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Short review and video sample of Redmi note 6 pro

2018-11-30T06:01:00.000-08:00

Black

Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro The phone comes with a 6.26-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 1080 pixels by 2280 pixels. Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro price in India starts from Rs. 13,999.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro is powered by octa-core processor and it comes with 4GB of RAM. The phone packs 64GB of internal storage that can be expanded. As far as the cameras are concerned, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro packs a 12-megapixel (f/1.9, 1.4-micron) primary camera which is one of the changes from its Predicisor redmi note 5 pro 12-megapixel (f/2.2, 1.25-micron) and a 5-megapixel secondary camera on the rear. On the front, it packs an 20-megapixel (f/2.0, 1.8-micron) primary camera and a 2-megapixel secondary camera.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro is powered by a 4000mAh non removable battery. It measures 157.91 x 76.38 x 8.26 (height x width x thickness) and weights 182grams.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro is a Dual-SIM (GSM and GSM) smartphone that accepts Nano-SIM and Nano-SIM. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, Micro-USB, Active 4G on both SIM cards, 3G and 4G (with support for Band 40 used by some LTE networks in India). Sensors on the phone include Fingerprint sensor, Proximity sensor and Accelerometer.

Comparing it with Predicisor

The note 6 pro & note 5 pro

Yes it comes without any major changes from it's previous generation but it do have some changes they are noticeable changes that welcomes are e

1. The first and foremost changes is that the notch on the top and screen aspect ratio of 19:9.

2. Equipped with quad camera with an addon 2mp camera on the front in along with old 20mp camera.

3.One more and yet useful change is that its headphone jack comes on the top that will be handy especially a phone with bigger screen.

4.The one feature which lacks it from note 5 pro is that LED front flash.

So in short there is no need to upgrade it from note 5pro but if you are looking descent smartphone that can handle all the multitasking and smooth rendering of games and apps under your budget concern this is really a budget king.

Video samples of redmi note 6 pro

Watch the video samples of redmi note 6 pro

Specifications as follows

NETWORK
Technology	GSM / HSPA / LTE
2G bands	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2
3G bands	HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G bands	LTE band 1(2100), 3(1800), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 20(800), 38(2600), 40(2300)
	LTE band 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 28(700), 38(2600), 40(2300)
Speed	HSPA, LTE-A
GPRS	Yes
EDGE	Yes

DISPLAY
Type	IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size	6.26 inches, 97.8 cm2 (~81.1% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution	1080 x 2280 pixels, 19:9 ratio (~403 ppi density)
Multitouch	Yes
Protection	Corning Gorilla Glass (unspecified version)
	- MIUI 9

BODY
Dimensions	157.9 x 76.4 x 8.3 mm (6.22 x 3.01 x 0.33 in)
Weight	182 g (6.42 oz)
SIM	Hybrid Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)

PLATFORM
OS	Android 8.1 (Oreo)
Chipset	Qualcomm SDM636 Snapdragon 636 (14 nm)
CPU	Octa-core 1.8 GHz Kryo 260
GPU	Adreno 509

MEMORY
Card slot	microSD, up to 256 GB (uses SIM 2 slot)
Internal	64 GB, 4/6 GB RAM or 32 GB, 3 GB RAM

MAIN CAMERA
Dual	12 MP, f/1.9, 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF 5 MP, f/2.2, 1.12µm, depth sensor
Features	Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama
Video	1080p@30fps

SELFIE CAMERA
Dual	20 MP, f/2.0, 0.9µm 2 MP, f/2.2, 1.75µm, depth sensor
Features	HDR
Video	1080p@30fps

SOUND
Alert types	Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones
Loudspeaker	Yes
3.5mm jack	Yes
	- Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic

COMMS
WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot
Bluetooth	5.0, A2DP, LE
GPS	Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS
Infrared port	Yes
Radio	FM radio, recording
USB	microUSB 2.0, USB On-The-Go

FEATURES
Sensors	Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
Messaging	SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email, IM
Browser	HTML5
	- MP4/DivX/H.265 player - MP3/WAV/eAAC+/FLAC player - Photo/video editor - Document viewer - Charging 2A/5V 10W

BATTERY
	Non-removable Li-Po 4000 mAh battery

MISC
Colors	Black, Blue, Rose Gold, Red
Price	About 190 EUR

VIVO Y51L Detailed review and specifications

2017-02-04T02:31:00.002-08:00

Vivo Y51L smartphone was launched in January 2016. The phone comes with a

5.00-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 540 pixels by 960 pixels.

Vivo Y51L price in India starts from Rs. 8,995.

The Vivo Y51L is powered by 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor

and it comes with 2GB of RAM. The phone packs 16GB of internal storage that can

be expanded up to 128GB via a microSD card. As far as the cameras are concerned,

the Vivo Y51L packs a 8-megapixel primary camera on the rear and a 5-megapixel

front shooter for selfies.

The Vivo Y51L runs Android 5.0.2 and is powered by a 2350mAh non removable

battery. It measures 143.80 x 71.70 x 7.52 (height x width x thickness) and

weighs 157.00 grams.

The Vivo Y51L is a dual SIM (GSM and GSM) smartphone that accepts Micro-SIM

and Micro-SIM. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, USB OTG, FM,

3G and 4G (with support for Band 40 used by some LTE networks in India).

Sensors on the phone include Proximity sensor, Accelerometer,

Ambient light sensor and Gyroscope.

About Vivo.

Vivo Electronics Corp. is a phone brand based in Dongguan, Guangdong, China.
It was founded in 2009. The company is another Chinese smartphone maker to
enter India recently. It makes low-cost Android phones, and those in the
mid-range segment of the market. All of these are available in India too.

Unboxing & first boot of VIVO Y51L

Vivo Y51L detailed specifications

GENERAL

Release date January 2016

Form factor Touchscreen

Dimensions (mm) 143.80 x 71.70 x 7.52

Weight (g) 157.00

Battery capacity (mAh) 2350

Removable battery No

Colours White

SAR value NA

DISPLAY

Screen size (inches) 5.00

Touchscreen Yes

Resolution 540x960 pixels

HARDWARE

Processor 1.2GHz quad-core

Processor make Qualcomm Snapdragon 410

RAM 2GB

Internal storage 16GB

Expandable storage Yes

Expandable storage type microSD

Expandable storage up to (GB) 128

CAMERA

Rear camera 8-megapixel

Flash Yes

Front camera 5-megapixel

SOFTWARE

Operating System Android 5.0.2

Skin FunTouch OS 2.5

CONNECTIVITY

Wi-Fi Yes

Wi-Fi standards supported NA

GPS Yes

Bluetooth Yes

NFC No

Infrared No

USB OTG Yes

Headphones 3.5mm

FM Yes

Number of SIMs 2

SIM 1

SIM Type Micro-SIM

GSM/CDMA GSM

3G Yes

4G/ LTE Yes

Supports 4G in India (Band 40) Yes

SIM 2

SIM Type Micro-SIM

GSM/CDMA GSM

3G Yes

4G/ LTE No

Supports 4G in India (Band 40) Yes

SENSORS

Compass/ Magnetometer No

Proximity sensor Yes

Accelerometer Yes

Ambient light sensor Yes

Gyroscope Yes

Barometer No

Temperature sensor No

Tactics of the Xioami budget phones

2015-01-20T02:37:00.002-08:00

Xiaomi’s combination of well-spec’ed phones and low price tags drove the company to over 60 million sales last year. That progress saw it replace Samsung as China’s top-selling smartphone company and become the world’s third top selling phone maker in the process.

The Chinese company’s flagship Mi devices typically retail for around $300 — its new Mi Note Pro notably breaks the $500 barrier for the first time — while its affordable Redmi family is sub-$150. For comparison, Apple’s top of the range iPhones sell for over $1,000 off contract, while the Samsung Note and Galaxy S families are similarly priced. So how can Xiaomi be so aggressive with its pricing?

Many theories have been put forward, including claims that Xiaomi sells at cost and makes money from other services. Hugo Barra, the company’s VP of International, lifted the lid on some of the company’s secret sauce.

Xiaomi is able to make price concessions thanks to the combination of a small portfolio and longer average selling time per device

Barra explained that Xiaomi is able to make price concessions thanks to the combination of a small portfolio and longer average selling time per device.

Importantly, Xiaomi continues to sell older devices (and tweaked versionsof them) at reduced prices even after it releases newer models.

“A product that stays on the shelf for 18-24 months — which is most of our products — goes through three or four price cuts. The Mi2 and Mi2s are essentially the same device, for example,” Barra explained. “The Mi2/Mi2s were on sale for 26 months. The Redmi 1 was first launched in September 2013, and we just announced the Redmi 2 this month, that’s 16 months later.”

That’s important because the longer runway for devices gives Xiaomi leverage to secure better component deals with its suppliers.

“The reason we do these price cuts is because we’ve managed to negotiate component cost decreases [with our suppliers] over time, which ends up leaving us with a bigger margin than we’d like to have, so we do a price cut,” Barra added.

“The vast majority of the components [in our devices] are still the same, so in terms of supply chain and component sourcing, we’re on the same supply contracts as Redmi 1, which means we’re still getting the same discounts on components,” he explained. “We can continue to ride the cost curve, so the importance of having a very small portfolio is significant — the fact that we only launch a few products each year, and (the fact that) we only have two product families.”

Barra said that the dynamics are “very simple,” but a commitment to devices for two or three years isn’t just about making price cuts. He pointed out that Xiaomi maintains software updates, spare parts and other services that customers require, longer than most companies would.

“The more focused the portfolio, the more efficient we can be at managing those costs too,” he explained.

There are other factors that contribute to the cost structure, including Xiaomi’s lean, online-only marketing focus and its location close to manufacturing plants in China , but the management of components and supply chain partnerships is a crucial element.

Xiaomi has big plans for expanding beyond Asia this year, which will make its pricing model and supply chain more important than ever.

The company sells its phone using an online-only model in most markets, but it has recently begun testing operator partnerships outside of China. It is running a limited trial with Airtel in India, and has found partners in Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore.

Barra explained that operator partnerships are difficult in markets where the majority of consumers are on pre-paid tariffs — such as India — but it seems clear that Xiaomi is looking into ways to expand its retail footprint. It sold one million devices in its first five months in India using its flash sales model. If it can move beyond that and better meet demand for its phones in India and other emerging markets, it could vastly increase its sales figures in 2015.

Last year, Xiaomi projected that it would sell 100 million devices this year. It increased its target for 2014 mid-way through the year, but we’re yet to hear of a new figure for 2015 from the company.

10 apps thats brings you real CASH and REWARDS

2014-04-08T23:03:00.001-07:00

How much do you pay for apps on your iOS or Android device? Do you know that you can earn real cash and rewards from using certain apps? Granted that you will have to work for it by carrying out tasks like grocery shopping or checking out a new line of clothing, watching trailers, taking photos, and meeting new people. Sound interesting?
Then, you really should check out these 10 apps that will earn you real cash and rewards (gift cards and redeemables). We’ve split the tasks from the rewards to help you figure out which app to try out first., but something tells us that you’d probably be checking all of them out. Some even help you to get in shape and to do your part for charity.

1. Field Agent

What to do: You turn into a field agent for some field work, carrying out small missions in your neighborhood. You’ll get instructions of what to do and where to go, places like your local shopping mall, grocery store, or any landmark. The jobs must be completed within 2 hours, and is on a first come, first served.
What you get: Each job is worth between $2 and $12 (paid via PayPal).
Platform: iOS

2. CheckPoints

What to do: You can earn points for checking in to a grocery store, cafe or shopping mall, scanning the items that you buy during these errands or even when you recommend a friend to join CheckPoints.
What you get: The earned points can then be redeemed for rewards like Amazon.com and Walmart gift cards, games, cool gadgets and more.
Platform: iOS | Android

3. EasyShift

What to do: Complete simple assignments (Shifts) such as taking photos, giving an opinion, or recording the price of a product. After you complete several tasks, you will be promoted and will then be able to unlock higher-paying assignments and other valuable perks.
What you get: Payments will be made via PayPal and can be processed within 48 hours.
Platform: iOS

4. App Trailers

What to do: Preview trailers about apps and earn points while you’re at it. Help the app makers improve their app trailers by sharing honest opinions about what they need to add to complete the trailer.
What you get: You get paid half a cent for each video you watch. For trying out a demo (of an app), you can get paid between 9 cents to a dollar. Joining via a friend’s referral code may give you a head start of 50 points.
Platform: iOS | Android

5. Iconzoomer

What to do: Take photos of what is asked in your assignment: your lunch, your drink, or the shoes you are wearing, and earn money for each snap. Share a comment about the snapshot (if you got a feedback you want the manufacturer the know, this is your chance), and that’s it.
What you get: Earn money for each completed assignment via PayPal or get free merchandize. There is also the option to donate to charity via Unicef.
Platform: iOS | Android

6. GymPact

What to do: Exercise at the gym and earn money. Seriously! Once you’ve made a week-long pact on GymPact, you get paid for every day you go, and you have to pay for every day you skip. Those who get to the gym to exercise get to claim their monies from those who didn’t!
What you get: You’re getting $0.50 to $0.75 per workout which must lasts a minimum of 30 minutes. And you get to follow your exercise regime, and keep fit and healthy.
Platform: iOS

7. Gigwalk

What to do: Be a Gigwalker and run special assignments for clients at a preset price. You could be asked to take photos of a place, hand out fliers, check out a new bistro or a new product, or even become a mystery shopper. You essentially become your clients’ eyes and ears simply by being at the right place and the right time.
What you get: Get paid from $10 to $15 an hour.
Platform: iOS

8. Shopkick

What to do: If you are a heavy shopper and love trends and bargains, earn ‘kicks’ just by being yourself with Shopkick. Find participating shopping places that allow you to earn kicks with every walk-in and/or purchase and you will be able to redeem rewards with the ‘kicks’.
What you get: You get a first look at items at the store (while earning extra ‘kicks’) even before an actual walk-in. Use your ‘kicks’ to unlock gift cards and products you can redeem.
Platform: iOS | Android

9. ESPN Streak For The Cash

What to do: Think you know your sports team? Then name your predictions for each game and make sure you get the longest winning streak of the month. To make it tougher, you have to make the call for 10 different sports and maintain your streak.
What you get: The longest winning streak for a team or a player will win a monthly grand prize of $50,000.
Platform: iOS | Android

10. Phewtick

What to do: Get Phewtick on your phone, meet up with someone, scan a QR Code and voila, get paid just for meeting people.
What you get: Earn points that you can cash out, or donate to Unicef or the Red Cross. And meeting new people for work or leisure.
Platform: iOS | Android

More Apps!

Here are 7 more apps where you can earn money just by answering surveys, watching videos, downloading free apps among others.
Cash King: You earn money for downloading and trying out free apps (including new games), watching videos or completing surveys. Get paid via PayPal or receive Amazon.com gift cards in return.
Platform: Android

Get Paid to Play!: Watch some video ads, download and play some new games, and register on websites to get paid. You can withdraw your payment from PayPal.
Platform: Android

NPolls: Share your opinions by answering polls. Topics may cover politics, sports, social trends, lifestyle, brands and more. You are paid usually around 20 cents per survey.
Platform: iOS | Android

Mobile Rewards: Sign up for a free service, watch a Youtube video, or mention a product on your Facebook Wall. Earn credits that can be redeemed in cash via PayPal. Use a referral link and you can earn 100 credits for every friend who signs up, plus 10% of their earnings.
Platform: iOS

JunoWallet: Play games, watch videos, complete surveys and invite tons of your friends to join JunoWallet. A variety of rewards via Invites (3 levels) which can come as giftcards for games, pizza, coffee, movie tickets and more.
Platform: iOS | Android

Earn Money: Download free or paid apps, register to free or paid websites, or watch ads to earn points that can be accumulated and turned into cash. Payment is done via PayPal.
Platform: Android

Thumbspeak: Answer questions in polls and surveys and get paid for your opinion. Get paid via PayPal or cash in on gift cards.
Platform: iOS

Review of Nokia X

2014-03-22T00:17:00.000-07:00

Hands on: Nokia X review

Microsoft tries to own all the Google juice

Plus +

Sleek User interface
lowest price

negatives -

Low storage space
same kind of design (Chunky)
There is no Playstore

Design and interface

The Nokia X is the Finnish brand's big effort to make greater waves into the low, low end of the smartphone market – and it's enlisted the help of Android to make that happen.
The Nokia X is a phone that comes with a fairly decent spec list for a phone that's coming in at €89 before tax (around £75, $120, AU$135) – we're talking a dual-core 1GHz processor from Qualcomm, 512MB of RAM, a 4-inch WVGA screen and a 1500mAh battery.

However, it's important not to compare to this to the likes of the Moto G, as it's not meant for the more developed regions in terms of smartphone use. This is for areas where Android devices are sold at a much lower average price, but still can do the basic things that others can.

With that in mind, the Nokia X is probably a little better than OK. The polycarbonate body is fairly chunky, but in the hand it dovetails well with the smaller screen, as it would be hard to hold something that small and thin.

The screen doesn't seem to suffer either – the contrast is strong, helped by the smorgasbord of colour on offer from the live tiles.
There's not a lot else on offer here in terms of ports or anything – the mandatory headphone jack and camera (which is only a 3MP option with no flash) are the only other items in a sea of matte plastic.

But this isn't meant to be a phone that's all about design – the Nokia X is supposed to offer a differentiated user experience from the rest of the identikit Android phones on the market.

To that end, I actually rather liked what Finland's top Microsoft subsidiary is doing – there's a nice fusion of Android familiarity and Windows Phone functionality.
The live tiles idea is really cool – it's essentially just a clever way of doing Android widgets, but while other launchers can make things look too complex, Nokia is doing things its own way and making it all seem a lot cooler.

For instance, there's no 'Apps' key that shows all the little bits of software you've downloaded – now it's all in one long list that just endlessly scrolls. To that end, it can get a bit messy, so Nokia's method of creating folders is needed and something that wasn't possible on Windows Phone.

It's nothing special, and you can't just drag and drop to create a folder, instead needing to tap an icon. But at least dragging the live tile icons for each app will allow you to move the order around automatically, and some, such as the gallery, will expand to show pictures in your album.

There's even the chance to change the colour of some apps to match your theme – although the fact you can't do this to all of them means this feature is slightly negated.
You can also see more notifications on the lock screen than you might on other Nokia phones - it's a little boring in terms of design, but works well enough.

The other big change is Nokia's Fast Lane – it's an odd change from the notifications bar, as it's essentially the same thing but one long scrolling page that can be accessed by swiping right or left.

It's cool in some respects, as it allows you to dynamically control things like the music player, and always keeps your most-used apps close at hand. However, there is still the same pull-down bar as on other Android handsets here, but it's only for changing settings.

Come on Nokia, you don't have to change EVERYTHING.
Fast Lane isn't the same as the multi-tasking menu you'll get on the likes of most other Android phones - while long pressing the icon will shut it down, the app apparently still runs.
However, we noted that the multi-tasking menu is still there, but you'll need to install specific apps to get it to work - not hard, but its absence out of the box may irk some.

CPU

The dual-core processor seems perfectly able to handle all tasks – it stuttered a fair bit when opening some apps, and in the demo the mapping application didn't like rendering 3D images at speed, but on the whole it was OK.
Then again, it feels like this should be a little cheaper as a device once you've dug a little more into it. It's likely to be pretty kind to that 1500mAh battery, so at least you won't be reaching for the charger every seven seconds.

The Nokia X only features 4GB of on-board storage, and no microSD card expansion (unlike the Nokia X+, which has that option and 768MB of RAM to speed things up a little) which is a real worry when it comes to trying to add media as well as downloading apps – there's not a lot of room for much else.
Update: So it turns out we were fed wrong information on the Nokia stand - there is a microSD slot here, as you can see, meaning the only difference between the X and X+ is the extra RAM...we'd always recommend paying more to get that speed boost, but in some countries a few pounds difference in the price is a huge thing.

There's also a removable battery in the mix too (like its brother) - I'm going to guess that Nokia will only release either the X or X+ in more developed markets, and it will likely be the latter to ensure greater app performance, given how close these models are.
Camera
Nokia's 3MP effort without flash is just that: non-flashy. It's a super-basic snapper, and it's almost so basic that I feel the Finns should be making a bit more of an effort, even at this price point.
However, there are some tweaks: you can alter the white balance and exposure levels ( a fairly easy trick for most chips these days) so you can start to improve the brightness when the darkness begins to set in.

The pictures you take also append to a Live Tile on the home screen in a similar way to Windows Phone - although only if you've sized up the window, given you can make the Live Tiles bigger and smaller as you wish in most cases.

Nokia has been very careful to remove everything from Google here and make it all about Microsoft – there are lots of similarities between the UI on show here and Windows Phone.

OneDrive is front and centre, and with 10GB of storage on offer that might seem enticing for those stuck using Android phones with no access to Google's Drive.
However, there does seem to be a feeling this is forced into the phone – part of me keeps wishing that Nokia had just done this before signing itself away to Microsoft, as this could have been a really good addition to the Android game.

Early verdict

The Nokia X is a hard phone to work out – on the one hand, it's a super cheap handset and as such has the budget specs you'd expect.
On the other, it seems to be not much better than the Lumia 520, which is a Windows Phone handset and supposed to sit above it in the product line – on current prices, it's also cheaper.
There are some worries here even for the developing nations: that 4GB of storage could get eaten up quickly, and while Nokia is touting the ability to add third party apps through other stores, new phones can live and die by app availability and that could kill the Nokia Android project.
The Nokia X is constructed well enough, has a interesting new UI and is breaking new ground – but as a new phone, it seems a bit expensive for what's on offer.

The new Sony Xperia M complete review and specification

2013-09-19T23:44:00.005-07:00

Intro

Sony has made some great entry-level Android phones, but it's been a while since we saw a new model. The Xperia M injects new blood into the segment with both single and dual-SIM options. Based on the trademark Xperia design, the M scores high on looks and build quality. the one thing which i would like to say is the value for money gadget

Sony Xperia M official images

The Sony Xperia M shares many of the design features that made its Xperia Z sibling such a looker, including the signature power key. It also has a hardware shutter key along with a couple of other features that are becoming quite rare in the smartphone world - a removable battery and a microSD card slot.

The Xperia M also offers a relatively big and sharp screen, 4" FWVGA of 245ppi, and a dual-core Krait processor, plus 720p video capture with its 5MP camera. These are specs that can be hard to find in the Xperia M's price bracket. Most entry-level Androids either have Cortex-A9 CPUs (or A5/A7), or record only VGA video or have sub-WVGA screens, which is why entry-level Windows Phone handsets are such an enticing alternative in the price range.

Key features

Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE and dual or quad-band HSPA support

Also available in a dual-SIM variant, called Xperia M dual

21 Mbps HSDPA and 5.76 Mbps HSUPA

4" 16M-color TFT capacitive touchscreen of FWVGA resolution (480 x 854 pixels) at 245ppi

Android OS v4.1.2 Jelly Bean

Dual-core 1 GHz Krait CPU, Adreno 305 GPU, Qualcomm MSM8227 Snapdragon chipset

1 GB of RAM

4 GB of built-in storage (2 GB user available)

microSD slot (cards up to 32GB supported)

5 MP autofocus camera, single LED flashlight, geo-tagging, touch focus, HDR, hardware shutter key; VGA front-facing camera

720p @ 30fps video capture

Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot

Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP

NFC support

ANT+ support for connecting low-power wireless sports accessories

GPS with A-GPS; GLONASS

PlayStation certified

Accelerometer, ambient light and proximity sensor

Standard 3.5 mm audio jack; Walkman music player with many audio enhancements

Stereo FM radio with RDS

microUSB port (charging)

Built-in LED strip provides a breathing light and notification light

1,750mAh Li-Ion battery, user-replaceable

Main disadvantages

Still and video camera quality not great

No Mobile BRAVIA engine for the screen

Screen has sub-par viewing angles

Poor video codec support out of the box

Limited internal storage for installing apps

Sony may have hit a spot that Samsung, LG and HTC haven't thoroughly covered, which bodes well for the young Xperia M. The optional dual-SIM is great too, since a good smartphone with a second SIM slot can prove harder to find than you would expect (with screen, camera and chipset considerations in mind).

The Sony Xperia M runs Android 4.1 with Sony's magic sprinkled over many of the apps, including a Walkman music player with a dazzling array of sound enhancement options, plus the Album and Movies apps, which have some unique media management skills.

The bold Purple and Yellow colors are a plus too, with an excellent, soft touch plastic on the back - a welcome break from black-or-white options and the prevailing glossy plastics.

Unboxing the Xperia M

The Sony Xperia M comes in an old-fashioned box - big and colorful - which contains the phone itself, the battery, a compact charger and a microUSB cable. A single-piece headset is also in the bundle (though our review unit came without the full set of accessories so we didn't have one).

Sony Xperia M retail box, sans the headset

Design and handling

The Sony Xperia M closely follows the design guidelines of the Xperia family, without being too similar (like the Galaxy line). It has the trademark round, metal power key (the so-called OmniBalance design), slightly recessed sides of contrasting material like on the Xperia Z, an RGB light below the screen and a shutter key. The end result is one very attractive phone, despite being low on the totem pole.

Xperia M follows the OmniBalance design language

The front holds the 4" LCD screen, surrounded by relatively big bezels (especially top and bottom, considering there are no physical buttons). Even so, the Xperia M is not a large device.

The back has a slight curve like Xperias of the Sony Ericsson era. It's made of plastic that wraps around the sides of the phone, giving it a nice unibody impression, but is actually removable so you can access the battery and the card slots.

The back is slightly curved

Another plus about the back is the material - it's a matte plastic with a soft touch finish, making it very pleasant to the touch and fingerprint-resistsant (but can be a bit hard to clean once it inevitably gets smudgy in the end).

It all culminates in a great in-hand feel for the Xperia M - it's small and fits easily in the hand, the materials are pleasant and it's pretty light. At 9.3mm it's not the thinnest phone around but slips very easily into pockets and, again considering its price tag, the M is very well proportioned having an overall impression of a pricier phone.

Hardware

The earpiece is above the screen and to the left of it is the VGA front-facing camera, along with the proximity and ambient light sensors. Below the screen is the RGB notification light, which can use different colors to alert you to missed events and you can use the settings to customize the colors for different events. It's a bit too small for our liking, but works well enough even during the day.

Earpiece, VGA camera and sensors above the screen • RGB light

The mic pinhole is also on the front, which makes it hard to accidentally cover with your finger.

The right side of the phone is where all the physical buttons are - starting with the Power/Lock key (which looks good but is also big and easy to press), the volume rocker (which is also easy to use) and the shutter key. The shutter key was a bit of a disappointment as it doesn't provide a solid click, but it's still a great option to have.


Physical shutter key, volume rocker and aluminum power button

The top and left sides of the Xperia M is where the two wired ports reside, one on each side. The 3.5mm audio jack is on top in the center and the microUSB port is on the left. The port supports MHL so you can use it as a TV-out with an appropriate adapter to HDMI.


MHL-enabled USB port • 3.5mm audio jack

The lanyard eyelet is at the bottom of the phone and you have to open the back panel to put the strap in.

Lanyard eyelet on the bottom

While the back cover is open, you can also access the 1,750mAh battery and the microSD card slot (which you'll probably rely heavily on as the Xperia M provides only about 2GB of user accessible storage). Also here you'll spot either one or two microSIM card compartments, depending on which version of the phone you got (we have the single-SIM version).

The battery compartment, microSIM and microSD card slots are all easily accessible

Also on the back is the 5MP camera with LED flash and the loudspeaker.


The back of the Xperia M holds the camera, its flash and the loudspeaker

The phone comes in Black, White, Purple and Yellow, but we should mention that the Yellow version is not available in dual-SIM flavor for some reason.

Battery life

The Sony Xperia M battery isn't that big - a capacity of 1,750mAh is nothing to write home about, but the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini (also available in single and dual-SIM versions) has a 1,900mAh battery and the HTC One mini has a 1,800mAh and both are 4.3" phones. What we mean to say is, even though it may not be much, it's ok for its class.

THANK YOU

The best blog topics that generate maximum traffic to your site

2013-04-07T01:17:00.001-07:00

The thought of becoming an entrepreneur and building your own empire in no time was a dream few years back, but with online money making opportunities today, it is all possible. The urge to start a blog and becoming rich and popular at the same time is increasing day by day, resulting in producing thousands of Newbie Bloggers each week. However, it greatly disappoints them when soon they realize that their blog would hardly generate any revenue for them, forcing them to leave this domain to earn money.

It’s important to figure out about the most productive niches that generate maximum revenue, even before planning to start a blog. What happens for example is, a person might be a good painter and plans to share his painting techniques and his creations on his blog. The idea is appreciable if we talk in terms of talent, but such a blog would hardly attract any traffic. The reason behind this is, the global change is making lives busy where people do not have time to read about your skills, but are in search of fulfilling their own thirst.

Many of our readers have been complaining since a long time that their blogs are not paying them anything, so here is something they need to check about their blogs.

If you are looking forward to high profits in return of easy blogging, you must first know which niche to choose as your blog topic.

10.Health

As the world going online, people are now interested to find solutions for their health related matters online. This blogging niche enjoys an open traffic where there are no barriers of culture, state or society. A person from Pakistan would be equally interested to know about the remedy for losing his weight as a person from USA. If you have a command on medicine and fitness related issues and think you have the potentials to provide people worth-reading and then worth-following tips regarding fitness and Health, then you will see a huge traffic following your blog in no time.

9.Fashion

Health and fitness blogs are mostly visited only by those who are either going through some disease or are way to curious to learn tips for their fitness. But above health blogs, comes Fashion. Knowing about health is need but learning all about fashion is addiction. If you have got that glamorous side of yours and enjoy learning and sharing about Fashion trends leading the society, you can really earn huge money with it. People all over the world find internet as the most easiest access to know about fashion and follow it.

8.Relationships

Recent statistics have shown that 90% of the people have an emotional part in their personalities that leaves an effect on the entire life per fifteen hours a day as an average. People find internet as the most secure way to improve their relationships, believing in the idea of self-aiding learning online about professional working relationships, love relationships and getting advises from people around the globe. According to the latest reveals, blogs with this domain enjoy huge traffic.

7.Finance

Man’s love for Money will last till the end of this world. This common nature of people to learn ways to double their money forces them to search about such methods. Blogs having a domain related to ways of improving their finances and helping them setting up their own business, telling ways to manage their money always appeal them, further generating good traffic for a blog.

6. Question and Answer Blogs

Let us go back to school to make the concept clear. Which teacher you preferred to visit the most in times of need, the one who always had a solution for your problems or the one who used to tell you to “come later”? We all have same views about it I hope. Similarly, starting a blog with a niche of active question and answer session will soon generate considerable revenue for you. People look forward to places where they can be listened and can get their queries been answered. Just like answer.com, you can start a question and answer blog and make real dollars with it!

5. Celebrities

The easiest- yet the most interesting niche to adopt in a blogging career is undoubtedly to start writing reviews, updates, latest photos and everything associated with them, is the celebrities. The best part about this domain is, all you need to have as your qualifications to rule is your interest in entertainment world

4. Buy and sell

Online shopping has taken up the physical market with a great pace. Now you choose all what you want to buy from your living room and get it delivered at your doorsteps. If you have the ability to work like a middle man, establishing a forum similar to olx.com, you can attract bulk of visitors each day.

3. Social Media

This post will be too less to describe the power of social media at this time of life where one might not have a bank account but must be having three or four accounts on different social networking websites. Due to the huge number of Social media users, the sites that write about every single happening on Social media get the most of the benefit. Take an example of Mashable.com. What do you think is the reason for the success of this site? It can’t be uniqueness, there are much better unique sites available than it, it can’t also be a good grammar, as even I have been noticing grammatical mistakes in the posts plenty of times. Then what makes it a hit? It’s the domain of the blog! People want to know each and everything about their social media. Therefore, picking this niche to start a blog is one of the best choices available among the most productive niches.

2. Technology

Techcrunch.com has been making Millions of Dollars each year by simply cashing its niche. In this Hi-tech world, staying up to date with the latest technology been revealed in the market is mandatory. Moreover, the biggest benefit of choosing this niche as your blogging topic is , when a new gadget/device is launched in to the market, it automatically creates a hype, big enough to bring visitors to your blog to know more about it. This happens every time-little too often, ensuring a continuous inflow of money.

1. Blogging Tips

Blogging has recently become too popular even in the developing countries. The best sources to learn for the new bloggers are the blogs themselves. Just like MBT, blogs having a domain of sharing tips and tricks, making blogging easy with tutorials and everything related to blogging world are earning considerably large at this time. However, such domains require you to have the capability and knowledge about web designing and web development so that whatever content you share, it gains reliability for you from your readers.

The decisions you take on initial stages while starting a business, decides the future of it, therefore always play it safe and think about your potentials and pick the domain that goes most smooth with it.

All the best

6 ways to make money via Blogging

2013-04-02T03:41:00.001-07:00

There are so many ways of adding advertisements to your blog. Choosing the right method depends on what type of ads you want shown on your blog and which online advertising program you want to sign up with. Some of the most popular ad publishing companies for blog advertising include Google AdSense and Yahoo Publisher but there are many more options available. Once you have chosen which publishers to use to add ads to your blog you can sign up for their service through their website and follow their requirements for displaying ads on your blog.

Google AdSense

1
Place contextual ads on your blog using Google AdSense. Contextual ads work by first determining what type of content is shown on your blog and then delivering ads that match the nature of the content (for example, if your blog is about real estate the contextual ads may be about real estate agents). You don't have to worry about which specific ads to show because Google does that for you.

Yahoo Publisher

2
Use Yahoo Publisher as an alternate to Google AdSense if you have a blog that gets a lot of traffic (high number of visitors each day). Yahoo Publisher only displays contextual ads on websites and blogs that have high traffic but the revenue is generally considered to be higher than Google AdSense, so if you qualify to place ads on your blog through Yahoo Publisher it can prove beneficial for you.

Adbrite

3
Take a risk by using Adbrite for contextual ads if you feel the risk is worth taking. There is a risk involved because even though using Adbrite can increase the income that you earn through your blog, many of the ads displayed by Adbrite are for gambling and promiscuous businesses. Such ads may offend your blog viewers and decrease your blog traffic, depending on the nature of your blog content and target audience.

Advertising Networks

4
Pick specifically which ads you want to display on your blog through advertising networks. You have to have very high blog traffic to be considered by advertising networks (at least a few thousand visitors per day) but if you qualify, you can depend on a more steady income coming through well-established advertising corporations that usually pay handsomely to place ads on your blog. You can also provide information directly about your blog and select what type of advertisements you want shown. Here are some advertising networks that you can look into for adding advertisements on your blog.
- Blogads
- BuzzMachine
- Federated Media
- TechCrunch

Affiliation Advertisements

5
Add affiliation ads to your blog if you feel that your blog visitors would be interested in purchasing products from another website. For example, if your blog is about books you could join Amazon's Associates Program, which is an affiliate program that will pay you every time someone goes to Amazon using an advertisement on your blog and makes a purchase. Usually you are paid a percentage of the purchase amount, similar to how a salesman earns commission for selling products that are offered for sale by other companies.

Links Within Blog Text

6
Sign up for services such as Text Link Ads if you want to get paid for text links on your blog. For example, let's say you wrote a blog post about auto repair. Text Link Ads or a similar online advertising program may decide to pay you for changing the words "auto repair" in your blog into a text link that leads to the website of the auto repair company that is paying for the advertisement. 1 great benefit of text link ads is that they don't use any additional space on your blog design to add ads to your blog, you merely change the text that already exists into a link
*infollinks etc.

Ad publishers for the advertisers

Apart from the Google adsense and yahoo publishers there are lots of ad publishers to advertise various products and services through various websites and blogs. based on the topic advertisers have the freedom to choose which is the best website or blog to place there ad's. one of the important thing to be noted is the traffic of the blog/website which you are going to place your ad. then only get the maximum viewers to your ad. some of the Ad publishing sites are as follows.

Blogsvertise
Infolinks etc.

Samsung galaxy S4 Complete review

2013-03-18T02:53:00.004-07:00

The Samsung Galaxy S4 release date, price and specs has officially been unveiled - the phone will hit shelves by the end of April in India

It's official and it's now here, the Samsung Galaxy S4 has been revealed in New York. Although many of the features had been leaked in the weeks leading up to the event, the launch was still a time for Samsung to show-off its latest handset, while no doubt making sure that Apple's got its work cut-out with the iPhone 5S.

Here we'll take a look at the phone's new features and outline its key specifications. For a more in-depth look, check out our Samsung Galaxy Specs article.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 DESIGN

With the Galaxy S3 proving to be such a success, Samsung hasn't strayed too far from that design with the Galaxy S4. The rounded edges and lozenge-shaped home button at the bottom of the phone are all instantly recognisable.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is thinner and lighter than the Samsung Galaxy S3

While the S3 looked and felt, well, quite plasticy, the Samsung S4 looks that much nicer and more like the high-end phone that it should be. It has a polycarbonate case, but it's now slimmer (7.9mm) and lighter (130g) than its predecessor.

Two versions of the phone will be available: Black Mist and White Frost. It's hard to pass judgement on the phone until we've seen it in the flesh, but in the shots we've seen it certainly looks like a step up from the Samsung Galaxy S3.

Available in black or white, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is instantly recognisable

SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 SCREEN

As expected, the Galaxy S4 has a 5in Full HD (1,920x1,080) Super AMOLED screen. That's a stunning 441ppi, making this one of the highest-density phones that we've seen. The HTC One manages slightly more at 468ppi, thanks to its slightly-smaller 4.7in Full HD screen. On balance, though, you're going to find it hard to tell the difference or spot individual pixels on either screen.

There was no mention of the Green PHOLED technology, which was rumoured to be making its first appearance here. However, we've been impressed with Samsung's Super AMOLED technology before and it's always been power efficient, helping to save battery life.

As expected, the screen can be operated just by hovering your finger over it, giving rise to two new features. Air View lets you hover over content, such as an email or photo, to preview it without having to open it. Air Gesture, lets you change tracks, scroll through a web page or answer a call with the wave of your hand. We haven't had chance to try the system out yet, but this should make fine-control of the touchscreen operating system that little bit easier.

Air View and Air Gesture let you operate the touchscreen without touching it

Gorilla Glass 3 helps make the phone durable, although we'd still recommend a screen protector or case if you're going to keep your phone in a pocket with sharp items, such as keys.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 CAMERAS

Cameras are an important part of any smartphone, with many people preferring them to compact cameras. From the specifications, Samsung hasn't let us down with the Galaxy S4 camera, with a 13-megapixel rear camera, complete with Flash and a high-speed shutter mode. At the front is a 2-megapixel camera.

The 13-megapixel rear camera certainly has impressive specifications, but the front camera can be used to control the phone

Now, two cameras on a smartphone is hardly something new, but with Dual Camera you can operate both of them at the same time. It feels a little gimmicky to us, but the idea is that you can film yourself with the front camera and then superimpose yourself on the footage from the rear camera. The examples we've seen look a little twee and we're not sure that most people want their faces to appear surrounded by a postage stamp border over the footage they're recording.

You can superimpose yourself as a floating stamp in videos, if you like that kind of thing

The front camera also serves a purpose in controlling the phone with Smart Pause. This technology knows when you're looking at the screen so it can, for example, pause a video when you turn your head and look away. As soon as you look back, the video continues. It's a neat way of using the cameras for more than just still images and video.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 PROCESSOR

We were expecting the Octa-Core Samsung Exynos 5 processor in the phone and that's an option, with a 1.6GHz model. However, a 1.9GHz Quad-Core version of the phone will also be sold, depending on where you live in the world. Samsung hasn't specified yet which version we'll get in the UK, although we would expect to get the Octa-Core model.

The company tweeted a rendering of the new chip, which is also rumoured to power the new Galaxy Note 3 phone/tablet, from its @SamsungExynos Twitter account, so whetting the appetites of Samsung fans everywhere.

The new chip's eight-core design is based on ARM's big.LITTLE architecture. This means that there are four powerful Cortex-A15 cores for the phone's most power-hungry functions, and four lower-power Cortex-A7 models to take care of simpler tasks. When the phone isn't needed to do anything fancy, the more powerful cores shut down, extending battery life.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 BATTERY

Speaking of battery life, the new handset will use a 2,600mAh battery. That's 500mAh bigger than the one in the S3 and should be big enough to cope with the slightly-enlarged screen, and the greater demands of 4G, while still running all day.

The battery is also removable, so you can carry a charged spare if you're going to be out for a long time. It also means that a failing battery can easily be replaced.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 4G AND WIRELESS

You can't make a modern phone and not support the latest wireless standards, so the Samsung Galaxy S4 has full support for 4G LTE networks. Global 4G support has been promised, supporting download speeds of 100Mbit/s and uploads of 50Mbit/s. Full 3G and 2.5G support is, of course, also present.

For use at home there's also better Wi-Fi support, with the new 802.11ac standard supported. We've seen this networking standard deliver speeds well over 200Mbit/s, so using super-fast broadband speeds on your phone at home is going to easy.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 NFC

NFC makes an appearance, so the phone will be compatible with Google Wallet, so you can pay for goods in compatible shops using just your phone. It will also support Visa's payWave, widening the choice and range of places that you can shop in.

In addition, Samsung showed some other ways that NFC can be used. One of the most different was Group Play. By tapping your Samsung Galaxy S4 to another one, you can share music and pictures. Samsung has also promised that the technology will support multi-player gaming and it's opening up the SDK to encourage other companies to develop for it.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 STORAGE

No great surprises on the storage front, with 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models announced. However, it's good to see that there's still a microSD card slot, so you can add up to 64GB of storage. Depending on the prices, it may even work out cheaper to buy a lower-capacity model and then upgrade it when you need to with a memory card.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 S HEALTH

With fitness accessories apps being big business, Samsung clearly doesn't want to miss out and has launched S Health with the Galaxy S4. Using your phone a variety of accessories, you'll be able to measure your weight and health.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 OTHER FEATURES

If all of that wasn't enough, the Galaxy S4 also has an IR transmitter, which you can use to control your home entertainment kit via the WatchOn app. There's also S Voice Drive, which puts up a simpler interface for when you're driving and recognises voice prompts. Finally, when you're abroad the translation services let you type in a message and have the phone read it out in a different language; the spoken reply is then converted back into your language on the screen.

price expected to be 40,000 in India

24% Price Drop: Samsung 40" Black LED 1080P HDTV - UN40F5500AFXZA

samsung galaxy S4 unpacked

Thanks for watching........

The Green Report

2013-03-12T23:46:00.001-07:00

NOTE :-This report is not meant for those who wish to ape the western and forgetting the mother INDIA....if you love your nation, love your culture then at least you have to think about this !

In the last 25 years India has been considered as a agriculture economy and due to this very fact, agriculture occupies a predominant position in the developmental process. this are not just a source of income it's a part our culture. however in this sector people are not living with it, they are just surviving due to some fundamental problems that curtail the growth in this sector.

Although agriculture plays a pivotal role in the country's economy it is backward and traditional when compared with developed countries of the West. Agricultural productivity is low and the economic condition of the farmers is poor.

The investment in agricultural sector is lower than industrial and commercial sectors and the pace of modernization is very slow. Following is a brief mention of some of the problems which are retarding the development of agriculture in the country.

1. Uneconomic Size of Landholdings and their Fragmentation

Foregoing description leads us to conclude that majority of land holdings in India are too small to be economically viable to promote modern agricultural development. These do not generate enough income to buy new agricultural inputs or make heavy investment. Small size accompanied with fragmentation also prevents the use of new farm machinery which are very essential in today's agriculture.

The fact may be well exemplified by citing the example of Punjab where land holdings are comparatively bigger in size. This is one of the important reasons for the success of green revolution in this region. Elsewhere small and fragmented holdings, unequal distribution of agricultural land and faulty land tenure make the matter worse.

Although Zamindari has been abolished but its effects have not been completely wiped out. There is a large number of landless labourers who are paid paltry sum as wages and have to work as bonded labourers. Their condition is deplorable. Agriculture also has a section of landowners who act as absentee landlords and get their cultivation done through tenants and sharecroppers. None of them is interested to make investments for agricultural improvements.

2. Poverty and Indebtedness of Farmers

Although peasants indebtedness is universal in subsistent farming, but its impact is perhaps nowhere as crushing as in Indian agriculture. An estimate of the All Indian Rural Credit Survey of 1954-56 indicated that nearly 70 per cent of all the cultivating families were in debt. New data confirm the continuance of large scale and deep-rooted rural poverty in the country. According to one estimate the average annual per capita income of an Indian farmer is about Rs. 2,000.

The lot of the landless cultivators is even more pitiable. Although government-run cooperative societies are offering credit facilities to farmers but their impact is only limited to the upper and middle classes of the cultivators. The bulk of peasantry belonging to the lower section has to still take shelter of big landlords and professional money-lenders that charge exorbitant interest on loans (20 to 36 per cent per annum) and soon grab their property making them pauper. Average Indian farmers' income is hardly sufficient to meet its dire needs. That is why he is not in a position to make desirable investment in agriculture, use new agricultural inputs and adopt new technology. Poverty is, therefore, a serious impediment in the modernisation and development of Indian agriculture.

Majority of Indian farmers are still elite who are not aware of new improvements in garniture, new government schemes for improving lots of the farmers or recent change in government policy towards agriculture. That is why people participation is very poor in agricultural development programmes and most of the subsidies loans either remain unutilized or go to the hands untargeted groups.

3. Scarcity of Agricultural Inputs

On the one hand farmers are less receptive to agricultural innovations on the other hand mostly the agricultural inputs like chemical fertilisers, high yielding varieties of seeds, insecticides, pesticides, weedicides, farm machineries etc. are either not available in sufficient quantity or their prices at beyond the reach of an ordinary farmer. Due to lad of quality control there is always possibility of hugger.

In 1992-93 about 58.5 lakh quintals of improved seeds were used on about 70 million hectares of agricultural land. This area is only 39 per cent of the total cropped area of the country. The total consumption of chemical fertilisers was 135.64 lakh tones in 1994-95 against the internal production of 104.38 lakh tones (31.26 lakh tones imported).

This gives a per hectare average of 0.075 tone of fertiliser consumption which is quite insufficient to raise agricultural output. Only 41.4 per cent of the cropped area enjoys the facility of assured irrigation leaving out the remaining 58.6 per cent to the mercy of rainfall. The use of pesticides and insecticides is very limited and Indian farmers are almost unfamiliar with herbicides and weedicides, hence, a sizeable production (about 10%) is lost every year.

4. Lack of Infrastructural Facilities

Rural areas in India lack proper transport and communication facilities. Rural roads are unsurfaced and kachcha cart tracks are not useable during rainy season. Although a massive drive for road construction has been launched to connect all villages having more than 1500 population with all weather surface roads but still the objective is difficult to be realised.

Telephone and telegraph facilities are still considered luxury although the government has promised to provide telephone link to all a Panchayats of the country. Banking facilities are mostly confined to the urban areas. All this has hampered the development of agricultural and industrial activities in the rural areas.

5. Low Productivity

One of the main problems of Indian agriculture is its low productivity. Table 8.VIII showing major crop-yields of selected countries indicate that the Indian agricultural yields are among the lowest in the world, although there has been marked improvement in per hectare yield since 1950-51. The world average of wheat yield per hectare is 30% higher than Indian yield. Similarly the world average yield for rice is 60% higher, millets 80% higher, potatoes 60% higher, maize 140% higher and cotton 250% higher than their respective Indian yields.

The main cause of this low per hectare yield is due to low fertility of soil and less care to replenish it through artificial fertilizers. "An average farmer, deep in debt, does not have the resources to apply nitrogen, potash, or potassium to the crops. Investment in chemical fertilization could lead to his economic ruination. Burnt stubble, branches, leaf mold, or animal manure application are his chief means of fertilization.

6. Lack of Agricultural Research, Education & Training Facilities

In India agricultural research is still in infantile stage. There is also no co-ordination between the farm and the research laboratory. Hence gains of new researches are not reaching the common farmer. Very little attention is being paid for educating and training farmers for adopting new farming techniques, increasing agricultural production and making it profitable and sustainable.

7. Soil Erosion and Soil Degradation

Soil erosion is not only a major cause for decreasing soil fertility but loss of valuable cropped land. In India about 80 million hectares of the country's area is facing the menacing problem of soil erosion. About 4 million hectares of area is in the form of ravines and gullies.

My dream :)

My dream :) is to developing a better solution programs for all these obstacles and to give rebirth a nation with self sufficient and self reliant without loosing our own culture and identity.

Above we discussed some of the basic problems that we are facing in the agrarian sector. in order to get rid out of this we have to take some decision or changes that will sustain our nation's growth in the agriculture sector.From my admittedly cursory review I noticed several recurring themes, which I discuss in no particular order:

1. Increase farmer’s access to markets.

The World Bank cites an “almost universal lack of good extension services” to farmers as a major factor inhibiting growth. In addition to the miserable infrastructure in many rural areas, the inability of farmers to directly access markets has sustained the presence of a chain of middlemen through whom most agricultural commodities must circulate before finally reaching consumers. Many SHGs have, with great success, arranged cooperatives that bypass such middlemen and sell directly to wholesalers. The government should learn from the success of such initiatives and try to help streamline the agricultural commodity supply chain.

2. Improve agricultural productivity.

In spite of the gains of the Green Revolution, Indian agriculture lags behind in terms of technology take-up and production efficiency. Lack of access to credit, which we discussed earlier, may be one of the factors inhibiting farmers from investing in technology. However, the ground reality also suggests that poor education and lack of awareness of the benefits of new technology is also a factor. In addition, the epic and recurring issue of poor irrigation and infrastructure is widely recognized as a drain on productivity in many regions (Its estimated that about 10% of all agricultural production in India is wasted due to lack of storage, transport, etc). The government already proved itself capable of stimulating advances in agricultural productivity with the Green Revolution. Future policies should focus on providing incentives to farmers to adopt better production technology, bridging the information gap that currently exists in the agricultural sector, and remedying severe underdevelopment of irrigation and infrastructure facilities.

3. Reconsider distortionary subsidies and other policies.

Currently, the Indian government sets a minimum support price for almost all agricultural commodities. Farmers who produce various goods are guaranteed the option of selling directly to the government at a price fixed in the beginning of the season. The stated goal of this policy is to “ensuring remunerative prices to the growers for their produce with a view to (sic) encouraging higher investment and production.” The inherent endogeneity of MSP policy makes a rigorous impact assessment difficult, but the persistently low productivity growth in agriculture suggests that the MSP policies have failed to stimulate sufficient capital investments by farmers. Its conceivable the virtual subsidy provided by MSPs might actually dampen incentives for technology take-up by guaranteeing a basic level of income security. Furthermore, the existence of MSPs may encourage agricultural production for which there is actually limited demand in private markets, leading to unbalanced and suboptimal production choices by individual farmers. The process by which which MSPs are set is also somewhat dubious, and many have suggested that the current price-setting system is vulnerable to political manipulation and lack of parity across goods. Although scrapping MSPs would obviously expose a large number of farmers to the risk of price shocks, it seems to me that improving farmers access to insurance products and commodity futures markets is more sustainable and optimal way to manage such risks.

4. Improve public education.

Even if agricultural productivity does increase, it is still likely to lag behind the explosive IT and service sectors. However, the public education system is clearly failing to provide rural children with the skills necessary to enter these labor markets. This is perhaps the single biggest factor inhibiting the transition from agriculture to service sector employment. The demand for skilled workers in India has exploded, particularly in the service sector, demand which many firms are finding difficult to meet domestically due to extremely skewed distribution of human capital (something Doug discussed in the previous post).

5. Promote non-farm entrepreneurship among farmers.
Although India’s rural poor are by and large uneducated, many of them are capable of operating small businesses that have higher returns than traditional agriculture. However, their ability to start such business is often hampered by lack of access to credit and capital. In spite of the microfinance “revolution” and government policies designed to stimulate capital flow to the rural population (such as priority sector lending), there is still a massive failure of credit markets to meet the demands of the rural population. Empirical research has demonstrated that returns to capital are extremely high in microenterprises (roughly 80% in Sri Lanka), which of course suggests that there is tremendous potential for farmers who start operating small businesses to supplement or replace their primary line of work.

Let's hope for a Green India .......

I’d be interested in hearing peoples opinions on any of these issues, and think this discussion would particularly benefit from the observations of people working in rural areas.

Cool things to do with website hosting and blogging

2013-03-07T01:52:00.000-08:00

COOL THINGS TO DO WITH WEBSITE HOSTING AND WORDPRESS

Build your business with blogging and your website hosting account. Not only is blogging with WordPress and your web hosting account an economical way to build a business, because of technology, there are fewer barriers for small business owners in terms of launching and building an online business. Blogging is a green way to build a business, and with WordPress, it does not cost an arm and a leg.

A blog can be the center of your entire business-marketing plan. Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest social media is beneficial for business owners, but most examples of social media marketing are companies that have products with many pictures. So, how do companies that offer "services" rather than "products" get peoples' attention online? Images should be in the central of business owner's social strategy, whether those images be photographs, diagrams or screenshots. Even if you are selling services, such as "events" it makes sense to focus on content in terms of blogging with professional images.

There are exceptions. Facebook, for example, is actually penalizing posts with images. So, when you post on Facebook and do not include an image on the post, more people see the post. But on the other hand, posts that do have images tend to have a higher engagement, so it is a little bit of a catch twenty-two. Therefore, on Facebook, you are better off not adding images to your posts.

WHAT CAN A BUSINESS OWNER DO TO BUILD THEIR BUSINESS?

Focus on written content. Focus heavily on blogging, pod casting, and use content on your blog to draw people in. If you still want to include an image, you can start using different images such as diagrams or screenshots, rather than a photograph. You can also use drawings and original photographs of a personal nature (but, not too personal). Professionally purchased photographs (also referred to as stock images) are not the only images that can be used to sell online.

MASTER CONTENT MARKETING

With the cost of advertising and the sluggish economy, many business owners are asking what they can do to grow their business. Content marketing includes everything from podcasting to blogging. Any type of marketing that has content at its core is content marketing and, as such, it is the hottest way to build an online business in today's economy.

GET CONTENT, BUILD CONTENT AND GET CUSTOMERS

Blogging and content marketing can help your business. Content marketing is part of a vernacular with business owners that we have not yet seen the full extent of in terms of its benefits for online business owners. Content marketing is important and has been around for hundreds of years. In the late 1800s, John Deer, for example, created documents and resources for farmers who wanted to be more successful farmers. At that time, blogs did not exist, so they created magazines as an educational resource. The idea is that companies began creating or "curating" valuable, compelling and relevant content on a consistent basis 'to do something'. To maintain or change a behavior such as attract or retain a customer was the goal. Today, all businesses are media companies and publishers. Because there are no technology barriers, every smart company today is blogging and posting content online.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO WITH YOUR CONTENT?

Create content in order to create revenue. Traditional media companies create content to get revenue by getting sponsors or selling their content, such as charging for a report. Small and medium sized business owners, on the other hand, create content because they ultimately want to sell something. Business owners do not get revenue directly from the content, but rather they use content to attract potential customers to their website or blog. They are not making money directly from the content, but through that content the sales are coming at a later day and growing relationships.

THE MEDIUM IS CHEAP AND FREE WITH WEB HOSTING.

You can setup a blog in seconds using WordPress. The barriers to entry are nonexistent. Many web hosting accounts include WordPress, which is the easiest to use blogging software available. Consumers are more accepting of content in different forms, more now than ever before. Customers will look at your company and, if your business consistently delivers value, that customer will come back to your company's website or blog and become a long-time customer. Using YouTube and your iPhone, for example, business owners can create their own radio show or virtual TV show. This is what is so exciting about content marketing.

With web hosting and blogging, there are no barriers to entry for these reasons:

Technology is so easily accessible and because
consumers are more accepting of different types of content.

For these two reasons, content marketing is more valuable to business owners now more than ever before.

BLOGGING AND CONTENT MARKETING

A blog is a tool and a very important one to business owners. A blog can help companies tell better stories. Blogging continues to be the future of business online and has been for many years. Companies get attention with stories and diverse content. It is harder and harder to advertise on television, and this is one reason that content marketing has taken off. The barriers are so little in terms of expense and time; business owners have taken content and used it to promote their products and services on the Internet.

ATTRACT CUSTOMERS WITH CONTENT.

Blogging by posting content that solves a problem for your customers is crucial to the success of an online business. It attracts attention to a company's website. When a company starts blogging, the first six months, it is very possible that nothing will happen. During the first six months, your only follower could be your own mother. After about six months, however, company owners start to really see things change. People will use social media to "share" your content and visitors to your website or blog will grow. With that, you are able to encourage visitors to opt-in to your email list. This way, those followers will automatically receive your articles in their in-box (after you setup your email marketing campaign or newsletter).

WHAT TYPES OF BUSINESSES SHOULD BE BLOGGING?

The easy answer is that every type of business can be suited for blogging. It is just a tool but if you are trying to communicate your expertise in terms of getting your information out and have it found in search engines such as Google, plus allow people the opportunity to share your content on social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, your information will build momentum for your company's bottom line. There is no better way to network than by blogging with amazing information on a consistent basis.

With a blog you can embed videos, link to podcasts, and link your blog to social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest and grow your following. By being active on social media, you benefit your company because your content is shared more often. Any business can be well suited for blogging. Commit to your blog and post on a consistent basis, then watch your business grow.

COMPLEX SALES OR THE LONG SALE CYCLE

This is an area where a blog comes in really handy because with a blog you are able to educate your potential clients about your products and services. Use a blog post to answer customer questions. Use it as a customer service tool. If you are consulting practice, for example, you can give away secrets so you can expand your reach and gain a competitive advantage. People that need your expertise will appreciate your blog and become more loyal and be more attentive to your company.

If you do not have a lot of time to write, you can take your content, re-package it, re-imagine it and use it over and over again on your blog (as long as it is original). If you are in a crowded industry and you do not have the money to advertise, by creating a story or by sharing your knowledge, you are able to differentiate yourself from your competitors in a very cost-effective way.

In a tough economy, consumers are not buying more, so the only way to stay in business is to take customers from your competitors. After reading your articles online, customers are 'sales-ready' when they come to you. In the past, customers would have to spend hours speaking to sales representatives, but with a blog you can answer customers' questions and differentiate your company as an expert in your industry. Customers can make the decision to buy without even speaking to a sales representative just by reading your compelling content on your blog. Blogs are critical to building an organization and growing a business.

IS BLOGGING RIGHT FOR YOU?

Advertising can be costly. In a competitive world and a tough economy, business owners need to become crafty and share compelling content. Answer customers' questions in every way, shape and form through your company blog. The big issue is consistency. Blogging is not expensive, but it does take time—a valuable resource.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BLOGGING AND SALES?

The value of subscriptions is infinite. Blog content that is so compelling and interesting that it encourages people to subscribe to your free, email opt-in list. By getting customers to sign up for your email list, that person is more likely to come to your events and more likely to buy things from your company online. Everything starts with a subscription. How do you get people to sign up for your email list? They come from blog content that is so compelling that people want more of it. As soon as a person subscribes to your email list, it starts the sales cycle in motion. Create the best content on the Internet and deliver it through your blog. Ninety-five percent of sales can be tracked from initial contact through a blog post.

WRITING YOUR OWN ARTICLES

Content creation takes time. Be consistent. Focus on strategy and sales. Get contributors from the outside to go ahead and give their insight on your blog. Tap into new networks that you never have before. You can organically grow your network. Take that content and put it on steroids by getting influential and smart people to write for your blog. This can mean the difference between good growth and amazing growth. When you create a movement, people gather around it. People are attracted to blogs that are inspiring and provide power to the reader.

HOW DO YOU RECRUIT WRITERS FOR YOUR BLOG?

Give content gifts. Identify the people that are influential in your industry. Get their attention by sharing their content and tag them on Facebook and Twitter. Make them look really smart. If you do this intelligently, you can attract that person's consideration, then eventually approach that person and ask him/her to write for you. Eventually you will have people come to you to ask how they can contribute to your blog.

WEBSITE HOSTING AND BLOGS

Some website hosts offer WordPress as part of their web hosting packages. WordPress has many plug-ins and themes, which can make a blog look professional and search engine friendly. By using WordPress, your posts will be indexed by Google, which in time will become the building blocks for your organic online growth.

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INDIA incredible INDIA

2013-02-27T22:49:00.002-08:00

The issue that we have to take care..........

Before i started this blog, i planned to create a blog mainly discuses with the topics like technology,gadgets, automobiles and something which seeks attention only from the younger generations. But now i felt disappointed by myself that so many issues are happening in our day to life. and i didn't even bothered about that and i think i lost my mind to raise against those issues. and now i would like to share some words with you about our nation.

How hard to believe ?

Country like India with a wide variety of cultures and lifestyle and associated rituals and customs. truly it's incredible. but the harsh reality goes beyond those incredibility. people in India facing so many issues today from the basic needs to an esteemed needs. when it comes to political scenario each and everyone is polluted with corruption. they are not actually serving people they serve for themselves. in order to inculcate the people in our country they play politrics. that we can see over a long period of time.

One of the basic and foremost issue that we are facing is the poverty. And it still persist without any decrease of intensity in some countries in Africa. the extreme level of poverty is the hunger and the people over there faces over various generations. while we come to our country this case is not far from other poor nations. India is estimated to have a third of the world's poor. In 2010, World Bank stated, 32.7% of the total Indian people fall below the international poverty line of US$ 1.25 per day (PPP) while 68.7% live on less than US$ 2 per day.

According to 2010 data from the United Nations Development Program, an estimated 37.2% of Indians live below the country's national poverty line. A 2010 report by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) states that 8 Indian states have more poor people than 26 poorest African nations combined which totals to more than 410 million poor in the poorest African countries.According to a new poverty Development Goals Report, as many as 320 million people in India and China are expected to come out of extreme poverty in the next four years, while India's poverty rate is projected to drop to 22% in 2015. The report also indicates that in Southern Asia, however, only India, where the poverty rate is projected to fall from 51% in 1990 to about 22% in 2015, is on track to cut poverty in half by the 2015 target date.

These are all statistical data. But the reality is worst than this. there are lot's and lot's of N.G.O 's are organised in worldwide and nationwide and they are working efficiently. but in order to taking care of this large number of poor people in our country that wouldn't be enough to sustain.

You just imagine a world were people without hunger, and all the children is going to school. my wish is that everyone should be able to get at least their basic needs.

Save India !

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Audi R8 facelifted version complete review

2013-02-25T21:13:00.001-08:00

The changes in the updated Audi R8 is more than skin-deep.

Audi R8 facelift review, test drive

It’s been five long years since Audi bowled everyone over with its mid-engined R8 supercar. This means it’s time for a facelift..

This Audi supercar seems to take pride in its efficient and no-nonsense garb. In fact, it even feels the same as it did five years ago, except now it looks even more technical. For instance, there are new full-LED headlights that are now standard fitment. There’s the new chamfered, hexagonal Audi grille and the air intakes also match it. However, the most distinctive visual change is at the rear. The new all-LED tail-lights are really striking, and have turn indicators that ‘swipe’ outwards when activated. As for the rest of the R8, it’s still very much the same. So the hockey puck looks sharper now, but does it drive any sharper?

The powerhouses remain unchanged – there’s a 4.2-litre V8, and the engine in the car I was driving, the 5.2-litre V10. This Lamborghini-sourced motor develops 518bhp of power and 54kgm of torque. And the V10 in Spyder form weighs in at 1745kg; once again, pretty much identical to the previous car. All of these figures are the same as the outgoing R8, but when you look at the acceleration figures, the new car is faster. So what exactly is different?

The single biggest change to the R8 is the gearbox; the single-clutch robotised manual of old has been replaced by a dual-clutch unit. Developed specifically for the R8, the wet twin-clutch unit helps cut the 0-100kph time down by almost half a second, the ton now coming up in a claimed 3.8 seconds. And the top speed is 311kph.

it’s easy to forget that this is a supercar, because it feels so civilised and the gearbox shifts smoothly and quickly. The suspension feels nice and reasonably pliant too.

So the facelifted R8 is pretty much the same as the old car. It continues to be perfectly civil, extremely precise, even more efficient and just a little bit more exciting.

But that wasn’t the end of the story. There was more excitement . With the facelift, Audi has launched a new ‘Plus’ version of the R8 V10 coupé. It uses ultra-light forged wheels and carbon-ceramic brakes, which alone save 2kg. The front splitter is made of light carbon fibre, as are the rear diffuser and the R8’s trademark side blades. It all adds up to shave 50kg off the kerb weight of the standard R8 V10. The engine bay is lined with carbon fibre too, and that jewel of a motor now develops 542bhp. That means it’s finally on par with Lamborghini’s entry-level Gallardo LP550-2. And that is very good news.

Yes, you can bet it was exciting, and with the loads of four-wheel-drive traction, all that power was put down with ease. The Misano race circuit is quite narrow, and if it wasn’t for the 4WD system, I probably would not have enjoyed myself even half as much. Push hard into a corner and the R8 V10 Plus will slide, but the Quattro system just sorts things out and keeps you going. With the ESP on, it induces understeer even though it can only send a maximum of 30 percent of the torque to the front wheels. The new carbon-ceramic brakes delivered astounding stopping power, so you can brake really late.

The Plus also comes with non-adjustable dampers that are set to a sportier setup, which felt just right for the race track. And as I got more and more used to the car, I was able to push it harder, revel in the superb grip from the Quattro system and the massive 19-inch rubber, and the sheer balance of this mid-engined supercar. I could really push it through the long, fast bends and nail the accelerator coming out of the corners. And the Plus proved that it is every bit an R8, only faster and more exciting. But, somehow, it still won’t give you goosebumps.

If what you want is simply the best-handling sports car you can buy for half the price of a Ferrari 458, then don’t think any further. The chassis is so well sorted and the R8 feels so civilised that you can easily use it as an everyday car too. The neutral and fabulous handling makes you feel like a hero at the wheel, but it also leaves you a little cold at the end of the day. The R8 has all ingredients of a full-blooded exotic, but it still lacks some of the mystique of its rivals of Latin origin.

Fact File

Price Range (in lakhs)*
Ex-showroom price Rs 1.6-1.9 crore (est. ex-showroom)

Engine
Fuel              Petrol
Installation   Mid, longitudinal, all-wheel drive
Type            V10, 5204cc, petrol
Power         518bhp at 8000rpm / 542bhp at 8000 rpm (Plus)
Torque        54kgm at 6500rpm / 55kgm at 6500rpm

TransmissionType all-wheel drive
Gearbox 7-speed dual-clutch auto

Dimensions
Length          4440mm
Width           1904mm / 1929mm (Plus)
Height           1244mm / 1252mm
Wheel base 2650mm
Boot volume 100 litres

Chassis & Body
Weight 1745kg / 1595kg (plus)
Wheels 19-inch alloy
Tyres 235/35ZR19-295/30ZR19

Performance
0-100 3.8 sec / 3.5 sec (plus)

Economy
Tank size 80 litres / 75 litres (plus) (90 optional)

These colors are available with all variants of Audi R8

Brilliant Red
Estoril Blue Crysta
Daytona Grey, pearl effect
Teak Brown Metallic
Samoa Orange
Panther Black
Phantom Black, Pearl Effect

Overall

When we consider the finest sports cars in terms of their technologies, Audi R8 is the best option. Precision and performance are put beyond the limits in Audi R8. Engineers of Audi had developed the car which is embodied with best technology thereby fulfilling the requirement of perfection for the car. The four rings being the firm fixture in the motorsport and the new introduced quattro permanent all wheel drive engine had made the Audi R8 the topper in various racing events throughout the world.

Audi R8 has V8 mid-mounted engine and with quattro permanent wheel drive which adds to the performance, control and stability of the car. The newly introduced FSI technology in 2001 is such that the fuel is injected directly into the combustion chamber, all which helps in increasing the engine efficiency and the engine performance. It is to be considered that Audi is the first car to use Aluminium in building the body of the vehicle. And the latest upcoming in this technology is high-strength AudiSpace Frame (ASF) , which provide more strenght to the3 vehicle with maximum possible light weight. Audi magnetic ride adaptive damper system is a new inovation by Audi having special damper oil, the shocks are so developed that the viscocity of the fluid filled in them can be changed with the applied magnetic field. There by making the car to adjust in different conditionns with appropriate damping force.

The mid-mounted V8 engine of Audi R8 with 4.2 litre displacement and four valve FSI technology is highly capacitive to produce 309kw of power and is capable to accelerate the new Audi R8 from 0 to 100 km/hr in just 4.6 seconds. The maximum torque delivering capacity of Audi R8 is 430 Nm with the amazing thrust it providing. With a top speed of 301 Km/hr the Audi offers a maximum comfort of power and thrill as possible, all there by providing excellent driving enjoyment. Besides generating power of the vehicle from displacement, the mid engine present in Audi R8 utilises high-revolution technology. This technology is highly capacitive to provide a top broad speed band of 8250 rpm. With this high-revolution concept Audi R8 provides high torque, spontaneous movement response even at very low speeds of the car. The excellent thrust provided by Audi R8 is because of the its suspensions all ultimately increasing the transverse acceleration. The six speed manual gearbox is such developed that it fulfills the requirments of a racing car. This manual gearbox has been much more advanced to a R tronic transmission in order to increase the performance of the car. Automatic mode with wire shift technology allows even very short shift times.

Audi R8 V10

Audi R8 Gallery

R8's Front

R8's rear

The V10 engine of R8

Gearbox 7-speed dual-clutch auto

R8's luxurious interior

R8's in blue

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The New Generation

2013-02-19T00:15:00.002-08:00

This is not just a term which we heard in the entertainment world, this is where we are living !

Life is always crazy when we looking back. but now we all know what we are doing is crazy and dumb thing but still we are following others in order to survive in this hectic life. that's what i felt in this young/new/fresh/funny/crazy generation. living without any commitments and promises just understanding the wave and going with the wind.......fortunately or unfortunately i am one among this generation :) :)

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Google glass

2013-02-12T23:32:00.002-08:00

A new perspective to the future.

Google picking up the future steps with the help of augmented reality. and named as "PROJECT GLASS".

Google Glass
A photo of a Google Glass prototype seen atGoogle I/O in June of 2012
Developer	Google
Type	Augmented reality, head-mounted display
Release date	Developers (US): early 2013 Consumers: late 2013-early 2014^[1]
Introductory price	Developer version: $1,500 USD^[1]

Project Glass is a research and development program by Google to develop anaugmented reality head-mounted display (HMD). Project Glass products would display information in smartphone-like format hands-free and could interact with the Internet vianatural language voice commands. The prototype's functionality and minimalist appearance (aluminium strip with 2 nose pads) has been compared to Steve Mann's EyeTap.

The operating system software used in the glasses will be Google's Android.

Project Glass is being developed by Google X Lab,which has worked on other futuristic technologies such as self-driving cars. The project was announced on Google+ by Babak Parviz, an electrical engineer who has also worked on putting displays into contact lenses; Steve Lee, a project manager and "geolocation specialist"; and Sebastian Thrun, who developed Udacity as well as worked on the self-driving car project.^[8] Google has patented the design of Project Glass.^[9]

Images for Google glass

video showing "ONE DAY with Google glass"

What is Augmented reality (AR) ?

It is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data. It is related to a more general concept called mediated reality, in which a view of reality is modified (possibly even diminished rather than augmented) by a computer. As a result, the technology functions by enhancing one’s current perception of reality. By contrast, virtual reality replaces the real world with a simulated one. Augmentation is conventionally in real-time and in semantic context with environmental elements, such as sports scores on TV during a match. With the help of advanced AR technology (e.g. adding computer vision and object recognition) the information about the surrounding real world of the user becomes interactive and digitally manipulable. Artificial information about the environment and its objects can be overlaid on the real world.

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Vertu + ANDROID HOW it would be ?

2013-02-12T23:03:00.003-08:00

Vertu new android phone Ti leaked

The source of the rumor was Russian blogger Eldar Murtazin who claims to possess knowledge of Vertu’s jump to the Android train. But new reports today could prove Murtazin’s claim to be true. Blog of Mobile posted an image of what it claims to be an Android-powered Vertu phone called “Ti.” Having a “RM-828V” model number, the purported Vertu Ti will reportedly run Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich, will be powered by a 1.5GHz processor, and will support Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC.

It’s also worth noting that the phone was also spotted across sites like GLBenchmark, Bluetooth.org, and as well as telecom regulator databases in Singapore and Macau. Interestingly, Russian retailer SPBLUX has recently posted four models of a Vertu-branded phone called Constellation Ti. There’s a Red Gold Mixed Metal, Titanium Black Alligator, Titanium Black Leather, and a Titanium Black PVD black leather. What is your take on this?

Updated: A Vertu spokesperson has reached out to us saying that the company is unable to confirm any new product details at this time. Interestingly, the spokesperson said that Vertu will be making an official announcement to the global media on the 12th February. It looks like something is coming.

Details of first Android-powered Vertu phone leak

The first pictures and specification details have emerged of the Ti, the first handset built by luxury smartphone maker Vertu, since Nokia sold the company in October as part of its far-reaching cost exercise.

According to Blog of Mobile, the Vertu Ti runs Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich, and features a WVGA display, dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm MSM8260 Snapdragon processor, is NFC compatible and supports Bluetooth 4.0. What's more, it is expected to retail for a ‘mere' €3000 -- making it one of the most expensive Android handsets on the market but by no means the most expensive Vertu handset ever dreamed up.

The company became famous for its exclusive handsets that incorporated expensive materials including carbon fibre, titanium, leather and even gold, and with its always-on concierge service, Vertu established the market for luxury smartphones. However, since the brand's heyday, other companies, most notably Ulysse Nardin Chairman, whose handsets combine the best elements of a smartphone with the best of a handcrafted Swiss chronograph, have pushed Vertu off its perch.

Although the company is no longer part of Nokia, the innards of the smartphone have been provided by the Finnish company, so technically speaking, the Vertu Ti is Nokia's first Android phone.

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Stay tuned for more updates. !!!

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Free video ad serving in DFP Small Business, available to all publishers - Inside AdSense

2013-02-07T03:07:00.001-08:00

Free video ad serving in DFP Small Business, available to all publishers - Inside AdSense

this video will help you to know more and advanced about the adsense associations and related topics

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Samsung GALAXY CAMERA Review

2013-02-06T23:05:00.003-08:00

Samsung Galaxy Camera review

Part smartphone, part camera – could this have the best of both?

By kiran lal
Review

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Cameras
07/02/2013

The 4.8in screen has more than twice the surface area of many compact cameras

Today's smartphones take photos that are good enough for casual snaps and it is great being able to share photos to Facebook and elsewhere within seconds of taking them. However, one feature they lack is an optical zoom.

Cue the Samsung Galaxy Camera. You can think of it as a smartphone with a 21x zoom lens, or as a camera that happens to run the Android operating system. The latter is more accurate, because one thing this device can't do is make calls. It can access the internet, though, either via Wi-Fi or 3G. Bear in mind that you will need to pay for 3G internet, though – data tariffs start at around £7 per month.

There are some big advantages to the hybrid design compared to conventional compact cameras. The 4.8in screen has more than twice the surface area of other cameras' 3in screens. Its sharp 1280x720 pixel resolution is great for viewing and editing photos and videos. Basic editing apps are included, but there are a number of other editing apps available for download from the Google Play Store.

Because this camera connects directly to the internet, it's easy to share photos via email, Facebook, Picasa, Instagram or virtually any other online service. It's also possible to back photos up to Dropbox as soon as you have taken them. The built-in Gallery app not only shows all the photos stored in the camera, but it also shows photo albums from Facebook and Picasa accounts.

There are downsides to the hybrid concept too. The power button merely puts it to sleep, but after 24 hours it switches itself off completely, whereupon powering up takes almost 30 seconds. Even with this and various other battery-saving tricks, battery life is shorter than with a conventional camera because of the big screen and wireless functions.

Then there's the price of £379. Compared to more conventional but similarly priced cameras, image quality isn't good enough. It's roughly in line with what we would expect from a camera costing half as much. The lens delivered reasonably sharp focus throughout its generous 21x zoom range, but subtle details such as skin texture and foliage were lost. Low-light shots tended to be blurry because the camera chose slow shutter speeds. It is possible to adjust the shutter speed manually, but these controls are cumbersome.

Even with manual intervention, this is not the best camera for low-light photography. The autofocus was also very slow, taking noticeably longer than other similarly priced cameras to focus on objects and people.

There's a lot to like here and combining phone and camera technology is much more than just a gimmick. However, people who already own a premium smartphone will find many features duplicated. They might be better off with a cheaper or higher-quality camera that includes Wi-Fi to transfer photos to their phone.

Our verdict

Boldly innovative but not the perfect union of phone and camera technology.

Good points

Runs Android apps; Internet access via Wifi and 3G; 21x zoom lens; Huge, detailed screen

Bad points

Disappointing image quality for the price; Slow autofocus

Best price on the web

Best price:£ 384.98

From:Amazon.co.uk

Manufacturer

Samsung

Suggested retail price

£379

Galaxy camera

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Fiat Punto EVO 2013

2013-02-03T21:44:00.001-08:00

Fiat Punto Evo slated for 2013 India launch

by Kiran lal Posted on 04 Feb 2013

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A raft of interior and exterior styling changes and more equipment will define the Punto Evo when it comes to India in this year

Expected: Mid 2013, Price: Rs. 4.5 - 7.5 lakh

After taking back the reins from Tata for its sales and distribution network in India, Fiat clearly has its task cut out. However, it is also refreshing it model line-up to boost in India.

Its most affordable car, the Grande Punto has been around for a while now and Fiat plans to give it a mid-life face-lift. In all probability, sold abroad as the Punto Evo, is what will be launched here.

The Punto Evo features distinctive interior and exterior styling changes and should pack in more equipment as well. It will have a new front bumper, grille, refreshed styling, new wheels, tail lights and interiors and is likely to be lighter and more fuel efficient.

The 1.2-litre and 1.4 FIRE petrol engine as well as the 1.3-litre MultiJet will continue to do duty but we would have loved to see the 1.4-litre MultiAir petrol engine under its hood. Along with a refreshed Punto Evo and an updated Linea, Fiat needs to ensure effective after sales service before the cars are launched to exploit their full market potential.

Punto evo 2013 video

Punto EVO Gallery

Punto EVO front

Punto EVO Rear

Punto evo BLACK

Punto evo RED


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Renault duster Review

2013-02-02T02:17:00.002-08:00

REVIEW

Renault Duster review, test drive

Does Renault's small SUV hit the sweet spot? Read our comprehensive and instrumented review.

feb 2, 2013

RATING

DETAILS

Make Renault
Model Duster
Edition 1.5 dCi 2012

14
photos

Showrooms flooded with potential buyers and, on the last count, 10,000 customers who have put their money down for the Duster is testament to the fact that Renault seems to have gotten it just right with its small SUV. The French carmaker has played its cards right with the Duster’s prices, which range from Rs 7.19 lakh to Rs 11.29 lakh. At this price, it appeals not only to large SUV buyers, but also to C-segment saloon buyers. And with three engine options – a 102.5bhp petrol, an 84bhp diesel and a 108.5bhp diesel, there’s a Duster for everyone. Clearly the potential for success is tremendous.

But for the Duster to really live up to buyers’ expectations, it has to deliver on the counts that made SUVs popular in India in the first place. It has to have the right image, be spacious enough to transport a family in comfort and, of course, be capable to take on the worst of Indian roads. We test the more powerful diesel to see if the Duster is all the SUV you’ll need.

Design and Engineering

A key question is whether or not the Duster matches the Indian car buyer’s image of what an SUV should look like. Simply put, yes it does. It stays true to the SUV template with its flared wheel arches, short front and rear overhangs and impressive 205mm ground clearance. All these ingredients add up to give the Duster a very confident stance and make it look larger than it is.

The lack of excessive detailing gives it a robust and no-nonsense look. Its squarish double-barrel headlights and chrome-rich grille gel well, while the scuff plate and plastic cladding on the lower portion of the bumpers hint at the Duster’s off-road ability. There are more interesting touches in the smart running boards, roof rails and the kink in the rear quarter glass, though some bits like the flimsy lift-type door handles point to the strict costs the Duster is built to.

Like many SUVs today, the Duster positions its full-size spare tyre under the body rather than on the hatch. The rounded tail does make the Duster look a bit hunchbacked, but the blister effect beside the small tail-lamps is unique.

Underpinning the Duster is Renault’s hardy B platform that also forms the basis for the Renault Logan (now Mahindra Verito), though the Duster’s wheelbase is marginally longer. Its monocoque construction also allows it to sit lower than conventional body-on-ladder SUVs. For now, India only gets the front-wheel-drive Duster, which employs MacPherson struts in the front and a programme-deflection torsion beam axle at the rear. The four-wheel-drive version, which is unlikely to be available before late 2013, uses a slightly different rear suspension (independent MacPherson struts) to accommodate the 4WD hardware. All 108.5bhp diesel Duster variants get ABS, EBD and brake assist and ventilated front discs and rear drums as standard.

Interior

While the Duster is spacious enough in its own right, it doesn’t feel as roomy as other SUVs in its segment, like the Tata Safari, for instance. However, ingress and egress is a breeze, there’s head- and legroom aplenty for all passengers, and the cabin is wide enough to seat three average-sized adults in comfort on the rear seat. Also, the flat rear seat may not look it, it is really comfortable, with great back and thigh support. Likewise, the front seats, which get lumbar-support adjustment, are also comfy enough for long distances, though we found the driver’s seat height adjuster cumbersome to use while seated.

But more than anything else, it is the quality of plastics throughout the cabin that disappoint. Some bits, like the well-finished door handles and curvy instrument binnacle, do look nice, but elsewhere the hard plastics seem straight out of a budget hatchback. The pillar-like rear AC vent (engineered especially for India) stands out like a sore thumb, looks cheap, and also eats into middle-passenger legroom. Everything does feel solidly put together though and the fit between panels on the dashboard is decent. The dashboard itself is quite functional, but places the air-con controls a bit low for comfortable access; the mechanically operated air-con switches, both front and rear, also feel quite rudimentary. Then there’s the unusual positioning of the electric mirror adjuster under the handbrake lever, and audio controls on the steering column (and hence out of sight) that take time getting used to. Thankfully, Renault has repositioned the power window switches from the dashboard to dedicated pods on the doors before launching the Duster here, but it’s still not perfect.

With no third row of seats to eat into boot space as with seven-seat SUVs, the Duster has plenty of space for cargo. The boot is cleverly shaped and can gobble up a lot more luggage than its 475-litre capacity suggests. Folding down the single-piece rear bench further increases the carrying capacity to 1,064 litres.

Performance

In keeping with its small SUV tag, the Duster also uses relatively small engines. Apart from a 1.6-litre petrol motor, the Duster comes with Renault’s popular 1.5-litre K9K diesel engine. With an SOHC for its eight valves, this four-cylinder motor may not be cutting-edge in terms of technology, but it is a very flexible unit. On the Duster it is available in two states of tune – 84bhp and 108.5bhp – with different injection systems and turbochargers responsible for the varied power output. The more powerful version tested here, THP in Renault-speak, features seven-hole Piezo injectors, a variable-geometry turbocharger (as opposed to the fixed-geometry turbo on the 84bhp version) and also comes with an intercooler. Prior to the Duster’s launch in India, the THP engine received updates to improve driveability in the form of a simplified air-intake path and new low-inertia turbo.

This Duster felt far more responsive than the one we drove last month and we put this down to its engine being run-in. Power builds smoothly from as low as 1500rpm with a stronger shove around the 2000rpm mark. That’s not to say the engine is free from turbo lag. Driving up the twisty hill roads near Munnar, we had to keep shifting down from third gear to second to maintain momentum. For the record, this motor churns out its 25.3kgm of peak torque at 2250rpm. Thanks to the engine’s broad spread of power, even part-throttle responses are good and you can actually pull cleanly from 30kph in fifth gear. But to get the most out of this engine, you need to stay within the 2000-4000rpm band. Hold gear and the engine will crawl further to its 5000rpm redline, at which point it does sound quite thrashy. In fact, in terms of overall refinement, the engine is just about average.

This engine is mated to Renault’s six-speed TL4 manual gearbox, and while it doesn’t require much effort to change gears, the gearshifts are not very precise. A bigger bother is the slightly heavy clutch that gets tiring to operate in stop-go traffic. What does help driveability is the short gearing for first, second and third, which allows you to keep the engine on the boil in typical city driving scenarios. In contrast, fifth and sixth gears are tall, to aid relaxed highway cruising; 80kph in sixth gear has the engine spinning at a lazy 1800rpm.

Ride & handling

The manner in which the Duster casually dismisses the worst patches of road makes it a more comfortable drive than all comparably priced saloons too. The suspension always goes about its business in a quiet manner, sharp bumps like expansion joints are easily filtered out and your passengers won’t be able to tell the size of the crater you just drove over.

Even at highway speeds, the Duster remains very composed and free from any undue up-and-down movement. Its wide footprint and relatively low centre of gravity also come together to give it good stability at all speeds and also under braking. Body control is also good and roll is fairly well contained. But, driving up a twisty section, we found the Duster lacked the agility you’d expect from a monocoque SUV. While it is not ponderous around bends, it is not as engaging as a Honda CR-V either. The electro-hydraulic steering doesn’t serve up much feedback either, with some slack at the straight-ahead position. However, it is light enough at low speeds, which is a boon in city confines. A tight turning circle further aids the Duster’s ease of use.

And while it may lack four-wheel-drive hardware, even this front-wheel-drive Duster is quite adept off-road, so long as you are realistic about its abilities. The short gearing and the 30-degree approach and 35-degree departure angles allow the small SUV to clamber up hillocks, and it can also wade through knee-deep water if the need arises.

Efficiency

At 1308kg, the Duster is light by SUV standards, and this more than anything else was bound to reflect in its fuel consumption. Driving in congested city streets, the Duster delivered a fuel economy figure of 11.8kpl. Out on the highway, the tall sixth gear makes the Duster a relaxed cruiser and allows it to stretch each litre of diesel for a remarkable 17 kilometres.

Verdict

The Renault Duster certainly lives up to all the hype surrounding it, even though it can't seat seven people like the larger SUVs in the market and the fact that the interiors aren't too special. Also, at Rs 11.29 lakh for the top-end diesel, it is on the pricier side and not as affordable as people expected. But viewed in totality, the Duster has a lot going for it. It looks smart, comes with a comfortable and spacious-enough cabin and is well-built too. The 108.5bhp diesel engine has ample pep for most occasions and also scores on fuel economy. The handling is predictable, but what most buyers will be interested in is the fantastic ride quality that is good enough to humble some more expensive saloons. All Renault needs now is to enhance its sales and service setup because, in the Duster, they have the ideal urban SUV for India

Renault duster review

Technical specs

Fact File

What it costs

Ex-showroom (Delhi)	Rs 10.99 lakh
Warranty	4 years/80,000km

Engine

Fuel	Diesel
Installation	Front, transverse
Type	4 cyls, 1461cc, turbo-diesel
Bore/stroke	76.0/80.5mm
Compression ratio	15.3:1
Valve gear	2 valves per cyl, SOHC
Power	108.5bhp at 3900rpm
Torque	25.3kgm at 2250rpm
Power to weight	82.96bhp per tonne
Torque to weight	19.34kgm per tonne

Transmission

Type	Front-wheel drive
Gearbox	Six-speed manual

Dimensions

Length	4315mm
Width	1822mm
Height	1695mm
Wheel base	2673mm
Boot volume	475-litres
Ground clearance	205mm

Chassis & Body

Construction	Five-door, monocoque
Weight	1308kg
Tyres	215/65 R16
Spare	Full size

Suspension

Front	Independent, MacPherson struts, anti-roll bar
Rear	Non-independent, torsion beam axle, anti-roll bar

Steering

Type	Rack and pinion
Type of power assist	Electro-hydraulic
Turning circle	10.4m

Brakes

Front	Ventilated discs
Rear	Drums
Anti-lock	Yes

Performance

0-20	1.23
0-40	2.64
0-60	4.72
0-80	7.81
0-100	11.88
0-120	17.65
0-140	27.74

Economy

City	11.8kpl
Highway	17kpl
Tank size	50-litres

Range at a glance - Engines

Petrol	1.6 petrol 102.5bhp Rs 7.19-8.19 lakh
Diesel	1.5 diesel 84bhp Rs 7.99-9.99 lakh and 1.5 diesel 108.5bhp Rs 9.99-11.29 lakh

Renault Duster gallery

Duster's Interior

Duster Elia

For more pictures Click HERE !!

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Vespa LX 125 Complete Review

2013-02-01T03:07:00.003-08:00

Vespa LX 125 comprehensive review

Born in Italy, bred in India, the LX125 is priced a hefty chunk more than its rivals. Does it deliver that much more value?

feb 01, 2013

RATING

DETAILS

Make Vespa
Model LX125
Edition 2012

Vespa’s return to India comes in good time, when the scooter market here is showing healthy growth and ample promise. The LX125 is well suited to India.

Everything was beginning to seem picture perfect, till Vespa announced the LX125’s unusually high price. Let’s find out whether the Indo-Italian newcomer has what it takes to justify asking a premium over its rivals.

Design

Arguably the best looking Indian scooter, the Vespa LX125 is perfectly proportioned, its smoothened, timeless lines having been well received ever since first seen back in the 1940’s.

It’s rounded front apron runs a smart border, above which sits a rounded clear lens, halogen headlight that brightens up inky nights. The new Vespa has top-quality, elegantly formed switches that incorporate push-to-cancel indicators, comfortable palm grips and machined alloy brake levers that rank among the best on any Indian scooter.

A let down is Vespa having omitted a rear brake lock clamp on the LX125. We however like how the voluminous front storage bin sits flush in the panel beneath the steering, opening with a light push of the ignition key into its slot. Detailed engineering has gone into both stands for this scooter, the LX being easily propped onto its main stand, and the side-stand deploying an auto return feature.

The LX enjoys many perfectly evolved design touches, with even little details being properly addressed.

Sold in several options of trendy bright paint jobs, the Baramati built Vespa comes with good overall quality and smart fit-finish.

Performance

The button started LX125 is powered by a four-stroke, single-cylinder engine that displaces 125cc. The Vespa is the only Indian scooter to breathe through 3-valves.

This air-cooled powerplant is carburetted unlike several fuel-injected Vespa’s available worldwide. Maximum power is 10.06bhp made at 7500rpm, and peak torque, 1.08kgm delivered at 6000rpm.

The LX’s CVT transmission works seamlessly, saving riders the added chore of working a clutch and gearshift. The new engine emits a creamy smooth power delivery, with a refined, buzz free feel. Performance is adequate, the 0-60kph dash completed in 10.07 seconds. In the city, the LX125 is peppy enough for zippy traffic signal getaways.

Ride and handling

Vespa scooters have often used a monocoque chassis, the LX125 showing off a rigid, steel structure on these lines. The scooter’s seat is plush and roomy, with the riding position feeling just right, comfy, upright and with the handlebar set at the correct height.

Ride quality is good, even when riding with an adult pillion or negotiating poor roads and the LX is light and stable to ride.

The Vespa corners just as well as any scooter on 10 inch rims. A weak front brake proves the single biggest letdown on the Indian LX125 and is a safety hazard that needs urgent addressing, for it provides inadequate bite, as well as stopping power. Given the scooter’s high price, Vespa would do well to offer the LX125 with a front disc brake.

The LX125 comes shod with grippy MRF rubber front and rear.

Fuel economy

The LX125 proves frugal for an automatic, 125cc scooter, returning 40.7kpl during our testing in real world, Indian city riding conditions, this improving a bit when testing on the highway, where it gave us 42.1kpl.

verdict

Vespa's new scooter is a well rounded package. The LX125 is just as stylish as it gets on a scooter. This is unquestionably going to be the scooter members of the fairer sex will aspire to reach college astride, having said which, affluent male businessmen could also want to be seen on one. Barring its ineffective front brake, the LX rides and handles fine too, which leaves just one hurdle it is sure to find hard to overcome, its Rs 70,000 on-road price, which makes this India's most heavily overpriced scooter, hands down.

Overall Rating

Test Drive Video

vespa 125 LX Gallery

Image 1

Technical specs

act File

What it costs

Ex-showroom (Delhi)

Rs 59,990 (ex-Delhi)

Engine

Fuel	Petrol
Installation	Inclined from vertical
Type	125cc Single-cylinder, 3-valve air-cooled, four-stroke
Compression ratio	10:1
Power	10.06bhp at 7500rpm
Torque	1.08kgm at 6000rpm
Power to weight	88.2bhp per tonne

Transmission

Type

CVT

Dimensions

Length	1770mm
Width	690mm
Height	1140mm
Wheel base	1290mm

Chassis & Body

Weight	114kg
Wheels	3-spoke alloy
Tyres	90x100x10 inches (Front and rear)

Suspension

Front	Single-side shock, trailing arm
Rear	Monoshock

Brakes

Front	150mm drum
Rear	140mm drum

Performance

0-20	1.57
0-40	4.38
0-60	10.07
0-80	19.00

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Nokia Lumia 920 " The FAT BOY"

2013-01-31T23:48:00.003-08:00

Nokia Lumia 920 review

kiran lal, February 1, 2013

Nokia unveiled the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 way back in September last year and it took quite a while for the phones to find their way on to Indian shores. Continuing the theme, here's my slightly belated review of the Nokia Lumia 920.

Hardware/ Design
The first thing you notice about the Nokia Lumia 920, no doubt, is the bulk. The device may not be as large as the Galaxy Note II, but somehow Nokia has managed to make it heavier than Samsung's phablet. Once you get past the weight, however, there's plenty to like.

The Nokia Lumia 920 is solidly built out of a polycarbonate unibody shell that goes all around the device and offers a welcome change if you've been living in the Samsung world of plastic for too long. The left side of the phone is completely bare, giving way to the Micro-SIM slot on the top left. The 3.5mm headphone/mic jack is at the centre of the top edge, adjacent to a noise-cancelling microphone. The right edge has the volume rocker, power-button and the camera button, in a typical Windows Phone button arrangement.

The bottom edge comes with the micro-USB port flanked on either side by a rather cute looking speaker grill. Nokia Lumia 920 is one of the few phones that manages to have two visible screws without flipping the ugly switch over. The back has Nokia/ Carl Zeiss branding alongside the dual-LED flash. The front has an earpiece grill and a front camera next to Nokia branding at the top, with three capacitive touch buttons rounding off a typical Windows Phone device look.

Display
Nokia has put in plenty of work on the display of the Lumia 920 and thrown in a helping of buzzwords for good measure - PureMotion HD+, ClearBlack and the likes. So does that translate into a great viewing experience? By and large, yes.

Nokia has ditched the AMOLED display found in the Lumia 900 and gone with a 4.5-inch IPS LCD with 768x1280 resolution in its latest flagship. We've always been fans of truer colours that the IPS LCD represent and while colours on AMOLED may look 'prettier', even its biggest proponents have started moving away from the technology, given the obvious inaccuracies in colour reproduction.

Overall, the Nokia Lumia 920 offers best in class viewing experience, indoors as well as outdoors. Yes, we did give the touchscreen a spin while wearing gloves and yes, it does work as advertised.

Camera
Much has been written about the camera in the Nokia Lumia 920. The camera carries the PureView moniker, made famous by the 41-megapixel Nokia 808. Unfortunately, the Nokia Lumia 920 does not have the 41-megapixel sensor or the oversampling technology found in the 808, so we're not sure what component of 'PureView' technology has been carried forward here. Nonetheless, the camera doesn't let us down.

There are two things that the Nokia Lumia 920 camera does better than any other camera-phone out there. The first is photography under low-light conditions, where the Lumia 920's imaging capabilities really come to light (excuse the bad pun). Images clicked in poor light conditions using the Lumia 920 are much better than those clicked with the iPhone 5, perhaps the Lumia 920's closest match in low-light photography. However, if you really cherish a shot, we would recommend clicking an extra snap or two, since the results can be a little bit unpredictable in terms of which object gains focus.

The other area where we can safely say the Lumia 920 is lightyears ahead of the competition if image stabilisation. We shot side-by-side videos taken with the Lumia 920 and competition, and the difference was like night and day. Nokia has suspended the entire Lumia 920 optical assembly using tiny springs that absorb shocks and the results are stunning. If you are fond of taking videos on the move, or just have the hands of a drunken sailor like us, you'll love the Nokia Lumia 920's cameras.

Windows Phone 8 introduced the concept of camera lenses, which let you see and click images in a "different light". Nokia Lumia 920 comes with Bing Vision, Panorama, Cinemagraph and Smart Shoot lenses to cater to various shooting moods and requirements.

Software/ UI
The Nokia Lumia 920 comes with Windows Phone 8, Microsoft's latest mobile-OS that ships with multiple improvements like enhanced performance, multi-core processor support, NFC and more. Lumia 920, of course, benefits from these and the focus in this review will be to highlight the non-core software components of the Lumia 920.

While Windows Phone 8 doesn't offer much flexibility to the manufacturer in terms of customising the OS, Nokia has managed to include a few apps that may well prove to be the differentiator compared to the competition. The Lumia 920 comes with popular apps like Nokia Drive, Nokia Maps and Nokia Music, as well as other Nokia apps like Nokia Care and Nokia City Lens. We're big fans of the Nokia Drive app - as documented in the Nokia 808 review and as far as we are concerned, Nokia continues to set the benchmark in navigation apps, even ahead of Google Maps.

Two other services we like are Nokia Maps, which is a huge improvement over the stock Bing Maps and Nokia Music, that offers unlimited music free for a year. We've had mixed results with the City Lens app, though your mileage may vary. All in all, thanks to a small but important lineup of exclusive apps, the Lumia 920 offers a compelling option once you've decided to go ahead with Windows Phone 8.

But is Windows Phone 8 itself worth your time? Sure, if you can look past a rather bare looking app store and other annoyances like the app-installation procedure that requires a few too-many clicks to get back to what we are doing. Windows Phone could surely do with an improved notification system as well. But if you're a first-time smartphone buyer, or looking for a change from the monotony of the Android/ iOS world, Windows Phone 8 offers a pretty solid alternative.

Performance/ Battery Life
Windows Phone 8 paved the way for multi-core processors to find their way to Microsoft's mobile world, with earlier versions limited to single-core processors. The current generation of flagships including the Lumia 920 promptly utilise the enhanced capabilities by shipping with dual-core chips, and the benefit, is there to be seen.

The Nokia Lumia 920 suffered from no noticeable delays during our time spent with the device and handled pretty much everything we threw at it without any problems. Battery life is unlikely to be a problem even for heavy users, and you can expect to go by an entire day on a single recharge.

Verdict
Nokia Lumia 920's release can perhaps be termed unfortunately timed. The current generation of flagship Android devices from the likes of Samsung and HTC have been around for a while and have benefited from one or more rounds of price-cuts, to the point that they are available at a considerable price advantage compared to the Lumia, even when their original prices weren't too dissimilar compared to the 920's. In this environment, it is understandable that customers would be tempted to pick up more impressively specced devices at lower prices.

Having said that, both the camera and the display are as good as money can buy at the moment and if you're willing to give Windows Phone a spin, we definitely recommend giving the Lumia 920 a second look. At Rs. 38,199, the Lumia 920 is slightly more expensive than HTC's flagship Windows Phone 8 device, the HTC 8X, which is priced at Rs. 35,023. However, given Lumia 920's superiority over the 8X in terms of the camera, display as well as bundled apps, we give Nokia's offering a slight edge.

Price:
Rs. 38,199

Pros

Display
Camera
Battery Life

Cons

Bulky
Ecosystem

Ratings (out of 5)

Design: 4
Display: 4.5
Camera: 4.5
Performance: 4
Software: 4
Battery Life: 4.5
Value for Money: 3.5
Overall: 4

In short this phone is fledged with fun and features simply "most innovative smart phone"

Nokia Lumia 920/820 Gallery

Lumia 820 n 920

complete color varient

for more images

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Esakthi clothes n accessories "free customization"

Canon EOS 7D

2013-01-30T21:57:00.000-08:00

One of my dream gadget, fledged with features, with this camera the traditional way of video recording in movies has been changed and hence shooting video become more handy than earlier."Chaapa kurisu" was the first Malayalam movie taken with this camera. and even the greatest Hollywood movie The Avengers also taken with this camera.

**Canon EOS 7D**

Type	Digital single-lens reflex camera
Sensor	22.3 × 14.9 mm CMOS
Maximumresolution	5,184 × 3,456 (17.9 recorded megapixels)
Lens	Interchangeable (EF, EF-S)
Shutter	Electronic focal-plane
Shutter speedrange	30 to 1/8000 s
Exposure metering	TTL, full aperture, 63 zones
Exposure modes	Full auto, programmed, shutter priority, aperture priority, manual
Metering modes	Evaluative, Partial, Spot, C/Wgt Average
Focusareas	19 cross-type AF points
Focusmodes	One-shot, AI Servo, AI-Focus, Manual
Continuous shooting	up to 8.0 frame/s.
Viewfinder	Optical pentaprism with 1.0x magnification and 100% coverage and electronic (Live View)
ASA/ISO range	100–6400 (expansion up to 12,800)
Rear LCD monitor	3.0 inches (76 mm), 640×480 (921,600 dots)
Storage	CompactFlash (CF) (Type I or Type II)
Battery	Li-Ion LP-E6 Rechargeable (1800mAh)
Weight	820 g (body only)
List price	$1699.00^[1]
Optional battery packs	BG-E7 grip allows use of 6 AA cells, a single LP-E6 or two LP-E6 batteries
Made in	Japan

The Canon EOS 7D is an 18.0 effective megapixel APS-C crop CMOS digital single-lens reflex camera made by Canon.^[2] It was announced on 1 September 2009 with a suggested retail price of US$1,699.^[1]^[3] Among its features are HD video recording, its 8.0 frames per second continuous shooting, new viewfinder which offers 1.0X magnification and 100% coverage, 19 point auto-focus system, movie mode, and built-in Speedlite transmitter.^[^2]

Features

18.0 effective megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor
Dual DIGIC 4 image processors with 14-bit processing^[2]
Liveview mode
100% viewfinder frame coverage with 1.0× magnification
1080p HD video recording at 24p, 25p and 30p with drop frame timing
720p HD video recording at 50p (50 Hz) and 60p (59.94 Hz)^[4]
480p ED video recording at 50p (50 Hz) and 60p (59.94 Hz)
8.0 frames per second continuous shooting
ISO sensitivity 100–6400 (expandable to 12,800)
3.0-inch Clear View II LCD screen with 640 × 480 (921,600 dots) resolution
19 point auto-focus system, all cross-type
63 zone color sensitive metering system
built-in Speedlite transmitter
Magnesium alloy body
Popup flash
Weather sealing (light resistance to water and dust)

Autofocus and metering

The 7D has 19 autofocus points arranged in a horizontal diamond pattern. The AF system is a new design which uses a translucent LCD display in the viewfinder. The camera uses TTL 63 zone color sensitive metering system with four variations (evaluative, center-weighted, partial, spot) and exposure compensation of −3 EV to +3 EV in steps of 1/3 EV.E-TTL II flash metering is provided. The translucent LCD can also display guide lines and the spot metering area circle. As with most other video-capable DSLRs, the Canon EOS 7D’s autofocusing function does not work while recording video. Instead, users can only trigger a contrast-detect AF cycle before recording process by hitting the AF button on the camera's rear panel. Users can manually focus the lens during a recording.^[5]

[edit]Shutter

The shutter is rated to 150,000 shots, and is capable of speeds up to 1/8000 sec, with a flash sync speed of 1/250 sec.

[edit]Ergonomics

The 7D has roughly the same dimension as the 5D Mark II, with the button layout having gone through an update. It also features a 100% viewfinder with 1x magnification.

The 7D was the first Canon camera with a dedicated movie mode switch, the preceding 5D Mark II and 500D movie recording being done in live view.

[edit]Speed

Rear view.

The dual Digic IV processors let the 7D reach 8 frames per second continuous shooting. When the camera was first released, the buffer throughput allowed up to 94 frames in large fine JPEG mode, and up to 15 frames in RAW. Firmware upgrades, most recently in August 2012 (see immediately below), have increased the maximum buffer size to 130 large fine JPEGs and 25 RAW files.

Firmware updates

On 6 August 2012, new firmware v2.0 was released^[6] with the following enhancements:^[7]

Improved maximum burst for RAW images (up to 25)
In-camera RAW image editing
In-camera Image Rating
In-camera JPEG resizing
Maximum Auto ISO setting (ISO 400-6400)
Manual audio level adjustment in movie recording
Support for the Canon GP-E2 GPS unit
File name customisation
Time zone settings
Faster scrolling of magnified images
Quick control screen during playback

On 12 September 2012, Canon introduced the v2.0.3 firmware update with the following changes:^[8]

Fix for a phenomenon in which the camera stops working when the auto power off setting takes effect
Fix a phenomenon in which the maximum number of images that can be captured in a burst may be less than the actual number displayed in the viewfinder
Corrections for some errors in the message displayed when saving RAW images developed in the camera

[edit]Accessories

According to Canon's website,^[9] the EOS 7D model comes equipped with:

EOS 7D Digital SLR Body
Eyecup Eg
Camera Cover R-F-3
Wide Strap EW-EOS7D
Battery Charger LC-E6
Battery Pack LP-E6
Stereo AV Cable AV-DC400ST
Interface Cable IFC-200U

[edit]Awards

The Canon EOS 7D won the 2010–2011 European Advanced SLR Camera^[10] and the Technical Image Press Association Best DSLR Expert awards.^[11]

[edit]Video

The Canon EOS 7D's video functions offers an unusually strong feature set that gives the photographer/videographer more control over the videos they create. The camera also offers the ability to record audio from an external source. Both shutter and aperture are available for manual control, and the 7D also provides multiple frame rate options, including three that match the HD television timing specs. Like most DSLR modes, the Canon 7D neglects endless autofocus during video recording, which is a great concern for advanced amateurs with pros likely to focus manually nonetheless. Separate movie clips that are captured by the Canon EOS 7D are limited to twelve minutes in the high definition 1080p and 720p modes, or 24 minutes in the standard definition VGA mode.^[5]

The Canon 7D has acquired significance in the independent filmmaking world as an affordable alternative to digital cinema cameras. The camera was used on the feature films Black Swan,^{[citation needed]} Stanley Ka Dabba.,^[12] and Vazhakku Enn 18/9^[13]

[edit]List of productions using the Canon EOS 7d

Film

The Unreinable Compulsion
End of Watch
The Avengers^[14]
Black Swan
Vazhakku Enn 18/9^[15]
Stanley Ka Dabba^[12]
Not a Love Story^[12]
Chaappa Kurish^[12]
127 Hours
Like Crazy^[16]
Red State
Red Tails
World of the Dead: The Zombie Diaries^[17]
Act of Valor
Department^[12]
Tiny Furniture
Tomboy (2011 film)

Canon EOs 7D

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Complete lenses

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Canon A3300IS powershot Series

2013-01-29T04:06:00.002-08:00

About one of my favorite gadget .....

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first of all i would like share some personal review about this awesome gadget,to be more catchy i'l states the plus and minus about this product as follows

Pluses (+)

worth to your money
best features in this category
simple user manuals
small and eye catching design
Auto focusing feature is pretty cool.

minus (-)

switches are very small hence difficult to navigate switches
only half HD movie ie, 720p
no HDMI port

over all my rating is 8/10.

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following are the detailed review conducted by the website named "camera labs"

Design and features

Announced at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show, The Canon PowerShot A3300 IS replaces the A3100 IS at the top of Canon's A-series compact range. With a redesigned body shape, 16 Megapixel sensor, stabilised 5x optical zoom and 3 inch screen the PowerShot A3300 IS delivers easy to use point-and-shoot modes with basic control, but no manual exposure modes. A new LIVE View Control mode provides results-based control over exposure compensation, saturation and white balance. The A3300 IS also offers 720p HD video shooting which is an advance on its predecessor, though, disappointingly, you can't use the optical zoom while shooting.

Launched alongside the PowerShot A3300 IS, the cheaper A3200 IS looks identical, but has a 14.1 Megapixel sensor and a 2.7 inch screen. If you're not planning on making A2 sized prints and can live with the slightly smaller screen, this represents good value for money and you even get the same 720p HD video as on the more expensive model. Both models come in a range of fun colours, Red, Blue, Pink and Silver for the A3300 and Orange, Aqua, Pink and Silver for the A3200.

We've compared the PowerShot A3300 IS with its more competitively priced, but slightly less well-equipped sibling the PowerShot A3200 IS. But Canon isn't the only manufacturer to have announced new 2011 models and we've tested these two A Series PowerShot alongside the similarly priced 16 Megapixel Panasonic Lumix FS18 / FH5. Like the PowerShot A3300 IS, the Lumix FS18 / FH5 also has a lower resolution stablemate in the form of the 14.1 Megapixel FS16 / FH2 and we'll be looking at that in another review too.

The PowerShot A3300 IS is both smaller and thinner than its predecessor and the body shape has had the more distinctive features, notably the cylindrical right end, designed out. Looking at the evolution of A-series body shapes it's easy to draw the conclusion that some IXUS DNA has entered the picture: the PowerShot A3300 IS / A3200 IS shares the familiar IXUS 'choc ice' shape, albeit with slightly less smooth contours due to the positioning of the mode dial on the top right corner.

Alongside the mode dial is a large flush-mounted shutter button with a zoom collar surround as opposed to the thumb-operated zoom buttons of its predecessor. A step further to the right locates the slightly recessed on/off switch, which requires a firm push to activate, something that isn't going to happen by accident.

The back is dominated by the screen, a 3in panel on the A3300 IS and a 2.7in one on the A3200 IS, to the right of which is a recessed panel with a control pad surrounded by four buttons for Face selection, playback, display and the menu.
There's only one connection port on the right side to which you can connect either a USB cable to download images and video, or an AV cable to connect the camera to a TV. There's no HDMI port on the PowerShot A3300 IS / A3200 IS though. On the bottom, as you'd expect, there's a centrally mounted tripod bush and a hinged door opens to reveal the combined card and battery compartment. The PowerShot A3300 IS/ A3200 IS takes SD, SDHC and SDXC cards.
The A3300 IS / A3200 IS feels solid and well-built and is a comfortable camera to hold and shoot with. Though nowhere near as slim as the Panasonic Lumix FS18 / FH5, the extra thickness does provide a more confident grip particularly on the left corner where it flares to accommodate the built-in flash. If you've got large hands this is something you'll be glad of, although the downside is that it's not quite as pocketable as slimmer compacts like the FS18 / FH5.

The PowerShot A3300 / A3200's mode dial is made of black plastic and sits in a detent at the top right corner of the body. Looks-wise, this isn't one of Canon's finest efforts, with angles converging all over the place, but in operation it works effortlessly well. The dial is easily gripped between thumb and forefinger and the click action is very positive. As with all Canon mode dials, you can turn it through 360 degrees so to get from Program mode to Movie mode you just keep turning, there's no need to reverse and go back the way you came.
The seven shooting modes are clearly labelled: following the P for Program mode, there's the new LIVE mode, Auto, Easy, SCN, from which you can menu select scene modes using the Func button, Creative filters, Discrete mode which disables the flash and audio and finally movie mode.
The PowerShot A3300 / A3200 has a built-in flash which has a quoted range of four metres at the wide angle lens setting. In the default auto mode it fires when conditions require it, but it can also be forced on or off and there's a Slow synchro mode, all of which are selected using the right button on the control pad. There are two methods of guarding against red-eye, a physical one, which illuminates the AF assist LED mounted on the front panel just below the flash, and a software red-eye correction filter that can be applied automatically at the time of shooting or subsequently.
The flash provides fairly even illumination, though at the base 80 ISO sensitivity setting you're limited to well under the four metre range. The flash takes around six seconds to recycle between shots which is a little on the slow side and about twice as long as the Lumix FS18 / FH5 takes.
The PowerShot A3200 / A3200 uses an NB-8L Lithium Ion battery which provides enough power for around 230 shots using the CIPA (Camera Imaging Products Association) testing standards. It's charged outside the camera using the supplied charging unit. Remaining power is displayed on screen using a three segment battery icon which turns orange when the power is running low.

Canon PowerShot A3300 IS coverage wide		Canon PowerShot A3300 IS coverage tele

5-25mm at 5mm (28mm equivalent)		5-25mm at 25mm (140 mm equivalent)

The PowerShot A3300 / A3200 has a 5x optical zoom which starts at a 35mm equivalent focal length of 28mm and extends to 140mm. This is a big improvement on the A3100's 4x zoom and it's all been added at the wide angle end of the range. To give you idea of exactly how much of a difference it makes, in addition to our usual wide and tele comparisons above, below we've compared the 28mm wide angle setting of the PowerShot A3300 / A3200 IS alongside the 35mm (equiv) of the older PowerShot 3100 IS. It's clear how the new models are capturing a comfortably broader field of view.

Canon PowerShot A3300 IS coverage wide		Canon PowerShot A3100 IS coverage wide

5-25mm at 5mm (28mm equivalent)		6.2-24.8mm at 6.2mm (35 mm equivalent)

When you switch the power on the cover opens and the PowerShot A3300 / A2300's three segment matt black lens barrel extends by 22mm. The camera is ready to shoot in a fraction over two seconds which, though not blisteringly fast, will be quick enough for most situations.

The zoom is smooth in both directions, though the audible whine that accompanies it could get a little irritating. We managed to nudge it through 11 discrete steps, a fair degree of control on a 5x optical zoom. The f2.8 maximum aperture is brighter than many compacts in this price bracket and at the maximum telephoto and of the range you get a respectable f5.9. The aperture closes in more or less even steps as you progress through the zoom range. Compared with the Lumix FS18 / FH5's maximum aperture of f3.1-6.5, the PowerShot A3300 / A3200 has a small light-gathering advantage, but the one major disappointment with this lens is that you can't zoom it during video recording, though given the motor whine that would undoubtedly be picked up by the mono mic, it's perhaps not such a bad thing.

Canon PowerShot A3300 IS: IS off/Continuous

100% crop, 5-25mm at 25mm, 1/10, 100 ISO, Program mode, IS Off.		100% crop, 5-25mm at 25mm, 1/10, 100 ISO, Program mode, IS Continuous.

The PowerShot A3300 IS / A3200 IS has optical image stabilisation that shifts the lens elements to compensate for camera shake when shooting at slow shutter speeds - it's what the IS in the model name stands for.

IS can be turned off or enabled in one of three modes - Continuous, Shoot only and Panning. Continuous is useful if you're having difficulty framing shots at the maximum zoom range due to camera movement, but uses a lot of power. Shoot only activates the IS with the first press of the shutter release and Panning activates the IS in the vertical plane only so you can pan to follow moving subjects without the IS interfering.

To test the image stabilisation on the PowerShot A3300 IS / A3200 IS we took a series of shots at the maximum focal length of 140mm (equivalent) in Program mode changing the shutter speed by adjusting the ISO sensitivity. The shots were made with the IS turned off and then repeated with IS in Continuous mode.

The crops above are from shots taken at 100 ISO with a shutter speed of 1/10th of a second. The crop on the left was taken with IS turned off, the one on the right with it enabled in Continuous mode. Ordinarily, at this focal length you'd expect to get a steady hand-held shot at shutter speeds of 1/140 or faster. So it's fair to say that the PowerShot A3300 IS / A3200 IS manages between three and four stops of image stabilisation, about what we've come to expect from Canon's effective IS system. Image stabilisation isn't only good for telephoto shots of course, and combined with an f2.8 maximum aperture it makes the PowerShot A3300 IS / A3200 IS a great camera for shooting in all kinds of low-light situation

Like most Canon compacts, the PowerShot A3300 IS / A3200 IS has Face AiAF, which detects faces in the frame and adjusts the focus and exposure accordingly. Other compacts with the DIGIC 4 processor that we've tested have excelled at face detection and the PowerShot A3300 IS / A3200 IS is no exception. It's quick to focus on faces and holds on to them once acquired. Though it becomes a little less sure of itself in low light, the PowerShot A3300 IS / A3200 IS does well at identifying faces at a distance and when turned almost to full profile. All detected faces are framed and you can switch the main subject by pressing the Face selector button on the back panel.

The PowerShot A3300 IS / A3200 IS also has Smart shutter scene mode which automatically takes a series of up to 10 shots when a smile is detected. The smile threshold on the PowerShot A3200 / A3300 IS is pretty low, the merest glimmer of a smile being enough to activate it. Other Face activated options provided by the DIGIC 4 include Face self-timer, which activates the countdown when a new face enters the frame, and the self-explanatory Wink self-timer.

If a face isn't detected in the frame the PowerShot A3200 IS / A3200 IS reverts to nine-area AF. You can also select Centre AF with the choice of two frame sizes and the option of Tracking AF. The latter worked very well in good light, but under dimmer conditions it lost the subject all too easily. Servo AF, which can be chosen independently of the AF mode, continues to adjust the focus while the shutter release is half-pressed.

The major physical difference between the PowerShot A3300 IS and A3200 IS are their screens: the former has a 3in screen, while the latter has a slightly smaller 2.7in screen, although both share the same 230k pixel resolution. Both also share a traditional 4:3 aspect ratio which means the view when taking and playing back full resolution images fills the screen. The same is true for standard resolution movies, although for HD movie shooting the 16:9 image is letterboxed with thick black bars top and bottom.

The screens on both models are bright and contrasty and easy to see in most conditions though, as with all screens, bright sunlight is their undoing. Though the difference between a 3in and 2.7in screen isn't massive it does make a difference both when composing and playing back, particularly if you like to make use of the various playback display modes that Canon compacts offer, we'll talk more about those shortly.

Comparing the screens of the PowerShot A3300 IS (3in) and the Panasonic Lumix FS18 / FH5 (2.7in), you'd be forgiven for thinking there's almost nothing in it. The Lumix FS18 / FH5 screen area looks almost the same as that on the PowerShot A3300 IS, but it has a large rebate area, so to get a proper comparison you need to turn both cameras on and see the actual image area. When you do that, it's clear that the PowerShot A3300 IS has significantly more to offer.

The PowerShot A3300 IS / A3200 IS provides a menu system arranged on two tabs which is activated by pressing the Menu button at the bottom of the rear panel.

In shooting modes, the two menus list all the available Shooting settings on one tab and Camera settings on the other. Canon's recently introduced Hints & Tips feature provides a brief explanation of the function of each setting as you select it using the control pad.

Camera Settings mostly contains the kind of things you set once then forget, like sound options, LCD brightness and power saving settings; it's also where you go to format cards. Shooting settings include AF mode, digital zoom, red-eye correction, display overlays, and image stabilisation.

The Func.Set button at the centre of the control pad provides quick access to a selection of frequently used settings tailored to the selected shooting mode. In Program mode it includes ISO sensitivity, white balance, colour rendering, continuous shooting, metering mode and image size and quality. It would be nice to be able to customise this menu to add, for example, AF mode and stabilisation settings - two options which are available on the Lumix FS18 / FH5. With the mode dial in the SCN position you can use the Func. Menu to select the scene mode, and likewise to select creative filters in that shooting mode. The ony other criticism we'd make of this arrangement is that the control pad on the A3300 IS / A3200 IS is almost flush mounted and we often had difficulty in depressing it suffuciently far to activate it. In playback mode the camera settings tab is joined by print settings and a slideshow menu which also includes category tagging features and some basic in-camera editing options.

The PowerShot A3300 IS / A2300 IS is a fully automatic compact. Although in Program mode it allows you set the ISO sensitivity and some other settings, exposure control is fully automatic. In Auto mode the camera uses Canon's Intelligent Auto system which employs scene detection to figure-out what you're trying to photograph. Canon's scene detection determines whether there are people in the scene, whether it includes blue skies, if the subject is backlit, how close the subject is and whether it's day or night. Scene detection on the A3300 IS / A3200 IS appears to have progressed from its predecessor in that it now also differentiates between static and moving subjects. An icon appears in the top right of the screen to tell you what the camera thinks it's looking at - and it usually (though not always) gets it right.

Intelligent Auto is also at the heart of Easy mode - a version of Auto mode which disables virtually all user-selectable functions and turns the PowerShot A3300 IS / A3200 IS into an idiot-proof point-and-shoot automatic. In Easy mode you can use the zoom and toggle the flash between auto and off, that's it. The camera operates in Face AiAF mode, but the face select button is disabled, as is the Func Set button, the menu button, the self-timer and everything else bar the playback button. In playback mode functions are also restricted, you can use the delete button and the Func.Set button starts a slideshow.

The mode dial on the PowerShot A3300 IS / A3200 IS has undergone a radical transformation, losing the multiple scene mode options on its predecessor and adding some new innovations. The P Auto and Easy mode positions remain. Live View Control provides results-based controls with direct feedback on the screen. Pressing the Func.Set button displays on screen sliders for exposure compensation, saturation and white balance - except they're not called that, but simply labelled Dark/light, Neural/Vivid and Cool/warm. Using the control pad to select and adjust the sliders provides immediate visual feedback on the screen. You can, of course, achieve the same results in Program mode, but this approach is easier, more direct and intuitive.

The newly introduced Creative filters mode provides six in-camera special effects which are displayed live on the screen. The six effects are Fish-eye, Miniature, Toy Camera, Monochrome, Super Vivid and Poster. Some of these are self explanatory, others will be familiar from their use elsewhere - though it's possible the craze for the tilt-shift lens effect emulated by the Miniature effect may have passed you by. The examples below give a far better idea than any mere description.

Fish-eye mode	Miniature mode	Toy Camera mode


Monochrome mode	Super Vivid mode	Poster mode

The SCN position provides menu access to 10 screen modes, many of these - Portrait, Landscape, Kids and pets, Snow and Fireworks, will be familiar and we've already mentioned Smart shutter. If you like to shoot at night there's a Long exposure scene mode that sets the aperture wide open and lets you select an exposure up to 15 seconds long. The low light mode, which sets the exposure between 1600 and 6400 ISO has been upgraded from 2 to 4 Megapixel resolution.

Canon PowerShot A3300 IS Movie Mode

The PowerShot A3300 IS / A3200 IS can shoot HD video at 1280 x 720 resolution, a step up from the VGA top quality setting of its predecessor. 720p HD video is recorded at 30fps, encoded using the H.264 codec and saved in a QuickTime wrapper, in other words as a .mov file. The longest you'll be able to shot continuously for is ten minutes, which will give you a file around 1.5GB in size.

Standard resolution video can also be recorded at 640 x 480 and 320 x 240 sizes, also at 30fps and are encoded using the H.264 codec and saved as a .mov file. At the 640 x 480 VGA resolution you'll get a lot more footage on a card - around 50 minutes on a 4GB card compared with about 22 minutes of HD footage.

While you can't use the Creative filters in movie mode it does offer a Miniature effect movie mode that blurs the top and bottom of the frame and shoots at slow frame rates to speed up the action at normal playback speeds. There are three speed options - 5x, 10x and 20x, so filming for 60 seconds at each would deliver playback times of 12, 6 and 3 seconds respectively.

While it's great to have HD video recording, the PowerShot A3300 IS / A3200 IS does have a one limitation. You can't use the optical zoom while recording, though, as we've said before, given the noise level of the zoom motor, you might not want to even if you could. You can at least use the 4x digital zoom though, albeit with the loss in quality that entails, and that's more than you can do with the Panasonic Lumix FS18 / FH5.

Verdict and scores

Canon PowerShot A3300 IS verdict

The Canon PowerShot A3300 IS is a 16 Megapixel compact with a 3 inch LCD screen and a 5x stabilised optical zoom lens. It sits at the top of Canon's A series compact range which combines point-and-shoot auto exposure modes with ease of use features like scene detection, face detection, Smart shutter and a range of scene modes.

The technology works in practice too. There may be little for manual control enthusiasts, but left to figure everything out by itself in auto, the A3300 IS handles confidently and delivers good results.

Canon has added some innovative new features like results-based Live View Control, Creative filters and discrete mode and, for the first time on A series models, there's a 720p HD video mode in addition to standard resolution recording. Annoyingly there's still no optical zoom when filming, but with a relatively noisy zoom motor, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Canon PowerShot A3300 IS final verdict.

The Canon PowerShot A3300 IS is Canon's top of the range PowerShot A-series camera. Price-wise, it occupies the higher-end of the budget compact market and is designed to appeal to people looking for a point-and-shoot camera that offers a little bit extra while at the same time providing excellent value for money. The extra here isn't necessarily more advanced operation or manual control, but something that adds to the picture-taking experience, making it easier, more enjoyable and producing better results.
By introducing new features like Creative filters and Live View control, Canon has succeeded admirably. With these new features, the PowerShot A3300 IS genuinely brings something fresh to point-and-shoot photography. In addition, there are other tangible improvements including a wider zoom range, HD video and a higher resolution sensor. It all adds up to a very compelling point-and-shoot compact.


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Review of HONDA Dio 2012

2013-01-28T00:51:00.001-08:00

The college-goer's heart throb, the Honda Dio has seen a complete revamp this year. We get our hands on the scooter every teenager wants and find out just what Honda has been up to

While most guys in the country lust for motorcycles, fast and aggressive, more often than not, at least in the urban setting, chances have it that the first two-wheeler that everyone gets their hands on as soon as they turn 18 is an automatic scooter. Scooters are usually the underdogs in the two-wheeler market though they are in great demand from every sort of buyer, from college kids to men and women of all ages. And there is no denying that the scooter that really rules the roost in India is the Honda Activa. But as good a scooter as the Activa is, it does lack panache. So for those who want a bit of flamboyance while keeping the Activa’s practicality, Honda has been offering another gem for quite a few years now – the Dio.

While maintaining the Activa’s underpinnings, the Dio loses the heavy steel body and replaces it with a sleek plastic body which not only makes it look extremely euro-chic, but also makes it look like it’s doing 100km/h while standing still. So obviously this made the Dio a big hit with younger audiences. And with the Activa having gone through a major upgrade a couple of years back with a slightly increased capacity 109cc engine, a new Combi Brake System and some design alterations, it was high time that the Dio too went under the knife.

Dio's concept model at the Auto Expo 2012

So finally at the Delhi Auto Expo 2012, Honda unveiled the next generation of its scooter which will cater to the younger masses. And the first thing that really strikes you is the completely redesigned front end of the bike. The trapezoidal headlight and the two sliver like indicators have been replaced by a massive new unit that incorporates the headlight and indicators into one near seamless piece that is sprawled all over the front body panel. The new Dio of course retains the headlight-less unbroken handlebar shroud from the older bike and though its design is pretty similar, it does sport a few additional lines and curves. The front fender is new as well as the centre panels which connect the front of the bike to the rear have also seen a massive revamp and even feature a jutting out portion on either side of the bike which doubles as the passenger footrest. The side, the tail, the massive tail light cluster with integrated clear lens indicators, the grab rail – everything is new. In fact, apart from the tyres and a few bits and bobs like the switchgear and levers, you won’t find a single external bit that has been carried over from the earlier bike.

Underneath, the upgraded engine, which has gone up in capacity from 102cc to 109cc, doesn’t really add any more performance to the bike. What the increased capacity does do is make the engine a little unstressed while pulling load, thereby requiring less throttle for the same operations, and in the process increasing the bike’s fuel efficiency. In our city riding, this efficiency hovered around 40-43kmpl, which is not too shabby considering the bike had to lug around a 100kg rider.

meter console could have been better design

But the specific consumption as well as performance figures will have to wait for the full road test. However, it suffices to say that this new bike definitely pulls better and feels at much more ease even with two large persons on board, while the Combi Brake System should make life easier for the average Joe who tends to grab a handful of brake while slowing down. The only real point of contention we can think of for this new Dio is that the forward sloping floor board does hamper the seating ergonomics for tall riders, and riding around for more than 15-20km at a stretch can get a little uncomfortable because of this.

comparatively better storage than old one

Overall, Honda has done a lot of changes to the Dio which should make it more appealing to its current spectrum of users. A case in point is the optional full matte gray paint scheme – a lot of college kids anyway paint their Dios. A welcome change however would have been the inclusion of telescopic front forks which many of its competitors already offer. But we guess that will have to wait for the next upgrade. But right now, I can easily say that the new Dio is certainly one of the most practical, and definitely the best looking scooter on the Indian market today.

More on this vehicle

Honda Dio DLX

Expert Rating: 9

Upside: Styling, Refined engine, Fuel efficiency, Neutral handling

Downside: Pillion comfort, Poor headlight

Bottom Line: Ideal for youngsters and college-goers, the Honda Dio is a...

Price Range:

(Ex-showroom) (Delhi) : 44,701

maximum mileage got in my Dio is 59 kmpl

for more details about this vehicle

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Release date	January 2016
Form factor	Touchscreen
Dimensions (mm)	143.80 x 71.70 x 7.52
Weight (g)	157.00
Battery capacity (mAh)	2350
Removable battery	No
Colours	White
SAR value	NA

Screen size (inches)	5.00
Touchscreen	Yes
Resolution	540x960 pixels

Processor	1.2GHz quad-core
Processor make	Qualcomm Snapdragon 410
RAM	2GB
Internal storage	16GB
Expandable storage	Yes
Expandable storage type	microSD
Expandable storage up to (GB)	128

Wi-Fi	Yes
Wi-Fi standards supported	NA
GPS	Yes
Bluetooth	Yes
NFC	No
Infrared	No
USB OTG	Yes
Headphones	3.5mm
FM	Yes
Number of SIMs	2
SIM 1
SIM Type	Micro-SIM
GSM/CDMA	GSM
3G	Yes
4G/ LTE	Yes
Supports 4G in India (Band 40)	Yes
SIM 2
SIM Type	Micro-SIM
GSM/CDMA	GSM
3G	Yes
4G/ LTE	No
Supports 4G in India (Band 40)	Yes

Compass/ Magnetometer	No
Proximity sensor	Yes
Accelerometer	Yes
Ambient light sensor	Yes
Gyroscope	Yes
Barometer	No
Temperature sensor	No