BBM is coming soon to Android and iOS and the best thing is there will be no monthly subscription plan. And this was rumoured years ago but there was no official confirmation. Yesterday, BlackBerry made an announcement that the app will be free and cross platform.

Apparently, with this move, BB is trying to compete with WhatsApp. Statistically, on WhatsApp more than 10 billion messages are sent per day and BBM still has 60 million active monthly users. In terms of cross-platform, WhatsApp pwns BBM because it’s available for Symbian, Windows Phone and BlackBerry.

Also, BlackBerry announced BBM channels. Any user can create a channel and others can subscribe to the channel for timely updates. The best part of BB (over WhatsApp) is we can add people without asking for their phone numbers, because BB Pin.

Though the company didn’t reveal the release date but said it’s coming this summer. Are you excited to use BBM on your Android and iDevice?

This post was originally written on WideFide: BlackBerry Messenger Comes to Android and iOS

Third Party apps are essential for every Android device. Galaxy S4 comes with a number of good apps but still 3rd party apps have their own perks. And I will be mentioning those must have apps for Galaxy S4 which will enhance your experience.

Read: Samsung Galaxy S4 – Significant Features and Specs

1. SwiftKey Keyboard: Built-in keyboard is good but not the best. If you are looking for all-in-one and the best keyboard for your mobile, SwiftKey is the name. It features Text Prediction, Swipe and multiple languages. The app is so smart that it will automatically save the words you type repeatedly. This app is worth more than its price. Price: $3.99 (99 INR)

2. MX Player: Default video player is not bad. But MX Player is the best video player for Android. It supports almost all video codecs (including .MKV format), in short Plays Everything. Features: Swipe to scroll, swipe to volume up/down, swipe to change brightness, Subtitles scroll and child lock. Price: FREE. Pro: $5.70

3. App Cache Cleaner: Many of the apps you use produce cache, be it Facebook, Instagram or your Web browser. Cache NEEDS to be cleared to save space. App features: One tap to clear cache, Auto clear at a specified interval. Price: FREE.

4. Opera Mini: Opera Mini is the fastest browser for Android, plus it saves your data usage by 80% and more. And It had already been featured in “Must have apps for S3” as well. Recommended. Price: FREE.

5. AK Notepad: S Memo is weird and IMO it’s bloatware. If you want a serious note taking app which can sync your notes, There’s no better app than AK Notepad. Price: FREE.

6. mSecure: Looking for an app to store your confidential data safely? Trust mSecure Password Manager. Features: Cross platform sync, ultra-secure 256bit blowfish encryption, Password generator, Cloud sync and Optional self-destruct. Price: $9.99.

7. Air Droid: Say no to USB cables. Transfer data wirelessly, use AirDroid. Features: Transfer Files over WiFi, Desktop SMS, Download apps, Screenshot (root perms required). Price: FREE.

8. Screen Filter: In darkness, even the lowest brightness seems high. Download Screen Filter to dimmer the display. One tap widget to instantly dim phone’s screen. Price: FREE.

9. Any.DO: Plan your day with this To-do and Task app. Features: Cloud sync, home screen widget, beautiful UI, Miss call alerts, Snooze tasks, etc. Price: FREE.

10. WhatsApp: Does this app need any introduction? Well, if you are living in a cave or something, WhatsApp is a cross platform messenger. Price: FREE for 1st year, $0.99/year.

This post was originally written on WideFide: 10 Must Have Apps for Samsung Galaxy S4

The most expected change is the completely re-designed OS (iOS 7). Other expected upgrades are A7 Chipset, even better screen resolution, Corning Gorilla glass 3, Same rear camera with Polarized filter.

1. iOS 7: It is speculated that iOS 7 will have completely revamped UI along with vehicle integration. The new interface is said to be “flat, very flat”, as reported by 9to5mac. Rumours are that it may have Metro UI like Windows Phones.

2. A7 Chip and 2 GB RAM : Well, don’t expect Apple to come up with Quad-core processor. They are more likely to sport Dual-Core 1.7 Ghz A7 chipset. Also, The next iPhone may have 2 GB RAM.

Besides WWDC tickets were priced at $1599, The entire event tickets were sold in approx 2 minutes.

3. Display: Don’t expect bigger display, but better resolution. To compete with latest Android giants (S4 and HTC One), iPhone 5S/6 should come with even higher resolution with over 400 ppi. And Gorilla Glass 3 for screen protection.

4. Camera: iPhone 5 had some bad camera reviews because of the purple haze. Expect 8MP iSight camera with improved and polarized lenses. 2 MP front-facing camera is expected as well.

5. 128 GB Model: Will the next iPhone come with 128 GB storage capacity? We have already seen a 128 GB iPad, So It’s is likely that Apple will launch 128 GB iPhone too.

Completely Re-designed iPhone?

Few weeks ago, Apple had patented curved iPhone (refer the image below). Could this be the iPhone 6? Well, We have to wait for June 10 for that. PS: Irony is that this is 7th Gen iPhone and they are still naming it iPhone 5S/ iPhone 6.

This post was originally written on WideFide: iPhone 6/5S to Debut in June – What to Expect!

Google Glass is one of the most-anticipated gadget of the year 2013. Announced and demo-ed in June last year, by Sergey Brin and team, Glass was supposed to be available by Jan ’13. But on the date, its public release date is still unknown.

Also Read : Google Glasses – Expectation vs Reality

Google Glass had already held a “contest” on G+ and Twitter for those who want to get their hands on the Glass, about a month ago. And Google has picked 8000 winners who will pay $1500 and get one pair of Glass from the first consumer lot.

Google has release the technical specifications of Glass. They are as follows:

• Packed with a 5 MP camera which can shoot 720p POV movies.
• It sports 16 GB of storage while 12 GB is available for user. Google Cloud sync supported.
• Connectivity: WiFi, Bluetooth. GPS and MMS supported.
• MyGlass companion app will be available for Android 4.0.3+ users which makes Google Glass compatible with Android device.
• Also, any phone with bluetooth is compatible with Glass, take a deep breath you iPhone users.
• Comes with adjustable nosepads (To be packed with extra nosepads in two sizes).
• MicroUSB and charger included.
• Battery is said to last for 1 day of typical use.

What Glass does! Glass will come with $1500 price tag that may ruin the deal for some of you out there. But new innovations have their own cost.

This post was originally written on WideFide: Google Glass Specs Revealed – 16 GB Storage, 1 Day Battery Life

Within 10 months of S3 launch, Samsung has launched the new Galaxy, Galaxy S4 in NYC. Design is quite much similar to that of S3 and Note 2. But still the design doesn’t look as much prominent as HTC One. Features and Specs wise, the phone has killed every single phone in the market.

See the High Res Press Shots of Galaxy S4

Samsung Galaxy S4 has some seriously exciting additional features compared to other players in the market. Instead of coming up with just stock Android experience, they added some amazingly awesome and usable features such as smart eye, direct call, pop up video player, smart alert in Galaxy S3.

In terms of design? The improved version of S3.

Now Samsung has stepped up its game and Galaxy S4 has some amazingly interesting features like Eye tracking technology, Air view, S Health, and a few more to be discussed in this post.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Exciting Features

1. Dual Camera Shot: S4 has two cameras like every other smartphone. But none of them made them work like Samsung. While taking pictures, you get to click shots from both the cameras. Like you get to add yourself (from front camera) while taking pictures from the rear camera. And lastly, not just pictures, You can shoot videos or make a dual video call.

2. Air view: This is not something we have seen in Note 2. You needed the dedicated S-Pen on Note II. But on the newer Galaxy, Your fingers are enough. It realises when your fingers are hovering over the screen and the best part is that you can use your phone wearing gloves. Cool!

3. Smart Scroll and Smart Pause: And this doesn’t stop at this, S4 can be used as a mini Kinect. As in, you can simply move your hand left to right in front of the device to scroll next page or change music, etc. There are numerous of distractions while watching a movie or reading a book on phone. But thanks to Smart Pause, whenever you turn your head away from the screen while watching a movie, It will pause the video automatically.

As you can see in the video (nearly at the end) You will see that Smart scroll lags a lot. That means a lot. Unacceptable on a premium phone.

4. S Health: This isn’t just another workout app, this is something premium. Track all your workouts, health/ vital stats, blood pressure, etc with this app.

5. Temperature Sensor: Probably the first ever phone to have temperature sensor built in.

6. Group Play: Use as many Galaxy S4′s as speakers. Play on one device and use others as speakers, as simple as that. Well, not just music, It supports documents, pictures and games. And that too without an internet connection.

Samsung will continue to rule…

7. S Translate: This feature allows users to translate local texts and emails in 9 languages instantly.

8. Improved Camera Experience: Well along with dual shot, the device has some camera features borrowed from Galaxy Camera as well like Cinema photo.

9. IR Blaster: How can we miss this AWESOME feature. Using WatchON app and buit-in IR blaster, you can literally remote control almost all the gadgets at your place. Be it TV, Music player or anything.

The Device: The device has changed slightly from S3 in terms of design (and obviously hardware and specs). At first, you will find the device quite similar to S3 or Note II. The differences are the textured surface, metal frame, additional sensor in front, bigger screen and some minor changes. The display now features Corning Gorilla Glass 3, showcased in CES 2013.

Samsung is planning to start shipping S4 in April. Price is yet to be announced.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Specs:

• OS - Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
• Phone dimensions - 136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm Weight - 130g
• Display - 5-inch Full HD 1080p Display Screen Resolution - 1920 x 1080 pixels. 441 ppi Display protection by Corning Gorilla Glass 3
• Camera - 13 MP rear and 2 MP front facing camera. Video Recording - Full HD 1080p
• Memory - 16/32/64 GB Internal + MicroSD card slot. 2 GB RAM
• CPU - 1.9 GHz Quad-Core Processor / 1.6 GHz Octa-Core Processor
• Connectivity - WiFi, NFC, Bluetooth, and Infrared (for remote control)
• Sensors - Accelerometer, RGB light, Geomagnetic, Proximity, Gyro, Barometer, Temperature & Humidity, Gesture
• Battery - 2600 mAh
• Official and Detailed Specs.

This post was originally written on WideFide: Samsung Galaxy S4 – Significant Features and Specs

This post was originally written on WideFide: Samsung Galaxy S4 – Press Images

Oh yes! WhatsApp and Kik on PC. Isn’t that cool?

The solution is Bluestacks. This lets you install any Android app or game on your computer. Bluestacks is free and available for Windows (XP, Win 7, Win 8), Mac and Surface pro.

Install and use WhatsApp on PC

No matter whether which OS you use. You just need to have bluestacks installed. Once you have installed bluestacks, follow these instructions:

• Search for WhatsApp in bluestacks.
• Click on “Install” to download WhatsApp.
  (You can choose to download the app from any app market)
• Once its installed, open the app. It will ask for your phone number. Fill that in.
• You will get message on your phone but then chances are that you won’t be able to type that in bluestacks as WhatsApp will search for that SMS on bluestacks.
• If that happens anyhow, cancel it and wait for 2 mins and retry.
• Now It will ask you to receive the verification code via a phone call.
• Write that code and you are done with verification. Enjoy WhatsApping directly from your PC.

There’s a drawback of this app too. Since you do not have any contacts in bluestacks (as you have in your phone). So you won’t be able to see a contact to send WhatsApp. But luckily, you can receive messages from anyone. And if you are in some group, that will be shown as well. Good for those who have no access to WhatsApp lately.

And for your computer’s sake, don’t download unsafe “WhatsApp for PC” apps. They are unsafe and can cause harm to your PC.

Install and Use Kik on PC

Kik is simpler to install and can be used on the go as it doesn’t ask for any SMS verification like WhatsApp. All you need to do is:

• Search for KIK in bluestacks and install it.
• Login (or sign up, maybe) and you are ready to use KIK.

One serious drawback of Kik is that they love to RESET your account. If you are happily using Kik on your phone and try to login to that same account on other device or bluestacks. It will reset all your chats. So it’s preferable to make sure you are not going to lose any.

This post was originally written on WideFide: How to Use WhatsApp and Kik on Windows or Mac

You have to pay import taxes when you buy goods from foreign countries. Back in 2011, custom duty on Mobiles was 1.03% only, doubled in 2012 and tripled in 2013. So can we expect it to be 4X in 2014? That will make it to 28.00%.

What’s wrong with FM of India? Where are they taking this country to? huh! Below is the custom duty(aka Import taxes) chart to be followed for FY 2013-14 in India.

This post was originally written on WideFide: Custom Duty And Import Taxes in India 2013

It’s really frustrating when you run out of internet connectivity. Just a few mins ago, I was too. My Macbook Air lost internet connectivity all of a sudden. And when I searched the web about this issue, It was found to be that all Mountain Lion OS X devices (iMac, Macbook Pro, Air, mini) suffer from this bug/issue/disease/whatever.

FYI, My macbook couldn’t connect to internet and at the same time I searched for this issue on my mobile, connected to the same wifi network.

It’s really frustrating when a so-called ‘premium’ machine and a globally renowned OS runs out of internet connectivity because of a bug. And believe me, the solution to this problem is very easy (Had to discover on my own).

I read multiple Apple forums and discussion boards about this issue. Got to know many different ways to solve the connectivity but none of them actually worked. Some suggested to delete system sonfiguration files from system library whereas some said to delete the network key using keychain. All failed, sadly.

Suddenly I pointed at locations, wondering what’s that. And there was my solution. Lol.

How to Fix WiFi Issue?

Let’s come to the point now. To solve the WiFi issue, follow these easy instructions(worked for me at least, and I hope they work for you too):

First things first. Try to restart your Mac, there is a probability that it solves the issue. But if it doesn’t work, try this:

1. Go to System Preferences > Network.
2. Go to Locations > Edit Locations
   (If it’s locked, unlock by clicking on lock button located at bottom-left.
3. Click on the “+” (plus) button to create a new location. Name it.
4. Apply the changes.
5. Turn ON WiFi, if it isn’t.
6. Now if it doesn’t get connected automatically, Select your network under “Network Name“.
7. Done! Your Mac should now be connected to internet.

If the above instructions do not work for you, do shoot your issue in comments.

This post was originally written on WideFide: How to Fix Mountain Lion OS X WiFi Issue

HTC One Specs in brief:

• 4.7 inch Super LCD3 display, Full HD 1080p (468 ppi)
• Android 4.1.2 upgradeable to 4.2.2
• 4 MP Ultrapixels rear camera, 2.1 MP front facing camera
• 32 / 64 GB Storage. 2 GB RAM
• 1.7 Ghz Quad-core Snapdragon 600 CPU
• Sensors: Accelerometer, gyro, proximity and light sensor
•  Connectivity: NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi, DLNA, MicroUSB 2.0
• GPS with GLONASS
• 2300 mAh Battery
• Dual frontal stereo speakers
• Specs in detail

Display: The all new HTC One has the highest pixel density, ever. The device will come with 4.7 inch Full HD LCD3 display and has a pixel density of 468 ppi. OMG. More than any display device in the world.

Camera: HTC, once again have proved that they are game changers. Camera like never before. *Lumia 920 shies*. The phone has 4 MP ultrapixel camera (less pixels more picture clarity). Are you one of those who look for a camera with higher mega pixels then you are doing photography wrong.

Less Megapixels, better picture clarity.

Though I haven’t had this phone on my hands but I am pretty sure that It has the best camera on a mobile phone. According to HTC, One captures 300% more light.

HTC One comes with HTC Zoe, a live and new gallery. When you press the shutter, One captures 20 photos and a 3-sec video (A living picture).

Press Specs of HTC One Ultrapixel Camera:

• BSI sensor, Pixel size 2.0 µm, Sensor size 1/3′
• Dedicated HTC ImageChip™ 2
• F2.0 aperture and 28 mm lens
• Optical Image Stabilization (OIS)
• Smart Flash: Five levels of flash automatically set by distance to subject
• Front Camera: 88 wide angle lens with HDR capability
• 1080p Full HD video recording for both front and back cameras
• HDR Video
• Continuous shooting and VideoPic
• Slow motion video recording with variable speed playback
• HTC Zoe™ with highlights and HTC Zoe™ Share 
• Retouch with Object Removal, Always Smile, and Sequence Shot

Refined and Rugged New Design: HTC is setting benchmarks in terms of design. No other phones look as great as htc’s (iPhone is exception).

HTC Boomsound: The phone has dual frontal stereo speakers with built-in amplifiers. Bigger sound, more detail with less distortion. HDR Microphone and Sense voice make phone calls clearer and louder even in crowd.

HTC BlinkFeed: Similar to live tiles (Windows Phone 8). But there’s a li’l difference. You can choose your favorite social networks and other feeds to be displayed LIVE on your home screen.

Price and Release Date: TBA and Coming Soon!

I repeat, once again HTC has proved that they are the game changers. The phone has premium design, high-end specs, premium camera and what not. The crucial point will be its price. If it gets priced under Butterfly, Rs. 45,000 or $800. It’ll be sold like hot cupcakes.

Anything disappointing? Battery! 2300 mAh might not be enough to tackle both ‘very high’ dense display and a powerful CPU.

BONUS: HTC One – First Look [VIDEO]

This post was originally written on WideFide: HTC One – All You Need To Know [Plus High-Res Images]