Nokia brings Internet-ready 215 Dual SIM at uber-affordable Rs 2,149

Microsoft enters the low-cost mobile segment with the Internet-ready Nokia 215. The Dual SIM feature phone has been listed on the company website for an affordable Rs 2,149.

Basically, it is the dual SIM variant of the Nokia 215 that was launched last month. Both slots support micro SIMs.

Let’s quickly run through the specs. For that price, users get a 2.4-inch QVGA (240×320 pixels) LCD display with a pixel density of 166ppi. It comes with a microSD card slot that supports up to 32GB storage, and runs Series 30+ operating system.

The feature phone also supports Bluetooth 3.0 and GPRS. On the camera front, expect a 0.3-megapixel fixed-focus camera. The 215 Dual SIM comes with Opera Mini Browser and Bing Search pre-installed. Like most low-end phones, it has a built-in torchlight and also includes stereo FM radio.
Microsoft will let you choose from bright green, black, and white colour options.

An 1100mAh removable battery completes the package, promising to deliver up to 21 days of standby time and up to 20 hours of talk time on 2G networks.

Posted by : Gizmeon

Microsoft’s Lumia 830 and Lumia 930 available with Rs 7,000 cashback

Microsoft announced a new promotional offer for its premium Lumia handsets in India. The company brings ‘guaranteed cashback offers’ on the Lumia 930 and Lumia 830 smartphones. The offer is valid starting today and will last until the stocks last.

It’s a festive offer, especially launched for Holi. After the cashback, the Lumia 830 and Lumia 930 can be grabbed at discounted prices of Rs 21,800 and Rs 31,600 respectively.

Let’s quickly brush through the specs. The Lumia 830 sports a 5-inch ClearBlack display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3. It comes powered by a quad-core Snapdragon 400 clocked at 1.2GHz and 1 GB RAM. There’s a 10MP main camera with 4K recording capability. Disappointingly, the front camera is a paltry 0.9 MP with 720p recording capability.

The Lumia 930 also features a 5-inch screen with Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The phone is powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 which is clocked at 2.2 GHz. It has 2 GB RAM and 32 GB total memory space, but no support for any extra storage. This smartphone has a 20MP PureView camera with 2x digital zoom and dual-LED flash. The front camera is 1.2 MP wide angle lens with a resolution of 1280 x 960 pixels. The battery capacity is 2,420mAh, which Microsoft claims can provide 17.9 hours of talktime on a 3G network.

Users can avail of the cashback via physical retail stores. However, it is still unclear whether the offer is valid only at official Microsoft stores or any store selling Microsoft Lumia 730 and Lumia 830. It is also unclear if the offer is valid on online stores.

Posted by : Gizmeon

Lenovo Vibe Max, X3, S1, P1, P1 Pro features leaked ahead of MWC

Mobile World Congress in Barcelona will commence from March 2 onwards. But it seems the phone detail leaks won’t stop till the last hour. The latest leak involves a bunch of images and features of phones from Lenovo.

According to a report in GSMArena, Lenovo is supposed to show off phones named Lenovo Vibe S1, Vibe X3, Vibe P1, Vibe P1 Pro and the Vibe Max.

The Lenovo Vibe Max will be powered by a 64-bit Snapdragon 615 SoC along with 3GB of RAM. It is expected to come with 32GB internal storage and has support for microSD cards as well. The Vibe Max is expected to be the successor of the Vibe Z2 Pro and will have a 6-inch Quad HD display as well along with a stylus and a fingerprint sensor.

The Lenovo Vibe X3 will feature a 5.5-inch full HD display and stereo speakers. It will come with Lenovo Hi-Fi 3.0 software. It comes in a metallic frame and has a fingerprint sensor below the rear camera. The rear camera is expected to have a 20.7MP resolution.

The Vibe S1 will come in multiple colours such as pink, aqua blue, purple and is addressed at the younger generation. It is speculated to have a higher megapixel front-facing camera for selfie enthusiasts. There aren’t much details out on the hardware.

The Lenovo Vibe P1 and P1 Pro will come with LTE and 64-bit octa-core processors. While the Vibe P1 will house a 4,000 mAh battery, the P1 Pro is expected to come with 5,000 mAh battery.

All the phones leaked above will come with the Android 5.0 Lollipop OS according to speculations. We shall find out the truth in a week’s time.

Posted by : Gizmeon

Micromax plant worth Rs 500 crore to come up in Rajasthan

A Rs.500 crore Micromax manufacturing plant is all set to come up in Rajashtan’s Alwar district following the signing of an MoU between the state government and Bhagwati Products Ltd.

Spread across 25 acres, it would be the second manufacturing plant in the country by Bhagwati Products Ltd. for production of mobile handsets, LED TVs, LED Lights etc. for Micromax Brand. It will be set up at Karoli near Bhiwadi town, about 200 km from here.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the plant was signed by Rajesh Agarwal, chairman of Bhagwati Products Ltd. and co-founder of the Micromax Informatics Ltd., and Veenu Gupta, principal secretary industries, Rajasthan and managing director, Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation (RIICO) Ltd.

C.S. Rajan, Rajasthan chief secretary and RIICO chairman, was also present on this occasion.

“The company plans to invest Rs.500 crore in the project initially and it is expected to provide direct employment to 5,000 persons,” an official release said.

As per the MoU, RIICO will support Bhagwati Products Ltd. in establishing the facility in a time-bound manner and facilitate the necessary infrastructure, ecosystem and incentives under various schemes announced by the state and central governments.

Rajan said the government “strongly believes in the prime minister’s vision of Make in India and has always encouraged companies to establish their factories and R&D centres in the state”.

“The state will reap benefits of this initiative not only for the overall economic developments but will also help in skilling the youth and creating enormous job opportunities in the region,” he added.

On the occasion, Agarwal said: “Rajasthan is one of the most important states and the Karoli manufacturing unit will further enhance our manufacturing operations in the country.

Posted by : Gizmeon

Xiaomi will sue websites who claim to sell their devices illegally

Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi will take legal action against any unauthorized online retailers or websites who try to sell their devices.

As of now, the company has an ongoing patent dispute with Ericsson who has claimed that Xiaomi is violating the Delhi High Court’s order by still selling phones with the MediaTek-based chipsets via a website called www.xiaomishop.com. Though, Xiaomi’s lawyers have refuted the claim saying that the company has absolutely no stake in the website and in fact some third party is misusing its name.

Manu Jain, Head of India operations at Xiaomi told Times of India that, “They’re infringing on trademarks and they’re making the world believe that it’s a genuine Xiaomi site, which it is not.” He also added that, “The products sold on these websites are not meant for India and are sold at significantly higher price points.”

The company plans to take legal action against xiaomishop.com site was isn’t functional any more along with four to five other sites, which were selling Xiaomi products illegally. Manu Jain also added that, “We’re holding conversations with Fox-Conn and Inventec, who majorly manufacture for us, to set up an assembly line in India.”

As of now, Flipkart and Airtel are the only authorized Xiaomi sellers in India. The company also has plans to sell smartphones through its own portal in India. The company which currently sells devices in India through homegrown eCommerce major Flipkart, will bring in its website ‘Mi.com’ to India in the latter part of the year.

Xiaomi will also enter the US market with Mi.com and will sell earphones and bands, as of now. The company also said it is close to securing a manufacturing partner in Brazil, which will help it skirt punishing tariffs on imported electronics when it begins sales in Latin America’s largest economy in the first half of this year.

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Qualcomm announces new Snapdragon 600 and 400 series SoCs for high volume LTE market

Qualcomm announced the launch of its latest system-on-chips in the Snapdragon 600 and Snapdragon 400 series, which will be targetting mid-range and entry-level handsets with advanced LTE chips. The four chipsets released by Qualcomm include Snapdragon 618, 620 from the Snapdragon 600 series and Snapdragon 415 and 425 from the Snapdragon 400 series.

While Qualcomm’s high end chipset, the Snapdragon 810 is already present in phones such as LG G Flex 2 and Xiaomi Mi Note Pro, but thanks to the high price of these handsets, they are targetted at a limited audience. The mid-range and entry-level market is where the main volumes lie and Qualcomm wants a pie of this huge segment which is currently seeing a lot of competition from its rival MediaTek.

Qualcomm has also removed the Gobi branding from its LTE modems. All future Qualcomm LTE modems will come under the Snapdragon branding. The naming convention will involve an X followed by a number. The higher the number, the speedier the LTE connection.

Snapdragon 415 and 425: Brings octa-core CPUs to Snapdragon 400 series

Snapdragon 400 series SoCs have been seen in a lot of entry level handsets, specially the Snapdragon 410 chipset. With the Snapdragon 415 and 425, Qualcomm is getting an octa-core chipset in the Snapdragon 400 series for the first time. Both will feature the eight-core Cortex A53 processors. Built on the 28nm manufacturing process, both these chipsets will be compatible with the 64-bit instruction set.

Some of the top features that will be seen on the 415 and 425 includes dual image signal processors (ISPs) to improve camera speeds in the mid-range and entry-level smartphones. Both will feature Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0 feature, which lets you charge your phones at a rapid rate.

The graphics section will also get a boost, with the Adreno 405 being the main GPU, which is currently present on the Snapdragon 615 SoC. This means DirectX 11.2 support for Windows handsets, hardware decode support for 1080p H.265 video  and it will support up to full HD display resolutions.

The main difference between the Snapdragon 415 and 425 chipsets is the LTE modems used. The 415 comes with the X5 LTE modem which supports download / upload speeds of 150 / 50 Mbps, also known as Cat4 speeds. The Snapdragon 425 on the other hand includes X8 LTE modem which gives download / upload speeds of 300 / 100 Mbps. Now these are theoretical speeds, the real life speeds will of course be less. While the phones sporting the Snapdragon 415 will be seen in the first half of the year, those with the Snapdragon 425 will be seen only in the second half.

Snapdragon 618 and 620: Will cater to the mid-range segment with Cortex A72 processors

The Snapdragon 618 and 620 will be the first chipsets from Qualcomm that will house the Cortex A72 processors. According to ARM, the Cortex A72 is twice as fast as the Cortex A57 which is seen on the Snapdragon 810 chipset. So in effect, the Snapdragon 800 level performance can be expected from the 618 and 620 SoCs when they start coming out in handsets in the second half of 2015.

The Snapdragon 618 will house two Cortex A72 cores and four smaller Cortex A53 cores in a 6-core bit.LITTLE configuration. Similarly, the higher end Snapdragon 620 will have four Cortex A72 cores and four Cortex A53 cores making it an octa-core processor sporting SoC. Qualcomm hasn’t given much details on the GPU part that is being employed, but says that it will be a next-gen Adreno GPU.

On the feature front, both the 618 and 620 chipsets will get support for 4K video capture and playback and it will support the H.265 hardware decode support. It will also feature support for Quick Charge 2.0 and dual image signal processors. On the display front, the two chipsets can support up to 2K phone displays as well as 4K external displays. Both the chipsets will also come with the X8 LTE modem which will give download / upload speeds of 300 / 100 Mbps. Handsets sporting these SoCs will be seen in the second half of 2015.

Posted by : Gizmeon

French Minister Bernard Cazeneuve meets with Google, Facebook, Twitter

France’s chief internal security official is travelling to California’s Silicon Valley to discuss his government’s concerns about violent jihadist social media messaging with leading tech and Internet companies.

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve told a Washington news conference on Thursday that “all the Internet operators were welcoming me,” including Twitter, Google, Microsoft Corp and Facebook.

He said that when meeting with the companies on Friday, he would discuss several issues related to the use of social media by groups such as Islamic State, including the companies’ own “codes of conduct” as well as strategies for using social media to counter violent messaging by militants.

He said that under a new French law, the government has the authority to “block” the posting of content which it considers dangerous. A French official said that a law granting the government powers to do this was passed by the French parliament late last year, and that regulations to implement it were issued ten days ago.

Cazaneuve said, however, that he expected that French authorities would not have to use their powers to ban particular message traffic often. “We think the companies will do it,” he said.

The companies did not have immediate comment.

Cazaneuve noted the French were strong proponents of freedom of speech and that the condemnation of the recent deadly shooting attack by two gunmen at the offices of satirical publication Charlie Hebdo, which had published cartoons lampooning the Prophet Mohammed, demonstrated how highly France values free expression.

Earlier, in a speech to an international summit meeting on “countering violent extremism” hosted by the administration of President Barack Obama, Cazeneuve said that in recent years, the “profile of terrorists and potential terrorists has changed.”

He said many had “become radicalised over the Internet,” and others shifted from “crime to terrorism after serving time in prison or after contact with hardline Islamists.”

He said that even though France last April introduced new “preventive actions” to curb travel by would-be foreign fighters to conflict areas, French authorities now believe “more than 400″ French citizens are now in Iraq and Syria. He said about 1,400 French citizens are involved “in one way or another” with networks of foreign fighters.

Cazeneuve said Europe would increase travel controls, including creation of a “passenger name record” tracking system and tightening travel controls within the presently borderless “Schengen” area of the European Union, as part of efforts to curb travel by foreign fighters.

He said this would “require strengthening controls at EU borders, notably for European nationals.”

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Japan Display in talks with Apple to build plant to make the next iPhone screens: Report

Japan Display Inc is considering building a plant to supply smartphone screens for Apple Inc and is negotiating with the U.S. company for investment in the project, a person familiar with the situation said on Friday.

The Japanese screen maker aims to be the primary supplier of high-tech screens for Apple’s wildly popular iPhones, the person told Reuters. Global iPhone sales, notably in China, have surged to make Apple the most profitable company in history.

Japan Display wants Apple to shoulder much of the expected 200 billion yen ($1.7 billion) investment in the plant, which aims to be in operation next year, the source said on condition of anonymity as the talks remain confidential.

The Japanese company said in a statement that it was constantly pursuing opportunities to strengthen its competitiveness, including building a new plant. “No formal decision has been made regarding any matter that we need to disclose,” it said.

The most likely site for the plant is in Ishikawa, central Japan, the source said. It would have a capacity greater than an existing facility in Mobara, southeast of Tokyo, which makes 50,000 of the 1.5 by 1.85 metre sheets a month for iPhone 6 screens and other uses, he said.

Japan Display Chief Executive Shuichi Otsuka said last year that the company needed a new plant as it was reaching capacity at Mobara.

The company, formed in a government-backed deal in 2012 from the ailing display units of Sony Corp (6758.T), Toshiba Corp (6502.T) and Hitachi Ltd (6501.T), has endured a rocky spell since its listing in Tokyo last year.

But Japan Display this month reported a rebound to profit from two quarters of losses, boosted by demand from Apple and Chinese smartphone makers, in stark contrast with Japanese competitor Sharp Corp’s (6753.T) shrinking panel business.

Extra orders from Apple would boost Japan Display in its rivalry with Sharp.

Japan Display’s shares jumped 14 percent in early trade on the latest news before closing up 5.4 percent. Sharp fell 2 percent, while the benchmark Nikkei share index .N225 rose 0.4 percent.

Apple and Sharp both declined to comment on the reports.

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Nasa announces Mars Balance Mass Challange winners

Nasa has announced the winners of its first Mars Balance Mass Challenge that asked for design ideas for small science and technology payloads that could provide dual purpose as ejectable balance masses on spacecraft entering the Martian atmosphere.

Texas-based Ted Ground was awarded $20,000 for his idea to study the Martian atmosphere by releasing material that could be seen and studied by other Martian spacecraft in orbit and on the ground.

A team of engineers from Grand Rapids, Michigan, received an honourable mention and $5,000 for their idea to study Martian weather by looking at wind patterns near the planet’s surface.

“The 219 submissions from 43 countries to the Mars Balance Mass Challenge show the interest the public has in directly engaging with Nasa,” said Nasa chief technologist David Miller.

“The two winning ideas highlight how effective these activities can be at helping Nasa bring innovative ideas into our missions,” he added.

The Mars Balance Mass Challenge was announced in September 2014.

The payloads would serve two roles: perform scientific or technology functions that help us learn more about the Red Planet and provide the necessary weight to balance planetary landers.

“We want citizens to join us on the journey to Mars,” said George Tahu, programme executive for Mars Exploration at Nasa headquarters in Washington, DC.

Submissions to the challenge ranged from analysing Martian weather or the Martian surface, to demonstrating new technologies such as 3D printing or parachutes, to pre-positioning supplies for future human missions on the planet’s surface.

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US net neutrality opponents and proponents claim that new ‘general conduct’ rules are vague

As the U.S. Federal Communications Commission prepares to vote on new rules for high-speed Internet service, one aspect of the rules is drawing criticism from both opponents and proponents of tighter regulation.

The FCC, which is set to vote next week to regulate Internet service providers more like traditional telephone companies, has introduced a so-called “general conduct” provision in the latest version of the rules that aim to ensure net neutrality, the principle that all web traffic should be treated equally.

In the general conduct provision, the FCC will say that Internet providers’ actions cannot be harmful to consumers or content providers, and will outline seven elements that the regulators would consider in reviewing potential violations of that standard, agency officials have said.

But the Internet providers, who reject the tougher regulatory regime, as well as advocates of stronger regulation, both say that this general conduct provision is too vague. They have made a last-ditch effort to push for changes, according to FCC disclosures, filings and interviews with lobbyists and activists.

Although the FCC has not publicly disclosed specifics of the seven factors, an FCC spokeswoman told Reuters that three of those guidance criteria are related to impact on competition, innovation, and free expression.

Industry sources say the other four criteria focus on impact on broadband deployment and investments; whether actions in question are specific to some applications and not others; whether they comply with industry best standards and practices; and whether they take place without the awareness of the end-user, the Internet subscriber.

Telecom and cable lobbyists say the rules’ vague guidelines could effectively require the companies to consult the FCC every time they want to create a new service, to make sure it doesn’t run afoul of the rule.

Net neutrality advocates for their part, worry that the rules will lack clarity for both the Internet providers and potential complainants, making them harder to administer and potentially leading to arbitrary interpretation.

RARE AGREEMENT BY TWO SIDES

“A ‘general conduct rule,’ applied on a case-by-case basis with the only touchstone being whether a given practice ‘harms’ consumers or edge providers, may lead to years of expensive litigation to determine the meaning of ‘harm’ (for those who can afford to engage in it),” the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a net neutrality advocate, said in a filing submitted on Thursday.

The shared concern by industry groups and activists is a rare example of the two sides being aligned in the long-running debate over whether Internet service providers should be subject to tighter regulation.

Net neutrality advocacy groups have for years sought stricter regulations, including a ban on Internet providers blocking or unfairly slowing down any web content or providing faster access in return for payment.

Companies say they don’t oppose those specific rules, but that a stringent new regulatory regime would stifle investment.

The Federal Communications Commission will vote on the new rules on Feb. 26. Lobbyists say the FCC is unlikely to change the general conduct rule so late before the vote, but the matter is expected to spill over into Congress, where Republican lawmakers hope to counter FCC’s regulations with new laws.

Posted by : Gizmeon

Modified Android banking apps are infected by Trojan

The deadly virus, also called ‘Badaccents’, is a premium service banking Trojan that arrives bundled with legitimate Android applications and infects smart phones featuring this operating system.

“The Trojan is created by modifying the legitimate application and then re-distributing via marketplace or other separate channels,” the cyber security agency said. It also tricks the user to respond to a popup with a message to lure the user into launching the downloaded application packages saying: “Google play needs to be updated”, which at times, is malicious in content.

The agency also suggested some counter-measures to stop the illegal activity of such viruses. “Do not download and install applications from untrusted sources, install applications downloaded from reputed application market only, run a full system scan on device with mobile security or anti-virus solution and check for the permissions required by an application before installing.

“Also, exercise caution while visiting trusted/untrusted sites for clicking links, install and maintain updated mobile security/anti-virus solutions, users are advised to keep an eye on data usage and unusual increase in mobile bills, avoid using unsecured, unknown Wi-Fi networks and make a practise of taking regular backup of Android device,” the advisory suggested.

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Google wins dismissal of US lawsuit over Android app limits

A federal judge on Friday dismissed a lawsuit accusing Google of harming smartphone buyers by forcing handset makers that use its Android operating system to make the search engine company’s own applications the default option.

Consumers claimed that Google required companies such as Samsung to favor Google apps such as YouTube on Android-powered phones, and restrict rival apps such as Microsoft Bing.

They said this illegally drove smartphone prices higher because rivals could not compete for the “prime screen real estate” that Google’s apps enjoyed.

But in Friday’s decision, U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman in San Jose, California said the consumers failed to show that higher prices stemmed from Google’s having illegally forced restrictive contracts on the handset makers. She also said she could not tell how many supply chain levels there were between the handset makers who signed the alleged anticompetitive contracts, and the consumers themselves.

“Their alleged injuries – supracompetitive prices and threatened loss of innovation and consumer choice – are not the necessary means by which defendant is allegedly accomplishing its anticompetitive ends,” Freeman wrote.

The judge gave the plaintiffs three weeks to amend claims under the federal Sherman antitrust law and California’s unfair competition law.

Robert Lopez, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Aaron Stein, a Google spokesman, declined to comment.

Google also faces antitrust issues in Europe.

The European Parliament in November urged antitrust authorities to break up the Mountain View, California-based company and called on the European Commission to consider proposals to unbundle search engines from other services.

The case is Feitelson et al v. Google Inc, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 14-02007.

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Pebble to unveil a new smartwatch next week?

Pebble, who has managed to sell 1 million units from the 2013 launch through to the end of 2014, is all geared to launch a new iteration of its smartwatch. Pebble’s official website has been updated with a countdown that says the company is all set to launch a new product next week on Tuesday at 10 AM.

Though the company hasn’t disclosed what it plans to launch, several hardware and software updates that the company has planned point at a new smartwatch, reports 9To5Mac. Citing some sources related to the matter, the report states the new changes could be ready for a debut.

With all eyes at the upcoming Apple Watch that is expected to launch by April, Pebble is said to introduce some essential changes like a slightly wider and thinner design along with an e-ink like display. However, the design could still not come with touch abilities, like seen in Apple devices. The display could feature an improved backlit ability. The battery life specs are said to be in line with the current models in the market, adds the report.

In terms of hardware, the company is also said to be developing a microphone. Along with Nuance voice recognition software, the microphone could be used to support a new series of third-party apps.

Though a heart rate monitor has been on Pebble’s roadmap for some time now, it may not be implemented in this version due to limited resources.

“Smart Bands will be available in the future that can add additional sensors to the watch. The charging and data transfer pins have been moved to the bottom of the device, which now sports a plastic body with aluminum edges,” adds the report.

Pebble’s new hardware is also said to support new version of its OS that has been designed from scratch. “The new software will feature a timeline view that records a list of recent notifications and the entire UI features many new animations,” adds the report.

The software will support a new Cortex M4 processor with a 6-axis gyroscope. The new model could carry a price tag similar to the Pebble Steel.

Posted by : Gizmeon

Motorola to make ‘mysterious’ device announcement on 25 February

Motorola has reportedly sent out a mail to the press teasing an “exciting announcement” which will take place on 25th February. A box will be hand-delivered to members of the press. The Verge stated that there was no indication as to what could be in the box. They say that this could be the first major product from the company after Lenovo had acquired it back in October.

Motorla hasn’t been in the news much for the upcoming MWC event either. The mysterious announcement could either be an updated Moto 360 or any other smartphone from the company. It might be too soon to see another Moto X as of now. Motorola could possibly reveal something new altogether in the department for virtual reality.

But as yet, there is no conformation, nor any rumour whatsoever of what the device could be. The report added that the only indication Motorola has given so far is “everything you need fits inside one box.” We will only know what the company will unveil on Wednesday.

Earlier, e-commerce giant Flipkart hinted that Motorola could possibly launch the Moto Maxx in India. Flipkart had tweeted out saying, “There’s a Moto beast coming your way… exclusively on Flipkart. Stay tuned for more details.”

Its international pricing comes to roughly Rs 49,000, so this will be the most expensive Motorola phone that will sell in India.

Posted by : Gizmeon

Is Superfish an Internet pioneer or a PC user’s privacy nightmare?

A little-known Silicon Valley startup was caught in a firestorm of criticism this week for making software that exposed Lenovo laptop users to hackers bent on stealing personal information. But Superfish Inc. has also won praise for producing visual search technology that many see as the next big thing in online shopping.

Is Superfish an Internet pioneer or a computer-user’s privacy nightmare?

Either way, don’t expect a mea culpa. Faced with a withering publicity barrage that could jeopardize any startup’s future, Superfish CEO Adi Pinhas blamed another company for the security flaw and complained about what he called “false and misleading statements made by some media commentators and bloggers.”

Researchers revealed Thursday that some laptops sold by China’s Lenovo, the world’s biggest PC maker, had a security flaw that could let hackers impersonate shopping, banking and other websites and steal users’ credit card numbers and other personal data.

Lenovo has since apologized for pre-loading the computers with Superfish’s visual search software, which captures images that users view online, such as a sofa or pair of shoes, and then shows them ads for similar products. By itself, the image recognition algorithm might not be a security risk. But the problem arose because Superfish used software from another company that can eavesdrop when Internet users visit secure or encrypted websites.

That software replaced the encryption code on websites with its own easily-hacked code, according to several researchers. The Department of Homeland Security issued an alert Friday saying Lenovo customers should remove Superfish software because of the hacking dangers

Superfish on Friday insisted its own code is safe and said the security flaw was “introduced unintentionally by a third party.” In an email to The Associated Press, Pinhas identified that party as Komodia, a tech startup based in Israel that makes software for other companies, including tools for companies that show online ads and for programs parents can use to monitor their children’s Web surfing.

Some experts say the problem may extend beyond Lenovo. The Komodia tool could imperil any company or program using the same code. “It’s not just Superfish, other companies may be vulnerable,” said Robert Graham, CEO of Errata Security. Komodia CEO Barak Weichselbaum declined comment Friday.

Launched in Israel by Pinhas and fellow entrepreneur Michael Chertok, Superfish is among a handful of companies pioneering the use of “visual recognition” technology, which industry experts say could revolutionize online shopping by letting people search online with pictures as easily as they now search with words. Superfish’s visual recognition algorithms can analyze a picture and search through a database for similar images, even if they’re not labeled with descriptive text.

“I’ve been impressed. They’re probably one of the best technologies that’s out there,” said Sucharita Mulpuru, a Forrester Research analyst. “It can be a powerful tool for a lot of things, but definitely for shopping and e-commerce.”

Consumers will see more of this in the future, said Yory Wurmser at the eMarketer research firm. Amazon.com Inc. built a similar shopping feature into its Fire smartphone last year. Google Inc., Facebook Inc., Pinterest and other tech giants are investing heavily in visual search.

Now based in Palo Alto, California, Pinhas has called Superfish a “deep technology company.” But Superfish critics call its products “ad-ware” or worse. Several Internet message boards are filled with complaints that an earlier Superfish program, WindowShopper, bombarded users with annoying ads and diverted them to websites they didn’t want to visit. Pinhas didn’t respond to an emailed question about WindowShopper.

Superfish, which was founded in 2006, said last year that it had 85 employees and about $45 million in annual revenue. As a privately held startup, the company doesn’t disclose major customers or contracts. But with the Lenovo debacle, Superfish’s brand is taking a hit. However the flaw was introduced, critics say Superfish and Lenovo should have caught the problem sooner.

“They probably saw this as a way to generate revenue, but the security implications are pretty severe,” said analyst Ken Westin of the cybersecurity firm Tripwire.

Lenovo released a software tool Friday to help customers remove the Superfish code from their laptops. It can be found at http://support.lenovo.com/us/en/product_security/superfish_uninstall . But some experts say users may want to wipe their hard drives and start over, re-installing the Windows operating system however.

That’s not an easy task for casual users, said Westin, “but it’s the best way to be completely sure.”

Posted by : Gizmeon

Tapan Misra named new head of Isro application centre

Scientist Tapan Misra Friday took over as director of the Indian space agency’s application centre at Ahmedabad in Gujarat.

Misra, deputy director of microwave remote sensing area at the same centre, succeeded A.S. Kiran Kumar, who was made chairman of the state-run Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) on January 14 in Bengaluru.

An engineering graduate from Jadavpur University in Kolkata, Misra was the lead designer for the development of C-band synthetic aperture radar of the country’s radar imaging satellite-1 (Risat-1).

“Under Misra’s leadership, critical technology elements for Risat were developed in partnership with the industry,” the space agency said in a statement.

Misra contributed to the system design, simulation, integration and ground calibration of multi-frequency scanning microwave radiometer instrument, which is onboard the country’s Oceansat-1 satellite.

“Misra was associated with the development of a special airborne radar system for disaster management during 2005-2006 Scatterometer payload of Oceansat-2, launched in 2009 for providing wind data to global meteorological community,” the statement recalled.

Misra also led a team to develop futuristic remote sensing systems, including advanced radars, millimetre wave sounders and an advanced Scatterometer.

Beginning his career at the applications centre as a digital hardware engineer for developing quick look display system of x-band side looking airborne radar in 1984, Misra went on to design and develop C-band airborne synthetic aperture radar.

“Misra developed an important algorithm for real-time processing of synthetic aperture radar data when he was a guest scientist in the German Aerospace Agency in 1990,” the statement added.

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Microsoft Lumia 640 may be the company’s next affordable Windows smartphone

Microsoft could soon launch a new budget Windows smartphone codenamed Lumia 640 (model number RM-1109). This handset has been recently approved by Brazil’s Anatel which is the country’s National Telecommunication Agency. Along with the name, the company also revealed some of its features. The smartphone could make an appearance at the Mobile World Congress taking place next month.

Phonearena reported that the successor to the Nokia Lumia 630 and Lumia 635 is said to offer HSDPA+, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 along with dual SIM capabilities and support for digital TV, which is popular in Brazil. The phone will be powered with a  2500 mAh battery. There is no information provided as to if the device will run Windows Phone 8.1 or Windows 10 during the time of launch.

More information about the phone is under embargo at Brazil’s regulatory agency Anatel, until after Mobile World Congress in March, as pointed out by Windows Central. Recently, the company announced a new promotional offer for its premium Lumia handsets in India. The company brought ‘guaranteed cashback offers’ on the Lumia 930 and Lumia 830 smartphones. The offer is valid until the stocks last.

It’s a festive offer, especially launched for Holi. After the cashback, the Lumia 830 and Lumia 930 can be grabbed at discounted prices of Rs 21,800 and Rs 31,600 respectively. Users can avail of the cashback via physical retail stores.

Posted by : Gizmeon

Motorola Moto Maxx coming soon to India? Flipkart tweet hints it is

It looks like Motorola is all set to launch its Moto Maxx handset in India if Flipkart’s tweet is any indicator to go by. Flipkart tweeted out the following tweet today afternoon. Flipkart has not mentioned any launch date though.

From the tweet the words ‘accelerated performance’, ‘ballistic nylon’, clearly hint at the Moto Maxx as it has a ballistic nylon build which is a durable material with distinct texture. It also has a layer of DuPont Kevlar under the nylon, which is a material that is five times stronger than steel. Apart from this the Moto Maxx has a Corning Gorilla Glass 3 along with a nano-coating that is water repellant.

On the specs front the Moto Maxx is expected to have a 5.2-inch display with a 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution. It will have an AMOLED panel. It will be powered by a 2.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 SoC which houses a quad-core processor and Adreno 420 GPU.  You get 64GB of storage and 3GB of RAM.

It will run the Android 4.4 KitKat OS and is expected to get the Android 5.0 Lollipop update as well.

On the camera front, it sports a 21MP rear camera with dual-LED flash unit and a 2MP front-facing camera.

Its international pricing comes to roughly Rs 49,ooo, so this will be the most expensive Motorola phone that will sell in India.

Posted by : Gizmeon

World’s first hands-free smartphone for disabled

An Israeli company claims to have developed the first completely hands-free smartphone that can allow disabled users to control the device with head movement.

The smartphone created by Sesame Enable is designed for people with spinal cord injuries, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), cerebral palsy and other disabilities that hamper the use of hands and arms.

The Sesame is an Android smartphone that is equipped with proprietary head-tracking technology, ‘Jewish Telegraphic Agency ( JTA)’ reported.

The phone comes with an advanced computer vision algorithm and a front-facing camera that track user’s head movements and allow them to control a cursor on screen.
The cursor is essentially a virtual finger, letting users do what others can with a regular smartphone.

The $1,000-phone recently won a “Verizon Powerful Answers’ Award” with $1 million in prize money.

Its developer Giora Livne, who himself is disabled, now plans to give away about 30 Sesame smartphones to people with disabilities nominated by their peers.

Livne came up with the idea after seeing a TV demonstration for a game controlled with head movements.

With a background in electrical engineering, he recognised the technology’s potential to help him, and others.

He now regularly texts and sends WhatsApp messages to his friends and three children, and the phone has helped ease some of the social isolation experienced by many disabled people, especially the young.

Posted by : Gizmeon

Mobile app to help girls fight traffickers

A mobile app is giving a new ray of hope to girls in villages of some West Bengal districts, where incidents of child marriage and girl trafficking have been alarming in the past few decades.

“GPower” was launched as a joint venture of Accenture and NGO CINI (Child in Need Institute) last year following a survey on the condition of educational programs among girls in South 24 Parganas and Murshidabad districts.

It has helped in saving over 200 girls spread around 20 villages from either being trafficked or being a victim of child marriage, its makers claim.

“At the fag end of 2013, we decided to conduct a survey on condition of educational programs among girls in South 24 Parganas and Murshidabad. At that time we came to know about the vulnerability of the adolescent and teenage girls aged between 10-19,” CINI’s Assistant Director Indrani Bhattacharya said.

“The education of the girls were stopped either midway or they were trafficked. Some of them were traced back. But we felt the need for such a software which could help us in preventing trafficking, child marriage and keep a regular track of these girl child,” she told PTI.

“Then in March 2014 the mobile app was launched. It is a multi-pronged approach to save the girl child,” she said.

“The project is a huge success. It is limited to 20 villages due to lack of funds. We have a target of reaching out to 7000 girls from 100 villages of South 24 Parganas and Murshidabad in next 3 years,” she said.

When asked how does this app works in providing real time data and prevents trafficking, Bhattacharya said there are two-three stages.

Firstly, community facilitators or teachers in the villages are trained and provided with tablets/android phones which have GPower mobile app installed in it. We have now community. Their job is to register each and every detail of adolescent girls aged between 10-19 in those villages.

Using cloud-based technology, GPower ensures quick transmission of data to centralised servers, which allows real-time data analysis.

“Its analytic-based functions then process the data to provide instant insights. These insights create a continuous information flow that not only allows tracking of individual cases of vulnerability, but also reveals trends and allows forecast of results,” she says, adding action is taken depending on which of the three zones of safety a girl falls.

Posted by : Gizmeon

Samsung Galaxy S6 launch: Latest video teaser hints at metal body and thin bezel

The Galaxy S6 is one phone that is creating quite a lot of buzz around it and Samsung is milking the attention with newer teasers. Samsung released a video teaser simply titled, The Next Galaxy, which shows what’s being speculated at the Galaxy S6. In addition to this, the Samsung Instagram page has also released a visual teaser of the S6.

The teaser gives ample hints that with the Galaxy S6, Samsung will finally ditch the plastic element in the build and give us an all metallic body phone. There are artsy visuals of liquid metal sliding along what looks like the edge of the phone.

‘Borders will disapper,’ says the voice over which hints that the Galaxy S6 will have extremely thin bezels on the sides. The other statement, ‘Reflections will be free,’ hints at an anti-reflexive coating.

The video also gives a brief hint of a curved edge display. This again adds gravitas to the rumours that Samsung will release the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S Edge. A report by Sammobile has confirmed that the Samsung Edge device will come with an Edge screen on both sides.

Citing some internal sources, the report further adds that the Edge screens will be 30 to 50 percent less curved than the Edge display on the Galaxy Note Edge.The reason behind this is the smaller size of the device and the volume and power buttons on the sides. The curves on both sides will be uniform.

In terms of specs , the Galaxy S6 may feature an Ultra HD 4K display, 4GB RAM and a 20MP camera. An initial specs list for S6 said that the device would have a 5.3-inch 4K AMOLED display, a 64-bit Exynos 7420 or Snapdragon 810 processor depending on the country, 5 megapixel front camera, and Broadcom’s new sensor chip. The most recent report talks about 5.1-inch displays, one of the models to feature three-sided display and an extremely easy-to-use camera.

Samsung is also expected to release the Galaxy S6 with Exynos 7 and LTE.  Initially, Samsung was testing the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset, but it was found to cause over heating, which made Samsung drop the idea of using the Snapdragon 810 SoC. Qualcomm hasagreed to rework the Snapdragon 810 SoC for Samsung’s flagship device.

Another report had revealed that the 32GB Galaxy S6 variant is likely to be priced at 749 euros that is approximately Rs 53,000, 64GB at 849 euros which comes to approximately Rs 62,000 and and 128GB version to cost 949 euros (approx. Rs 69,300). The 32GB Galaxy S6 Edge is likely to be priced at 849 euros that is about Rs 59,500, 64GB version at 949 euros (approx. Rs 66,400) and 128GB variant at 1049 euros which comes to Rs 73,300.

Posted by : Gizmeon

WhatsApp rolls out ‘voice-calling’ for some Android users, but then takes it off

WhatsApp calling feature is one eagerly awaited functionality. According to a report in Android Police, the calling feature was activated for some selected users who could pass on the invitation to their friends by making a WhatsApp call. But this invite-feature has since been disabled by WhatsApp.

According to the site, users with WhatsApp version 2.11.528 from the Play Store or 2.11.531 from WhatsApp website who saw the caller icon on their app, could make a call to their friends and pass on the invite. The invite in essence was getting a call from someone who already had the calling feature activated.

Users who have activated this feature, can still make calls to their friends. But one cannot activate the option for others. It seems like WhatsApp has disabled the invitation feature and was simply testing its servers for the call functionality.

We had earlier seen, how WhatsApp was testing this calling feature in India. A Reddit user pradnesh07, even got the feature activated on his phone. According to the images posted, users who receive the voice-calling feature will notice an icon for it, beside the Chats and Contacts tabs. The call interface seems to quite similar to a smartphone’s contact directory. The app keeps a record of recent WhatsApp calls as well.

News site BGR India also claimed to have received a call in the testing phase from WhatsApp India head Neeraj Arora. According to the site, the call quality on 3G and EDGE networks was quite good with 3G networks giving better audio quality.

There are a lot of messenger apps which allow free peer-to-peer calling. Some of them include Viber, Hike, Skype, Line and so on. But what gives WhatsApp an edge is the user base in India, which comes to around 70 million active monthly users. It seems that the feature is all set for a pan-India rollout sooner rather than later.

Posted by : Gizmeon

HTTP web standard to get its first revision in 16 years

The HTTP standard is all set to get its first major update. The new standard has been proposed for faster deliver of web pages to browsers. In fact, it will be the Internet protocol’s first revision in the past 16 years.

Mark Nottingham, who is the chairman of the IETF HTTPBIS Working Group writes in an official blog post that the new HTTP 2.0’s specs have been approved formally. However, he further writes that the specifications will go through a last formality. They will be published only after the Request for Comment documenting and editorial processes, Nottingham said.

“HTTP/2 is a huge deal; it’s the next big version of the Hypertext Transfer Protocol, marking the largest change since 1999 when HTTP 1.1 was adopted,” states TheNextWeb.

With the new standard, one can expect faster page loads, longer-lived connections, server push and more. Along with a number of new features that developers can adopt, it is said to use the same HTTP APIs that they are familiar with.

The HTTP requests will be cheaper to make. It will introduce a new multiplexing feature, allowing several requests to be delivered at the same time. This will ensure the page load isn’t blocked.

Another notable feature is encryption. “Google has long pushed for encryption on the Web to protect privacy and cut down on hacking vulnerabilities, and SPDY requires encryption technology called TLS (Transport Layer Security, formerly called SSL for Secure Sockets. That encyrption push grew a lot stronger after the former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden revealed extensive government surveillance, and SPDY’s creators along with some IETF saw the performance benefits of HTTP 2.0 as a good way to coax more of the Web toward encryption,” points out Cnet.

Developers who want to test the new HTTP 2.0 before it goes live, can do so in Firefox and Chrome with downloadable test servers.

Posted by : Gizmeon

US website Mashable is coming to India, announces partnership with India.com

US-headquartered news portal, Mashable today announced its foray into the Indian market in partnership with Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd’s JV firm India.com.

The company, which termed India as one of its top five global markets, said Mashable India will have an editorial team based in the country for localised content.

Commenting on its India foray, Mashable Founder and CEO Pete Cashmore said: “As Mashable continues to grow in parallel with the expansion of digital, entering India was an obvious next-step.”

He further said: “We are extremely excited to be linking up with Penske Media and the team at India.com, with their expertise in producing premium localised content, we feel they are the perfect partner to ensure that Mashable India will be an incredible success.”

India.com web portal is a JV between Penske Media Corporation (PMC) and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd.

When asked about the investment Mashable will make in India, its India spokesperson said: “India is one of Mashable‘s top five global markets and we want to grow multi-fold from here… the two partners will invest substantially in the areas of local content, sales and marketing of Mashable India.”

India.com publishes content destinations, including BGR.in, CricketCountry.com, BollywoodLife.com, TheHealthSite.com, Prepsure.com, BrownPaperBag.in, and India.com.

“We are thrilled to partner with Mashable as we continue to expand the PMC and ZEE alliance in the Indian digital industry. The company’s phenomenal growth is a testament to the incredible team and leadership in India, and we are confident that Mashable’s addition now quickens the ascendance of this enterprise,” said PMC Chairman and CEO Jay Penske.

Mashable India will have an editorial team based in India for localised content. It will offer the best global coverage from Mashable.com and augment it with extensive editorial coverage from India.

“We believe that the combination of Mashable and India.com will provide a unique content destination curated for India’s fast growing online generation,” Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd MD & CEO Punit Goenka said.

On revenue model, Mashable spokesperson said: “The monetisation strategy for Mashable India will be similar for the global brand, which will target premium brand advertisers… Mashable India will offer brands and agencies a wide spectrum of offerings, including branded content, premium display advertising and content marketing solutions.”

The addition of Mashable India will continue Mashable‘s global expansion, which began last year with the opening of a UK office, while also adding reporters in Australia and building a strong network of global journalists.

Approximately half of Mashable’s 42 million monthly unique visitors come from outside the US, the company said.

Posted by : Gizmeon

Japan has more electric car charging points than petrol pumps

Green-car sceptics take note: Japan now has more electric vehicle charging spots than gas stations.

The country’s number-two automaker Nissan says there are now 40,000 charging units – including those inside private homes – across the nation, compared with 34,000 petrol stations.

While gas stations have multiple pumps and can service many more cars, the figures underscore efforts to boost green-vehicle infrastructure in Japan, long a leader in a sector that remains tiny globally.

Nissan is betting on growing demand for electric cars, while rival Toyota said it has been swamped by orders for its first mass market hydrogen fuel-cell car, the Mirai sedan.

Fuel-cell cars are seen as the Holy Grail of green cars as they are powered by a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, which emits nothing more harmful than water from its exhaust.

But a limited driving range and lack of refuelling stations have hampered development of the green-car sector, which environmentalists say could play a vital role in cutting greenhouse gas emissions and slowing global warming.

Posted by : Gizmeon

New rules may prevent drone delivery as proposed by Amazon

Some highlights of rules proposed Sunday on routine flights by small, commercial drones and on privacy protections when the government uses drones to collect information:

DRONE FLIGHTS

—Proposed Federal Aviation Administration regulations would permit commercial operation of remote-controlled aircraft weighing less than 55 pounds. They would be permitted to fly up to 100 mph and up to 500 feet in altitude.

—Operators would have to pass an FAA test of aeronautical knowledge and a Transportation Security Administration background check. Operators would not need a private pilot license, a concession to industry.

—Only one operator would be required instead of an operator and a spotter to keep an eye out for other aircraft, another concession.

— Operators would have to keep drones within eyesight at all times, which significantly limits the distance they can fly. The restriction probably would prevent drone delivery as proposed by Amazon.

— Flights would be prohibited within 5 miles of an airport and over people not involved in the drone’s operation.

—Drones would not be required to have an FAA airworthiness certificate similar to those required of manned aircraft, another concession. However, they would have to be registered with the FAA and would receive an “N number” for identification purposes similar to the numbers on airplane tails.

—The FAA will accept comments for 60 days after the proposal is published. It’s expected to be two or three years before the rules are final.

—The FAA will continue to grant waivers case by case to its current ban on commercial drone flights while working on final rules. A few dozen requests for waivers have been granted; more than 300 requests are pending.

—Current rules for model aircraft, which are often indistinguishable from small drones, would remain the same.
PRIVACY

—A presidential memorandum requires federal agencies to ensure that policies are place on government drones to protect against their abusive use.

—The policies should “prohibit the collection, use, retention, or dissemination of data in any manner that would violate the First Amendment or in any manner that would discriminate against persons based upon their ethnicity, race, gender, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity, in violation of law.”

—Agencies must publish information within one year describing how to access their drone policies and procedures.

—Agencies must examine their drone policies and procedures before deploying new unmanned aircraft technology, and at least every three years.

—The Commerce Department, working with other agencies, must launch an effort that includes business groups, privacy advocates and others within 90 days to develop privacy rules for commercial and private drones.

—The American Civil Liberties Union praised the memorandum as an important step, but said it falls short of fully protecting the privacy of Americans. For example, the proposal allows the use of data gathered by domestic drones for any “authorized purpose,” which is not defined, leaving the door open to inappropriate drone use by federal agencies, the ACLU said.

Posted by : Gizmeon

E-Commerce websites have made a loss of Rs 1000 crore due to heavy discounting: Report

E-commerce companies have incurred combined losses of around Rs. 1,000 crore due to heavy discounting strategy and this model is not feasible in the long run, a PwC report said.

“Offering lower prices will not be viable in the long term. Despite luring in customers in the initial stages, lower prices won’t be able to retain customers in the long run.

While the discounting will continue for some more months, e-tailers are thinking beyond discounts to acquire customers and build loyalty,” the report said. The combined losses faced by e-tailing companies as a result of their discounting strategies now stand at almost Rs. 1,000 crore, the report said without giving the time frame for these losses.

Out of a total of 1,005 respondents surveyed as part of the PwC study from India, almost half the respondents said they preffered to shop online due to better deals and discounts offered by these retailers.

“A majority of e-commerce players are start-ups and, therefore, are working towards rapidly scaling up their market share. They have been aggressively planning and implementing discounting strategies, which would make the customer sit up and take notice,” it said.

Pointing out that price has emerged as the biggest differentiator driving consumers to shop online or in-store, it said the customer habits have changed, as they are used to discounts throughout the year. The PwC report said the ‘predatory’ pricing strategy of e-commerce companies isn’t helping their stand with the premium brands.

It found that with valuations of e-commerce companies skyrocketing, there is increasing pressure from investor firms to cut down on discounts and concentrate on making profits.

Posted by : Gizmeon

Facebook is working on virtual reality apps for social experiences

Facebook believes that one day we'll be able to connect with friends in virtual reality, so users can eventually experience someone's vacation as though they're right there with them.

Facebook chief product officer Chris Cox revealed on stage Tuesday at the Code/Media conference the company's vision for how it plans to embrace virtual reality.

Cox said Facebook is already developing virtual reality apps to enhance sharing, providing a fuller picture of what the social network is doing.

Facebook, which acquired virtual-reality technology company Oculus VR for $2 billion in 2014, said users and celebrities will be able to create their own VR content, and send it to others.

"You'll do it. Beyonce will do it," he said.

Cox discussed how film demos created for VR headsets will enable wearers to see and experience a whole new world, such as the inside of a Blue Angel fighter jet or a yurt in Mongolia. For example, in the yurt, users can look around to see the landscape and people nearby, including one woman making food by a fire. Facebook plans to build on this concept to make sharing even more personal among friends.

Although Cox provided scant information about when to expect Facebook virtual reality apps (and how they'll work), he said they won't debut for a while. "We're probably a long way from everyone having these headsets," he said.

Posted by : Gizmeon