New LG V10 renders arrive, with launch event just over the horizon

Tomorrow’s the first day of October, which means we’ve got changing leaves, a chill in the air, and consumption of unhealthy amounts of candy to look forward to. It also means that it’s LG’s turn to show off its latest hardware, with the company’s next launch event set to take place in New York City. We just shared with you our expectations for the event, including the launch of the unusual V10 handset with its secondary “ticker” display. As we wait to check that phone out in action, we’ve got a couple new V10 renders to help tide us over.

First up, we’ve got the very formal-looking pics you see up top, giving us a look at a texture back panel that’sslightly different from earlier shots, with a grid breaking up the surface’s pattern. Just like before, though, there’s that imprinted V10 logo – an almost oddly conspicuous big of phone branding in this day and age.

We’ve also got a new close-up look at that ticker display, rocking the same set of quick-launch icons as before. We’re not too concerned about limited customizability options, and we’re sure that LG will demonstrate plenty of ways to set up the ticker with apps of your choice – to say nothing of unique features we haven’t even been able to guess at yet – during tomorrow’s event.

Check back with us tomorrow for the full scoop on all of LG’s new hardware.

Apple sells more than 13 mn iPhone 6s, 6s Plus phones in first weekend

Apple said on Monday it had sold more than 13 million iPhone 6s and 6s Pluses during their first weekend of availability in 12 markets, setting a record for its marquee product.

Although sales surpassed analysts' expectations of 12 million to 13 million units, shares of Apple fell more than 1 per cent. This suggested investors remained skeptical that Apple can improve on the demand for the previous iPhone, which propelled the company to its most profitable quarter ever, said IDC analyst John Jackson.

Topping what the iPhone 6 achieved looks like a tall order, even for Apple, with its history of outdoing itself," he said.

The iPhone 6 had set the previous record of 10 million unit sales in its first weekend, but the figures did not include China, where regulatory problems delayed the gadget's debut last year.

Analysts had said Apple was virtually assured to set a first-weekend record for iPhone sales with the inclusion of China, which many expect will soon be the company's largest market.

But several analysts said the 6s figures, which also included the United States, Australia and the UK, suggested Apple was on pace to lift iPhone sales slightly from last year.

Analyst Shannon Cross of Cross Research said she was impressed by Apple's ability to drum up consumer interest in a device with relatively modest improvements over the iPhone 6, whose new, larger screens touched off a sales frenzy.

"It's indicative of the strength of Apple that you have at least as many people wanting the iPhone 6s," she said.

The sales figures gave a glimpse of Apple's performance in China, whose economic downturn has been a source of great angst for investors.

FBR Capital Markets analyst Daniel Ives estimated that Apple sold more than 2 million iPhones in China over the weekend.

"Demand out of China looks white-hot," he said.

The weekend also marked the debut of Apple's upgrade program, which allows users to receive a new iPhone each year for monthly installments starting at $32, regardless of their carrier.

Many customers over the weekend appeared to be participating in the program, Cross said, although the plan may prove more popular among the earliest buyers of the new iPhones.

BGC Partners analyst Colin Gillis said the program could help boost sales as consumers begin to put off replacing their smartphones.

Apple is also benefiting from a weak field. New phones from chief rival Samsung Electronics have received a lukewarm reception, and other manufacturers seem to be stuck playing catch-up, Jackson said.

Apple said the new iPhones would be available in more than 40 additional countries starting October 9, reaching more than 130 by year-end.

The new phones have improved cameras and a display technology called 3D Touch, which responds based on how hard users press their screens.

Apple relies heavily on sales of the iPhone, which generated nearly two-thirds of its revenue in the latest quarter.

PM Narendra Modi will meet CEO's of Google, Facebook, Apple and Tesla

Narendra Modi's main focus will be on Enterpreneurship, Innovation, technology and most important renewable resources and energy during his visit to the Silicon Valley.

There he will also meet the CEO's of top American companies like Google, Microsoft,Apple and Tesla.

On the first day of his arrival in Silicon Valley on September 26, Modi would visit the campus of iconic Tesla where he would be welcomed by its CEO Elon Musk. Modi would have a look at some of their path breaking inventions, particularly in the renewable energy sector.

One of the important and zealistic interest in Tesla is its battery technology as it has got a hold over almost the most refined and renewable energy sources.

After that he will meet the CEO's of the top companies as mentioned above and will discuss on the matter that what is the importance and need is there in India and what they will get benifit from it.

And before leaving the Silicon Valley, Modi would address a packed crowd of more than 18,000 people at the SAP Center in San Jose, where he would elaborate on his vision for India. He would leave for New York the same night.

Bill Gates Sponsored Giant Fans Will Soon Suck CO2 From Air and Recycle it as Fuel

CO2 is the major cause of climate change and global warming. As of now, sustainable development is just in speeches and when an immediate solution was seeming unlikely, Carbon Engineering came up with a technology that would reduce and recycle the CO2 present in the atmosphere instantaneously. Read to know more.

 The rate of climate change today, and its effects on the planet’s future, incite some of the strongest opinions and anxiety among the people. While the world acknowledges it, yet no one wants to share the responsibility. No wonder Elon Musk calls this as humanity’s dumbest experiment.

Carbon emission is the biggest contributor to the increase in global temperatures worldwide, and it will continue to do so until an immediate solution is panned out. Planting trees can do the trick, but it would require vast amounts of fertile land to absorb even a small volume of CO2. But what if we could build something that does the same as forests- suck CO2 out of the atmosphere?

Carbon Engineering, a company sponsored by Bill gates, is working on technologies to take CO2 directly out of the atmosphere. It sounds amazing but not easy as CO2 represents just one molecule out of 2500 molecules in the air.

Related: World’s First ‘Clean’ Coal Power Plant Has Arrived, Uses Carbon Capture and Storage

Carbon Engineering has built the prototype contactor that converts 100 kilos of carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere every day into harmless carbonates. Now just imagine the extent of their full-scale system.

At its maximum capacity, the full-scale system by the Carbon Engineering team is expected to capture the emissions from 300,000 cars every year. Air capture doesn’t require any exotic technology and can be scaled in size and installed anywhere on the Earth (since CO2 is present everywhere) depending on the economic and industrial needs of the place.

And, it doesn’t end here. The pure CO2 can be combined with H2 and form hydrocarbon fuels such as gasoline and jet fuel, thus continuing the above process.

Air capture seems quite a promising technology, a solution that could provide sustainable development at a lower cost. The conventional cars are not going out anytime soon and nor the industries going to slow their pace, so air capture could be a game changer without affecting the development agenda of the countries.

Despite fix, Windows 10 Users Still Getting Critical Errors in Start Menu and Cortana

      

No respite for Windows 10 upgraders even after Microsoft fixes the critical error in Start Menu and Cortana

Windows 10 is in the news once again. This time it is the Start Menu and Cortana that has failed to work on some Windows 10 PCs due to a critical error despite Microsoft’s fix. According to some upgraders who are experiencing the problem, say that the computer is not fit to be used, since there is no way to access installed files or apps.

Most users are getting the below error that reads:

“Critical Error – Start menu and Cortana aren’t working. We’ll try to fix it the next time you sign in.”

Microsoft has already provided a method to overcome the problem by suggesting the users to reboot to Safe Mode and then normally start their computers. However, despite this somewhat basic fix, it turns out that the problem still persists on many of the PCs.

This had led to an increase in frustration among Windows 10 upgraders, who are affected by the problem are looking for help from Microsoft in order to fix it. The posts like the ones given below are becoming very common on support forums:

“This problem was identified back in early July. Still no solution. Absolutely ridiculous. The average computer user can’t provide the feedback they want. I was able to restore Windows 10 to a restore point before the problem happened,” user AA_310 posted.

“My start menu works but Edge icon disappeared. The only way I can get it to open is to search for websites in the start menu search. So I have a round about solution but not sure how long it will work. In today’s age to launch a new product with problems like this is a death wish. Problem is Microsoft is too big to see its dying.”

Currently, in most cases, the only solution that may work is a full reset of the device. This would mean that all your files, apps, and settings will be removed. Even after doing this, there is no assurance that the Start menu and Cortana would be functional.

Here's how the coolest new camera feature in Apple's iPhone 6S actually works

One of the biggest characteristics that distinguishes Apple's new iPhone from the iPhone 6 is a new feature called Live Photos.

This addition lets you capture photos that move ever so slightly - giving the illusion that they're live moments rather than just still pictures.

During the company's big keynote on Wednesday, Apple said the camera on the iPhone 6S captures the moments just before and after you shoot the photo to create this effect. Now, however, we're getting a few more details about how this technology actually works.

The camera captures just enough movement before and after you press the shutter button to create a 1.5-second animation. But it's not a video - it's a single JPEG file that consists of a series of images, tweeted Canalys analyst Daniel Matte, who spoke with an iPhone product manager from Apple, which MacRumors spotted.

This makes it easy to send these Live Photos to devices that don't support the new feature so it can be viewed as a still image. Audio is recorded separately and then added on top of the file.

Although you can only shoot Live Photos with an iPhone 6S, you'll be able to view them on current iPhones, iPads, Mac devices, and Apple Watches running Apple's latest software. According to Apple's developer documents, it sounds like iPhones and iPads will support Live Photo playback whenever iOS 9.1 launches.

A Live Photo takes up about twice as much storage as a regular photo, according to TechCrunch, and you'll be able to tell whether or not you're in Live Photo mode by looking for a set of yellow rings that sit at the top of the screen in the camera app when the feature is turned on.

Other than the ability to shoot moving photos, the iPhone 6S comes with an improved 12-megapixel camera compared to the 8-megapixel camera on the iPhone 6. We'll know more about how the new iPhone's camera compares to that of its predecessor after the phone launches on Sept. 25.

Here's the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus

At its big event Wednesday afternoon, Apple just unveiled its new iPhones. 

The two phones are called the iPhone 6S and the iPhone 6S Plus as predicted. 

On stage, Tim Cook says that the company has "changed everything" about the iPhone, and that the two new models are the "most advanced smartphones in the world."

There will now be a "rose gold" model that uses an entirely new aluminum than prior phones. 

The iPhone 6S will have a 4.7-inch display in 6S and the 6S plus will have a 5.5-inch display.

Here's the line-up:

Apple

The new iPhone will also have something called "3D touch," which is an upgrade to the "multi-touch" technology that lets you swipe and pinch your iPhone screen.

Screenshot

Apple's calling it a "whole new dimension to how you interact with your iPhone." Basically, the screen can recognize force, meaning that you can do differently things depending on how hard you touch the screen.

This opens up a whole range of new shortcuts. For example, you can open up new menus depending on how hard you touch the screen. Apple's naming the two new touch-types  "peek" and "pop."

Apple

"This is unlike anything you've ever tried before," Apple's Phil Schiller said on stage. 

The point of 3D touch is to save you time. For example, if you're in the Mail app, you can lightly touch a particularly email message to see its content. When you release your finger, you'll go back into your main inbox. However, if you press down harder, you'll dive right into the message so you can fully read it and respond. 

Apple

If you press down on an app on the homescreen, you'll get a new menu of shortcut options. For example, if you press the camera icon, you can automatically open up the selfie camera for example. On Facebook, you can update your status via the home screen. 

Here's Apple's Craig Federighi taking an "emergency selfie."

Screenshot

Apple's new iPhones will also have a new processor that's 70% faster than its last one. Apple's calling the new processing chip the "A9." The added speed combined with 3D touch will be great for gamers, Apple says.  For example, you can switch weapons in a shooting game by pressing down harder on the screen, instead of by having to lift your finger off the screen.

Apple

The new processor also has an always-on motion co-processor, for motion-tracking, and a better Touch ID system.

Apple says that it's also improved its camera that has 50% more mega-pixels than the last version: Introducing the 12 MP iSight camera.

Even though more megapixels can lead to "noisy" images, Apple says that it's gone to great lengths to keep the details of iPhone photos looking sharp and the colors as accurate as possible. 

Here's an un-retouched photo taken on the new iPhone:

Apple

Apple says that the new iPhone camera is better than ever at taking low-light photos and even bigger panoramas. It can take HD videos and even 4K videos, which have even more detail than HD. The Facetime camera got an upgrade too, so you can take more detailed selfies. 

There's also a better flash that will light up three-times brighter while still keeping colors looking accurate. 

Apple also introducing a new feature called "Live Photos." You take a photo as regular, but Apple captures 1.5 seconds of additional content on either side. So, even though it doesn't take up as much space as a regular video, you're essentially getting little videos, so you can make your photos animate.

Apple

 The new iPhones will also have 23 bands of LTE — the most on any smartphone — and wi-fi that's twice as fast. 

Take a look at these stats:

Apple

Time for the pricing: 

Apple

Apple's also starting something called the "iPhone upgrade program."

What to expect from Apple's 'Hey Siri' iPhone event

Anyone hoping for a massive design overhaul has at least a year to wait -- the two new iPhones, the 6s and the 6s Plus, should look just about identical to the models we've already got. The only major exterior differences are subtle ones, like a near-imperceptibly thicker waistline, a new rose gold finish and a shift toward the same 7000 Series aluminum used in the Apple Watch Sport. Sorry. Still, that just means we're getting plenty of under-the-hood improvements. Expect to see some new silicon in the form of a new A9 processor made by Samsung coupled with 2GB of RAM (finally bringing it in line with the iPad Air 2).

We don't know how fast the A9 is going to be clocked, but snappier performance is table stakes in a game like this and at least one sketchy rumor claims it's about 20 percent more powerful than last year's A8. Meanwhile, a tipster on Weibo first posted details of the new iPhones' 12-megapixel camera back in July, a notion that's been accepted and expanded on in recent weeks. The camera upgrade also means the new iPhones will be able to shoot 4K video, a feature that's already found its way into most flagship Android phones. Throw in a screen-based selfie flash and a modestly improved FaceTime camera and you've got the photographic situation in a nutshell.

And then, of course, there's Force Touch. We've already gotten a taste of it in the Apple Watch and a slew of updated MacBooks, but the feature is expected to get a little more nuanced when it makes its way to these new iPhones. 9to5Mac reports that the 6s and 6s Plus will be able to pick up three distinct levels of pressure -- a tap, a press and a deep press -- with a little help from an updated version of Apple's Taptic Engine. Let's not mince words: This has the potential to be the biggest change in how we interact with iPhones since the launch of the App Store seven years ago. Reports suggest that Force Touch will be very subtly integrated into the system as a whole, acting as a way to access actions and shortcuts for supported apps. This might not sound like a huge deal, but developers will flock to it and it's in line with the "get things done faster" philosophy Apple embraced with its Watch.

The iPad finally goes Pro

The first mention of a super-sized "Pro" iPad model started floating around in 2013, and it looks like its time has finally come. If all those rumors hold true, we'll be looking at a tablet with an enormous 12.9-inch display onstage soon -- that's even larger than the Surface Pro's spacious screen. While we're talking Surface similarities, Apple reportedly has a keyboard cover and a Force Touch-sensitive stylus ready to go with this premium slab, although you'll probably have to buy them separately.

A pro-level version of the iPad will need more than just a big screen to set itself apart from its punier siblings, and that's where 9to5Mac says the new A9X chip comes into play. It's said to be a big step forward from the already-powerful A8X chipset in the existing iPad Air 2, but the big question is how much more oomph does it pack than the A9 found in the iPhone 6s. Here's hoping the answer is "loads." This thing should also come with a lot of custom iOS 9 enhancements to put that screen to good use; among other things, we're hearing it can run two full-size iPad apps side by side. Alas, don't expect to waltz into an Apple Store and buy one the day after the event: Production delays have been part of the iPad Pro narrative for months and the best guesses now have pegged a late fall launch.

Then there's the slightly neglected iPad Mini line, which was hardly touched last time -- all it got was a new color and a Touch ID-laden home button. Feh. The scuttlebutt this time 'round suggests Apple's tiny tab will sport the same specs and sleek design we got in last year's iPad Air 2. Better late than never, we guess.

The OS-man cometh

New hardware also means new software to power it, and we've already got a solid graspon what's new in iOS 9. Now all that's left to wait for is an official release date, which Apple will probably drop toward the end of the event tomorrow. We'll also likely get a firm launch window for watchOS 2 as well, which brings a handful of new watch faces and support for native Watch apps to your wrist. Does anyone care to make a bet?

Reaching deeper into your living room

The Apple TV is no "hobby" -- not anymore. It's a cheap, easy-to-use Trojan horse that funnels more of Cupertino's content into our lives and it's getting a pretty hefty upgrade. On a hardware level, the next-gen Apple TV should be bumped to either 8GB or 16GB of internal storage and get the same A8 brain as the current generation iPhones. That trademark black chassis should shed a few millimeters in the process, but the really neat physical changes might happen on that once-chintzy silver remote. TechCrunch suggests it'll have embedded Wii-like motion-control sensors, which developers will probably have a field day with as they build apps for display in the platform's new App Store. And yeah, as you probably guessed, the unholy combination of a motion-sensing controller and an app store means we're likely to see gaming take on renewed importance onstagetomorrow.

Waggling your remote isn't the only new way you'll be able to interact with an Apple TV. In addition to having a touch-sensitive pad wedged into its top quarter, the remote will have a microphone so you can chat up Siri. If reports hold true, you can ask Siri to search for specific actors or titles with your voice -- it'll then scour multiple sources for content that fits the bill. The age of universal search is upon us, and it couldn't have happened soon enough. After all, pecking out titles like Scrotal Recall with the d-pad on existing Apple TV remotes was always, always a pain in the ass. In a way, the Apple TV is being molded into something more like the NVIDIA Shield TV set-top box; you won't hear us complaining about that. The thing is, this new version of Apple's squarish hockey puck isn't expected to play nice with 4K video content. The move isn't completely insane -- there's still a dearth of ultra-high-res content out there -- but it is a little puzzling considering the new iPhones should be able to record at that resolution just fine.

Samsung patents a touchscreen smartphone that can be folded into half

New Samsung patent suggests a smartphone that can fold into half like a wallet

Are you frustrated with the stubborn rigidity of your smartphone? Want a smartphone that can bend and fold in half without disturbing the clarity of the touchscreen?

Well, you may just be lucky. Samsung has designed a smartphone that can completely bend into half. The South Korean smartphone maker has filed patent for technology that could just do the above.

The patent portfolio registered with the United States Patents And Trademarks Office (USPTO) and approved in July 2015 hints that Samsung could be working on a smartphone that folds in half when not in use.

According to images filed with the USPTO earlier this month, the smartphone has a super flexible touchscreen with a frame reminiscent of a flip phone. However, the images suggests that the smartphone could be fold in half with a bit of a gap at the hinge so the screen doesn’t crease, either inward or outward, very similar to the two flaps of a wallet. The appearance of the smartphone could look a lot like the clamshell phones of the early 2000s.

It is not clear whether this foldable design from Samsung would see the light of the day or whether it would pursue and release similar flip phones in the U.S. However, in the recent years, the company has tried out new ways to come up with innovative phone designs, that includes its curved Galaxy phone and its somewhat bendable Galaxy Note Edge.

On the other hand, sometime in August, a version of Samsung’s flip phone called the Galaxy Folder is scheduled to go on sale in Korea. The smartphone will have all the modern functions that one would expect from their smartphones; however, the appearance may be a lot like the phones some years ago.

According to Reviewed.com, Samsung in a statement said, “The folding-style design combined with smartphone features, including the Internet, messenger and social networking services, will add to the device’s convenience.”

With a fall in the profits and market share lately, Samsung has been struggling to have a hold in the market. Earlier this week, the tech company announced it plans to cut prices on its Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge in an effort to encourage its sales.

Nokia's first Android phone reportedly breaks cover

Nokia swears up and down that it's not returning to smartphones, but don't tell that toCNMO. It claims to have leaked images of the C1, Nokia's first-ever Android smartphone and its first phone of any kind since Microsoft bought its original phone business. From all indications, it's a tiny version of the N1 tablet's design -- this is the same minimalist look, just translated to a 5-inch, 1080p display. Accordingly, you'd find budget-class hardware under the hood. The C1 supposedly packs an Atom chip and 2GB of RAM, and its only standout feature so far is its use of Android 6.0 Marshmallow. As it stands, you'll have to wait a while to try this device (if it's indeed real). Nokia's agreement with Microsoft prevents it from competing in the phone space until 2016, so this is more of a sneak peek at the company's future than a preview of an imminent product.