Paytm Payments Bank now offering physical debit card

Paytm, probably the most used e-wallet app in India has received a new iOS app update, which enables users to setup BHIM UPI (one-touch payment). This was recently made available on the Android platform. Using the new BHIM UPI feature, users will be able to receive and transfer money directly into their bank account at no extra cost. The interesting part of the update is the roll out of the Paytm physical Rupay debit cards. Paytm users who already have a Paytm Payment bank account (one has to verify Aadhar biometrics to open an account) got a complementary virtual debit card, which can be used to shop online on multiple e-commerce websites. As promised, the company has started to distribute the physical debit card to the users who are interested in the same. Unlike the complementary virtual card, a user has a pay a nominal fee of Rs.120 to receive the card and the card (one has to confirm the postal address, where he/she likes to receive the same). Like any debit cards issued by the normal banks, this card can also be used in ATM's, Shopping malls, online e-commerce websites like a normal card without any restrictions. As this card is based ...

LG V30+ α with enhanced A.I features could be announced at MWC 2018

LG might be introducing upgraded V30 smartphone with enhanced artificial intelligence features at the Mobile World Congress which will kickstart on February 26th, according to a new report from Korea. The original LG V30 was announced back in August at IFA 2017 in Berlin. The company instead of introducing G-series flagship like it usually does at the MWC event every year, it is said to unveil the same V30 with A.I features and functionalities.  According to the report, the new version could be named “V30+‘α’." Considering LG's close relationship with Google, the upcoming model might feature Google Assistant-based AI functions. The new move might be a part of the company's new strategy to retain existing premium models for a longer period. If rumors indeed turn out correct and LG does launch a new variant of V30, G7 might be launched after several months. It is heard that LG CEO Jo has ordered a revision of the G7 smartphone from scratch, though it is anticipated that the phone might make an appearance at the MWC event. The company recently trademarked 'Icon' for smartphones and 'Iconic' for smartwatches. The company's CEO, Cho Sung-jin in an interview during the CES 2018 said "We will unveil new smartphones when it is needed. But ...

Reliance Jio reports Rs. 504 crore profit in Q3, has over 160 million customers

Reliance Jio today reported Rs. 6879.42 crore revenue, up 12.7% QoQ and a net profit of 504.38 crore for its second quarterly financial performance for the period that ended 31st December, 2017. This comes after the company reported a net loss of 270.59 crore in the previous quarter. Jio's rival Airtel earlier this week reported over 39% decline in profits for Q3 2018. It reported Standalone earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of 2,628 crore, up 82.1% QoQ and EBITDA margin of 38.2%, and Standalone earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) of 1,436 crore, up 453.1% QoQ . Consolidated value of services stood at 8,136 crore, up 12.8% over trailing quarter) and consolidated EBIT of 1,441 crore, up 452.1% over trailing quarter. It crossed 138.6 million subscribers in the July to September quarter,  it has 160.1 million as of December 31st, by adding 21.5 million net subscribers during the quarter. Average revenue per user (ARPU) during the quarter - 154 per subscriber per month compared to 156.4 in the previous quarter Total wireless data traffic - 431 crore GB (9.6 GB per subscriber per month) Average voice traffic -31,113 crore minutes per day Video consumption per subscriber per month - 200 crore hours (13.4 hours of video consumption per subscriber per ...

TRAI directs RCOM to refund unspent balance, security deposit to customers

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued a notice to Reliance Communication Limited regarding the refund of the unused balance and  security deposit made at the time of getting the connection. This is an official statement and all the pre-paid and post-paid users are entitled under this policy.  As the company hasn't renewed the spectrum license for 2G and CDMA services, all the Reliance users were asked to port their numbers to continue to use the phone number. Usually, when a user plans to port out from a network provider, he or she tends to the consumer the remaining balance within the due date. However, in this case, due to the closure of GSM and CDMA network TRAI received a large number of complaints and to resolve, the authority has come up with a notice to cater the mass complaints. Post-paid users will receive the refund of the security deposit, but there is no exact time frame for the same. For pre-paid users who have already ported out of the network, the company will make a list regarding the balance and the remaining amount will be credited to the newer operator and the same will be notified via SMS. For the ...

You can soon use Mobiles and WiFi on Flights in India as TRAI releases recommendations

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) today released recommendations on 'In-Flight Connectivity' paving the way for in-flight internet connectivity. In the recommendations, TRAI said that both IFC and MCA (Mobile communication on airspace) service should be permitted within minimum height restriction of 3000 meters in the Indian airspace. The Department of Telecom (DoT) sought views of TRAI with a proposal to introduce voice, data and video services over Indian airspace for domestic, international and overflying flights in Indian airspace on August 10, 2017. TRAI was also asked for recommendations, terms and conditions and other issues including entry fee, license fee, spectrum-related matters including usage charges and other states. In the in-flight connectivity onboard is provided by the IFC service providers who need to be created at annual Licence Fee of a token amount of Rs. 1 and get itself registered with the DoT. TRAI after analyzing the comments of stakeholders in its recommendations mentions that IFC doesn't necessarily be in Indian entity and the internet Services through Wi-Fi onboard should be made available when electronic devices are permitted to use only in flight mode. The IFC provider can start providing IFC (In-Flight Connectivity) services, after getting the necessary arrangement with Unified Licensee and having appropriate authorization. Regulatory further said that the IFC provider could use ...

Samsung Galaxy A8+ (2018) Unboxing and First Impressions

Samsung launched the Galaxy A8+ (2018), the company's latest premium mid-range smartphone in the 'A series' in India last week. Here we have the unboxing of the phone. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emwI1EvmgCY&t=1s Box Contents Samsung Galaxy A8+ (2018) smartphone in Black color 2-pin adaptive fast charger (9V-1.67A | 5V-2A) USB Type-C Cable In-ear headset SIM Ejector tool Clear protective case Quick Start Guide and Warranty Information The main highlight of the smartphone is its 6-inch Full HD+Infinity Super AMOLED display with 18.5:9 aspect ratio and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. Thanks to minimal bezels, the phone is easy to hold, but it is tall just like the S8 series and the Note8. The phone is powered by Octa-Core Exynos 7885 14nm processor, which is an upgraded version of Exynos 7880 that is used in company's A Series 2017 edition phones and has 6GB of RAM. It still runs on Android 7.1.1 (Nougat) with Samsung's own UI on top, but it will get the Oreo update soon. The main highlight of the phone is its 16-megapixel and 8-megapixel dual front cameras, both with f/1.9 aperture that lets you switch between them for close-ups with the background to portrait shots and the Live Focus feature lets you adjust the bokeh effect before or after you take ...

HMD Global MWC 2018 event set for February 25, Nokia 9, Nokia 7 Plus and more expected

HMD global just confirmed its MWC 2018 press conference on February 25th, 2018 where the company is expected to launch Nokia 9 flagship as the successor to the Nokia 8 . The company's Cheif product officer, Juho Sarvikas‏ confirmed the same on Twitter.  While the news about Nokia 9 isn't confirmed but given the scale of the event, it is very likely the company would introduce the flagship along with few mid-range phones like the Nokia 1 with Android Oreo (Go Edition), Nokia 4, Nokia 7 Plus and a possible global variant of the Nokia 7. The recent developments in the updated camera APK revealed the information about these upcoming phones. [HTML1] If the rumors and leaks are any clues, the Nokia 9 will be powered by the Snapdragon 845 SoC, sports a 5.3-inch Quad HD (2560×1440 pixels) display with 530-nits brightness, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, Android 8.0 Oreo. In the camera department, it might have a 13MP (RBG) + 13MP (Monochrome) dual rear cameras with dual-tone LED Flash, OIS, EIS 3.0, 4K video recording. On the front, there is a possibility of an 8MP or 12MP front-facing camera and fingerprint sensor. While these are just rumored specifications, we should know more details about the Nokia 9 and other phones ...

Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 Android Oreo MIUI 9 Global Beta ROM 8.1.18 released

Xiaomi released MIUI 9 Global Stable update for its Mi MIX 2 smartphone back in November, and announced Android Oreo beta program for the phone for China ROM last month, now it has released MIUI 9 Global Beta ROM 8.1.18 for the smartphone which is based on Android 8.0 (Oreo). Check out the changelog below, Android O (8.0) based MIUI ROM Gallery New - Optimize local storage to free up space (01-16) System Optimization - Animation for the Back gesture on full screen devices (01-17) Optimization - Full screen gestures as an alternative for screen buttons (01-17) Optimization - A separate guide for full screen gestures (01-18) Fix - Full screen gestures didn't work properly after rebooting (01-18) Battery Fix - The battery level is incorrect on status bar (01-16) Fix - Battery is draining very fast when the device is in idle mode (01-16) Camera Fix - The camera interface is not displayed correctly when the language is Arabic (01-16) Settings Fix - There are two Security in Accessibility settings (01-16) Line Fix - Line ANR when using Bluetooth headphone for Line calls (01-16) You can download the Recovery ROM here and flash it using updater method or download the Fastboot ROM to flash it using fastboot method. One the beta testing is complete Xiaomi is will roll out the stable update for all the users in the coming weeks. ...

Motorola Sphere+ 2-in-1 Bluetooth Speaker with Over-Ear Headphones launched in India

Motorola has launched Motorola Sphere+ Bluetooth Speaker with integrated Bluetooth headphones in India. The speaker offers 2 x 8W (16W) watts of power and bass porting for a deep, rich listening experience. You can dock the headphones on the speaker base to charge, while transitioning seamlessly from one to the other so the music never stops. The Sphere+ has built-in speakerphone so that users can take calls either through the speaker or the headphones that comes with touch control on the ear pads. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRGDIH5jXeM Highlights of Motorola Sphere+ Balanced sound at any volume, with superb noise isolation. Wireless freedom, with easy Bluetooth Connectivity aided with Voice prompts. Upto to 20 hours of playtime, 60ft range, and compatible with Siri and Google Now. In built mic for calls for hands-free calling Comfortable On-ear design Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.1, 3.5mm AUX 2 x 8w powerful speakers Noise isolation blocks out unwanted background noise  Full room broadcasting speaker Integrated multipoint technology to connect two devices at once Lightweight and foldable design headphone Powerful 40mm oversized drivers of headphones to provide superb bass-driven sound Support 3.5mm audio jack AUX Overcharge, over-voltage and overheating protection circuit A2DP 1.3, HFP 1.6, HSP 1.2, AVRCP 1.5, SPP 1.5 Standby Time: 200 hours Touch Control ...

Xiaomi Mi Explorer Overview [Update – Now you can turn off ads on MIUI devices as well]

Update - January 19: Mi Explorer has received an update that now lets you turn off recommendations (advertisements)  from the settings on MIUI devices as well, so you don't need the workaround anymore we had mentioned in the article previously. Xiaomi’s MIUI is amongst the most popular Android skins with more than 300 million worldwide users. MIUI is a heavy skin on top of Android, but what sets it apart from other Android skins is its feature richness and customizations. MIUI focuses towards providing a complete user experience and to achieve this MIUI is loaded with many system apps like Explorer, Calculator, Recorder, Mi Drop, Mi Video, Yellow pages and many more. A couple of months ago, Xiaomi listed it’s feature packed Mi Explorer app on Play Store, the app recently came out of Beta phase and in this post we will be looking at the features Mi Explorer offers. There are three main sections of the app which Xiaomi calls Recent, Categories and Storage. Recents shows the file you worked with or updated recently. Suppose user takes a screenshot or crops a already saved image, it will be shown at the top in recents whenever Explorer app is opened. In Categories sections files ...