Top News this week: Samsung Tab S, E3, Google Fit, Full MNP and more!

With the Internet all geared up for the World Cup to mega events like E3 and Samsung Tab S unveiling, it has been an exciting week for the tech world. For those who’ve missed out on their daily dose of tech, here’s a quick recap of the top news this week.

National MNP lets you retain mobile number even when you switch cities Inter-ministerial panel Telecom Commission today gave its approval to a slew of long-pending plans, including full mobile number portability that enables subscribers to retain numbers when they relocate to any part of the country.

Micromax to reportedly launch two Windows Phone devices on June 16 While we have known Micromax is working with Microsoft to bring budget Windows Phone devices in India, looks like the wait is over. According to a report by The Times of India, Micromax is all set to launch its two Windows Phone-based devices next week on June 16. Earlier this year, at BUILD 2014, Microsoft’s Joe Belfiore had announced Micromax as its new hardware partner in India.

Google Play Store UI change means apps can silently gain access to deadly permissions Google recently updated the Android app version of the Google Play Store, which supposedly simplified the permissions interface for everyday users. But as reports and developer accounts around the Web are suggesting, Google may have made a huge error in allowing these changes to become real.

E3 2014: With Hindi-speaking villains, elephants and rickshaws, Far Cry 4 could be massive in India At the E3 conference, we got more Far Cry 4 is going to be massive hit when it launches on November 11 this year and is easily in the running for GOTY. One look at the gameplay video trailers demoed at E3 this year and it’s easy to see why. Indians in particular will especially love this game, not only for its locations but the fact that the baddies abuse in Hindi.

Xbox One India launch slated for September 23: Here’s what you need to know early a year after the Xbox One was officially unveiled by Microsoft, the company has finally announced that the gaming console will come to India in September. Xbox One will launch on September 23 and for a price of Rs 39,990, which will include the Xbox One console, Xbox One wireless controller and a 14 day trial of Xbox Live Gold for new members.

After Skybox, will Google buy stake in space project Virgin Galactic as well? A couple of days back Google announced the $500 million acquisition of satellite imaging company SkyBox , and now the company is rumoured to be in talks with Virgin Galactic, the space tourism project backed by Richard Branson. According to a report by SkyNews, Google plans a minority stake in the company worth $30 million , and will then spend hundreds of millions into a joint venture that would allow the Search giant to access Virgin Galactic’s technology.

Mozilla’s $25 Firefox OS phones coming to India this year: WSJ Mozilla plans to further intensify the low-budget smartphone war in India with its smartphone. According to a report by WSJ (paywall), the company plans to launch the Firefox OS -based smartphone priced as low as $25 – translating to around Rs 1,500 – in the Indian market.

According to a report by Forbes, some people related to the matter have revealed that Google plans to launch a health service dubbed Google Fit to collect and aggregate data from other fitness trackers and health-related apps.

Halo 5: Guardians beta confirmed for December; Master Chief Collection coming on November 11 Microsoft has given a glimpse of the Halo 5: Guardian beta at the ongoing E3 event. First teased at the E3 last year, the beta is expected to launch for the Xbox One later this year in December. Guardians will be a part of the ‘Halo: The Master Chief Collection,’ a remastered bundle of the previous four core ‘Halo’ titles to be launched on November 11.

Flipkart launches scheduled delivery service, plans to offer installation service too Earlier this week, Flipkart announced the launch of Scheduled Delivery for its customers. This supply-chain feature enables customers choose a specific date and time for delivery of their order. Customers can choose delivery slots as early as the next day. Flipkart is currently the only e-commerce website that offers such a service.

Finance Ministry’s next big move: No smartphone required for mobile banking In what is likely to spell a major change in how mobile banking operates in India, the Finance Ministry is looking at implementing technology that would allow users of feature phones and basic handsets to operate their accounts without requiring internet connectivity. According to a report in Business Standard, “Finance Minister Arun Jaitley might next month launch mobile banking services for people not using smartphones.”

Leaked image shows two iPhone 6 models A couple of days ago Taiwanese celebrity Jimmy Lin had revealed supposed images of the iPhone 6, and now yet another picture of the iPhone 6 has emerged. However, this time around we have enough reasons to believe it, considering it is tweeted by none another prolific Apple tipster Sonny Dickson.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 and 8.4 official: Super AMOLED tablets are finally here! Samsung has unveiled its new range of tablets and as expected, they are going to give the Apple iPads a run for their money, at least as far as specs and user experience are concerned. Say hello to the Galaxy Tab S 10.5 and Galaxy Tab S 8.4. The new tablets will be available from July. The Tab S 10.5 is priced at $499 for the 16GB, Wi-Fi only and the Tab S 8.4 is priced at $399 for the 16GB, Wi-Fi only. LTE options will be coming later on.

Apple earphones may not work with other devices in future With the upcoming iPhone 6, the biggest change to the next Apple smartphone could be where the earphone/headphone compatibility is concerned. 9To5Mac has learnt that Apple is introducing new specifications for manufacturers in its Made-For-iPhone/iPad/iPod (MFi) program, allowing them to build earphones for iOS with Lightning connector instead of the usual 3.5mm jack.

Xolo Win Windows 8.1 tablet now available in India for Rs 19,990 This week we saw Xolo’s first Windows 8.1-enabled tablet dubbed Win enter the Indian market for Rs 19,990. Unveiled at the CES earlier this year, Xolo goes the Moto E way, as the device is available exclusively via popular e-retailer Flipkart.

Facebook launches Trending World Cup, a dedicated hub for football fans Facebook has launched an all-new hub for football fans, enabling them to catch up with all the news and updates coming from the World Cup in Brazil. It shows the latest scores and highlights from matches along with an interactive feed showing posts from friends, players and teams.

Telangana government to make Hyderabad a Wi-Fi enabled city The Telangana government on Tuesday said several firms were coming forward to provide 4-G technology for making the entire Hyderabad a Wi-Fi enabled city. Officials have been asked to draft a master plan by engaging international consultants and involving Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority, Hyderabad Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board, Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation, revenue, electricity, Hyderabad Metro Rail and sports departments, said a government statement.

Leaked video shows Apple iOS 8 split-screen multitasking for iPad Though we’ve been hearing about Apple working on split-screen apps for iOS 8 powered iPads, the company did not announce any such feature at the recently held WWDC. The company has featured the must have function as a part of its iOS 8 SDK.

Indians find Twitter too complex to use: TCS GenY survey The socially-active Indian youth stays hooked onto Facebook for hours, but its Twitter’s “complexity” that has hampered popularity of the microblogging site, a study by India’s largest software services firm TCS today said.

Taxi drivers in Europe’s top cities protest against Uber car service app Taxi drivers sowed traffic chaos in Europe’s top cities on Wednesday by mounting one of the biggest protests ever against Uber, a US car service whose smartphone app summons rides at the touch of a button. Hundreds of licensed black taxis snarled traffic in the streets around Trafalgar Square in central London, hooting their horns as they passed Downing Street, home of Prime Minister David Cameron, and the Houses of Parliament.

Nokia achieves 4G speed 400 times faster than the connection in India Finnish telecom firm Nokia has demonstrated a record 4G speed that enables a high-definition movie to be downloaded in only 11 seconds, earlier this week. The speed attained by Nokia on a South Korean network is 400 times faster than the top 4G options offered by telecom operators in India.

Alibaba launches 11Main.com, its first e-commerce website in the US Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba Group Holding launches its first US direct-to-consumer online shop. The website will operate as a marketplace similar to Alibaba’s China-based TMall, which offers virtual store fronts to merchants who set their own prices and handle their own logistics for nearly everything but payments.