SHIMLA: State-owned BSNL plans to add 50 lakh connections, including 30 lakh in urban and 20 lakh in semi urban areas, under New Generation network by March 2017, a top official said.

Under NGN, the services available on mobile phones will also be provided on landlines under the brand name Wings and both mobile and landline subscribers will be included in the Common User Group (CUG), said N K Gupta, member, BSNL Board of Directors, who inaugurated the first NGN exchange at Mahli, 10 km from here.

The NGN will facilitate diversion of calls from eight mobile or landline telephones to one number under mobile conversion and video conferencing among 30 persons for which the user could either attach the cable to the computer or laptop or buy SIP phone equipped with a camera and screen.

The entire operation will be automatic and no extra charges will be required to be paid for six months.

He said BSNL is trying to address network issues and call drop and 300 base transceiver stations (BTS) are being installed to improve services in Himachal Pradesh, which being a hilly state faces the problem of multiple reflection that increases dark spots.

The other highlight under NGN is pre-paid landline connections will be offered too.

At present, about 6,000 NGN connections are operating in Sanjauli and Chota Shimla and 18,000 more will be released in the second phase, which was launched today.

Those black wings aren't just for show. This manned, prototype aircraft utilized solar panels to keep itself afloat for around 20 minutes on Friday.

In its quest to bring Internet access to third-world countries, Long Island-based Luminati Aerospace LLC said it successfully tested a new solar-powered, VO-Substrata aircraft on Eastern Long Island, according to the Associated Press.

"It's the only aircraft I've ever flown where I can hear a helicopter next to me," pilot Robert Lutz reported. "It's a little spooky but pretty cool."

According to Luminati (yes, like that Illuminati) founder Daniel Preston, the goal is to develop unmanned drones that, thanks to solar power and wind energy, could remain afloat indefinitely.

"I really can't think of any engineering project today that has a greater social impact than bringing communications for many people in the world that don't have it," he said.

Preston also added that the company is also looking to supply drones to private businesses, along with intelligence agencies for surveillance and reconnaissance uses.

However, it's not clear who commissioned the project. Preston has denied which big technology company has stakes in the project. Facebook and Google are two likely candidates, especially since both have expressed interest in creating unmanned drones to increase Internet access. Google was testing solar-powered drones as recently as January and Facebook has fiddled with the idea since 2014.

Samsung has unveiled the much-hyped Galaxy C5 and Galaxy C7. The devices are already up for pre-orders in China and are scheduled to hit the stores in the country on June 17 but it is still unclear if they will be released in the international market.

There were reports that the Galaxy C5 and Galaxy C7 will be exclusive for the Chinese market but it appears like they will also be launched in other countries, including India, perhaps at a later date. The Galaxy C5 with model number SM-C5000 has been spotted on Zauba, a website that tracks imports and exports in India, giving a hint that it could be released outside China.

But will the devices find takers in a price-conscious market like India?

The Galaxy C5 is priced at 2199 Yuan (around $335/ Rs. 22,500) for the 32GB variant, and 2399 Yuan (around $365/ Rs. 24,500) for the 64GB model, while the Galaxy C7 32GB version comes with a price tag of 2599 Yuan (around $396/ Rs. 26,600), and 2799 Yuan (around $427/ Rs. 28,600) for the 64GB variant.

It is not known for sure if the South Korean electronics giant will release the handsets in India, but if released, it may cost over Rs. 20,000, which means it will have to compete with some of the popular devices like the Xiaomi Mi 5, OnePlus 2, and LG Nexus 5X. From the point of view of specifications, the Galaxy C5 and Galaxy C7 are inferior to some of the devices in Rs. 20,000-Rs. 25,000 bracket, which will be make their prospect in the emerging markets thin.

With so many mid-range smartphones like the Moto G4 Plus, OnePlus X, Galaxy J5 (2016), Galaxy J7 (2017) and others available in the market, the fate of the Galaxy C5 and Galaxy C7, if released in India, could be left to the mercy of choosy consumers.

The Galaxy C5 sports a 5.2-inch Full HD Super AMOLED display with 1,920×1,080 pixels (424 ppi pixel density), powered by an Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor. It houses an Adreno 405 GPU, and runs Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. It also comes with a 32GB/64GB internal storage (expandable up to 128GB via microSD card), a 16MP main camera with f/1.9 aperture, an 8MP front-snapper with f/1.9 aperture, and a 2600mAh battery with Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 technology.

On the other hand, the Galaxy C7 sports a 5.7-inch full HD super AMOLED screen with 1,920x1,080 pixels. It has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor, an Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, a 32/64GB internal memory (expandable up to 128GB), a 4GB RAM, a 16MP main camera with f/1.9 aperture, an 8MP front-snapper with f/1.9 aperture, and a 3,300mAh battery with Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 technology.

Apple's World Wide Developers Conference will be commencing on June 13 at 10 AM PDT (10:30 PM IST). There are several rumours hinting the arrival of various new features and devices, and the latest one is that the Cupertino-based tech firm will be introducing iMessage app on rival Google's Android OS.

According to Mac Daily News website, which cites some sources 'familiar with the company's thinking', Apple is focusing on opening up to other rival OSes as well in order to expand its reach beyond own iOS and OS X.

It was further added that plans are always liable to change when it comes to Apple announcements.

It's not been easy for Intel to catch up with the big hitter Qualcomm in the mobile chip market but there's some light at the end of the tunnel, if a Bloomberg report is to be believed - apparently Intel's modems will be used in the iPhone 7 for phones sold on AT&T in the US and some international versions.

Qualcomm, the current incumbent, will pick up the slack on Verizon and in other parts of the world, particularly China. While it's not great news for Qualcomm, the company won't be panicking yet, and the move was to some extent expected: we heard very similar rumours last October.

Note that we're talking modem chips here, which connect your smartphone to a cellular network and control radio communications - we're not referring to the processors in the new iPhones, a job Apple usually farms out to TSMC and Samsung. It's possible Intel could eventually take over here, too.

Partnering up

While you probably won't give much thought to who made the modem chip as you amble down to the Apple Store to pick up your iPhone 7, it shows signs of hope for Intel in the smartphone market and indicates that Apple is willing to diversify in choosing hardware partners to help build its flagship handsets.

Further down the line it could lead to cheaper iPhones if Apple manages to play manufacturers off each other in terms of price. It's estimated that Qualcomm gets around $15 for every iPhone Apple sells - about $3.47 billion last year, then.

As for the really juicy iPhone 7 rumours, there are plenty of those too. The handset, due in September, is said to be adding a camera lens, dropping the headphone jack, adding waterproofing and dropping the bezels. Aside from that, expect something that looks very similar to the iPhone 6S.

Our review of the latest iPhone, the iPhone SE:

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Via PhoneArena

Bengaluru: Two Bengaluru-based students have developed an Android social application 'vPledge' that was unveiled here on Saturday.

Priyal Jain and Prateek Mahesh have devised the app, through which people can pledge to take up causes like conserving nature, donating meals, feeding stray dogs, using public transport and ensuring better health, hygiene or education.

This was after an exposure to Android for Kids at a technology summer camp hosted by AcadGild, the company said in a release.

Through the vPledge app, an individual can make a pledge such as planting 10 trees.

Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference is coming to San Francisco next week, giving CEO Tim Cook a chance to get developers fired up over the latest that Apple has to offer.

Don't expect a new iPhone. WWDC is all about software and services, but we'll also get a general update on the state of Apple. Here are some questions Apple needs to answer at the event.

How will Siri compete with Cortana and the Google Assistant?

When Siri launched in 2011, it was one of the first virtual assistants of its kind, but it now has competitors from Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook and Google.

Earlier this month, Samsung released the Galaxy J5 and Galaxy J7 smartphones in India at Rs 13,990 and Rs 15,990. The Galaxy J lineup is known for providing premium features such as 4G LTE, long lasting battery, etc. at affordable price tags.

Though these phones have long lasting batteries, you might need additional battery life in some situations. In that case, this content might be useful. Check out the tips and tricks to improve the battery life of the Galaxy J7.

Enable Power Saving Mode

Samsung phones come with Power Saving and Ultra Power Saving modes. Ensure you enable the Power Saving Mode either from the quick settings or the Settings menu. This can also be set to activate when the battery percentage drops below a specified value from 'Start power saving'.

Reduce screen brightness and timeout duration

You need to reduce the brightness of the display and the display timeout duration. To do this, go to the Settings menu and the Display option from the Device sub-menu. Then, disable 'Automatic Brightness' and reduce the screen luminosity.

Minimize the screen timeout duration by tapping on the 'Screen Timeout' option under the Display menu. Set the timeout value as the lowest one that is 15 seconds.

Turn off connectivity when not needed

Make sure that the connectivity options are turned off when these are not needed. Turn off Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and Hotspot whenever you don't need the same. This way, you can improve the battery life considerably.

You can also prolong the battery life by switching to 2G instead of using 3G or 4G all the time. This can be done by navigating to Settings → More Connection Settings → Connections → Mobile Networks → Network Mode → GSM only.

Reduce Third Party Apps Usage

Maybe not all, but some third party apps have a negative effect on the battery performance when they are not in use as they perform regular background processes. You can turn these off by going to Settings → Device → Applications → Application Manager → Downloaded → Disable or Force stop or Uninstall.

Manage the Sync Settings

Sync will consume more data and a lot of the battery power. So, you can change the settings by navigating to Settings → Accounts →Personal. Then, select the account and uncheck the boxes that are associated with the sync if you want to disable the same. Next, tap on Sync Now.

Disable Background Data

You need to make sure that the background data is disabled by clicking on Settings →Connections →Data usage →More →Restrict background data. And, click on OK.

Do Regular Checks for OS Updates

Usually, new software versions will include battery life improvements. So, you must check for the OS updates regularly to improve the battery life of your Galaxy J7.

This can be done from Settings →System →About Device. In case, there are updates available for the device, you can follow the instructions on-screen to update the device.

NEW YORK: Google and denim jeans company Levi's have developed a new jacket that lets users interact with their smartphones by swiping at the garment in various ways, a media report said.

Called the 'Commuter Trucker Jacket', the garment is aimed at cyclists who may be too busy riding and concentrating on their surroundings to reach into their pockets and fiddle with their phones, Forbes reported on Friday citing Paul Dillinger, company head of global product innovation.

The jacket is apparently waterproof -- except for a detachable electronic smart tag that activates a wireless connection between the clothing and a mobile device.

"If you get this thing dirty, you put it in the washing machine," said Dillinger during Google's annual developer conference in Mountain View, California, this week.

The garment is powered by Google's Project Jacquard technology developed by the internet giant's Advanced Technology and Projects Group.

Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook will unveil a development center for digital maps during his multiday visit to India this week, a person with knowledge of the trip said, as he seeks to make further inroads in the world's fastest-growing smartphone market.

Cook is on his first official trip to the country, where he will also introduce an accelerator program for iOS developers. The maps center will be based in Hyderabad. Apple, which is seeking to open retail stores in the country, has also been facing opposition to its efforts to import and sell refurbished iPhones in India.

The CEO is planning to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, although that schedule hasn't been finalized because the results of several Indian state assembly elections are due this week, said the person, who asked not to be identified as the information is not yet public.

"Mr. Cook is certainly going to come with an agenda," said Vishal Tripathi, a research director at Gartner India. "High on that list is permission to open Apple Stores in India, bring up the closed chapter of importing and selling refurbished phones in the country and also explore what's in it for Apple if it brings assembly and manufacturing to the country."

Top executives from Facebook Inc., Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and other global technology firms from have trekked to India to meet Modi these past few months. India is on the cusp of become a potentially huge consumer market, as more of the country's 1.3 billion people move into the middle class.

"For Apple and other technology makers, India may not yet be a China -- but it is an under-penetrated market where per capita income and purchasing power are going up offering huge growth opportunities," Tripathi said.

Cook's trip comes on the heels of a deal struck in China this month, where Apple is investing $1 billion in car-hailing app Didi. The CEO has said in the past that he sees India as where China was seven to 10 years ago. While Apple's iPhone sales declined globally for the first time ever in the first three months of 2016, shipments in India grew 56 percent in the period.