103 apps that can make your life easier right now

<ul><li>With winter coming, the air quality in major Indian cities like Delhi, Chennai, Bombay and Bangalore is only set to get worse.</li><li>Mobile apps can't clean up the air but can help your better prepare for the deteriorating air quality.</li><li>One size does not fit all, so each app has a unique characteristic that could make it perfect for your requirement.</li></ul><br />Air pollution isn’t just something that we read about in school and can ignore as we go about our lives. Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai measure ‘severe’ on the Air Quality Index (AQI) as winter starts to kick in.<br /><br />However, a number of mobile applications allow users to monitor the level of air pollution in their immediate area. It doesn’t make the air cleaner but it can help prepare for what’s in store — like when you wear a mask out of the house, guilt trip you into using public transport instead of the car, or maybe invest in air purifier so that it’s at least to safe breather inside the house. <br /><br />These apps don’t actually measure the air quality that’s immediately around you but uses data feeds from monitoring stations to tell you what the air is like in your area.<br /><br /><strong>Here are some fun apps you can download on your phone to track air quality in your area on a daily basis:</strong><br />

Before you breathe, use these apps to check if the air is clean enough

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/52633294.cms" /> <br />
Global smartphone growth is set to lose some pace because of the economic slowdown in China, and India, which has emerged as the fastest growing market in the world and left China behind in the race of smartphone sales, can do little or nothing to help it.<br />
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While India has surpassed China's pace of smartphone sales, it is still far from replacing the neighbour as the growth driver for the global handset industry, because of the comparatively smaller size of the Indian market, and the fact that majority of the user base is settler in rural areas, bringing in lower revenue. <br />
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The fact that India still sells only as many phones in a year that China sells in a quarter is enough to hint at the vast difference in the sizes of two markets. Other than this, India's average selling price (ASP) of smartphones, which stands at $132, is almost half of that of China, and the chances of it growing soon are pretty dull because of, again, rural market using basic phones. <br />
 <br />
Overall global smartphone sales have already dipped and will dip further to 7% on year in 2016 from 14% in 2015. The reason behind this fall is flat sales in China and North America, which is the second largest smartphone market.<br />
 <br />
"Being an emerging market, there will always be a demand for feature phones and entry-level smartphones in India, whereas in China, majority market is replacement smartphones which have higher ASP," Sanjay Kumar Kalirona, head of mobile business at Intex Technologies told ET. <br />
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"So, there will always be a gap between India and China in value terms, even if volumes were to be same," he added.<br />
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The mere fact that India's largest home-grown player <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Micromax-to-enter-the-Chinese-mobile-market/articleshow/52571504.cms">Micromax wants to enter the China market</a> to ensure its smooth passage into world’s top-five players is enough to understand the importance of <keyword id="988382" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Chinese-smartphone-market">Chinese smartphone market</keyword> in the global scenario.<br />
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<a href="http://static.digit.in/default/e8cf5bbf57b7fbb8716a5600393b1ab78e1e2c64.jpeg"><em>Image source</em></a><br />


India is ahead of China in smartphone sales pace but can’t replace its role in global handset industry

<keyword id="3185988" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="itel" source="Orion">itel</keyword> Mobile India, which has been democratising technology by delivering high-quality smartphones under Rs 10,000, takes another giant leap in launching India's most affordable and powerful 5G smartphone -- "<keyword id="18929394" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="P55-Power-5G" source="Orion">P55 Power 5G</keyword>" under this segment, making it an accessible technology for consumers.<br /><br />The <keyword id="18929395" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="itel-P55-Power-5G" source="Orion">itel P55 Power 5G</keyword> is equipped with a highly aspirational MediaTek dimensity 6080 chipset ensuring uninterrupted and outstanding performance.<br /><br />Addressing the discerning need for expansive memory and seamless performance, the smarphone boasts an impressive 128GB storage and 6GB RAM.<br /><br />Additionally, it offers a 4GB+4GB RAM with 64GB ROM variant to cater to varying storage requirements among consumers.<br /><br />The itel P55 Power 5G emerges in two colours -- Galaxy Blue and Mint Green.<br /><br />The 4GB + 64GB variant will be available in offline stores at Rs 9,699 while the 6GB+128GB variant will be exclusively available on Amazon at Rs 9,999 from October 4.<br /><br />Consumers can register their interest through the "Notify Me" link on Amazon -- https://www.amazon.in/l/90117307031 .<br /><br />"itel has been at the forefront in driving the digital revolution in Bharat, successfully facilitating the seamless transition of customers from 2G to 4G. As India is poised to welcome approximately 150 million 5G users by 2024, flagging off a big digital revolution, we are determined to democratize 5G technology, making it accessible and affordable for the masses in Bharat," said Arijeet Talapatra, CEO, itel India.<br /><br />"The itel P55 Power 5G redefines technology supremacy under the 10K segment by offering 5G connectivity with NRCA technology, combined with the powerful MediaTek D6080 chipset, creating a perfect synergy of swift connectivity and outstanding performance," he added.<br /><br />The itel P55 Power 5G boasts an astonishing 50MP AI dual camera and an 8MP front camera to capture the perfect moments with ultra-clarity.<br /><br />Harnessing the prowess of 5G capabilities, users are set to experience unprecedented connection speeds -- ideal for streaming movies, uploading high-resolution photos, and seamlessly sharing voluminous content on the go.<br /><br />The device comes equipped with NRCA resulting in better connectivity and faster internet even in the low network area.<br /><br />While the peer brands are still offering Dimensity 6020 chipset in this price range, itel P55 Power 5G has disrupted the market with MediaTek Dimensity 6080 octa-core processor, setting the highly competitive benchmark.<br /><br />The smartphone boasts a 5000 mAh battery, which is complemented by 18W fast-charging capabilities.<br /><br />Along with face recognition, it features a side fingerprint sensor that adds an extra layer of security to the seamless user experience.<br /><br />In addition to its remarkable features within this price range, the brand also offers a one-time screen replacement facility to the users.<br /><br /><b>SEE ALSO:</b><br /><br /> <b><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/pixel-8-launch-on-oct-4-from-camera-to-design-specifications-what-we-know-so-far/articleshow/103924696.cms">Pixel 8 launch on Oct 4 – From camera to design specifications, what we know so far</a></b><br /><br /> <b><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/gadgets/news/amazfit-cheetah-series-smartwatches-with-ai-powered-running-coach-launched-in-india/articleshow/103836676.cms">A smartwatch in India now offers an AI-powered running coach</a></b><br /><br /> <b><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/motorola-edge-40-neo-launched-in-india-specs-features-and-price/articleshow/103832280.cms">Motorola Edge 40 Neo with with vegan leather back hits the Indian market</a></b><br />

itel launches India's most affordable 5G smartphone 'P55 Power 5G' under Rs 10K

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5a432b864aa6b5a01a8b6d93-2000/chriswraysmall.jpg" border="0" alt="chris wray" data-mce-source="AP/Andrew Harnik" data-mce-caption="FBI Director Chris Wray" /><p class="source"><span>AP/Andrew Harnik</span></p><p class="caption">FBI Director Chris Wray</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>The FBI has repeatedly warned the US public about the threat posed by Chinese espionage.</strong></li><li><strong>China stands accused of a vast array of acts of espionage, from stealing military secrets, to industrial proprietary information, down to personal information from individuals.</strong></li><li><strong>Leaders of US government and industry have long exercised caution and kept away from Chinese products, but the public has yet to catch up.</strong></li><li><strong>Avoiding Chinese tech, not bringing your own tech products to China, and using caution when interacting with Chinese nationals can make you a harder target. </strong></li></ul><hr /><p>The FBI has a clear message for the US public: Chinese society itself is a threat to the US due to its heavy engagement with espionage and influence campaigns. </p><p>FBI Director Christopher Wray <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/china-threat-to-america-fbi-director-warns-2018-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said as much at a February Senate Intelligence Committee hearing</a>, during which he said naive academics have allowed "nontraditional collectors" of intelligence to infiltrate the US's revered "very open research and development environment" in universities. </p><p>While Chinese citizens have been pouring into US and Western universities and industries, China has seen an explosion in domestic technology, especially in its military and space sectors. </p><p>To be fair, all countries with the capability engage in spycraft, but the Chinese Communists don't gather intelligence like the US does.</p><p>China's society is not like the US's. In China, everything belongs to the ruling Communist Party, including the military and intelligence services, and its people can be coerced into their service. </p><p>Beijing has gone to extreme lengths to police its people on even social interactions, establishing leverage over their citizens, even the ones living abroad. Chinese citizens in the US and Canada have <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/27/anastasia-lin-miss-world-canada-falun-gong-practitioner-china-persecution" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported threats being made to their families on the mainland when they speak up against the CCP.</a></p><p>The <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/trump-steel-tariffs-have-nothing-on-chinas-intellectual-property-theft-2018-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US has accused China of coercing foreign firms into technology transfer</a>. The private sector, as it tries to break into China's massive market, is filled with off-the-record horror stories of spying and theft of secrets.</p><p>Because of the clandestine nature of spycraft, it's almost impossible to know if you're the subject of Chinese espionage, but there are steps you can take to reduce the risk you face.</p><p>Based on insider accounts, here's how you can protect yourself from suspected outlets of Chinese espionage as a US citizen.</p><h2>Avoid Chinese tech</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b1159531ae6621f008b4e0c-799/huawei-zte-cut-lobbying-spending-but-find-other-ways-to-spread-influence.jpg" border="0" alt="An exhibitor takes a photo with a Huawei Mate 10 Pro during the 2018 CES in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. January 9, 2018. REUTERS/Steve Marcus " data-mce-source="Thomson Reuters" data-mce-caption="An exhibitor takes a photo with a Huawei Mate 10 Pro during the 2018 CES in Las Vegas" /><p class="source"><span>Thomson Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">If the Pentagon won't use it, will you?</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Bill Bishop, an author who has lived on and off in China for decades and writes the Sinocism newsletter for Axios, <a href="https://twitter.com/niubi/status/990358142952394752" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted the following</a>: "Entertaining to talk to Chinese engineers with experience with Huawei about whether or not Huawei installs back doors. Unanimous 'Of course' followed by 'how naive are the foreigners who still doubt that.'"</p><p>New court documents filed in the US allege that ZTE, another Chinese phone maker, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/zte-created-to-spy-according-to-new-court-documents-2018-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was set up with the express purpose of conducting international espionage.</a></p><p>With a camera, microphone, and the logins of its owners accounts, accessing the smarphones of US citizens would be a massive intelligence boon for any nation. </p><p>Public naivety comes up again and again in intelligence circles. In May, the US banned all Chinese-made smartphones from the Pentagon, saying devices from Huawei and ZTE "may pose an unacceptable risk to department's personnel, information and mission."</p><p>If the Pentagon is taking seriously the risk of espionage via Chinese-made phones, maybe savvy US citizens should follow suit. </p><h2>Don't bring tech to China</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5ad47429146e711b008b4652-2000/shutterstock523240870.jpg" border="0" alt="hotel room" data-mce-source="Kamil Macniak / Shutterstock" data-link="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/picture-showing-hand-businessman-opening-hotel-523240870?src=9d35CBg3YRmbGtWHP4rcqA-1-28" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/picture-showing-hand-businessman-opening-hotel-523240870?src=9d35CBg3YRmbGtWHP4rcqA-1-28">Kamil Macniak / Shutterstock</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>"If you have a security briefing" before heading to China for a company with sensitive information, "you would be told 'do not take a laptop,'" Bonnie Glaser, director of the China Power Project told Business Insider.</p><p>"I once got a security briefing or someone told me 'do not leave the laptop in your room and take a shower, someone could walk in and download your information and be out,'" said Glaser.</p><p>Glaser said it's common for foreigners staying in a hotel in China to return from the gym or a trip and find "people rummaging around their room."</p><p>China has been "aggressive" about intelligence gathering from government and business officials "for years and years and years, and they are really good at it," said Glaser.</p><p><span>"Any person who is really dealing with proprietary information, </span><span>nobody takes a laptop, nobody writes an email. P</span><span>eople who are really serious about security will take a burner phone, they would never take their own phone," said Glaser.</span></p><h2><span>Use caution with Chinese nationals</span></h2><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5af18b2619ee861f008b4a07-1024/gettyimages-459201750.jpg" border="0" alt="Confucius Classroom Australia" data-mce-source="Rob Griffith - Pool/Getty Images" data-mce-caption="Chinese President Xi Jinpin's wife Madame Peng Liyuan poses for a photo with students during their lessons in Mandarin, calligraphy, paper-cutting and embroidery at Ravenswood School for Girls on November 19, 2014 in Sydney, Australia." /><p class="source"><span>Rob Griffith - Pool/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">Chinese President Xi Jinpin's wife Madame Peng Liyuan poses for a photo with students during their lessons in Mandarin, calligraphy, paper-cutting and embroidery at Ravenswood School for Girls on November 19, 2014 in Sydney, Australia.</p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><p><span>The Chinese Communist Party has extraordinary powers within its borders to detain and reeducate people <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-many-people-are-imprisoned-in-xinjiang-china-government-documents-2018-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">over something as central and inoffensive as an ethnic or religious identity. </a></span></p><p><span>In 2014, the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw8ZorTB7_o" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FBI issued a public service announcement</a> warning against being a pawn for Chinese spies. US students are "coming back from an overseas experience saying unusual things happened, offers that didn't make sense, for money, big favors, positions they really weren't suited for. And we think a lot of those were pitches or recruitments," the FBI said. </span></p><p><span>Naturalized <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/5-ways-china-spies-on-corporate-america-2014-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chinese citizens in the US been indicted countless times</a>, with many being employed by Chinese firms to steal secrets across a broad swath of US industries. The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/china-threat-to-america-fbi-director-warns-2018-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FBI's Wray warned in February</a> specifically that Chinese "professors, scientists, students" all participated in intelligence gathering. </span></p><p>China is <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-hackers-stole-f-35-data-2014-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">widely suspected of using cyber crime to steal US plans for the F-35 stealth jet</a>, but other more civilian industries like agriculture and manufacturing are at risk too, according to experts.</p><p>Wray <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/fbi-christopher-wray-chinese-immigrants_us_5ab3d47fe4b008c9e5f51975" target="_blank" rel="noopener">received considerable backlash</a> for his comments from Asian-American civil rights groups who noted in a letter to Wray that "well-intentioned public policies might nonetheless lead to troubling issues of potential bias, racial profiling, and wrongful prosecution."</p><p>But Wray stood firm in his analysis.</p><p>"To be clear, we do not open investigations based on race, or ethnicity, or national origin," Wray <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/fbi-chief-biggest-threats-china-spies-terror-rise-violent-crime-n858786" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told NBC News</a>. "But when we open investigations into economic espionage, time and time again, they keep leading back to China."</p><h2><span>Why the US is so vulnerable to Chinese spying and influence</span></h2><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b11591c1ae66222008b4a73-1550/newstand.jpg" border="0" alt="newstand.jpg" /><p class="caption">The openness of US media and society makes it vulnerable.</p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><p>China is a wide and diverse nation, but its leadership, the Chinese Communist Party, takes steps to secure its interests that may shock those from open societies in the West. Beyond direct espionage, Chinese Communists have bought up radio stations and newspapers as well as <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&amp;objectid=12058818" target="_blank" rel="noopener">funded political candidates in Western countries to promote their interests.</a></p><p>In many ways, the US's susceptibility to Chinese espionage is a price paid for freedom. <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2017/11/29/china-paid-wapo-to-publish-a-news-supplement-that-ignored-north-koreas-icbm/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">China can pay to place propaganda in US publications like The Washington Post</a>, and the US "is not going to pass a law telling The Washington Post who they can and cannot sell advertising though," according to Glaser.</p><p>But for private US citizens finding out what leaders of industry and government have known for some time, there are steps they can take to protect themselves from the "whole-of-society" threat Chinese spies pose to the US, as Wray calls it. </p>        <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-narcos-sicario-get-wrong-about-drug-cartels-mexico-2018-5">Here's what 'Narcos' and 'Sicario' get right and wrong about drug cartels</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/vxWLyW6a-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

The FBI calls Chinese spies in the US a 'whole of society threat' - here's how to protect yourself

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/30150435.cms" />We have read half a dozen reports in the past few months which state the same fact— PC shipments are on the low as end consumers are picking up more tablets and mobiles. Yes, some PC companies are facing heavy losses in the arena, but the situation is not very poor (except for few). In the last quarter of 2013 PC manufacturers did seem upbeat and enthusiastic to sell more units in 2014.<br />
<br /> However, the news of Sony trying to sell their Premium Vaio PC arm has stirred the situation and alarm bells are ringing all over. Sony did manage to sell their PC business to <keyword id="1199696" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Japan-Industrial-Partners">Japan Industrial Partners</keyword> last week and that has infused fresh speculations. The correct acquisition amount of the sale has not been disclosed but sources do say that it has been pegged at over 40 Billion Yen. Sony was incurring a loss of 1.1 Billion USD on their PC business and hence wanted to get rid of it.<br />
<br /> The sale has brought new conjectures in the market after Sony’s exit. Possibly, the Vaio brand will no longer be available in markets outside Japan and this will hit the global shipments of laptop PC’s. After smarphones, the user interaction with <keyword id="473893" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Desktop-PC">desktop PC</keyword>’s has gone. A decade ago, this was not the case as a PC or Laptop was the only and the best way to access the internet and manage your files and documents.<br />
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Now people can access the internet from almost any connected device. The revolution of internet everywhere and cloud storage has further reduced the need of a PC.<strong> So is this the fall of the PC and would we see it die this year? </strong>Or the PC going to die a slow death? The later is the answer. Mobility is the key factor here. A desktop does not provide the mobility a tablet or a smartphone does. This is the reason why people go for a laptop or a tablet.<br />
<br /> These days laptops are being preferred over the desktop. Compare it to half a decade ago in countries such as <keyword id="402752" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="India-PC">India PC</keyword> was the first jab at home computing. But today the households are also going for a laptop as their primary computing machine. The trend has changed over the last couple of years and people are slowly moving away from the desktop to more potable forms of computers.<br />
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But there is a downside to mobility. A desktop has the power to be upgraded and the configuration can be changed as and when the user feels like. This is not the case with laptop, tablet and certainly not with the smartphone. One can expand memory in some smartphones or increase the RAM in a laptop and that is about it. You cannot change the screen, graphic card or the motherboard. The choices of customisation on a mobile device are limited and one has to go with what the company offers.<br />
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Taking that into consideration we do not see the desktop PC market dieing soon. Its share will diminish but not evaporate. Smartphones are going to be the biggest gainers and tablets should also gain momentum. Laptops are going to gain favour in both households and SOHO’s. Desktops will still be favoured in large organisations and specialised offices. So overall, the picture for desktop PC market does not seem bright, but there is still a lot to play here for. <br />
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Image: ThinkStock<br />


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