Android runs on 79% of 2013 smartphones, Windows Phone posts fastest growth:-

It’s the numbers season, with various analysis groups releasing their take on the smartphone market for the whole year of 2013. We saw the IDC report recently that the Smartphone market has crossed the 1 billion threshold. In that lineup, we have Canalys reporting that Android dominated 2013 with almost 80% of that whole Smartphone market in 2013, and amongst them, Windows Phone posted the fastest growth, with a 69% rise YoY between the three major platforms. Both Android’s meteoric rise to the top and Windows Phone’s slow rise from the bottom are pretty much known quantities now, but some of the numbers are interesting. The second biggest platform, Apple’s iOS, has almost stagnated with only 7% growth by losing marketshare, whereas Android is steadily growing at 54%, a good 10% above the market growth percentage. This technically means that Android will reach its maximum in about 2 or 3 years if it and the market retains the growth pattern. Yes, it can happen only at the expense of gobbling up other platform’s shares but it begs this question. Will we we start to see saturation in the Smartphone market soon?

Canalys reports that OS-wise shipments are a whopping 785 million for Android, 154 million iPhones and a measly 32.1 million Windows Phones, only helped by Nokia’s success. With 1 billion smartphones in the globe shipped just for an year, the install base gets remarkably huge, and will keep growing. But until when?

Basemark OS II Benchmarks:-

Consider this theory. Apple’s iOS, Google’s Android and Microsoft’s Windows Phone are pretty much established as the major Smartphone platforms now. There are no viable competitors to steal marketshare, as BlackBerry is poised to exist alongside the biggies as a niche and up starts are no where close to being desirable lately. Android has pretty much become the Windows of the smartphone world, and Apple, the Mac. Apple can never achieve the market share scale of Android with two devices per cycle, and they know it. That leaves us with Microsoft’s platform that has posted a 69% growth YoY thanks to Nokia. The Espoo company had a portfolio to sell, and the multiple device strategy for different price points worked in its favour.

Now that it has been acquired by Microsoft, we might possibly see the portfolio consolidated to three or four devices, and there are no indications of other OEMs lining up to produce Windows Phone, which may change over the next few months, but if it doesn’t and Microsoft’s devices don’t grab marketshare from Apple or Google, the market will pretty much saturate, as people’s purchase cycles slow down. More than 35% of the still growing feature phone market is ripe for taking, but even then, we can give the whole market 5-7 years from now. What will be the next disruption that changes the landscape once again? Our bet is on the wearables like smartwatches, but what is yours? Let us know what you think in the comments section below. For more numbers on the Smartphone market, check the source link below.

Source- Canalys (http://www.canalys.com/newsroom/android-80-smart-phones-shipped-2013)

7 Gadgets to Die For in 2014:-

1. Lego Mindstorms EV3:-

Google bought eight robot companies over the last six months! And if you’re wondering what they were doing, here’s what you need to lay your hands on. The Lego Mindstorms EV3 robotics platform is the No. 1 platform for anyone who wants to do modern robotics without complex wiring and soldering. I’ve been delaying my purchase of the EV3 for a while now, but with the Google acquisitions it has quickly moved up to the top of my to-buy list! The Lego Mindstorms EV3 makes functional robotics kits for beginners, with a vast array of customisation options.

Specs: ARM9 robotic processor / Embedded 16 MB Flash memory / 64 MB RAM plus SD expansion slot / Linux operating system, released under open source / USB 2.0 interface allows for Wi-Fi connectivity / Matrix display with loudspeaker / iOS and Android compatible

Price: $350

2. Prima Cinema:-

I hate going to the theatre. But I still want to watch The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug on day zero, and in all its Blu-ray glory. Which is why I think you should sell your kidney in the black market to buy Prima Cinema. This magic black box allows you to watch just-released Hollywood films. Imagine hosting a red carpet premiere right at home!

Specs: Up to 50 full-length films stored on the built-in RAID-5 encrypted movie vault / 1080p24 Full HD for 2D and 3D content / Billions of colours; twice the sharpness of Blu-ray /Original cinematic master aspect ratio / True theatrical surround sound

Price: $35,000 (only available in the US for now)

3. Motorola Project Ara:-

Why would anyone want a flexible phone or a bent phone like the recently launched LG G2? I just don’t see the point in curved screen displays. All I want is a phone that I can modify, customise, and upgrade as I wish. And I pray and hope Motorola will bring the Ara to the market and not showcase it just as a proof of concept. It faces an uphill battle, but its revolutionary modular block-by-block assembly deserves attention and heaps of praise.

Specs: Pick your own smartphone specs!

Price: TBA

4. Chillblast Fusion Leviathan (Steam OS-powered PC with steam controller):-

The PS4 is the big gaming story for now, but it is not the only way to play next-gen games. PC gaming stalwart Valve is close to launching a series of Steam Machines with a special Steam Controller, which will use two supersensitive trackpads to recreate the precision of a high-resolution PC gaming mouse. Of course, you don’t need to purchase the Steam Machine to get the controller or run the Steam OS—you could build your own or buy one of the fastest PCs in the world, the Chillblast Fusion Leviathan.

Specs: Dual Intel Xeon X5690 chips overclocked to 4.6 GHz / EVGA SR-2 Super Record 2 motherboard / 48 GB DDR3 1,600 MHz memory / Dual GeForce GTX Titan 6 GB graphics cards in SLI / 960 GB Intel 520 SSD (2 x 520 480 GB in RAID 0) / 3000 GB SATA 7200 rpm hard disk

Price: Steam Machine, about $500; Chillblast Fusion Leviathan, $17,000

5. Sony VPL-VW1100ES 4K projector:-

4K resolution is meant for large screens. UHD resolution allows you to sit 10 feet away and watch a 100-inch screen, without dilating your pupils. 2014 is clearly the year of the 4K projector, and they will make conventional flat screen TVs look silly. This projector has a 4K SXRD panel, 2000 ANSI lumens brightness, and Advanced Iris3 technology to achieve a dynamic contrast ratio of a million to one. Specs that deliver gob-smacking spectacular results!

Specs: Display Resolution: 4096 x 2160 (Full 4K) / Screen Size: 40 to 300 inch / Display technology: SXRD Technology/ All range Crisp focus (ARC-F) Lens/ Motorised zoom, focus, shift

Price: $27,999

6. Go Pro Hero3+

I am beginning to get a bit of a bad name with my off-road boasting, especially with no evidence to show. So, I’m going to pick the Hero+3 to capture my off-road shenanigans. Its biggest advantage is its ease of use: When you’re on the go with full gear on, you want large buttons and a basic settings menu to keep you from fumbling.

Specs: Video resolution up to 4K, 12 MP photos up to 30 frames per second, built-in Wi-Fi, SuperView and Auto Low Light modes. Waterproof to 40 metres.

Price: $300

7. Bose Quiet Comfort 20:-

This is easily the best noise cancelling earphones on the market. I’d rate them among the best in audio performance too. The ear-buds are super comfortable. A few minutes of charging will keep the noise cancelling circuitry running for hours and if the battery runs out, it’ll switch to passive mode. Although priced like a typical Bose product, they’re worth every rupee. And if an audiophile friend starts questioning your choice, I suggest you give them the QC20 for a short trial.

Specs: In-ear noise cancelling, rechargeable Li-ion battery, Aware mode

Price: Rs 22,388

Source- FORBES INDIA

26 JANUARY:-

The Republic Day is celebrated in India on the 26 January. The day marks the sovereignty of the country, as in 1950 on this day the Constitution of India was adopted. The signature celebration of the event is the Republic Day Parade, which is held in the capital city..

Highlights of 2014:-

India's Republic Day 2014 will receive the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, as the chief guest at the celebration.

Significance of Republic Day:-

The Republic Day is celebrated in India on 26 January every year as the day when India became a sovereign state in the true sense of the word. It was on 26 January 1950 that the Constitution of India was brought into force as the governing document of India, replacing the Government of India Act (1935).

26 January was honoured with this celebration as the declaration of Indian independence (Purna Swaraj) was proclaimed by the Indian National Congress on this day in the year 1930.

Republic Day Date and Timing:-

The Republic Day 2014 will be celebrated on 26 January, the Sunday. This day will be observed as a national holiday. All the public offices and schools will remain closed to celebrate the spirit of patriotism on this day.

Republic Day Celebrations:-

The entire nation comes alive with patriotic fervour on this day, but the principal celebration of the Republic Day takes place in the national capital, New Delhi from 9 a.m. and continues for about three hours. This historic occasion becomes a national festival with the involvement of people from all over the country. The day symbolizes the unity of the nation as it brings together people from different castes, creed, religions and regions to celebrate the day with the pride of being an Indian.

The celebration takes place at the Rajpath with great enthusiasm and pride, which can be experienced by any individual as the Republic Day Parade is a ticketed event. The tickets for the same can be bought a couple of weeks before the event.

Repulic Day celebrations across the country:-

Apart from the grand celebrations in the capital, the Republic Day is also celebrated in different parts of the country at different levels, such as capital cities, district headquarters, panchayats, schools as well as offices.

In Mumbai, people may attend Republic Day Parade at Shivaj Park.

In Bangalore, people may celebrate Republic Day at the Field Marshal Manekshaw Parade Ground, which holds a parade as well as cultural fair.

In Kolkata, people may enjoy the Republic Day parade held along the Red Road.

In Chennai, Republic Day celebrations take place at Marina Beach and Kamaraj Salai.

Beating Retreat

The Republic Day celebration ends officially with the Beating Retreat ceremony, which is held on the 29 January every year. The Indian Air Force, the India Navy, and the Indian Army at the Raisina Hill, New Delhi become a part of this ceremony in front of the President of India, who is the chief guest.

Republic Day Parade:-

The grandeur of the Republic Day of India is visible in the grand parade that is held along Rajpath, beginning from Raisina Hill near the Rashtrapati Bhavan and ending at India Gate.

The occasion witnesses the presence of the President, the Prime Minister and several other high-ranking officials of the country. The parade starts when the Prime Minister of India offers wreaths at the Amar Jawan Jyoti at the India Gate, in memory of the martyrs of the Indian army.

The national flag is unfurled by the President of India, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Armed Forces. This is succeeded by the cheerful tune of the National Anthem and a 21-gun salute.

The different regiments of Navy, Army and Air Force display their might along the Rajpath, saluting the President. The Armed Forces staff performs motorcycle rides whereas the staff of the Indian Air Force performs flying parade in fighter planes.

The rich and colourful culture of India is showcased in the parade of the Republic Day. Traditional as well as cultural performances are given by professionals belonging to different regions. School children in picturesque costumes also participate in the display of different aspects of the glorious history of the country on this big day.

The real heroes of the nation are honoured with the bravery awards and medals. National Awards are given to children for selfless sacrifice and bravery.

A row of IAF jets marks the end of the grand celebration, leaving behind a trail of coloured smoke. It bids goodbye to the gathered audience by lavishing rose petals on them..

-Pankaj Chaudhary

May the new year

Bring these wishes to all of you

Warmth of love, comfort of home

Joy for your children,

Company and support of family n friends

A caring heart that accepts

N treats all human beings equally

Enrichment of knowledge n

Richness of diversity

Courage to seek n speak the truth

Even if it means standing alone

Hopes n dreams of a just world n

The desire to make it happen

A light to guide your path

Helping hands to strengthen unity

Serenity n peace within your mind,

Heart n soul

Food for thought n soul

A hand to hold...

2014 is Coming! Before 2013 Ends,

Let Me Thank all the Good People like U,

Who made '2013' so much Beautiful 4 Me.

I Pray U be Blessed with Faithful Years Ahead.

I wish You a

Fantastic JANUARY

Love able FEBRUARY

Marvelous MARCH

Fool less APRIL

Enjoyable MAY

Successful JUNE

Wonderful JULY

Independent AUGUST

Romantic SEPTEMBER

Tastiest OCTOBER

Beautiful NOVEMBER

Happiest DECEMBER

Have a VICTORIOUS '2014'

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014 TO ALL.!!

-Pankaj Chaudhary

Here I present the Top 10 Smartphone of 2013. My list of the Best Smartphones with a right mix of performance and features:-

1. Apple iPhone 5s

Next gen hardware and features, waiting for app support before they can be unleashed to the fullest.

Rs. 51600.00

2. Sony Xperia Z1

Best Smartphone if you are after a slim device with water resistance and top performance + great cam.

Rs. 37750.00

3. Google Nexus 5

Nexus 5 is the best smartphone option if you are looking for a pure Android experience with buttery smooth interface. Nexus 5 focuses on performance, simplicity and usability.

Rs. 31500.00

4. Apple iPhone 5c

Same internals as the iPhone 5, but a polycarbonate shell with attention catching colours.

Rs. 39290.00

5. LG G2

Largest and best quality screen, scorching fast performance, OIS camera & compact + unique design.

Rs. 41702.00 

6.HTC One

Been around for a while now, but the premium build is still unmatched. Good performance & display.

Rs. 38990.00

7.Samsung Galaxy S4

Best Smartphone for feature junkies who'd love to have as many bells and whistles as possible.

Rs. 36790.00 

8 Google Nexus 4 (by LG)

The Nexus 4 still remains the perfect blend for the pure android experience, manageable screen size and the killer price point.

Rs. 24459.00 

9. Nokia Lumia 920

The best smartphone on the Windows Phone 8 platform, its class leading imaging performance is a bonus.

Rs. 26450.00 

10 BlackBerry Z10

Recommended for Blackberry loyalists. Offers fresh, new BB10 OS, solid hardware and a good camera.

Rs. 28527.00

List is prepared by the admin and the techie Pankaj Chaudhary.!!

Thank you.!!

As per the latest tweet from MMXNewscaster, Micromax may release Android 4.4 KitKat update for many of its high end devices (Canvas Series). It is not yet known as to when the KitKat update will be rolled out on specific devices. Treat this as a Rumor, unless there is an official confirmation from Micromax.

Just a few days back WickedLeak announced the Android 4.4 update for Wammy Passion Z+ model. And we expect many more manufacturers to roll out the KitKat update. There was news about Micromax rolling out Jelly Bean 4.3 for its Canvas series but it did not happen cause of some OS issue, makes sense to move to 4.4 KitKat now.

As per the list (MMXNewscaster via Twitter) Micromax Canvas A250, Canvas A240,Canvas A210, Canvas A200, Canvas A117, Canvas A116, Canvas A116i, Canvas A114, Canvas A111, Canvas A110Q, and Micromax Canvas A110 are entitled for the Android 4.4.x update.

If any of you are using any of these handsets you could probably get lucky enough to get the handset updated with the latest software. This is still a rumor we are not yet sure if and when Micromax will make this official. For most of the handsets users might need to visit the service center to get the update done (make sure you call the service center and confirm if they have the update). Some handsets will be able to get the update done via OTA (Over the Air).