SanDisk lunched 200 GB microSD card

SanDisk has announced the world's first 200 GB microSD card, which will be available to buy from Q2 2015. Storage capacity has long been a problem for smartphone and tablet owners - particularly as these devices have come to replace PCs for many people. A 200 GB microSD would solve many such problems, although the announced price tag of 399.99 USD could prove too woeful on the wallet for many potential customers.

Currently, you can buy microSD cards offering up to 128 GB storage, with most mid- to high-end phones letting you take advantage of this capacity. Lower-end devices tend to go up to 32 GB, because they don't support the SDXC microSD format. However, if you have a phone that supports the SDXC microSD card standard, then you should be able to use SanDisk's 200 GB beast without any problem.

Major smartphone manufacturers can't seem to make up their minds on the merits of microSD storage in smartphones and tablets. Samsung, for example, revealed that the Samsung Galaxy S6 doesn't have a microSD slot, instead offering variants with up to 128 GB of internal capacity. You could wonder if Samsung is ruing its decision in light of SanDisk's announcement.

Are you willing to spend as much on a 200 GB microSD card as you would on a solid mid- to high-end smartphone, or a games console, or any number of things that are probably more exciting than extra storage space on your phone? Let us know in the comments.

Source: AndroidPit

Nokia introduced Nokia N1 Android iPad - Review

Nokia has just introduced the Nokia N1 - an impressive new Android tablet with a neat design, high-end features and a reasonable price.

Release date and price
The price of the Nokia N1 tablet will be 249 € when it arrives in Europe sometime during 2015, according to a Nokia spokesman I spoke with during my test.

Design & Build Quality
The design of the Nokia N1 is based on a unibody aluminum shell, which clearly emulates the iPad Mini.
Nokia is totally open about this point. The fact is that the construction of the N1 is impeccable. The device's edges encase the screen, with which it is level. The N1 is simple yet very elegant.

On the bottom, there are stereo speakers and USB 3.0 port, type C. This is a standard which allows users to plug a USB connector in both directions.

The top has the 3.5mm headphone jack and power button. The back of the tablet is completely devoid of sharp edges or corners. The camera's sensor does not protrude and only a discreet Nokia logo is visible.

From the beginning of my test of the Nokia N1, I found the design attractive. The Nokia tablet is ergonomic and comes in two finishes; gray aluminum and graphite.

Display
The Nokia spokesman told me that, on paper, the Nokia N1 screen is identical to that of the iPad Mini 3. Its

The first test of the Nokia N1 shows that it has a quality screen. The display is good, with  natural color rendering, plus nice saturation and contrast. The brightness is not the highest I've seen, but it seems sufficient for everyday use.
7.9-inch IPS panel has a resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels, giving it a pixel density of about 324 ppi.

The viewing angles looked good to me, though this is probably related to the fact that the slab is rolled and uses zero-gap technology (zero space).

Software
The Nokia N1 tablet runs Android 5.0 Lollipop. The Nokia launcher, Z Launcher, is pre-installed on the N1, but you can replace it with any other.

Z Launcher is a free download from the Google Play Store on all Android smartphones, but is compatible with N1. Beyond the specific features of Lollipop, Z Launcher is transforming the way we use and search for applications on Android. From the main screen, you can draw a letter, all applications that begin with that letter, or include it in their name are displayed.

In practise, it is surprisingly effective and I found myself using it instinctively in this first test of the Nokia N1. The application drawer is displayed as a list and icons are categorized.

Performance
During this short test of the Nokia N1, the tablet was very fluid and showed no signs of lag or bugginess. Of

The version presented at MWC 2015 uses an Intel Atom 64-bit Z3580 processor clocked at 2.3 GHz. The version that will arrive in Europe will be equipped with a more powerful processor. A Nokia manager told me that Qualcomm was interested in a partnership, but this did not progress because the Finns do not want to damage their excellent relations with Intel. We'll have to wait and see, then. The N1 also packs 2GB of DDR3 RAM.

A quick AnTuTu benchmark confirmed our inklings. It achieved a score of 47,050, just below the Samsung Galaxy Note 4.

course, I'll wait for a full review to tell you more, but my first impression is very positive.
Battery
Nokia claims battery life of 12 hours for the N1. This seems realistic, as the battery capacity is 5300 mAh. In comparison, the Nexus 7 (2013) - not exactly a model for the device category - has a battery capacity of 3750 mAh.

Source : AndroidPit

Softcard App will Shut Down and Accounts Closed on March 31st

Softcard, the failure of a mobile payment system created by Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, that tried its hardest to kill Google Wallet for years only to be acquired last month by Google in the most hilarious turn of events, is officially shutting down on March 31. According to emails being sent out to the four Softcard users in existence, the Softcard app will no longer work come March 31 and accounts will then be closed shortly after.

Yahoo launches tools to help developers monitor their apps

Yahoo has announced new tools for mobile app developers at their first mobile developer conference. The Yahoo Mobile Developer Suite includes tools built using technology from Flurry, which Yahoo acquired in July 2014, including an updated version of Flurry Analytics Explorer. The suite also has tools to help monetize their apps, as well as an easy way to integrate Yahoo search directly into apps.

Yahoo Search in Apps - This offering makes it easy for developers to integrate Yahoo Search directly into their apps. This enhances the user experience by allowing users to search the web from within the app, and can create an additional monetization channel for developers.

You can read more on these new developer tools from Yahoo at the link below.

Source: Yahoo

Lollipop users use there voice to toggle flashlight, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth

Users running the latest version of Android can now change simple settings with simple voice commands, hands-free.

Google Now has long supported voice commands for jumping to device settings like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, etc. But there was no way to do it with just your voice – issuing a command would open the correct setting, but you had to manually toggle it with a tap. Now this small, but rather inexplicable annoyance is gone, at least if you run Lollipop and the latest version of the Search app.

The feature currently works with the built-in flashlight, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. Other features like GPS, Airplane Mode, volume settings, or tethering don’t seem to work in our testing. For the three features that work, you will get a vocal confirmation and a card that lets you toggle the feature back off with a tap.

Devices running KitKat or earlier don’t seem to have the feature, though turning on the flashlight (but not Bluetooth or WiFi) works on my KitKat-running Ascend Mate 7.

It’s unclear what’s taking Google so long to roll out this relatively simple functionality to Google Now, given that features like taking pictures or playing songs from Play Music or YouTube are already integrated. While, in many cases, a couple of taps may be easier than saying command, this is just another milestone on the long road to human-like computer comprehension.

On a related note, those who want more extensive command support in Google Now can try out Commands; it’s not an official solution, but it gets the job done.

Samsung is no longer the largest smartphone vendor in India

Samsung is no longer the largest smartphone vendor in India, as research firm Canalys is reporting that Micromax shipped more units than the South Korean vendor in the fourth quarter. Local manufacturer Micromax accounted for 22 percent of all smartphone sales in the country during the last quarter of 2014, while Samsung came in second with a 20 percent share.

Micromax sold 4.6 million devices in India, while Samsung managed 4.4 million sales. This is the first time Samsung lost out to Micromax in the smartphone segment in India. According to Canalys, a total of 21.6 million smartphones were sold in the country in Q4, an increase of 90 percent from the same time a year ago.

A majority of sales came from the budget segment, with nearly a quarter of all devices sold priced at under $100. Devices in the $100 to $200 category amounted to 41 percent of all sales. Indian manufacturers Karbonn and Lava came in at third and fourth, with sales of 2 million and 1.5 million respectively.

Micromax has redoubled its efforts in these segments, partnering with Cyanogen in launching an online-only sub-brand called Yu. The first handset, dubbed Yu Yureka, comes with CyanogenMod out of the box and is now available for sale exclusively on Amazon India.

Hide Photos and Data with 3 Android Apps - Review

Smartphones are usually personal devices (and tablets more or less are, too), but not always, and even if they are that won’t necessarily keep people from snooping around. Sometimes you need to hide files you don’t want others to see, and though we won’t presume why that’s the case, we will show you how to do it. We're concentrating on Android smartphone and tablet users in particular with this article, but iOS, Windows Phone users and others can follow along.

There are a few different methods to do this, and they’re generally as follows: creating a hidden folder in which files are placed, nesting data deep inside of some obscure folder no one will be looking in, or using a hidden file app made specifically for hiding content. While the first two are valid enough options, we’re going to go with the hidden files app in this case, as it presents a few perks you won’t get with the other methods: namely ease of use and password protection.

HidePhoto

HidePhoto is an app made by DoMobile, and it has quite a few users, most of whom have given it favorable reviews. The app is a piece of cake to use, and doesn't go to much effort to hide its existence. Rather, it just keeps out those you don't want in, doing so via a PIN that must be entered to access the vaulted content. A recovery email can be entered, which isn't such a good idea if that inbox is readily accessible from the handset. Photos and videos can be moved into the “vault”, which removes it from the gallery. There’s also an option to hide the app’s icon, and instead access it by entering a combination in the phone’s dial pad instead.

 

Gallery Vault - Hide Video and Photo

Gallery Vault is another option similar to HidePhoto, and it includes support for a handset’s SD card as long as the phone is running Android 4.4 or higher. Existing images can be imported into the app, where they are hidden behind a passcode that keeps prying eyes out. Don’t want others to even know you’re using an app like this? You can likewise set the app to be completely invisible, with photos being accessible via the phone’s dial pad. (This app is also available to iOS users, and is called Photo Vault).

 

File Hide Expert

File Hide Expert enjoys a large user base, and few have any complaints about it. File Hide Expert supports hiding any files on your Android smartphone, not just photos and videos. This means any text files, PDFs, data files, and more can also be hidden and made accessible only with a passcode. In addition, the app also supports handsets running Android versions as old as 2.2, making it a solid option for a wide array of users.

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