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Motorola Launches 32GB Variant Of The Moto X In India

2014-12-22T15:54:00.000+05:30

Motorola launched the 32GB variant of the The Moto X device in India on December 22 at Rs 32,999.

The announcement was made by e-retail partner Flipkart, alongside dropping the price of the base 16GB variant to Rs 29,999. The variants with leather and wood backs (16GB) will come in at Rs 31,999, while the newly launched 32GB variant will be available only in plastic back options in Royal Blue and Black shades. However, the company hasn't done much in the way of offering the customization options via its Moto Maker tool in India.

The Moto X features a 5.2-inch Full HD AMOLED display and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, coupled to 2GB of RAM. While other devices (cheaper and more expensive) do offer similar or better specs, the device stands out with exclusive features such as Moto's Active Display and always listening features.

Skype offering free calling from India to the United States and Canada

2014-12-21T18:27:00.001+05:30

Skype calling from India to the United States and Canada is now completely free. And yes, this does include calls made to landline numbers as well.

The company has announced that it now offers free calls from India to the United States and Canada until the 1st of March 2015. While this is a long time frame and the holiday season is approaching, Skype indeed has a plan. Offering free calls means that Skype will literally double its user base and its new users will even get a chance to sample the audio quality and simplicity of placing a Skype call.

Spice's New Pinnacle FHD Mi-525 Smartphone Takes Micromax Canvas 4 Head-on

2013-07-15T09:31:00.001+05:30

Spice Mobility has launched yet another device, called the Pinnacle FHD Mi-525, with a 5" full-HD display and a quad-core processor. The Pinnacle FHD runs Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean), and is priced at Rs 17,000. It competes with Micromax's new Canvas 4, which is priced at Rs 18,000. Spice's new Pinnacle FHD has features such as Pop-up Play, Spice Cloud support (2 GB free storage), direct call, intelligent answer, and flip-to-mute. Let's find out what tech-specs the Spice's new Stellar packs in:

5" full-HD capacitive touch screen with pixel density of 1080x1920.
Android 4.2 Jelly Bean platform.
1.5 GHz quad-core processor.
Dual-SIM support (3G+3G).
8 MP autofocus rear camera, 2 MP front camera for video calls.
1 GB RAM. 8 GB internal storage.
MicroSD card slot for expansion up to 32 GB.
Bluetooth 4.0, 3G, Wi-Fi, EDGE.
2100 mAh battery.

One of the two areas where the Canvas 4 seems to score over the Spice FHD is in the camera department, where the former flaunts a 13 MP camera as against the latter's 8 MP snapper. Having said that, we have seen in the past that only megapixels do not translate into better picture quality. Secondly, Canvas 4 has twice the amount of internal storage as compared to this device. Other than that, Spice's offering seems at par or better than Micromax's flagship device in every other department; mainly display and processing hardware.

With the launch of the Spice Pinnacle FHD Mi-525, the competition for the best domestic smartphone in the Indian market has suddenly turned red hot with the Micromax Canvas 4, Karbonn Titanium S9, and XOLO Play, all vying for the top spot in the sub-20k price bracket. Samsung is bound to feel the heat.

Nokia Lumia 1020 With 41 Megapixel Camera

2013-07-15T09:18:00.001+05:30

The Nokia N8 was the unbeatable camera-phone of its time before it was replaced last year by the Nokia 808 PureView – the world's first mobile handset with a 41 megapixel camera. While it had outstanding imaging capabilities, the phone was let down by the aging Nokia Belle (formerly known as Symbian) platform.

Unlike the 808 PureView, the Lumia 1020 seems perfectly pocketable. This phone is based on Lumia 920's polycarbonate unibody design, and is 10.4 mm at its thickest point. The handsets sport a 4.5" AMOLED screen with pixel dimensions 768x1280. The display is protected by a 2.5D curved Gorilla Glass 3. Thanks to ClearBlack tech, the screen is said to offer relatively better sunlight legibility. And yes, it's a super sensitive screen, which means you can use it even with gloves on. The phone is powered by 1.5 GHz dual-core Snapdragon CPU, and has 2 GB RAM. Internal storage is 32 GB, but there's no microSD card slot.

The USP of course is its 41 megapixel BSI (Backside illuminated) sensor with floating lens technology. It's a 6-lens assembly manufactured by Zeiss (earlier known as Carl Zeiss). There's also a Xenon flash, which is generally found in standalone cameras. The phone can record 1080p at 30 fps with stereo sound. For this Windows Phone 8 device, Nokia has specially designed the Pro Camera app that gives total control over parameters such as shutter speed, exposure, white balance, and ISO. The phone comes with a feature called dual capture. When enabled, it takes a 38 megapixel and 5 mp oversampled picture simultaneously. The high-resolution image can be used for editing, while the 5 mp one can be quickly shared over social networks.

Detailed Specifications:

4.5" AMOLED screen with Clearblack tech (768x1280 pixels), Pixel density: 334 ppi.
Display features: PureMotion HD+ (Refresh rate 60 Hz), Curved Corning Gorilla Glass 3, Sunlight readability enhancements.
Touch screen technology: Super-sensitive touch.
Main camera sensor: 41 megapixel auto-focus.
Camera resolution: 7712x5360 pixels.
Camera features: Optical Image stabilization, PureView, Backside-illuminated image sensor, 6-lens optics. Sensor size: 1/1.5 inch, f-number/aperture: f/2.2, Camera focal length: 26 mm.
Flash type: Xenon flash, Flash operating range: 4.0 m.
3.5 mm audio connector, Micro-USB 2.0 port, Bluetooth 3.0 Wi-Fi, GPS.
Battery capacity: 2000 mAh, Wireless charging: Yes, with accessory cover.
Chipset: 1.5 GHz Dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4, 2 GB of RAM.
32 GB internal storage, Lacks micrSD card slot.
Sensors: Ambient light sensor, Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyroscope, Proximity sensor, Magnetometer. Platform: Windows Phone 8.

Google 15th Anniversary Award Scam

2013-07-01T23:39:00.001+05:30

Google helps you find answers to your questions; Google gives away apps for free; Google has an awesome hangout for you and your pals, but Google never pays you 800,000 British pounds! That’s right! One more online scam that has been making rounds on the Internet is the Google Award Email scam.

Have you received an email from Google, which threw you into a fits of oh-my-god-this-is-awesome feeling? Did the mail inform you that you have just won yourself an award of £ 800,000 from Google? Well, sorry for being a wet blanket, this is nothing but a scam.

If you have received any such email, then you might have read that a so-called “Google 15th Anniversary Award Center” has selected your email id as one of the few lucky winners for this grand prize. You might also have noticed entries such as “Batch Number”, “Reference Number”, and “File Number” in it; projects a bit of authenticity, doesn’t it?

Now, till this point you may think that no harm is done. But the story starts getting fishy here. For you to claim the prize, you would have to mail some information to a certain email address. This info includes your name, country, contact address, sex, age, and telephone number.

So, let’s say you play along, and mail all these information to the said email address. What will happen is you will receive a follow-up email advising you that the final step to claim your prize would be to pay a certain fee. To sum up this entire drama, you give away a handful of cash in return for a bag full of it. Seems fair and nice, except that the bag is as good as your imaginary childhood friend!

So what can you do for such heartwarming but fraudulent emails?

First, remember the saying “There’s no such thing as a free lunch”.

Use reliable security software that blocks phishing and malicious emails.

Upon receiving emails talking about such awards, cross check the information with the purported source. For example, in this case, run a Google search to verify if any such Google reward program does exist.

Never divulge your confidential information like bank details except on trusted websites.

Have an eye for grammatical, punctuation and spelling errors in such types of emails. Fraudulent emails are usually full of them.

Micromax Canvas 2 now for Rs 8,417

2013-07-01T20:21:00.000+05:30

The Micromax Canvas 2 Android smartphone, which not so long ago was selling for Rs 10,000, is now available for just Rs 8,417 only. The Canvas 2 has been a popular smartphone in the Indian market whose price zoomed to Rs 13,000 from its launch price of Rs 9,999. But now you can get this handset for Rs 8,417 from Flipkart.

The price of the Micromax Canvas 2 is mentioned as Rs 9149 on the website but users will get an automatic reduction in the price while making the payment. Interested users will have to hurry as this is a time limited offer, valid only for today or until the stocks last. To refresh your memory, Canvas A110 has a 5 inch screen with 800x480 pixels resolution. The screen is an 'IPS panel' that offers better viewing angle. It comes with an 8 megapixel rear cameras that with dual LED flash. The Canvas A110 has a dual core 1 GHz processor, 512 MB RAM and 4 GB of internal storage as well.

Besides, the Canvas 2 also comes with a 2000 mAh battery, 3G, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, Android 4.0.4, gravity and proximity sensor, and 32 GB expandable memory along with dual SIM connectivity. Micromax has also released Android Jelly Bean upgrade for the device and users can upgrade the device to it following the purchase.

Micromax Canvas 4 coming

2013-07-01T20:18:00.003+05:30

Micromax Canvas 4 may be priced at Rs 18,000.

Pre-Booking for the Micromax Canvas 4 has started.

In the last few days Micromax has been teasing about its latest Android based flagship smartphone, the Canvas 4. It has used television and YouTube to create a lot of buzz without revealing much in terms of specification or tentative pricing. However, sources familiar with the development at Micromax have said to The Mobile Indian that "the Canvas 4 will be priced at around Rs 18,000 and will be officially launched in July".

Incidentally, pre-booking for the Micromax Canvas 4 will start on June 28. It is the successor to the popular Micromax A116 Canvas HD which has been the most searched smartphones in India, according to The Handset Hotlist survey of The Mobile Indian. The promos of the phone were also spotted on TV, as scrolls, during commercial breaks and even during live telecast of India Vs Pakistan ICC Champions Trophy match on last Saturday and even yesterday during the final match between India and England. Not much is known about the specifications but if rumors are to be believed Micromax Canvas 4 will have an octa core processor and a 13-megapixel rear camera as the Samsung -Galaxy S4. However, it is likely to use Mediatek MTK 6599 octa core chipset with clock speed of 1.4 GHz processor speed unlike the 1.6 GHz Exynos 5 processor of Galaxy S4.

Also if look at the tag line that is coming in the teaser video it says that "Can life be endless?" It may be hinting towards a humongous battery.

Microsoft and Oracle Team Up

2013-06-25T08:59:00.002+05:30

Microsoft and Oracle announced a new partnership that will bring a number of Oracle products to Windows Server and the company’s Azure cloud computing platform. These Oracle products include Java, Oracle Database and Oracle WebLogic Server.

Oracle customers can run supported Oracle software on Windows Server Hyper-V and in Windows Azure. Oracle also now provides license mobility for customers who want to run its software on Azure and bring Oracle Linux to Azure.

Microsoft, on the other hand, will offer Java in Windows Azure and will soon add Infrastructure Services instances with configurations for Oracle Java, Oracle Database and WebLogic Server to the Windows Azure image gallery.

As Microsoft’s Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s president of its server and tools business notes in the company’s announcement today, he believes that “this partnership will help customers embrace cloud computing by improving flexibility and choice while also preserving the first-class support that these workloads demand.”

Oracle president Mark Hurd echoes this statement and also notes that Oracle is “committed to providing greater choice and flexibility to customers by providing multiple deployment options for our software, including on-premises, as well as public, private, and hybrid clouds. This collaboration with Microsoft extends our partnership and is important for the benefit of our customers.”

It’s worth noting that Amazon Web Services also offers a number of Oracle enterprise solutions for its customers. The partnership with Microsoft, however, seems to go a bit beyond this and, for the most part, covers a different set of services.

LG Optimus Vu

2012-12-23T21:04:00.000+05:30

The phablets are here to stay, and that is pretty much crystal clear. The Samsung Galaxy Note II still pretty much leads the way in terms of performance and the overall premium feel of the package. But the others are not to be ignored!

Vu is huge, and that is what you immediately notice the moment you hold it in your hand. The Galaxy Note II has a width of 80.5mm, while the Optimus Vu measures at just more than 90mm. The wide design does make it slightly uncomfortable while you hold the phone against the ear and talk. A Bluetooth should solve the problem.

There is a chrome frame running along the entire length and width of the phone. On the top are the power key and a button that opens the Memo mode when pressed. The micro USB port has a classy touch with a slide cover. On the right spine is the volume rocker. The right and left spines have a profound outward bulge throughout. Flip the Optimus Vu over, and the rear panel has the same white finish but in a matte touch with an imprint design.

The LG Optimus Vu is a rather unique device. The display has a pure 4:3 aspect ratio, and that makes the entire package considerably wider than the Galaxy Note II. This despite the fact that the Note II has a 5.5-inch display while the Optimus Vu has a 5-inch display. We don’t really see the purpose of a 4.3 aspect ratio display on a phablet, considering that most of the media the users will play back will be widescreen or pure 16:9 aspect ratio.

The 8MP camera is quite good overall – be it daytime or be it in low light conditions. Shots in the day are very balanced – good colour, detailing and sharpness to the overall picture. Night shots lose out a bit on sharpness, but colour remains surprisingly lifelike thanks to fairly good contrast ratios. Videos are slightly on the noisier side in low lighting conditions.

The Galaxy Note II is consistently faster than the Optimus Vu in the benchmark tests. That being said, the performance of the Optimus Vu is still quite acceptable. The experience and the speed of the overall package is pretty similar to what you would see on the likes of the LG Optimus 4X HD and the HTC One X, but that is not close to the blazing performance of the Note II. What really helps is the UI, which is surprisingly fast, smooth motion and fairly uncluttered. The Vu has a 2100mAh battery, which is straightaway 1000 mAh lesser than the Note II. Expect a day of backup with ease, but stretching that more would be a problem.

Price: Rs. 34,500

The Fujitsu STYLISTIC Q702

2012-12-10T08:00:00.000+05:30

Ever been in a situation when you had a laptop wishing you had a tablet (or vice-versa)? Ever wished for a device that can instantly switch between the two form factors? Fujitsu grants this with its STYLISTIC Q702 tablet. Dock the device into a keyboard accessory, and it transforms nicely into a laptop. This Windows 8 device is basically a tablet, because the essential computing hardware is inside the screen, and the keyboard is an accessory. But actually, the keyboard is more than an accessory because it contains additional ports and, more importantly, an additional battery.

A stylus has been provided as an extra input method. The Q702 sports an 11.6" 10-point capacitive multi-touch display with HD-Ready pixel dimensions of 1366x768. The anti-glare finish on the IPS panel makes it easy to view even with light directly on it. Fujitsu offers Intel Core i3 and i5 variants with vPro to suit your computing requirements. 4 GB of DDR3 RAM is standard, while there are SSD options of 128 GB and 256 GB; the latter has full data encryption (FDE). In case you are even more paranoid about security, a fingerprint scanner at the back provides secure biometric login. The device features Intel HD 4000 integrated graphics, and has a 5 mp rear camera and front HD cam. Wireless connectivity is via Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, and a 3G/4G SIM slot. The tablet is encased in a magnesium alloy body, which enhances durability. The keyboard accessory has a nice brushed-metal finish. Battery life is stated to be over 4 hours in standalone tablet mode, and it goes to over 9.5 hours with the keyboard attached.

The Fujitsu STYLISTIC Q702 is available for Rs 69,000 excluding local taxes and comes with a 2-year warranty.

Android 4.0 Dual-SIM Wammy Sensation

2012-12-09T22:30:00.000+05:30

After the 5" Wammy Note phablet, WickedLeak has come up with a handset for people with normal-sized hands! The dual-SIM Wammy Sensation can handle 2G as well as 3G SIM cards. This Android-based smartphone is powered by a 1.2 GHz Cortex A9 dual-core processor and 1 GB DDR3 RAM.

Here's the list of known specifications:

Dual-SIM; quad-band GSM (800 / 850 / 1800 / 1900 MHz); dual-band 3G (850 / 2100 MHz).
1.2 GHz Cortex A9 MTK 6577 dual-core CPU with SGX531 GPU; 1 GB DDR3 RAM.
Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich); Google Play support.
4 GB internal storage; 32 GB microSD card slot.
4.7" IPS screen with pixel dimensions of 720x1280 (16 million colours).
12 megapixel rear snapper with flash, 260-degree panorama shots; 3 megapixel front-facing camera.
Wi-Fi, A-GPS, Bluetooth 2.1, FM radio.
Mini USB 2.0, 3.5 mm audio jack; No TV-out.
G-sensor, Light sensor, Motion Sensor, Compass.
Audio Formats: MP3, WAV, AMR, AAC.
Video Formats: 3GP, MP4, AVI, RMVB.
2000 mAh battery with claimed talk time of up to 4 hours and standby time of 8.3 days.
5.4" (l) x 2.8" (w) x 0.3" (8.6 mm) (d); weighs 145 grams.
Available Colours: White, Black.
Package Contents: Phone, 2 Batteries, Charger, Earphones, User manual, USB cable.

The phone is now available for pre-order on the company's website for Rs 16,000.

Genius KB 8005 Wireless Keyboard-Mouse Combo

2012-12-09T18:27:00.002+05:30

No matter how many tablets, and hybrid PCs enter the market, the good old "computer" doesn't seem like a dying breed. For owners of those, Genius has launched the KB 8005. The keyboard/mouse combo includes a 2.4 GHz wireless keyboard and a wireless mouse, which can be connected to a computer via a USB mini-receiver. The keyboard is powered by two AAA batteries, while the mouse needs one AA battery.

The keyboard features six hot keys for media control functions and easy access to browser functions, while the three-button mouse houses a 1200 dpi BlueEye sensor.

Available in a classic black or red finish, the set is backed by a three-year warranty. It works with Windows 8 / 7 / Vista / XP.

The KB 8005 costs Rs 1600.

Facebook ‘Like’ scam

2012-11-07T13:14:00.000+05:30

If you look, you will find countless Facebook pages that have hundreds of thousands of likes and comments. But are these real? Some of the posts invite people to write a comment to see what happens. But predictably, nothing happens and this is all part of a large-scale Facebook scam.

These ‘stories’ then appear on newsfeeds and begin to resemble spam. The most common modus operandi for such Facebook scams is to attract people by getting their sympathy. This is easily achieved with images of sick children, wounded animals or details about some charitable organization.

How the scam functions ::

A page is created with a sympathetic message or an amusing anecdote to attract attention. The post is then shared publicly and people are called to perform actions like ‘like the page’, ‘comment’ or ‘share the page’. The next step posts the page on similar nefarious groups and spreads to hundreds of thousands of people via their newsfeed.

Once a page has garnered thousands of likes/comments, it is put up for sale. Someone who wishes to acquire the exposure of the page can purchase it and potentially misuse it. Certain details of the page can also be modified for malicious purposes. In this manner, anyone can get their hands on pages with high edge ranks to spam thousands of people, even though they may have the best anti-spam software. Such scams can spread propaganda, increase likes/comments, market something or even fool people into giving money or information.

Edge Rank and how it can be misused ::

The reason why parties resort to this trick is the money that can be gained via the ‘Facebook Like algorithm’. As a post gets increased comments/likes, its visibility rises. This page is then displayed to a greater number of people and this is beneficial to marketers in the short term and the long term.

This algorithm devised by Facebook functions on a platform known as Edge Rank. This is simply the score of a page based on various parameters and this score determines how useful the page actually is. In turn, this decides how many people will view the page. A higher edge rank allows a page to be displayed to more people in their newsfeed. Various factors that come into play here are affinity (closeness with the person), weight (embedded video or a link) and the time decay (relevance). Unfortunately, there are many parties out there that misuse this platform. A high edge rank can be used to enhance brand exposure but it can also be used to bombard Facebook users with random messages and promotions that they are not interested in. Scammers also use this method to reach as many people as possible. All this has led to a process known as ‘Like buying’. This refers to the sale of Facebook fan pages and a simple Google search validates this.

Awareness about this technique and other Facebook scams is useful. ‘Like buying’ is quite a common occurrence and it can be misused in several ways. We recommend that you do not fall for manipulative messages or images that ask you for comments or likes.

HTC Launches Android 4.0 Desire X With 4" Screen For Rs 20,000

2012-10-17T18:12:00.001+05:30

After being unveiled at IFA 2012 in Germany, HTC's Desire X has finally landed in India. The handset looks a lot like a mashup of the flagship One X and Desire C's design. Moving on to its features, the Desire X runs Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) with company's iconic Sense 4.0a UI on top of it. The phone's 4" Super LCD display has 480x800 resolution. The gadget is powered by a 1 GHz dual-core CPU, and sports a 5 mp rear camera. Here's the list of its detailed specs:

Quad-band GSM (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); dual-band 3G (900, 2100 MHz).
4" Super LCD display with pixel dimensions of 480x800.
1 GHz dual-core CPU, 768 MB of RAM.
5 megapixel camera with auto-focus, LED flash, and BSI sensor (for better low-light captures); F2.0 aperture and 28 mm lens; WVGA (480p) video recording.
Camera Features: VideoPic (Shoot video and capture pictures at the same time), Continuous shooting (capture 2.5 shots per second), Smart Flash (Five levels of flash automatically set by distance to subject).
4 GB internal storage, microSD card slot (upto 32 GB).
Wi-Fi, DLNA compatible, Bluetooth 4.0, micro-USB 2.0, Assisted GPS, 3.5 mm audio jack.
Android 4.0 (ICS) with Sense 4.0a UI and Beats Audio integration.
Audio Formats: Playback - AAC, AMR, OGG, M4A, MID, MP3, WAV, WMA9; Recording - AMR.
Video Formats: Playback - 3GP, 3G2, MP4, WMV9, AVI; Recording - MP4.
Gyroscope, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor.
4.7" (l) x 2.5" (w) x 0.4" (9.3 mm) (d); 114 grammes.
1650 mAh battery; Talk Time: Up to 10 hours for 3G and 20 hours for GSM; Standby Time: Up to 833 hours for 3G and 750 hours for GSM.
Available Colours: White, Blue.
Package Contents: Charger, Headset, User guide.

The handset is priced at Rs 20,000,

Swipe All in One 7" Android 4.0 Dual-SIM 3G Tablet Launched For Rs 12,000

2012-10-17T18:06:00.001+05:30

Swipe Telecom is back with its first Dual-SIM 3G offering: A tablet called the Swipe Tab All in One. The Dual-SIM functionality on this one should let you use 3G SIMs for data usage, and you wouldn't have to depend on an external dongle. The SIM slots also let you make voice calls. The 7" tablet, which has a 1.5 GHz CPU, runs Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). The product page isn't up as of this writing, but here's the list of specifications from an official press release:

7" TFT LCD capacitive touchscreen with 5-point multi-touch and pixel dimensions of 1028x768.
Android 4.0.3 (ICS); Flash 11.1 support.
1.5 GHz processor, 1 GB of RAM.
8 GB of internal storage; 32 GB microSD card slot.
2 megapixel main and 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera.
FM Receiver & Transmitter, GPS with built-in voice-based navigation, Accelerometer.
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth V3.
HDMI-Out, 3.5 mm jack, micro-USB connector.
4000 mAh battery.
Available Colour: Chocolate Brown in a velvet finish.

The tablet comes preloaded with utilities such as Olive Office Premium along with HD and 3D Games; it is priced at Rs 12,000.

Qutb Minar Becomes First Indian Monument To Get E-Ticket System

2012-10-03T12:30:00.000+05:30

The Qutb Minar is second on the list of most visited monuments in the country, just after the Taj Mahal. Considering the sheer number of daily visitors to the monument, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which manages the UN Heritage site, has set up a trial run for an automated ticketing programme. From today up to 31st October, ticket counters at the Qutb Minar will feature the new e-ticketing system.

The system has been designed by the National Institute for Smart Government (NISG). An official press release says the main idea is to cut down on queues. From the press release: "The basic idea to introduce e-ticketing ... is to make the current manual system of issue of paper tickets hassle free so that the visitors are not required to stand in queues wasting precious time". The system will also help collate data regarding accounts and visitors.

It is disappointing that tickets aren't retailing online: Visitors will still have to line up at the ticket counters, which will issue tickets via an e-POS system. The only difference from paper ticketing seems to be that the tickets will be printed out instead of being written upon; how this setup will help tourists is beyond me. Repeated calls to the ASI didn't get us any response.

As of now, the ASI controls entry to 116 monuments in the country; if this trial run is successful, the system will be extended to the other 115 monuments on the ASI's list.

Intex Aqua 4.0

2012-10-03T10:00:00.000+05:30

Intex, generally known for PC peripherals, has been in the mobile phone business for quite some time. Its lineup includes a plethora of mass market dual-SIM handsets. The latest entrant to this family is a smartphone — the Aqua 4.0. However, Intex has slotted it in the entry-level segment. Let's see how it measures up.

Design And Build Quality
The retail package has the phone, earphones, and a charger with a detachable cable. The device measures 4.5" (l) x 2.4" (w) x 0.5" (12 mm) (d), and tips the scales at 113 grammes. The handset has a decent design that won't draw any polarized reactions. The Aqua 4.0 feels good to hold, and its textured back panel provides a comfortable grip. More importantly, the phone doesn't make a creaking sound when pressed near the corners. All in all, the build quality is good.

The 3.5" LCD screen has pixel dimensions of 320x480. The display is bright, and colour reproduction is good, too. On the flip side, the screen's viewing angles are narrow. The phone is powered by an 800 MHz CPU, and has 256 MB of RAM. The full specs are as follows:

Dual-SIM GSM (900, 1800 MHz); 3G (2100 MHz).

3.5", 2-point capacitive touchscreen with pixel dimensions of 320x480.

Android 2.3.5 (Gingerbread).

800 MHz CPU, 256 MB of RAM.

131 MB of internal storage, 32 GB microSD card slot.

3 mp main and 0.3 mp front camera.

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, FM radio.

3.5 mm audio jack, Micro-USB port.

G-sensor, Proximity, Light sensor.

1400 mAh battery.

UI And Applications

The Aqua 4.0 comes with Android 2.3, and there's no information about the possible ICS update. Intex has done a good job at keeping the interface clean and easy to use. Its 800 MHz CPU does a commendable job at keeping things virtually lag free when you swipe through the homescreens. However, the lack of power becomes apparent when you play a game like Fruit Ninja. What's worse is that its GPU is incapable of handling Temple Run.
The default web browser is good at rendering pages. It's a pleasant surprise from an entry-level smartphone. On the other hand, the GPS receiver fails to lock onto satellites. However, Google's Maps suite works well with A-GPS (Assisted GPS).

Multimedia

The Aqua 4.0's sound quality is strictly OK. It ships with terrible earphones, and even a good pair of aftermarket IEMs can't make it any better. Moreover, equaliser settings are sorely missing. The default video player can play MP4, DivX, and XviD videos. It fails to handle a few high-bitrate 480p files. This can be taken care of by third-party video apps such as the RockPlayer to some extent. However, courtesy the feeble CPU, 720p files are a no-no.
The onboard 3 mp fixed-focus camera lens lacks an LED flash. It offers effects including Sepia, Negative, and Blueish. Additionally, you get to play with exposure and ISO settings. These don't really make a difference, because the image quality is terrible.
Video recording quality is no better than that of the still photography. The 480p 3GP clips you shoot turn out very grainy.

Pros: Well priced; Smooth UI; Dual-SIM functionality; Good screen.

Cons: Terrible camera; Lackluster gaming performance.

MRP: Rs 5500
Street Price (As On 1-Oct-2012): Rs 5100

HP Pavilion G6

2012-10-03T09:14:00.003+05:30

Specifications :
Processor: Intel Core i3-2350M @ 2.3GHz; RAM: 4GB; Display: 15.6-inch, 1366 x 768 pixels; Graphics: Intel HD 3000 and AMD Radeon HD7670M; Storage: 500GB; Connectivity: 3 USB, HDMI out, Wi-Fi and Ethernet

Build & Design
A couple of things are very clear right from the moment the HP Pavilion G6 comes out of the box. First, is that it is big. There is no getting away from the fact that anyone who is going to be carry the laptop around often, is not going to buy this. The 15.6-inch display is the biggest factor for this, but then again, this isn’t appealing to anyone who wants a slim light machine. The second is the build quality of the HP Pavilion G6. It is much better than expected, and unlike some brands that make laptops glossy to give them an upmarket look, HP has taken solace in the enamel finish. And it looks very good, without being maintenance hungry like the fingerprint attracting shiny finishes.

Features & Specifications
Well, being a budget laptop, there were bound to be some cutbacks in terms of what is on offer. Happily though, the Pavilion G6 doesn’t have too many of them on the power package front. The only little hiccup that we can foresee in the long run is the Intel Core i3 processor. The one here is the dual core 2350M clocking at 2.3GHz, with 4GB of RAM to help it along.

Performance
While this is technically a Core i3 processor, it is by no means a slouch. The performance is very close to the much more expensive Toshiba Satellite L850, and on our benchmark test score sheet, there was just .1 of a difference between the two, with the Pavilion G6 ahead! While we aren’t comparing between the two because the two play in very different price brackets, the fact that the G6 is so close to a laptop more expensive shows that there is no cost cutting in terms of the power package.

PROS
Very good system performance, for the most part
No shortage of graphics punch
Surprisingly good battery life
Feels better built than what you expect for this price

CONS
Core i3 processor will limit multitasking after a level

MRP: 38997 INR

Google Apps Users Can Now Get 24/7 Phone Support For Chrome

2012-10-03T08:58:00.000+05:30

Google just announced that Google Apps for Business, Education and Government customers can now call and email the company with their questions about Chrome. Google, of course, has always been somewhat notorious for its lack of customer support options, but this is slowly changing. Last November, for example, the company announced that it would start offering 24/7 phone support for paying Apps for Business users. Starting today, Google Apps users can call and email Google for support with “Chrome installation, functionality, security, browser policy settings and Google Apps interoperability for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.”

Google says this move makes Chrome “even better for your IT folks at work” and is encouraging Chrome users to send a copy of its announcement to their IT department at work.

Having 24/7 phone support is obviously a big deal for business customers who don’t have all day to browse through forums and wait for other users to answer their questions. Adding phone support for Chrome will give Google Apps users an extra layer of peace of mind and may just convince more businesses to switch to Chrome.

Google promises to respond to “P1 priority support requests” (defined as “Service Unusable in Production”) within an hour. Other support requests will be answered within one business day or less.
For those companies that use legacy apps that don’t run in Chrome, by the way, Google now suggests a dual-browser strategy: “The costs of using an old browser can range from reduced speed and feature gaps to exposure to critical security holes – far greater than the costs of supporting a second browser.”

The Politics Of Aakash

2012-10-03T08:39:00.002+05:30

Datawind's proverbial tiger — better known as the Aakash tablet — seems to have increasingly taken on the qualities of an illusion. For those keeping a check, the release date was last stated to be October, without any further details being specified. By the likes of it, the HRD ministry wants to bring out the Aakash II on the same day as the original tab's launch a year ago. While those who paid in advance to own this piece of the sky are still waiting, politicians are busy taking digs at each other over the world's cheapest tablet.

At a recent gathering on 5th September (Teacher's Day), Gujarat CM Narendra Modi took a potshot at the government's initiative of distributing low-cost tablets to students, "Eleven months have passed by, but no Aakash tablet has come down on earth... Now I realise why this gizmo is named 'Aakash' ". In retaliation, a hurt Kapil Sibal wrote in a letter to the BJP leader that he was "disappointed" by that statement. He added, "Education is a collaborative venture beyond the pale of politics and we need to work together in the best interests of the children of the country". He further suggested that since this initiative involved students, Modi should extend his cooperation to "maintain the morale of the institutions which have collaborated in an initiative never before seen in the country". He also sent the CM a tablet — which he shouldn't have, considering that Modi is tech-savvy and would pretty quickly see that the slate was essentially good for nothing. As expected, Modi has expressed his disdain at Sibal's move on Twitter. He tweeted,"Instead of cheap gimmicks, the minister should first inform the nation on his promise to provide Aakash tablet to 10 lakh youth in 2011!". He further posted, "In future, Mr Sibal should make honest effort to ensure delivery of good quality Computing & Access device to our youth".

Nokia Announces Dual-SIM Asha 308 With 3" Display

2012-09-26T09:35:00.000+05:30

Nokia has added another handset to its Series 40 based Asha lineup — the Asha 308, which comes with dual-SIM (GSM) functionality. This feature phone sports a 3" capacitive multi-touch screen protected by scratch-resistant glass. Apart from that, you get a 2 mp camera and Bluetooth 3.0. More importantly, the phone has a hot-swappable secondary SIM card slot. Here is the detailed list of features:

3" capacitive multi-touch screen with 240x400 pixels, 65k colours.
Dual-SIM, dual-band GSM (900, 1800 MHz), Supports EDGE.
2 mp fixed-focus camera with viedo records 176x134, 10 fps, No flash.
Aperture: 2.8; Focal Lenth: 3.6 mm; Camera Features: Landscape orientation, Exposure compensation, Auto and manual white balance, Still image editor, Full screen viewfinder, Self timer, Centre-weighted auto exposure.
3.5 mm jack with TV-Out, Micro-USB 2.0, Bluetooth 3.0.
128 MB internal storage, 32 GB microSD card slot.
Supported Multimedia Formats: MP3, MF, ASF, WAV, AAC, AMR, AWB, M4V, M4A, AVI, NRT, WMA, 3GP, 3G2, MIDI, WMVAMR-NB, Mobile XMF, eAAC+.
1110 mAh battery with 6 hours of talk time and 510 hours standby, 40 hours of music.
Series 40 platform.
4.3" (l) x 2.1" (w) x 0.5" (13 mm) (h), 104 grammes.
Package Contents: Nokia charger AC-11, Nokia battery BL-4U, Nokia stereo headset WH-102.

The phone comes with the Nokia Xpress browser and Maps. Additionally, the Asha 308 offers 40 free-to-download EA games including Tetris, FIFA 2012, and Need for Speed The Run. Although Nokia hasn't given a specific launch date, the handset is expected to hit the global market later this year. It will be available in black and Golden White, with a expected price tag of $100 (approx Rs 5,400).

Install Windows 7 from a Pendrive / Create a bootable Pendrive to install Windows 7 Pendrives

2012-09-18T12:35:00.001+05:30

Recently I was under the situation where I had to use Pen drive to install Windows 7 so I searched internet and found the following steps to make a bootable pendrive and installing a fresh copy of windows 7, which I am sharing here :

Installing Windows 7 using a pendrive is very much faster than that from DVD/CD. You just need to follow some small steps to do this. You can keep this pendrive/USB drive for future installation of Windows 7.

Note : Make sure you have a Pendrive or USB drive with a minimum of 4 GB space and you have the Windows 7 installation DVD.

Format the Pendrive or USB drive in NTFS format first.
From the start menu right click on the command prompt and select “Run as administrator“.
Now type the following commands (Press enter key after each command).
diskpart. This is to open the disk partition program.
Now to show the list of drives type list disk.
You can see disk’s listed there. Note down the disk number of your pendrive eg. Disk .
Now type SELECT DISK X (where X is the number you noted down for the pendrive from step 5)
Now type CLEAN.
Now type the following commands by pressing enter after each one.
CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY
SELECT PARTITION 1 (Assuming your pendrive/ USB drive is 1).
ACTIVE
FORMAT FS=NTFS
ASSIGN
EXIT(Now the disk partition program will exit). Now we need to give some more commands.
Now insert the Windows 7 Installation DVD and to your DVD drive.
Here i am assuming DVD drive as G and Pendrive as L.(Change it accordingly).
Now type G:CD BOOT
Now type this command BOOTSECT.EXE/NT60 L: to update your USB drive with bootmgr code. (check in your DVD the location of bootsect.exe, if it is under the folder Boot type as BOOT/BOOTSECT.EXE/NT60 L:)
Finally copy all the contents from the Windows 7 DVD to your Pendrive. Make sure you don’t cause any errors.
Plug / Insert your pendrive to your PC and restart the system.
Now Enter the Bios system accordingly by pressing the key delete.(This may vary some times it will be F2 or F12. It depends on the type of your system. Any how during the start up your system will display which key to press to enter the Bios).
Now select the USB/ Pendrive as the first boot driver.(Set the first boot priority to USB drive.).
Now save the settings in Bios and restart and you will be able to Install Windows 7 using that pendrive.

Meet AcceleratorHK, Hong Kong’s First Startup Accelerator Program

2012-09-18T10:03:00.002+05:30

Even though Hong Kong is an important Asian city, technology entrepreneurship is still nascent. The infrastructure in place does not foster competitiveness. That is why Stephen Forte and TechCrunch Disrupt NY 2012 Hackathon winner Paul Orlando decided to create AcceleratorHK, the first accelerator program in Hong Kong.

The three-month program offers $15,000 in seed capital, mentorship and co-working space. It is now accepting applications for its first batch.

“Reasons for Hong Kong’s lack of startup culture include lack of cultural support (parents have a lot of sway on their children’s choice of career and prefer corporate jobs), a lack of investors looking at tech (preferring to invest in real estate, for example), and a lack of development talent graduating from local universities (computer science is not a highly respected degree here),” Orlando said.

AcceleratorHK focuses on mobile startups with hybrid development — that is native apps that use web technology. Even though Mark Zuckerberg admitted that HTML5 was not ready for prime time yet, it is still a good way to develop quickly on multiple platforms, and it can only get better with time.

Aside from funding and mentorship, AcceleratorHK provides all the traditional features of a startup accelerator, including classes and a demo day. Mentors include Matt Meeker (Meetup co-founder), Aaron Skonnard (Pluralsight co-founder), and Mikaal Abdulla (8Securities co-founder and CEO).

Some well-known accelerators hinted at a launch in Hong Kong but have yet to proceed. Founder Institute has postponed its entry, and TechStars has network partners in Asia but not in Hong Kong. Workspaces and communities, such as Boot.hk or StartupsHK, provide a good environment but not the same kind of mentorship.

Yet, Hong Kong has many strengths often ignored by tech entrepreneurs and investors. “One of Hong Kong’s advantages is that it’s a diverse place with a mix of people from all over,” Orlando said. “I think we should accept that Hong Kong — and most other places — are different from the Valley and that a different environment is fine,” he continued.

Teams of two to four people can now apply until October 1. The program will start November 5 and will take place in CoCoon. When it comes to visa needs, nationals of about 170 countries and territories may visit Hong Kong visa-free for a period ranging from seven to 180 days.

Hong Kong is a great location to test mobile apps because it has both a robust business environment and strong mobile phone penetration. When asked whether graduates will stay in Hong Kong, Orlando told us: “I think that some of the graduates will choose to stay in Hong Kong after they experience it for three months. There’s an energy and grassroots support here that makes the way easier for entrepreneurs. Other than that, the food, nightlife, social nature of life here, ability to travel around the region, and general quality of life make Hong Kong a great place to live.”

Oracle Buys SelectMinds For Using Facebook And Social Networks To Recruit Employees

2012-09-18T10:01:00.003+05:30

Oracle has acquired SelectMinds, a provider of cloud-based, social talent sourcing apps that allow companies to use social networks such as Facebook to recruit employees. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

It is Oracle’s year for buying companies in the human capital management market (HCM). Earlier this year it acquired Taleo for $1.92 billion. Taleo’s solutions help customers attract, motivate, and retain employees.

SelectMinds gives company recruiters, hiring managers and employees use of their own social networks to recruit people. The acquisition is testament to the deep competition playing out in the market. For example, the SaaS solution allows customers to send new job listings, links, and status updates to Facebook pages and Twitter handles.

The deal gives Oracle the opportunity to engage deeper in social networks and mobile. With SelectMinds, customers can transform job posts into a mobile job post that’s viewable and sharable on smartphones.

Competition in the market is highlighted by Workday, which recently filed for a $400 million IPO. The news is timed to disrupt Salesforce.com’s Dreamforce event, which will feature the launch of work.com, an HCM service.

Constellation Research Founder Ray Wang said in an email interview that Select Minds has had success with Facebook recruiting. Customers choose Select Mind because they see social as a key strategy.

India allows FDI in retail, again

2012-09-17T10:42:00.001+05:30

India opened its retail sector to foreign supermarkets on Friday, a major economic reform that has been stalled for months by political gridlock and came as part of a package of measures aimed at reviving growth.

(FDI in retail, aviation sectors allowed. Read http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/09/14/india-economy-retail-fdi-reform-idINDEE88D08M20120914)

The policy comes with provisos which, some analysts said, could hamper firms hoping to set up shop in the world's second-most populous country.

Following are key aspects of the policy:

STATES TO DECIDE ON IMPLEMENTATION

Individual state governments will decide whether to allow foreign supermarket chains to enter. The Congress party-led government hopes this will take the sting out of opposition from regional parties who say the policy will destroy jobs.

Opponents of the reform include Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal and the most powerful ally in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government.

SOURCING FROM SMALL COMPANIES

Foreign retailers will have to source almost a third of their manufactured and processed goods from industries with a total plant and machinery investment of less than $1 million. Supermarket chains will certify compliance with this themselves.

The government will reserve the first right to procure food produce from farmers before companies do, in order to provide stocks for its food subsidy schemes for poor households.

MINIMUM INVESTMENTS

Foreign retailers will have to invest a minimum of $100 million, and put at least half of their total investment into so-called 'back-end' infrastructure, such as warehousing and cold storage facilities. This requirement has to be met within three years of a retailer setting up shop.

The aim is to meet one of the key justifications for opening the supermarket sector to foreign players -- revamping the country's crumbling infrastructure and unclogging bottlenecks.

The bottlenecks fan inflation, which has proved a major headache for the government and the Reserve Bank of India.

Policymakers argue opening the sector will help ease prices for a country where hundreds of millions live in dire poverty.

BIG CITIES

Foreign retailers will only be allowed to set up shop in cities with a population of more than 1 million. In states where there are no cities with such a big population, individual state governments can choose where to allow foreign chains to open.

Critics of the new retail policy, including from opposition parties and domestic traders, say opening the doors to the likes of Wal-Mart will wipe out the country's small, family-run neighbourhood stores and trigger mass unemployment.

By restricting foreign firms to cities, the government hopes the supermarkets will become accessible to the country's swelling middle class, while protecting the livelihoods of shopkeepers in smaller towns and rural areas.