Facebook Paper, Available for iPhone (US only) on February 3

Facebook Paper is a social news reader app that lets the users to browser through their News Feed stories, photos, videos and other curated stories.

It is one of the first standalone apps released by Facebook Creative Labs. The Facebook Creative Labs is a special section within Facebook that aims at bringing standalone mobile apps. Facebook Groups is yet another app that is rumored to come soon.

Coming to Facebook Paper, it has a Flipboard-like user interface. It welcomes the user with a Paper feed that has a big photo from a popular story at the top, followed by other stories below.

With Facebook Paper, you can read curated stories from various sections like photography, food, design and more. There are as much as 19 sections that you can browse through.

The main idea behind this app is to bring stories that are great, but not shared by your friends. It's no longer Facebook anymore with this app, rather a Facebook newspaper, thanks to the Facebook Paper's news curation algorithm and the human Facebook editors.

The stories from these sections are not personalized though. This means that all the persons would see the same stories all over the world.

The app has been designed to make sharing stories easily with your friends.

Alternative to Facebook native app

The very idea of the Facebook native app is to keep the users engaged with their News Feed stories. With Facebook Paper having this now, and that too with bigger images and a beautiful user interface, people may consider ditching the Facebook native app.

Right now, Facebook Paper doesn't come with ads, which includes the sponsored stories too. But, it is believed that Facebook will bring ads once people start engaging a lot with this new app.

If you wish to have a look into Facebook Paper before it's out, you may check this video on Vimeo or have a look at Facebook Paper webpage.

Facebook Paper is available only for United States iPhone users for now. It is scheduled for launch on February 3, 2014. Facebook Paper for Android and other mobile platforms should come soon.

-- This Post Facebook Paper, Available for iPhone (US only) on February 3 is Published on Devils Workshop .

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A few of our favorite things...

http://ift.tt/newsletter14…to do with Favorite Recipes! What are your favorite Recipes on IFTTT? …to do with Favorite Recipes These three Recipes were created by Charlie Park, one of our engineers at IFTTT. Check out Charlie's Favorite Recipes. New Channels Welcome GitHub, Gumroad, Netatmo, and Toodledo to IFTTT. There's a lot more where these came from. We're just warming up! ;) —The IFTTT Team   P.S. Learn how to quickly embed Recipes in your blog. Share on Facebook  |  Share on Twitter  |  Share on Pinterest This newsletter was automatically sent to ashmikutty.friends@blogger.com because you signed up for IFTTT with that address. To disable this communication, you can manage your email settings or unsubscribe from the IFTTT Newsletter.   IFTTT · 923 Market Street #400 · San Francisco, CA 94103

Google’s Motorola Business to be sold to Lenovo!

Google has confirmed that their mobile handset business, mainly Motorola, which it bought about two and half years ago will be acquired by Lenovo. This basically means Google will be exiting the mobile phone manufacturing industry. Lenovo which bought its laptop and PC business from IBM, also will find it beneficial to now own the Motorola brand.

This comes in the same week Google might be settling it's issues with Samsung and also only a couple of weeks after it acquired Nest, a home automation company. The Motorola business might be sold for over US $3 billion.

Win-Win for Google and Lenovo

Google had to get rid of Motorola. It was not making money over the last couple of years and worse not having a hit phone to its credit was a problem. Google is into software and the web. It simply might have been too much to focus on, having to run a hardware based Motorola company.

Google also might be retaining the patents from Motorola which will serve it protection from lawsuits to its Android OS, from the likes of Apple and Microsoft.

Lenovo has a successful PC business but in the so called post-PC era, tablets and phones are the future. Here Lenovo has very little dominance. So having Motorola's business is not a bad idea. Lenovo will have some very well engineered phones in the Moto X and Moto G variants. It will find itself a foothold in the US markets.

Does Motorola get anything?

It is hard to say if Motorola might winning anything in this trade -off between Google and Lenovo. Motorola has undergone restructuring. Motorola's new owners will probably be more committed to becoming a large phone maker than Google has been. Lenovo also has a good track record of doing a good job with its new acquisitions. An example of that is IBM's PC and notebook businesses.

So chances are all three parties in this regard might end up winning.

This write-off/sale by Google also signals, that it will be concentrating on betting on getting success with products like Nest and Google Glass.

What do you think about Lenovo adopting Google owned Motorola? Do drop in your comments.

Link: Google Blog

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Brief Recipe Outage

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Hello ashmikutty, Last night at approximately 10:00pm PST much of the work IFTTT does in the background stopped due to an issue with one of our backend services. Our monitoring systems would have alerted us to the problem immediately, but those unfortunately failed as well and we weren't able to fix the issue until this morning at 10:00am PST. Any affected Recipes should pick up right where they left off last night. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. We know that many of you have come to depend on IFTTT in your everyday lives and we take great pride in that. A stoppage of work for this duration is unacceptable and we will do whatever it takes to ensure we get in front of these issues much faster in the future. Thanks for your patience and understanding. If you have any questions, please write us at feedback@ifttt.com. Sincerely, Linden Tibbets CEO

WordCamp Baroda 2014 will take place this weekend

WordPress fans in India might like to take notice of this event. Baroda will host WordCamp this weekend (25th and 26th Jan). WordCamps are usually a place to gather for WordPress enthusiasts. I will be attending the WordCamp in Baroda this year and will definitely blog from the venue and review the event like I did on the state of WordCamps in India last year.

WordCamp Baroda 2014 Details

The registration for the event is open for a few more hours (since the time of publishing this post) but there are plenty of ways to keep track of what is happening at WordCamp Baroda online.

A good idea would be to look at the WordCamp Baroda Agenda and plan on which speaker sessions you would like to tune into.

Social media profiles of WordCamp Baroda 2014

• Official WordCamp Baroda 2014 website
• Twitter @WordCamp and #WCBaroda
• Facebook: WordCamp Baroda Page and Event Page

If you want me to ask any questions to the organizers or speakers during the event, do drop them in your comments. I will surely give you credit for asking some tough questions.

Link: Baroda WordCamp 2014

Related: A perspective on WordPress community in India

-- This Post WordCamp Baroda 2014 will take place this weekend is Published on Devils Workshop .

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Internet Surfing using SMS updates – txtWeb

txtWeb is a ingenious service that links SMS and the internet. You can use SMS's to get information on anything, get updates on anything and even access your social media accounts!

Think of txtWeb as a gateway to make searches on Google, get the latest sport, celebrities updates, check your train PNR status and do a lot more.

To use txtWeb, you'll have to send command with the desired query to 9266592665 and you'll get a SMS back with the response.

For example, if you send '@pnralert 4215364712', you'll receive a SMS showing your PNR status. The app also updates you if your status gets updated.

Here is another example. You can search anything on Google or Wikipedia like so : '@okgoogle what is the time in Singapore' or '@wikipedia iPhone' and you will receive responses real quick.

 

To get cricket updates, you can use '@cricbuzz' or '@crinews'

Do you use iReff? It's an app that shows the recharge denominations for Indian mobile phones. iReff-txtWeb SMS app is available too! You can simply send a query with the command '@ref'. For example, sending '@ref airtel SMS' will respond you with the list of available SMS packs in your circle.

Things to note :

1. It is a free service but, you'll be charged national SMS charges based on your mobile network scheme.
2. It is available only for Airtel, Idea, Tata Docomo and Vodafone users.
3. You have only 25 requests initially. If you wish to send more requests to txtWeb, you'll have to answer a few survey-type questions.

txtWeb Android app

There is an Android app for the same. You can use the app both online and offline. Online usage is with 2G/3G data or WiFi connection, while the offline method uses your SMS plan to access the information.

Based on my experience, the user interface is not up to the expectations. But, the app doesn't fail to deliver the results. It worked fast.

You can favorite services and use them quickly from the app.

Links: txtWeb website | txtWeb Android app

-- This Post Internet Surfing using SMS updates – txtWeb is Published on Devils Workshop .

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3 Reasons why Indians shouldn’t buy iPhone 4 at 23K

Apple didn't bring a cheap iPhone 4 earlier. Now, the latest reports by many leading technology blogs claim that Apple is likely to re-launch iPhone 4 at 23,000 INR in the Indian markets. iPhone 4 is the fourth generation iPhone in the series and was announced roughly three years back.

Apple has stopped producing iPhone 4 last August and still has many unsold iPhone 4 devices in it's inventories worldwide. This is why Apple has decided to bring these devices to the Indian markets. Initially reported to sell at 15,000 INR, it is reported that Apple might place the price tag at 23,000 INR with EMI, and carrier tie-ups.

Though it looks cheap, there are many reasons why Indians should not choose the iPhone 4.

Outdated hardware

The smartphone industry has come a long way since iPhone 4′s launch. Compared to the latest 2014 smartphones, the 1 GHz cortex-A8 processor powered iPhone 4 looks pretty lame. It comes with 5 MP camera, 512 MB RAM, 3.5 inch display and 1420 mAh battery.

Combine these specs with iOS 7 aka the memory hog and you have a phone which struggles to do simple things.

Related : Comparing Samsung Galaxy S3 and iPhone 4S

Stripped iOS 7 on iPhone 4

When it was launched, the iPhone 4 came with iOS 4. It later got upgraded to iOS 6.1.4 and now, iOS 7.0.4 is available for the iPhone 4.

But, this version of iOS 7 doesn't do any magic. Most of the iPhone 4 users have started complaining about the lag while using apps, reduced functionality and speed of the device.

Also, this version of iOS doesn't bring AirDrop or filters for Camera app on iPhone 4. No Siri either. Also, once you upgrade to iOS 7 on your iPhone 4, there is no option to downgrade to iOS 6.

The outdated hardware on iPhone 4 simply doesn't withstand iOS 7.

Better competitive phones are available now

The Lumia 1320 from Nokia is a good option if you love Windows Phone. With a 6 inch display, Dual core 1.7 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, it is a good smartphone that you can choose. It is priced at 23K, the same as the about-to-relaunch-iPhone 4.

If you want to go the Android way, there are many devices from Samsung and the Indian manufacturer Micromax. Samsung Galaxy Grand, Micromax Canvas A116 HD are good choices. The Galaxy Grand from Samsung is available at just 15K!

Remember Moto G launch? Motorola promised to bring Moto G to the Indian markets in the month of January. It should happen any time now.

The Moto G comes with the latest Android KitKat, 1 GB RAM 4.5 inch display, 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor and a 5 MP camera.

What's your thoughts on the upcoming re-launch of iPhone 4? Are you an Indian and do you wish to buy the iPhone 4, or opt a better smartphone?

if you still wish to buy the iPhone 4, it's already available on Flipkart at 22,649 INR.

-- This Post 3 Reasons why Indians shouldn't buy iPhone 4 at 23K is Published on Devils Workshop .

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Greenify for Android prolongs your device’s battery and makes it faster

One of the first things I do when I get a new Android is unlock (boot loader) and root it. There are many reasons for why I do it, but the best one is, Greenify.

Especially, if your device is low on RAM and battery goes down quickly, Greenify can help.

Greenify 'auto-hibernates' apps which are running in background, making your phone/tablet faster and long laster. Think of it like an alternative to the aggressive task killer apps which destroy your battery.

The latest version of Greenify, i.e. 2.0 – no longer needs root privileges, so it should work on non-rooted devices too. But, users have to manually open Greenify app and Force Quit apps, which is really pointless.

If you're rooted, Greenify will use root privileges and auto-hibernate apps. If you launch a hibernated app, it will get out of hibernation and you can use it normally.

Just make sure you don't hibernate Messaging/Alarm apps, because you'll stop getting push notifications, as background services are killed. There's a donate version of app which allows push notifications for hibernated apps.

Have your heard about Greenify before? Drop in your comments.

Link: Greenify

-- This Post Greenify for Android prolongs your device's battery and makes it faster is Published on Devils Workshop .

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Battery saving app Greenify now supports non-rooted Android devices

Greenify is easily one of the best reasons to root an Android device. Especially, if your device is low on RAM and battery goes down quickly, Greenify can help.

It 'auto-hibernates' apps which are running in background, making your phone/tablet faster and long laster. Think of it like an alternative to the aggressive task killer apps which destroy your battery.

The latest version of Greenify, i.e. 2.0 – no longer needs root privileges, so it should work fine on non-rooted devices.

If you're rooted, Greenify will use root privileges and auto-hibernate apps. This feature is not available in non-root version.

In non-root version, users have to manually open Greenify app and hibernate apps. The app includes a 'Hibernate All' shortcut which you can place on homescreen.

Just make sure you don't hibernate Messaging/Alarm apps, because you'll stop getting push notifications, as background services are killed. There's a donate version of app which allows push notifications for hibernated apps.

Have your heard about Greenify before? Drop in your comments.

Link: Greenify

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Google Now arrives in latest Chrome Canary, here’s how you enable it

When Google added rich notifications support for Chrome, it was obvious for everyone that soon we will be seeing Google Now cards too, in the same place.

Just yesterday, Google pushed an update to Chrome Canary with a flag letting you enable support for Google Now inside the browser.

If you're willing to try out the feature, download Google Chrome Canary, the bleeding edge version of Chrome.

Next, type chrome:flags in the address bar, search for 'Enable Rich Notifications' and change it from 'default' to 'enabled'.

Next, search for 'Google Now', and change it from 'default' to 'enabled'. Relaunch the browser.

You'll now see a notification/bell icon in your system tray (on Windows) or menu bar (on OS X). Click on that and you'll see set of Google Now cards.

You obviously need to sign in to your Google account in Chrome Canary, to view cards.

From what I observed, only few of Google Now cards appear on Chrome. Nevertheless, it's a handy feature for keeping track of sports scores, events etc. The feature should soon arrive in the stable version of Google Chrome.

Would you like Google Now cards to pop up on Chrome? Drop in what you think in comments.

-- This Post Google Now arrives in latest Chrome Canary, here's how you enable it is Published on Devils Workshop .

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Force your Nexus device to use 3G in low network coverage area

One of the most irritating things about Nexus devices is how they don't stick to the network you choose. Say you've got 3G data to use and network coverage is weak, your device will quickly switch back to EDGE (or whatever has good coverage).

Funny thing is, AOSP has built-in feature to 'force' an Android device to use a network (even if coverage is nil) – but it is kind of hidden. Read on.

To access the feature, open Phone/Dialer app, type *#*#4636#*#*. Tap on Phone information. Scroll down and you'll find a drop down menu where you can choose between different network modes. Choose 'WCDMA only'.

That's all. Now your device will stick to 3G regardless of network coverage.

If you want a quicker way to access the setting, then get this little app called 'Network'. It'll directly launch the Phone information page and you can then change the network mode.

-- This Post Force your Nexus device to use 3G in low network coverage area is Published on Devils Workshop .

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eBay India brings ’9 Hour Delivery’

eBay India is here with 9 Hour Delivery. After recent launches of one day delivery services by Amazon India, Flipkart, Tradus and Snapdeal, eBay India is here with something different and better.

This 9 Hour Delivery service by eBay India allows users to purchase the item before 12 noon and get the item within 9 hours, that is, before 9 pm on the same day.

About eBay India's 9 Hour Delivery

1. Free service. No additional charges for shipping.
2. This is available only for Mumbai right now. But it will expanded to other cities across soon, says Vidmay Naini of eBay.
3. Only limited products on eBay India qualify for this service. Mobiles, tablets, digital camera and laptops are few products that are eligible.
4. There is a dedicated eBay Mumbai webpage now that lists all the products that are eligible for this new service.
5. Orders placed after 12 noon will not be eligible for the 9 Hour Delivery. They will be delivered the next business day.
6. Once the order is shipped, you'll get a SMS from the logistics partner confirming the same.

At a first glance at the prices of these products look hiked than the previous prices/prices at other e-commerce websites.

What's your thoughts on this new service? Do you think that you'll find this new service useful? Do share your thoughts with us.

-- This Post eBay India brings '9 Hour Delivery' is Published on Devils Workshop .

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