Future Techworld

Safeguard your smartphones from loss due to theft or accidental damage using a third party service.

The smartphone market in India is growing rapidly every year. Along with that the number of mobile thefts or accidental damages has also risen.
What happens when you buy a mobile phone which gets lost, stolen or stops functioning properly just after warranty has lapsed? Rest assured, for now, there are enough options to deal with such situations. Several third party services and insurance companies have stepped into the picture to help consumers safeguard their smartphone against such events. Of course, all of that is offered at a price.
A typical smartphone ships with a one-year warranty from the handset maker and after that tenure expires, the customer is on his/her own. So if one keeps changing one's handset every year, it certainly is tedious and costly. Meanwhile, select telcos have tapped the growing opportunity to provide extended warranty and insurance to consumers.
Extended warranty can be purchased for proper repairs and ensure functional condition of the smartphone after the handset maker's warranty expires. Every company offers and adheres to different terms and conditions in the extended warranty. Thus we recommend that readers thoroughly go through their product documentation. Insurance is offered against a certain percentage of the cost of the smartphone when the handset is purchased, or after assessment of the handset.


These services can be availed at a nominal extra cost. For instance, if one buys a smartphone worth Rs. 30,000, then making the best of such services at a nominal cost of Rs 1500 or higher does make sense.
We recommend reading the terms and conditions of each service to avoid any kind of dispute. Most services require the user to buy the policy within 90 days of purchase in order to claim maximum possible value and minimal depreciation.
Here is a list of services that offer extended warranty and insurance worthy of mention.
New India Assurance

Earlier this year, Nokia along with New India Assurance announced insurance plans for Nokia devices against theft and damage. For this service, consumers are charged a minimum amount Rs 50 or 1.25 per cent of the handset cost. Available through Nokia branded retail stores, the service also involves free pick-up by an insurance broker. The insurance policy covers conditions such as fire, riot/strike/malicious activities, accident, theft, or fortuitous circumstances. Situations other than the aforementioned are not included in the policy. The insurance cover includes compensation equivalent to the cost of replacement of the handset with a new instrument bearing the same specifications.
The Mobile Store

The Mobile Store offers theft insurance and extended warranty on smartphones. As of now, theft insurance appears to be 'out of stock' on the online store but one can always check in physical Mobile Store outlets. Theft insurance starts at Rs 69 for a handset priced up to Rs 3,000. It is available only on devices purchased from the Mobile Store, and continues for one year along with the extended warranty. In case of theft, customers needs to file an FIR and submit a copy to the store or to United Insurance. Compensation on the stolen device is calculated based on the time for which it has been used and estimated value on the remaining period. The extended warranty is similar to that provided by the handset manufacturer and does not cover any physical damage. This is probably the only service that offers theft insurance.
MobileAssist

An offering by OneAssist, MobileAssist covers insurance and a variety of features beneficial for mobile owners. The MobileAssist package offers handset insurance of up to Rs 15,000 against loss due to theft. Three different plans cover a variety of options such as blocking the phone and SIM from anywhere, remote phone lock and data wipe, and emergency messaging to friends and family. Membership fee includes an annual plan with other services like mobile assistance, firewall, antivirus, and even automatic backup of critical data. The basic plan from MobileAssist starts at Rs 1099 for a year.
The Power or Privilege plan in 40 cities you get Doorstep delivery of temporary handset with all your contacts & data on the same day
Onsite Secure

One of those rare third-party services that offers extended warranty on mobile devices. Onsite Secure covers damage to the screen caused by liquid spills or shocks. The motherboard and screen are covered under the plan but battery is not. Offering pickup and drop facility, the Onsite Secure service is available starting at Rs 499 and the cost varies with the value of the handset in question. The service promises cashless quick service from authorized service centers and uses genuine spare parts. The snag is that the warranty plan can be bought only for devices purchased in the last 90 days.
GadgetCops

Just like Onsite Secure, GadgetCops too offers extended warranty with a promise to get the handset repaired with genuine spares from authorised service centers. The Extended Warranty protection pack includes cover against liquid damage or accidents for up to two years. The protection pack also covers mechanical and electrical faults for two years from the date of purchase. GadgetCops is a one time payment service and it offers free pickup-drop of the device. With physical presence in six cities, the GadgetCops Protection Pack starts from Rs 1100 and more details can be read in our news story here.
iSmart Secure

How about buying a new phone every year without having to worry about selling the old one? iSmart Secure bumps the manufacturer's one year warranty to three years. The user can also enjoy protection against loss or replacement for irreparable damage caused to the smartphone. Not only that, iSmart Secure also buys back a year old device at 65 per cent of the market value to allow consumers an easy upgrade with some moolah in hand. The iSmart Secure by Syberplace is offered as three separate plans for a monthly or yearly subscription service.
Warranty Bazaar

Warranty Bazaar offers extended warranty plans starting at Rs 125 to Rs 1750. The only condition is that the customer must purchase relevant plans within 90 days of the mobile phone purchase. The extended warranty plan starts a year from the date on which the manufacturer's warranty expires. However, one must note that the extended warranty does not cover accidental damage or liquid damage to the device. Just in case the device cannot be repaired, the service promises to replace it with sole discretion. The only glitch is that the user has to take the device to the authorised service center-no pickup and drop facility.
eTechies

eTechies offers two types of warranties - 1st Year Accidental Damage Warranty and 2nd Year Extended Warranty. The 1st Year Accidental Damage Warranty protects the user from the cost of repairs that are not covered by the handset manufacturer. These include damage by water spill, power burns, falls and more. The 2nd Year Extended is basically taking the warranty to the next year once the manufacturer's warranty expires. However, this does not cover accidental damage or the conditions that are offered in the 1st Year Accidental Damage Warranty. In both, eTechies promises free pickup and delivery of the product. eTechies currently offers the extended warranty only for Apple and Samsung products.
Here is a piece of advice from us: save the copy of your mobile purchase receipt carefully and buy relevant insurance as well as extended warranty plans to safeguard your phone.

General
Alternate names	Togari
Release date	July 2013
Form factor	Touchscreen
Dimensions (mm)	179.00 x 92.00 x 6.50
Weight (g)	212.00
Battery capacity (mAh)	3000
Removable battery	No
Colours	Black, White, Purple
SAR value	NA
Display
Screen size (inches)	6.44
Touchscreen	Yes
Touchscreen type	Capacitive
Resolution	1080x1920 pixels
Colours	16M
Hardware
Processor	2.2GHz  quad-core
RAM	2GB
Internal storage	16GB
Expandable storage	Yes
Expandable storage up to (GB)	64
Camera
Rear camera	8-megapixel
Flash	No
Front camera	2-megapixel
Software
Operating System	Android 4.2
Skin	Sony
Java support	No
Browser	HTML
Browser supports Flash	No
Connectivity
Wi-Fi	Yes
Wi-Fi standards supported	802.11 a/ b/ g/ n/ ac
GPS	Yes
Bluetooth	Yes, v 4.00
NFC	Yes
Infrared	No
DLNA	Yes
Wi-Fi Direct	Yes
MHL Out	Yes
HDMI	No
Headphones	3.5mm
FM	Yes
USB	Micro-USB
Charging via Micro-USB	Yes
Proprietary charging connector	No
Proprietary data connector	No
Number of SIMs	1
SIM Type	Micro-SIM
GSM/ CDMA	GSM
2G frequencies supported	GSM 850/ 900/ 1800/ 1900
3G	Yes
3G frequencies supported	2100
Sensors
Compass/ Magnetometer	Yes
Proximity sensor	Yes
Accelerometer	Yes
Ambient light sensor	Yes
Gyroscope	Yes
Barometer	No
Temperature sensor	No

Dhoom 3 - The game, which was initially released exclusive for Windows Phone based devices, is now available for Android, BlackBerry 10, Symbian, and iOS platform based devices. The game is based on the theme of upcoming Aamir Khan starrer movie which also goes by the same name. It is a racing game like the Racing Moto and is available for free on all the platforms.

As obvious, the story of the game is quite simple: the cops are all out in full force and you have only one way - ride hard though the busy street. You have to collect coins during the race which you can later use to purchase newer bikes and to unlock other items.
As far as our experience goes, the game has awesome 3D graphics which does not pinch on eyes and looks a lot realistic. Moreover, it has got great controls which again feel natural.

There are applications which allow smartphone/tablet users to expand their device's RAM by a substantial amount. Take the Roehsoft RAM Expander for instance. We had used this app in one of my devices, which has only 256 MB RAM and could not run even some basic games. But after using the app, there was a noticeable change in the device's performance.
However, keep in mind that such applications require your device to be rooted and rooting a device voids its warranty. Also, rooting is advisable only for advance users and you should not try rooting your smartphone or tablet if you do not have thorough knowledge of its functioning, as during the process you may end up killing your device altogether.
Before we proceed, lets have a look at the properties of the Roehsoft Ram Expander application. First of all, it is a paid application available from Google Play store for a hefty price of Rs 499. According to its developers, the app can increase the RAM of the device to 4 GB, which is a very tall claim as no tablet or smartphone as of now comes with such huge RAM. The app uses the micro SD card's storage.
Of course, since it claims to increase the RAM to 4 GB you need to have a high capacity micro SD card. It's best if you have a 16 GB or higher capacity card as you also need to use the micro SD card to store your content. Also, go for a higher class micro SD card which has a higher data transfer rate and is crucial for better device performance.

Here is a step by step approach on how to use the app.
Step 1:

Before installing the Roehsoft Ram Expander application, you first need to root your device. If you already have a rooted device just download the app from Google Play store.
Step 2:

From the menu tray of your device, locate and run the application. On opening, the app will ask you to choose your language - English or Deutsch. Then it would ask for root access; just press ok to proceed further. It will take just 10 seconds to complete the formality.

Apple is the world's most valuable brand followed by Microsoft, Coca-Cola, IBM and Google, according to Forbes.Apple has topped the 'World's Most Valuable List' compiled by Forbes magazine with a brand value of $104.3 billion, nearly twice other technology major Microsoft, which has a brand value of $56.7 billion.

"... the Apple name is as strong as ever. Apple is the most valuable brand in the world for a third straight time at $104.3 billion, up 20 percent over last year. It is worth nearly twice as much as any other brand on the planet by our count," Forbes said.

Meanwhile, Microsoft's brand value has remained flat over the past three years, as the company struggles to make a transition from PC to the mobile world, the magazine said.

"Growth has slowed, but it is still one of the most profitable brands in the world with operating margins of 34 percent in its latest fiscal year," it said.

With a brand value of $54.9 billion, Coca-Cola was ranked third in the list, followed by IBM ($50.7 billion), Google ($47.3 billion).

Among the top 10 brands, McDonald's, with a brand value of $39.4 billion, was ranked sixth, followed by General Electric ($34.2 billion), Intel ($30.9 billion), Samsung ($29.5 billion) and Louis Vuitton ($28.4 billion).

Brands from US-based companies make up just over half of the list of 100, with the next biggest representation from Germany (nine brands), France (eight) and Japan (seven).

No Indian company features in the list.
Samsung, which came at No.9, had the strongest one-year gain of any brand in the top 100, up 53 percent to $29.5 billion. The company's value soared 136 percent over the past three years.

"Sales for Samsung's Galaxy S4 smartphone have been on fire and the company also benefits from its market leading position with memory chips," Forbes said.

Forbes, however, said the value of a brand can collapse in the complex, fast moving technology world.

Forbes had valued the Blackberry brand at $6.1 billion last year, but this year it stood at just $2.2 billion and has come out of the top 100 brands list.
Forbes valued the brands on three years of earnings and allocated a percentage of those earnings based on the role brands play in each industry. The 100 most valuable brands span 15 countries across 20 broad industry categories. 

Features of this Sony Cyber-shot RX10 are a 20.2 effective MP (approximate) 1.0-type back-enlightened Exmor R CMOS sensor, which is seen on the DSC-RX100 II, and as said by Sony is around 4 times larger than a typical compact camera’s sensor.
The Cyber-shot RX10 attributes a fixed Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 24-200mm F2.8 lens, which according to the company features ‘superb levels of clarity and resolving power’. The lens’ proficiency to focus at distances as short as 3cm supposedly furthermore make the RX10 perfect for detail-rich macro shots.
The broad F2.8 greatest aperture should be effective in low lightweight, and the lens’ 7-blade iris diaphragm should also assist in conceiving circular background defocus (‘bokeh’) consequences. furthermore onboard, is Optical SteadyShot (image stabilization), supposedly productive furthermore at longer focal lengths.
The Sony Cyber-shot RX10 is driven by a BIONZ X processing motor, which according to Sony offers roughly a 3X enhancement in processing speed contrasted to preceding BIONZ processors.
As for video notes, the RX10 can arrest full-HD 1080p video, at a selectable 50p (AVCHD progressive) or cinematic 25p frame rates, with full command over P/A/S/M exposure modes. A ‘clear’ HDMI yield allows video to be reconsidered on an external supervise or noted to a distinct storage device.
Sony is furthermore proposing the optional XLR-K1M adapter kit, permitting the supplement of an external microphone by the balanced XLR terminal.
The RX10 features a 3-inch ‘bright 3.0-type White Magic’ LCD, with 1290k spots, apart from a 1440k spot high-contrast Tru-Finder electronic viewfinder. NFC and Wi-Fi connectivity, and it is compatible with iOS and Android devices, utilizing the PlayMemories wireless type 3.0.

Sony SmartWatch 2 is your ideal smartwatch partner with Android smartphone or tablet looks like it’s predecessor  “smartwatch” which comes with High quality materials (aluminium body and stainless steel wristband) offers you a bigger transflective LCD panel with a high resolution of 220×176 pixels offers you power button just like normal watch gives  you the longest battery life for a smartwatch* (battery level indicator shows low battery warning) and Standard micro USB cable for charging. It’s dust and water resistance (IP57) a  great pair with the Xperia Z and Xperia Z1 supports Bluetooth 3.0 and NFC support for easy sharing.SmartWatch 2 makes it possible to access notifications from your wrist such as messages, calls, email, Facebook or Twitter, Calendar, or use it as a remote for your Walkman or other digital media player. The SmartWatch 2 comes with a bunch of pre-installed apps, with an option to load other apps as well

• 1.6-inch LCD screen with a 220×176-pixel resolution, giving it a pixel density of 176PPI
• Around 400 apps
• dust and water resistance (IP57)
• Supports Bluetooth 3.0 and NFC
• Screen brightness (sunlight readable)
• Longest battery life for a smartwatch* (battery level indicator shows low battery warning)
• High quality materials (aluminium body and stainless steel wristband)
• Standalone watch functionality
• Standard micro USB cable for charging
• Extended compatibility (works with most Android phones)
• Swappable wristbands – personalise with any standard 24mm strap
• Handle your calls by a simple touch of your wrist
• Take a photo remotely from your SmartWatch, using a smart camera app
• Control your presentations remotely using Presentation Pal
• Taking a run or on the bike? Select a mapping app on SmartWatch to check your route with a quick glance at your wrist
• Read previously downloaded e-mails when not connected to your phone
• Use lifestyle apps like Runtastic to map and instantly track your fitness activities on the go(Sony Press Release)
• Price  Rs. 14,990(£159.99)
   
  Other things you can do with the SmartWatch 2 include:
  • Take a photo remotely from your SmartWatch, using a smart camera app.
  • Control your presentations remotely using Presentation Pal.
  • Taking a run or on the bike? Select a mapping app on SmartWatch to check your route with a quick glance at your wrist.
  • Read previously downloaded e-mails when not connected to your phone.
  • Use lifestyle apps like Runtastic to map and instantly track your fitness activities on the go.
  • Quickly adjust the tracks and volume on your music player.

General
Release date	June 2013
Form factor	Bar
Dimensions (mm)	141.50 x 74.20 x 8.90
Weight (g)	153.00
Battery capacity (mAh)	2390
Removable battery	No
Colours	Black, White and Purple
SAR value	NA
Display
Screen size (inches)	5.00
Touchscreen	Yes
Touchscreen type	Capacitive
Resolution	540x960 pixels
Pixels per inch (PPI)	220
Colours	16M
Hardware
Processor	1.2GHz  quad-core
RAM	1GB
Internal storage	4GB
Expandable storage	Yes
Expandable storage type	microSD
Expandable storage up to (GB)	32
Camera
Rear camera	8-megapixel
Flash	Yes
Front camera	0.3-megapixel
Software
Operating System	Android 4.2
Java support	Yes
Browser	HTML
Browser supports Flash	Yes
Connectivity
Wi-Fi	Yes
Wi-Fi standards supported	802.11 b/ g/ n
GPS	Yes
Bluetooth	Yes, v 4.00
NFC	No
Infrared	No
DLNA	Yes
Wi-Fi Direct	Yes
MHL Out	Yes
HDMI	No
Headphones	3.5mm
FM	Yes
USB	Micro-USB
Charging via Micro-USB	Yes
Proprietary charging connector	No
Proprietary data connector	No
Number of SIMs	2
SIM 1
SIM Type	Micro-SIM
GSM/ CDMA	GSM
2G frequencies supported	GSM 900/ 1800/ 1900
3G	Yes
3G frequencies supported	900, 2100
SIM 2
SIM Type	Micro-SIM
GSM/ CDMA	GSM
2G frequencies supported	GSM 900/ 1800/ 1900
3G	No
3G frequencies supported	NA
Sensors
Compass/ Magnetometer	Yes
Proximity sensor	Yes
Accelerometer	Yes
Ambient light sensor	No
Gyroscope	No
Barometer	No
Temperature sensor	No