ASUS has released a bootloader unlocking tool for the ZenFone 2 that will make it a lot easier to unlock the bootloader on your device. As you might be aware, you are required to unlock the bootloader on a device in order to root it or to install a custom ROM, which is now easier due to the tool.

You must keep in mind though that unlocking the bootloader still voids the warranty as far as ASUS is concerned, so although the company makes it easier it still won’t service unlocked devices. However, as anyone who’s unlocked and relocked the device before would tell you, it is easy to relock it and as long as you have the stock firmware installed no one would be any…

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Meizu has really been busy with ambitious projects lately, such as the new high-end “Pro” sub brand and its ambassador – the Pro 5, which we recently took a quick look at. Now, a set of photos suggest that the OEM is also hard at work on a new Blue Charm device, with a working title – Meizu Blue Charm Metal.

The name tells most of the story and the photos do prove that the device will have what looks to be a metal unibody design, offered in 5 different colors – White, Grey, Pink, Blue and Gold. It fact, its body looks almost too uniform, which is odd, since a metal device does generally need some plastic to facilitate radio reception. Perhaps, Meizu has figured out a way to hide it, but we can’t really be sure yet.

On the other hand, the Blue Charm moniker suggests that the phone will be budget-oriented, as the last model from the same line was the quite successful m2 Note. Similar to it, the Blue Charm Metal is expected to have a 5.5-inch FullHD display, an octa-core processor, clocked at 2GHz, along with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of onboard storage, plus a microSD card slot. The camera setup is also said to be quite comparable with a 13MP main shooter and all of this will allegedly be fitted in a slimmer body – 8.2mm, compared to 8.7mm on the m2 Note.

The new phablet will most-likely be unveiled on October 21, so we should probably hear more on the matter then. Also, here’s to hoping the recent Meizu factory flood won’t affect the Meizu Blue Charm as well.

Source (in Chinese) |…

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Swiss watch maker Swatch has developed a timepiece that is capable of making NFC payments. Dubbed Bellamy, the watch carries a price tag of RMB 580 ($91), and will go on sale in China next year.

The company revealed that users of the watch in China will be able to make payments at retail stores having China UnionPay point-of-sale machines, adding that they are also in talks with Bank of Communications, one of China’s largest financial institutions.

After China, the Bellamy – which otherwise is a normal watch, meaning it doesn’t connect to the Internet or a mobile phone – will be released in the company’s home country of Switzerland as well as the United States.

Via | Image…

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Less than a week after there were reports that Twitter is planning cost cutting measures, the company has announced that it will cut up to 336 jobs, which translates into 8% of the company’s total workforce. The micro-blogging company said the move will help “drive efficiency”.

In an email to employees, newly announced CEO Jack Dorsey revealed that the company’s product and engineering teams will be affected the most by the layoffs. “We feel strongly that Engineering will move much faster with a smaller and nimbler team, while remaining the biggest percentage of our workforce,” he said. “And the rest of the organization will be streamlined in parallel”.

It’s worth mentioning that Twitter currently has an employee strength of 4,100, of which around 50% are engineers. The company reported 316 million monthly users in Q2 this…

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Tizen is an underground success with the original modestly-specced Z1, now less than a year after Samsung has come out with a new, more powerful phone. The Samsung Z3 (no Z2) is in the upper strata of the entry-level segment, with roughly Galaxy S III hardware.

This includes a 720p Super AMOLED screen – at 5″ it’s a bit bigger than what the S III got. The Z3 runs the latest version of Tizen, v2.3 and features Ultra Data Saving mode we saw on the Android-powered Galaxy J2. It promises 50% savings for most apps (not just the browser), which is great for developing countries with limited and expensive data plans.

Samsung Z3

The Samsung Z3 packs similar horsepower to the S III with a quad-core processor running at 1.3GHz (Spreadtrum chipset), 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage, plus up to 128GB more on a microSD card. It’s a dual-SIM phone with 3G connectivity and a lifetime subscription to Mix Radio where you can listen to over 30 million tracks.

The camera department loves selfies with a 5MP shooter and a 120° wide selfie mode. The main camera is an 8MP shooter

The Samsung Z3 will be available starting October 21. In India it will be exclusively on Snapdeal for INR 8,500 ($130/€115). It will come with 1GB of free data for two months for Vodafone…

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Apple iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus will go on sale from October 16 onwards in India, meanwhile the company has another piece of exciting news. Cupertino-headquartered Apple has reportedly inked a deal with Croma (Infiniti Retail) to set up its first brick-and-mortar Apple Store in India. So far, India’s mandatory local-sourcing norms for a brand’s foreign direct investment in retail sector has been a hurdle for Apple to setup its store in India.

In a test phase, Apple will set up a designated space in Croma’s five outlets in Mumbai and one in Bengaluru. In Croma, about 400-500 sq. ft. space will be dedicated to offering the same design, lighting, and overall experience as other Apple Stores globally.

That report is quite odd for Apple already had its presence at Croma’s five outlets in Mumbai with Apple Solutions Expert ready to assist the customers. About five years ago, the Apple Solutions Expert training program was started by Apple to train the staff to act as consultant and solutions provider to the customers visiting Croma. At third party multi-brand electronic stores, an agency hired the staff and they would wear t-shirts with Apple Reseller written on it. Next were the premium reseller franchise stores dedicated for selling only Apple products and would have their own staff.

So the new development only means that Apple plans to rebrand its presence at select Croma locations. The Apple Solutions Expert training program might be rebooted with a different name and attire.

Meanwhile, Indians can only hope for Apple products to be priced closely to that in the US. However, the 16GB iPhone 6s sale price is speculated to be around INR62,000 ($949) which is way higher than $649 for base model in the US. It is indeed ironic that Apple is announcing its formal entry by introducing costlier iPhone models in…

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A US jury has found Apple guilty of infringing a patent owned by the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s licensing arm in its iPhone 5s, 6, and 6 Plus smartphones, as well as several iPad versions.

Anadolu Agency—Getty Images

The patent in question is from 1988, and is related to improving chip efficiency. It was alleged that the Cupertino-based company’s A7, A8 and A8X processors – used in the aforementioned products – violate the patent.

While Apple denied any form infringement, terming the patent as invalid, the jury decided otherwise. Now it will be determined how much fine the iPhone maker will have to pay – a recent ruling suggested that the amount could be as much as $862.4 million.

It’s worth mentioning that Apple is also separately facing a similar lawsuit over the technology used in its A9 and A9X chipsets that power the newly-launched iPhone 6s/6s Plus smartphones, and the iPad…

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Chinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus has just posted a new teaser on its India Facebook page, effectively suggesting that the rumored OnePlus X smartphone would be unveiled on October 29.

Although the teaser image doesn’t provide any details about the handset (except that it’s going to be “Powerfully Beautiful”), it does effectively confirm that a device named OnePlus X actually exists. This information is important especially in the wake of the OnePlus Mini getting accidentally listed by Amazon India.

So, now it looks like both Mini and X are two separate devices from OnePlus, although nothing is yet confirmed. We’ll most probably have to wait until October 29 for any official indication or confirmation on…

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While the Apple Watch is already available for purchase at Apple Stores and some high-end fashion boutiques, it is also being offered online. And now, a new option has been added to the list, as retailer B&H Photo has also started carrying the smartwatch.

A quick look at the Apple Watch listings on B&H Photo’s website reveals that the New York-based retailer is selling 20 variants of the wearable device, including the recently announced gold and rose gold variants of the Apple Watch Sport. An important thing worth mentioning here is that there is no option to choose the watch and a band separately.

This comes just over a couple of months after Best Buy started selling the Apple Watch in the US.

Source |…

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We already know that Xiaomi is holding an event on October 19 and were expecting the company to unveil the Mi 5 smartphone, which has been the subject of numerous rumors and leaks till now. However, looks like the event has nothing to do with the device.

The Chinese company’s President Lin Bin has made it clear that the company won’t be unveiling the Mi 5. He also revealed that other products including notebooks and watches are also not on cards.

So, what is the company planning to unveil at the event? While we don’t know the exact answer, speculations are pointing towards something related to video gaming given that chairman and CEO Lei Jun recently said that the next-gen technology like consoles, games, and processors haven’t been used much in the smartphone industry.

Source |…

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