Microsoft to Kinect Up the Next Windows Phone

The Verge has reported that Microsoft is in the process of inducting Kinect features in its next Windows phone, code named “Mclaren”. The Mclaren was introduced to the world through phone tripsters EVLeaks.

The phone will be a successor to the Lumia 1020 and will boast propriety technology like 3D touch and Real Motion. These features will assist in interaction with the phone without actually touching the display.

Kinect is now integral to the Xbox experience

Kinect was reveled at the 2010 E3 conference. Kinect made sense on a large screen system like the Xbox. Its features which made technology invisible was appreciated by people. The question that everyone seems to be asking is whether a phone version of Kinect will actually have some benefits or will be just another gimmicky add-on.

Some of the reported features include the ability to answer a phone call by just bringing it to your ears or cutting a call when the phone is dropped back in the pocket. The phone can also be put on a table to start an speakerphone conversation. These features have to be utility based or else they will end up as the Air Gestures in the Samsung phones.

The phone will also be fitted with pressure sensing instruments on the sides to detect changes in grip. They want to make external buttons completely obsolete. One of the way this can be used is gripping the phone can power on the device. Even the Camera can be zoomed in and out just by doing the usual pinching motions near the device.

These features were originally intended to be used on the Windows 8.1 powered Nokia Goldfinger phones. This phone is now being pushed back for a later release, while the Mclaren is being given priority. This is one more way in which Microsoft is pushing the Nokia name off the edge. Some have said that Nokia’s innovations are being stripped for profitable parts in Microsoft’s research labs.

The new UI will be inspired by Zune Mixview

The phones will also have a tiny UI renovation with the Kinect induction. When pointed above a tile it will open multiple floating tiles. This is inspired by the Zune Mixview. The tech makes sense on a big screen where there was minimum learning curve, but in a small screen it will be a whole different story. Microsoft would have had to go back to the drawing board to make the technology featurable on a handheld device.

Now as these are still leaks and we’d have to wait for the device to come in our hands before we comment on the functionality of these features. This of course will be a good experiment to look forward to. Microsoft Xbox’s Kinectic abilities suit it well for a home entertainment system, but it has to take some real efforts to convince people that hovering fingers over your phone is as good as having a touch response.

E3 2014 Roundup of Major Releases

The gamers paradise is sizzling with action. The E3 or the Electronic Entertainment Expo is the biggest Gaming conference. E3 2014 had some of the biggest names having their moment on the podium and a lots of games found their way to the spotlight. We bring you the latest releases from all of them.

MICROSOFT:

After the mega release of the Xbox One last year, Microsoft concentrated mostly on the games for their gaming console. The Games list from Microsoft stands at:

a)      “Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare”

b)      “Forza Horizon 2”

c)      “Evolve”

d)      “Assassin’s Creed: Unity”

e)      “Dragon Age Inquisition”

f)       “Sunset Overdrive”

g)      “Capcom: Dead Rising 3 DLC”

h)      “Dance Central Spotlight”

i)        “Fable Legends”

j)        “Project: Spark”

k)      “Ori and the Blind Forest”

The Announcement of Halo masterclass got a lot of folks excited

The most welcome news from Microsoft’s stable was the Halo Masterchief Collection. This will hold all the previous Halo versions plus the beta versions of upcoming versions, i.e Halo Nightfall and Halo: Guardians.

ELECTRONIC ARTS(EA):

The Mega Giant of the gaming industry had some sweet surprises for the gaming enthusiasts. Some of these games were demo of future releases. It’s almost like a cool prototype you saw at an auto show and wanted to know when its coming out only to know that date don’t exist. Hopefully that won’t be the case with:

a)    Untitled first person racing games: This one will be for the Go-Pro inspired generations. Have you ever seen those epic videos that those puny little cameras have captured and thought to yourself “wish I could do that.” Well this game aims to do just that. It will let the users operate in first person a huge assortment of vehicles such as cars, ATVs, helicopters, planes, jet-skis and more.

b) Mass Effect 4 and other Bioware games

c) Star Wars Battlefront

d) Mirror’s Edge 2: This was one of the most impressive and innovative games. The new version will show Faith (the lead) continue her intense badassery and take it to a new level. The parkour in this version will be more realistic and combat. This will be one of the games to look forward to.

Apart from this the usual sports games from the EA menu are also going to be released in their yearly release. This includes FIFA, Madden and NHL. Along with the Sims 4, the medival bonanza of pop culture will be celebrated with Dragon Age : Inquisition.

A lot of Dhoom in Battlefield Hardline

If you are a fan of fast paced urban action games, then Battlefield: Hardline Demo is the game for you. It’s a crime thriller with cops and robbers Dhooming around town. Somehow the visuals reminded us of the terrible, over used Amir khan dialogues from Dhoom 3.

UBISOFT:

The French gaming conglomerate had some impressive showcase this year. Heres the Ubisoft game list for the year:

a)      Far Cry 4

b)      Just Dance 2015

c)      Tom Clancy’s The Division

d)     The Crew

e)      Assassins Creed Unity

f)       Shape Up

g)      Valiant Hearts: The Great War

h)      Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Shield

This was a safe year for Ubisoft but their product line up was varied and will impress all kinds gaming pleasure seekers.

SONY:

They released the monster last year and now it’s time to feed it. After what must have been a long wait, the company showed off its games counter and it was truly impressive. It has a healthy mix of offerings for everyone this year. Here is what you can feast on this year on your PS4’s

a)      Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

b)      The Order: 1886

c)      Infamous: First Light

d)     LittleBigPlanet 3

e)      Destiny

f)       Bloodborne

g)      No Man’s Sky

h)      Mortal Kombat X

i)        Batman: Arkham Knight

j)        Remakes and Free-to-Play

One of the biggest announcements was that Grand Theft Auto will finally make it on the PS4 by this fall. By the end of July the PS4 version of The Last of Us: Remastered will be out.

Sony also showed off some free to play games such as Kingdom Under Fire II, Planetside 2 and War Thunder just to show that it cares.

NINTENDO:

The Japanese came with a plan when they unleashed their games with a kickass Robot Chicken inspired segments. Seth Green’s boys made some hilarious pieces with Nintendo characters that left the audience in splits.

Nintendo also had actual gameplay in the trailer making it a more authentic sell. They also had a good number of games for their handheld platforms Wii U and Ninendo 3DS.

Here is their Games list for 2014:

a)      Super Smash Bros.’ for Wii U and 3DS

b)      Yoshi’s Wooly World’

c)      Captain Toad’s Treasure Tracker

d)      The new ‘Legend of Zelda’

e)      Pokémon Omega Ruby’ and ‘Alpha Sapphire’

f)       Bayonetta 2

g)      Hyrule Warriors

h)      Kirby and the Rainbow Curse

i)        Xenoblade Chronicles X

j)        Mario Maker

k)      Splatoon

l)        Fantasy Life

m)    Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

n)      Mario Party 10

Nintendo brought some extra fun in gaming with the Amiibos

Amiibos come in your favorite Nintendo Characters

Apart from this Nintendo also released a action figure series called Amiibo. These figures have to ability to remember the user’s stats, fighting styles and character traits and can be used with the Wii U. There a lot of possibilities

The Major players have showcased their goodies for 2014 and we look forward to bringing you more in-depth Game reviews as soon as we get to lay our hands on them.

The Top 5 FIFA World Cup Ads of 2014

1. NIKE

Football’s existence is under threat. It just had a corporate takeover and there has just been an attack of the clones. Our favourite sport is ruined and the greatest footballers now have to do odd jobs to survive. The Original Ronaldo decides brings them all together to save a game that has been their collective passion. Sometimes in life you just have to Risk Everything.

2. SAMSUNG

Earth is about to be destroyed and all the hopes of saving the planet rests on Footballers (because love for Football is not limited to just Earth.) Earth’s Mightiest footballers join forces against Aliens who seem inspired by the Predator. They are led by a hooded overlord who kinda reminds you of the Emperor from Star Wars. It’s almost a TV show as the ads are released in parts, teasing and keeping folks asking for more.

The Immense investment in these ads is impressive. The All Star video almost looks Avatar-ish.

3. ESPN

Football is a religion in most part of the world. Every 4 years the world is united by this religion and we all come together in one time zone: The World Cup Mean Time.

4. BEATS BY DRE

The five-minute ad, which is exhilarating to watch even for those who aren’t fans of the sport, begins with Neymar, the Brazilian star, having an emotional and empowering conversation with his father before the start of a match. The conversation goes on through the ad, as the setting changes from country to country and person to person. The powerhouse track playing in the background is ‘Jungle’ by X-Ambassadors and Jamie N Commons while the ad features famous football personalities like Rio Ferdinand, Cesc Fàbregas, Luis Suárez, Robin van Persie and Thierry Henry, as well as LeBron James, Nicki Minaj and others not from the football world.

5.MCDONALD’S

The clip was released to coincide with the start of the tournament in Brazil. One of them is a young boy. Another is a woman who happens to be wearing massive heels. There’s even an elderly man on a motorised scooter. All of them are shown performing ridiculous tricks with a football on the streets of Rio de Janeiro. We presume much of the trickery in this clip was accomplished using sly camera tactics, but even so, it makes for fine viewing.

Samsung takes aim at the iPad Air with New Slim Galaxy Tab S

Samsung has unveiled its new Galaxy Tab S, a new flagship tablet. The new device was introduced at an event Thursday evening in New York City and It will be available in two sizes: 8.4 and 10.5 inches.

Samsung called it a high-end tablet with an emphasis on entertainment and consumption. Google, Netflix and Flipboard are said to be the most important content on the tab. The Galaxy Tab S fashions a high-resolution SuperAMOLED display with 2,560 x 1,600 resolution, giving a tough competition to iPad ‘retina’ display. Samsung said its screen technology provides better color and deeper contrast, while consuming less power than the LCD displays in most tablets. It is the first time, Samsung has made available a tablet with SuperAMOLED display. At the back, the Galaxy Tab S 10.5 and 8.4 feature an 8MP camera with a 2.1MP at the front.

Galaxy Tab S is also equipped with an adaptive display, which will change the white balance of the tablet based on the ambient light. The screen also has a less reflectivity in bright sunlight. The device also has a fingerprint scanner same as Galaxy S5 which can be used by eight  people to login to different profiles.

Samsung is emphasizing the magazine content in the Galaxy Tab S with its own magazine display called Papergarden. The company also announced partnerships with Condé Nast, Marvel Comics National Geographic, who will be working on bringing titles to Papergarden, complete with interactive features.

Both Tab S tablets size variants are just 6.6mm thin, or 0.26 inches; thinner than the iPad Air. The weight is 465g for the large size and 294g for the smaller design. Both sizes come in white and bronze, and Samsung is offering optional covers as well as a keyboard.

The Tab S can also be synced to Galaxy S5 through SideSync, Once paired, the tablet can mirror the tablet’s screen in a smaller virtual window, letting users take calls on the tablet via its speakers and microphone. SideSync can also be used to transfer files or even run apps.

Samsung’s new Galaxy Tab S is a strong contender against iPad, However, time will tell how it is received by consumers. In the U.S., the Samsung Galaxy Tab S will cost $499 for the 10.5-inch version, and $399 for the 8.4-inch.

SPECIFICATIONS

• 10.5 INCH
 
• 8.4 INCH

Display

10.5” (267.2mm) 2560×1600(WQXGA) Super AMOLED

Bearer

Wi-Fi Model

- Wi-Fi Only

LTE Model

- LTE : 800/900/1800/2600+850/2100

- 3G : HSPA+42.2 850/900/1900/2100

- 2G : GSM/EDGE/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900

Memory

3GB RAM, 16/32GB Memory, MicroSD (up to 128GB)

Camera / Flash

8M w/ Flash LED + 2.1M Full HD

Connectivity

Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, MIMO

WiFi Direct, BT4.0

GPS

GPS, GLONASS, Beidou (Not supported in USA, Canada)

Dimension, Weight

Wi-Fi Model : 247.3 x 177.3 x 6.6mm , 465g

LTE Model : 247.3 x 177.3 x 6.6mm , 467g

Battery Capacity

7,900mAh

OS / Upgrade

Android 4.4 (Kitkat)

Messaging & SNS

Google+, Gmail

LBS

Google Maps

Other Services & Applications

Samsung Magazine, Professional pack, Multi-user mode,
SideSync 3.0, Gear & Gear fit manager

PC Applications

Samsung Kies

UI / Web Browser

Samsung UI / Android, Chrome Browser

Audio

MP3, AAC ,AAC+, eAAC+, WMA, Vorbis, FLAC

Video

H.263, H.264 (AVC), MPEG4, VC-1, WMV7, WMV8, VP8

Recording : FHD (1920 x 1080) @30fps

Playback : WQHD (2560 x 1440) @30fps

Connectors

USB 2.0, 3.5mm Ear jack

Apple Set To Change 100 Year Old History, will make headphones With a New Lightning Port

The internet has been talking about the possibility of Apple killing classic 3.5mm headphone jack in favor of the company’s propriety Lightning port. The decision to do so could have far-reaching effects for customers, who would be requisite to buy adaptors for their existing headphone sets, but would also result in larger synergies with the company’s latest acquisition of high-end headphone company Beats Electronics.

The company has introduced a new design for manufacturers in its made-for-iPhone (MFi) program that will let them to produce headphones with Lightning connectors. The new type of headphones will be able to make the change between analogue to digital audio with an elevated lossless stereo 48 kHz digital output, it would in addition convert the traditional headphones into a smart device.

The headphones that go directly into the Lightning port would have better audio quality than current models, meaning those fancy Beats by Dre would sound better.

The 3.5 mm headphone jack also remains the biggest hurdle when trying to make a slim phone, as the headphone jack requires a far fatter cavity than most other components, and the lighting connector serving as a headphone jack could mean that the iPhone could end up being super slim at the edges.

Apple has pointed out in its new specification that the new headphones can be “made to work specifically with a companion iOS app”. For instance, consumers would be able to do more than just skip tracks; they could work with apps such as iTunes Radio or initiate playback controls on iOS.

The biggest advantage of this new addition in iPhones will be that the headphones would be able to tap into power from an Apple device, thus eliminating the costs associated with an internal battery.

But on the downside, talks are customers won’t be able to listen to headphones and charge the phone at the same time, but of course there are also talks about wireless charging for the new iPhone.

Unlike the iPhone charger, the audio headphone jack has been around for more than 100 years. A version of it was used in the first telephone switchboards, and the jack has been in Army radios for as long as the Army has had radios. The current 3.5mm headphone jack is the portable-music standard, and has been since even before the first Sony Walkman hit stores in 1979.

There is a possibility of a revolt if Apple lovers are suddenly told that every pair of headphones they ever bought will be useless with the iPhone 6. But, then again, Apple usually tries to be ahead of the curve and predict what technologies are going to become legacy technologies, And so far they’ve been successful with it.

The Plastic HTC E8 One Officially Launched

HTC E8 One has been launched in China and its pricing is almost half as much as its aluminum counterpart M8. The much talked about plastic body is said to be solid and looks good too.

E8 fashions an impressive ergonomic Dual Curve Design, that makes the device fit in your hands easily. It has a 13MP main camera and 5MP front facing wide-angle camera. The Built-in Touch Up software balances skin tones while retaining your genuine look. The company will also provide a dual SIM version of the phone but only in selected areas, as mentioned on their website.

The new ‘Vogue Edition’ HTC M8 One is said to be similar to M8 in most of the specs. Though it is pointed out that its 13 MP camera is slower and the TV remote feature is missing. The price of the E8 is easily a steal given the near-identical features as the M8 i.e. Motion Launch, HTC BoomSound, Snapdragon 801, 5-inch 1080p screen, MicroSD expansion.

E8 is available in four colors: Polar White, Electric Crimson, Maldives Blue, and Misty Gray. The new device is said to be a little bit taller and thicker than the M8. The price set for the phone is CN¥2, 799 which rounds up to INR 27,000 approximately. We’re still uncertain about when it would be launched in India.

LG G Watch Specs Leaked

Looks like Smart watches are focus device for manufacturers now. LG had announced its own Smart watch called the LG G watch and it looks quite impressive. It is stated to release on the 7th of July this year and will be showcased at the Google I/O conference.

Some of the features that LG had featured on its website are:

1. Compatible with Android: A wide option of devices to connect your watch to.
2. Sleek and Sexy Metallic Body: Comes in Black and White
3. Water and Dust Proof: Outside Friendly
4. Always on Screen: No Stand by brings it closer to real watch experience.
5. Gives all functionality of a Smart Watch: Navigation, Reminders, memo.
6. Voice controls through Google Now: To play music, record memos and lot more.

LG’s G Watch looks a sure shot challenger to Samsung’s Galaxy Gear. On the design front it looks really classy with pure black  and the white being incorporated to Gold elements.

Now @upleaks has leaked the specs on the watch even before its release. So lets see what is under the hood of LG’s Smart watch and if has the hardware potential to take on the Galaxy Gear.

The watch is powered by the new Android Wear OS. The display is a 1.65-inch LCD screen with 280×280 pixel resolution. The processor on the G Watch is a quad-core Snapdragon 400 (with APQ8026 CPU) chipset with an 4GB LPDDR2 RAM .

G Watch also has 4GB of storage. It runs the latest Bluetooth 4.0 which is great for portables. The battery is a 400mAh Li-Po battery which is rated to give 36 hours of standby time and can be charged in under 2 hours.

This sure looks like a gadget to look forward to and if LG prices it right, it could be a winner for LG as well as a great introduction to the world of Android Wear OS. 

When will my phone get the Android 4.4 KitKat update: here is what we know

Google has unveiled Android 4.4 KitKat as a fairly big update to the world’s most popular platform, but question remains: when will you be able to get it on your device? It’s a tricky one as always with Android, but we try to keep you up to date with the update schedule for different devices.

*We will be updating this post continuously as new information comes in. 

Last in: All major flagships have been updated to Android 4.4 KitKat as of the beginning of June (most were updated earlier). We've entered the phase when second-tier and older devices are starting to get bumped to 4.4.

Last update: June - 11th - 2014.

The improvements in Android 4.4 KitKat come mostly under the hood. Google claims that it has made huge optimizations to the platform and its core apps, so even devices with 512MB of RAM (the overwhelming majority of Androids across the world are actually low-end devices with 512MB of RAM) can have a satisfactory, smooth Android experience.

The new Android 4.4 KitKat however still seems to be coming first and only to the top-shelf devices. Here is the list of phones we know will get the update, and we have added a timeframe for its arrival for the phones that we know. Some of the information comes straight from the manufacturer, and update info for others is just based on rumors, so we've tried to make it clear what is the case for each phone.

If you are wondering whether a device that is not on the list will get KitKat, let us say that chances are the manufacturer has either not yet announced plans for the update, or - sadly - the device will not get the updated.

With all this in mind, here is when Android 4.4 is coming to various devices:

Asus

• Padfone 2 - by end of Q2 2014
• Padfone Infinity - by end of Q2 2014
• Padfone A80 - by end of Q2 2014
• New Padfone Infinity - Q3 2014

HTC

• HTC One – updated
• HTC One mini - updated
• HTC One max - updated
• HTC One Google Play Edition – updated
• HTC Droid DNA - updated

LG

• LG G2 - updated (update available on Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint)
• LG G Flex - updated (update available on AT&T)
• LG Optimus G Pro - updated 
• LG Optimus G - updated in Korea, no news on other update plans
• LG G Pro Lite - updated
• LG Optimus L9 II - updated
• LG Optimus Vu III - updated
• LG Optimus F7, F6, F3 - rumored to get KitKat
• LG G Pad 8.3 - updated

Motorola

• Moto X - updated
• Moto G - updated
• DROID Ultra - updated
• DROID Maxx - updated
• DROID Mini - updated
• DROID RAZR M (including Dev Edition) - updated
• DROID RAZR HD (including Dev Edition) - updated
• DROID RAZR MAXX HD - updated
• Atrix HD - confirmed for update, no timeframe
• Electrify M - confirmed for update, no timeframe
• Razr i - confirmed for update, no timeframe

Nexus Devices

• Nexus 4 – updated
• Nexus 7 – updated (arrived in early November)
• Nexus 10 – updated (arrived in early November)

Samsung

• Galaxy S4 - updated
• Galaxy S III - only LTE versions to get KitKat, already updated on Sprint, Boost, Virgin Mobile
• Galaxy Note 3 - updated
• Galaxy Note II - rolling out now (update coming to AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, U.S. Cellular, and Verizon)
• Galaxy S4 mini - confirmed for update
• Galaxy S III mini - confirmed for update
• Galaxy S4 Active - updated (update available on AT&T)
• Galaxy S4 Refresh - updated (update available on Sprint)
• Galaxy S4 Zoom - confirmed for update
• Galaxy Mega - rolling out now
• Galaxy Light - confirmed for update
• Galaxy Note 8.0 - confirmed for update
• Galaxy Tab 3 (7-inch, 8-inch and 10-inch editions) - rolling out now
• Galaxy Note 10.1 - confirmed for update
• Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 Edition) - updated (update available for Verizon)

Sony

• Sony Xperia Z1 / Z Ultra - updated
• Sony Xperia Z, ZL, ZR, Tablet Z - rolling out now
• Sony Xperia SP - confirmed for update, no timeframe
• Sony Xperia ZR, Xperia T, Xperia TX and Xperia V - investigating update possibility
• Sony Xperia T2 Ultra, Xperia E1, Xperia M2 - update starts in July

How to Become a Twitter Pro in 10 Short Steps

I can’t count the number of times I’ve been told, “I have an account, but I’m not really active”, or “I forgot my password and never bothered to retrieve it.” The most comical retort was, “with hashtags now on Facebook, what’s the point of Twitter?”. That answer was accompanied by a sharp know-it-all tone and a odd look implying that I was stupid for asking why he wasn’t active on Twitter. Yes, because Twitter’s 200 million strong community has been solely built on the thrill of hashtagging.

If you have no clue about what this site is about, then you should know that Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging site which is used to send and read short 140-character text messages, called “tweets”. As one of the big guys of social media, this one has managed to step away and create a special segment for itself. Even I was late to arrive to the Twitter party, but quickly realized why everyone was so addicted to it.

For beginners, it can be a bit tricky to understand. Here are our tips and tricks for every Twitter newbie. Once you get into the Twitter zone, its hard to step out.

1. SET UP HOUSE

Once you register yourself to get started, you can customize the standard profile picture, background etc. Out of everything the most important would be coming up with a relevant description about yourself. Sonam Kapoor’s bio reads, “a female actor who lives to eat and read in that order”, Ellen DeGeneres went for, “Comedian, talk show host and ice road trucker. My tweets are real, and they’re spectacular.” and Narendra Modi with a simple, “Prime Minister of India”. You get the idea. Ideally it should be a clear message to potential followers about what to expect from your tweets. 

2. “UM, BUT WHAT DO I TWEET ABOUT?”

Remember a couple of years back fresh on Facebook, every single thought/action became a Facebook status. That was before we realized that those posts were only being read by our friends and family. This is where Twitter steps in. As a Micro-“Blogging”site, it’s a space where it’s not only acceptable but you’re actually encouraged to write freely (within 140 characters, of course). It’s a lot about personal branding, your true ideas and interests come out to play. Here you can use your voice and interact with new people.

3. FOLLOW, REPLY, FAVOURITE, RETWEET

That’s all there is to it. To break it down: Retweeting is sharing with your followers a post you’ve liked. By Favourite-ing, you can create an archive of the tweets you’ve liked, without them showing up on your feed. Lastly, follow accounts which seem like you’d like reading everyday. Here, instead of simply following a publication, you can use the search tab and look for your favourite columnist. Next thing you know you’ve started a debate with them about their last article.

4. STICKING TO 140 CHARACTERS

Since the worldwide standard length of SMS was 160-characters, the founders of Twitter thought they’d stay well within that number. Is it mandatory to stick to 140 characters? No, not really. Though a long tweet is broken up and link leads you to a new page. Your followers wouldn’t appreciate that, they’d rather have the whole bite in one go. Don’t worry, while learning the art of tweeting, you tend to get used to the art of shortening sentences and getting straight to the point.

5. LOOSEN UP

“Having a private Twitter account is like owning a shop, but not letting anyone buy stuff from it.” You can imagine the number of times that was retweeted. The main point of Twitter is to get conversations started with complete strangers. How is that going to ever happen unless you allow them to scan through your profile?

6. BASIC ETIQUETTE

Also known as, “How Not to be Annoying on Twitter”. Like every major social media, Twitter has it’s own rules for socially accepted behaviour. One of them is that you have to give credit where credit is due. When retweeting, use RT followed by the originators Twitter handle, and then the tweet you’ve copied. Also, while a healthy debate on Twitter is appreciated, don’t use the forum to vent your frustrations. You cannot build a healthy community of followers if you’re constantly arguing or criticizing.

7. COMBINING YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA

Every Social Media has its particular function, so don’t muddle them up. Clicked a beautiful picture? Share it on Instagram. Want to connect with an old friend? Search on Facebook. Have something to say to no one is particular? Type it out on Twitter. Managing social media can get tough, luckily we have several apps which help out. Hootsuite is our favourite pick; it allows you to create a single dashboard for all accounts, schedule posts and get an analysis of the number of profile visitors.

8. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A MENTION AND A REPLY

If you simply mention a Twitter handle within a tweet, it shows up on your feed and is visible to your followers. But if y0u start a tweet using someone’s Twitter handle you’re directly responding to them. Only you and that person, along with the few people that follow the two will be able to see the tweet.

9. TOP TWITTER APPS

There are several apps which would make your Twitter life similar. Choose between Tweet Lanes, Tweetings, Twicca, Twiddle, Robird etc. These apps customize and put the experience you enjoy to the forefront. There are stories of people finding love, job and friends on Twitter. Its an open forum which may be right up your alley, you might not know it.

10. HOW TO USE HASHTAGS

#Never #EVER #Like #this. To reiterate what the purpose of hashtags really is –  it hyperlinks your post to other posts which are tagged under the same characters. So for example, if you’re attending a concert you can check out the tag #ColdplayTour2014 and you’ll see everything other people attending the same concert might’ve posted. Or before visiting a new restaurant, to get an idea about what the place might be like you could hashtag its name and get real user reviews. If you hashtag commonly used words (#like #this), it is only going to link you to other idiots who would’ve done the same.

If you haven’t already, check out this hilarious skit by Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon on using hashtags:

Rumor : Apple to Include Beats Earphones With The New iPhone

Now this is just the kind of news that all the perspective iPhone buyers were waiting for. We have learnt that after the major 3.2 billion dollar acquisition of Beats by Apple, the company is going to include their earphones with the next iPhone.

The Dr.Dre and Jimmy Lovine created brand of music gear has become the staple across the music scene. This was Apple’s biggest acquisition till date as they remain conservative with their spending. This conservative approach helps them to put resources in R&D which then helps them to stand out from the crowd.

Apple had made it clear that it is not going to combine the brand. This is a good step as Beats has massive visibility and brand recognition especially its association with the Doctor of the Hip Hop world. Apple was already selling Beats gear at its store but it will reach a lot more people since one of the most recognized brands (Apple) starts selling it along with its most recognized gadget (iPhone).

Along with this, Apple might also try to bring some kind of integration with the Beats music service, which will be appreciated by many. The service lets you personalize music based on listening habits and recommendations from expert music curators. Though this is only a speculation at the moment but a Beats music integration with iTunes might help Apple to reclaim its youthful appeal.

Now as the Apple-Beats deal has been confirmed so the chances of a Beats earphones coming to you with your next iPhone box has increased. So if you were contemplating an iPhone purchase you might want to wait a couple of months, to get your BEATS on !