It's a bracelet... It's a watch... No, It's a Charger!

Smart watches and fitness bands are passé. It is time for the QBracelet. The QBracelet is a portable charger that you can wear on your wrist and that will charge your iPhone or Android device.

While we have had a lot of portable charges, what makes the QBracelet truly unique is that it is a portable charger that looks like a pretty piece of jewellery. When you unfold the bracelet, you find a hidden charging connector- a micro USB connector for Android devices and a Lightning connector for the iPhone.




Q Designs, the company that has conceptualized the QBracelet, claims that the Lithium-ion battery of the QBracelet will charge your device upto 60%. The bracelet takes 90 minutes to charge and lasts 30 days on standby.

We tested Apple Pay in the real world and this is our report

Apple released iOS 8.1 yesterday and with that came the opportunity for us to use Apple pay on iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

We were very excited to try out Apple's new Apple Pay. But first we had to get our Apple 6 Plus ready for the NFC-powered mobile payment. Here is how you can go about it:

1. Open the Passbook app
2. Tap the 'Add' button
3. Select the Credit/Debit Card menu (this has been introduced in iOS 8.1)
4. Fill the form by entering your card's number, expiration date and security code. Optionally you can also scan the details of your card with the phone's camera.

That's it, you're set!

When we visited a business outlet that accepts Apple's Pay's NFC payment, we had the opportunity to see Apple Pay in action. At the billing counter, when everything has been rung up, you have to hold your thumb (or any other finger that you have registered on your phone) to Touch ID and tap it against the part of the payment terminal with the Apple Pay symbol.

This entire process at the checkout counter takes a few short seconds. We really enjoyed the process. Let us know about your experience in the comments.

Find a parking spot in Dubai on your smartphone.

If you drive around in Dubai, you might be a little frustrated with traffic tailbacks and the lack of parking space.

The Road and Transport Authority Dubai (RTA) have taken the initiative to solve your traffic and parking problems with a little help from technology.

The RTA will release an array of apps at Gitex 2014 that will give drivers and motorists live traffic updates across Dubai and also help them find places where they can safely park their vehicles. Visitors at Gitex had the opportunity to see a live demonstration of the apps.

“The app offers users real-time, accurate and direct information about road conditions in Dubai and, accordingly, enables them to pre-plan their trips, use alternative roads and avoid congested routes. The application is also fitted with a prompt reporting feature that provides real-time updates about traffic conditions, traffic jams, and accidents, among other surprises, so that users can avoid these,” said Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of RTA.

The very popular Smart Parking app by RTA Dubai has also been updated with a parking availability feature that will show users available parking space on their cell phones. Currently the service is in beta phase and only covers a section of Shaikh Zayed Road in the direction towards Abu Dhabi.

“We are adding features that will come in handy for motorists when looking for vacant parking spaces in busy areas. We have started the service at all RTA’s parking buildings and by the end of the year we will have the service at some parking lots as well,” said Adel Marzouqi, Director of Parking at RTA’s Traffic and Roads Agency.

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai launched the Smart Dubai initiative early this year. The Smart Parking app is an brainchild of this initiative. This initiative aims to make Dubai the smarted city in the world by providing live service 24/7 to users on their mobile phones.

Facebook Launched Atlas to Compete with Google's DoubleClick

Facebook has officially announced its ad planner, the new Atlas.

Facebook/Atlas promises "people-based marketing" and measurement across devices and even offline.

On its blogpost Facebook/Atlas Solutions wrote:

Atlas delivers people-based marketing, helping marketers reach real people across devices, platforms and publishers. By doing this, marketers can easily solve the cross-device problem through targeting, serving and measuring across devices. And, Atlas can now connect online campaigns to actual offline sales, ultimately proving the real impact that digital campaigns have in driving incremental reach and new sales.

Atlas has been rebuilt on an entirely new code base, with a user interface designed for today’s busy media planners and traffickers. Targeting and measurement capabilities are built-in, and cross-device marketing is easy with new ways of evaluating media performance centered on people for reporting and measurement. This valuable data can lead to better optimization decisions to make your media budget even more effective.

Atlas has been described as an ad-serving platform that enables media buyers and advertisers to "create, buy, measure and optimize digital campaigns... across devices and the entire internet, at massive scale - something that's never been available before."

Google's DoubleClick that currently is the leader in display ad serving is its main competitor.  Atlas takes its offering one step further by offering audience-based targeting and shunning cookies. It also includes cross-device and offline measurement.

Atlas has also partnered with Kenshoo, Marin Software, Social.com, Jivox, Celtra, Medialets, AdMarvel/OperaMediaworks, InMobi, Millennial Media and several others.

Facebook bought Atlas from Microsoft for an estimated $100 million in 2013. Microsoft had bought Atlas for $6 billion in 2007.