Tech Block

Lava Mobiles brings a Dual SIM music series mobile - Lava M 23

2010-06-12T10:28:00.000-07:00

Lava Mobiles has launched a new Dual SIM (GSM+GSM) music series mobile called Lava M 23. The phones comes with an expandable memory up to 8 GB which includes Bluetooth with data transfer capability sharing music library with others. The Bluetooth also has A2DP profile by which the music can be enjoyed on wireless Bluetooth enabled headsets. Being a music seriesphone it comes with side Keys for Music control and has a 3.5 mm universal audio jack.

There are some of the key Features of Lava M 23

2.2 inches TFT screen
LCD Resolution: 176*220
Supports MP3, MP4
FM enabled
Camera that can be used as web cam also
Video Recording(no limitation on duration)
850mAh Battery
Talktime - Upto 5 hours
WAP
GPRS
Bluetooth
T Flash Card support upto 8 GB
2GB Micro SD Card FREE
3.5 mm universal audio jack
2 Batteries
Hindi language

TAGS:

LAVA mobiles , Lava M 23 in India, Features , News, Reviews, Lava M 23 music phone, music phone, 8gb expandable, Lava M 23 dual sim , dual sim phone

Sony Vaio Laptops trying to become Affordable

2010-06-12T09:46:00.000-07:00

Sony recently launched their new Sony Vaio E-series of laptops which not only look stunning but offer powerful hardware at competitive prices.There are three variants in the Sony’s E-series of laptops, with specific screen sizes of 14-inch, 15.5-inch and 17.3-inch. Let us see the hardware they offer. During a discussion session at the launch in Mumbai, Mr Masaru Tamagawa—Managing Director, Sony India, implied that their E-series of laptops are targeted towards the masses, because they are quite affordable.

14-inch
There are five in this segment, from which two feature Intel’s mainstream Core i5-520M processors and the other three have the entry-level Core i3 variants. The mainstream laptops are priced between Rs 50,000 to around Rs 60,000, which I think is a good price point, considering the style of the Vaio and the powerful hardware. And, the entry-level models are priced between Rs 39,000 and Rs 48,000. All laptops belonging to the new Vaio E series have a very different look and are available in a number of vibrant colors, which make the machines look truly stunning. The native screen resolution of all 14-inch models is 1366 x 768, which has been common to most standard laptops, and should be fine on a 14 incher.

15-inch
Now let’s first discuss the 15-inch models with respect to the different CPUs each model features. It’s really interesting to see a 15-inch Sony Vaio laptop priced at merely Rs 36,990. It’s perhaps because this one features an Intel Pentium CPU, nonetheless, I can’t wait to test this one first, only to see what it has to offer at this price. Then there are three models that feature the Core i3 CPUs and are priced between Rs 39,000 to about Rs 52,000. One of these machines (most expensive one), features a full-HD screen and the other two have the standard 1366 x 768 resolution. Amongst these three, you can choose for discrete (ATI Radeon HD5650 and HD5140) and onboard graphics. Surprisingly the most expensive 15-inch model features onboard graphics, which might not be appreciated by many people. In all, there are five 15-inch models you can choose from.

17-inch
There is only one 17-inch model which costs about Rs 58,000 and has entry-level hardware. Powered by an Intel Core i3-330M CPU, it features 4 GB RAM, a 500 GB hard drive and it weighs about 3.3 Kg. With decent discrete graphics, ATI Radeon HD 5650, and thankfully a 1600 x 900 screen, we think Sony Vaio is now going to make some new fans, and quite a few of them.

TAGS:

Vaio , Low priced , E series , Core i3 , Core i5, ATI Radeon graphics , price, news , looks, series , ranges

2011 Ford Mustang is it worth ur Bucks?

2010-06-12T09:19:00.000-07:00

This car is something special. It’s a rare amalgam of real power, affordable price and driving excitement that hits you hard and makes you beg for more. To catch the eye the appearance package for the V6 model includes a billet grill, fogs, side stripe, rear decklid spoiler and 18-inch stainless painted aluminum wheels wrapped in Pirelli P Zero rubber. The engine is the base-level all-new aluminum block 3.7L V6 that outs 305HP and 280 lb.-ft. of torque and 31MPG capable while cruising on the highway.

The interior is as retrotastic as the exterior sheet metal. A warm leather-wrapped three-spoke wheel draws you in and keeps you firmly grounded while the stick begs you to take advantage of it. The dual-gauge cluster with tall and monolithic numbering helps complete the time warp.Truth be told, the interior and exterior are simply an evolution of the previous design.

This series, thanks to the awesome new engine and transmission options, finally completes what Ford has been attempting since the 2005 throwback design was announced: a true-to-the original everyman’s sports car.The 305HP V6 mated to its optional six-speed transmission is more than capable of breaking the tires loose when thrown even into third. It has plenty of power to slam its occupants into the leather seats. The standard dual exhaust produces such a throaty rumble that unknowing gas station onlookers will look on with envy even though there’s only a V6 underneath the (somewhat deceptively large) hood.

This car is a bargain. The fun starts out at $22,995, which includes all the important hardware of the V6, six-speed manual transmission, four-wheel disc brakes, and stainless-steel dual exhaust. That’s a cheap mid-life crisis remedy right there.The Mustang has long been a comfortable daily driver. The advent of proper traction control a few years back even allows the Mustang to be cold weather capable. The new models don’t break that mold. The 2011 Mustang makes a fine cruiser, one that’s actually gentle on the gas with an EPA highway rating of 31MPG. (see my averages below) It’s just fine in the city, as well. The new six-speed transmission makes for a bit more wrist work, but it’s smooth enough.

TAGS:

2011 Ford Mustang, New Ford Mustang , Ford Mustang American muscle , News , Review , Ford Mustang price, Ford Mustang 2011,

Use ur mouse and keyboard for PS3 by using the new Eagle Eye Converter

2010-06-12T07:10:00.000-07:00

The gamers need to be adequately armed when playing FPS games. So the Penguin’s latest offering namely the Eagle-Eye converter for the Sony PS3 gaming console does just that by transforming a regular USB HID keyboard and mouse into a weapon of choice, it allows the peripherals to be used as turbo-charged controller.

Not only but the users are offered key mapping features which allow all of the PS3’s controller buttons to be personalized. This should allow data to be seamlessly transferred to the mouse and keyboard. Gaming enthusiasts can look forward to precise movements when playing games like Killzone 3, BioShock and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Penguin claims users will gain higher speeds in comparison to a regular controller thanks to the converter’s enhanced features.

Capable of accurately transmuting into a PC mouse, the converter shows a 1 to 1 translation from a PS3 controller to a mouse. The game option menu allows the users to change the sensitivity of the mouse as he likes . Due to the one to one translation straight from the PS3’s right analog stick to the movements of the mouse, gamers should get a better aim when playing FPS games.

“One of the drawbacks with playing first-person shooters is the lack of speed and accuracy offered by traditional controllers, We found a simple solution by bypassing the controller and transferring the button features directly to the computer keyboard and mouse. The Eagle-Eye offers an amazing alternative for fans of shooting games” mentioned Richard Huang, President of Penguin United.

Infused with USB 2.0 keyboard and mouse inputs, the right analog stick is capable of defaulting to movements. Users can connect the device to any console version of the PS3 using the 2 feet USB cable. The converter features a Turbo option for the square, triangle, circle, X, L1, L2, R1, R2 buttons. In addition to this, the device also reveals Programmable Macro Functions that can convert one key into a combination of moves.

The Eagle-Eye converter will mark its debut at the E3 that starts on June 15, 2010. The converter will carry a price tag of $59.99.

TAGS:

PS3 , Eagle Eye converter , Use keyboard and mouse for PS3 , Accessories For PS3 , price , Features , Better ur aim on PS3

New BlackBerry Pearl 3G smartphone now in India

2010-06-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

The smallest BlackBerry smartphone - BlackBerry Pearl 3G is now avaialble in India. It is 50mm wide and weighing only 93g, it still manages to pack in support for the soon-to-be-launched high-speed 3G (UMTS/HSDPA) networks in India, Wi-Fi and GPS.

It features an optical trackpad for smooth navigation, dedicated volume and media keys, a 3.2 MP camera with flash, and support for up to 32 GB of personal content. In addition it provides access to a range of popular social networking and instant messaging applications.

Key features of the new BlackBerry Pearl 3G

Candybar design measuring 108mm x 50 mm x 13.3 mm and weighing only 93 grams
624 Mhz processor with 256 MB Flash memory
360x400 sharp-resolution display (238 ppi)
Optical trackpad that makes navigation fast and smooth, plus a comfortable keyboard that enables quick and accurate typing
Media player for videos, pictures and music (music plays up to 30 hours), plus dedicated media keys integrated along top of the handset
3.2 MP camera with zoom, autofocus, flash and video recording (Video recording requires a microSD card, which may be sold separately)
Built-in GPS for location-based applications
Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n) - first BlackBerry smartphone to support 'n'
microSD/SDHD memory card slot that supports up to 32 GB cards
Premium phone features, including voice activated dialing, speakerphone and Bluetooth (2.1) with support for hands-free headsets, stereo headsets, car kits (including systems that support the Bluetooth Message Access Profile standard) and other Bluetooth accessories
Access to BlackBerry App World, featuring a broad and growing catalog of mobile applications developed specifically for BlackBerry smartphones
Support for BlackBerry Media Sync for easily syncing photos as well as iTunes and Windows Media Player music with the smartphone (Certain music files may not be supported, including files that contain digital rights management technologies. Photo syncing is currently only available for Windows-based PCs.)
BlackBerry OS 5
Support for tri-band UMTS/HSDPA and quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM networks
Removable, rechargeable 1150 mAhr battery that provides approximately 5.5 hours of talk time on 3G networks

The new BlackBerry Pearl 3G smartphone will be available in two models in India: the BlackBerry Pearl 9100, featuring a 20-key condensed QWERTY keyboard, and the BlackBerry Pearl 9105, with a 14-key traditional phone keyboard. Both smartphone models include SureType softwarethat can complete words as the user types, making texting fast and accurate.

Samsung N150 netbook

2010-06-10T09:54:00.000-07:00

The Samsung N150 belongs to Samsung’s new series of netbooks that feature the next generation of Intel Atom processors. This particular model is powered by an Intel Atom N450, which is a single core Atom processor with a clock speed of 1.66 GHz. While this netbook offers a hardware upgrade from previous models, it’s the slick design and rock-solid build quality that will take this netbook places.

Hardware

The only thing different about the hardware is the CPU and chipset upgrade from previous netbook models. Powered by an Intel Atom N450 CPU, this netbook has 1 GB RAM, a 160 GB hard drive, a 10.1-inch matte screen (which is a good thing) and has features that are common to most netbooks. Nevertheless, it’s nice to see that Wi-Fi N has become the mainstay in netbooks. Although the company website says that this machine has Windows 7 Starter, our test unit came pre-loaded with Windows XP SP3, so you might want to double-check the machine personally before making a purchase. In terms of features, there are 3 USB ports, a webcam, audio jacks and a memory card reader. Consider the absence of Bluetooth as a downside.

Tags: Netbook , Samsung N150 , Portable computer , Samsung's new lineup of netbooks , Second generation Intel Atom,

T-Mobile MyTouch 3G Slide

2010-06-10T09:47:00.000-07:00

Short Version: A long, long time ago, I can still remember, how the MyTouch 3G’stouchscreen used to make me cry. And I knew that if they had their chance, that T-Mobile could add a keyboard, and maybe we’d be happy for a while. And how May/June made me shiver because T-Mobile has delivered – a MyTouch with a keyboard as useful as a Sidekick’s.

Features:
Slide out keyboard
World Phone
5 megapixel camera
Unique interface
$179 with contract
Pros:
Doubletwist for OS agnostic media syncing
Lots of social media connectivity
Interesting UI and Android 2.1
Cons:
A little big
Keyboard a bit cramped
A bit slow

T-Mobile has been on an Android roll lately. With a number of great devices – including the Granddaddy, the G1, and the older uncle, the MyTouch, the company essentially owns the Android space, at least in terms of handset availability. Obviously other folks – ahem Evocough Droid – own the mindshare, but T-Mo is plugging away like a champ.
The introduction of the MyTouch Slide gives Blackberry and, more importantly, Sidekick lovers something to lust after. The device, which looks like the standard MyTouch 3G, slides down to reveal a small but usable keyboard.
The Good
T-Mobile worked closely with HTC to create a unique but basic Android experience. For example, the MyModes feature allows you to update the look and feel based on your mood and activities. Like a mullet, you can set things up so it’s business up front and party in the back. There is also a Faves feature to replace MyFaves. This new system is basically a carousel of your favorite friends and brings in social media – Twitter and Facebook, mostly – updates as well as contact information.
Otherwise, you’re looking at a stock Android 2.1 install without all of the HTC Sense UI nonsense.
Call quality was strong and I had good reception in Las Vegas and Brooklyn. Your results may vary. Battery life is strong. It lasts about 18 hours with minimal usage and about 7 hours of heavy browsing and calls. It also has a unique and useful voice control function very similar to the iOS voice command system. The phone also has a full-sized headphone jack, which is a mitzvah.
The Bad
The phone is clad in black plastic and feels a bit chintzy. The keyboard, however, has none of the play of previous, similarly shaped phones like the Palm Pre and it pops out with an authoritative click.
In terms of usability, the phone bogs down a bit when usage gets too heavy. The unique contacts carousel is cool, but when there are other things processing in the background the animations start to slow down.
Bottom Line
Other than a few tiny details, I’m quite pleased with the MyTouch. It’s an entry-level phone for messaging addicts and that’s just fine. At about $180 with contract, you really can’t go wrong and HTC worked closely with T-Mobile to offer a unique but pure Android experience.
Who is this for? It’s for folks who miss their Sidekick and want a keyboard for messaging. The MyTouch 3G Slide’s processor won’t win the blue ribbon at the County Fair, but it is an impressive bit of cellphone.
TAGS:
T-Mobile , MyTouch, 3G Slide , mobile, cellphone, news , Review, specifications,

3D gaming for the PS3 coming tomorrow

2010-06-10T09:32:00.000-07:00

Sony has announced today that 3D games will be available for the PlayStation 3starting tomorrow. Anybody with the latestfirmware will have the ability to play them, but you will need a 3D-capable HDTV, as well, and stereoscopic glasses.

At the same time, the company announced its first line of 3D-capable BRAVIA HDTVs, each of which will come bundled with a pack of 3D games.

The first four games available are Wipeout HD 3D, Super Stardust HD 3D, PAIN 3Dand MotorStorm Pacific Rift 3D.

MotorStorm is just a demo, and for PAIN "the stereoscopic 3D content will include the Downtown area and tutorial along with three modes, including two new modes created specifically with stereoscopic 3D in mind, Alien Toss and Ice Breaker."

The other two are full games.

Finally, Sony introduced "The Fight: Lights Out" in stereoscopic 3D, which will use the upcoming PlayStation Move motion control system.

TAGS: PS3,Sony PS3 , 3D ,BRAVIA HDTVs, Wipeout HD 3D, Super Stardust HD 3D, PAIN 3Dand MotorStorm Pacific Rift 3D, news ,stereoscopic 3D content ,

Sony Ericson xperia x2-Review, Features and Specifications

2010-06-09T10:28:00.000-07:00

Sony Ericson xperia x2 has been the centre of attraction since its image leaked unofficially online. This mobile is very popular around the world because it is the first smart phone having 8 megapixel camera with windows operating system. The mobile has many special features like first ever full QWERTY phone with WVGA display. It has touch screen facility having excellent display clarity that can only be seen in this smart phone. This Smartphone has social networking sites that help the users very much to stay connected. The metallic body of the phone has cutting edge technology that attracts many younger people and it is very stylish and innovative as well
.

Features:

1. The display of the phone is 3.2 inches having resolution of 800*480 pixels.
2. For moving with comfort optical track pad is provided.
3. Accelerometer sensor is also included in this phone.
4. It is a quad band phone with 3G facility.
5. Operating system of the mobile is windows 6.5/6.5.2 professional.
6. The phone has 8 megapixel camera with a resolution of 3264*2448 pixels with LED flash.
7. The RAM configuration is 256 MB and ROM configuration is 512 MB.
8. The CPU of the phone is MSM 7200 528 MHZ processor.
9. We can connect to the internet using GPRS, EDGE, 3G, and WLAN.
10. GPRS speed is around 32 to 48 kbps, EDGE is 236.8KBPS, 3G is HSDPA 7.2MBPS, HSUPA is 2 mbps.
11. WIFI 802.11b/g, DLNA gives better speed.
12. Connectivity can be done using Bluetooth A2DP and USB 2.0.
13. FM radio is provided with RDS facility.
14. GPS (global positioning system) helps to find a place anywhere in this world.
15. 3.5 mm audio jack with stereo speakers is provided for superior audio clarity.
16. There are two colors, elegant black and modern silver.
17. The audio player supports formats like mp3, WAV, AAC+, WMA player.
18. The video player can support formats like mp4,XVID,WMV9,H.263/H.264 player.
19. TV output is also enabled.
20. Battery backup is quite good which allows you to play the music up to 20 hours.
21. Talk time is 10 hrs for 2g and 6hrs for 3G.
22. Messaging facility available are SMS, MMS and EMAIL.
23. The screen is TFT resistive touch screen.
24. Picture editor/blogger, T9, organize are additional features.
25. Weight of the phone is 155 grams with the dimension of 110*54*16 mm.
26. Touch focus, geo tagging and the image stabilizer gives more colorful to the phone.

Pros:

1. Display clarity is very good.
2. The QWERTY keypad gives more attraction.
3. Stereo speaker gives superior sound.
4. 8 mega pixel camera is the main advantage of this phone.
5. The social networking sites add more facility and adds entertainment factor to the phone and the user.

Cons:

1. 3G speed is not enough.
2. No multi touch screen facility.

TAGS:

-Review, Features ,Specifications,Sony, Ericson, xperia, x2, mobile, news,

Samsung wave S8500 Features, Review and Specifications

2010-06-09T10:18:00.000-07:00

Samsung the leading manufacturer of mobile phones has introduced new generation phone based on the proprietary flat form named as Samsung wave S 8500. It is the first phone that is installed with the Samsung Bada OS having a sleek body with a display size of 3.3 inch super AMOLED display that delivers great image quality.

It supports mobile digital natural image engine, WVGA resolution as the secondary option. This stylish headset is equipped with powerful 1GHZ processor, 5 megapixel camera, and accelerometer having 2GB/8GB internal storage space along with revolutionary virtual 5.1 surround sound. When it comes to the connectivity it is provided with Bluetooth, USB and WI-FI .The other multimedia features include FM radio, 3.5mm audio connector, voice commands and Mp3 recording.

Features:

1. The size of the display is 3.3 inches having resolution of 16 million colors that has AMOLED capacitive touch screen and WVGA (480*800) pixels.
2. It is been provided with multi touch input support and scratch resistant glass interface.
3. It has a thin metal body that has the size 10.9 mm.
4. The phone is installed with Samsung Bada operating system along with the Samsung applications.
5. The processor is ARM cortex A8 with the speed of 1GHZ.
6. It’s a quad band mobile having 3G supports of 7.2 mbps HSDPA and 2mbps HSUPA.
7. WI-FI is also available in this mobile with WPS support and also WI-FI tethering application is also available.
8. It supports built-in GPS receiver with APS support, Samsung mobile navigator and digital compass.
9. This phone provides a 5 megapixel camera with touch focus, geotagging, blink detection along with smile and LED flash.
10. It enables video recording 720p with 30fps.
11. It separates internal memory of the phone for various purposes like 390MB user available memory, 1GB Bada applications storage and 550MB message storage.
12. Micro SDHC card slot is available having a standard USB port along with Bluetooth 3.0 A2DP.
13. For stereo headset 3.5mm audio jack is available with TV out option.
14. FM radio is available along with RDS facility, FM recording is also available.
15. Samsung introduced the new web browser, Samsung Dolphin browser 2.0 with full flash support.
16. Social networking sites like YouTube, facebook and twitter integration is available.
17. It supports video formats like DIVX/XVID.
18. Audio quality of the phone is very impressive.

Advantages:

1. Display quality of the mobile is superior when compared to other models available in the market.
2. Mobile theater option gives the real theater experience.
3. Virtual 5.1 surround sound boosts the output volume.
4. Multi touch option is very effective.
5. The design of the mobile is very attractive

Disadvantages:

1. Available application for the mobile is very limited.
2. Lens cover for the camera is not provided.
3. Memory card slot is present under the battery.
4. In-built navigation software has only 30 days navigation license.
5. No ambient light sensor to change the brightness dynamically.
6. It didn’t give the Smartphone feel because of the limited third party applications.
7. Expandable memory of the phone is also limited.

TAGS:

S8500 , Samsung wave , price , review, photos, features, pros and cones, specifications,

Samsung Galaxy 5 (I5500) gets official

2010-06-09T10:02:00.000-07:00

After a series of leaks, Samsung has made the I5500 official in Italy. It will be sold as Corby Smartphone making it the first Corby device to run a proper smartphone OS. The phone runs on Android 2.1 OS and comes with a 2.8-inch QVGA LCD touchscreen, 3G, quad-band GSM, 600MHz Application CPU, 2MP camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, A-GPS, Android market and other Google services access, social networking widgets, 1200mAh battery and microSD card slot supporting up to 16GB.

The phone is targeted at the masses and carries a 199 euro price tag. It will arrive in mid-June on TIM and Wind.

Tags: Corby, Corby Smartphone, GT-I5500, I5500, Italy, Mobile Phones, news, samsung

FIFA on PSP

2010-06-09T09:44:00.000-07:00

FIFA World Cup fever will grip the whole world in a couple of days but if you’re in a mood to take the game in your own hands anytime and anywhere EA Sports’ 2010 FIFA World Cup game could come to your rescue. Although the latest football installment from EA Sports comes roughly 6-8 months after the release of FIFA 10, the new game does include some exciting features to make it immersive and enjoyable.

Game Modes:

The 2010 FIFA World Cup edition basically has three playable modes – 2010 FIFA World Cup, Captain Your Country and Story of Qualifying. Users can directly go for the gold by playing the FIFA World Cup. However, a user now has an option to choose from 199 countries and grill them by playing the qualifiers first and then the actual World Cup.

Next is the Captain Your Country, which is nothing but Be a Pro from normal FIFA series. Captain Your Country or CYC is one of my favorites because the only thing you’ve to do is control a selected player. You play as an individual player and need to perform best in the matches so that you can enter the World Cup playing XI and ultimately lift up the World Cup as a captain.

Story of Qualifying allows gamers to replay qualifying matches of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The matches have objectives to fulfill and the reward for successfully completing the said objectives is to play the 2006 World Cup Finals.
The other gaming modes available are Kick-off or quick play and multiplayer to take on football lovers on the internet.
Performance & Controls:
So now that we know about what different types of modes we can play the next question comes, is it enjoyable? The short answer is yes. Starting with the controls, be it a novice or a pro, the controls are easy to adapt. You just need few games to remember them and once you’re done with it, you can even use a combination of keys to perform advance moves.
One of the important things a user wants is a decent, intelligent and a playable AI and this game has it. Ok, not so when you’re playing in amateur mode but up the difficulty level and you’ll find it difficult to find the net.
The game also features some improved shooting mechanics like having a complete control on the ball, ability to allow a teammate run on a free kick and Golden Moments that gives a temporary boost on offense and defense.
Graphics:
Going by PSP standards, the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa produces excellent graphics with decent resemblance of players’ faces. To make it more authentic, EA has brought in all the 10 licensed stadiums with all the things you’d find on an actual field. You could actually see confetti cannons after the match or the crowd cheering with giant banners, flags etc.
Multiplayer:
A single player World Cup wouldn’t take much time to complete, which is why EA Sports has included multiplayer gaming. You can play the match between friends in Ad Hoc or connect to other FIFA players globally via the Infrastructure mode. Playing online is fairly easy and all it requires is an EA account.
Conclusion:
The 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa feels more or less like FIFA 10 with some minor improvements on top, which means FIFA 10 owners will have to give it a second thought before paying the full amount for a slightly upgraded version. However, if you’re looking for some authentic World Cup experience, you’ll consider your moneywell spent.
Indian buyers can get it for Rs. 1,599 on Game4U whereas US consumers can get it for $37 from Amazon.
TAGS:
psp, games, news, reviews , price, screenshots, gameplay

Dell Studio 14 Laptop heats up racks

2010-06-08T01:31:00.000-07:00

Like the Dell Studio 15 Artist Edition, the new Dell Studio 14 (Artist Edition) is a 14-inch laptop that combines excellent performance with very good looks. It's based on Intel's PineTrail processor, the Core i3-350M, and comes with a dedicated ATI Radeon HD 5450 graphics card.

Design & Usability

The new Dell Studio 14 screen lid has a glossy surface with customizable colors which you can configure on Dell's website. Our review unit came with purple colored horizontal lines streaking across its screen lid -- clearly not the best look the Studio 14 has to offer. The laptop preserves characteristic Studio design elements like its dropped hinges, sturdy build quality, slot-loading optical drive and the laptop's overall tapering design. The Dell Studio 14 continues to cloak itself in a simple-yet-functional design, which is admirable. In fact, a lot of its design and build characteristics have trickled down to the entry-level Inspiron series of laptops, as we saw on the Dell Inspiron 15-1564 and Dell Inspiron 14-1464.

The Studio 14 laptop's very well built (better than the MSI CX420 laptop), and its dropped central hinge is sturdy to say the least. The laptop weighs a moderate 2.45-kg, which isn't too bad for a 14-inch mainstream laptop. It comes with a glossy LED-backlit 14-inch screen (1366x768 pixel resolution) with a 16:9 aspect ratio. The Dell Studio 14's screen isn't as large as the one on Lenovo Ideapad Y550, but it is very close to it in terms of image quality. The screen displays crisp, clear text and video, and has very good horizontal viewing angles. The Dell Studio 14's keyboard and touchpad are as good as ever. The keyboard sports large, easy-to-type on keycaps that are closely packed -- they are different than the Ideapad Y550's or MSI CX420's keys, and great for fast typing. The touchpad is very finely textured and a treat to use, and the two mouse buttons are nice to press. If anything, the Studio 14's touchpad lacks multi-gesture support (found on the Ideapad Y550).

Bottom Line

The Dell Studio 14 Artist Edition sells for Rs. 45,300. For that price, you get a pretty decent 14-inch mainstream laptop with a nice screen, very good keyboard-touchpad combo, and one of the best feature sets of our Top 5 Mainstream Laptops. Compared to the Lenovo Ideapad Y550 and MSI CX420, the Dell Studio 14 offers better processor, RAM, and greater hard drive space -- but has an inferior graphics card, in comparison. We would still recommend the Dell Studio 14 over the MSI CX420 if you're looking for a 14-inch all purpose laptop for home. However, if you want a laptop with larger screen and better graphics performance, go for the Lenovo Ideapad Y550.

Tip: If you don't care much about the fancy screen lid, the standard Dell Studio 14 with a similar configuration sells for a lesser price. Also check out the brand new Dell Inspiron 14R laptop which has a cool new design.

Price : 45,300

TAGS:

Dell Studio 14 , Core i3-350M , ATI Radeon HD 5450 graphics card , review, comparison , looks, features, news , laptop, price

Apple iPhone 4 Details revealed

2010-06-08T01:25:00.000-07:00

The announcements are still ongoing at the WWDC 10 but the big news is the official revealing of the all new Apple iPhone 4 (yes, that's what its going to be called; no 4G, no mini iPad).

So quickly, here are a couple of major changes that the phone's going to have:

1. Its 9.3mm thin, making it the thinnest smartphone on Earth.
2. There's a front facing camera.
3. Bad news comes in the form of the microSIM tray, which means regular sized SIMS that we use in India won't fit.
4. There are dedicated hardware volume buttons and a mute button too.
5. The camera now gets an LED flash, so that's a big win. The megapixel count is up to 5MP now and there is also 5x digital zoom. Plus, it can shoot 720p videos!
6. There's a second mic on the phone's top and its a noise cancelling one.
7. The iPhone 4 has a steel rim with lines and the entire rim functions as an antenna.
8. The display is a "retina display" which means greater pixel density and "four times the number of pixels in the same space." A total of 326 pixels per inch.
9. The screen resolution is now up to 960x640 (The iPhone 3GS' display had a resolution limited to 320x480)
10. It runs on the A4 chip.
11. The iPhone 4 has a bigger battery and Steve Jobs claims that as a result the iPhone 4 will give 40% more talktime, 6 hours of 3G browsing; 10 hours of Wi-Fi browsing; 10 hours of video; 40 hours of music; 300 hours of standby.
12. The iPhone 4 will have up to 32GB of storage.
13. The iPhone 4 will now have a gyroscope. 3-axis gyro (angular velocity); pitch, roll, & yaw; rotation about gravity; gyro + accelerometer provide 6-axis motion sensing. New CoreMotion APIs that developers can call; extremely precise position information. Perfect for gaming.
So, that's all the updates for now. We'll leave you with some awesome pics taken at the WWDC 10. Enjoy! (Also, make sure you check out our list of Top 5 High-End Phones, a list that features the iPhone 3GS at #1).

TAGS:

Apple , IPhone 4, 4G, news, looks, revealed, sneak peak , features

BlackBerry Curve 8530 launched in India

2010-06-08T01:22:00.000-07:00

Partnering with Tata teleservices, there has been released BlackBerry Curve 8530 in India by RIM at price tag of Rs. 18990. Tata Teleservice’s CDMA customers will be able to get the handset which offers them a host of cutting edge specs including email, messaging, social networking, multimedia and entertainment.

Commenting on the event, Pradeep Dwivedi, Senior Vice President, Tata Teleservices said, “The CDMA smartphone market is developing rapidly. The launch of the BlackBerry Curve 8530 will give Tata Indicom customers access to a very approachable smartphone at an affordable price. ” “We believe that the BlackBerry Curve 8530 supported by our extensive network will appeal to young professionals and students who want easy-to-use smartphones with rich communications and multimedia features that allow them to stay connected through social networking sites, instant messaging services including BlackBerry Messenger, and email.”

The handset which is equipped with a full QWERTY keypad, is enamored with a range of popular specs including 256 MB flash memory, 528 MHz next generation processors, built in Wi-Fi [802.11 b/g], and GPS along with location based applications, 2 MP built in camera, browser and multimedia player [plays out nearly all the popular media formats including MPEG4, H.263, H.264, WMV9, MP3, AMR-NB etc.].

Device also offers users access to BlackBerry App world consisting numbers of third-party mobile applications which are specific for BlackBerry smartphones only. Further, with the handset, users also get access to email, messaging [IM, SMS, BlackBerry Messenger], and numbers of popular social networking sites viz. Facebook and MySpace.

The phone is compatible with 10 email accounts which include the largely used ISP email accounts too such as yahoo, windows live Hotmail, AOL, Gmail, and BlackBerry Enterprise Server Support

TAGS:
Blackberry, India, Tata, compatible, looks, review

Samsung Galaxy Tablet is out

2010-06-05T10:55:00.000-07:00

After Apple released the iPad, there has been a flurry of activity in the tablets market with many devices like LG'S UX 10, Asus' EeePad and MSI's Windpad.

Looks like Samsung Electronics too is inching towards making a tablet of its own and images of the same have already been leaked across the Interweb. We are talking about the Galaxy Tab tablet that Samsung tweeted about from its official South African Twitter account.

The tablet, which resembles a grow up version of the just released i9000 Android smartphone, will feature a 7-inch AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display. It is reportedly powered by an ARM processor and is likely to pack in phone features as well. Samsung has not forgotten to add its TouchWiz interface to the tablet - a fact that might make many of you out there cringe!
It is interesting to note the time when the Galaxy Tablet has been revealed. The revelation of the Galaxy Tablet comes just a week after the international launch of the iPad and Dell's Streak, a 5-inch tablet.

As of now, there is no specific information regarding the time of launch of this device - although some sources suggest a July 2010 announcement.

Tag keywords

Samsung i9000 Samsung tablets

West Bengal Higher Secondary Results 2010 Online

2010-06-05T10:53:00.000-07:00

West Bengal Higher Secondary Exam Results 2010 Online. The WB Higher Secondary Results will be available after 11AM on June 6 online.

After a brief break in the exam results being declared in India, the West Bengal government is all set to announce the results of the West Bengal Higher Secondary Results for 2010 online.

The West Bengal exam results for the students who appeared for the WB Higher Secondary or exams will be able to check their results online after 11AM on 6th June 2010.

WB Higher Secondary students will be able to check their 2010 exam results online at http://wbresults.nic.in/. Students can visit the website for the exam results after 11AM on June 6 and enter their roll numbers to view their results.

Please note that the roll number of the WB Higher Secondary exams is required in order to check your results. The results site may be a bit slow to load after 11AM so please be patient while you check your results.

We wish all the West Bengal Higher Secondary students who appeared for the exams in 2010 best of luck for their results.

Tags: Exam Results, Indian Results, West Bengal

New PSP in three new colours

2010-05-30T14:24:00.000-07:00

Here’s news that may cheer up gamers, especially those who love gaming on-the-go. Sony has launched three brand new colour versions of its PSP-3000 gaming console in India. The console now comes in pearl white, blossom pink and radiant red shades.

Users can now personalize their PSP by picking from a choice of three gorgeous colors. What’s more, Sony has decided to throw in two free games, namely, Daxter and Loco Roco that are playable on this device.

PSP has been grabbing the attention of gamers since its launch in December 2004. The device offers access to games, music, videos, photos and web surfing through Wi-Fi. If the colour variations weren’t enough, the LCD screen of the console livens up games, photos and videos in clear cut imagery.

Users can store personal photos, listen to music, watch videos and play PSP titles on this gizmo. The PSP is embedded with a TV socket to connect it to a TV for a lively gaming experience and a personal entertainment system. The company claims to have some great software lined up for 2010.

The PSP-3000 comes at a price of Rs.9,490.

For attractive discounts click on the ads adjusent to the post

TAGS:
PSP, PSP 3000, price, discounts, gadgets, gaming , news ,

Samsung 's Dual SIM 3G Touchscreen Phone Spotted

2010-05-30T10:08:00.000-07:00

Samsung has quite a bunch of dual SIM phones in its arsenal. However, what was missing all this while was a 3G capable dual SIM phone - that too a touchscreen.

Well, that was until now because Samsung has unveiled a new handset, the Samsung B7722/B7702, its latest touchscreen phone targeted at the Asian, European and the African markets. While the model numbers are different, there are just two variants of the same phone with the B7702 likely to head towards the Chinese market and the B7722 to the rest of the world. The fact that these two models indicate the same phone can be verified from the Bluetooth SIG website here.

As for the features on this one, it will obviously support EDGE and HSDPA connectivity, a 3.2 inch touchscreen display with a rather unusual pixel count of 240 x 432 pixels . Then there is Wi-Fi, social networking services, FM radio, and a 5MP camera cramped in as well.

When launched, the Samsung B7722 / B7702 is expected to be priced at around the $400 mark. The launch could be as soon as in June.

TAGS:

Samsung , dual SIM phone , Wi-Fi , news , mobile , B7722 , new moble models, 3G capable

Samsung debuts Two New Laptops, Netbook

2010-05-30T08:44:00.000-07:00

Samsung has updated its 2010 mobile computer line-up with one new netbook and two business-class notebooks. The new Samsung NB30 Pro is based on the NB30 netbook model launched earlier this year. The two new notebooks are P80 Premium and P30 Essential. Meant for the professional audience, these notebooks will be made available in a few days from Samsung product resellers.

New 10.1-inch Samsung NB30 Pro netbook has 1.66GHz Intel Pineview N450 processor, 2GB DDR2 RAM, 160GB HDD, HD Audio, 0.3 megapixel webcam, Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n) and three USB 2.0 ports. Pre-loaded with Windows 7 Professional edition operating system, this netbook offers a battery life of up to 6.5 hours that might leave this netbook lagging behind its competitors. We say this because loads of other Intel Pine Trail platform based netbooks offer a battery life of ten hours or more.

The P80 Premium series will have 14-inch P480 and 15.6-inch P580 notebooks. Both these notebooks will come with 2.26GHz Intel Core i5-430M processor, up to 4GB DDR3 RAM, up to 320GB 5400RPM HDD, Intel GMA HD graphics, 0.3 megapixel webcam, Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n), HD Audio, pair of 1.5W speakers and four USB 2.0 ports. The P480 offers a battery life 4.3 hours while the battery life of P580 is 4.4 hours.

TAGS:

Samsung, HD Audio, Samsung NB30 pro , DDR3 RAM, P80 Premium series , business-class notebooks , 1.5W speakers

Sony Makes Killzone 3 Official, Playable in 3D

2010-05-30T07:39:00.000-07:00

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has officially announced that Killzone 3 is under development with Guerilla Games and would be PlayStation 3 exclusive. The new game begins where the second installment ends. Sev and Rico will take on the Helghast army after Scolar Visari is killed and most ISA forces are wiped out at the end of Killzone 2. Every new level will have its own distinct feel right from the start in Killzone 3. The Jetpack from Killzone Liberation game for PSP will return and make room for aerial combat game play.

TAGS:
playstation, killzone 3, PSP, Games, news, entertainment,

Halo: Reach coming on September 14

2010-05-30T06:25:00.000-07:00

Microsoft has announced that the upcoming Halo series game Halo: Reach exclusive for Xbox 360 will be released on September 14. Halo: Reach is the prequel to all Halo series installments and is the story of Noble Team, squad of heroic Spartan soldiers who land on Planet Reach. Halo: Reach will be offered in three different editions - Standard, Limited and Legendary Editions.

TAGS:

Halo, xbox 360, microsoft, game, news

Dell's Streak Has Features to Battle With Apple's iPad

2010-05-28T11:56:00.000-07:00

Key Features:

Integrated Google Maps with turn-by-turn navigation, street and satellite views
A full screen browsing experience with a 5-inch capacitive multi-touch WVGA display
Easily integrated social media apps: Twitter, Facebook, YouTube
High resolution 5 MP camera, VGA front facing camera, removable battery, built-in Wi-Fi, 3G and Bluetooth connectivity options
2GB of internal dedicated storage provides plenty of space to access and download Google Android Market’s many options
Packaged with cushions made from 100 percent sustainable, compostable bamboo

Specifications:

Android platform complete with Android Market and Dell user interface enhancements
ARM-based Processor: Qualcomm’s powerful and efficient Snapdragon chipset and software platform with integrated 1GHz processor
3G + WiFi + Bluetooth
UMTS / GPRS / EDGE class 12 GSM radio with link speeds of up to HSDPA 7.2 Mbps1 / HSDPA
5 MP autofocus camera with dual LED flash. Easy point, shoot, and uploads to YouTube, Flickr, Facebook and more
User accessible Micro SD expandable memory available up to 32 GB2. Store up to 42 movies2 or 32,000 photos2, or 16,000 songs2 with 32GB Micro SD

TAGS:

Dell's Streak, Dell,Tabloid, camera, multimedia, wifi,

Samsung Galaxy S tops the charts

2010-05-26T12:54:00.000-07:00

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., a leading mobile phone provider, today introduced the Galaxy S (Model: GT-I9000), a smart phone that makes users’ lives more convenient, more exciting, and more integrated. JK Shin, president and head of Samsung Electronics’ Mobile Communications Business announced the global launch of the Galaxy S at his keynote speech at the International CTIA Wireless 2010. The Galaxy S will be available in Europe, North America, Latin America, Australia, and Asia soon.

The Android-powered Galaxy S incorporates a 4-inch Super AMOLED screen and a 1 GHz application processor that enables vibrant HD videos, rich augmented reality content through Layar Reality Browser, and advanced LBS (Location Based Services). The ‘Social Hub’ provides always-on social networks connectivity allowing users to enjoy communications with their friends, colleagues, and families whenever they want and wherever they are.

The Galaxy S is designed to provide immersive, intelligent and integrated experiences, with the power to enrich people’s lives through best-in-class services and technologies. The Galaxy S will allow users around the world to experience the “Smart Life,” which Samsung anticipates will shift the way that consumers view smart phones and how they interact with them in their daily lives.

The Galaxy S immerses users in a world of rich multimedia. The large 4-inch Super AMOLED display delivers unrivalled screen quality, with less reflection, free viewing angles and super-fast touch-response. The mDNIe (mobile Digital Natural Image engine) – a technology used in Samsung’s best-selling LCD and LED TVs – boosts an even sharper and crisper viewing experience for photos, videos, and e-books. It creates a perfect environment to record, edit and play HD video, to browse the Internet, and to read your favorite e-books. A variety of applications from Android Market™ allows users to even more extend the benefits and excitement of smart phone experience. Plus, users have access to Google™ mobile services, such as Google Search™, Gmail™, and Google Maps™.

Living a “Smart Life” requires intelligence, and the Galaxy S delivers just that by utilizing personal preferences to gather information online that each user needs and wants. With a user-defined daily briefing, lightning-fast processing speeds and location-based search options like Layar Reality Browser – the Galaxy S gives users the information they need wherever and whenever needed. The Galaxy S represents the next level of intelligence in smart phones.

The Galaxy S integrates every aspect of life in a smart and sophisticated way. In addition to wireless integration with a variety of other devices, such as notebooks, TVs and cameras, the highly advanced Social Hub plugs users quickly and conveniently into their complete world of social networking and email.

“The Android-powered Galaxy S will set a new standard for smart phones,” said JK Shin, president and head of Mobile Communications Business. “The Galaxy S is the perfect device for people in all corners of the world who want that extra edge; to be more effective, productive, better connected, and in tune with their smart life – both personal and professional – all in a very easy and simple way.”

Other Key Features

* Daily Briefing: Offers instant access to weather, news, stocks, and the scheduler.

* All Share: Enables inter-device connectivity via DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) technology.

* Home Cradle: Enables use as a digital photo frame, table clock, calendar, and music station.

* Write and go: Jot down an idea first and later decide on a format such as SMS/ MMS, email, calendar or memo.

* Swype: Provides fast and easy way to input text on screen while on-the-move.

* ThinkFree: Apps to view and edit Microsoft Office 2007 documents.

* Smart Alarm: Wakes up with a natural alarm sound and automatically turned-on display light.

The Galaxy S is exhibited at The International CTIA Wireless at booth # 1023.

For more details click on adjusent ads

TAGS:

multimedia, Key Features ,Galaxy S , Samsung , Android-powered Galaxy S , mobile , tech , news

Nokia's Comeback - The Nokia N8 Smartphone

2010-05-26T11:45:00.000-07:00

The Nokia N8, Nokia's latest smartphone, intuitively connects to the people, places and services that matter most. With the Nokia N8, people can create compelling content, connect to their favorite social networks and enjoy on-demand Web TV programs and Ovi Store apps. Available in select markets during the third quarter of 2010, the estimated retail price of the Nokia N8 is EUR 370, before applicable taxes or subsidies.

The Nokia N8 introduces a 12 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, Xenon flash and a large sensor that rivals those found in compact digital cameras. Additionally, the Nokia N8 offers the ability to make HD-quality videos and edit them with an intuitive built-in editing suite. Doubling as a portable entertainment center, people can enjoy HD-quality video with Dolby Digital Plus surround sound by plugging into their home theatre system. The Nokia N8 enables access to Web TV services that deliver programs, news and entertainment from channels like CNN, E! Entertainment, Paramount and National Geographic. Additional local Web TV content is also available from the Ovi Store.

Social networking is second nature to the Nokia N8.

People can update their status, share location and photos, and view live feeds from Facebook and Twitter in a single app directly on the home screen. Calendar events from social networks can also be transferred to the device calendar.

The Nokia N8 comes with free global Ovi Maps walk and drive navigation, guiding people to places and points of interest in more than 70 countries worldwide.

Symbian^3 in action

Powering the Nokia N8 is Symbian ^3, the latest edition of the world's most used smartphone software, which introduces several major advances, including support for gestures such as multi touch, flick scrolling and pinch-zoom. The Nokia N8 also offers multiple, personalizable homescreens which can be loaded with apps and widgets. The new 2D and 3D graphics architecture in the platform takes full advantage of the Nokia N8's hardware acceleration to deliver a faster and more responsive user interface. Symbian^3 also raises the bar in performance by delivering greater memory management allowing more applications to run in parallel for a faster multi-tasking experience.

Getting Qt for Developers

The Nokia N8 is Nokia's first device to be integrated with Qt, a software development environment that simplifies the development and makes it possible to build applications once and deploy across Symbian and other software platforms. Nokia has also made the powerful and simple to use Nokia Qt SDK available, in its initial beta, to enable developers to start realizing the potential of Qt.

For more details click on the adjusent ads

TAGS:

nokia, mobile , tech, news , smartphone, Symbian ^3,Carl Zeiss optics