface professional pill line succeeded by merging the laptop computer and pill into one device, providing the simplest of each worlds. Now, it has to build one thing therewith reasonably killer approach to productivity, simply on the phone facet.”

Previously, it had been rumored that Microsoft is giving the theoretical Surface Phone an ability to run full Windows software, not just apps from the Windows Store market. That might be at least a part of what Capossela was hinting at, too.

Still, while reports suggest it could come in the first half of next year, Capossela seems to indicate this next Microsoft phone could be a little ways off.

“To do something that I really think would compete,” Capossela says, “we need time to actually go build that.”

Nokia X Rooted..

Nokia X, the recently announced series of smartphones that run a heavily modified version of Android, has been successfully rooted to run the Google Play Store and key Google services. 

While Nokia has replaced key APIs and services, including Google’s Maps and applications marketplace, with its own apps and Microsoft’s services, an XDA developers forum member has posted a way to root the Nokia X so that it could run the Google launcher, Play Store and other Google apps, including Gmail and Maps. 

One of the reasons why the apps work is that Nokia has apparently left the application framework untouched in order to allow apps from third-party app stores work on the phone. 

Nokia has mentioned on its official SDK page that the phone will be able to run around 75%Android apps without any modifications. Developers only need to make changes if their apps use Google services for push notifications, maps or in-app payments. 

It’s worth pointing out that rooting the phone will void its warranty. Also, unlike Android, Google’s own suite of apps are not open source, so technically, it’s not legal. 

With the Nokia X series, the handset giant is targeting the budget segment – just above its Asha series and just below the Windows Phone-run Lumia series – trying to leverage Android’s app ecosystem, which is comparatively richer than Windows Phone. 

It is also worth noting that Nokia’s handsets division has been acquired by Microsoft and the transaction will be complete in a few weeks. It’s not clear if Microsoft will continue with the X-series as it runs an OS developed by its arch rival, Google.

 

Nokia X, X+, XL: Nokia now on Android OR Say Android Now on Nokia

Nokia introduced a new family of smartphones, the Nokia X series of phones. The first three phones in the family – the Nokia X, X+ and XL – run on the new Nokia X software platform, that is based on Google’s Android.

The phones under the Nokia X family are not pure Android phones; these phones instead run a forked variant of Android, similar to the way Amazon does for its Kindle Fire lineup. Nokia has taken the open-source elements of Android and has pulled in other elements of Asha and Windows Phone to offer users a different experience.

The downside here is that Nokia X users can’t have access to the Google Play Store for apps. However, the phone will run Android apps, but Nokia will curate a list of such apps. A recommended source for the apps is the Nokia store, says the company. In other words, the new platform, Nokia X, is based on the Android Open Source project (AOSP).

Nokia ditches many of the Google services that come with Android, which Google lets phone makers customise at will. Instead, the new Nokia X phone announced will emphasise Microsoft services such as Bing search, Skype communications and OneDrive file storage. Its home screen sports larger, resizable tiles resembling those on Windows phone.

Nokia X, Nokia X+ and Nokia XL form a new family of Nokia’s affordable smartphones. The Nokia X is the entry-level model in the family, will cost 89 euros, and will be available immediately in select markets. The Nokia X+ offers more memory and storage. It’s priced at 99 euros and will be available in early Q2 2014. Finally, the Nokia XL packs a 5-inch screen, 5 megapixel rear-facing and 2 megapixel front-facing camera. It will be priced at 109 euros and be available in early Q2 2014.

These phones feature a brand new, tile-based home screen. The new OS also reintroduces a redesigned version of its Fastlane notifications centre – a second Home screen if you like – from the latest Asha devices.

“The X family boasts Nokia’s exciting, high quality hardware design and a range of bright colours. The brand new, tile-based Home screen offers you a simple, elegant way to manage your apps and phone functions and also reintroduces a redesigned version of the enormously popular Fastlane notifications centre – a second Home screen if you like – from the latest Asha devices,” said Nokia.

Here Maps with turn-by-turn navigation and offline maps are also included. Free cloud storage from Microsoft OneDrive with 7GB of space for free is included out of the box. There’s also access to Outlook.com as your email service. And there’s Skype with a month’s free calls to international landlines in selected markets.

All three devices are powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-core processor and are dual-SIM phones. A range of third-party apps comes pre-installed, including BBM, Plants vs Zombies 2, Viber, Vine and Twitter.

At launch, leading global apps will be available for the Nokia X family of devices, including Facebook, LINE Free Voice and Messages, LINE Camera, LINE Bubble, Picsart, Plants vs Zombies 2, Real Football 2014, Skype, Spotify, Swiftkey, Twitter, Viber, Vine and WeChat, among others. And in a first for Nokia customers around the world, BBM will also be available on the Nokia X family of devices in addition to Windows Phone.

Jussi Nevanlinna, Nokia’s vice president for product marketing, said the Finnish company is positioning the Nokia X as a bridge to high-end Windows smartphones under the Lumia brand.

Credit :Google

Nexus 5 Teaser….16 GB for $349 on play store

The handset, which has not yet been released, was seen on the play store by the eagle-eyed Android police.

The details of Google’s new Nexus 5 smartphone have been revealed on the web by mistake.

The handset, which has not yet been released, was seen on the play store by the eagle-eyed Android police.

According to the Daily Star, the picture, which was taken off the store shortly after the image was snapped, e shows how the new handset will look and it’s also the first time Android 4.4 Kit Kat has been seen.

The phone looks similar to the Nexus 7 tablet with a rubberised back and embossed Google logo.

Android Kit Kat gives the icons a make over and you’ll notice the SMS app has been replaced by Google Hangouts, the report said.

The price was also displayed at 349 dollars, which makes it a very affordable smartphone.

The Nexus 5 is likely to be on sale before the end of the year, although Google are staying tight-lipped.