Top news this week: Galaxy Gear smartwatch confirmed, Uber in India, Nintendo 2DS, cheaper Nexus 4 and more!

We understand that it is a busy week and it’s really hard to keep track of everything that goes on in the tech world. So here’s a handy recap of the top news stories this week:

IRCTC to soon be able to book 7,200 tickets per minute
Tearing your hair out while trying to book e-tickets on IRCTC’s website might soon be a thing of the past. The Minister of State for Railways, Kotla Jaya Surya Prakash Reddy has confirmed yet again that the website will soon allow the booking of 7,200 tickers per minute sometime in the future.

Is a faster IRCTC website even possible?

Uber launches in Bangalore, currently in ‘secret testing mode’
Uber has now come to India. The company has begun rolling out its services in Bangalore and has now announced its “secret testing mode.” The startup makes use of an interactive app which allows users to call for and pay for a cab using a dedicated Uber app on their smartphones. And the startup offers five classes of cab that customers can request, ranging from the run of the mill to the ultra-luxurious.

Apples and Oranges: Xbox One and PS4 launch titles show contrasting philosophies
The next-generation console wars are heating up as we get ever-so-closer to the release of the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4. With Microsoft having gotten rid of the Xbox One’s draconian DRM and its related features, both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 are more-or-less at the same level feature-wise. What sets the two apart are their launch-day line-up.

Wildly different philosophies

Nintendo unveils the 2DS
Nintendo has unveiled a new handheld gaming device. Don’t get your hopes up, however, since this isn’t a successor to the wildly popular 3DS. The device, dubbed the 2DS, acts as a side-grade rather than an upgrade. It is essentially the same as a 3DS, albeit without the 3D display. The 2DS is set to cost $129.99 (Rs 8,940 approx), which will be cheaper than the 3DS by quite a margin.

BlackBerry considering separate subsidiary for BBM Messenger service
BlackBerry may be planning to set up its messaging service, BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), as a separate subsidiary with more independence. This news comes hot on the heels of the company setting up a special committee to explore strategic alternatives, which could include a possible outright sale of the company.

Google drops Nexus 4 price, now starts at $199 on Play Store
Google has now made the Nexus 4 a whole lot lighter on the pocket for potential buyers. The latest Nexus device is now selling at a $100 less from its earlier official price on Google’s online store. From what can be seen on the Google Play Store right now, the 8GB variant of the Nexus 4 is up for grabs for $199 (Rs 13,380 approx) while the 16GB model will set you back by $249 (Rs 16,750 approx).

Google has dropped the price of the Nexus 4 on the Play Store

YouTube says goodbye to Video Responses
If you’ve been surfing YouTube for a long time now, you would have noticed a small section called “Video Responses” right below the video you were streaming. Thanks to the abysmal response that the feature had been getting, YouTube has decided to give Video Responses a ditch and think of ways and means to create better interaction between content creators and fans.

Microsoft rolls out Windows 8.1 RTM for hardware partners
Microsoft has officially begun rolling out Windows 8.1 and Windows RT 8.1 to its hardware partners. Keeping in mind that it has been less than a year since the company first launched Windows 8 into the market, the timing seems pretty good.

Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear smartwatch coming on September 4, confirms Samsung
A Samsung senior company executive has confirmed that the company will unveil its first “smartwatch” in Berlin, Germany, on September 4. The Executive Vice President of Samsung’s mobile business, Lee Young-hee, has also confirmed that the highly-anticipated Galaxy Note 3 will also be revealed on the same day.

The Xperia Z1 will be unveiled on September 4

Sony’s teaser for Xperia Z1 reminds us it’s coming on September 4
Sony has released a new 30-second teaser video for the Xperia Z1, earlier known as Honami. The video appears to be a combination of teaser images stating that “The best of Sony is about to get better”, but doesn’t really reveal any new detail about the device.

iOS 7 could be available to the general public on September 10
Even as rumours about the launch event for Apple’s new iPhones are pouring in, there’s a new one about iOS 7. The latest iteration of the iOS is all set to be available to general users on September 10, the same day as the rumoured iPhone launch.

China encounters largest denial-of-service attack, network goes down for a day
Early on last Sunday morning, part of China’s Internet network went down due to an external attack. The attack was termed by the government as the largest denial-of-service attack ever encountered.

Humble Origin Bundle makes $9.5 million
The Humble Origin Bundle has shattered the original Humble Bundle record for total payments. The bundle has earned a whopping $9.5 million, compared to the Humble Bundle 5’s $5.1 million.

Privacy woes for Facebook

Facebook wants to add your profile picture to its facial recognition database
In a controversial move, social networking giant Facebook is now considering adding your profile picture into its facial recognition database. This development comes as part of a move to expand the scope of Facebook’s facial recognition technology. Facebook proposed this move as an update to its governing documents. In a blog post, Facebook placed forward two legal documents of the social networking website—the Statement of Rights and Responsibilities and the Data Use Policy.

Coming soon: Nokia Sirius, a 10.1-inch Windows RT tablet
Rumours about the Windows-based Nokia tablet have been making rounds since last year. It was also believed that the company had plans to showcase the Windows RT tablet at the Mobile World Congress earlier this year, but that didn’t actually happen. Sources familiar with Nokia have confirmed that the company may soon launch the 10.1-inch tablet, which has been codenamed Sirius. We’ve seen the leaked images last week, and the design of the tablet closely resembles Nokia’s Lumia Phone devices.