Whatsapp has reportedly rolled out its calling feature that is available on running version 2.11.528 from the Play Store , version 2.11.531 from WhatsApp's website or it can be activated after users get "invited" by receiving a call.

According to Androidpolice.com, the feature gets activated after users receive a call on whatsapp from someone who already has it. After the call, Whatsapp is activated immediately after the app is closed and reopened again.

Once activated, there will be a 3-tab layout on the whatsapp homescreen showing calls, chats and contacts.

The calls tab shows incoming, outgoing and missed calls with precise timings

I want to buy a phone and my budget is about Rs 10,000.'

If I had a penny for every time I was asked this question, I would be a very rich man. The under-10K category is the new battleground in the Indian smartphone market.

A market so hot, that more than 40 companies are vying for a piece of this pie and another 20 are about to join in. India is the place to be, and if your phone sells here, you're on your way to global domination.

The problem with this category is that it's too much of a good thing. Almost every company is now adopting the mantra of selling an amazing high-end phone at an amazing low-end price.

Unfortunately, it's all quite confusing and cluttered, with mind-numbing specs and jargon being thrown around. It's tough for any brand to stand out, tougher for consumers to differentiate between two options, and almost impossible to make the right buying decision. So, here is my contribution to this social cause. A brutally honest buying-guide, as well as a frank advisory for brands on how to make their products stand out.

Lenovo K3 Note 
This is where the battle started. A very well-made phone with a 5.5inch full-HD screen from a company as well-known as Lenovo set the cat amongst the pigeons. Excellent processor, 2GB RAM, 13MP rear and 5MP front camera, and 2900mAh battery. This phone is all good looks mixed with great quality, and you really can't go wrong with it.

Note to Lenovo: Good job on this one, but you're flooding the under-10K market with too many products, coming in way too fast. I know you're raking it in with your online-only model and selling serious numbers, but of late, it's getting confusing for the buyer. You bring out the A6000, and days later, the A6000 Plus surfaces, with not much in the 'Plus' department. Stop milking the cash cow like Samsung and just be yourself.

Yureka Plus (Micromax) 
This one has great design – some metallic touches to it – a super full-HD 5.5inch screen, 2GB RAM, a fantastic processor, CyanogenMod 12 OS (which gives a whole lot of 'do it yourself' features), 13MP rear and 5MP front cameras, and 2500mAh Li-Ion battery. Sounds like I'm describing the Lenovo Note 3 again? Nope, this is the Yureka Plus that also gets it just right, and then adds two colour options. The previous version had heating issues and would freeze out, but this one gets it just right.

The comeback: Yureka Plus solved its predecessor's heating issues and added two colour options.

Note to Micromax: Yes, I know you're never happy when I attach Micromax 's name to the Yureka brand. Sorry MM, but as of now, there is no getting away from it and it does lead to better buying confidence for the customer. So, don't resist it, don't fight it. Just be a little careful with some of the products that you bring out under the sub-brand, Yureka. Your fitness band and the previous Yureka model left some customers disappointed. It's a tough market and you're only as good as your last product.

Coolpad Note 3 
Samsung should be a very happy company. Almost every brand wants to cash in on their 'Note' moniker. Here's one more. Coolpad's Note 3 has taken this market by a storm. A fingerprint scanner, 3GB RAM, HD screen and great optics – all for Rs 8,999. Yes, everything that you would have paid 50K for, now under the magic 10K line. It's nice-looking with a sharp screen, and will also be available in rose gold in a few days. The fingerprint scanner actually works really well. This one sets up Coolpad very well for a long innings in India.

Note to Coolpad: Great job with this phone, and thanks for breaking the price barrier for a fingerprint scanner. It's a little confusing though, that you had launched the Dazen phone under your name just a few days ago, and now it's under a new company called Qiku. There's enough confusion in the Indian market. Try not to add to it so dramatically!

And there's so much more

Lots of other really good phones out there. The Moto G (2nd Gen) or even the 3rd Gen (for a little more) are awesome phones. The Asus Zenphone2 Laser is brilliant with its optics and camera. The Meizu M2 Note (yes another Note!) is really good-looking with great features and clocks in at an astounding Rs 6,999.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G is priced at Rs 7,999 now and has seriously good battery life along with nice features. And the Coolpad (Qiku?) Dazen 1 is easily the best phone in its class at Rs 5,999 with astounding features and specs. I've highlighted three phones in the beginning, because it's really tough to be the best in this category.

A new wave

But these three phones can't bask in the glory just as yet. In the next few days, the onslaught will intensify. Coming up are new phones from Qiku, a dual assault from Obi (the John Sculley phones), Acer will bring out a very aggressive portfolio and some new arsenal from Samsung, Gionee, Huawei, Panasonic and Alcatel. It's a Diwali that's going to be deafening and almost all the explosions are going to be under 10K!

Netflix officially launched operations in India last week, with plans starting at Rs 500 per month. The streaming giant's launch in India was part of a major global roll out that included 129 other countries across the world.

The company told news outlets that it is not censoring any content, and plans to add more global TV shows, movies, and even looking at adding more local content.

But the content library available to Indian users is extremely thin. A cursory search on Allflicks shows that the Indian catalogue offers 735 titles compared to the 5,661 titles in the US. Even House of Cards, a Netflix produced TV series, is out of bounds for Indian users (all other 'Netflix Originals' are available though).

But there is an easy way to fix this. A user's Netflix account isn't tied to his/her country, rather the content is served on the basis of what country user is logging in from (determined by the IP address). This means that users can easily get around this and watch shows from other parts of the world.

Enter Smartflix

Smartflix is a new and impressively sleek app which offers users a clean and simple interface composed of any and every Netflix video available, regional restrictions be damned.

Content from every region that Netflix is available in is aggregated by this sleek Windows/Mac app.

According to the developer, "Smartflix is a simple application that combines an index of Netflix content available worldwide, an optimised proxy service and a chromeless web browser that embeds the Netflix web player."

Virtual Private Networks, dubbed VPNs, can be used to make your device appear as if it is residing in another country – and unlock a new range of regional-locked Netflix shows.

Smartflix, which was first announced on Reddit last year, uses a similar technique to bypass location restrictions, its creator has claimed.

So is it legal?

Last year, Netflix chief product officer Neil Hunt had said that the US streaming firm doesn't blocks customers from using VPNs to access different content.

"People who are using a VPN to access our service from outside of the area will find that it still works exactly as it has always done."

So how does that library look now?

By bringing together the geographically-locked content available to subscribers across the globe, Smartflix dramatically increases the number of shows available to subscribers.

Smartflix boasts a catalogue of some 14,000 films and TV shows, compared to 735 in India and 5,661 in the US.

The Mac and Windows desktop app – which is free while the software is in beta – supports Full HD 1080p streaming, manual quality selection, media key support for playback and a picture-in-picture mini-player for multi-tasking binge-watching.

The OS X version of the software has been signed – which means it is associated with a known Apple Developer ID and will not be blocked by Apple's in-built malware security mechanism, Gatekeeper.

An iOS version of the Smartflix app for iPhone and iPad is also in the works, the creator has confirmed.

When Smartflix comes out of beta, customers will be able to buy it for $7.99 (around Rs 550).

A day or two to go for 2016 and Instagram is flooded with 2015 #throwbacks. Here's how you get yours.

2015bestnine.com is a website that will go through any public Instagram account and find the nine most popular images and arrange them in a grid.

All you need to do is visit the site and enter your Instagram handle. It crunches the numbers, and voila! your grid of nine most popular posts is ready. They also add a banner with stats like total likes to the number of posts and a Thank you from you to your followers.

But if like me, your posts-to-likes ratio isn't flattering, you can get rid of the banner all together by selecting the 'Picture only version' option under the image.

To share the image, you could save the photo post or just share the link to your grid on Facebook or Twitter with a single tap.

If you've already shared your best nine posts, just search for #2015bestnine to track it.

If you enjoyed this summarisation of individuals by their top Instagram posts, you might want to sign up for the beta test of their upcoming app, Nine. It's like Tinder for Instagram accounts. You can swipe right to like or left to dislike the grid layout of someone's Instagram posts.

The app will start beta tests in January and you could be one of the first to try it out.

Even though this feature isn't available to everyone yet, Android users will soon see an install button in their Google search results. Tapping on the install button will download the app and install it on your phone without ever opening the Play Store app.

This is how it works:

# The prerequisite for this feature is that you need to be signed in with your Google account on the phone and Chrome browser. Which you most likely are.

# Now, search for an app on Google Search or Chrome app on your Android phone

# When the app icon and description shows up, look for the price (it reads Free for apps most apps ) button next to it.

#If you don't see the rectangular green button, it probably isn't rolled out to your device yet. But if you do, just hit it.

#A window with the app's screenshots and ratings shows up with the Install Button.

#Tap on install and the app will be on your phone without even having to leave the search.

# If your phone is running Android 6.0 Marshmallow, the installation process won't ask for access permissions since it does that only when the app actually needs it.

# Also, for paid apps, you will see the price of the app when you search. For some reason, it was in dollars when we searched for Metal Slug 3, but on tapping on the price, the pop-up window for the install had the price in Rupees.

# Even the payment takes place inside the pop-up, so that you aren't redirected to Play Store in this case either.

In addition to being useful when travelling, learning a foreign language has been associated in several studies with helping boost cognitive function and delay the onset of dementia. Mobile apps can be a great solution for mastering a new tongue or brushing up on school-day skills because they're portable, convenient and relatively low cost. Here's a look at five of the best mobile apps for learning a foreign language.

Babbel

With 13 foreign languages available, the Babbel app offers a comprehensive learning system. It has functions to help learners improve their pronunciation and build vocabulary quickly through fun lessons. The app is free to download but language courses are paid for by subscription for one to 12 months, priced from €9.99 (or $9.99) to €59.99 (or $59.99).

Download the Babbel app from Apple's App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android).

Duolingo

This entirely free app can help total beginners (including schoolchildren) and more advanced learners get to grips with 26 languages, including classic options like French and German, as well as more unusual choices such as Norwegian, Swahili and Klingon. Over time, users can progress to higher levels or choose to specialize in a specific field (business, medical, etc.). It's even possible to compete with friends also signed up to the platform.

Download the Duolingo app from Apple's App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android).

Memrise

Memrise helps users learn a maximum number of words in a short space of time using visual learning techniques and memory games. A Premium subscription offers access to a wide choice of extra games, with prices ranging from €8.99 (or $8.99) for one month to €59.99 (or $59.99) for the year.

Download the Memrise app from Apple's App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android).

MosaLingua

MosaLingua offers a choice of five languages (German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese) with different levels available. The app focuses on long-lasting memorization, using techniques based on cognitive and psychological concepts to tap into the learner's audio and visual memory. Most of the apps are priced at €4.99 (or $4.99) with add-on vocab packs available for in-app purchase.

All of the apps are available for iOS and Android.

Head to the MosaLingua website to see the choice of languages and levels.

Busuu

Busuu (which takes its name from a Cameroonian dialect) offers an original way to brush up on 12 languages. The platform is like a social network for language learners, where users can follow interactive lessons and connect with native speakers all over the world to practice their skills. Access is subscription-based, with prices ranging from €9.99 (or $9.99) for one month to €64.99 (or $64.99) for 12 months. Busuu has over 50 million users worldwide.

Download the Busuu app from Apple's App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android).

Putting their iOS and Android apps through rigorous tests, Instagram has officially launched multi-account support for their mobile app.

For someone who likes to keep their professional and personal accounts separately, or manage accounts of their brand, pets, besides their own, this feature is a long-awaited feature.

Instagram started tested account switching on their Android app in November and later with the iOS app. But, as of this week, everyone is getting the new option.

The feature lets users jump between multiple Instagram accounts without having to sign out.

If you have the latest update of the Instagram app, add a new accounts from the settings menu. Once that's done, tap on the username at the top of your profile to switch between them.

However, your profile photo will be placed more prominently throughout the app now, to make sure that you never lose track of which account you're on.

Recharging your DMRC metro card can be a rather daunting task, especially during peak rush hours when commuters are in a flurry to get to their destination. Most of us for obvious reasons would want to avoid those gigantic queues.

Thankfully, there's a solution to this courtesy of an official DMRC app available on the Play Store. It allows you to do a quick-top up right from the comfort of your smartphone. Here's a list of simple steps that'll guide you through the process.

• Download the official DMRC app which is, for now, only available on the Google Play Store (sorry, iPhone users). Once the app is downloaded, fire it up and go to the Online Recharge option.

• Once inside, hit the Quick Top- Up option and enter the unique 8-digit number provided at the back of your card. After that, just enter the amount which should be in multiples of 100.

• Then select the mode of payment which can either be a debit or credit card. Hit'Checkout' after which you'll be asked to fill in your personal details such name, address, mobile number and email ID.

• The next step involves filling in your card details just like you would for any other online transaction and you're good to go. Your metro card will be recharged you'll also get a conformation mail from DMRC notifying you about transaction details. Pretty near right!

If you don't have an iPhone, you can still do this process from any web browser. Click here and follow the prompts.

Note: Your smart card will not be immediately credited with the top up value right after you've successfully completed an online transaction. Wait at least two hours before heading to a metro station kiosk.

"Why would I pay for Netflix when I can get everything on torrents?" is a hard question to fed off especially when Netflix isn't offering all their content in India. But, Piratebay and Popcorn Time do. Using the Torrent Time plugin, anyone can stream movies or shows torrent like they would in on Netflix or YouTube.

The Torrent Time plugin has been developed independently but can be implemented by any website. Unlike tirrent clients such as BitTorrent or Nutorrent, the plugin for your browser on Mac or PC lets you play the videos in your browser without having to download it. For someone with 128GB of storage but constant access to WIFi, it is a lifesaver.

All you have to do is install Torrent Time, integrate it with Chrome, FIrefox or Safari. Then find the movie or show on Popcorn Time or Piratebay and you're good to go. On Piratebay, the option to stream the torrent appears right next to the "download torrent" or "get this torrent" link

For those annoyed by junk mail and spam, the Throttle plugin wants to make life easier.

Starting on Tuesday, the service -- which launched in January -- will be free for all users, reports Tech Crunch. The company is also offering a Pro version for $3.99 per month, which supports multiple accounts.

Throttle operates by generating a single email address for every newsletter you sign up for online or purchase you make. Then, all the emails are combined and sent in one daily email. The emails are also available on the Throttle website.

Throttle is currently available for Chrome, Safari and Opera, and coming soon to Firefox.

Don't want to spend your precious phone memory on a bulky cricket score app? Now you can keep a track of live cricket scores, news stats and more with a simple Google search such as "cricket score" or "t20 score".

With the T20 World Cup approaching and India being the second largest source of mobile search queries, behind the US, Google is adding features to its mobile search so that keeping a tab on matches is much more intuitive.

Google said, "If you search for things like 'cricket score' or 't20 score' at any point during the game, scores will [appear and] automatically update — no page refreshes needed. The new Search experience also includes news articles related to games, teams and players, as well as score boxes with in-depth game stats." Also, that score updates and match schedules will be available in English and Hindi.

Google will also answer your complicated queries like "When will India play New Zealand?" with a date and time to which you can set a reminder.

How to play the hidden basketball game in Facebook Messenger

Facebook has introduced a secret basketball mini-game into its Messenger service, a media report said on Saturday.

The hoop shooting game can be unlocked by sending a basketball emoji to a friend or group in the latest version of the Messenger app and then simply clicking on it, Tech Crunch reported.

To shoot, you need to slide your finger or thumb on the screen. A point is scored for every consecutive basket that you net and the scores are shared in your chat with a friend or group.

The target begins to move after a score of 10. It moves faster after 20 and keeps you hooked on the game for a considerable time.

This is not the first time the social networking site has dropped games into its Messenger service. But this time around it seems more compelling than the chess game that arrived last month.