How to Find the Best iOS App Deals

Everyone loves a good discount when buying stuff and most of us check various websites to find the best deals when shopping for products online, so why should apps be any different? If you're looking for apps to go free so you can get them without using a debit card, or looking for deals and discounts because you're not sure an app is worth buying, there are a lot of different methods you can employ to get the best deals.

It might seem miserly to seek deals on apps considering that most apps sell for Rs. 60 or Rs. 120 - less than a cup of coffee in many places. But as some of the members of our team can attest, the small spends add up, and you could end up spending several thousand rupees over the course of a year. At that point, you're really going to wish you'd looked for deals before making your purchases.

We'll be bringing the best deals we can find to you every week, but in case you want to find deals yourself, here's what you need to know:

iOS

AppShopper
There are plenty of websites that show the best deals for iOS and Mac users, but AppShopper is our favourite, just ahead of 148apps. Between the two, we preferred AppShopper because its search is easier to customise, and lets you find apps according to category.

To see the discounts, you need only click on the "Price Drops" button in the top right. You can choose between iOS and Mac, or iPad only, iPhone only and Universal apps. You also have the option of searching for discounts and apps that have gone free, through simple toggles along the top bar.

In case you want to watch for price drops on favourite apps, then you can also sign up for AppShopper and add apps to your wishlist.

TouchArcade
Unlike AppShopper, which is mostly useful for finding deals, TouchArcade is a game focused site where you'll get reviews and in-depth forum discussions about iOS games. It's a great way to also figure out what you should be downloading. The site also has a very useful app that lets you track sales on games as well. You can set it up with the following steps:

1. Download TouchArcade and open the app. Tap the gear icon on the top left > Watch List Updates > On > tap Done at the top.

2. Tap the search button on the top-right and search for your favourite games. Tap the game in the results. This will take you to Touch Arcade's page for the game. Here, flip the binocular switch under the price. Now you'll see the binoculars on a blue background. This means the game has been added to your watch list. Any time there is a price drop, or a review or an update to the games you added, you'll get a notification. TouchArcade notifications don't come if you haven't opened the app for several days, so just open it once every couple of days to keep it active.

AppPriceDrop
If you just want a simple list of apps that have gone on discount, then TouchArcade and AppShopper aren't useful enough. You'll need to get either the Appsgonefree orAppPriceDrop apps.

AppsGoneFree updates once a day with a short list of apps on discount, sort of like the Yahoo News Digest of discounts. AppPriceDrop on the other hand shows a list of all apps that have gotten a discount, which can be sorted by category. It is based on the US app store, so while it should still be useful, it might sometimes show something as discounted, which isn't even available here.

IFTTT
IFTTT, short for If This Then That, is a great service that lets you automate several tasks. You can make it do several things, such as send you alerts when the currency exchange rate crosses a threshold, for you. It has a channel called AppZapp, which lets you track app deals for top-rated apps. Here's how to set it up.

1. Go to IFTTT > Create a Recipe.

2. You'll see this in huge font size: "if this then that". Click "this" > select AppZapp > scroll to the bottom > select one of six triggers.

3. Triggers are events that tell IFTTT to send you an alert. In the case of AppZapp, the triggers you can choose from are when a top-rated app goes on sale, goes free or gets an update. These three triggers are available for Apple's App Store and Google Playstore. Pick the trigger you want to get relevant alerts, such as top app gone free.

4. Now choose your country, device and category of apps you want an alert for. Now click Create Recipe.

5. The next step will show you the same text you saw in step 2. Instead of "this", you'll see the AppZapp icon. Now click on "that". This is where you select the kind of alerts you want. We recommend that you pick one of Email Digest, Android notifications and iOS notifications. This will send you one email every day or a quick notification on your smartphone. You need to install the IFTTT app on your phone to get this to work.

We found this to be the best method to keep an eye on apps on sale or apps that go free due to the notifications. You can tap these notifications, tap the alert in the IFTTT app and you will be redirected to the App Store. This method also works for Google Play, and in our next article we'll also point you to more resources you can browse when looking for deals on Android apps.

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Alleged BlackBerry Passport Review Details Specifications and Features

Ahead of BlackBerry's announced launch of its unique square-shaped in September, an alleged BlackBerry Passport review has surfaced online.

Till date, the Canadian smartphone manufacturer has revealed very few specifications of the upcoming BlackBerry Passport - it will feature a 4.5-inch 1440x1440 pixel resolution display with a pixel density of 453ppi.

The alleged BlackBerry Passport review mentions the smartphone will arrive in Europe in October at a price of CZK 16,000 (roughly Rs. 45,800). It goes on to say the BlackBerry Passport will feature Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection for the display, which is in-line with the previous leak.

According to the review, the Passport is powered by a quad-core 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 MSM8974 processor with Krait 400 CPU and Adreno 330 GPU paired with 3GB of RAM.

The smartphone is said to house 32GB of inbuilt storage, which can be further expanded via a microSD card slot (unspecified limit - the previous leak had indicated up to 64GB). The review says the BlackBerry Passport features a 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and OIS, as well as the ability to capture full-HD videos at 60fps. There are no details on the front camera as of now - though the previous leak had pointed to a 2-megapixel camera.

Interestingly, the BlackBerry Passport's Wi-Fi connectivity is said to only support the 802.11n standard, while the smartphone is also said to come with NFC and LTE connectivity. The review adds the BlackBerry Passport features a 3450mAh battery, measures 128x90.3x9.3mm, and weighs 195 grams. All these specifications appear to be in-line with the previous leak.

The Czech website's review of the BlackBerry Passport also states that the device feels sturdy and is easy to grip because of its soft touch build material. A unique feature of the BlackBerry Passport reported by the review is that the keypad can also act as a large trackpad. The review details a gesture command that enables users to quickly delete words by swiping left, though it hasn't detailed whether this gesture is for the trackpad, touchscreen, or in proximity to the device. The website also mentions that the handset is clearly not made for one-handed use.

The early BlackBerry Passport review also pictures the yet-to-be-launched smartphone alongside the Z30, Samsung Galaxy S5 mini and Nokia Lumia 1520. More images can be seen on the website. We'd like to remind readers however, that until BlackBerry confirms the smartphone's specifications and features, the above details will have to be taken with a pinch of salt.

The pre-registration for the BlackBerry Passport started earlier this month.

Interestingly, on Tuesday, the company's alleged 2014 road-map for hardware and software was leaked, hinting at some upcoming launches as well as software updates. The leaked road-map featured purported BlackBerry descriptions for new Affordable, Classic, Innovative, and Prestige segments, detailing them as 'Contemporary Yet Affordable', 'Powerful Yet Uncomplicated', 'Unique Yet Purposeful', and 'High Design Yet Functional' respectively.

Save Thousands With Great Deals on Popular Games and Apps

In our new weekly series we handpick the best deals going around on apps and games on various platforms. The opening edition features some top-rates games and utilities that can potentially save you thousands of rupees. So without further delay, here's the list. 

1. PDF Forms
Free for just a day, this app is great if you deal with a lot of documents. You can fill forms, add remarks and even sign and share documents, right from your iPad. The app also comes with Dropbox and Google Drive integration, and AirPrint support for printing straight from your iPhone or iPad. Usually Rs. 550, downloading PDF Forms is a no brainer while it's free.

Download: iOS (Free, usually Rs. 550)

2. Rayman Fiesta Run
The auto-runner genre of games is pretty crowded, but Rayman comes from excellent pedigree, and Rayman Fiesta Run is beautiful to look at, and sounds amazing too. The controls are tight, and if you're gunning for high scores, it can be incredibly frustrating - but it's still easy to learn and accessible even for casual gamers. Usually Rs. 180 on Apple's App Store, the game is currently available at Rs. 60. Rayman Fiesta Run is also available on Google Play but no discount for Android yet.

Download: iOS (Rs. 60, usually Rs. 180)

3. All SNK Games
SNK is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the King of Fighters series, and all games from the company are being discounted to Rs. 60 each. Most of the games in the catalogue were earlier priced at Rs. 240, so you could pick up all four Metal Slug games for the price of one.

You can see all the games on the developer page for both Android and iOS.

While we have not played all the games on the list on mobile devices, these are faithful ports of amazing classic games. We can state from experience that the Metal Slug games are value for money. The virtual controls can be a little fiddly, but it's still well worth experiencing these apps if you enjoy retro gaming at all.

Download: iOS, Android (Rs. 60 each)

4. Table Tennis Touch
This iPhone and iPad game is available now at Rs. 60 but normally sells for Rs. 240. The game is exceedingly well made, and the smooth and enjoyable gameplay is only matched by the crisp visuals. It is worth recommending even at the full price, so it makes no sense to miss out on it while it's on sale.

The only problem is that the game is fairly demanding, and so won't run on an iPad 1, iPhone 4 or older, or iPod Touch 4th generation or older. If you have a newer device though, there should be no problem.

Download: iOS (Rs. 60, usually Rs. 240)

5. VVVVVV
One of the most punishingly difficult platformers available on Android and iOS, VVVVVV is an amazing experience that looks stylishly retro and plays with razor sharp perfection, even on a touchscreen. The game usually sells at Rs. 180 but iOS users can get it right now at just Rs. 60. No discount for Android right now though.

Download: iOS (Rs. 60, usually Rs. 180)

6. Swype
The original swiping keyboard, Swype is usually priced at $3.99 (approximately Rs. 240) but Android users can get it for a promotional price of Rs. 60 right now. These day, the swipe to type functionality comes built in so paying for Swype seems needless, but having used the app, we have to say that it offers more customisation, and seems to work faster and more accurately. Rs. 60 is not an unfair price and we'd recommend it.

Download: Android (Rs. 60, usually Rs. 240)

7. Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock
We bought this app at full price to try it out because the premise made us curious, and we thought it was definitely worth the price. Sleep Cycle alarm clock is an interesting app that measures the quality of your sleep, and will wake you up when it sees that you're in your lightest sleep phase, so that you wake up easily, feeling fresh. It also measures metrics of your sleep and helps you track the quality of your sleep over time.

It sounds like a lot of mumbo jumbo, but experimenting with the app proved that it really works. You need to run the app and then just place the phone near your pillow, and it will track your movement through the night to measure the quality of your sleep.

The app is currently at 50 percent off on iOS and we'd strongly recommend it at Rs. 60. The app is also available for Android but costs Rs. 99 here, still a great price.

Download: iOS (Rs. 60, usually Rs. 120), Android (Rs. 99)

Best of the rest
Night Sky Guide (Free, usually Rs. 120)

Instacast 4 (Free, usually Rs. 120)

ezPDF Reader (Rs. 131.13, usually Rs. 250)

Apex Launcher Pro (Rs. 121.99, usually Rs. 250)

cloudGOO for iOS and Android (Free, usually Rs. 60)

WhatsApp - How to Stop Auto Downloading and Saving of Photos

WhatsApp is the world's most popular messaging app, with over 600 million active users. One of the most common annoyances with the app is that it automatically downloads media files (photos and audio) by default. WhatsApp says this is optimised for best performance, but when friends decide to send a dozen pictures of their dinner to everyone they know, it is optimised for maximum annoyance instead. Here's how you can stop WhatsApp from automatically saving photos and audio on your phone.

Android
WhatsApp for Android has a switch that lets you stop images and videos from downloading. Here's how you can do it:

1. Open WhatsApp, make sure you are seeing the main window - where all your chats are displayed. Tap the three vertical dots on the top right > Settings.

2. Now tap Chat settings > Media auto-download. You'll see three options: When using cellular data, When connected on Wi-Fi and When roaming. Tap each one and disable auto-downloads by unchecking all three options - Images, Audio and Video.

To view photos, you will have to download them. When you do, WhatsApp saves them in a folder, and you can get inundated with stupid memes and other unwanted content, which is visible to anyone who open's your phone's Gallery App. However, it is possible to stop these photos from appearing in the Gallery app. Here's how:

1. Download Quickpic and open the app.

2. Navigate to the WhatsApp media folders. The location of the WhatsApp folder varies across devices but it should typically be the following: Internal Storage (sometimes labelled sdcard0) > WhatsApp > Media > WhatsApp Images, > WhatsApp > Media > WhatsApp Audio, and WhatsApp > Media > WhatsApp Videos.

3. Long-press the WhatsApp Images folder and make sure that it is selected. Do the same with the WhatsApp Video and WhatsApp Audio folders.

4. After selecting the three folders, tap the three dots icon on the top-right > Hide. This will ensure that the Gallery app doesn't show them. You can still view these images and videos within WhatsApp and through any apps that let you view hidden folders. But if you pass your phone to someone, you no longer need worry about them seeing the WhatsApp photos and videos through the Gallery app.

iPhone
WhatsApp for iPhone has an easy way to stop automatically saving photos to the Camera Roll. Here's what you can do:

1. Open WhatsApp and tap the Settings button at the bottom-right.

2. Go to Chat settings > Save incoming media > Off.

This stops the pictures people are sending from showing up in the camera roll, and taking over your synced Photo Stream. Unfortunately, there's no way to stop WhatsApp from auto-downloading photos on your iPhone. It will ask you whether you want to download videos, but photos are saved automatically.

BlackBerry
Whether you are using BlackBerry 7 or BlackBerry 10, disabling auto-downloads needs to be done through the Settings app. Follow these steps if you are using WhatsApp on any BlackBerry device:

1. Head to Settings > Media settings > Media auto-download.

2. Now select When using cellular data and uncheck all three options - Images, Audio and Video. Go back and follow the same steps with "When connected on Wi-Fi" and "When roaming".

3. In Media Settings, you can also tap "Save media on" to decide if the media is saved on your phone's internal memory, or on your microSD card (if present).

Windows Phone
Windows Phone users need to follow these steps:

1. Open WhatsApp and tap the three horizontal dots at the bottom of the main window (recent chats). Now tap settings > chat settings > media auto-download.

2. Now tap Images and select Never. Do the same for Video and Audio. Other options include auto-download on WiFi, cellular and roaming. But if you select Never, you will be able to download media only when you want to.

Nokia S40 and S60
If you use WhatsApp on Nokia S40 feature phones, you can enable or disable media downloads through this setting:

1. Open Options > Settings > Network > Auto-download images. Here you can disable auto-downloads.

It is almost exactly the same on Nokia S60 phones as well:

1. Open Options > Settings > Network > Media auto-download. Now select Cellular and disable auto-downloads for media. Do the same with WiFi and Roaming.

Not saving images automatically has its advantages, but it also means that you will have to download each photo manually. If you end up downloading each and every image anyway, then it's probably best to leave this feature active. 

               Let us know if this tutorial helped you via the comments. 

Harman Kardon Nova Review: The Perfect Companion for Movies

Bluetooth speakers are taking the market by storm thanks to the surge in sales of smartphones and tablets. People want a portable solution that can enhance the sound from their devices.

Harman Kardon is a well-known brand in this space and their products are of high quality too - though this comes at a premium. Harman Kardon's Nova is not a portable solution in the truest sense since it is not a single unit and does not run off batteries. Harmon Kardon promises that the Nova has extended bass response and their Digital Sound Processor (DSP) can improve soundstage and voicing. We put it to the test.

Design and Specifications
Enclosed in see-through hard plastic, the Nova is a handsome and futuristic looking speaker set. There are two separate globe-shaped left and right units that are connected to each other using a proprietary cable. Inside each speaker one can spot the turbine housing for a single 1.25-inch tweeter and a 2.5-inch woofer. The woofer is on the back of each unit while the tweeter is on the front. Added to this is a gorgeous touch-sensitive control panel that lights up every time you turn it on. The silver-and-black Nova is definitely a looker and we expect everyone to like the design.

The control panel is very sensitive and reacts to the slightest of touches. We couldn't get enough of sliding our finger across the volume control. It does look really cool.

As we have already said, the Nova needs to be connected to a power outlet for it to work and this means that it is meant to be a stationary solution. One can connect to the speakers using an aux cable (provided in the box) or Bluetooth. Harman Kardon also adds NFC pairing to the mix.

The 40-watt Nova can operate in the frequency range of 70Hz to 20KHz. It has an impedance of 8 ohms meaning it can easily be used with smaller devices.

Sound Quality
The Harman Kardon Nova has a flair for the mid-range. This is evident from the fact that the Nova's Digital Signal Processor (DSP) is designed specifically for better voicing. However, the sound staging is actually not so good; there isn't enough air between instruments and we couldn't get a good enough spatial effect. The highs are okay, and while the bass is powerful it lacks clarity and definition. The stereo separation is really good, though. At higher volumes, the sound distorts slightly. A word of caution - do not use the bass booster option on the speaker, which makes it sound bad.

We tested a wide range of music genres including pop, hip-hop, EDM and rock, and we think that the Nova is best suited for pop music with low emphasis on the lower frequencies.

On the other hand, the Nova is great for watching movies, especially ones that are heavy on dialogue. Overall, the quality of sound is a mixed bag and we felt that the speakers could not really open up even after being broken in.

Verdict
Priced at Rs. 24,990 (Harmon Kardon's official website is selling the Nova for Rs. 19,990), the Harman Kardon Nova is an expensive proposition. Its own sister company JBL offers the Voyager, which is around two thousand rupees cheaper. We like the latter more than the former, but if your primary concern is a good experience when watching movies, then you can feel free to go ahead and pick up the Nova.

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Lumia 830 Leaked in Images Ahead of IFA 2014 Launch

Previously spotted in July, the anticipated Lumia 830 smartphone has once again surfaced online in a bunch of images. The Windows Phone-based smartphone has been leaked while passing through the Brazilian certification process equivalent to the US FCC, and separately was also seen compared with the Lumia 930 in another image coming from China.

First spotted by WPCentral website, the Lumia 830 was seen in Brazil's Anatel certification. While the images in the listing fail to provide any real specifications of the smartphone, they show the design profile of the handset.

Listed with model name RM-985, the Lumia 830 measures 139.4x70.7x8.5mm, proving to be slightly thinner than existing Lumia siblings. The images also show the smartphone to feature

a Micro-USB slot at the top along with the 3.5mm headphone jack. The right panel is also seen feature the power button, volume rocker, and what appears to be a dedicated camera button.

In addition, the Anatel images indicate the Lumia 830 will have a removable back cover, replaceable battery and a slot for external microSD card. The device is also seen sporting a Lumia 1020-like rear camera. The website also speculates the handset's camera will be PureView-branded, just like the Lumia 1020. Also seen is the 'Microsoft Mobile' branding on the inside of the Lumia 830, once the back panel is removed. The handset is also seen to feature hardware capacitive buttons.

At around the same time, a rendered image of the Lumia 830 and Lumia 930 appeared from China via the Chinese social network, Baidu (viaNokiapoweruser). The rendered image gives

us an idea of the dimension of the anticipated Lumia 830 smartphone in comparison with the Lumia 930.

Matching with the Anatel images, the Lumia 830 seems to feature the same screen size as the Lumia 930 - 5-inches. The length and height of both the handsets are almost identical. Nokiapoweruser calculates that the Lumia 830 measures 139.4x70.7mm, in comparison to the Lumia 930's 137x71mm. The website also claims the Lumia 830 will feature an IPS LCD display paired with Nokia's PureMotion technology.

Notably, Microsoft is expected to launch the selfie-focused 'Superman' Lumia 730 smartphone alongside the Lumia 830 at the company's IFA event scheduledfor September 4.

A recent report citing a Lumia 730 'RM-1038' listing on the Chinese equivalent of the FCC had indicated the smartphone will come with support for 4G LTE; Nano SIM, Qi Wireless charging, and microSD card. The site also suggests the height and width of the alleged Lumia 730 will be 134.7mm and 68.5mm respectively; though there was no word about thickness.

Previous leaks had suggested the Lumia 730 will feature a 4.7-inch HD display and will come with dual-SIM support. Under the hood, the anticipated selfie-focused handset is expected to be powered by a Snapdragon 400 processor alongside Adreno 305 GPU and 1GB of RAM. It would sport a 6.7-megapixel rear camera and would feature a 5-megapixel front-facing camera, which will be the highlight of the rumoured device

iPhone 6 Leaked by China Telecom in Promotional Weibo Post

Major carrier China Telecom has gone ahead and announced theiPhone 6 ahead of Apple, confirming the device's imminent launch with a post on its via its Weibo account last week. Revealed days ahead of the anticipated September 9 event, the firm posted a promotional image of the smartphone, showing its Gold, Silver and Black colour variants.

China Telecom's Weibo post, which now has been pulled down, was spotted by Sina news (via Forbes), which stated that the Apple iPhone 6 handset will be available as an unlocked device for LTE, WCDMA, CDMA2000, GSM, and CDMA1X networks. Notably, China Telecom did not sell unlocked versions of the iPhone until now. Nothing more was mentioned in the post.

While the information is not so thrilling, the Weibo does however confirm the existence of the iPhone 6 device, similar to how Verizon leaked the HTC One (M8)on multiple occasions.

The iPhone 6 is expected to arrive in two display size variants, with 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models (said to be called the iPhone 6L or iPhone Air) anticipated. A report from last week mentioned that the Cupertino firm is facing production issues for the iPhone 6 devices' screen panels. Two supply chain sources were reported saying the display panel production had suffered a setback after the backlight that helps illuminate the screen had to be revised, putting screen assembly on hold for parts of June and July.

Additionally, last week's leaked schematics tipped the upcoming iPhone 6 tofeature a new 128GB inbuilt storage variant. Reports indicated that Hynix and Toshiba would supply the 16GB storage, while Hynix, Toshiba, and SanDisk will offer the 64GB. Lastly, the schematics show that Toshiba will supply the new 128GB storage only.

We remind readers the above mentioned features are a part of the leaks and rumours, and must be taken with a pinch of salt till confirmation by Apple.

Motorola to Launch 8 New Smartphones Ahead of Christmas: Report

A new report cites insider sources to detail Motorola's smartphone roadmap for the rest of 2014, and claims that the company is likely to debut 8 new devices before Christmas.

Quoting sources at Motorola, TK Technews in a report claims that the company is planning to launch the Droid, the Droid Maxx, the recently leaked Droid Turbo, the long-rumoured Moto X+1, the Moto G (likely referring to the successor of the Moto G), the Moto X Play, the Moto S and the much-anticipated next Nexus smartphone codenamed 'Shamu' before the end of the year.

According to the report, the rumoured Droid and Droid Turbo will likely debut on AT&T with new branding; the alleged Droid device is said to be tied with an upcoming Star Wars movie, and lastly, the alleged Moto X Play might be launched as a mini-variant of the Moto S.

The report further details that how some of the rumoured Motorola devices are related to others. Reportedly, if the Moto X+1 does not perform well in terms of sales then the alleged Moto S sporting a 5.9-inch display could be scrapped and the alleged 5.2-inch Moto X Play would be launched as the Moto S. This does not too much sense if as rumoured the Moto X+1 comes with a 5.2-inch display - instead, Motorola will probably scrap Moto X Play, and stick with the larger Moto S.

Earlier this week, a Motorola handset dubbed Motorola XT1254 running on Verizon and tipped to be called Droid Turbo was leaked in some screenshots that listed the specifications of the device.

The former Google-owned company has been rumoured to be working on a 'Shamu' codenamed handset for months now, believed to be the next Nexus smartphone that's expected to be called the Nexus 6.

Notably, out of the rumoured eight devices said to debut before Christmas, successors to the popular Moto X and Moto G - rumoured to be called the Moto X+1 and Moto G2 respectively - are likely to launch at a pre-IFA event on September 4.

How to Get Refunds on iTunes, App Store, Google Play, Windows Phone Store, BlackBerry World

Ever bought an app and then wondered - "what was I thinking!" Buying apps is easy, almost frictionless, and with credit card details saved on devices and purchases sometimes not even requiring authentication, there's a good chance people have made purchases they've come to regret later. If you've ever been in those shoes, we are here to help.

Follow these steps to get a refund on any device - and it's not just apps, you can also use this to get refunds for books, movies, music, and more.

iTunes and Mac App Store
Apple has a website dedicated to resolving refund-related issues. This website covers paid apps (on both iOS and Mac), in-app purchases, books, films and music. You can use this website to request a refund for purchases made in the last 90 days. Here's how.

1. Open Apple's Report a Problem website and sign in with your Apple ID.
2. You'll see a list of apps sorted by date of purchase. Use the search box to search for the purchase and click the "Report a Problem" button next to the app.
3. Select a reason for seeking a refund from the drop-down menu and write your reason in the message box. This can include your not authorising the purchase, or an item not downloading or installing, and more. Click Submit.
4. Now you'll have to wait. If Apple decides that your grievance is legitimate, you'll get a refund within 48 hours. You'll be contacted via mail on your Apple-registered email id, letting you know whether you are getting a refund or not. Members in our team have gotten refunds in this way.

Google Play
Android users have access to a great refund feature - Google reportedly lets you get a refund up to two hours after you bought the app, though the official documentation still lists the refund window as 15 minutes. During this period, you can get a refund by following these steps:

1. Open Google Play Store on your Android device > tap the Play Store icon > My Apps.
2. Choose the app you want a refund for and tap Refund. The process is automatic and works without a hitch.

Given how easy it is to get a refund this way, you should definitely try out any new apps as soon as you download them, to see if they are worth the money.

1. If it has been more than two hours since you bought the app, you need to request refunds via a Web browser. Check these steps.
2. Open Google Play and sign in.
3. Now hover your mouse over the app you want a refund for > click the three dots icon (next to the name of the app) > Report a problem.
4. Select "I'd like to request a refund" from the drop-down menu and write your reason in the message box below. Click Submit.

Now you have to wait for Google to judge whether your refund request should be accepted or not.

Windows Phone
Unlike iOS and Android, Windows Phone doesn't seem to have a clear-cut refund policy. We checked and all we could find on Windows Phone forums was a repeated suggestion to chat with the Windows Phone support team and ask them to refund.

1. Click this link and click on Chat. Sign in to to your Microsoft account.
2. Now describe your problem and click Submit. Once again, you'll have to wait for them to respond and depend on the company judging whether your grievance is genuine.

BlackBerry
BlackBerry has an official consumer support webpage where you can request refunds for apps by filling up a small form. You don't need to give a reason for asking for a refund in the form, just simple details like the order number and your phone PIN number:

1. Just open this page, fill the form and click Submit.
2. You're still dependent on BlackBerry to judge your case worthy of a refund. You will be contacted via email within 48 hours, where you can give more details about the reason for the refund request, and after that it is up to BlackBerry.

However, people seem to have mixed results with this. A lot of people have written in online forums saying that the refund was rejected. Most of the posts we found about successful refunds mention that the email from BlackBerry came within a few hours. We initiated an app refund of our own nearly 48 hours ago, but there has been no response from BlackBerry so far. We will update this if and when we get a response.

If all else fails, there is one more option you can try, though there is no guarantee that it will work. You can try writing to the developer of the app you want a refund for - in many cases, the developers themselves prefer to refund an app if there is a genuine problem, so it is always a good idea to ask. It's probably best to try the official methods first though, especially since developers don't have a way of 'refunding' money back to the card you paid with, and anything they can do will be a bit of a workaround.

Since refunds largely depend on the judgement of the person reviewing the request, it is best not to seek a refund when not justified. Some comments on forums mention that asking for refunds frequently led to emails from Apple which specifically state this as a reason for denying the request. If you've accidentally purchased an app, or an app doesn't work as advertised, you should of course apply for a refund, but it's best to exercise more caution before making a payment, than afterwards - don't use it as a way of 'try before buy' though.

We hope this helped you get a refund for apps you didn't intend to buy. Share your app refund experiences via the comments...

This Low-Cost Mobile Can Charge Other Phones Too

Maxx Mobile has launched a new feature phone at Rs. 1,848, the MX200, in the company's Power House phone category.

The highlight of the new Maxx MX200 is the large 5200mAh battery that can be also used as a power bank to charge other mobiles. In addition to the large battery that can deliver up to 10-11 hours of talk time, the MX200 also offers a rugged body.

The Maxx MX200 comes with 2.4-inch screen, expandable storage support up to 8GB; dual-SIM support, and support for multiple languages (English, Hindi and Gujarati). Other features in the phone include Bluetooth, GPRS, FM radio and multimedia support (audio player, video recording and player). The phone will be available in two colours - Black, and Orange with Black.

For those unaware, the Maxx MX200 is successor to the MX100 launched78]

in December last year. The Maxx MX100 came with a large 4400mAh battery, which 

could also be used as a power bank to charge other phones.

Commenting on the launch, Ajjay Agarwal, Chairman and Managing Director, Maxx Mobile said, "Our consumers in the semi-urban segment and in rural areas need phones with good battery life and rugged to sustain rough conditions. We reached out to these audiences with MX100 last year, with a powerful long lasting 4400mAh battery and which could also be used as a power bank to charge other mobiles. Encouraged by the huge response, this year we have enhanced the battery capacity to 5200mAh for Max100 and have also launched MX200 with similar specifications, but with a bigger 2.4-inch screen. We continue to remain committed to offer consumers products with best quality at attractive prices."

Maxx Mobile, not being limited to the feature phone segment, launched its first Android 4.4 KitKat-based smartphone last month, the AXD21 MSD7 Smarty, 

Google Launches Photo Sphere Camera App for iOS

Google on Tuesday released its Photo Sphere Camera app for iPhone and iPad devices. The 360-degree photo capturing Photo Sphere feature made its debut in Google Nexus 4 stock camera app, and was recently made available for non-Nexus Android devices (running Android 4.4 KitKat or higher) as the Google Camera app.

The standalone Photo Sphere Camera app for iOS has been optimised for iPhone 5 and can be installed on iPhone and iPad devices running iOS 7 or later, except the iPhone 4. On the App Store listing page, Google notes that "the iPhone 4 cannot create photo spheres."

The new iOS app lets users create a 360-degree panoramic image around an axis. Users will be guided with a dot as they start to capture a Photo Sphereimage. Once a user aligns the dot and circle together in the Photo Sphere Camera app, it automatically clicks the image and keeps on stapling them together. The final render of the stapled images results in a sphere. Although the Photo Sphere Camera app is pretty easy to use, users can also see an instructional video by Google for more details.

Once a photo sphere image is created users can either publish it to the Google Maps Views section via the Photo Sphere Camera app, or, share it via email, messaging or social networks.

In April, Google had released a camera app for non-Nexus Android devices(running Android 4.4 KitKat or higher), dubbed Google Camera. The highlight of the Google Camera app was the Lens Blur mode (apart from Panorama and Photo Spheres), which claimed to give SLR-like image results with shallow depth of field. After clicking a shot, users can even change the subject in focus.

The Google Camera update v2.2 in May had also brought two new Panorama capturing modes, fisheye and wide-angle mode. Last month Google had updated the app further with the remote shutter control for Android Weardevices and more.

iPhone 6 Leaked in New Images; Tipped to Feature 828x1472 Resolution Display

iphone_6

As the expected release of the next-generation iPhone nears, we are seeing more and more leaks each day. On Tuesday, new images of the alleged front and rear panels of the iPhone 6 (which is widely expected to come in 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch versions) appeared online, while a report pointed to lines of SDK code that indicated a new 828x1472 pixel resolution.

The alleged front and rear panel iPhone 6 images were posted by Feld & Volk, which makes customised luxury variants of the iPhone and iPad devices.

First spotted by MacRumors, the alleged front and rear panel iPhone 6 images of the anticipated 4.7-inch variant are in-line with what has been widely expected based on earlier leaks, with rounded corners and buttons indicating the iPhone 6 will take design cues from Apple's current generation iPod touch.

Further, the alleged iPhone 6 images again show the power button positioned on the right panel of the device, instead of on the top panel seen on existing iPhone models. Also seen are the new speaker holes at the bottom of the phone, alongside the Lightning port and 3.5mm audio jack. MacRumors also refers to an unlisted Feld & Volk image of the rear shell depicting the a 'round True Tone flash', and 'embedded Apple logo'.

A new screen resolution of 828x1472 pixels for the next-generation iPhone 6 has been tipped via iOS 8 files inside both the Xcode 6 beta 5 and the latest Xcode 6 beta 6 SDKs.

9to5mac notes the mention of a screen resolution of 414x736 pixels (16:9) was found inside the iOS 8's Springboard app, which refers to the iPhone home screen.

This particular file outlines for the system where icons, by default, will be placed on an iPhone's Home screen. This particular file, which was added in Xcode 6 beta 5 earlier this month and still exists in yesterday's Xcode 6 beta 6, is optimized for an iPhone with a resolution of 414 (width) x 736 (height). The iPhone SDK parses hardware resolutions via "point values," so the actual "Retina" resolution is in fact double (or potentially triple) whatever numbers the SDK presents.

Considering that iOS devices currently renders texts, images and other elements at '2X' the resolution in the SDK, the report speculates that Apple might debut the new iPhone 6 with 828x1472 pixels screen resolution.

If true, this resolution on the expected 4.7-inch display would give a pixel density of 359ppi, and on the expected 5.5-inch display a pixel density of 307ppi. As 9to5Mac notes, this fits in with Apple's 300ppi Retina threshold, first mentioned by Steve Jobs at the iPhone 4 launch. It would also mean more real estate, which as the report notes, translates to roughly two additional rows and 1 additional column at current iOS icon sizes.

A '3X' 'pixel-tripling' resolution, while previously considered possible, is now being considered unlikely to be implemented on the iPhone 6 - as it would indicate what's being called an unfeasible 1242x2208 pixel resolution in terms of battery life and developer adoption.

Further, the report notes the 2X Retina 'pixel-doubling' resolution implementation by Apple in previous generation iPhone devices, and the corresponding SDK values. The iPhone 5, iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s - all sport 4-inch (640x1136 pixel) displays, however, the SDK files only presented the half value - 320x568 pixels.

Previously, it was said that the Cupertino-based company was testing a higher screen resolution of 960x1704 pixels on at least one of the two iPhone models. This may still be implemented in the larger 5.5-inch iPhone 6 variant, and is in line with the current 16:9 aspect ratio (as is the newly-rumoured 828x1472 pixel resolution).

Of course, all such leaks must be taken with a pinch of salt, from alleged iPhone 6 component images to extrapolations from lines of SDK code, and much will become clear once Apple officially unveils its next iPhone. The Cupertino giant is expected to do so at a September 9 event.

How to Prevent Eye Strain When Using a Computer

Many people are required to spend several hours every day staring at a screen as part of their jobs - and after they go home, this carries on with tablets and televisions. Couple that with bad lighting and bad posture in offices, and most people complaint about tired eyes and headaches.

These are your body's way of telling you that your eyes need rest, so stop ignoring these signals and try these methods to reduce eye strain if you can't get away from the glare of screens:

Improve Your Posture
The way you are sitting could be the reason behind your tired eyes, according to the American Occupational Safety and Health Association. Before looking for software or hardware solutions to your problem, check if your posture is correct. In many cases, the display is either above or below eye level, which leads to incorrect posture.

If you're craning your neck or slouching to look at the screen, you're straining your eyes. Try using a laptop stand or even just a pile of books to raise the screen to eye level. If the screen is above eye level, try raising your chair to bring the screen to eye level. Once you've done this, try some apps that will further help you reduce eye strain.

20-20-20
The 20-20-20 rule is quite effective at reducing eye strain. Simply put, after every 20 minutes of looking at the screen, look at an object that is at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Following this rule has helped us at NDTV Gadgets, so we can vouch for it.

Keeping track of those twenty minute breaks isn't easy though, particularly when you're in the middle of work, so we suggest you try a free Web app calledProtect Your Vision. Here's how to use it.

1. Open the Protect Your Vision website > click 20-20-20 > select your break schedule from the drop-down menu. You may go with 20-20-20 (recommended) or 60-5 (five-minute break every hour) or Custom (where you can choose the duration of each break and the interval between breaks).

2. Once your break schedule is selected, click the black button labelled "Request permission and test notification" > Allow (Chrome) or Show for this session (Firefox) > Start PYV. The website requires desktop notifications because that's how it reminds you to take a break. Desktop notifications are supported on Firefox, Chrome and Safari.

3. Now a timer will appear, showing you the time till your next break. You may disable sound notifications by clicking the volume icon next to the timer. Once you see a notification, click it and then click Start break. Now your screen will turn dark for the duration of the break. You should look at a point at least 20 feet away. Alternatively, you may click Start Eyes Gymnastics on your screen and the app shows you some eye exercises (move eyes up and down, etc.) that you can quickly go through to reduce eye strain.

Protect Your Vision is a nice app but if you want something that automatically darkens your screen every 20 minutes, then try FadeTop on Windows or TimeOuton Mac. They accomplish the same result, and don't require you to click on any button to start the break.

Cut Out The Blue Light
According to the Vision Council, one of the largest groups of manufacturers and suppliers in the optical industry, blue light is one of the causes of digital eyestrain. To make your monitor eye-friendly, you can go into the settings and tweak the various options to reduce eye strain.

The first thing you should do is set the brightness and contrast to a comfortable level. If your workplace doesn't have plenty of natural light, then you might want to cut out the blue light on your display to give your eyes some much-needed relief. You can do this manually by changing your display settings, but that isn't for everyone.

An alternative is F.lux - a free program for Windows, Mac, Linux and jailbrokeniPhones and iPads. Here's how to use it.

1. Download F.lux and install it on your computer.

2. Once it is installed, a window will open, where F.lux will try to determine your location. If it can't do so, click Settings > Change > type the name of your city > click OK. That's all you need to do. F.lux will take care of everything else.

3. F.lux runs in the background and adjusts your monitor's display settings to reflect the time of the day. This might make your screen look strange, but you will get used to it soon enough. It runs in the system tray, so you can right-click the icon and disable it for an hour, or for a particular app if you are doing colour-sensitive work such as image editing on your monitor. If you're watching films, it has a movie mode that makes colours look better.

Hardware
While the solutions mentioned above should be good enough for most situations, you might want to consider buying gadgets with anti-glare screens to reduce the strain on your eyes. If you haven't done this, you can buy yourself an anti-glare screen coating. We tested an anti-glare filter from 3M on our laptops and found it to be quite effective.

If you are using a device with a reflective screen, you may find it hard to see your screen if it is facing the light. Anti-glare filters are useful in these situations and the one from 3M does the job as advertised. It takes some time to attach to your screen but that's a one-time hassle. Good quality anti-glare coatings cost anywhere between Rs. 1,000 and Rs. 2,000.

If that isn't an option, we suggest you visit an ophthalmologist and get yourself a good pair of anti-glare glasses. Some brands (like Gunnar) also make glasses that are supposed to be particularly helpful for "computer vision syndrome." While we have no first hand experience with these products, you can check our various reviews on the Web.

These tips should have helped you reduce eye strain. In case you have any other tips or if you liked our suggestions, please let us know via the comments