iPad Air 2 can switch wireless carriers with a touch

Apple's new iPad Air 2 will allow subscribers to switch wireless carriers much more easily, by swiping an icon across the screen of the device.

 Apple's new iPad Air 2 will allow subscribers to switch wireless carriers much more easily, by swiping an icon across the screen of the device.

The feature, available thanks to a neutral Apple SIM card installed in the device, will allow customers to sign up for short-term service plans and switch carriers using their iPad, the company said.

The SIM card supports AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint high-speed networks. For service from the largest US carrier, Verizon Wireless, customers need to install a separate Verizon SIM card.

The feature allows customers to switch carriers based on their monthly needs, like bigger data buckets, more reliable connections or cheaper prices. Subscribers traveling can also plug into international carriers' networks and purchase temporary contracts through the iPad, the company said.

Cybercrime cases shot up in last 10 years: Telecom minister

India has witnessed a massive surge in cyber crime incidents in about 10 years — from just 23 in 2004 to 72,000 last year.

India has witnessed a massive surge in cybercrime incidents in about 10 years — from just 23 in 2004 to 72,000 last year, telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said here today.

"In the year 2004, we had only 23 incidents (of cyber crime). Last year we had about 72,000 incidents. Media reports show as to how cyber attacks are done to completely immobilize the financial infrastructure, information infrastructure," Prasad said at cybersecurity event organized by The Observer Research Foundation and industry body Ficci.

As per government's cyber security arm Computer Emergency Response Team-India (CERT-In) 62,189 cybersecurity incidents were reported in just the first 5 months this year.

Attackers compromise computer systems located in different parts of the world and use masquerading techniques and hidden servers making it difficult to trace them.

Prasad expressed concern over the absence of technical and legal infrastructure to catch cyber criminals, as also the lack of mechanism to check the unhindered growth of network of infected computer systems and flow of global information to check cybercrimes.

"There is great imperative to have proper ecosystem where there is meaningful cooperation. It is very important that information is properly shared. It is equally important that there must be mechanism for accountability in place in respect to crimes committed in cyberspace," he said.

Internet, mobile phones and the new media are among the finest inventions and game changers, Prasad said, adding as to why should a few be allowed to abuse it to destroy humanity.

He said India will support the framework of internet governance which must be inclusive and democratic.

British Member of Parliament and Secretary of State for Culture Sajid Javid at the event said multi-stakeholder model, both to governance and security, is the single best solution to the challenge cybercrimes, Prasad said.

He said the UK government has spend almost a billion pound under its Cyber Security Strategy.

"It's a great opportunity for world leaders to come together and confront the criminals. I look forward to India taking part. We must ensure that the internet is safe, secure and successful, but we cannot allow that to be an excuse for further government control of cyberspace," Javid said.

In the United Kingdom, he added, computer-based attacks are ranked alongside international terrorism as one of the biggest threats to national security.

10 things Apple eliminated at its iPad Air 2 and iMac event

Apple is modernizing many of the tasks we use in everyday life and you'll surely see the differences years down the line if they're successful.

Apple is known for spearheading change through elimination: it radically axed disc drives from Macs, replaced physical keyboards with touchscreens on phones and made ethernet ports an optional accessory.

All of these were unconventional in their day. Six years ago, the MacBook Air lead to people worrying about losing the bulky, humming DVD drive that takes up 1/3 of a laptop's footprint.

iPad Air 2 and iMac event was no different. The Cupertino company is modernizing — for the better — many of the tasks we use in everyday life.

You may not have noticed the changes during the press conference, but you'll surely see the differences years down the line if they're successful.

1. Credit card swiping thanks to Apple Pay
Apple Pay begins to replace the swipe and sign routine of using credit cards on October 20 in the US. You just need a fingerprint and the latest iPhone.

There's no plastic involved when using an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus as a mobile wallet. The same can't be said about many of the popular plastic Google Wallet-linked Android phones.



Apple has enlisted 500 banks and the three major credit card companies: Visa, Mastercard and American Express. In addition to its Apple Stores, top-name retailers like McDonald's, Walgreens, Whole Foods, Subway, and Disney theme parks are going to accept Apple Pay.

2. Bugs through iOS 8.1 update
iOS 8.1 is going launch Apple Pay, but it'll also be used to fix those nasty Wi-Fi and battery drain problems too.

These annoying bugs were introduced in iOS 8 and made worse when a handful of people upgraded to iOS 8.0.1 before it was pulled. iOS
8.0.2 quickly took its place with some fixes.

More than any of the product announcements, Monday's iOS 8.1 may be a welcomed change for users facing issues with their current hardware.

3. 'Pencil thin' comparisons to the iPad Air 2
The iPad Air 2 isn't "as thin as a pencil" like last year's iPad Air. It's actually 18% thinner.

At just 6.1mm, it's now the world's thinnest tablet and it's super light too. iPad Air 2 weighs under a pound at 0.96 pound (437 g). Compare that to the original iPad at 1.5 lbs (680 g).

Apple eliminated the gaps between its three layers: the glass, the touch sensor and the LCD, making it thinner and sharper than previous iPads.

4. 32GB is out, 64GB is in
Like the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, there's no longer a 32GB option being offered within the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 lineup. It's been eliminated, for better or worse.

In its place, for the same price, is the 64GB iPad model. This seems like a way to keep selling the 16GB models, which should be long gone, without actually eliminating it.

If you're on the fence, Apple made the jump to extra storage a little easier, but not cheaper if you just wanted a little more room above 16GB.

5. SIM card switching between countries
International travel with any 4G-connected device is a hassle, but the new Apple SIM card can eliminate at least one overseas-trip headache.



Pre-installed in the iPad Air 2 with Wi-Fi + Cellular models, it allows for short-term plans from select carriers in the US and UK. Plans can be selected right on the iPad with no long-term commitments, making it easier to pay for a data plan from a local carrier on a trip.

This would be even more meaningful in the next iPhone 6S and iPhone 7, but it's a start.

6. The infuriating wall between mobile and Mac
There's no reason I should have to get up from my computer with a full-sized keyboard to respond to a text message on my phone that happens to be in the other room.

Cross-platform iMessages fixed this among iDevices owners and iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite take it a step further by relaying all SMS messages between my Apple-made devices.

There are also helpful features like Handoff that bridge the gap between mobile and computer apps. Start an email on the Mac and finish it on an iPhone and vice versa.

7. Looking as foolish using an iPad as a camera
You'll still look silly taking photos with a 9.7-inch iPad, but Apple is right: it's the biggest and best non-traditional viewfinder around.

The new sensor in the iPad Air 2 iSight camera is now 8MP, giving you photos with a native resolution of 3264 x 2448 and, of course, video shot in 1080p.

Features like time-lapse video, 120 slow-motion video and exposure control give you more control over what you capture and editing on the
big screen, as opposed to an iPhone, makes it almost socially acceptable as a camera.

8. Passwords that are hard-to-type on an iPad
Even with that larger keyboard on a 9.7-inch iPad Air screen, entering passwords that are immediately hidden by asterisks is an annoyance that has to go.



Luckily, Apple's Touch ID fingerprint sensor has made its way onto the iPad Air 2 and the iPad mini 3. Combined with extensions like 1Password, logging into sites and supported apps takes nothing more than the touch of the new home button.

Finally, the iPad is catching up with the old iPhone 5S with a gold color option and infinitely more useful biometric fingerprint sensor.

9. 4K as your highest resolution display iMac with a Retina 5K display cranks the pixel count so much that it gives you a better resolution than that 4K TV you probably haven't gotten around to buying yet.

With 14.7 million pixels and 5120 x 2880 resolution, this 27-inch all-in-one computer has 67% more pixels than a 4K display that doesn't contain a computer.

Of course, it comes at a price. It retails for $2,499 (£1,999, AU$2,999) through the Apple Store.

10. High entry fee: Mac mini is even cheaper
Alternatively, you can get more value from the Mac mini 2014 with an even cheaper entry-level price. It starts at $499 (£399, AU$619).

Lenovo will be India's 3rd largest smartphone player by year end

Lenovo said it is all set to become India's third largest smartphone company with the completion of $ 2.91 billion acquisition of Motorola later this year.

Chinese electronics giant Lenovo said it is all set to become India's third largest smartphone company with the completion of $ 2.91 billion acquisition of US-based handset maker Motorola later this year.

The company is already the number one player in the PC market in India.

In the Indian smartphone market, Lenovo lags behind Motorola, which is the fourth largest player.

"We will become the third largest smartphone seller in India after the Motorola operations get integrated with us by the year-end," Lenovo India managing director Amar Babu said.

The company also plans to enhance its position in the tablet market in India.

Lenovo today launched its new range of 'Yoga' tablets in India, priced between Rs 20,990 to Rs 47,990. The range — comprising of four devices — will go on sale from tomorrow exclusively on eCommerce site, Flipkart.

The range, comprising three Android and one Windows-powered units, includes features like full HD, Dolby Wolfson HiFi audio, 8MP rear and 1.6MP HD front camera. These units are powered by Intel's Atom chips.

The Yoga range, popular for its Stand, Hold and Tilt modes, will now include a 'Hang' option to allow better usage of the device.

"The Yoga range has become a franchise of its own. It accounts for a good percentage of our tablet sales," he said.

Asked the reason for launching new tablets even as the market was declining, Babu said the segment was on the rise.

"There was a correction in the market with the BIS standard kicking in and now there are better products in the market. Analysts already have indicated that the market is set to improve in the months to come," he added.

According to industry body MAIT, tablet PC segment witnessed a muted growth rate of 76% in 2013-14 against the triple-digit growth in the previous two years as fewer entry-level models were introduced.

The sales for 2013-14 stood at 3.35 million units as against 1.9 million units in 2012-13.

MAIT expects the segment to grow only by about 27% in 2014-15 as consumers opt for more higher screen sized smartphones.

However, players like Microsoft and chip maker Intel are confident of revival in demand and sales of tablets (devices with screen sizes above 6.99 inches), driven by new form factors like 2-in-1s.

Besides homegrown players, many multinational firms like Samsung, Lenovo and Asus have launched tablets in the last few months to cash in on the opportunity.

According to CyberMedia Research, over 7.46 lakh tablets were sold in the January-March 2014 quarter by as many as 30 domestic and international vendors. Samsung, Apple and Datawind were the top three players.

iPad Air, iPad mini 2 get price cuts in Ind

Apple has also phased out the fourth-generation iPad from its portfolio with tonight’s iPad launch.

 With the launch of iPad Air 3 and iPad mini 3, Apple has reduced the prices of the older iPads in its portfolio.

With this move, Apple enters the affordable tablet segment as the original iPad mini (16GB, Wi-Fi-only) now officially costs Rs 17,900. Online retailers have been selling this model at approximately Rs 16,000 in the market already. It competes against the likes of Samsung Galaxy Tab4 7.0 and Google Nexus 7 (2013).

Last year's iPad mini with Retina display, which has a 7.9-inch screen with 2048x1536p resolution, now starts at Rs 21,900 for the 16GB Wi-Fi model, down from Rs 28,900. The model has been renamed as iPad mini 2.



The original Wi-Fi-only iPad Air with 16GB storage is now available for Rs 28,900, marking a reduction of Rs 7,000 from its launch price of Rs 35,900.

Though the Apple India website has listed the 32GB variants of iPad mini 2 and iPad Air, it has not revealed the prices of these models. Similarly, it has also not announced the prices of the Wi-Fi + 3G variants of all these iPad versions.



The new iPad Air 3 (Wi-Fi-only) will cost Rs 35,900, Rs 42,900 and Rs 49,900 for the 16, 64 and 128GB variants. The cellular versions will cost Rs 45,900, Rs 52,900 and Rs 59,900 for the three storage options, respectively. It will compete against Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 and Google Nexus 9.

Apple has priced the iPad mini 3 at Rs 28,900, Rs 35,900 and Rs 42,900 for the 16, 64 and 128GB models. iPad mini 3 with Wi-Fi + Cellular models have been priced at Rs 38,900, Rs 45,900 and Rs 52,900, respectively. Its main competitor in the Indian market will be Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 and Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact.

Apple has also phased out the fourth-generation iPad from its portfolio with tonight's iPad launch.